How do you deal with high-armor PCs in AW2e? If someone has 2 armor, what are your options to harm then if they’re up against foes that can only deal 2 harm per attack?
How do you deal with high-armor PCs in AW2e?
How do you deal with high-armor PCs in AW2e?
Also, harm isn’t the only or best way to hurt someone
If a dude shrugs off bullets, the baddies are going to switch tactics. Respond in fiction not mechanics. A Molotov ignores most types of armor. While two gang members shot at you, the rest burnt down your shack where your barter was stored, or broke your car or what have you. Sure your riot gear shrugs off small arms fire, but it only softens the blow of a bus running you over
Pavel Berlin initially at least. But if the PC stands there ignoring the npcs, they will likely escalate
I’m aware of these tactics, but how are they used with regards to the AW2e battle moves?
That is where the key word “typically” comes in. Each of the harm yielding situations above are atypical responses by the statted npc. The harm they deal changes be wise their approach changes. You can also treat the npcs as a gang and the PC as a size zero or possibly 1 gang depending on how badass they are.
And you still roll an Harm move.
Gangs!
Take away thier stuff…or at least make em pay for it. There are oh so many fun ways to use mc moves that can cause armor to be damaged, stolen, or otherwise out of use forcing the PC to alter the plot to get it back.
A hail of bullets and shotgun blasts may knock them over and a knife to the throat will ignore most types of armour. A sneaky bastard coming from behind you can always find somewhere to rest the point of their blade as they whisper in your ear.
hmmm… point of grammatical clarification;
NPCs do not (typically:- there is that word again) use Moves of any kind, battle or otherwise; the MC has Moves which may do many things… overtly or covertly pose and position the cast of NPCs… express the states and situations in the perceptible environment… announce imminent threats and potential badness… all in-scene, or off-stage segues, implicitly or explicitly…
yet, preferably fairly and honestly…
Then, there are those Hard Moves that (again, here it is:- typically) become available should a PC do something with a full-monty exposure, that gifts the MC an RSVP invite formally on a golden platter, to cripple them with abject embarrassments and mortal savagery… or… just because they rolled under a 6 on that attempt to Seize [the safety of the occupants in a fortified intersection] by Force while Choppers in choppers and gangs of jackals with jackals, overrun the ramparts with blazing-guns and flaming gin-bottles.
One such hard move is, deal damage, as established… because;
“You failed to Act Under Fire, while shoting and dodging… now that bus I warned you about, deals 4Harm AP Messy, right to your face, with it’s grill… oh, and you are covered in gin, and it is on fire… which needs another Act (put me out) Under (i’m on) Fire to avoid 2Hrm AP Burning -1ongoing… happy birthday!“
Hit ’em with a car. Offer them a nice hot shower to get them out of their armor. Sneak up on ’em and stick a drugged needle in their neck.
I just remember, there are always brainers
Offer them a nice hot shower… but, replace the water barrel, with a barrel of gin… and light it on fire with a flare-gun!
then, while they are running around naked and on fire…
you can hit ’em with a car!
…even better, for extra credit, and assurance
…make it an Irish Car Bomb!
Originally for Cyberpunk2020…
Listen Up, You Primitive Screwheads!
…is still my personal favorite GM (and Player) Sourcebook, with tips-&-tricks applicable across all systems and genres.
Hire ’em for an easy milk-run, and while they are out… slip a landmine under their mattress… classic!
In all seriousness though:- even if you have +3armor (pre-fall military surplus, environmentally sealed, linear frame, fusion powered, on-board tactical companion cube, intimidating visage:skull motif), if you stub your toe on loose rubble, slip on a discarded soda bottle, and trip into a pile of rebar & barbed-wire, it still hurts!
and the suit’s angel will likely complain about your carelessness with her sensitive circuitry… emphatically reminding you that adequate repair facilities, materials, and certified technicians, are becoming unendurably scarce…
3harm vs. -3armor, and…
roll+0harm… while being pestered by an artificially imperious diva.
conveniently dismissing roll+harm, seems to be a commonly implemented feature:- I’m fairly certain I’ve seen VB do it himself… both artificially and absently.
which, in fairness, I wouldn’t call a roll+harm on a stubbed toe alone… there would need to be real threat of a mortally fatal sprained ankle, or at least a banana becoming lodged in an eye, as a result of said stubbed toe:- yet, the option is ever present to do so.
(pro-tip: stay away from bee hives and ant hills, they can, and will, find a way through even the most robustly sealed armor!)
William Mims the bad thing is I forget about it in situations that I think call for it. Like Monk firing 2harm pistol in 4armor jaggernaut. Sure no harm gets through, but roll-2harm could still cause some interesting kinds of pain.
Still isn’t a big deal; Monk’s head becoming chunky bits adorning both PCs with a new paint scheme, can also cause interesting pain and complications… taking advantage of the noisy clusterfuck, and having some not-so-trustworthy allies steel all the rum… or worse, the local market boss and guards were also distracted by the noisy commotion, so the same screwy-crew of not-so-helpful allies, took all the market’s rum, and figured the safest place to hid it was in the juggernauts unguarded stash!
dealing and receiving harm can be boring anyway, so; hit ’em where it really hurts, and think off-screen too… :p
of course, when folks start asking;– “Where’s all the rum gone?”;– everyone is sure Rolfball did it, and he is often in cahoots with Joe… and Joe’s Girl is frequently seen shopping with Monk as sisters of a feather, so-to-speak… so… now the whole confrontation looks like an intentional distraction scam, and at least a half-dozen known troublemakers were party of the conspiracy… including Jagger, who, when confronted and has his stuff searched, wouldn’t y’know… obviously, profited all the booty for himself!
Meanwhile; Heckle, Jekyll, and Nod… don’t know anything… they were sleeping off a rousing game of dragon-dice on the other side of camp that night, like good sheep, of course:- but they agree, Rolfball did it, and in a private confession after some regularly scheduled ceremony, tell the Hocus, that Rolfball told them he would too!
Which is just a long way of saying; there are lots of things that get forgot… all for the sake of bringing focus back to the emerging fiction, and keep the conversation flowing.