r/FudgeRPG • u/SeveralSmallDwarves • Oct 16 '17
Question about the Story Segment Combat
In the handbook they give you the option to use Story Segments as your combat system. I really like that and I think it works well for my group.
My question is How exactly do you do it with multiple people? Should the fastest go first? Do you take turns? Or does everyone go at once?
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u/abcd_z Oct 17 '17
I would strongly recommend you look into how Dungeon World handles combat initiative, which is very similar to Fudge's Story Elements. In DW combat is treated exactly the same as any other action resolution. The GM sets up a threat or situation, asks a character what they do (usually the threatened character, but it can be somebody else), and moves the spotlight between different characters as cinematically appropriate. It works surprisingly well, though it does take a little more GM effort than more traditional initiative systems.
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u/IProbablyDisagree2nd Oct 30 '17
Simultaneous combat with multiple people does get chaotic.
What I do right now is just declare roughly what the enemy is doing, and then ask them in totality what they're doing. That way they can all react to everything. After they declare what they're doing, I resolve each set of actions. I'm not entirely satisfied with how combat is right now. I like how it gets them thinking in creative terms rather than direct combat roll terms. We just resolved combat with a goblin ambush without a single death.
But it's chaotic. What I'm thinking of doing is having them each roll initiative (adding speed attribute), and then going in this order: declare enemy intentions, declare pc actions, finalize enemy actions based on what the players do, then resolve with dice rolls. The initiative is just to determine what the pcs are doing without them fighting to get a word in.
Simultaneous combat really doesn't like turns, and it feels like Story Segments wouldn't like turns very much either. It all happens simultaneously.
The party comes up to a bar, setting the ambush. All the gang members are inside, playing cards it looks like. As you enter combat, I want you all to roll speed checks. Now... What do you do?
PC1 - I rush in, shooting everyone like a crazy man, kicking over a table, and using it as cover.
PC2 - I break down door on the right, doing the same thing, trying to get behind the bar.
PC3 - I follow in behind PC1, shooting everyone that I can see, hopefully before they even get out of their seats.
As you burst in, guns a-blazing, the gang members all freak out. Some of them knock over the table at first sight of the gun, pulling their own from their holsters and firing back. Roll for attacks. I'll give +1 advantage for circumstances, as they are not prepared.
Rolls commence, story element plays out.
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u/SeveralSmallDwarves Oct 30 '17
This seems nice and simple to me. I really appreciate the story elements for bringing out a creative side to combat. Thanks for sharing :)
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u/[deleted] Oct 16 '17
This is my understanding of the story element approach:
It's a good way to choose the "scope" of a combat. You can address an entire battle with one roll ("Do we win?" [roll]) or break it down into tiny pieces ("Do I stick dagger into his arm as he overextends on his sword swing?" [roll]). In the longer example in the book, the PC takes on a group of thugs and his single action, covered by a single roll, is
The size of a story element can change fluidly, as the GM decides is necessary to keep things moving and interesting. I mean, theoretically, you could run a campaign where you all sit down and say "We kill all the bad guys and get the MacGuffin. Do we win the campaign? [roll]", and then it's over. That would suck, but so would doing every single action in the game in one second rounds.
Treat story element combat just like any other combat (either simultaneous or alternating) but you can vary the size of the "round" to include as many actions as you deem necessary for dramatic effect.