Present Arms 09

The Miniature Armoured Fighting Vehicle Association (MAFVA) Essex Branch are running the Present Arms military modeling & wargames show today. Unfortunately I won't be able to make it but if your in the area this show should be worth a visit.

Regrets, I have a few

I like the motivational posters you can get on the Internet. This one made me laugh because it sums up for me the quintessential gaming experience....
Like the time I forgot to move my biggest baddest unit in a 40k game... and only noticed when I tried to use it to fire on a target that was outside its fire arc. Or the countless times our D&D group decided the GM wouldn't possibly pit us against an enemy we couldn't defeat... ignoring the subtle hint to turn back.

Recognising significant moments in a game is almost as hard as it is in real life. The turning point in a war/campaign/battle is rarely obvious until after the event. Hindsight, as they say, is a wonderful thing.

Beating a Hasty Retreat

Brave Sir Robin ran away.

Bravely ran away, away!

When danger reared its ugly head,

He bravely turned his tail and fled.

Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about

And gallantly he chickened out.

Bravely taking to his feet

He beat a very brave retreat,

Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!

He is packing it in and packing it up

And sneaking away and buggering off

And chickening out and pissing off home,

Yes, bravely he is throwing in the sponge...

The Ballad of Brave Sir Robin (Monty Python: The Holy Grail)

So when is a good time to beat a hasty retreat in combat? Knowing when to retreat (IMHO) is closely liked to being able to identify clear tactical objectives when battle commences. When those objectives clearly can't be met it's time to rethink or retreat.

I was going to write a scholarly post about battlefield decision making in RPG’s. I could have discussed the need to keep a close eye on the groups resources and recognise the point at which they become inadequate to the battle. I could have discussed key indicators of imminent defeat such as when 50% of the group are down or out of a fight. Or I could have mentioned that any battle in which a one or two rounds go past without the group causing any damage is a major indicator of imminent failure.

Instead I asked for some ideas from my gaming group and got the following suggestions:

• When the DM can't keep the grin off his face when he says "roll for initiative"
• When the GM starts looking more worried than the players
• When your PC is the only one left standing - and you're holding the loot.
• When the first Kobold has taken 56 points of damage and still doesn't look worried
• When you realise you actually missed on the last attack, you tell the DM so he can undo the damage you caused and he says "don't worry, it doesn't make much difference"
• When you defeat your enemy only to find reinforcements chatting amongst themselves in the wings.
• When the only spell component you have left is half a bayleaf and some navel fluff.
• When you realise there are more enemies facing you than arrows in your quarrel.
• When the PC guarding your flank goes "arrgh...thump"

Been there. Done them all. Rolled a new PC!

One Line NPC's

Whenever I run (or play) D&D I find it's the incidental characters that provide the 'colour' to a scene. Not every NPC needs to be a fully fleshed out and stat'ed character. In fact its become a bit of an in-joke that the GM needs a name for every person encountered, no matter how insignificant. Some GM's can make up an NPC on the spot with little or no preparation but I like to have at least something fleshed out in advance.

I came up with a simple list of 'One Line' NPC's. Basically each NPC is described in the simplest of terms (Location, Name, Race, Occupation, Description, Character). Enough information is available for the GM to portray a seemingly 'real' character and form the basis of a more detailed description if that NPC becomes more important to the unfolding story.

Here are a few examples of Simple NPC's I have used in my own game:

• Market, Eyrion, Dwarf, An entertainer, Thin, Talkative
• Market, Yarenrian, Human, Peddler, Scarred, Knowledgeable
• Market, Qarrian, Dwarf, Poet/minstrel, Stout, Very Helpful
• Citadel, Ilonrian, Human, Guardsman, Filthy, Arrogant
• Citadel, Atjtur, Human, Guardsman, Tough looking, Quiet
• Palace, Malanyon, Elf, A groom, Well dressed, Knowledgeable
• Palace, Quanuard, Human, A noble, Very obese, Calm & Aloof
• Trade Quarter, Errian, Human, A Fletcher, Young, Likable
• Trade Quarter, Malwen, Human, A glassblower, Neat, Morose
• Trade Quarter, Quanam, Elf, Innkeeper, Refined features, Friendly

For me the biggest advantage of a prepared list like this is consistency. I can craft some simple characters that fit with their location and the message I want to convey. This sort of NPC is easy to prepare, quick to develop and helps give a location a sense of 'realness'.