Topic: Advice on balanced combat encounters?

[Fullerton]

Anybody have any advice (and/or pointers to products to buy with such advice) on how to build appropriately balanced RM combat encounters? Right now, all I have access to in terms of the modern RM rules is RMX, and like I said, I'm more than happy to purchase other books that have the relevant info. I'm hoping to save myself the (re)learning curve of RM combat as I (re)start RM GMing.

Are there any metrics like this: A party of 5 can typically handle encounters with 2 foes that have levels roughly equal to the PCs?

And/or even stuff like "be careful with high level wizards as enemies," or "be careful with enemies with ranged attacks?"

Are there any well-balanced modules I can buy with good examples?

Thanks!

[Warl]

As Far as modules go, there are not many, if any, at this time that i am aware of, Official or not. At least not for RMC/RMX.

Now though i have bought RMC myself,  have not yet begun to use t as my statndard for the game. I am an OLD school RM2 fan. From what I have seen, though, RMC is pretty darn near the same as RM2 with minor adjustments. RMX is a stripped down model of RMC.

SO, first I would Suggest buying RMC: Arms Law. Arms Law gives a much more detailed explanation of combat combat tactics and skills. Though it does give examples, it does not address Balance issues.

Balance in melee between melee opponents is trickery becuase your stats and BP expenditures each level mean more than your actual level. To explain this better, let m break it down with an example.

2 fighters with the same stats:
One buys skill in 4 different weapons, but only buys 1 rank per level for each skill.
the Other buys skill in only 2 weapons, but buys 2 ranks each level for each skill.
at the end of 5 levels of expenditure, the first fighter has skill in more weapons, and thus more choices, but the second fighter has 25 points more skill in his weapons than the other.

This becomes More important as one becomes more skillful in tactical use of OB-DB.

I have players that NEVER shift much from their OB to their DB, But they also wonder Why My NPCs tend to last longer in fights Unless the players gang up on the NPC. Puttng a portion of your OB to DB does make you hit less and your hits less damaging, but you are also open to being hit more often becuase you are not defending.

So part of balance is to understand how your players will play.

the Second part is Stats.

How are you building your NPCs? If you build the the same way you allow your players to make characters, then it can be considered fairly close to equal. IF you are assigning stats, then you must consider how close are you reflecting the players stats?

Now I don't know if RMX has an NPC table in it, but there is a Generic NPC table for each class in RMC page 157.

If you use this then you must compare the skills/OBs/DBs to that of your players. Consider the Fighter NPC stats, The fighter at level 1 has an OB of 35 and a DB of 30 (which is typically from a normal shield +20 and quickness +10) You can assume that the OB is derived from a base of 3-4 ranks in the skill = +15-+20 and the other 20-15 of the skill coming from the stats bonuses.
This means they are suggesting that the average fighter has a quickness of 90 and an Average str and agility of 98 each. This is, of course, assuming No background options for Average PCs.
Looking at it from a purely Bonus Persepctive, the fighter needs a Quickness bonus of +10 and a str and agility bonus of 15 to 20 each or at least, when both stats are averaged together, a bonus of 15 to 20.

So compare this o your players stats and bonuses. Does the fighter of your Group, at level 1, have an OB of greater than 35? a DB of greater than 30 (with shield included)?

Does his Quickness bonus exceed +10? His Total str and agility bonuses exceed + 20?

The armor worn can then also be a big factor, what do your players have access to at low levels compared to the NPCs.

in the end, for me at least, I go with even odds to 1.5 (based off of total levels) odds at the beginning levels. after level 5 I move to 1.5 to 2 times the players. I tend to kick that up depending on if i am going for 1 or 2 Really strong opponents or a whole lot of weak opponents. 1 or 2 strong opponents and I might kick it up an additional 0.5 times my players since they will be bale to gang up on the opponents. When using lots of weaker opponents I might go to an extra +1x the players and/or use alot of Missile.

When using the Creatures from the Creatures and treasure books and end to deal with them the same way. Though sometimes I will bump up Hit points for tougher monsters.

One thing to note though is that RM is a deadly combat system and it is designed to have the players Feel that Running away is ALWAYS an option, and even that letting some opponents RUN/GEt away is also an option on the side of Prudence.

I have no qualms about Killing my players characters becuase they refused to back down in either case.


Magic in RM2/RMC is a different case when dealing with one on one fights. A level 1 mage against a level 1 fighter might want to run even if he does have distance to get a spell or 2 off. where as a level 10 fighter might want to consider hiding behind cover against that level 10 magician.

The type of Caster can vary the situation as well. Some caster types are not meant for combat of any kind but are more of a support and guide.

From my perspective, at least in RM2, Magic becomes Very powerful in the higher levels. But the mage, who wears no armour and has fewer Hits, can be taken out alot easier by 1 Good shot of a bow.

hope ths helped.

[PiXeL01]

Balance is always diffecult in RM. I have been gaming for more than 15 years now and I still adjust the statistics on my enemies according to my players. I want them challenged, not slaughtered, unless they deserve it of course.
I would maim them almost to unrecognition, rather then kill them upright. It is more diffecult now, since I have handed the Arms Law to a player and all my crits are open now though.
...
Players are able to bring down alot of enemies, even if outnumbered, they just need to think. mindless rushing makes people dead. If trying to convert people who are used to a more hack and slash setting, then for them it might be a tough lesson to learn. Still give them a chance, and dont be afraid to pull a few punches if the fight is going bad for them, but it is just a random encounter that holds no value storywise

[Fullerton]

Balance is always diffecult in RM. I have been gaming for more than 15 years now and I still adjust the statistics on my enemies according to my players. I want them challenged, not slaughtered, unless they deserve it of course.

That's my same basic desire, I think. To challenge them without slaughtering them with a combat that is supposed to be fought. (I'm purposefully ignoring encounters where they aren't supposed to fight.)

Can you share any more tricks for how you achieve your goal?

You implied that fudging crits is a good way to help avoid the slaughter, and that's great for during combat. But what about things I can do when preparing an adventure?

[Warl]

I Would never Fudge a roll. To each his own, But To me it's cheating. I expect my players not to cheat and let the dice fall where they may and I follow that rule as well.

BUT, that does not mean I don't give my players a method of saving their Arses when the dice go against them.

I use "Fate" points. Each player Starts with as many Fate points as he started with background options. (6 for common men).

They can spend a Fate point in several ways.
1) They can add 50 to one Roll.
2) They can add 50 to their DB for 1 round/phase or 10 count (Dependant on what type of initiative system you use)
3) They can add 50 to their initiative or have 50% more action points for 1 round
4) They can burn 2 Fate points to recall Any 1 Action they declared (um No I actuality didn't open that Door and get blasted by that mages fireball)
5) They can burn 2 fate points to avoid Any 1 Die roll result (thus they can completely ignore an attack roll or avoid the crit roll. Must be declared right after the roll, If a new roll happens they can't declare to avoid the previous. Thus, if they don't avoid the attack roll and I roll the crit, they can then only avoid the crit roll)
6) They can choose to Take a blow For another character (I dive in front of My Friend as the arrow flies at him)

This gives them a chance to save themselves by choice, or improve their chances in an encounter, and/or ake heroic actions.

Fate points are precious in my game though, so they should be used judiciously. They are not earned back very fast and you can Only have a max of 6 a any one time. I don't give them every session. it might take 6-10 session or the completions of a group goal/adventure before I reward more.

And I base how many are received on role playing, sportsmanship, and how well you played with the group.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

For just starting out, using an equal number of foes with approximately equal amounts of OB, would provide something akin to balance (you might want to make OBs about 10-20% less to give the players a slightly better than even chance at winning.

Also, stress parrying!!! That is usually one of the biggest mistakes folks make when coming from games such as D&D (where an ability to essentially parry is a Feat that has to be taken -- IIRC, it is the Expertise Feat).

Oh! and in RMC Arms Law, there is an option that allows for a person to parry multiple foes -- essentially you have to do a full parry, and you lose 10% activity for each foe beyond the first (and no parrying foes in areas you normally cannot see). This basically translates into -10 to your OB for each foe beyond the first (up to -50), and the remaining OB is then applied against all foes.

This might be something you want to allow for characters. 

[Dax]

Ok, I don't have that much experience with RM (we have one gamer who don't want to play it and he is very persuasive - but RM will come !).

Here is one trick I learn in this forum:
Look at the attack tables, give the foes weapons which aren't very effectiv against the ATs of the PCs.
yammahoper gives scimitars as an examples for bad weapons against chain and plate (Look here).
Read the whole thread about cheating

There is another one about the big bad guy.

There might be more in the GM's Corner.

[yammahoper]

Well...I guess I have nothing to say.

As if...

lynn

[Marc R]

I find this can vary a lot with playing style (which is true in most systems, but particularly true in RM). . .

Rasyr's basic logic above is usually going to work, and is probably the best starting point.

Stuff like what the GM allows in terms of maneuvers, how much magic (and magic items) the party and foes have access to, and which options and house rules are in play matter. (Something as simple as "Must parry is stun" makes skeletons a lot more dangerous, since they are immune to stun). . .

Most important, in my mind is: "How tactical is the party? How tactical does the GM play the foes". . . .I've seen parties utterly torn up by "weak" encounters that totally overmastered them using tactics, and I've seen tight parties rip a hole through seemingly insurmountable odds. . .

In the end, the GM tends to get a feel for the game and their party, and over time it gets easier to balance these things using previous experience.

My advice is to start using Rasyr's suggestion above, and if anything, lowball it in the party's favor, and then slowly and incrementaly make the encounters stronger, smarter and more complicated, until you reach the right level.

If you screw it up, and TPK your group with something blatantly over the top, you might want to consider re-booting that session, and just explain to the party it was unintentional. (I have done this in the past starting a new game system, but I usually only give the re-boot if the encounter was out of hand AND the party at least tried to run away if given a chance. . .sometimes you run into something you can't fight, and parties that don't even consider running sometimes deserve to get wiped out.)