EpicureanDM

47 minutes ago, soltakss said:

For me, in RQ2, we only used shields in some combat. We preferred to go into combat with two swords, as the APs were higher and it gave us the opportunity to choose to attack twice if we knew that an opponent could not attack or was indisposed. Although Soltak Stormspear used a Spear and Shield as his main attack combination, he also used two Bastard Swords in a lot of combats, especially when Berserk.

Using weapons with low Strike Ranks can give you an edge. In RQ2, Impaling Weapons were king, as they did more damage and attacked faster.

Attacking with Fanaticism gave you a higher attack chance, which gave you a better AntiParry if you had a high skill, so reduced the opponent's parry chance, Berserker was better, for Storm Bulls against Chaos.

We used Multispell Dispel Magics to strip opponent's spells down to nothing, or down to their undies, as we called it.

We used spell barrages, timed to go off on the same Strike rank, to blast through Shield spells.

Use weapons appropriate to the PC. For example, in RQ2, Crushing weapons did Maximum Damage Bonus plus normal Damage Bonus on a special, so a duck with a mace might not do any extra damage if it did not have a damage bonus. Ducks used swords or spears, trolls used maces and mauls.

Attack your friend's opponent rather than your own. That way, you get to parry your opponent's attack but your friend's opponent has to parry two attacks, which is harder. An opponent with not a very good attack chance could be sent Fanatical, as that reduces parry chance but doesn't really improve attack by that much. If you are fairly sure you can survive the attack, it is a good way of finishing the combat quicker.

This looks like the sort of advice I'm looking for.

What's different in RQG that invalidates some of these tips? That's the sort of advice that I can't find. Some of this seems like they would work in RQG, like the idea of "spell barrages." That's a neat trick that I can demonstrate via NPCs to players. If it does still work in RQG, what's the mechanical explanation for that tactic? How would I execute it?

By explaining this stuff in sufficient detail (how did it change from RQ2/3 to RQG?), new RQG GMs can get a veteran glimpse into how the rules all connect to each other. I read an old thread on these boards about the interactions between Axe/Sword Trance, Bladesharp, and combat skills over 100%. It contained experienced RQ2/3 GMs pointing out some very subtle differences in the spells and combat system in RQG. These discussions help new RQG GMs find the seams and pitfalls in the system so that they can be prepared at the table when problems arise.

56 minutes ago, soltakss said:

We used to use Multimissiles against heavily armoured opponents, as we were "going for the critical", the more arrows you fire the better chance of scoring a critical and ignoring armour.

That's another good tip. What's your experience with this at the table? It feels very swingy to me. If the only way the party's opponents can hurt them is via a critical, then a large group of archers (what ratio of opponents to PCs do veteran RQ GMs consider "large"?) feel like a nuisance (the GM rolls six or eight Attack rolls at 45% at 1d6+1 damage, which is a little dry and perhaps anticlimactic) until a critical suddenly drops a PC. But maybe that's the only way for rank-and-file archers to feel like a threat, so giving three archers Multimissile 3 is just how things are done in RQG? 

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

Riding beasts in RQ are far better than in D&D. A trained warhorse can attack and has a big damage bonus, so can bite or kick an opponent at the same time as you attack the opponent. Lances are good, as they have a very low Strike rank, so you could use a lance and your warhorse can bite or kick in the same round.

OK. How often have you deployed opponents on trained war-animals in your game? Do you find them tricky to run compared to more standard RQ fights? What do you know now that you wished you'd know when you ran your first fight featuring mounted combatants?

1 hour ago, soltakss said:

Use Shimmer, as it makes you harder to hit. Run in jinky runs, as that halves the chance to hit. Cover hit locations with shields, as the missiles hit the shield first. Rely on your Natural Defence, i.e. hope they hit non-vital hit locations and don't kill you. Charging archers in combat is always a good idea, unless they are very skilled or are using magic. Teleporting behind them is also a good tactic. Using a Darkwall or Lightwall between them and you is a good tactic, if you want to charge them.

There's good tidbits in here. Is the concept of "Natural Defense" found in RQG? If not, it's the sort of thing that only experience can teach (and share). 

Do you have a rules reference for "jinky" running?

You mention that charging archers in combat is a good idea, unless they're very skilled or are using magic. Does "very skilled" refer to them being able to shoot more in a round to incapacitate you before you get there? Are there other skills that you're thinking of? What sort of magic makes it a bad idea to charge archers? Are we just talking about magic that boosts their chances to attack and deal damage or do you have other spells in mind that would discourage charging them? Maybe Mobility or Leap?

34 minutes ago, Crel said:

My experience has been that a combat of about equivalent numbers and skills and skill combinations (melee, missile, etc) is a good feel for a dangerous encounter. When I ran a large-scale battle, the most dangerous villains were a group of six trollkin with slings (that's including two large Shades summoned by the troll Rune Priestess, which fearshocked half the Orlanthi side and two of the PCs). If your group has only one person with high POW, be extra careful how many magicians you send against them. Even two fellas in the back with POW 13/14 shooting Disrupt at the same target a couple rounds will be a huge problem for a party averaging POW 11. Disparity in the POW stat, IMO, is really important. As a player, I find my first move in combat is to ask our shaman (with POW-detecting Second Sight) where the biggest source of POW is, then to go murder it.

This is in the vein of what I'm looking for.

You mention two opponents lobbing Disrupt at average POW PCs and how dangerous that is. But why? Close the loop on that bit of advice. Is it because if a PC takes 4 x 1D3 damage to general hit points over two rounds, they might be one glancing blow (maybe 2hp of damage to a location after armor) away from zero hp and death? 

What does your party look like in the general strokes that you felt comfortable unleashing two Large Dehori and a six-trollkin slingers squad (among others, including a powerful troll Rune Priestess, I presume) against them? The Bestiary says that elementals have one hit location and no armor. There's also no mention of combat skills, so they presumably can't Parry or Dodge. They can be hit and damaged by ordinary weapons. It sounds like as long as a PC doesn't fumble the attack, they just need to succeed on an attack then roll damage. This makes elementals feel like "semi-intelligent terrain effects" to me, which obviously require a priest around to control them. Is that a fair way at looking at them? 

What sort of impact did you expect the Dehori to have in the battle? What was their intended effect? Were there some strengths or weaknesses in your party that you wanted to connect with?

Thanks, Kloster. That's a good starting point, but it's what I consider general advice. It doesn't translate directly to the table when I'm behind the screen looking at my players.

What is a fair number of ranged attackers should I throw at a PC with 100% Broadsword? Three archers? The PC can't use their Broadsword skill to parry arrows, so now I need to worry about Dodge instead. If none of the PCs have invested in Dodge (and given how Dodge can be all-or-nothing), what sorts of encounters and opponents should I be throwing at my party? How do I know if I'm throwing too much (or too little) at my players? If the archers get in a lucky shot or two and the PCs are suddenly in deep trouble, what spells or tactics would help the PCs even things up or run away?

What are the best strategies for PCs to get the upper hand on archers? What spells? Is it better to use all your SR to charge the archers and engage in melee? Does RQG's combat system encourage or reward that tactic?

That's the sort of information I'm looking for. I'm interested to hear from veterans of RQ3/RQG about how the combat system (and other systems) are used to best advantage in an RQ fight.

I recently started a new RQG campaign more than 25 years after my last experiences with RQ3. My old group only played RQ3 for a couple of years and I wouldn't characterize us as squeezing the most out of the rules. 😉

I read posts here and other places about how experienced RQ players and GMs conducted combat. I get the sense that there's some strategy or common wisdom around casting spirit or Rune magic before fights, combining ranged attackers with skirmishers to put pressure on, releasing allied spirits against your enemies during battle, and more. These tactics are mentioned in passing, but rarely in the kind of detail that could be useful to a new/returning RQG GM. 

Can anyone point me to examples or guides that pull the veil back on advanced RQ combat tactics? I'm less interested in general advice ("Some opponents will send allied spirits into combat to harry PCs.") in favor of specific details illustrating real experience at the table ("Don't use allied spirits against the PCs unless one of them has stats or skills at X or X%. Spirits of [this strength] are a good match for PCs of [this strength].") I'm looking for the war stories that you'd tell when reminiscing about a memorable fight, but ones that illustrate a clever use of the rules to overcome your opponents. Most of my players come from D&D backgrounds, so specific examples that differentiate RQG combat from D&D that include tips and tactics would be especially helpful.