Collected Mook Rules

[Harshax]

I'm trying to figure out the best method for handling waves of monsters in my upcoming dungeon crawl games. I've already decided to use Hit Locations for Players, but I want to dispense with that detail for the nameless hoards that will likely fall before the characters.

How can I accomplish this?

I was thinking Mooks (rabble, extras) would only have Hit Points = to their Major Wound penalty. Their armor would be rated in suits, but instead of random AP to reduce damage, add the mean AP protection x5% to their parry or dodge rolls.

So a Goblin (CON 10, SIZ 8) wearing hard leather armor would have 5 Hit Points (9/2 = 4.5), and have a +18% to Parry Rolls (mean of 1d6 = 3.5 x 5%).

What have you done to reduce the bookkeeping phase when you GM?

[Charles Green]

I included mook rules in Gods of Law for this very purpose. Basically, I handled mooks with the following rules:

1. Each mook had a 30% weapon skill, which was only used to attack. They never Parried or Dodged.

2. Assume each characteristic is 10.

3. A mook is taken out of the fight with a single hit from any weapon or other damaging effect. Even if they aren't slain outright, assume that the damage done is enough to take any desire to fight out of them.

4. A successful hit by a mook does 1d6 damage.

5. They always go last in the round.

6. If you're feeling cinematic, assume that a special, critical or impale result means that 1d3 mooks are taken out.

These were baseline baddies, meant to die in droves. For slightly tougher opposition, but still not at the level of danger as an important NPC, you can make any or all of the following adjustments:

1. Armoured: Mooks with significant armour or other protection need 2 hits to be taken out.

2. Damaging: Mooks do 1D8 damage on a hit.

3. Skilled: Mooks with a little more training might have a weapon skill of 50% or higher.

This might be a little too bare-bones for your tastes, but it works for me. What I like about this approach is that, once internalized, you really only need to know numbers, instead of worrying about keeping track of every Hit point and who's dying from shock.

It also helps by having a handy stat block memorized for when you need a baddy but don't want to take the time to look it up or write it out.

[Harshax]

I included mook rules in Gods of Law for this very purpose.

I think I should check Gods of Law out.

For slightly tougher opposition, but still not at the level of danger as an important NPC, you can make any or all of the following adjustments:

I'm looking to use some templates: Mook, Standard, Elite. This idea feeds very well into my concept.

This might be a little too bare-bones for your tastes, but it works for me. What I like about this approach is that, once internalized, you really only need to know numbers, instead of worrying about keeping track of every Hit point and who's dying from shock.

Your idea is almost perfect, for what I have in mind. I'd probably add that if the player rolls maximum damage, I'd ignore the 2-hits-and-your-down rule.

Thanks for sharing!

[threedeesix]

Your idea is almost perfect, for what I have in mind. I'd probably add that if the player rolls maximum damage, I'd ignore the 2-hits-and-your-down rule.

I love this as well, way better than what I was using. You may want to make a Special take out the 2-hit guy as long as damage results, otherwise it would be easier to take out a bad guy with a dagger (1D4) than a great axe (2D6+2).

Rod

[Skunkape]

I included mook rules in Gods of Law for this very purpose. Basically, I handled mooks with the following rules:

Great house rule, thanks for sharing!

I'm trying to figure out the best method for handling waves of monsters in my upcoming dungeon crawl games. I've already decided to use Hit Locations for Players, but I want to dispense with that detail for the nameless hoards that will likely fall before the characters.

Good idea for a post! Glad you asked the question.

Edited May 27, 2009 by Skunkape

[soltakss]

In my games, spogs (mooks in your terminology) are identikit - they all have the same stats - and are very one-dimensional. They don't use fancy tactics and if they are severely injured then they are out of the combat. They don't heal and don't come back. Normally, they don't attack cleverly, normally they attack and parry, sometimes they attack two on one or try to mob their opponents.

I still use locations but spogs don't have much magic or armour. I also sometimes forget to attack, leaving them milling around doing nothing, reflecting their normal ineffectiveness.

[Atgxtg]

Some Mook ideas:

-You could do what SotC does, and just give the Mooks a rating. For BRP the rating could be thier skill% in whatever skills they are going to use in the encounter. HP could be set to 1/3rd the Mook rating. So a 30% mook has 10 HP. Or if you want weaker mooks, use Skill/4 or even Skill/5. Giving you 7 and 6 hp mooks.

-You can treat hoards as one big opponent, adding up the HP, but only getting about a 5% skill bonus per mook. So a half dozen 30%/6 HP goblins would form a hoard with +25% skill (55%) and 30HP. Each 6 points of damage will take out a mook and drop the hoard's skill by 5%.

-You can quicken the pace aNd bookeeping by eliminating die rolls for the mooks. Instead, if a PC fails his defense roll (parry/dodge), he gets hit for normal damage. If a PC makes his defense roll he gets through the round unscathed.

[Chaot]

I've used Mr. Green's mook rules and I regret not bringing them up during playtesting of the new BRP.

Simple, fast, elegant and effective.

Fantastic addition to any fast and furious game.

Great house rule, thanks for sharing!

Point of order, sir. It's published. As far as I'm concerned, it's cannon.

Edited May 27, 2009 by Chaot

[Al.]

Grunt* Missile Fire

Combining Charles' superb rules for grunts and the CoC/BRP rules for automatic fire I have the following suggestion

Treat any shooting by Grunts as a single burst

Chance to hit = 30%** +5% per extra grunt shooting

Capped at 60%*** (so if 7 or more grunts are opening up then total chance is still not more than twice their normal skill)

Success: one shot hits

Special: half of the burst hits***

Critical: (if you are allowing criticals for grunts): all of the burst hits

Damage = 1d6 +1 per additional arrow, bullet, laserbeam, etc hitting

So damage from 20 Grunts firing would be

Sucess: 1d6

Special: 1d6+9

Critical: 1d6+19

Al

* or mooks or spogs or Southampton fans

** or 50% if they are superior grunts

*** or 100% if they are superior grunts

**** my take on the roll 1d10 for a 10 shot burst to remove a die roll

Edited June 13, 2009 by Al.

[Jason D]

Point of order, sir. It's published. As far as I'm concerned, it's cannon.

And as a note, if I'd had a copy of Gods of Order before finishing writing BRP, I'd have asked Charles for permission to include them as an optional rule.

[threedeesix]

And as a note, if I'd had a copy of Gods of Order before finishing writing BRP, I'd have asked Charles for permission to include them as an optional rule.

Charles gave me permission to include them in Sword & Spell. :thumb:

Rod

[twilhelmson]

I'll be using mook rules like this in my next project. The one thing I'm thinking about is allowing any mook hit a Luck roll to give them a fighting chance