Asking about some CoC rule

[Lloyd Dupont]

I am not particularly playing CoC, not interested in running horror story... But after watching Deathstroke video about TPK monsters, I keep reading about the hound of Tindalos (because they are cool, hey?) and then spotted some strange stat on the monster sheet, then read some more, then discover 2 CoC innovations.. That I am curious what other BRP players feels about:

- 1. Build. Roughly speaking it's how many steps on the damage bonus table you have. And it affect melee combat. When 2 fighters fight each other, the build number difference give a number of advantage / disadvantage rolls to each fighter. Love the concept. Really formalise (simply!) how big bulky brute can batter aside weaker opponent or an adult can punch through a kid's weak defence.

- 2. Combat flow. You don't roll for attack and defence. Each opponent roll for combat. Whoever wins inflict damage. So much more simple!   But  I wonder what you guys think about that one? 
It doesn't seem to work so well with multiple attack option for score over 100% (where it actually penalise the better warrior). Also totally destroy long dragged out combat in 1v1 situation and good weapon score (i.e. successful parry after successful parry situation)

Edited April 8, 2020 by Lloyd Dupont

[andyl]

I play CoC.

ISTR Build is for fighting maneuvers.  It shouldn't change the attack roll for ranged weapons or even proper weapons like swords. It is more for things like grappling, and throws, and pinning - basically something other than inflicting damage. In Call of Cthulhu fighting maneuvers can give you (or your buddies) a bonus on their next action, or might push/throw the monster/cultist off a cliff or something like that.

The combat flow can go a bit like you say - PC attacks NPC. NPC then decides to fight back or dodge. The difference is that if both PC and NPC get the same success level (normal, hard, extreme) then the PC wins if the NPC fights back, the NPC wins if dodging. Later in the round the NPC might attack the PC and the positions would be reversed. 

For Cthulhu you don't get people with skills > 100% and cannot split your attacks up like that. So it isn't a concern in that game. But generally I think that attacking (or defending) with 120% skill is still better for you because in that case hard is 60, extreme is 30 - and so you are more likely to get a better success level than your opponent with a skill of 90 (hard 45, extreme 22). When you get your skill up to even higher you may want to split it when fighting minions. However this mechanism also changes games in other ways. In Call of Cthulhu if you face more than 1 attack per round you can still respond to each attack at your full skill (although if there are multiple opponents they get bonus dice for attacking) even if attacked 5 times. So obviously being able to react to each attack gives a different feel to a game - it works in Cthulhu because combat isn't really the core of the game, I am not sure it would work in a more combat focused game.

[Lloyd Dupont]

Thanks... yeah.. rule 2 might a pass....

But the Build rule... On one hand I am not too surprised it is for things other weapon (and it could be rightfully argued that with weapons the stronger opponent doesn't have that much of an advantage) but...  mmmm... I have to think about it....

Anyway good for wrestling and such!

[Loïc]

2 hours ago, andyl said:

For Cthulhu you don't get people with skills > 100% and cannot split your attacks up like that. So it isn't a concern in that game. But generally I think that attacking (or defending) with 120% skill is still better for you because in that case hard is 60, extreme is 30 - and so you are more likely to get a better success level than your opponent with a skill of 90 (hard 45, extreme 22). When you get your skill up to even higher you may want to split it when fighting minions. However this mechanism also changes games in other ways. In Call of Cthulhu if you face more than 1 attack per round you can still respond to each attack at your full skill (although if there are multiple opponents they get bonus dice for attacking) even if attacked 5 times. So obviously being able to react to each attack gives a different feel to a game - it works in Cthulhu because combat isn't really the core of the game, I am not sure it would work in a more combat focused game.

As a CoC keeper, I do allow PCs to increase skills above 100%, through experience checks. I do this for similar reasons as explained by Andyl (anyway, PCs remain much weaker than Mythos creatures....). But in no way I would allow to split their actions. Skills > 100% just allow to make (eventually...) "brighter" actions... and then I use this to emphase more and more, by contrast, their helplessness facing Mythos entities... I know, that's sadism, and I do not abuse of that trick, but from time to time it's quite efficient! And 1% still remains a critical, and 100% a fumble, of course.