Would an initiative system add anything?

[aggsol]

In gamebooks the reader usually plays only themselves and most fights are 1 vs 1. I wonder if that could be spiced up with some kind of initiative. The player could fight multiple enemies but hit them first. Any ideas or insights?

[a moderator]

Fighting multiple opponents is enough of a mess as it is, with at least three different approaches in use across the range. I'd rather have the current muddle made clearer than start slinging in new complications.

[aggsol]

True, I'd rather have a group of enemies treated as one and give something like first strike. I wonder why it is such a mess.

[Pete Byrdie]

It's probably a mess because the basic Fighting Fantasy system is very simple, to appeal to a wide audience. It's not really a role-playing system. There's nothing wrong with that. A gamebook is interactive fiction with role-playing elements.

[sylas]

Jon Green's ACE Gamebook series (which is basically Fighting Fantasy with different themes) includes an initiative system that doesn't make the combat system any more complex. Whoever has the initiative basically gets a +1 to attack strength for that round.

[fertobardi]

Jul 8, 2020 13:38:59 GMT a moderator said:

Fighting multiple opponents is enough of a mess as it is, with at least three different approaches in use across the range. I'd rather have the current muddle made clearer than start slinging in new complications.

I have created something interesting to cope with this. Say fighting with multiple enemies.

First things we should ask:

How manny of them? In my system you can be surrounded max by 4 foes with human size.

Next question: how big they are? 6 of them max if they are small like goblins or dwarfs. 3 for the big ones like trolls.

You get skill penalty of -1 for each opponent you fight beyonds the first. So you get skill reduction of -1 ,fighting 2, -2 for 3 and -3 for 4. In case they are human size.

More to add: strategical positioning when fighting numbers inside a room, cave or narrow pathways.

For example: with the back on a wall you reduce the max number of foes to 3 instead 4. With the back to a corner of 2 walls you reduce to 2, like 2 friends fighting covering backs each one gets 2, and corridors max for 1 obviously.

My mini system focus a lot on the micro aspects of battles, class skills, spells, positioning, while remaining simple and comprehensive like good old FF should be, and satistfying cause gives you more freedom to act and combo some specific skills.

Lot of strategic use of skill lets say.

I wish i could share and help.

[CharlesX]

Jan 3, 2024 3:51:11 GMT fertobardi said:

Jul 8, 2020 13:38:59 GMT a moderator said:

Fighting multiple opponents is enough of a mess as it is, with at least three different approaches in use across the range. I'd rather have the current muddle made clearer than start slinging in new complications.

I have created something interesting to cope with this. Say fighting with multiple enemies.

First things we should ask:

How manny of them? In my system you can be surrounded max by 4 foes with human size.

Next question: how big they are? 6 of them max if they are small like goblins or dwarfs. 3 for the big ones like trolls.

You get skill penalty of -1 for each opponent you fight beyonds the first. So you get skill reduction of -1 ,fighting 2, -2 for 3 and -3 for 4. In case they are human size.

More to add: strategical positioning when fighting numbers inside a room, cave or narrow pathways.

For example: with the back on a wall you reduce the max number of foes to 3 instead 4. With the back to a corner of 2 walls you reduce to 2, like 2 friends fighting covering backs each one gets 2, and corridors max for 1 obviously.

My mini system focus a lot on the micro aspects of battles, class skills, spells, positioning, while remaining simple and comprehensive like good old FF should be, and satistfying cause gives you more freedom to act and combo some specific skills.

Lot of strategic use of skill lets say.

I wish i could share and help.

That sounds like it would quickly make an FF as complicated as a Warhammer game . In Gamebook Adventures you simply have the Initiative under most circumstances. I'd quite like a system where you can 'surprise' your opponent and do increased damage or a more powerful blow, but I don't think that necessarily needs a formal rule.

[fertobardi]

I started to dig in AFF stuff and page 169 of the dungeoneer pretty sums it all about multiple opponents.

Its the same thing that ive said, the only thing i added is that ive put the limit of by wich is the max number of enemies can surround you judging by their size or your position.

Orherwise they cant swing for attacks cause lack of space.

IMO this is a very fair, straight to the point, and an even less than one page rule. But OFC its more on the AFF side than pure FF.

About the initiative stuff to actually guarantee the first blow we have the special skill iaijutsu from sword of the samurai. Its a 3 damage guaranteed first hit. Its a critical damage for a sword isnt?

This is pretty much an AFF thing getting born inside FF. So i think is all about players tastes and flavour where to apply some AFF rules inside FF stuff or not (imo dodge for ex. and manny of skills class related are pointless cause main skill should cover most of them).

But then you have a great "midnight rogue" that have some special skills thats really adds and matter for the game. Not all the thieves should be agile right? To climb walls for example. But can be fat and extremely skilled in picklocks and pickpockets.

But maybe you have important skills that triggers something nasty, for example, you can have a thief who have a special skill lets say: attack from the shadows. If you pass skill check 2 times (1 for success at hide, other to succesfully get at close range sneaky you roll 1 dice and can do critical damage or kill if rolling 6. I dont like what the dungeoneer says about surprise attack btw.

Or maybe you can have a knight or samurai that can attack vital points while fighting to get some bonuses and hit for critical damage more often.

But i think some stuff like this could be broken and will be in need of some play test to not ruin the fun.