Going Aggro

[drkrash]

Has anyone else run into this issue? A common scenario when I play with my son (who’s only 5, so my stories are very simple) is to have two characters on a big map (Heroclix maps, most of the time). The scenario is that one character needs to get someplace or get something at a certain spot on the map and then escape, and the other one has to stop him.

The problem is, short of requiring powers such as immobilize or tactics such as wrestling, once one guy gets next to the other, there is absolutely nothing from stopping the other guy from just turning around and walking away. Combined with very high default movement speeds even on maps that size, and sometimes the drama gets sapped out pretty quick.

I know there are no AoO or “aggro” rules in BASH, nor do I think there should be. But has anyone had a similar situation and if so, what did you do to make it more interesting?

[Dustland]

My first thought is to turn it into an etended check of some sort where you can't use the same skill, stat, or power twice. The first to 100 wins the race.

So if the hero and vilain are racing:

Page 1: Hero rolls his Athletics (Running) skill, trying to outpace the villain and scores a 35, while the villain rolls his Brawn as he tries to keep up his pace and scores a 25.

Page 2: The Villain rolls his Security (Pick Locks) as he cracks open a gate's lock as a short cut through a back alley and rolls a 30. The Hero borrows a motorcycle from a passerby and uses his Drive skill...

Etc. Might be asking a bit too much from a 5 y/o though.

A more simple solution is to only allow one Move action per page during chase scenes, so both the Hero and Villain each have an action that they can take (using powers to slow down the hero, trying to grapple the villain).

Hope that helps.
Page 2: Hero rolls his Acrobatics

[drkrash]

Thanks, though I guess I wasn't being clear enough.

The situation isn't really a chase.

Villain tries to reach Point A on map. Begins moving towards it.

Hero intercepts Villain on middle of map and attacks.

On next turn, Villain ignores Hero standing in front of him, moves around and him, and continues to Point A.

Short of specific powers to hold someone in place, wrestling, or a single hit that that takes him out, there is absolutely nothing to keep the villain "engaged" to the hero in combat.

This is less an issue in a multi-combatant fight, I guess, but it can make any one-on-one encounter that isn't just a stand-up fight a little dull. And as my son is five, I'm trying to come up with better situations than, "Hit that guy till he can't move anymore."

[Boost]

I know you're playing with a five year old, but good roleplay on your part could help infinitely. The villain, does he know that the hero is aware of his plan? Would his ego allow him to flee from said hero? From a roleplay perspective, the mere sight of the hero might be enough to make him want to stay and pummel the little guy into the ground.

Just a thought.

[Dustland]

And as my son is five, I'm trying to come up with better situations than, "Hit that guy till he can't move anymore."

It's an excellent life lesson though!

[Dragonfly]

Howdy!

This is a good question, and one that I've run into with adult players as well. "If the rules don't say that I can't just walk past someone blocking my way, then why can't I just walk past someone that's walking my way?" Good role-playing, unfortunately, doesn’t always cover it.

Maybe you can introduce an "Intercept and Block" maneuver. Instead of attacking, a character can use their attack action to block an opponent's flight path. The blocked character cannot move through the space occupied by the blocker (or through an adjacent space) unless they do one of the following:

1) Spend their attack action to make an opposed Athletics roll against the blocker. If the blocked character wins, he can run past the blocker. If the blocked character fails, he is countered and cannot move past the blocker.

2) Use their movement to run around the blocked squares. The trick here is that the character doing the blocking has a held action and can use it to match the blocked character’s movement with their own (essentially using the “move twice” option).
3) Attack the blocker. A Body Slam might cause them to dodge out of the way (thus letting the blocked character pass). If not, a fight ensues and is resolved as usual.

4) Uses a super movement power to circumvent the block. Flight, Burrowing, and other such powers can easily be used to circumvent a block (unless the character doing the blocking also has the same power).

Anyway, that’s just a suggestion.

Best,

Dragonfly

[drkrash]

Dragonfly,

These are some good ideas. I like the idea of using an attack action as a "stunt," if you will to block the opponent from moving. It seems to fit the spirit of the BASH rules well, and if it can made a skill check, even better.

Mind you, I'm not looking for BASHMAN to incorporate a rule for this; I was just looking for an elegant mechanics way to add some complication.

[kevperrine]

This is a tough one.
A great question to consider (to help all us inspired Narrators). So I'm very interested in more solutions.

What it comes down to...

A villain simply needs to get from A to B. Sort of a "capture the flag" type thing? Right?

I've seen this mentioned in things like training room scenarios (like Danger Room, get across the room). So I'm highly interested in ideas to compound the situation to MAKE it a problem for the dude going after the "flag".

So... think about it in reality. Hockey might be a good example. It's speed vs. speed, agility vs. agility to get AROUND the defender to the goal. Strength (and powers) could be used to go through the defender as an addition.
Now.
How will the defender stop the offense?
Strength/Powers to hold (a wrestling manuever).
Strength/Powers to block (a wrestling manuever) or KNOCKBACK (that's a great one, knockback in BASH! can be huge!)
Agility/Speed to maneuver to block (wrestling or...)

I'd say make this into an Extended Check. Very much like the chase example. If the defender is focusing on defending, any type of defense/blocking, etc... they can think of becomes the COMPLICATIONS of the Extended Check. Also... fill in the other spots. Is there a timeline? A real timeline? Or what if you say there's a timeline in "chances", so if the offense doesn't GET to their goal in xx pages... then they can't do it. The flag is defended.

I think in this... your Complications is where the challenge shines. And where the Defender's ROLE is "balanced" to the simplicity of the (unfair) rule for the offense to simply bypass and go around. With varying complications that the Defender can do and ADD to the Extended challenge each panel/page... Then it balances the somewhat cheesy ability to just ignore/bypass to go around. For example:

You could actually make it a "two-pronged" Extended Check. (this would be a neat BAM! articles!!!) In that there are two "tracts" on the Extended Challenge. One side is the Offense with the simple Goal/Time/Complications as if the defender wasn't there or did little to defend. The other side is the Defense with their goals for Goal/Time/Complications. THEIR goals are to stop the offense, but also minor goals to "GIVE" the offense more complications.
So...
The Offense is moving on their Extended Challenge.
The Defense is continuing to ADD complications as they beat their little goals.

On top of that, if there are multiple defenders - one defender could focus on this Extended Challenge tract, while the other(s) actually DO big things to the offense (that are more direct)... as ECs suggest you can do an Extended Check in combat/action.
So you have the defender adding complications to make the offense's Extended Checks harder. While another defender is trying to do KNOCKBACK on the offense.


COMPLICATION EXAMPLES
- Defender rips up a floor panel, blocking the way = a complication for the offense: make a check to get around/go through the blocking terrain with a -4 Dice Penalty. If they fail, they're blocked. If they succeed they still can only more 1/2.

- Defender blocks or defends, simply getting in the way = a complication for the offense: make an athletics check to get around (or go through) the defender. If they fail, have varying degrees of blocked (0-5 means stalemate, 6-10 means the offense is maneuvered/pushed backward (as knockback), etc...

- Defender changes the goal of the Offense. The defender moves the "flag" that the Offense is trying to get to in some way. Making the goal distance change in various ways...

etc... etc...
I could go on... but this seems like a wonderful BAM! article. If people like it. I'd love to write it. Ask me more questions. Give more complications to include!


Other than some normal panel-to-panel actions as normal, the Extended Checks seem to be the KEY rule already in the game to handle this. You just need to be creative to build it.
I personally would NOT add any new maneuvers, rules, etc... Into the combat/action options. I think enough of those rules are already there. (the wrestling section is the most complicated and often forgotten part of the rules from my experience - not only in BASH! but in several game rules).


my two cents
-kev-

[BASHMAN]

I suggest doing this more cinematically than simply using the map.

If the Villain is just running and not defending himself, I'd give a hindrance to his Defense rolls (after all, he's not paying attention to the person behind him blasting him or taking any evasive action).

If you have someone whose stated action is "I am blocking him so he cannot get past me" that should require some contested roll to get by you (probably an Agility or Athletics contest).

[Dragonfly]

Dragonfly,

These are some good ideas. I like the idea of using an attack action as a "stunt," if you will to block the opponent from moving. It seems to fit the spirit of the BASH rules well, and if it can made a skill check, even better.

Mind you, I'm not looking for BASHMAN to incorporate a rule for this; I was just looking for an elegant mechanics way to add some complication.

I agree about not incorporating a new rule for this. That way lies rules bloat! I just thought it might be one interesting way of many to handle that sort of situation.

Best,

Dragonfly

[drkrash]

Thanks for the replies everyone!