Handling a non-pivotal skirmish between NPCs?

[Caesar_X]

The next session of our Burning Ghazan (http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5795) campaign will likely see a skirmish between the forces of two NPCs (Bandit Leader and Ghazan Bat-Ul) while the PCs are sneaking back into the palace's prison. The skirmish is not pivotal to the game, but I did want to have some chance to see how successful the bandits were at drawing the Ghazan's forces away from the palace.

Any suggestions on how to handle this?

I was thinking of doing a simple versus test (using Command) between the bandit leader and the Ghazan Bat-Ul, with FoRKs for surprise, superior forces, weapons, etc.

But should one of the players get to roll the dice for the NPC bandit leader? Use the bandits fate points? Narrate success?

I was a bit hesitant about rolling both sides myself and narrating either side.

[Kublai]

Yeah, don't play the game by yourself. Give the dice to the players. A simple versus is probably best. If the NPC leader has fate, let the Player use them. You as GM narrate success.

[stormsweeper]

Die of Fate. If you want, give the party an advantage die if the bandit leader wins.

[luke]

Narrate the results that best challenge the players' Beliefs.

[Caesar_X]

Narrate the results that best challenge the players' Beliefs.

Regardless of the dice roll results? Or throw the dice away and just do what you state above?

[Saphim]

NPC are no real people, their only reason to exist is to provide opportunity for drama and conflict, so why should you be concerned with a fair outcome when it is only NPC suffering?

[luke]

Your job is to challenge the players' Beliefs, not play wargames within the setting elements.

[Verrain]

NPC are no real people, their only reason to exist is to provide opportunity for drama and conflict, so why should you be concerned with a fair outcome when it is only NPC suffering?

The bandit chief is going on this diversion raid because one of the PCs won that result in a Duel of Wits. I know as a player I like to see how successful a gambit I set into motion was.

Luke's point is well taken though. If I had a belief about those bandits and discovered I'd just sent them to their horrible deaths, that is the kind of plot point that the awesome pivots on. What I can't decide is whether the impact is blunted or enhanced by the GM deciding that they died or the dice saying that they died.

[Caesar_X]

I think Luke's admonishment is well-taken here. The bandits are a new addition to the game, and no one has a belief linked to them yet. So until someone does, I suppose they exist more as window-dressing than an integral part of the story.

But I did pitch that to the players today. During the last session, Karen expressed a wish to "get Ahmed (the bandit leader) and his cousin at each others throats".