Importance of scripting and skill exponents in Fight!

[jb.teller4]

One of my future players read the two core BW books and we were talking about the rules. He felt that a character who counterstrikes or Block-and-strikes every action is just the best option (assuming they have a Fast weapon). He also felt that the character that has the higher exponent will pretty much always win every time.

I've run a couple sample Fight! and R&C scenes with myself and had the opposite impression--that the other actions in Fight! can really tip the fight and that, while the more skilled character certainly has the edge (and should) they can be and sometimes are taken out by weaker opponents either because of lucky shots or being out-scripted.

I'm curious for thoughts from those who've seen several Fight! and R&C scenes at the actual table.

-John

[Verrain]

I would say that you have the right of it, John. Your friend can Counterstrike and Block and Strike every action and do pretty well until someone realizes what he is doing and shuts him down with Feints. Higher weapon exponent is an advantage but I've seen that lucky shot slip through. It only takes one wound of any type to shift the fight's direction. I won a few Duels of Wits largely because I keyed into how my GM scripted more than having the higher skill.

If you haven't already, take a peek at the Arena forum. You can read up on many fights and see for yourself how scripting vs stats changes things.

[luke]

It's a mixture of the two elements -- skill and choices.

[GreedyAlgorithm]

If your opponent is Counterstriking all the time, just Feint. You get to attack and he doesn't.

If your opponent is Block+Striking all the time, then most probably he is not in a stance. Go to Defensive Stance and Counterstrike. You've got +2D every action. And maybe his Block doesn't even go off? Not sure. Or you can just Feint and he's at -1D every action (he must put at least 1 die into Block).

If your opponent has 3+ more dice than you and is B+Sing all the time, so that these tactics don't bring you to his level of dice, and you don't have any other redeeming qualities like a high Power to Charge or Push or something, then yes, you are going to lose this Fight! badly, as is proper.

[Saphim]

You can mitigate a higher skill with fitting wises. Fighting a woodsman in an actual wood where all his wises benefit him is tough even if you are the superior opponent. So is discussing religion with a priest even when your rhetoric is much better than his. Wises often tipped the balance in our game.

[Dwight]

Timely Artha can really swing the balance too. Usually, though not always, that's in the favour of the PC for those big conflicts that the PC was saving the Artha for.

[stormsweeper]

A good script can be devastating. You need some numbers to back it up, of course, but the numbers aren't the end of the story.

[zabieru]

Also, higher exponents across the board are devastating, yes (you can easily win even if your opponent is somewhat better scripted) but a single higher exponent isn't enough. Oh, you have a high weapon skill? That's nice, I've got a higher Power, so I'll Lock, and a higher Reflexes, so I'll script that lock sometime when you can't react.

Off the top of my head, the exponents that are important in Fight are:

Weapon Skill
Steel
Reflexes
Mortal Wound
Hesitation
Speed
Power
Hesitation

If you're stronger in all of those, you deserve to win. Most likely, though, you'll be stronger in some and weaker in others. Then it's down to how well can you steer the fight to your strengths.

[BobSlaughter]

<snip>Off the top of my head, the exponents that are important in Fight are:

Weapon Skill
Steel
Reflexes
Mortal Wound
Hesitation
Speed
Power
Hesitation

If you're stronger in all of those, you deserve to win. Most likely, though, you'll be stronger in some and weaker in others. Then it's down to how well can you steer the fight to your strengths.

That's what I love about combat in BW, and about BW in general: there are so many different skills that are more than useful, but essential to success. You simply cannot be a single-skill wonder and be successful. BW demands well-rounded characters, not one-dimenstional characteratures.

[Dwight]

That's what I love about combat in BW, and about BW in general: there are so many different skills that are more than useful, but essential to success. You simply cannot be a single-skill wonder and be successful. BW demands well-rounded characters, not one-dimenstional characteratures.

Plus he missed the Wises, because FoRKs rock for those big rolls, and a number of Training Skills and Traits (Fleet of Foot for example can really prove critical). I'd even put Observation (or Stealth on the flipside) in there, because getting blindsided while flatfooted because you didn't see it coming is a horrible way to start a Fight!, and Health, for the innevitable Midi and up wounds you are going to get.