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Re: (TFT) Stealth again, and music



Same. I've always been attracted to the whole Stealth style of play... the problem in most pen and paper RPGs is that its not very interesting. Roll a die to see if you succeed, keep going if you do.

Many think it'd be impossible to make it interesting because, unlike a video game, there is not that instant tension and interaction between the guards and the stealthy player.

I don't think thats the real draw of stealth games, though.

All that sorta stuff can be represented by having a system like the one you're working on. The tension comes from the possibility that the guard suddenly turns or walks closer... just like in a video game. But the REAL draw of a stealth game tends to be a bit more complex.

You need to not have too much knowledge of where you are sneaking... at the most, lay out of the building/terrain. You should not know where all the guards are or how many of them you'll see, at least not usually. There should be multiple ways to each objective. Generally you must stumble on these ways.

Guards must be mobile, or at least some of them must be. You must find out their routes.

Its really all about exploration and observation, to be honest. The sneaking part is just when you've figured out the puzzle... or haven't. If you've really figured it out there is relatively little risk. If you haven't, then it is a bit more risky but not necessarily impossible, as you might be able to sneak by those two guards....
On Apr 19, 2012, at 3:03 PM, Meg Tapley wrote:

Yes - need the in front / in back modifiers - will probably add those to the "spot" roll. Also the light/dark. And I forgot to take different ground surfaces into account - bare rock is really easy to move silently on, a deep pile of leaves is impossible.

The next-to-wall thing is a good idea, I think I'll give a bonus for being next to a wall (not a whole die, though).

This whole thing is going to get complicated really fast. From a gameplay standpoint though, I don't think that's a bad thing, since the whole idea of stealth is being slow and methodical...

On Apr 18, 2012, at 4:32 PM, Joey Beutel wrote:

I'd add adjustments for light vs. dark areas, possibly even position in relation to walls (walking by a wall reduces the chance of squeaky floor boards and when going through tighter passages creates less effect on air flow/pressure/whatever, resulting in less chance of a guard getting that eery feeling that something just went through a door.).

Also, an obvious adjustment would be to add or subtract dice for being behind the target and in front. To the side could be considered the norm. (its not impossible to sneak in front of someone given the right circumstances, but its a lot harder).
On Apr 18, 2012, at 2:14 PM, Meg Tapley wrote:

After some consideration (and pestering from players), I came up with a system for sneaking past guards and such:

Basic stealth roll:
4vDX
3d w/ Silent Mvmt
2d w/ Spying
1 more die if carrying enough to reduce MA (more than 2xST in kg)
1 fewer if moving only 1 hex per turn

Subtract the number rolled from the stealthy one's DX, then add that number to the roll for the noticing figure.

Basic notice roll:
4d v (IQ - (amount by which stealthy figure made roll))
3d w/ Alertness
2d w/ Acute Hearing
1d w/ both
1 more die if figure is outside Creation-spell range
1 more die if distracted (i.e. reading, playing a game, watching something, picking toenails...)
2 more dice if involved in combat

If the sneaky figure is more than 3 MH away from the noticing figure, and not in their line of sight, then as long as they have Silent Movement, no roll needs to be made; the sneaky figure will go undetected. If the figure does not have Silent Movement, the roll is reduced to 3vDX.

Example: Picky the thief, with Silent Movement and DX 13, is sneaking by Grom the guard, with IQ 9 and no relevant talents. Picky gets a 9 on his DX roll (on three dice), making it by 4 points (13 - 9 = 4). This means that Grom needs to roll 5 or less (IQ 9 - the 4 by which Picky made the roll), on 4 dice, in order to notice Picky. He rolls a 15 - not even close.

On his way back, Picky rolls a 14, missing his DX roll by 1. Grom then rolls 3 dice against his IQ, minus the difference between Picky's DX and his stealth roll. So this time he needs to roll a 10 or less (IQ 9 + the 1 point by which Picky missed). He rolls 10 exactly, notices Picky, and attacks - they roll for initiative normally.


Also: I suspect that having music playing in the background will be a big help in getting into the 'feel' of the game, building atmosphere, and encouraging people to focus on the action, and plan to try it next session. Have any of y'all done it, and how did it work? Any recommendations?

- Meg
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