(TFT) I have a reputation as a killer GM

["David Michael Grouchy II" <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

  I have a reputation as a killer GM.  But I use it as a form of 
conditioning.  I get everyone focusing on the same thing at the same time, 
so when it comes to their turn they realize everyone is actually listening 
to them.  I find people fascinating and nothing compares to hearing someone 
shape the world, and then pass it along to the next player.  But to get 
there one usually has to walk in the fire and play nothing but new 
characters till they catch on to the idea of Melee as a group combat game.  
One where positioning and maneuvering of the squad is critical, but in my 
sessions no table talk is allowed.  So each player has to be able to figure 
out the right move for the whole squad, so they dont block off another 
characters move.
  I use a GM stat called Projected Death Ratio or PDR.  One to One assumes 
two squads of five.  So a PDR of 1:3 is one PC death per 3 NPC deaths, and 
3:1 is three dead PCs before one Monster.  I use the latter.  As one player 
put it Oh, I get it.  There are MORE of them, and they are BETTER than you 
are.  In other words I open by attacking a party of six with eighteen 
hobgoblins.
  The hobgoblins have daggers, but engage in HTH.  Once everyone is down, 
the standing hobgoblins grab the best dressed character and haul him off for 
ransom.  They dont use their daggers but instead punch with the other hand. 
 This way no one is killed and I can clean the party out of tons of their 
coinage.  But it's only this nice if they run their squad tactics correctly. 
 Having to buy back a party member is the best possible outcome.  If anyone 
breaks off on their own, the spare Hobgoblins will identify him as a threat 
and stab him to death.
  But thats just one obscure tactic I use.  My preferred method of the PDR 
is 5:4.  Five PCs vs. four Monsters.  The PCs have to be able to survive a 
round of hits.  Well tuned squads can usually take this in two turns flat.  
But I have seen hardened squads take 5:18 in one turn.  How is that 
possible?  Two 7-hex dragons, and two young 2-hex ones.  Of course I have 
found that ST weights the ratios better, so an octopi and a giant are 
counted as 2, and 2.5 respectively.
  In conclusion I present the method used when my players finally figured 
out how to dig in and roll over my campaign.  The hardened squad.

      Dwarf wall        Dwarf Wall
       Armor 8           armor 8

Polearm          Polearm            Polearm


        Wizard           Archer


  By positioning themselves right they can usually inflict at least three 
attacks vs. the two hexes in front of the dwarves.  This is the Projected 
Attack Ratio or PAR.  Which reads the other way, in this case 3:2.  This 
formation can also reach 5:2, five attacks vs. reciving a possible two, 
which is a great way to win every round vs. tons of waves.  The players have 
really gotten pumped up when they realized they could take all fifty of the 
charging hobgoblins because they received them through a narrow spot.  After 
a while the hobgoblins start failing their DX rolls trying to attack while 
stepping over so many of their felow hoard memebers.

  David Michael Grouchy II





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