To: <tft@brainiac.com>I've spent some time visiting with George Dew, the main designer for Legends and he gave me some insights as to his design goals and thoughts. I think that he's a very thoughtful designer and while his game differs from what I might do, I think that it is basically very solid.
Hand to hand combat is different as well. The attacker moves into the target's hex. The target gets a pre-emptive strike if he hasn't performed an action this turn. The attacker makes a 3/DX roll to win a "takedown". If he fails, the target may exit the hex or "win" the takedown. The winner of a takedown rolls for damage (bare hands or daggers if so equipped). THe winner of the takedown is "on top" for the combat. In subsequent turns, the figures *grapple* -- they strike with daggers (and get counterattacks if they haven't moved). Daggers do double damage in HTH. Figures "on top" can disengage from the HTH combat at will. Figures on the bottom must make a 3/DX roll. This system might work well for human-sized figures, but I can easily see it being abused -- "I enter HTH with the 7 hex dragon..." A few years of judo many years ago makes me sure that ST should somehow figure into this. I'd also like to see the defender have a chance to win the takedown, regardless of whether the attacker makes his DX roll.
George's biggest concern with using ST (I suggested *either* a ST or DX roll, player's choice) is that there is a far greater range of STs in TFT than DX. So my suggestion would result in the ST30 troll making his HTH roll *every* time...not so good.
No rules for facing or even being on the ground. In such a fluid combat system, facing rules could lead to some very bizarre results (especially when we remember that movement rates are *much* higher). No DX reduction for taking lots of damage. Figures can be wounded (at ST 0), but no rules for killing them.
Still haven't gotten to play the game, but I suspect that the "do everything in your turn" (DEYT) system will work fine. While TFT combats are probably more "realistic", a DEYT system would (I think) do a better job portraying the fluid combats that characterize movies like Conan and the Lord of the Rings.
Also, figures activate in initiative order, not in DX order.
George's comment was that this helped de-value DX a bit, plus his own belief that "initiative" is more important than actual dexterity, agility, etc. A reasonable point, I guess, and anything that reduces the value of DX is probably a Good Thing.
<snip of skill system description>After cogitating on it for awhile, I don't think that I have a problem with assuming that adventurers have a basic skill set that would include use of normal weapons. After all, how many times in fantasy/sci-fi literature do we see normal folks (or hobbits) picking up swords or blasters and having at it? Luke Skywalker didn't spend any time at a shooting range, yet he was better than the Imperial stormtroopers.
So I think that there might be some benefit in assuming that PC's have a package of basic abilities, like normal weapon use, riding a horse (driving a car), cooking, basic first aid, literacy (in higher tech settings), etc. This allows you to simplify your skill list so that it only covers *important* and unusual skills. I suppose there could even be an "adventurer" skill that would include all these things that the PC's get free.
--Ty =====
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