Re: (TFT) Simplified experience.

[Jay Carlisle <maou.tsaou@gmail.com>]

HT wrote several games including a RPG after SJ... Trailblazer? Meh, point
is I really have questions about the timing of it all as it seems a bit
daft to dump a lead seller w/Oger for something still good enough to go to
print. But then again Fist Full of Turkeys... Idk but I'm really not sure
about the TFT direct port into GURPS as there is so much Champions to it
and the HT pened micro is quite similar to TFT indeed.


Combat is divided into 1 minute period melee rounds, or simply rounds, in
order to have reasonably manageable combat. "Manageable" applies
both to the actions of the combatants and to the actual refereeing of such
melees. It would be no great task to devise an elaborate set of rules for
highly complex individual combats with rounds of but a few seconds
length. It is not in the best interests of an adventure game, however, to
delve too deeply into cut and thrust, parry and riposte. The location of a
hit
or wound, the sort of damage done, sprains, breaks, and dislocations are
not the stuff of heroic fantasy. The reasons for this are manifold.

{The reasons why heroic fantasy and wounds do not combine? Justify more?
And he does, two more paragraphs explaining how a minute is the best of
both worlds maximum choice with minimum complexity and HP's are never
defined firmly but rather basically summed as endurance with the last small
handful of points actual injury or something. Looks like a Gates to Arnsons
DOS system with less than full understanding... but let's see the procedure
for a round again)

The steps for encounter and combat are as follows:
1. Determine if either or both parties are SURPRISED.
2. Determine distance, if unknown, between the parties.
3. If both porties are unsurprised, or equally surprised, determine
INITIATIVE
for that round.
4. Determine the results of whatever actions are decided upon by the
party with initiative:
A. Avoid engagement (flee, slam door, use magic to escape, etc.) if
possible.
B. Attempt to parley.
C. Await action by other party.
D. discharge missiles or magical device attacks or cast spells or turn
undead.
E. Close to striking range, or charge.
F. Set weapons against possible opponent charge.
G. Strike blows with weapons, to kill or subdue.
H. Grapple or hold
5. Determine the results of whatever actions are decided upon by the
party which lost the initiotive (as per A. through H. above).
6. Continue each melee round by determination of distance, initiotive,
and action until melee ends due to fleeing, inability to continue, or
death of one or both parties.

Uh hu... What's TFT say?

TURN SEQUENCING AND OPTIONS
Combat takes place in turns, representing five seconds
each. During each turn, each figure may execute one "option"
from the list below. Each option consists of a movement,
attack, defense, or other combination of options.
The options available to a figure depend on whether it is
"engaged" or "disengaged." An ENGAGED figure is one that is
adjacent to an armed enemy figure, and in one of that figure's
front hexes.
...
During combat, events follow a strict sequence. NOTHING
happens simultaneously. Each movement or attack may affect
the next one, and a spell takes effect instantaneously when it
succeeds. Each turn goes through these stages:
(1) ROLL FOR INITIATIVE
Each player rolls a die. The winner may choose either to
move his figure(s) first that turn, or to have the other player(s)
move their figure(s) first. Certain factors, such as surprise and
the Tactics talent, give an advantage to securing the initiative.
If the players are all cooperating their leader rolls against the
GM to see whether players or GM get initiative.
(2) RENEW SPELLS
Each wizard who wants to renew one or more
continuing-type spells must now subtract from his ST to power
those spells. All spells that are renewed will last until the end
of the turn, or until the wizard dies or loses consciousness. All
continuing-type spells that are NOT renewed end NOW,
before movement. NOTE: some spells are not renewable, but
last a stated number of turns after casting. The turn such a
spell is CAST is always counted as the first turn.
(3) MOVEMENT
The first player to move chooses ONE option for each of his
figures, and executes the MOVEMENT part (if any) of that
option for each figure. How far each figure may move depends
on its movement allowance (MA) and the option chosen.
The second player then chooses options and moves all his
own figures the same way. If there are more than two players,
the third, fourth, and so on then pick options and move.
(4) ACTIONS
All attacks, spell-castings, attempts to disbelieve, etc., are
carried out. Figures act in the order of their adjDX, highest
first; ties are resolved by die roll. NOTE: many times a figure's
DX will change during the course of a turn, due to spells or
wounds. After the figure with the highest DX acts, the figure
which goes next is the one (of those which have not acted that
turn) with the highest adjDX AT THAT MOMENT. If a figure's
DX is magically increased to a number higher than that of a
figure who has already acted that turn, he does not miss his
turn -he is the next to act. Always roll a die when two figures
have the same adjDX.
If any figure is killed or knocked down BEFORE its turn to
act comes, it does not get to act that turn.
(5) FORCE RETREATS
Any figure which inflicted hits on an enemy with a
PHYSICAL attack (staff, wolf bites etc.) and took no hits itself
that turn (from any source) may retreat that enemy one hex in
any direction to any vacant hex and EITHER advance to the
hex vacated by the enemy OR stand still (thus possibly
becoming disengaged). Magical attacks, missile and thrown
weapons, etc., do NOT allow you to force retreat.
If both sides still have figures to fight, begin the next turn.
LIST OF OPTIONS
A figure may execute ONE option each turn, and may not
mix actions from different options. It is possible to change
options-see below.
The options marked with an asterisk are available ONLY to
disengaged figures; engaged figures may NOT do these
things. Other options are available to all figures. For each
option, the movement part is given first, and then the action
part.
I. Stand still or move one hex and:
a. attack with your ready weapon (or throw a
weapon, or jab with a pole weapon, or attempt
HTH combat).
b. dodge* or defend.
c. drop to a kneeling or prone position, and/or fire a
missile weapon. NOTE: If you are engaged, you
must drop the missile weapon after firing. You
cannot reload a missile weapon while you are
engaged.
d. disengage. See the explanation below under
DISENGAGING.
e. cast a spell. This applies to ANY kind of
spell-casting. Note, though, that renewing a
continuing spell can be done no matter what else
you do.
f. disbelieve. Attempt to disbelieve any one figure
which you think is an illusion.
g. pick up dropped weapon. "Bend over" in the hex
with the weapon, or an adjacent hex; pick it up and
ready it.
h. stand up. Rise from a prone, kneeling, crawling, or
knocked-down position. You may take no other
action that turn. A figure MUST take a turn to
stand before attacking, running, etc., but may cast a
spell, disbelieve, or crawl without standing up.
II. Move half your MA or less* (Note that engaged
figures may only shift one hex) and:
a. charge attack.* (This is a running attack, giving a
poleweapon user an advantage.)
b. throw a weapon OR jab with a pole weapon.
c. dodge.*
d. drop to a kneeling or prone position.
e. attempt hand-to-hand combat (see below).
III. Move more than half your MA, up to your full MA.*
Take no other action except for such things as
jumping, attempting to scoop up a weapon, etc. See
MOVEMENT.
IV. Special options.
a. stand up from a KNEELING position and EITHER
change weapons OR move up to 1/2 your MA.
(Note that an engaged figure may still only shift
one hex.)
b. change weapons. If you are engaged, stand still or
shift; drop your ready weapon and/or shield and
ready a new weapon and/or shield. If you are not
engaged, move up to two hexes, drop OR re-sling
your ready weapon and/or shield, and ready a
new weapon and/or shield. Note: any figure can
use this option to ready a new weapon if he has no
ready weapon but has one at his belt. Two
disengaged figures within one hex of each other
can use this option and exchange weapons. A
kneeling figure may ready any weapon. A prone
figure must make a 3-die DX roll to ready a
weapon.
V. Options for figures in hand-to-hand combat.
A figure engaged in hand-to-hand combat when his
turn to move comes may not move. He may pick one
of the following options when his turn to act comes:
a. attack a foe HTH, using his hands or a dagger (if
one is ready).
b. attempt to draw a dagger, if he has one in his belt,
shoe, etc. This requires a 3-die roll vs. DX. Only one
dagger may be drawn per turn. No +4 HTH DX
bonus when you attempt to draw the dagger!
c. attempt to cast a spell. A wizard casting a spell
while involved in HTH combat is at a -6 DX,
because he is undergoing a severe distraction.
d. attempt to disengage-see DISENGAGING FROM
HTH COMBAT.
e. attempt to pin your foe-see PINNING A FOE
REMEMBER: An engaged figure may not move normally, but
may only "shift" one hex (see MOVEMENT). An engaged
figure may NOT choose one of the options marked with an
asterisk; they require freedom of movement.
CHANGING OPTIONS
It is legal to change options AFTER the movement part of a
turn, to meet changing conditions. The only requirement is
that the figure must not already have moved more than the
NEW option allows. If you moved 0 or 1 hex, you may switch
to any option you could have taken when the turn began; if
you moved 1/2 your MA or less, you may attack, defend,
dodge, or drop; if you moved over 1/2 your MA you may do
nothing else that turn.
3. MOVEMENT
When combat begins, lay out the Melee megahexes to
represent the appropriate area of the labyrinth. Each megahex
represents one hex of labyrinth map-so seven one-hex figures
can occupy a single labyrinth-map hex. The figures move and
fight on the Melee megahexes.

So what did Steve Jackson do when Gary Gygax Says; " It would be no great
task to devise an elaborate set of rules for
highly complex individual combats with rounds of but a few seconds length.
It would not be in the best interests of the game to do so however..."? A
simple set of rules with few seconds in length pretty much flipping the
sequence D&D gives. I think TFT was a D&D repair job... Talk about nobody
playing the same game! Significant improvement and a simple system can add
complexity as the groups interests follow. Champions is a whole other
flavor. Peanut butter... HEY!
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