One-Hit Kills

[Marko]

Hello,

I’m playing through Tales from Wilderland with my group and in some situations, the players might take an enemy out, before said enemy can alarm his allies. That means, taking him out in the first round.

Ambushing and then hoping to knock him out in the first round seems to be rather hard in some of those cases. My characters would need at least an extraordinary success, sometimes even more than that. Plus, it seems that axes are better weapons for silent assassinations than daggers.

I’ve read about this in the old forum archive, but the thread quickly turned into a discussion about the morality of Tolkien’s works and that would be something I have to talk about with my group. So, I’m asking only about the mechanical tools I could use.

How would you handle this? Thanks a lot!

[Mytholder]

If it's just some random orc sentry, don't use the combat rules - just make it a skill test. If the bad guy's unaware of you and you cut his throat, that's an automatic wound.

[Marko]

Thanks Gareth, but what about the Big Bad Villain? Additionally, one of my players has the Elusive trait, so he basically can sneak up on everybody, every time, without rolling. Seems too anti climactic to me, and it might become a game breaker.

Maybe I do have to go into the morality of Tolkien and give 1 or 2 points of shadow for cowardly cutting throats all the time...

[Rich H]

Additionally, one of my players has the Elusive trait, so he basically can sneak up on everybody, every time, without rolling. Seems too anti climactic to me, and it might become a game breaker.

Check out p95 of the AB.

Here it states that the Loremaster's word is final so if they don't think a trait applies in a particular case then they get to veto it.

Also, on the same page, for Automatic successes the rulebook states that this rule can only be invoked when the Loremaster agrees with the invocation to speed up play, particularly if failing the roll would not lead to dramatically relevant consequences, or if the action wasn't difficult.

Those caveats pretty much allow an LM to veto such auto-trait usage especially when the LM deems something significant is at stake.

Traits aren't meant to cause problems of balance in the game; they are merely a fun addition to the rules to aid RPing and give quite limited benefits when applied to auto-success on actions.

[PaulButler]

What Rich H just said.
(Beat me to it by a matter of seconds it would appear. )

[Marko]

Hey Rich. Thanks for your input.

I’m not sure if I agree with your interpretation of a veto-right of the LM. It states that one can object against an invocation if it doesn’t apply in the situation. The description of Elusive states:

When you choose not to be seen, you can be as evasive as a fish in muddy waters.

It seems to me that this applies in almost all situations involving the use of Stealth. I don’t see anything about the rules stating that the LM can veto an invocation just because the roll would be too hard or there would be too much at stake. As I read it, the LM or player is advised to use Traits especially when there is nothing at stake, not that you can only use them when there is noting at stake.

[Beleg]

While Elusive works that way, one could (and many have) argue that Hardy can allow you to pass every travel test ever. Again, the issue regards Advancement Points. If your player wants to be Elusive to pass every Stealth test they make, they won't ever gain Advancement Points. It would be fair better for your player in the long run, and more entertaining for everyone involved, to roll, invoke the Trait, and then roleplay out the outcome. Especially if attempted to essentially assassinate the BBG

[Rich H]

I’m not sure if I agree with your interpretation of a veto-right of the LM. It states that one can object against an invocation if it doesn’t apply in the situation. The description of Elusive states:

When you choose not to be seen, you can be as evasive as a fish in muddy waters.

It seems to me that this applies in almost all situations involving the use of Stealth. I don’t see anything about the rules stating that the LM can veto an invocation just because the roll would be too hard or there would be too much at stake. As I read it, the LM or player is advised to use Traits especially when there is nothing at stake, not that you can only use them when there is noting at stake.

Then go with that and deal with the problem you've created! A problem which doesn't exist if you apply the rules as written in the way I've interpreted them. The rules on how to apply traits are stated as I've outlined above. If you don't agree with that then that's fine but I reckon they were written in such a way to avoid the problem you're now worried about yet you're choosing to interpret in a different way. It's your game, so that's fine, do what you want. Not trying to be dismissive but I've pointed out the rules for you, and how I interpret them to avoid the exact same problem you've described; you're interpreting them in another way and still have this problem. That's fine, but I've given you a solution, and you've not taken it. So... I got nowt else for you. Hope you come up with another workaround, I have mine as per the rules.

[Matchstick]

Hey Rich. Thanks for your input.

I’m not sure if I agree with your interpretation of a veto-right of the LM. It states that one can object against an invocation if it doesn’t apply in the situation. The description of Elusive states:

When you choose not to be seen, you can be as evasive as a fish in muddy waters.

It seems to me that this applies in almost all situations involving the use of Stealth. I don’t see anything about the rules stating that the LM can veto an invocation just because the roll would be too hard or there would be too much at stake. As I read it, the LM or player is advised to use Traits especially when there is nothing at stake, not that you can only use them when there is noting at stake.

Hello!

You could equip your bad guys, whether the mooks or the big bad guy or both, with Awareness.

The Awareness skill represents a hero’s readiness to react and his ability to notice something unexpected, out of the ordinary, or difficult to detect. High skill reflects both keen senses and the experience to understand what you see and hear. A high Awareness rating expresses an extraordinary watchfulness, and is extremely useful to a companion who serves as a look-out for the company.

That should cancel out Elusive for you and give the creature(s) a chance, if you want them to have one.

Hope that helps!

[Marko]

I did a little search here and in the old forum’s archive. I’ve found both interpretations.

I will talk to my group about this.