(no subject)

[dewinged]

-12:45 PM

Okay, for the gamer types. If I'm running as party of 5 PL10 M&M characters who will probably end up in Lemuria in my RL game Friday night, fighting Serpent People to rescue a kidnapped NPC, what's the best way to run something that big without getting to a snail's pace for combat? Help. :)

Addendum: I forgot how to do LJ posts by phone. Dammit. :(

Comments

M&M Fast Fight

[7th-son.livejournal.com]

I don't know how experienced you are at tabletop M&M, so excuse if this is stuff you already know. In general, I find M&M actually moves pretty darn fast around the table. So your problem is not as bad as it may appear.

1) Use either a single powerful adversary or a whole slew of identical Minions. Avoid the set of 5-6 powered adversaries, each of whom is complex and with their own powers. Let the players either focus on one target, or clean lots of mooks away by handfulls.

2) Use fewer HP and VP. Fights last longer because the heroes and villains are spending points to avoid getting stunned or to recover from being knocked out. If they can't do that as often, the fight shortens. If you are using Minions, your problem is solved since they can't spend VP anyway. Consider bleeding off some of the hero points early in the session with deathtraps or mook attacks, giving the heroes fewer resources for the big fight.

3) Avoid consulting the rule book. Follow the Golden Rule: if you don't know if the hero can try the stunt he wants to try, just make him spend a Hero Point for it and play on.

4) Use some kind of map, even if you have to draw it on a napkin. I have arranged coke cans and books to create the battle scene and it saves a whole lot of narrative description and argumentation later.

5) Put something with a beat on the stereo. Keeps people moving.

Good luck

[razorsedge74.livejournal.com]

I don't know this game system at all, and it's been years since I ran anything but do remember an occassion when I did do something about this. You were there. Remember the Thunderwyrm? I gave the players a couple turns each to kill it, then had an NPC pull out a rocket launcher and blow it's head off. If the game is about rping tonight as opposed to combat, you can always stick some kind of dues ex machina with an NPC to take care of a combat session that goes too long in your opinion.

Atcherservice!

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

Phone post FAQ

[foxfyre.livejournal.com]

Lemuria! :D :D

*coughs*

Ahem. Right. Good tips up above. Also, there's the time rule--in a high pressure situation, you only have so much time to act and react. If the player can't declare an action within, say, 10 - 15 seconds, then move on. It can be harsh, but it works if you're worried about things dragging.

But if you stick with some of the tips up above (especially using mooks instead of proper villains), you probably won't need to worry.

[razorsedge74.livejournal.com]

So, how did it go and what did you do?