How do you handle two PCs going at it? A simple opposed roll with the usual success-partial-fail outcome?
How do you handle two PCs going at it? A simple opposed roll with the usual success-partial-fail outcome?
How do you handle two PCs going at it? A simple opposed roll with the usual success-partial-fail outcome?
Depending on how one PC is attacking the other, I’d have the attacker use Hack & Slash, Volley, Cast a Spell or another move as appropriate. The defender would be able to Interfere and onlookers might be able to Aid / Interfere as well. That all depends on what’s happening in the fiction, just like any other move.
If things have come to blows and the PCs are really trying to kill each other, then even if both PCs survive, it’s probably time to have one of them walk of into the sunset unless they can resolve their differences.
I ask what they’re doing, then follow the fiction by calling on mechanical moves as seems most appropriate. Haven’t used any opposed rolls yet.
Is it fair and balanced? No. But a game should rapidly fall out of balance! And the sheer viciousness of PvP weans players away from it once they see how dangerous it is.
I just wrote pvp rules for my Cowboy AW hack. If anybody is interested I can post it here.
Yes please Wynand Louw
Wynand Louw I’d like to see all of your Cowboy AW hack!
Generally follow the fiction; if one’s trying to run away they can defy danger, if one’s trying to hold their ground they can defend (standing in defense of their self or their position).
If they’re just wailing on each other, I say just let them make 1-for-1 rolls for damage. I like the idea that mechanically, brawling between party members doesn’t lead to any intense complicated move, they just keep getting damaged until one of them has to call it quits and figure out how to appease the one that hits harder.
This is still very alpha, we haven’t done PvP in actual sessions so far. (Most of the rest of the game is solid-ish in play testing – so far) Also you need to know that the game is not class or playbook based, but skill based (Like BESM). Lastly it has a FATE-ish system where you can pay XP to play an aspect-ish… thing and add +1 to a roll after it is rolled.
Also: Think Louis Lamour, not The 6th Gun.
I cut and paste:
Player versus Player moves
The rules for PvP action are:
1. Any player versus player action follows the same rules as any other opposed moves. This means that the target character’s applicable modifiers must be subtracted from the active player’s roll. If the target character does not oppose the action, then his modifiers are not deducted. A roll may not even be necessary.
2. The player who rolls for the move is the player who has narrative control. (The active player, that means the player who initiated the PvP action.) The target player does not roll for the same move.
3. On a 10+ the active player succeeds and retains narrative control. On 7-9 the active player succeeds and retains narrative control, but he GM introduces the conditions of a partial success: cost, danger, a worse outcome, a hard bargain, or an ugly choice. She may do this in consultation with the target player. On 6- the active player fails and passes narrative control to the target player. The GM (again in consultation with the target player) makes a hard move against the active player.
The two specific player vs player moves are:
When you shoot at or brawl with another player character, roll + Shoot or Brawl
0n 10+ you harm the other character and retain narrative control.
On 7-9 you harm the other character, but the GM adds cost, danger, a worse outcome, hard bargain or an ugly choice. The GM must consider suggestions from the target character’s player; it may be to take harm from the target character’s attack.. Narrative control passes back to you.
On 6- you miss, the GM makes a hard move against you, considering suggestions from the target character’s player; it may be to take harm from the target character’s attack. Narrative control passes to the target player.
Let say Wyatt’s player says, “I hit Joe on the chin with a left uppercut!” That’s a Brawl move. Joe intents to fight back, so Wyatt’s player has to deduct Joe’s Body + Brawl from his score. Wyatt’s player rolls a 5. He adds his own Body + Brawl for a total of 8, but has to subtract Joe’s Body + Brawl so he ends up with 6, a fail.
Since the action was aimed at a Player Character, Joe’s player gets narrative control and narrates the outcome: “Well, I block, and punch you in the belly!” Joe’s counter attack was a success, he did not even have to roll for it. Wyatt’s player rolls for non-lethal harm.
Since Joe’s player now has narrative control, he gets to make the next move and roll for it if necessary. If Wyatt’s attack were successful, Wyatt’s player would have retained narrative control and would have been able to make the next move.
When you try to get another player character to do what you want by commanding, intimidating or charming him, roll + the appropriate Skill
On 10+, if the target character’s player chooses to comply, he marks 1 Grit. If he refuses, he suffers cost, danger, a worse outcome, a hard bargain or an ugly choice. The active player retains narrative control.
On 7-9, If the target character’s player chooses to comply, he marks 1 Grit, and the active player’s character suffers cost, danger, a worse outcome, a hard bargain or an ugly choice. If the target character’s player refuses, there are no other consequences. The active player retains narrative control.
On 6-, If the target character’s player refuses, he marks 1 Grit. If he complies, he suffers cost, danger, a worse outcome, a hard bargain or an ugly choice. The GM makes a hard move against the active player, and then passes narrative control to the target player.
Cathy wants to charm Wyatt so that he will challenge Bart to a draw, so she flings her ams around his neck, starts to cry and says “If Bart lives he’ll never leave me alone. Somebody should challenge him to a draw.” Wyatt is a bit worried, as Bart is known as one of the best shootists in the territory. So he says, “We’ll ask the sheriff to arrest him.” But Cathy’s player is not happy. She decides to roll to try to charm Wyatt.
She rolls + Soul + Charm = 10. Wyatt has Soul +0 and Nerve +1, so Cathy’s total is 10-1=9.
So Cathy says, “But I am your childhood sweetheart!” playing Wyatt’s strong Bond with her. She pays 1 Grit and adds +1 to her total, which is now 10. Wyatt’s player knows from a previous encounter that Black Bart has a Shoot skill of +3, so he is not eager to comply. He refuses, deciding to face the consequences.
Since Cathy’s player rolled a success, the GM passes narrative control back to her, saying, “Wyatt refuses, Cathy, so what do you plan to do about it?” Either Cathy’s player or the GM may decide what the consequences of Wyatt’s refusal will be. So Cathy’s player says, “I start wailing, so everybody can hear me and say, ‘You don’t love me anymore!’ Did anybody hear that?”
The GM responds, “Unfortunately old Miss Smythe heard all that, Wyatt, and she is the biggest gossip in town. From now on, you’ll be known as Wyatt Yellow-belly.”
Chris, definitely follow the fiction. Depending on how you feel about it – If they’re just going for killing each other I’d be tempted to trade harm for harm and not roll at all. (Which is totally one of your moves).
The way that it has been discussed in the past is like Christopher Stone-Bush mentioned, where one declares they are attacking… and the other can attempt to interfere or roll defend depending on what they say. There would be no turns though… the fiction would determine when the defender would become the attacker.
HOWEVER… if the other player doesn’t go that route and they both decide to attack then it gets bloody fast… (and fun)
It is possible for both players to Hack and Slash (or Volley or Cast Spells, etc) at the same time. They BOTH roll and you apply BOTH effects… so it is possible to roll a 10+ deal your damage, and take none and then for the other player to roll a 7-9 where you take damage from them, but you also deal your damage a second time….(if both players roll 7-9… then you are rolling damage twice against each other)
This process will not last long. Especially if either of them rolls a 6-.
So for those of you thinking of taking on the party fighter if he has any advances at all… you better be prepared to take close to 30 damage in a round to fight him if he maxes out.
Chris S I am now picturing a paladin vs. fighter beatdown, where the fighter has Scent of Blood and Merciless and Armor Mastery and the Paladin has Bloody Aegis and Exterminatus.
yeah that would be a fun one to bet on.