Setting Limits...?

[AvantGarve]

Hi all,

Just wondering - has anyone had any success, or felt happy with, applying limits to their stat lines?

I'm starting to work on mine, and I'm half tempted to enforce a limit of total stats can't be greater than 10. With the 5 Characteristics, that would mean that an 'average' warrior would have a score of 2 for everything. The skills, abilities and weapons applied would then help round out the character/s

Has anyone tried anything similar? Interested to hear your thoughts!

Thanks,

Mike

[Praetoriian]

Hi Mike.

I am also in the current stage of putting together my own warband.

I kind of feel that I am self restricting myself, as I am creating an elven crew I'm finding it particular difficult, I want to make them "good" but I'm trying not to spend more than 25 renown per model. I think 10 renown would be too low?

Also I think per individual stat that any more than 9/10 may be a waste, you would be better dropping the stat and taking a skill/weapon for the extra ability?

But we have obviously, all thought about that one character with 10 renown across the stat line and all the skills possible, but is he/she that good?

Regards

Andy

[ST_Carl]

A few thoughts guys...

10 across the board with all the skills/abilities/weapons would still only have 2 Actions, (3 by using Exert).

Imagine being surrounded by loads of models that are 10 (ish) Renown each. They might only get one Die in attack but they only need to score a Force Back to cause FOR loss due to the model not being able to move the full distance. (They will inevitably get to attack from the back so Resolute and/or Shield won't be much use).

Also bear in mind that if any of the enemy models have Distract. They'll still get to roll a single die when attempting the action so the super all powerful model still has a chance of losing one or both of it's actions for it's next activation.

Total freedom may sound like you can create the ultimate being (and in a sense you can) but the game has been written with a totally open build system right from the beginning so it's got game play mechanisms in place to limit the effectiveness of going too crazy on one model.

I'm aware that the concept of no limits is quite alien in the context of most of the other miniatures games on the market. But that's because they've been written in a prescriptive environment so no limits would create crazy power-combos.

Open Combat has been written in a totally free environment so has been designed to work within a dynamic structure where anything can meet anything.

Players can create the encounters, fighters and monsters that they want to use and enjoy experimenting all within a framework where what they do with what they have built is often more important than what the actual profiles might be.

Hope this makes sense.

@Mike with regards to limits, you're free to set any limits you like within the context of your own games and setting, as I mention on Page 21, you're free to create the environment you want to play within but the system is written to deal with one with no limits if you want to play that way.

For example, if I were to play using cavemen models battling a rival tribe I might limit weapons available to create a more authentic feel to the encounter. I'd also create some suitable hazards as befits the environment and dangers they might encounter.

On the flip side I'm sure I could conjure up some 'counts as' rationale for using all of the weapons in a caveman encounter if I wanted to - and this in itself would create some fantastic moments too. It would perhaps feel a little more 'Hollywood' as example, the old shaman spewing invective and shaking his stick at his enemy 'magically' leaves them cowed and weakened. Mechanically he spent two actions to 'shoot' a crossbow at them - but the interpretation is what makes the narrative appropriate to the encounter (albeit more hollywood).

Hope this makes sense.

Open Combat is a very situational game so the best cause of action depends on what enemy model (profile) you have in front of you, what environment surrounds the situation and what you have at your disposal (profile). You'll always have a chance whatever the disparity in individual profiles might be - it's how you use what you have that counts.

[Claus Paludan]

I haven't tried enforcing limits. I wondered a bit about it in the beginning. But after playing I can see no need for this. You can do all the overpowering assignments to each ability... but you will never get more than 3 dice anyway.. so in my book.. forget about limits and knock your self out with insane characters... if you overdo it.. you will most likely waste points..

[HandofOdin37]

if you overdo it.. you will most likely waste points..

This. Absolutely spamming stats is in theory a way to make your characters unstoppable, but (except for FOR) the amount of gain for each point rapidly decreases (unless you're playing against someone employing similar strategy). SPD doesn't need to be more than 12ish to cover the entire board in one turn (except corner to corner), as for ATK & MIN, as Claus says, you get a max of 3 dice so might as well take several guys with reasonably high stats instead of 1 or 2 with massive stats because overall you'll get more Dice. High DEF is great but doesn't make you invincible because of the force back rule. The only stat I would argue it's worth spamming is FOR because of how much it increases your warband's break point (and so by extension MIN too), it also means you'll get more bang from the Exert skill.

[Claus Paludan]

The only stat I would argue it's worth spamming is FOR because of how much it increases your warband's break point (and so by extension MIN too), it also means you'll get more bang from the Exert skill.

But.... even high FOR models can fade to nothing if caught between several enemy models and thus become the victim of the force-back-not-possible-loose-FOR-instead trap. And then when they die they "help" speed towards the breaking point fast as well...

[psychomo]

Hi FORT doesn't necessarily mean, invincible. In our game last night, my chief Orc was flight the Elf leader in the front and being back stabbed by a ratman.

He managed to win out, bit lost 7 FORT in 2 turns because I ran him ahead to deal with the filthy Elves!

If you don't think strategically then you still get shaffted of you are not careful, even with high FORT.