BF1 and adventure lethality

General topics, including off-topic discussion, goes here.
User avatar
chiisu81
Posts: 4106
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:05 pm

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by chiisu81 »

I split these posts off into a new thread on GD.
User avatar
onearmspence
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by onearmspence »

You don't need to fudge rolls, just give them more clues. You can describe the scene clarifying that there's some weird yellow mold growing around the bag when the character approach to grab it. Or maybe add more details, for example the skeletal remains of an infortunate adventurer killed by the mold next to it (go as obvious as you need to be, to warn them of the monster).

If you still think thats not enough just grab a house rule like the Save vs Death or just change the monster, perhaps its just a lesser and less deadly kind of mold.
User avatar
Metroknight
Posts: 1396
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:26 pm
Location: Alabama, USA

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by Metroknight »

I always rewrite the old island and use a different dungeon/adventure for it. I have used the old moat house from 1e Temple of Elemental Evil for the layout and just repopulated it with what I wanted. I had bandits using it as a hideout, I had it infested with critters like giant spiders or giant toads, I even had a small clan of lizardmen take it over and use it.

It boils down to the fact if you don't like it, change it as it is your game and group.
User avatar
laDracykei
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:54 pm

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by laDracykei »

Metroknight wrote:It boils down to the fact if you don't like it, change it as it is your game and group.
The thing is, I don't trust myself to be able to strike the proper balance in homebrew yet.
User avatar
orobouros
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2016 11:09 pm
Contact:

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by orobouros »

laDracykei wrote: The thing is, I don't trust myself to be able to strike the proper balance in homebrew yet.
Give them some extra leeway at the beginning. After a few encounters you'll get a feel for what you''re and they're capable of.
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12451
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by Solomoriah »

Let 'em find a cache of healing potions, or a non-rechargeable staff of healing (advantage here is that you never have to admit how many charges it actually has).
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
onearmspence
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by onearmspence »

laDracykei wrote:
Metroknight wrote:It boils down to the fact if you don't like it, change it as it is your game and group.
The thing is, I don't trust myself to be able to strike the proper balance in homebrew yet.
IMHO there isn't much you can do to balance encounters and traps for a group of 1st lvl pcs. Still you can strive to make them fair. Give them clues and advantages they can exploit. Perhaps you may allow them to start with higher lvl characters (like 2nd or 3rd lvl).
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12451
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by Solomoriah »

Lemme be honest with you here. If you don't want a high death rate among your player characters, start them with 4,000 to 5,000 XP. Mechanically, the game IS lethal for first level characters... about 50% should be the average death rate, unless your players are extremely canny or you go really easy on them. The game BFRPG replicates was built that way... this is not a new thing. 2nd or 3rd level characters are exponentially more likely to survive.

A first level character has 1 hit die (of some kind). Weapons do 1 die of damage (of some kind). An average fighter (1d8 hit points) vs. an average orc (doing 1d8 points of damage) is 56% likely to die if hit. The fighter probably can't afford better than chain mail and shield, so AC 16; the orc gets +1 AB, so hits on 15 or better, which is a 30% chance of hitting. So the fighter is about 17% likely to die in any given round. The orc's AC is normally 14, and the fighter also has +1 AB, making his chance of hitting 40%; the orc also has 1d8 hit points, making him 56% dead with a single hit, so his per-round chance of dying is about 22%. Not a lot of difference between 17% and 22%; I'm not 100% certain I have the math right, but assuming they fight until dead, I think the odds are about 44% that the fighter will die.

And if he does, the odds favor him dying in a single hit; taking two and still living is very unlikely.

A 2nd level character fighting the same orc is relatively UNLIKELY to die in a single hit; he can take that hit, and then retreat, perhaps seeking healing while another character steps to the front. His odds of dying in the fight are much, much lower.

If you don't want to see beginning PCs die, they need to be more than 1st level.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
SmootRK
Posts: 4230
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:03 am
Location: Nashville, TN

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by SmootRK »

As Solo points out, combat is crazy for first level characters, even if does seem to be the focus of the game. That said, consider that the first level characters should spend their time on other endeavors, and you can award experience for these things.

Much like some video games tend to send characters on 'errand missions', similar small projects can do much for the game. They can earn some amounts that might get them some better gear. They meet key npc characters who might have valuable info or even resources that might help when the characters finally get to the combat oriented stuff. Even as they do these fetch missions, they can legit find stuff that helps later.

For instance:
Character are given mission to find cure for sick townsperson (with XP award for success). While asking around, they get info that an old lady knows the right herbs to treat the sickness. So they embark on mission to locate and talk to said old lady.
While running a mission to fetch herbs from the old lady outside town, she appreciatively offers a minor healing salve if the characters also deliver a message to her family (whom have disavowed her for witchery). If the characters can convince the family of the "witch" to reconsider and reunite their family, they get a sizable XP bonus. As an aside, within the witch hovel there are a few trinkets that may have some value (though it involves thievery, but this is what Thief characters are for anyhow).

And as you can see, these events do not require actual combat to occur. Another mission or two of this sort will introduce major npcs, allow for some wealth to build up, and give characters a basic lay of the land... in addition to the necessary XP to get to 2nd level where they have substantially better odds of combat survival.

Anyhow. Best of luck with the juggling of balance... it is what all GM's do.
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?
User avatar
Dimirag
Posts: 3613
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:24 pm
Location: Buenos Aires (C.A.B.A.), Argentina
Contact:

Re: BF1 and adventure lethality

Post by Dimirag »

You can also remind them that pc are fastly done and easily lost, tell them to nop put too much time into them, just a rough idea, as the game progress they'll add any character specifics.

You can let them start the game with more than one pc each so they have a backup while playing.

Remind them that not every encounter must be fought and that going head on is not always the best choice.

Don't be afraid of changing things beforehand or on the fly, if a trap or situation seems most likely to directly kill a pc no matter what, change it.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
Drawing portfolio: https://www.instagram.com/m.serena_dimirag/
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: rjj629 and 34 guests