Designing for Generational Campaigns: Part II Combat

Previously I provided a overview of my ongoing Fantasy Campaign, which is in a style I call Generational.

There I mentioned that one of the requirements was seamless play, where characters of different generations adventure together and overlap in play without skips in tiem. This was a requirement driven by much of the fantasy fiction that I favor. In Lord of the Rings for example, completely unexperienced hobbits find themselves fighting alongside much more experienced characters. The same very much applies to my other favorite series The Chronicles of Prydain.

Naturally I wanted to recreate this in my table top fantasy world. However back in 1980 this wasn't an easy task, and I note that even today it is basically unheard of.

One of the primary problems is having low and high level character on the same battlemap, and having the low level ones both matter and yet able to survive the encounter. Most rpg combat systems won't allow this, at least if you follow the rules and suggested play styles.

To use D&D as an example- the earlier editions were based upon what is primarily a resource management style of play. Everything from HPs, to number of spells, to magic items, potions and scrolls all played an important role- and frankly high level characters have such things in great numbers and low level ones don't. Add in 'skill' related items (such as THAC0) and things only get worse. Even 4th edition shows the same issues, although to a lesser extent.

Having high level character 'twink' low levels with scrolls and potions wasn't a solution. It was counter-genre and thus undesired.

The simple truth is that anything resource management based (and where resouces increase with character advancement) is unsuitable in direct proportion to its amount of resource management. Such a combat focus is unworkable for my desired style of play. Thus I needed a system that was more focused on maneuver rather than resource management.

By removing much of resource management and adding maneuver (battle maps, facing, multiple target bonuses, terrain, stunning, etc), one changes the dynamic of combat. In this way any character could be placed in danger from lesser foes by means of position or numbers. Thus lower level characters could guard a great hero's flanks, and/or engage opponents that might be a danger from due to their numbers.

The GM and world design has an impact here as well. In contrast to a group of 5th level encountering 5th monsters- the switch is made to a group of 1st to 7th levels encountering foes of 1st to 7th levels (or even perhaps 1st to 3rd as numbers now matter more).

This has the additonal benefit of being more representional of the source fiction as well. And it's always great in game design to hit two targets at once.