GM Notes
This page is a place to put notes and comments sent to me by Allan and Robert
during development. The intent here is to give an interested GM some deeper
insight into why some decisions were made.
Lethality
One of the elements of this campaign is and always will be
combat. The goal is for the PCs to act like knights and seek
glory and honor on the battlefield. This means that they will,
from time to time, have to fight their way out of some
situations where they are outnumbered. In times like this the PC
has only three choices: Get smart, get lucky, or get dead.
In each of the scenarios, the GM (and hopefully the PC) is
given a host of possible allies that can be used to even the
odds in a combat situation. PCs that are chasing Gladyk's band
of outlaws and are getting their butts whooped should consider
getting help from the warders of the Hundred. That's what they
are there for. Sure it is heroic to charge into a small, poorly
lit cave after a bunch of bandits but it is also a good way to
get killed. Let the warder go in first.
If being smart does come naturally to the PC, the GM could
offer fate bonuses. These are a hold over from another
game system that I played in the distant past but the idea
behind them is that a PC can build up an account of karma. When
the dice gods of roleplaying turn against the PC, this karmic
credit is used to let the PC escape miraculously. Cheesy - sure.
Deus Ex Machina - without a doubt. Saves a PC and probably keeps
a player in the game - usually.
Finally, if the PC persists in over the top carelessness,
they perish and become one of the campaign's lamented dead.
Again, the beauty of the local campaign is that there are plenty
of NPCs standing by for the GM to turn into player characters.
When Sir Iosef Bloggs dies, the GM can easily do one of two
things:
1. Have Iosef's cousin, Barry, ride into town looking for
Iosef. Upon learning of his cousin's heroic demise, Barry
decides to honor his family by continuing the quest. 2. After
the last tear has been shed at Iosef's funeral, the PCs' liege
calls them to his hall. He introduces them to Squire Bubba.
Bubba is from a good family and the liege thinks the PCs would
give the boy some good training. Iosef's player picks up Bubba
and the game continues. |