RE: [DL] Ambush Ethics

[Thomas Mayfield <dragonboyblue@mindspring.com>]

><snip>
>> fight back.  Realistic, yes, but hardly fair.  How do I do 
>>
>Rule #1 - Life isn't fair! 
>
>> realistic ambush
>> type situations that show the bad guys' prowess but aren't 
>> unfair to the players?
>> 
>My position is that you don't have to be fair.  Everyone is there to have
>fun and your job is to set the stage to tell a good story (with the Player's
>assistance).  I'm given to fudging anything that stands in the way of the
>story. 

>Jim H.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll fudge the dice as much as anyone.  It's just
that I've found that it's good to do as little fudging as possible in
combat.  The atmosphere is conveied better by somewhat realistic combat.
Too much power to the baddies, and the fatality rate skyrockets, and we
spend half the time drawing new characters.  Too easy, and the posse feels
like it hasn't really earned it's victory

Instead of fudging, I simply plan the situation to direct the flow of
combat.  If I want a tense fight with lots of dodging, running from cover
to cover, etc then I'll set it in dark warehouse, not on the open plains.

Huge thanx to everyone who responded! (though my posse might not say so :)

-Evil Marshal Mayfield
-------------------
Tastes like zombie!

The Hell's Bunker- http://www.geocities.com/hellsbunker