Re: [DL] Swarm Question

[Steve Wallace <ceesrw@yahoo.com>]

 --- Ivan E <ivan_gaming@yahoo.com> wrote: 
> Question for our own swarm o' Marshals: I'm running
> the Revised Edition, using the Swarm rules from
> Rascals, Varmints & Critters II. The posse's been
> set
> upon by a swarm of rats in a mineshaft at night.
> Looking through the combat rules, I get the
> following
> "to hit" modifiers:
> 
> -10 due to size

That's shooting at an individual rat - I'd reduce it
considerably unless they're shooting at a single rat
in dramatic circumstance.  Say, the rat about to jump
in someone's face.  It's no way to kill a swarm of the
things, though.

> -4 due to torchlight

Reduce this if it's up close - or if there are more
torches.  I'm usually pretty easy on my players for
lighting modifiers.

> -2 due to Fear Level

To hit?
 
> That's a -16 to hit any of the rats! Combat will
> take at least two weeks on a PBeM basis with numbers
> like that.

It's -16 to hit a specific rat in the swarm.  Make it
more like -4 because rats can kind of scuttle out of
the way, and -8/-10 for a single rat.  Otherwise,
you're heroes get eaten by rats, and that's a dumb way
to die.

> My initial thought was to reduce the number of rats
> to 5 or so per posse member from an initial 12, but
> at that point they're only doing 1d6 damage - not
> enough to hurt any posse members w/o my spending 
> chips or rolling Aces.

They'll do wind damage and eventually wear the heroes
down, though.  If you want heroes running from them,
use small numbers.  If you want heroes ratted to
death, use more.

> My question is this: When attacking swarms, should I
> reduce or eliminate the Size penalty? Thanks to the
> Accumulated Rulings, I know that Shane said "I'd
> figure out a swarm rule, say bullets and the like do
> no good, and talk about how you have to use
> flamethrowers or the like. [Shane Hensley, DL
> listserv, 8/20/98]". But since that was in '98 and
> RVCII came out in 2000, I assume the RVCII swarm
> rules supercede this statement.

Or RVC doesn't cover it.  The blast weapons work,
bullet ones don't argument does the job just fine.  As
I said earlier, bullets work on individuals, but you
won't kill a swarm with them...

> A second question along the same lines: One of the
> posse members fired a shotgun into the swarm. In
> that case, I think you almost have to eliminate the
> size penalty, since the buckshot's going everywhere.

It's not going to stop a swarm though, is it?  Maybe
slow them down a little, but that's about it.

> Thoughts? I really need your help on this, so thanks
> in advance!

I'd use the swarm as a plot device - the heroes can't
kill it with pistols, rifles, shotguns and the like. 
They'll need some kind of area effect weapon -
dynamite, a flamethrower, or even just burning oil -
to affect the swarm.  Keep the swarm damage low, but
make it keep coming.  If the swarm hit each hero for
d6 Wind a round, how many rounds will they last?  If
the average hero has 12-14 Wind, they've got maybe 6
rounds before they're knocked out - and then, they're
rat meat.  They should get the point pretty quickly.

Cheers,
Steve Wallace


____________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk
or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie