Cerebus

There’s enough material on Cerebus to publish a thick sourcebook full of juicy information. A clandestine conspiracy group that infiltrates all part of the Alliance and any interests pertaining to Earth, able to steal the technology for a cutting edge military frigate without being discovered, and bringing the dead to live. Maybe they are the Delta Green of the future.

Experiments: One of the side quests in Mass Effect touches on the horrible experiments which Cerebus was running. Jack can’t be the only one, so what else were Cerebus fooling with? One of the famous meme is that Cerebus was looking at grafting Reaper technology with human beings.

Expeditions: They were examining a dead Reaper in the game. Other key locations for Cerebus to stick their foot in definitely include Protean ruins, anti-Reaper weapons and definitely anything which would give human an edge over the aliens.

Conspiracy. The information given by Miranda (and EDI, after you release her locks) seems to imply that Cerebus operatives are everywhere. The question is “where else?” Giving the task to hunt down those operatives could make a good campaign (or what if the PCs are Cerebus Operatives infiltrating an Alliance experiment or research base?)

Gang Wars

For something darker, gritter and dirtier, just head down to Omega 4 and perhaps other seedier space-ports in Mass Effect world. (If you read the descriptions for some of the planets, they are ripe for such ideas). There you have various mercenary gangs involve in smuggling, human trafficking (perhaps not just for the Collectors) and involved in other illicit trade.

Power Struggle: Mass Effect 2 players come across this when Shephard discovered a ploy by the other mercenary gangs to supplant Aria together. That can’t be the only place where such incidents are going on. The players may be involved in the efforts of removing a crime lord or preserving the status quo. Perhaps they even have aspirations to take over the entire place for themselves.

Setting up Shop: Garrus did it, so why not the players. Players could form a mercenary gang or “righteous troubleshooters” and attempt to keep organized crime in check. Or give the Eclipse or Blue Sun a run for their money. They may be some powerful that they attract the attention of other parties which may need their help.

Being Nagged at while Being the Hero

One of the annoying things about older Bioware’s game, and Dragon Age, is the Approval System. Your companions will make comments, pass remarks and usually, second-guess what you are doing. Kreia from Knights of the Old Republic (though to be fair, it is an Obsidian Entertainment game) is like a nagging old grand-mother. Morrigan is a sarcastic whinner. You can’t seem to persuade anyone to change their point of view in Dragon Ages. You are stuck with their personality, ego and out-look. Even when you manage to talk them to your side (if the game allows it), you always feel you are the universe’s errand boy. Having to save the world while endure the naggings of your party members!

Mass Effect 1 and 2 let Shephard influences, changes and reprimands his squad members, and this has no consequences on stats, special skills or what-not! (In Mass Effect 2, there are pivotal moments where you may lose loyalty, but you can prevent it – have your cake and eat it too). Not just that, the developers arrange it to be done in a manner where you feel good about yourself. Breaking off the fight between a stuck-up biotic and a psychotic biotic-murderer is more satisfying than persuading baby-wuss Allistar to try to become the King.

What’s the point here? How are we GMs treating our players at social negotiations and interactions with NPCs. Maybe giving them a little bit more respect, and oomph, for their attempts in persuade and social skill attempts could mean more than just rewards or XP. In Mass Effect, the outcome of a persuade or intimidate, and its execution, is what tempts pople to click them. Because they got a chance to be good (or evil), and being stylish while doing i t,at the same time too!

The Nobody Hero

One more difference between Dragon Age and Mass Effect, a really subtle one, is how the main PC is being treated. In Dragon Age, mostly wherever you go, you are given scant respect (remember, even your own party members boss you around). It gets really annoying at times when “I know the Darkspawns are coming, and you are a Grey Warden, but still….I am going to make life difficult for you!” is being repeated again and again. Even after some accomplishment (say Redcliffe), there is no reaction from the NPCs on your deeds.

In Mass Effect, Shephard got a fan-boy, gets discount at shops for just who he is and heck, even have an entire alien civilisation (or two, depending on how you count) looking for him. You got a sense that you are playing a “somebody”, a mover and shaker of things.

Will it be more enjoyable for the players if their PCs get some respect like Shephard? Even disdain will be fine too, but sometimes plain indifference can suck away morale. How many times have GMs introduced powerful wizards who run the PCs around like errand boys, where the street vendors must be persuaded to give a discount and there is seemingly an over-supply of adventurers willing to explore ruins and dungeons and risk their lives at it?

When the new Lord of the Rings RPG was first announced, and a thread at RPG.NET started on it, some posters express dislike over the “rags to heroes” formula. They wish to play someone who is respected, have an reputation and could immediately do mighty deeds without grinding through rat-infested dungeons. Someone like Elrond’s sons, Glorfindel, one of Aragorn’s rangers, or some such. This gives a perspective on what sometimes player want besides XP and gold pieces. The chance to be someone great.

This, at least, is the effect that Mass Effect has on my GMing.

Skills and Attributes

Mass Effect has a rather lightweight character development system – it’s more of action games than dice-rolling! (Heh, it is a action game, more accurately put!). The idea is to keep the system light, so the characters are going to be light too. There is only skill focuses, no attributes. All rolls made for mundane skills (persuasion, sneaking and etc.) are made a +0.

Specialized skills are made at base modifier of -4 and is always a failure if any of the dice rolled is a 1.

Getting Focus

Getting a skill focus at a relevant task allows you to make the check at +2, instead of the base modifier. Characters can gain multiple focuses in the same skill, each time bumping the bonus up by +1. Drawing inspiration from the list, the skills available are: AI Hacking (as opposed to normal Hacking), Assault Rifles, Biotics, Bypass, First Aid, Demolitions, Engineering, Computer Use, Heavy Pistol, Heavy Weapon, Intimidate, Persuade, Submachine Guns and Sniper Rifles and Tech. There should be other skills which are conventional – Navigation, Squad Tactics and so on.

Powers

Should powers, such as Overload, Combat Drone and so on be skills? Since Dragon Age has spells, to keep to the fidelity of the system, those in-game powers should be spell-like too, but instead of having many of them, they each have their own levels and can be evolved. The amount of powers available ideally should be scaled by the character’s Tech and Biotic skills.

There is need for a character creation system too. Maybe next time!

Combat

Combats in Mass Effect 2 is dynamic, with different weapons having different rate of fire, spread and range. It’s not a good idea to roll multiple dice for rifles and submachine guns. So the idea is: roll multiple dice for the quick firing weapons and take the top three best. But, but for each 1 rolled on the dice, the dice with the highest value is discarded.

Example: The Vindicator Assault Rifle allows attacking players to roll 5d6 in combat. On a roll of 3,4,5,5,6, the player takes the three highest roll (5 + 5 + 6) and comes up with 16. If he has rolled 1,3,4,5,6, he needs to remove the 1 and 6, leaving him with 3+4+5, or 12.

Hopefully this is a nice framework to develop the idea into!

1. A forest of executioner’s crosses, where the local law authority leaves criminals to die and to serve a somber warning to others.
2. A prison high atop a mountain cliff, only accessible by a crude ‘elevator’.
3. Wreck of a ship used as a prison. Where have all the prisoners gone to?
4. The ruins of arena designed for trial by combat
5. A half-built pyramid
6. A quarry where half-built statues form of rocks protruding from the hillside are everywhere. Those statues are colossal, from 4 metres tall and 2 metres in width
7. A goblin’s (or insert evil demi-human race of choice here) version of a slaughterhouse…intended for humans.
8. Ruins of a bath-house with technology comparable to what the Romans has…for use by giants.
9. Sites used for judgments by rituals
10. A gigantic “well” (really a deep shaft) which goes deep downward, with wooden platforms and side excavations (think the Money Pit)

Training

From young wolf pups are prepared for the hunt by mock fights and play-biting. Tigers and lions likewise were trained by their mums; hence even orcs and goblins would need some sort of boot-camp to be combat ready, and it shows. An unorganized mob just don’t fight as well and coordinate with each other when compared to the Roman Legions.

The fighter of the party should be able, at a glance, to discern the training level of their opponents (after all, they should have some of those training!). Of course, animals are harder to gauge and if Mother Nature has done her job properly, all predators that take to the field are likely to be well prepared for it.

Why is the level of training important? Only those who have practiced together could pull of a complex tactic. It’s pretty much like the same as for football, soccer or a tennis double-play. Ordinary thugs who wander about the docks and having minimal amount of training shouldn’t suddenly pull off a complex shield wall; but if you are up against the Elite Lancers of the Duke Regent of Alterus, you better stay on our toes!

Approach

If a group has been fighting together for some times, there is likely to be some form of standard operating procedures; any horde raiding together are likely to form some effective form of attacking, retreating and defending, if they manage to survive their first battle! When planning encounters, or coming up with a random monster roll, it is a good idea to think about how they would approach the players party. Here are some ideas

1. Charge right in. Unless the monster in question is a dragon, tyrannosaurus rex, a grizzly bear or somehow insane (a horse driven to aggressive behavior because of parasites infesting its brain), most probably wouldn’t go charge into the fray unless it is really confident.
2. Sneak attack. Considering how many predators in our natural world rely on this and how devastatingly effective it  could be, GMs should let NPCs who has a reasonable amount of intelligence to plan an ambush rather than let them march straight into the blades (and blasting radius) of the PCs.
3. Divide and conquer. Another proven stratagem, and especially deadly when the opposition has magic in their hand. Many fantasy RPGs feature the so-called crowd control spells. Modern games benefit from smoke grenades, suppression fire and a distant sniper to instill fear and panic.
4. Flank. The Greek used it. The Romans too. Form a shield wall to engage the bulk of enemies, and let the cavalry flank them. The flank is a “sneak attack in battle” and whether it is effective or not depends on whether the rule carter for it (sneak attacks in D&D 3.5 for example). Even if the combat rules have no provision for flanking, the flank is one of the means to divide the PC party into smaller groups for cleaning up.
5. Combined arms. Hey, if the player party is good at this, maybe the GM should pick up some tips about that now and then too

Deciding on an approach is something that many GMs may do naturally. One additional thing is to let the PCs figure out their approach, with an Intelligence (or Cunning, for Dragon Age’s case). Of course, as the party reacts to the NPCs’ plans, the NPCs would definitely react.

Leadership

All armies have a general; if he is filled with battle-lust and engage the enemies in the field, then usually an aide or an advisor will hang back, observing the flow of battle. Likewise, for the NPCs, consider having archers, mages and other support personnel to play the role of the advisor. In a modern game, it could is even easier – a commander may even watch a battle using spying drones, and relate orders via a comm-link!

Leadership is important because the tide of a battle shifts constantly. The PCs may have found a way to neutralize the Wall of Fire spell that has split them into two halve, or the archers aren’t able to provide covering fire. The commander should order them to regroup and reassign targets and priority. While in RTS it is relatively easy to “focus fire”, in the midst of real combat it would even be harder.

To be fair, the commander may have to take a break from spell-casting or archery to issue an effective command. The GM may also want to make a Cunning/Intelligence/Leadership roll to see if he is able to communicate the order well. Factor in training as well – A well-drilled group reacts to rehearsed commands, have the discipline to break off whatever they are engaged in and knows the gravity of the situation. A group of thugs are likely to be completely absorbed in the heat of battle, unable to catch whatever unintelligible mess he is screaming (if they even have a leader in the first place).

Training and Reacting on the Fly

It is one thing to sit down and plan an ambush, it is another to change a detail of the plan while arrows rain over your head and blades clang against shield. If we break training level from 1 to 10, with 8 being the level of the legendary Roman Legions, we could have something like this:

1. Undisciplined, hard to control berserking behavior. Once battle-lust has taken over, directing them is impossible
3. Able to heed general advance and retreat commands. However any precise moment is impossible. Focus fire on the fly is a challenge (3d6 + Cunning vs. 13). Getting them to retreat, however, is damn easy.
5. Able to react to signals and pull of planned maneuvers. Always on the constant look-out for orders from the commander. Able to “mob” a specific character (”Take down that mage! TAKE DOWN THAT MAGE!”)
7. Able to complement each other in complex maneuvers; Have numerous drills for possible situations (neutralizing the mage, shielding a friend from an archer, covering for an ally and etc.). Can direct specific NPC to attack specific character though the instruction must be clear and verbose (”Kel, take down the mage with the blue hat by the window!”)
9. More than just training, this group has experience. They go for the most brutally effective means to reach their goals, and are drilled to react to most things. The commander is able to direct their allies to attack specific players with concise instruction (”Kel, the mage, 3 o’clock!”). They may even have sub-grouping of combined arms (a fighter and a rogue in a group, for example).
10. The GM is encouraged to be as tactically adept as he could with NPCs with this level of training.

Hopefully this article will provide more ideas to use “AI” to customize your NPCs’ behaviors in combat!

Should the GM Meta-game his NPCs in Combat?

The question can be boiled down to one thing – should NPCs be privy to “meta-game knowledge’ and use that to their advantage? For example, in CRPG such as Dragon Age and Final Fantasy, we all know to go for the healer first. Or the crowd control specialist, because they are easy to kill and a big nuisance if they are left alive. Yet the attacking goblins (or pack of wolves) does not know the characters’ spells. Perhaps they couldn’t even know who is the mage. Is it fair for the GM to target those valuable members of the party right off the bat?

Likewise, should non-intelligent or untrained group of mobs fight with the precision of a master tactican? Usually, the good tactics are go for the weakest link, disable the strongest attacker as soon as possible, focus fire on one target till it drops and try to obtain first strike. In fact, the last one is so prevailing that I have been in a game that the NPCs do not advance, just standing there firing their ranged weapons till the PCs got bored and charge.

Tactically sound all these things might be, it is realistic that all NPCs across the entire landscape use the same tactics, just because they are controlled by the same GM? Would a bunch of town militia fight as effectively as trained adventurers?

Why AI for Mobs

There are a few reasons to come up with some guidelines for each group of NPCs to run in combat. The two important ones to me are:

1. So that combat can be fun and exciting
2. The GM does not overpower the PCs too easily

Realism could be a far third.

Let’s turn the attention to reason #1. Let consider the case if you play as a ruthlessly efficient GM, and in the first or second round of combat you manage to down the mage or the cleric. So what should he do for the remainder of the combat? And if by some stroke of luck, your favored target survives, your horde are effectively ignoring the rest of the party. Do they feel any risk in combat?

The second reason is that most modules give NPCs who are stronger or the same level as the PCs, and usually the GM already have an over-powering odds. If the GM plays ruthlessly, the players may be overwhelmed too quickly and become frustrated. Also, a player only has one PC, but the GM has numerous NPCs to throw at them. There is always chance for the GM to steamroll the players later on. If not this session, then the next.

Do take note that I am not advocating making every fight a walk-over. Far from that be. Bored players aren’t having fun at all. This is an important, delicate point in game design and balance. Too easy, and the players are bored. Too hard, and it is frustrating. Case in point, have you ever tried to play against a Chess AI at Grandmaster level and got trashed within 10 moves? (Pardon me if you are a Chess Grandmaster or frequently pound the AI into the dirt, it’s just an illustration).

The idea here is to avoid one-shot kill. In Diablo 2, there are many one-shot bosses and creepers and most people hate them. The Fire Enchanted and Lightning Enchanted unique champions come to mind. And Corpse Explosion in Hell difficulty. One-shot kills are not fun. You have no chance to survive…So the idea is while you can trample over the players and take down one party member by round 1 or 2, maybe you should reconsider so everyone could have some fun.

Guidelines for NPCs

Here are some guidelines I have devised on my own. Unlike a scripted AI, a GM can be flexible. A lot of the ideas here follow “movie logic”, not real life logic. So, if I am a monster, I would:

1. Attack closest enemy
2. Attack the closet enemy threatening me. No matter how enticing another target may be, unless instructed, the dude in spiky armor with a large knife in his blade who is just next to me is more threatening than anything else
3. If I am otherwise unengaged, attack any ranged attacker who is targeting my ally.
4. If unoccupied, I will help a surrounded friend.
5. Last touch: the one who hurt me last or tried to attack me most recently gets my attention
6. Field of view: I would only consider targets which I can see, follow by those I can hear.
7. If a foe is otherwise distracted, and no one is attacking him, and I am not preoccupied, I will attack him
8. Seize advantage: if an adjacent foe is hurt, and I am unoccupied, he will be my target.
9. If I have been trained to fight with my partner, I will stick with him.
10. Rule of three: If three allies of mine are attacking a target, I would move on to someone else because I would just get in the way.

A lot of these guidelines consider the NPC from the his viewpoint. Am I being attacked? If so, my attacker is my priority. It is not easy trying to aim a bow at someone while dodging an axeman hell-bent on taking your head off. Likewise, enemy rogues may like to surprise mages who are casting spells and they are soft, juicy targets – but only if they are not otherwise being threaten.

An alternative to having AI for your mobs is to model crowd control and taunting rules in combat. D&D 4E combat allows the player to influence NPCs’ behaviour with the use of marks, and to protect their allies with shifting abilities. Hence, the responsibilities of keeping monsters away from their weaker friends rest in the hand of the players.

There are many other ways to use rules but I believe giving NPC mobs “movie-logic” behaviour is a rules light way to go, and I do feel that the concept of ‘aggro’ can be artificial at times. In the heat of battle, it is already hard  stay alive, much less calculate threat and re-prioritize targets. Of course, if the NPC force has a leader or a commander, then it would be a different story all together.

Commander AI and What are the Crunch?

Of course, I have not touched on the effect and presence of leaders in so far. I would look into that next time.  One last thing – these “AI” are not rules, just some possible behaviors for NPC. Hence there no rules for taunts, distractions and so on.

Bombs

These alchemical creations explode in a variety of ways when expose to air, or when the mix of strange blackpowder within it is ignite, causing the clay jars or pots holding the mixture to shower upon the enemies. It takes a Strength test (3d6 + Strength) to make a good throw, and it at most can go up to 8 yards.

Bombs in the CRPG does good damage at the beginning (the Prima Strategy Guide lists them as doing 80 points of damage), but become lackluster towards the end of the game. As characters in the CRPG starts with 90 to 110 Health, and the PnP version starts with 20 to 35 Health, the bombs all do 3d6 points of damage.

As this is a PnP RPG game where stuff can be more flexible, I have added some side-effects of using those bombs.

Acid Flask: 3d6 nature damage within 4 yards, all targets take 1d6 points of damage next round, and 1d3 the round after. Double the AR for reducing damage from the Acid Flask.

Fire Bomb: 3d6 fire damage within 4 yards, will set flammable substance on fire

Freeze Bomb:3d6 ice damage within 4 yards, puts out fire, creates a thick alchemical fog which gives -2 penalty Attack to those within

Shock Bomb: 3d6 electricity damage within 4 yards, make a Constitution roll with the TN as the damage done or else loses major action

Soulrot Bomb: 3d6 spirit damage within 4 yards, all those who takes more than 12 points of damage suffer -1 penalty to Magic for 1 minute

Arrows

Those arrows are either coated with a susbtance that does elemental damage, or weaved with magic to achieve their effects. Enchanting items is usually left to the Tranquil (or in some cases, a very talent Dwarven savant), and hence it is not possible for PCs to craft their own enchanted items within the constraints of Freleden.

Andraste’s Arrows: Target suffers -2 Magic for one turn if hit
Arrow of Filth: +1 Nature damage
Elf-Flight Arrow: +3 Attack, use 3 Stunt Points to make a target unable to perform a major action
Fire Arrow: +1 fire damage
Ice Arrow: +2 ice damage

Shortbows

Scout Bow: 1 in 6 chance of Aim being  free action*
The Dark Moon: +1 Will Power, AR 2 against Nature damage, Ignore 2 points of AR
The Fox’s Bow: +2 Defense vs. ranged attacks
Whitewood Bow: +2 damage, +1 Stunt Point
Wilds Bow: AR 2 against Nature damage

Longbows

Antivan Longbow: +1 Stunt Points
Bow of the Golden Sun: +2 Attack
Dalish Longbow: 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action
Falon’Din’s Reach: +1 damage, 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action
Far Song: +2 damage, 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action, +1 SP, +3 Attack, add damage from the Dragon die on hit
Mage’s Eye: add damage from half the dragon die on hit, +2 Attack
Marjolaine’s Recurve: +2 Cunning, +2 damage, 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action
Spear Thrower: 1 in 6 chance of Aim being a free action, ignore 1 point of AR
Wolf-Killer: +2 damage against undead, +3 damage against beasts

* As a way of balancing the item, the second Aim action (if the player chooses to take it) will not have a chance of being free.

Until Green Ronin comes up with the various steel and metal used to forge weapons in the game, assume the enchanted weapons does base damage as usual. Generious GMs can give damage bonuses based on the material (for example, Iron -1, Grey Iron +0, Steel +1 and so on).

As the PnP system uses a curve instead of a linear system from the CRPG, I halved all stat bonuses by 2, always rounding up (lest some items become useless)

Daggers

Beastman’s Dagger: +1d3 backstab damage
Crow Dagger: +1d6 backstab damage
Darkspawn Dagger: Requires minimum dexterity +1, reduces AR by 1 for this hit
Enchanted Dagger: +2 Attack
Fang: +6 Attack
Gift of the Grey: +1 Stunt Point
Noble’s Dagger: +1 electricity damage
The Rose Thorn: +1 Dexterity, restores 1 HP every 2 round, +1 damage, +1 Stunt Point, +2d6 backstab damage
Thorn of the Gods: +1 damage, reduces AR by 3 for this hit
Thorn of the Dead Gods: +1 damage, reduces AR by 1 for this hit
Varathorn’s Dar’Misu: reduces AR by 2 for this hit, +3 Attack

Shortswords/Longswords

If a name of an item below doesn’t have the word ‘longsword’, whether it is a shortsword or a longsword is up to the GM to decide.

Darkspawn Longsword: Minimum Dexterity +1, reduces AR by 1 for current hit
Dwyn’s Sword: Messy Kills (GM describes death in the most gory manner possible?), +1 to resist rolls vs. spells
Cousland Sword: +1 Damage, +2 Attack, Warrior/Rogue only
Fine Dwarven Blade: +1 Attack
Imperial Edge: +1 damage, +1 Stunt Point, +3 Attack
Keening Blade: Reduce AR by 2 for this hit, +3 Attack, +2 cold damage, Warrior only
King Mairc’s Blade: AR 1 against cold damage, restoratve spells grant +1 Health per die rolled, Warrior only
Oathkeepr: Reduces AR by 2 for this hit, restorative spells grant +1 Health per die rolled
Saw Sword: +1 damage, 1 additional SP if dragon dice is odd
The Green Blade: AR 1 against natural damage, +2 damage against beasts
Topsider’s Honor: AR 2 against natural damage, +1 damage against spirits

For example, here are how four wolves are described

Wolf #1: One-eyed
Wolf #2: Large
Wolf #3: Smallest
Wolf #4: Scarred

“The one-eyed wolf lunges at you” sound better than “Wolf A lunges at you”. The description helps the players to remember who have attacked them, and which opponent has been wounded, and so on and so forth.

Customizing humanoids could include facial expressions, different style of weapons (long sword vs. serrated blade vs. broken off two-handed sword; all works according to the same rules for sanity’s sake) and other accessories, which can include scarfs, armor plates, spiked shoulder plates and eye-patches.

Of course, this technique falls apart when the number of opponents approaches 10. However, in the heat of a melee, it is hard to really remember who’ve just tried to backstab you a moment again. Truth to be told, I would rather have less but more powerful mobs than to have a horde.