Editing Samsara:Contests (section)

==Tactics and Effect Ratings==
Don’t be frightened of the fractions in the Checks column.  They are there to provide a bit of variety in the form of methods and weapons.  This is where the abstract nature of contests gets a bit more specific.  The manner in which an actor pursues his goals in a contest affects his possible results.  The broad term for this is tactics and tactics all have an Effect rating.  The Effect rating of the tactic employed is multiplied by the amount in the checks column (always round up the final result).  The basic range of Effects and calculated checks is provided in a chart in the back for the math-shy (refer to Appendix B).  If you want to ignore this aspect of the game, do so.  Every action would map onto the Success Descriptors like so:


<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td>Spectacular Failure</td>
<td>-3 Checks</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Full Failure</td>
<td>-2 Checks</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Simple Failure</td>
<td>-1 Check</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Simple Success</td>
<td>1 Check</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Full Success</td>
<td>2 Checks</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Spectacular Success</td>
<td>3 Checks</td></tr></table>


A core idea in tactics is strengths and weaknesses.  Any tactic has a positive and a negative, represented by greater or lesser potential checks delivered.   A standard attempt at something has an Effect rating of 1, which is to say, that you read the results of the checks delivered straight off the chart.  But an actor may attempt a more aggressive, powerful, or fool-hearty action and so take a higher Effect rating.  If he succeeds in delivering checks to his opponent, the number of checks will be multiplied by the effect rating and so increased.  However, if he fails and delivers checks to himself, those will also be increased.


<table border=1 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=3>
<tr>
<td>Sample Tactic Descriptor</td>
<td>Effect Rating</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Fools Rush In</td>
<td>4</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Overbearing</td>
<td>3</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Charge</td>
<td>2</td></tr>
<tr>
<td>Standard</td>
<td>1</td></tr></table>
	

Thus, for example, the Mad Berserker goes into a berserk.  This means he is attacking with an Effect rating of 4.  His least successful contest roll would be a 7 (everybody’s least successful contest roll); the chart says that a 7 means .33 checks delivered.  So this foaming-mouthed chap multiplies 4 by .33 and ends up with 2 checks delivered.  Even his least successful roll isn’t too shabby.  If he had a contest roll of 10, he would multiply 4 by 1.66 and deliver 7 checks.  A good roll by the berserker could put an average opponent out in one go.

But consider further.  If the Berserker rolls a 1, he would multiply 4 by -2, meaning that he delivered -8 checks, or delivered 8 checks to himself.  Odds are he’s out of the fight with one bad round.  It’s easy to get into trouble by blindly charging and going full tilt.  This, then, is the essence of tactics in SAMSARA.  A larger potential to deliver checks top your opponent is always a larger potential to do the same to yourself.

Because physical combat is easy to visualize, the tactics are described in terms appropriate to that sort of contest.  But they should not be restricted to combat.   The system is designed to make other sorts of contests as interesting and involving as fights and so tactics apply in these spheres too.  There is a difference between one actor attempting to persuade the guard to let him pass by speaking reasonably and logically (Effect rating 1) and another yelling and trying to browbeat the poor fellow (Effect rating 3 or 4).  One could try to solve “The Puzzle of the Ancients” by sitting and patiently trying to work it (Effect rating 1) or by throwing your whole being into it, neither eating nor sleeping until you solve this enigma (Effect rating 4).

===Variation: Weapons===
If you are interested in stressing the different, tactical capabilities of different weapons in the ever-popular fight scenes , then you could use weapons types as tactics.  A simple scheme for melee weapons might be thus:

<i>Weapon Type</i>					<i>Effect rating</i>
*Small weapon (dagger, club)					1
*Medium weapon (shortsword, hand axe, mace)			2
*Large weapon (longsword, battleaxe, spear)			3
*Huge weapon (lance, polearm, great axe, greatsword)		4

This can be extrapolated to contests other than physical fights.  For example, a calligrapher might try to create a striking image.  If he chooses a blunt-tipped brush, that has an Effect rating of 3: he will likely succeed or fail spectacularly.  

One might also consider a method of argumentation or mountain-climbing strategy to be weapons, rather than tactics.  You could then use the default system for everything except physical combat, for which you would then use this variation.

===Variation: Weapons and Tactics===
If you want to use both weapon types and tactics, you need to decide which to stress as the most important.  The secondary choice will then operate as a further +/- 1 Effect rating. 

If you stress tactics, then base the Effect rating on the tactic and then -1 for smaller/less deadly weapons and +1 for larger/more deadly weapons.  If you stress weapons, then base the Effect rating on the weapon and -1 for a defensive/conservative tactic and +1 for a more aggressive tactic.  

Thus, if you focus on tactics and you get the Mad Berserker into a fight with only a dagger, the Effect might be: 4 (from tactics) -1 (small weapon) = 3.   If you want to focus on weapons, then the Effect rating would be: 1 (dagger) + 1 (aggressive tactics) = 2.  The games’ focus will make a difference.

Please recall that a minimum of 1 check must be delivered to either the protagonist or the antagonist, so Effect ratings below 1 are not possible.  See the next section for more on this principle.