Talk:Mano a Mano

See the Blow by Blow combat system and Hack and Slash RPS for alternative versions of the Mano a Mano system.

Limitations

We need to expand the coverage of limitations to character creation and development in the Game Design section.

• CP Allowance (How much CP for heroic or super-heroic characters?)
• Sex (based on template? Should templates have a "sexes" property?)
• Age
• Templates (PC vs. NPC)
• Build (depends on templates. Dogs vary more than cats, and birds even less)
• Missing limbs
• Disabilities
  • A game should allow no disabilities beyond those built into the templates, or at least have limitations like one disability per character, no more than -1000 CP of disabilities, and only those disabilities that have unavoidable consequences.
  • A game with a GM may have a bigger disability list because he GM can moderate the role-playing of those disabilities. Players need the GM's permission to give characters disabilities beyond template disabilities. The GM may have stricter limitations than the game requires, not allow some disabilities, or decide on a case-by-case basis.
• Ability levels (character creation and training)
• Equipment (character creation and shopping)
• Occupations?
  • limitations are basically built-in to occupations
  • but the occupations section feels like it needs work
• Reach? (requires a rule allowing characters to have more or less reach than their template)

Ability Checks in Combat

At times a GM might ask players to perform an ability check during a round of combat. My opinion is that players should not add their ability bonus to the check unless they specifically have established that they are using the ability. If the check is called before the player's turn and the player stated the use of the ability before the beginning of combat. The player would be allowed to add their ability bonus. If the check is called after the player's turn then the player would not be allowed to add their ability bonus the unless they specifically use at least a quick action to use the ability. --ulrich 11:00, 2005 Jul 2 (CEST)

A classic example is watching out for traps during combat. If the traps are so well hidden that an ability roll is required, at least one of the PCs should spend a whole turn looking for traps instead of fighting. If the story requires the characters to fall into a trap, it should be impossible to find (or impossible to avoid if you do find it.) If this is not a good time in the story for the characters to fall into a trap, or if the characters have been specifically looking for traps as they go along, it doesn't make sense to ask them to make routine checks for traps. --SerpLord 15:17, 8 December 2005 (CET)

MaM Design Text

Here's some text we developed for the Squawk tutorial which might be helpful in the Game Design chapter of Mano a Mano:

Non-linear Adventures

Some adventures are a sequence of challenges like an obstacle course which forces the characters to follow a story line, but letting the story develop naturally in an environment that encourages the players to play their characters creatively is usually more engaging.

Maps

Important and specific locations where combat is likely to occur should have a specific combat map, but general-purpose maps can be used for conflicts that occur in less specific locations. If the PCs are likely to end up fighting in a village market, the GM can prepare a combat map for that area. If the PCs are also likely to get in fights in the trackless wilderness, the GM may have a variety of terrain maps for different environments.

Combat Pieces

You will need a piece for every important character in the game. (Similar characters who do not appear in the same scene might use the same piece.) You will also need a piece for objects which are not already part of a combat map. If possible, every visible object the characters are likely to interact with should be represented. Even dropped and discarded weapons should be represented as pieces on the map. Instead of a specific map for each location, it can be more convenient to assemble a map on a blank hex mat using separate pieces to represent buildings and other obstacles.