Quote from: Ladybird;782606So to get to a situation where they can backstab the queen, either they've taken out or avoided the guards - in which case, fair play - or they're been outwitted by the guards - again, fair play, but this time to the guards.

Agreed.
When I've played in game where assassins were on our trail (or seemed likely to be) we always had layers of protection around us... hirelings and decoys and magical whatsits. No attack was out of the blue... it was a attenuated combat of various skills and resources. If we didn't set up decent barriers... same as missing a parry.

Quote from: fuseboy;782609My amazement stemmed from the fact that I everyone in the room probably had more than 6 hit points, and so there was literally nobody I could kill with a well-placed crossbow bolt.

Similar to how I feel in World of Warcraft when I wander into a higher level area and even the farmers and non-monsterous wildlife are beyond my ability to harm.

Quote from: fuseboy;782609Quite right, Saladman - I have no qualms with not being able to take down a vampire queen with an ordinary crossbow.

My amazement stemmed from the fact that I everyone in the room probably had more than 6 hit points, and so there was literally nobody I could kill with a well-placed crossbow bolt.

I'd probably just assign some percent chance and forego the hp's as well, but it would have to be somehow handled so that each time they don't try to use it.

Is Red and Pleasant Land out already?

The entire discussion depends on the mystic mumbo jombo composing hit point.


If, as way I play it, hit points include luck, the strings of fate etc. I can see that crossow never killing anyone of significance. That bolt just so happens to be misaligned by forces out of your fighters control.


Now the rest of the room is the tricky part. You should at least be able to drop an unimportant curtier, minor royal relative or servant with that bolt.

Quote from: Just Another Snake Cult;782647Is Red and Pleasant Land out already?

Not in DriveThruRPG.

Quote from: Just Another Snake Cult;782647Is Red and Pleasant Land out already?

No; my GM at OSRCon IV in Toronto ran us through a playtest copy.

Quote from: Gold Roger;782674You should at least be able to drop an unimportant curtier, minor royal relative or servant with that bolt.

True, though it also begs the question of who the PC is and why the Queen's guards allowed them into the royal presence while carrying a crossbow. I wouldn't think that crossbows are a usual accessory for court attire.*


* The number of courtiers who were allowed to wear their hat in the presence of the King of Spain in the 16th-17th Century was pretty darn small. And that was just a normal hat. Not this hat. Though I suppose one could argue (though I wouldn't) that an implication of the game setting is that the Queen doesn't give a shit about a few bow armed strangers since it will take 10 quarrels to the chest to put her down.

Quote from: Gold Roger;782674The entire discussion depends on the mystic mumbo jombo composing hit point.


If, as way I play it, hit points include luck, the strings of fate etc. I can see that crossow never killing anyone of significance. That bolt just so happens to be misaligned by forces out of your fighters control.


Now the rest of the room is the tricky part. You should at least be able to drop an unimportant curtier, minor royal relative or servant with that bolt.

A bit too far into storygameyness for my liking ("Here's a mechanism to prevent scrubs like you guys from killing anyone important:"), but I get your logic.

You could just use Saves. Choose Death Save, or Breath Save, or whatever. Also you can break it up into more functions, like successful save still reduces % HP as you're getting off an aimed shot at a throat. i.e., "Clear X bow Shot to the Throat. Death Save with strength of Death/50% HP."

Further, Hit Dice defined how monsters saved, often as a fighter. But it's completely at your discretion. See the Queen as a weak fop, 0 lvl Warrior, or something along that class save. Warrior only gets good towards the mid-higher levels. Something a bit more resilient to surprise, Priest or Wizard. Which depending on how you caught them off guard might mean they have no armor or just have low HP for a follow up to your surprise attack.

The fact the Queen is secretly a vampire, with 60 HP's makes sense why a crossbow bolt is unlikely to put her down (though, should a wooden bolt thru the heart, heh, "royally mess her up"?).

I'm more amazed at EVERY courtier in the room having 14 HP's!
That's pretty beefy even for a 1st-level Fighter, to say nothing of a 1d6/1d4 NPC class!

D&D = / = Reality

D&D physics are their own thing.

Quote from: Ladybird;782700A bit too far into storygameyness for my liking ("Here's a mechanism to prevent scrubs like you guys from killing anyone important:"), but I get your logic.

I must have placed you in the wrong card catalogue... for some reason I thought you were all about the storygames.

Yeah, I don't like - 'Her blue blood and dramatic significance causes the gods to pluck the arrow from the air and send it at the serving boy in the red shirt instead.' explanation either.

Getting the shot is most of the assassination, and I figure combat rules are for combat rather than simple murder.  If surprise is maintained, I'd be tempted to play it as a coup de grace (which I just noticed is missing in 5e), and then focus on the inevitable mayhem of the next round.

Also, if the queen turns to face the shooter with the bolt in her neck, you should know something strange is happening.

Quote from: TAFMSV;782735Also, if the queen turns to face the shooter with the bolt in her neck, you should know something strange is happening.

That she is Frankenstein's monster?  

For a D&D variant, LotFP is actually pretty deadly and hardcore (Sneak attacks from a mid-level Specialist can do up to x6 damage, IIRC). A house rule to the effect of "Any attack with a deadly weapon made from surprise requires a death save or you get snuffed right then and there" would not be too out of place.

However... that sword cuts both ways, as it would apply to PCs too. Could result in some pretty short campaigns.