Optional Manuevers-when do you use them?

[Ninja-Bear]

Hello Herophiles,

 

The title may seem strange but I've noticed on a few threads that when the mention agents and tactics, the issue of optional manuevers comes up. It seems that one camp has the thought that if its availabe to pcs, then it should be available to all. Another may feel that it's ok to restrict optional manuevers to main characters and major villians.

 

So several questions I pose for (fun) discussion is,

 

1) Do you use optional manuevers?

2) Do you use ALL the optional manuevers, or just some?

3) Do you limit manuevers based on role?-e.g. its ok for PC and Big bad but not minions, mooks, and most agents.

4) is there a preresiquite in order to use the optional manuevers, such as teamwork skill? Or what do you use instead?

 

(I didn't mention if the optional manuevers are based on genre-to me that seems a given. It is still a valid option though.)

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Optional Manuevers-when do you use them?

 

I think my criteria have always been that I will allow stuff that allows the players to be more heroic.

 

So, if there are options, including manoeuvres, that add to heroic actions then I allow it. However, if the idea is to be more efficient then I allow it with the proviso that if the players use it, then so will the bad guys. All of them.

 

This evolved from the problem I had with players routinely using poisoned weapons (way back when we were young). Eventually, I told them that I expected them to be the good guys. As such, only to use poison when it was essential for success. If they wanted to use poison then they could expect their opponents (all of them) to use it too. If they did not use poison, only those opponents that I wanted them to see as the lowest of the low would use poison.

 

As it turns out, players did not want a guarantee of having poison used routinely against them and so did not use it.

 

So. my answer is that I would probably allow players to use any manoeuvre and only use them against the players if I thought that the reason for using them was simply to be efficient rather than cool and heroic.

 

Doc

[Christopher]

Re: Optional Manuevers-when do you use them?

 

3) Do you limit manuevers based on role?-e.g. its ok for PC and Big bad but not minions' date=' mooks, and most agents.[/quote']

I tend towarsd the role based thing.

A weak minion will not have any tactics or teamwork roll and certainly not use all maneuvers. Strike and Abort to Dodge are about the best he will do.

 

In my book the job of agents is to provide limited extra Danger. Or be swatted by the heroes, just to remind them how powerfull they are.

Giving them Teamwork or access to each and every maneuver just wouldn't fit that job.

[Xavier Onassiss]

Re: Optional Manuevers-when do you use them?

 

I use them when they're appropriate to the situation, regardless of which characters are involved. (PC, major NPC, mook, whatever)

 

Having said that, most of them don't come up very often in actual play, and at least half of them have never been used in my game.

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Optional Manuevers-when do you use them?

 

Optional maneuvers don't come up very often in our games on either side, except for Hipshot and occasionally Club Weapon. Maybe Cover once in awhile.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Optional Manuevers-when do you use them?

 

I generally reserve optional maneuvers for 'main characters'. Yeah, I could have a cadre of VIPER agents start Rapid Firing or such, but there are simply too many of them to make it worth my time to hassle with.