Monsters and NPCs have in addition three attributes Aggression, Cunning and Expertise.

Now I am fine with with how they are used in theory but when it comes to practice I have run into some difficulties.

How do you use the Cunning dice for monsters that don`t seem to have any social skills? like Dire wolves or great wolves? they have Cunning but I seem unable to use them when interacting with the party. They have no actions or otherwise relevant abilities that would allow me to spend their cunning.

How do you handle Cunning when it comes to unsociable monsters?

I have made one ruling that I can use them as a free manouver. So in the example of dire wolves I use their Cunning to make additonal manouvers in a combat round. otherwise than that I can hardly see any use for dire wolves Cunning attributes.

any comments any ideas?

Sleath?

Observation?

You could also spend cunning dice to allow the wolf to adjust it's stance meter by one step per die for the turn or spend them instead of taking a wound when they would be forced to take stress.

You could spend agressive dice to take additional maneuvers or to avoid taking a wound when they would take a fatigue, even though they already have viable ways to use their agressive dice.

I do this, and it has not proven to be unbalanced, and it gives adversaries a little more flexibility.

-Thorvid

there are good ideas here that I use in my games yet.

... Don't forget about stances that creatures and characters from the bestiary always start in their full stance (I don't remember where it's written, but I'm sure of it), even during the Initiative rolls.

The GM kit has a very good optional rule for this specific issue.

I assume that you can use Agression on tasks using physical abilities and Cunning on those using mental ones.

For example when Cultist Leader uses his spell action card that requires a Guile (Int) check (IIRC) I will use Cunning dice, not Agression.

Otherwise its pretty pointless stat, as aforementioned Cultist Leader has 6 Cunning and 1 Agression (again IIRC).

D.

Gallows said:

Tease!!!

Mine is in in the post though, so shortly I will have the secrets too

Gallows said:

ah nice. Then I be looking extra forward for it when it comes. (I`ll have it about a week)

I think now that my predicament will be solved by the GMs toolkit, as many of you have mentioned.

thanks for listening everyone

This optional rule is very simple and has already been mentioned IN THIS THREAD. I'm not sure why people are being so secretive about it (and now I'm doing it! it must be something in the water)

edit: by "mentioned" I mean that someone suggested that exact thing in, oh, the second reply. it's yeah, it's using cunning to move the stance meter. jeez people.

fnord3125 said:

That's not really how it works, but close. NPCs do not have a variable stance meter

G, they do as an optional rule in the GM's toolkit.

keltheos said:

Sort of and not quite. It allows for a stance modifier for ONE action really. After that their stance reverts to default.