Hi to everyone, I would like to know what you usually do with monstes melee or ranged simply attacks, I mean if you use the melee or ranged card or simply just do the damage if the attack succed...

I use always the cards

I use the cards as reference, but I don't track the recharge for enemies.

Nor do I track the ACE budget. Again, I reference it to know what I'm dealing with +/- but then simply wing it.
I usually only have 2 turns to use up that budget anyway before they bite the dust

It´s just me or you also feel the A/C/E budget is extremely small?

The points runs out at second, maybe third round of combat. If the enemies are henchmen and share the same budget of A/C/E the things get even worse.

I'm considering increase the A/C/E to allow the enemies a little punch.

Ok, the henchmen still share the A/C/E, but the number of creatures raise the common pool of dices in a rate of 1 dice for group of creatures.

Ex: A single group of Skeleton Henchmen has a A/C/E budget of 5/0/2

2 groups of Skeleton Henchmen have a A/C/E budget of 6/0/3

3 groups Skeleton Henchmen have a A/C/E pool of 7/0/4, and so for...

Another Subject related:

I didn't like the rule of Fatigue/Stress became Wound to Henchmen.

Ok, it's easy to manage this way, but a Henchmen using extra manouver to approach a engagement, risk to engage combat already half-dead. Maybe fatigue/stress damage should reduce the A/C/E pool, not the Wound Threshould. Any ideas?

Hi,

Seconding Nisses. Most NPCs I use burn all their pool hard in a couple of rounds, then get snuffed. The bigger badder baddies I do track. We like combats to be fast and deadly, so slowing down the turns with me tacking every NPCs various tokens doesnt appeal.

Regarding Henchmen, I dont like alot of the rules concerning henchmen groups at all, so we dont use them. If I want a weaker sub type, any decent damaging hit, or any crit, is instakill.

lpgiehl said:

In my games I gave A/C/E budget individually, npc's do not share A/C/E budget. If there are 6 orcs, then each has a budget of 6/1/2.

I very recently decided to use the following rules.

Henchmen share A/C/E

Normal NPCs have their own budgets each.

I use a wound tracker sheet with room for 16 normal NPCs with boxes I can tick off for wounds and A/C/E. It's just not practical or time saving for me to have a common pool for several NPCs. Saving time is the only reason FFG give for the rule of a common A/C/E pool for NPCs of the same time, so I ignore it.

I always use A/C/E for fatigue/stress for NPCs, either when getting hit by effects or when taking extra maneuvers and it works very well. Even main NPCs never use fatigue, because of this. It's just very simple and easy and makes more sense than getting wounded by running. It also gives players a way to debuff NPCs, so there's a tactical side to it as well.

Gallows said:

I think all my npc´s will have their own budget.

With a tracker sheet the GM can manage the A/C/E budget.

I'm going to use the A/C/E for fatigue/stress and extra maneuvers, it really makes more sense. The Npc is wounded by fatigue/stress damage only if he consumed all his A/C/E in the combat.

I find the ACE budget is usually empty after 3 rounds, for most creatures.

ACE budget zeroing out for me is time to consider (a) should this foe retreat or focus on lending support (Aid Another - which I have monsters do all the time or Guarded Position or similar actions to protect the still-amped up monsters - an already engaged monster can do both in the same round using Maneouvre to give a buddy a fortune die and Guarded Position to protect self and buddy); (b) is there a Rally step coming [as ACE budget's refresh].

A blaze of glory/gore and done is preferrable to the "grind" of combat in some systems.

Honestly, I would have left out A/C/E mechanic and just increase a bit core monster stats. Most ennemies don't last more than 3 turns anyway and, yeah, you get out of A/C/E after 2 or 3 turns. If you keep those points for a small use every round, you'll end up your monster dead before you could use it all anyway.

For the cards and recharge, I do the same as Nisses. I check the action cards they have, look at the recharge rating but I don't use recharge tokens whatsoever. I just use action card aproximately, considering their recharge rating (recharge 2, every other turn, recharge 4, once every 5 turns or so, which is like once or twice for the encounter). I don't mind using a card a bit sooner or later than what it would have recharged. Most fights last for an average of 6 turns anyway.

As for using melee or ranged basic cards. Nope. I use action cards monster has and if all are recharging, I use a simple test and make base damage (maybe a +1 to +3 if they get a lot of hammers).

valvorik said:

Let the NPCs use some action cards that give them fatigue/stress and replenish their A/C/E pool.

Gallows said:

I meant removing stress/fatigue of course.