Snapshot/AHL

[Icosahedron]

A few months ago, I got the CT CD and I'm busily houseruling AHL (which I like, but the only rulesets I leave alone are the ones I leave on the shelf).

Having seen Snapshot for the first time, I was checking some of the differences. AHL seems to have dropped the following:
Drawing Weapons
Picking up Items
Expletive Action

Can someone with experience of using these give me some opinions on them? Should I house-rule them back into AHL? Why?

I found the Expletive amusing, but I can see why that one was dropped - it serves no purpose and simply wastes an AP. But maybe if use of an expletive allowed you to carry over 1 AP into the next phase on the grounds of reducing stress...

I'm also considering a simple single-combat rule within AHL using Strike, Block and Grapple in the classic Paper, Scissors, Rock style. Comments?

Cheers.

 

[tbeard1999]

A few months ago, I got the CT CD and I'm busily houseruling AHL (which I like, but the only rulesets I leave alone are the ones I leave on the shelf).

Having seen Snapshot for the first time, I was checking some of the differences. AHL seems to have dropped the following:
Drawing Weapons
Picking up Items
Expletive Action

Can someone with experience of using these give me some opinions on them? Should I house-rule them back into AHL? Why?

I found the Expletive amusing, but I can see why that one was dropped - it serves no purpose and simply wastes an AP. But maybe if use of an expletive allowed you to carry over 1 AP into the next phase on the grounds of reducing stress...

I'm also considering a simple single-combat rule within AHL using Strike, Block and Grapple in the classic Paper, Scissors, Rock style. Comments?

Cheers.

I think you should house rule them all back in, since RPG characters do occasionally need to be pick things up, draw weapons and cuss a blue streak.

I like your idea on the expletive action.

 

[Icosahedron]

Thanks for the comment.
At 38 views and only 1 reply, I was beginning to think I smell.

I've added perhaps about 20% to the AHL rules, and I've dropped the game-specific stuff, but I'm getting a pretty slick set of combat rules now IMHO. I've included things such as first aid, initiative, strength and dexterity merits, saves against death, firing pairs of pistols, diving through covering fire, effects of tranq rounds, player-character wounds, as well as the Snapshot stuff, and I'm now looking at swordplay.
Striker has helped a lot, and I've borrowed a couple of items from MT, but one thing I'm definitely avoiding is interrupts within interrupts within...

I'm not so sure about the Expletive carry over - it might be abused with player foresight. Maybe I'll allow a current-round 1pt morale boost instead.

 

[far-trader]

Thanks for the comment.
At 38 views and only 1 reply, I was beginning to think I smell.

Nah, we're just a bunch of leeches at times waiting for tasty ideas

 

[saundby]

Details of 20% adds, Please?

I just got my CT and JTAS CDs today (man, what a haul!) and read the Snapshot rules. I'm planning an encounter for my players that will let me use them in our game in the next week or two.

I haven't had a chance to read AHL's rules yet (maybe tomorrow) but I'd definitely be interested in details on your additions--enough so that we can give them a try around here, too.

 

[Icosahedron]

Yeah, it's taken me months to read them, and I'm still not finished!

You picked a bad time, Saundby, I'm going offline for a week so I'm unlikely to be able to post anything before the end of the month - and I haven't done any more on swordplay yet, though on re-reading AHL, I'm not sure that much is needed. You could maybe playtest my brawling rules, though, I don't have a FTF group.

Once you read AHL, you'll want to include this with your snapshot rules and I'll bet it'll take you more than a week to get something you're happy with ready for your game, so by then... I'll be back!