Cinco: Encounters & Monsters

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Let me share an example of four level-1 encounters, from easy (2 ♥) to deadly (8 ♥). Remember that characters deal a hit on a roll of 20 and up, choose to dodge or exchange hits from 10 to 19, or take a hit without dealing one on 9 or less.

Easy Encounter

Round 1: Monster strength 2 of 2.
    Alice dodges an incoming blow (8+3).
    Bob dodges an incoming blow (15+3).
    Claire dodges an incoming blow (10+2).
    David defends themself and lands 1 hit (17+4).
Round 2: Monster strength 1 of 2.
    Alice lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (11+3); 2 hearts left.

Medium Encounter

Round 1: Monster strength 4 of 4.
    Alice lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (9+3); 2 hearts left.
    Bob dodges an incoming blow (9+3).
    Claire dodges an incoming blow (17+2).
    David dodges an incoming blow (13+4).
Round 2: Monster strength 3 of 4.
    Alice dodges an incoming blow (16+3).
    Bob lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (8+3); 2 hearts left.
    Claire defends themself and lands 1 hit (18+2).
    David dodges an incoming blow (14+4).
Round 3: Monster strength 1 of 4.
    Alice is hit (5+3).
    Bob lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (12+3); 1 hearts left.

Hard Encounter

Round 1: Monster strength 6 of 6.
    Alice dodges an incoming blow (15+3).
    Bob is hit (6+3).
    Claire dodges an incoming blow (16+2).
    David dodges an incoming blow (12+4).
Round 2: Monster strength 6 of 6.
    Alice lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (8+3); 2 hearts left.
    Bob dodges an incoming blow (10+3).
    Claire is hit (5+2).
    David defends themself and lands 1 hit (17+4).
Round 3: Monster strength 4 of 6.
    Alice lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (12+3); 1 hearts left.
    Bob is hit (4+3).
    Claire lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (17+2); 1 hearts left.
    David lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (11+4); 2 hearts left.
Round 4: Monster strength 1 of 6.
    Alice defends themself and lands 1 hit (19+3).

Deadly Encounter

Round 1: Monster strength 8 of 8.
    Alice dodges an incoming blow (8+3).
    Bob is hit (5+3).
    Claire lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (13+2); 2 hearts left.
    David dodges an incoming blow (7+4).
Round 2: Monster strength 7 of 8.
    Alice lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (14+3); 2 hearts left.
    Bob defends themself and lands 1 hit (18+3).
    Claire lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (15+2); 1 hearts left.
    David dodges an incoming blow (10+4).
Round 3: Monster strength 4 of 8.
    Alice lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (7+3); 1 hearts left.
    Bob lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (9+3); 1 hearts left.
    Claire is hit (2+2).
    Claire is down.
    David lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (10+4); 2 hearts left.
Round 4: Monster strength 1 of 8.
    Alice is hit (1+3).
    Alice is down.
    Bob is hit (2+3).
    Bob is down.
    David lands 1 hit but takes 1 in turn (8+4); 1 hearts left.

Building Encounters

So, this is all an abstract simulation of what combat looks like. How do you actually populate an encounter with monsters? Just add up monsters and their hearts! Typical basic bitch values:

  • Dragon (4–16 ♥ by age)
  • Ghoul (3 ♥)
  • Giant (8–12 ♥ by type) 
  • Hydra (1 or 2 ♥ per head, depending on vibes)
  • Hoblin (1 ♥)
  • Mummy (5 ♥)
  • Ogre (4 ♥)
  • Porc (2 ♥)
  • Skeleton (1 ♥)
  • Specter (6 ♥)
  • Troll (6 ♥)
  • Vampire (8 ♥)
  • Wraith (4 ♥)
  • Zombie (2 ♥)

You see how lazy I could be? Since armor class tends to increase with hit dice, we could get pretty abstract if we were to combine the two. Helps to act as a guideline rather than as a strict rule. In general, using abstract templates:

  • Minion (1 ♥)
  • Grunt (2 ♥)
  • Elite (4 ♥)
  • Boss (8 ♥)
  • Megaboss (16 ♥)

That's all there is to it! Combat is done. Closed book. Don't worry about it.

Comments

  1. dave dowFebruary 29, 2024 at 11:12 PM

    This looks really cool, I love how boiled down to the crucial decisions it is - one question though, what is the modifier mentioned on each of the PC rolls, level? Apologies if that should be obvious from another post - I had a quick look and couldn't spot - thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marcia B.March 1, 2024 at 5:10 AM

      thank you so much! the bonus is each character's relevant aspect bonus, which is sort of like a player-defined ability based on their character's fiction: https://traversefantasy.blogspot.com/2024/01/cinco-cut-your-gordian-knots.html

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