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they're done right, your combats will get the Actors'
adrenalin pumping.
ROUGHNESS
The importance of a particular combat should also
effect how serious the Director allows it to be. If the fight
in question is incidental to the Mam Plot, then you
probably won't want to hurt the Actors too much. After all,
if you kill them off in a minor bar room brawl, then there
will be no one left to see the rest of your brilliantly crafted
story. On the other hand, if this is the confrontation, the
one your Episode has been building towards, then you
should take off the kid gloves and really make them earn it.
SCALING TRAITS
The Scaling of Traits has effects both upon the
determination of Success and Failure in combat, and
upon the determination of its Results (ie., the portrayal of
the events). We'll deal with Success and Failure first.
Success and Failure
The Scaling ofTraits acts as a cap upon the possible
Success and Failure of actions. In other words, there are
some differences in Trait Ranks that will simply require
that one side Succeeds, while the other does not. Return­
ing to a previous example, a normal man simply Fails
when he attempts to stop a rushing locomotive train.
Similarly, under most Scaling, there is no way to fairly win
an arm wrestling match against a Strength of '1 0.0', when
you've got a Strength of '3.0'
Results
Scaling also effects the portrayal of combat, by
determining how grandiose or mundane that portrayal
should be. For example, using a fairly 'normal' Scale, a
persona with a Strength and Stamina of '3.0', (that of an
average human), hit in the gut by an antagonist with a
Strength of '8.0' (that of a power lifter), will most likely
crumple to the floor, and perhaps even be knocked out by
the blow. But on a 'superheroic four color comic book'
Scale, the persona with the Strength and Stamina of '3.0'
(still average human), will probably be knocked out of the
ball park and instantly killed, by a punch delivered by
someone with a Strength of '8.0' (now capable of lifting
buildings). Basically, the steeper your Scale, the more
impressive the descriptions pulled off the Resolution
Flowcharts should be. Take a look now at the Combat
Resolution Flowchart. The last entry on that chart, from
the outcome 'Let them know they've done well', at Very
Capable, reads ...
88 Theat,-lx - The Core Rules
"Kiyaaaal" Yeah, right pal. Crack! .. ThUd' Nice impact
This is a fine description for a 'normal' Scale.
However, on a 'superheroic' Scale, you would need to
modify the example, ReScaling it to read something like
this ...
'Kiyiiaaal"
Yeah. ri
g
h t pal Crack!!! Sky. ground, bounce. bounce, bounce.
• Building! Thoom• Nice 1mpaC1I )•
SETTING
Like Scaling, the Setting of a particular Chronicle
also has a big impact upon the determination of Success
and Failure, and the portrayal of the combats within it. The
Setting determines the 'code' offighting, which is the 'feel'
of combat agreed upon by the Troupe, ie. what is and is
not appropriate for each conflict. This includes what
weapons are appropriate, how they are used, and when,
as well as how damage is handled, ie. graphically, realis­
tically, or more heroically. We'll handle each of these
factors now in more detail.
Flavor
What flavor of combat is allowed, or approved of, in
your Setting? For example, is it more appropriate to swing
from the chandeliers, or to keep both feet firmly planted
on the ground? Is it more appropriate in your genre to
shoot your opponent while he's barely visible, or to get up
close and personal? Is it more desirable to kick them while
they're down, or to always give a fallen foe the chance to
surrender? An Actor attempting actions which move
against the grain of the Setting should be more prone to
Failure. Similarly, an Actor acting in accordance with the
mores of a Setting should be prone to greater Success.
Weapons
Such mores can also determine how a weapon is
used, and how useful that weapon is. For example, in a
swashbuckling story, the combatants shoot their flint­
locks as they move into sword range, more for dramatic
effect than anything else. Alternatively, in a modern war
story, your automatic rifle toting characters are going to
laugh at anybody swinging a melee weapon. However, in
a fantasy Setting, a simple bow is the closest any charac­
ter is going to come to long ranged combat. Most Chronicles
have fairly strong rules; a sort of physics of combat. The
trick is to decide, with your Troupe, roughly where your
Chronicle lies. Once again, any Actor using a weapon in
a manner congruent with the 'code' of a Setting should
have an easier time of Success. Any Actor ignoring the
'code' of the Setting should be met more often by Failure.