Well, my intention is not to dictate or railroad the actions of my players, though I recognize that some of your opinions makes me think about this unpleasant consequence. I will pay attention to it in my next game. The feedback from the players about the “Self-Control†skill (we’ve baptized it this last Sunday) seems positive, but the first playtesting must be done next week. I agree totally with Tegyrius and will only add that, in my opinion, such a parameter (panic, morale...) is needed in this kind of RPG game, where combat and and a certain search for “realism†are strongly tied. I think that most tactics (in one way or another) deals with fear, the way to cause it to the enemy and the way to avoid it on your side. (Althought I know that an RPG combat only use to end with the total extermination of one of the sides
)
Mmmm... Let me sell my idea
. For the moment, we are planning to use a new skill with an initial value of (Intelligence + Initiative) to substitute the 1d6 panic and bailout rolls used in the v2.2 set of rules. Talking in a more official way, for those familiar with the v2 (or2.2) rules, we will have a new asset, under the Intelligence characteristic, and with a number of initial skill points equal to the characters initiative, for free. The GM will assign difficulty levels as normal depending of the risk taken by the characters. So, thinking about what Mo said, this is the way the GM will evaluate the aproach of the player to the situation. And the skill is directly related to Initiative wich, in this set of rules, is a direct consecuence of the combat experience of the character. A player who is looking for a cold and imperturbable character in combat can choose to raise this skill.
So, the doctor of my group, Raquel (Int: 10, Ini 2), will have an initial Self-Control Skill of 12. The skill would be automatically rose by rising the initiative or by spending skill points as normal, no instructor needed. (3 in the case of Raquel, to gain a 13 in the Self-Control Skill). Anyway se will continue acting at its current intiative (2).
The direct consequences:
• We can use adjust the difficulty of the check as with any other skill.
• More Initiative or Intelligence implies more Self-Control.
• The new skill would be raised with skill points (by decision of the player) or automatically through the improvement of the initiative (taking part and surviving to combat).
• Initiative works as always when talking about the order of the actions and the number of combat actions available.
• About NPC's, their Self-Control level will be (Int+Ini):
Novice: 7
Trained: 8 (an intermediate level we use, novice with instruction and without experience)
Experienced: 9
Veteran: 11
Elite: 13+