Post by benefactum-games in There's Something Outside the Lander jam comments

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benefactum-games2 days ago (2 edits) (+1)

Okay, if you playtested successfully, I defer to that. And good work being able to do that in the jam timeframe. I always just trust my instincts to get things approximately correct.

Where I was coming from is that 3D10 can potentially one-shot a character, and you can mind-control another. So worst case, in a single combat round, a typical four-person party could go down to two immediately, after which things would go downhill quite quickly. Bind could also effectively take one person out instantly, depending on whether "immobilized" means they can't move at all (e.g. attack) or merely can't move away.

Maybe I'm making the most player-hostile assumptions possible. If the song is in lieu of attacking, and her binding only stops movement actions, she's more manageable.

Regarding a "bottle scenario" I do think this is that. And I kind of did the same with mine... I like the minimalism! Maybe it just doesn't feel like there are enough strategic options for stuff to do inside the lander before jumping out to fight.

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GoldenlockGames2 days ago

I think the Siren Song is a bigger threat on paper than it is in game really.
eye contact prompts a Sanity save, if failed then under the effects. Even then its just a slow burn of increased stress gain until a failed panic check causes you to lose control of the PC until wounded (which im changing to [-] Sanity save when damage taken to clear the effects)
The Siren IS a force to be reckoned with as it is the only external threat... that said there is a laser cutter with 1D100 DMG stashed in the comms tower that can one shot the thing potentially.
With it being such a fast and deadly mission, I wanted direct engagement with the Siren to be very deadly without a solid plan. eg. using the fire extinguisher to obscure its vision, or causing an explosive decompression event in a "take us both out" move. hell even the geography of the moon could create a potential Terminator 2 cryo death scenario with the freezing methane geysers.
I think there are a lot of tools to solve things in creative ways, but reflecting on your comments, I think they could be flushed out more, especially for the "turtle" option of not ever leaving the lander.

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benefactum-games2 days ago(+1)

Okay, I think I made a bad assumption. I read it as: Fail Save -> 1D5 Stress -> Immediate Panic Check -> Mind-Controlled if that fails too.

If fully falling under her sway is only possible if something else causes a panic check... well, she could still kill someone else on round one to force it. However, that does now require four separate rolls to all go badly... fail save, then she rolls to hit, rolls high on damage and one-shots your buddy, you fail the panic check...

It's not likely to happen, even under my original assumptions. And you're right that it's "fair" in that they could equally one-shot her. But either of those things could happen quite early on in a perfect storm, and I'm instinctively averse to front-loading decisive rolls in that way. I want to be sure there are going to be at least a couple ebbs and flows of tension before we get to the point that the whole thing could be over on the next roll.

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