Encounter Balance

[Reynastus]

Hi All

So I've been running a game for a couple of weeks now and using the Northern Aggression campaign as the story and as far as Roleplaying is concerned it is going well. Have a group that seems to enjoy the theme and like the idea of the card flips instead of dice rolling (there has been all these fun ways of trying to get me to touch the deck .... like putting it on the top of my beer - Sneaky buggers)

Anyway - We got to the encounter with Kantor last night and while Kantor got the initiative against the group the following 2 fated to activate promptly shot off the fetish, and killed the guy. Now I didn't get a hit in because I screwed up a little on that front and I am ok with that but the relative ease with which the fated dispatched Kantor had me wondering what have I got to do to make this more of a challenge? I mean not even half the party got a chance to have a swing at him, and I was under the impression that an Enforcer level character would be a challenge for a group of fated. This happened with another encounter as well (Mature Nephilim - taken down entirely way too quickly). 

I am by no means an experienced RPGer but some of the people I am playing with are (20-30odd years RPG experience) and it all seems a bit "hinky". 

So let's clarify a few things

Hitting someone (or shooting) is Card Flip + Acting Value (Or rating + associated skill) to hit, card flip for damage. Now with my fated characters having AV's of 5ish from character creation and have played a couple of sessions so now it is around the 6 mark. That means what should be a reasonably big challenge to hit is trivial ... even a TN of 14 (Master level) seems like its reasonably doable especially with cheating fate.... so am I doing something wrong or do I need to be altering stats to make more of a challenge (ie add a couple of points of def and wounds to make more of a challenge for my players)

Thanks for the input

Rey

[solkan]

You are adding the acting values to the rank values for Fatemaster characters, right?  I mean, a Def 5 Master level (Rank 13) Fatemaster character is TN 18.  A Master level accountant with Df 1 isn't going to be a challenge in a gun fight.   

 

 

[Reynastus]

So pulling stats straight off a book generated enforcer (7) mob

def4(11) is the enforcers rank of 4 plus the AV of 7 making end defence 11 right? 

When the fated have AVs of 5 or 6 that TN of 11 isn't that hard to hit. 

Or is there another rating I am supposed to be adding as well?

[Myyrä]

One enforcer level character alone generally isn't a huge challenge for a group of fated if they are at all combat oriented. One enforcer per player is likely to be somewhat dangerous.

[Mason]

Also, it's worth mentioning that some NPCs - particularly those of enforcer rank and higher - can make the TN 10 Unconsciousness Challenge to stay conscious after they hit negative wounds. That means that the Fated will have to take them out via Critical Effects as they fight well into their negative hit points.

That might be why a single Enforcer felt like it dropped too quickly.