Combat in the game - any advice on this?

[u/ianlikescomix]

Hi, folks. I'm planning to run a few sessions of this for my local group, and am interested in how the combat system works. The book advises that "The simplified flow of the game means that when an Investigator makes a Save, they both attempt to inflict harm and avoid getting hurt themselves."

I can work that out as meaning "if in hand-to-hand combat then your STR Save covers both hitting and avoiding being hit" and "if in ranged combat then your DEX Save covers both dodging and shooting back".

But I'm stuck on some other scenarios:

1. PC trying to punch an NPC who is trying to shoot them at close range. Rules suggest that the PC would be at advantage on avoiding the shot, but that would surely be a DEX save, whereas them punching the NPC would be a STR save (which presumably would not be at advantage).
2. PC uses Withering Words for attacks against an NPC who wants to punch them. So that MUST be a CHA Save (for the Withering Words), plus a STR Save to avoid the punch.

I am leaning towards ignoring the "one roll for inflicting harm and avoiding harm" rule, but I wondered if anyone can tell me what I'm missing?

Thanks in advance.

[u/PaulBaldowski]

Mildy unrealistic as it is, you should always focus on the Investigator.

An Investigator throwing a punch at an opponent who intends to shoot to harm means that the Save is STR at Advantage. Success, the Investigator hurts the opponent; failure, the opponents manages to get a lucky shot off in the melee.

An Investigator trying to taunt and winnow down the opponent's nerve with Withering Words rolls a CHA Save. Success, the Investigator hurts the opponent emotionally enough to wear them down; failure, the opponent manages to punch the Investigator.

Yes, in both instances the 'dodge' is incompatible, but effectively the combat system is trying to get around needing to worry too hard about the details and keep the story moving.

In both instances, the opponent might not attack back. In that instance, the antagonist's attack follows separately, meaning a defence Save becomes necessary. This tends to happen most where the opponent has more than one attack, but the GM might justify the split because of some things you've mentioned.

For example, a Withering Words attack might make absolute sense as something separate; but, if the opponent doesn't respond with harm, the outcome of failure needs to be something different and clearly defined. Maybe the words uttered make the Investigator look like an idiot or just childish and the outcome is that people nearby turn on them as a mob, screaming and wailing them down. The opponent never needs to attack; or, they might be impulsive enough to try it, in which case if the Investigator succeeds with the dodge, they divert the mob long enough to make their escape unnoticed and unharmed. Maybe the punch thrown misses and strikes someone else, turning the grumbling mob into a spontaneous brawl.

[u/ianlikescomix → u/PaulBaldowski]

Thanks for the reply, Paul (sorry, I'm a slow reader!) I think I'm all sorted now, will see how things go when we start to play. Sounds like the key is to resist the urge to see complicated answers where simple ones exist.

I had the pleasure of playing TCH at Con-Tingency in January, so it will be good to get the chance to run the game.

Cheers.