combat variety

[Theodore Rockwell]

Ok, i have run into a problem.  The next encounter I have for my group is a rather big one.  They have one or two npcs on their side, but they are facing off against a biker gang.  The numbers arent in their favor.  I have all the npcs stated out.  The two on the players side are itching for blood because they think the bikers killed their friend.  What im hoping for is a physical combat encounter that modifies into social combat once the players get the npcs under control.  Im just not exactly sure how to run social combat. 

[devonapple]

Are you planning on pulling your punch because you don't want to overwhelm the players?
Or would it just suit your story better for their brawl to turn into a parlay?
Are the vengeance-minded NPCs the only motivation to participate in this brawl?
Which NPCs do you hope that the players can get under control: their allies, or the enemies?

Note that the players can Concede at any time before they get Taken Out, so you shouldn't worry about killing them, but you should figure out what the bad guys want (presumably just to subdue them and leave?).
The biker gang, too, can Concede if the fight doesn't go their way, or maybe even if they want to keep from taking any Consequences. How invested are the enemies?

[Theodore Rockwell]

The npcs that the players are getting under control are the ones that are attacking the bikers.  The motivation they have for getting involved is one of those npcs has some important information but he is more concerned with avenging his friend at the moment.  The biker gang is lead by a were gator and is a random split of weres and mortals.  They have a side line of being supernatural mercenaries and are part of a side plot that i have been dropping in here and there for later story elements.  Being the tough mercenaries that they are, they wont take kindly to being attacked on their home turf.  It isnt going to be all in from the very go though.  The npcs will have subdued one w/o raising an alarm by the time the group shows up.  They are just about to attack two more that are out for a smoke when everything starts. 

The players have shown they are adept at combat, so I have given them this bigger challenge that they will need to be real creative and lucky to over come w/o talking.  Also doing it like that shuts them out of possible allies down the line when they might really need them. 

As far as pulling my punches, I am figuring i might need to if the social combat thing falls flat and it becomes a genuine tussle.  Some members of the gang are open to the idea of talking and some arent.  Notably the were gator is open to talking things out.  Obviously the gang member already subdued isnt to keen on talking things out.

[admiralducksauce]

Note that the players can Concede at any time before they get Taken Out, so you shouldn't worry about killing them, but you should figure out what the bad guys want (presumably just to subdue them and leave?).
The biker gang, too, can Concede if the fight doesn't go their way, or maybe even if they want to keep from taking any Consequences. How invested are the enemies?

Devonapple's right on the money here, except I need to add that my group at least doesn't think of Conceding until it's too late.  So with that in mind, just don't have the bikers KILL the PCs if they Take them Out.

-They'll want to make an example of the poor schmucks who crossed them.  Time for a deathtrap!  Or something more cruel but realistic, like roadhauling or something like that.
- If the PCs held their own, maybe they might want to keep them alive for recruitment or turn them into weregators (I don't know if yours transmit by bite or anything)?
- If some PCs are Taken Out and some of the others escape, they could do a ransom demand.  Or prisoner exchange, esp. if the PCs have some of the bikers captured too.

All in all, it's a lot more fun to keep your PCs alive, and unless it is a blood-sworn vendetta or something truly obvious that would end in one party's death (maybe this is so for their NPC friends but you indicate the PCs are just "going along"), it's not hard to come up with a reason to keep someone alive.

Another way to pull your punches is to focus on the NPC allies first and through doing so show the PCs how the bikers work.  Maybe the PCs see a weakness in their strategy and use it to their advantage or maybe they see that fighting was a mistake and without the NPCs to egg them on, they'll seek escape or negotiation.

Or they'll come back later with explosives.