Aggregates, Mobs, Flocks, Packs, Clouds and other Masses

[bibliophile20]

So, reached the climactic scene of a scenario; the warlock has been exposed, and it's time for the Monster Mash in the ballroom (literally!).  He's called in his entire little army of summoned and bound creatures (some demons, a shapeshifting assassin (think doppleganger), some manticores, and... a bunch of imps.)

Now, it's the imps that are a problem; I've adapted them from Sanctaphrax's imps (over on the wiki), but they're very weak individual combatants, better used for recon.  On the other hand, there are something like 50 of them (all shouting "Rematch! Rematch!" as the PCs have squashed their little forms before and as a nod to the Spectacular Spiderman's Mysterio) so a large flock (murder? cloud?) of imps still seems like a threat.

So, two questions:

First, more generally: how could you handle a large mob of weaker individuals in this system? 

Second, as an applied answer to the first question: How to handle the specific question of a flock of ~50 imps?

The answer I've been toying with is an aggregate "creature";

incomplete general idea:
High Concept: "Flock Of Imps"
Trouble: Rematch! Rematch!
Aspects: Mob Mentality
Infernal Pests

Great or Superb Fists (to illustrate the group maneuvering and aiding each other enough to add significant punch to their combined blows)
Superb Endurance (wow, there are alot of them...)
Fair Athletics (they're still a pretty big target)
Inhuman Toughness (they are still demons)
The Catch (in addition to Holy Stuff, AOE attacks affect them normally)


Thoughts?

[UmbraLux]

So, two questions:

First, more generally: how could you handle a large mob of weaker individuals in this system? 

Probably very similar to what you've done.  I'd take the base creature and figure a bunch of them are doing declarations / maneuvers each turn for a +2 Mob of Imps bonus to all appropriate actions.  I'd also treat all attacks as zone wide (though intelligent critters wouldn't affect allies).

Second, as an applied answer to the first question: How to handle the specific question of a flock of ~50 imps?

The answer I've been toying with is an aggregate "creature";

incomplete general idea:
High Concept: "Flock Of Imps"
Trouble: Rematch! Rematch!
Aspects: Mob Mentality
Infernal Pests

Great or Superb Fists (to illustrate the group maneuvering and aiding each other enough to add significant punch to their combined blows)
Superb Endurance (wow, there are alot of them...)
Fair Athletics (they're still a pretty big target)
Inhuman Toughness (they are still demons)
The Catch (in addition to Holy Stuff, AOE attacks affect them normally)


Thoughts?

Looks pretty good.  I'd just add the zone wide attacks so you don't need to roll them individually.

[Haru]

I think you could easily adopt the mook rules from 7th sea here. A group of mooks will get skills at a level equal to their numbers, though a group is limited to 6... I think. The group will act as 1 character in a fight.The more challenging you want to make those groups, increase their size and therefore abilities. Abilities like "pack instinct" or "unit training" could be treated as stunts for the group-creature that will give a bonus to their strength as long as there are at least 3 of them.

So in your case, 50 imps would result in 10 groups of superb strength. Still quite a few, but only 1 group can attack at any time, so this would make it a lot easier, it would only take some time to get through them. Each point of stress will result in 1 dead mook, limiting the strength of the group effectively. Consequences should be out of the question. For AoE effects, I would put 1 group per zone, if they are human sized creatures, maybe more if they are smaller (imps might be). Oh, and letting more than one, maybe two groups attack at once would be too overcrowded as well, I think.

[Sanctaphrax]

If you like, I can stat them up as a new creature.

I'm thinking a zonewide attack and a Dangerous Aura. That way, they can make oodles of attacks each turn, which I think helps model the "swarm" feel of the whole thing.

[Arcteryx]

There's rules for a mob in Spirit of the Century, if I remember correctly. But I like the idea of an aggregate mob creature

[bibliophile20]

If you like, I can stat them up as a new creature.

I'm thinking a zonewide attack and a Dangerous Aura. That way, they can make oodles of attacks each turn, which I think helps model the "swarm" feel of the whole thing.

I think a "swarm" line of lesser creatures might not be a bad idea to put in your creation queue; everything from human mobs to army insects.  

But don't hurry on the cloud of imps; I've already got things set for my game for tomorrow in that area, pretty much in line with what I've got above.  

However, on the zonewide attack, make it weak; individually, the creatures making up a swarm aren't that dangerous--it's en masse on a single target that they're really dangerous.  A spray-attack is probably the best way of illustrating that spreading of limited lethality.  To illustrate, I have given my "cloud of imps" a Superb Fists and Claws, while the individual imps can only do one stress per attack--because all couple dozen imps are ganging up on a single target.

[braincraft]

Maybe some variant on Hulking Size, and/or the ability to make zone attacks at -2.

[Sanctaphrax]

How's this?

I admit some of the skills are kinda sketchy. I had to fill out the pyramid somehow.

Cloud Of Imps (Chest Deep)

High Concept: Flock Of Imps
Trouble Aspect: Rematch! Rematch!
Other Aspects: Mob Mentality, Infernal Pests
Skills:   
Superb: Fists, Endurance
Great: Intimidation, Alertness
Good: Presence, Deceit
Fair: Athletics, Lore
Average: Might, Investigation
Stunts:
Incredibly Annoying (Intimidation): +2 to all attempts to make someone angry.
Swarm Attack (Fists): May make spray attacks with Fists.
Powers:
Claws [-1]
Wings [-1]
Extra-Dangerous Aura [-3] (Great attack against the zone each turn)
Supernatural Toughness [-4]
The Catch (Holy Stuff and area attacks) [+3]
Total Refresh Cost:
-8
Refresh Total:
0

[bibliophile20]

Looks great!

I suppose I should report on how the session went:
One character, after having spent the entire scenario saving up 14 fate points, walked up to the cloud of imps harassing the wizard, and with good choices of stunts and a good roll and after tagging:

Budding Marine Officer
"To err is human; to forgive, divine. Neither is Marine Corps policy."
Military Brat
"Hard things we can do right away. Impossible things may take a bit longer."
Something To Prove
Off The Edge Of The Map--Here There Be Monsters
There For Those Close To Me

Rematch! Rematch!
Infernal Pests
It Was A Monster Mash...

proceeded to destroy all of them in a single exchange. 

And then walked up to the other cloud of imps on the next exchange and made an intimidate roll, tagging "Wanna see me do it again?" 

They boogied.

[Radijs]

Sounds like it was awesome.

[Sanctaphrax]

14 Fate Points? How?

[The Happy Anarchist]

Being a mortal, not blowing all your refresh on stunts and being willing to compel like a mad man.  Fate points is what mortals do, and it always boggles my mind when I see someone play a pure mortal and pick up a half dozen stunts as the first thing.  Weird to me.

[Chris_Fougere]

Being a mortal, not blowing all your refresh on stunts and being willing to compel like a mad man.  Fate points is what mortals do, and it always boggles my mind when I see someone play a pure mortal and pick up a half dozen stunts as the first thing.  Weird to me.

I think our pure mortal has 5 or 6 stunts, but that still leaves him a Refresh of 4 or 5 (8 base, +2 bonus), add in some easily compelled Aspects and he can easily get to 12 Fate before a big throwdown.  You can do both, Fate Point magnetic AND lots of stunts, which is really where Pure Mortals kick ass.

[Sanctaphrax]

Yeah, I don't see it that way.

For me, stunts are what mortals do.

The vast majority of people have no FP. But stunts are commonplace.