Tactics/Planning/Weapon skill - differentiation

[Sayana]

As a grader I've often come across threads in which PCs interesting techniques involving timing, maneuvering, feinting, distracting, and misdirection (just to name a few) to get the upper hand during combat. Sometimes this is also seen when a character anticipates a move and reacts accordingly or plans a way to trap or lock their opponent into a tight situation. I want to be able to reward these interesting methods but I'm not sure which skill to assign them. I currently interpret Tactics as coordination of other people during a battle and using interesting methods and techniques to gain the upper hand, but as a team - not individually. Although, perhaps novice Tactics could be applied for personal fighting techniques but once you reach competent you have to display cooperative techniques with other people. I have also considered the skill Planning for this, particularly in the case of luring your opponent into a trap. Usually I interpret Planning as planning at least several minutes down the road and wouldn't apply to feints or other quick 3 second decisions. Finally, maybe these methods are just inherent with gaining skill in a particular weapon. However, I'd rather reward players in some way for their creative combat. Thanks to whoever helps clarify this.

[Clyde Sullins]

Honestly I think you've got it more or less right. Planning is more long term, and its about forethought, or planning things out and preparing before the actual event comes up. Planning simply enough is about making a plan. For instance say you are going to make a sword as a blacksmith. Well you could plan that out before hand, know what you will need to do it, the steps it will take, what you will do when, and plan it out in advance, so that when you actually do it all goes as planned. Alternatively with more of a combat aspect, you could plan out an ambush. You know that someone goes a certain way every day, so you plan out an attack. Lay a pit trap, set up some archers, etc, so that when they walk in as planned you can spring it. --- Tactics on the other hand are something to do in the moment, with the scenario laid out before you. Its about arranging things, yourself, your enemy, your environment, and other things, to have a desired result. Like planning it isn't combat specific, but it is easiest to see in combat. Tactics also has a small lore stub, with a bit of info. With the earlier ambush example, having the archers set up on one side, and telling them all to fire at once, which gives you an opening to scare them into the pit trap, that could be an example of tactics. Or a tactic could be as simply as making someone trip over a log by correctly arranging yourself and your own strike, so that when they step back to avoid it they catch their foot on it. Thinking tactically, and using such a thing to your own benefit in a fight. That's my take on it.

[Sayana]

Thanks, that helps clarify things. It seems that Tactics applies to both personal battle tactics/techniques as well as coordinating group battle tactics. I will award more Tactics in future when interesting methods are applied during combat and maybe use a skill like Leadership when it's involving group dynamics and team morale. Thanks again Clyde.