The West That Wasnt - Social Combat

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Social Combat

Most characters in TWTW will wind up having some kind of skill with a weapon in order to defend themselves and bring physical harm to others when the need arises. In TWTW, this is simply labeled “physical combat.” Most game systems have fairly detailed systems to simulate how this works, with all sorts of emphasis on maneuver, hit locations, weapon effects, and the like.

There are times, however, when you want to win a fight without drawing blood, without engaging in physical combat. As the saying goes, “violence doesn’t solve anything,” even though most of us can probably agree (especially in RPGs) that adage is patently false; it may solve one particular problem while creating a whole host of other problems. A middle ground might be “violence shouldn’t solve everything.” For that, the players can resort to Social Combat. At its core, Social Combat (or SC) involves a character using their words to sway the thoughts of another by one of several methods. In order to streamline the skill system, these broad approaches fall under the aegis of a single skill, but the various approaches are covered by four specializations. A specialization is not required to attempt any of the attack styles, but if the aggressor has a specialization in an attack style, they get a free bump on a successful skill check. Also listed are the associated traits for each attack type.

Attack Types

• Intimidation: The threat of consequence—be it the threat of physical violence, blackmail or financial ruin—used to bully others into compliance, or rattle them in physical combat. (Uses Presence/Strength)
• Argument: The use of logic, facts and debate to prove you are right, someone is wrong or make a solid case that your way is the best way. Argument is often a safe approach due to reduced negative effects from failure. (Uses Presence/Knowledge)
• Persuasion: The use of charm and empathy to win the heart and mind of an adversary, and convince them to see things your way or coax them into doing something they might not otherwise do, such as ending a fight. (Uses Presence/Essence)
• Fast talk: The use of trickery, misdirection, deception and blathering to confound, confuse or deceive a person. This can be a risky approach; the rewards for success can be great, but failure often makes conversation much more difficult. (Uses Presence/Acuity)

In physical combat, certain things are fairly straightforward and relatively easy to model; you are attempting to hit a target and cause damage. Enough physical damage (of any type) will generally convince a target to disengage from combat or will knock them out or kill them. Social combat attacks cause their own kind of wounds, which is tracked by the Stress attribute. Stress wounds degrade a character’s abilities in a similar manner to physical wounds. Stress wounds represent a character being rattled, unnerved, having their faith shaken, and generally messes up their focus and concentration. As the size attribute determines how much weapon effect causes a physical wound, the willpower attribute determines stress wounds from social combat. When a social combat attack causes effect, divide by the target’s willpower to determine the number of stress wounds, and apply the remainder to the target’s stress (just as physical damage causes wounds, and the remainder of an attack’s effect is applied to concussion threshold).

In social combat, the methods listed above are akin to the “weapons” in one’s SC armory, and some weapons are better suited to achieving certain ends, or in a particular milieu. Some targets may also be more susceptible to certain SC “attacks” or may be resistant to others. A Jesuit priest or a lawyer may be more resistant to Argument, while a conniving salesman might be resistant to fast talk and persuasion. Likewise, a crowd gathered lined up before a snake oil salesman might be more susceptible to persuasion. Winning someone over using argument may work just fine in a courtroom, but may have little use in less-formal settings such as a saloon right before a brawl breaks out. Trying to stop that brawl in the saloon might call for intimidation. However, using intimidation to get a better deal from a shopkeeper might just cause him to call the police or have him throw you out of his store!

Ultimately, social combat shouldn’t be a complete replacement for roleplaying, but we feel that there should be some system to allow characters with the proper skills to attempt to modify the behavior of others that is a bit more engaging than making a simple one-and-done skill check to see if you have successfully cowed/convinced/bamboozled your verbal sparring partner.

Stakes

Social combat ought to be somewhat limited in scope. You might try to get a better deal from a horse trader, but you should not be able to convince him to sell you his entire stable at cost. You might intimidate an opponent into fleeing from combat, but you should not be able to use the social combat system to convince him to switch sides and fight for you, and then commit suicide after the battle out of abject terror no matter how many bumps you get. Just as you would not be able to sink an ironclad steamship with a shot from your Peacemaker, there should be a sort of limitation in place. In this sense, social combat will require some discretion on the part of the Judge, and some “literary cooperation” on the part of the players.

Toward this end, when a character engages in social combat, “stakes” are declared. Simply put, this is the end goal the player is hoping to achieve should they best the target in a round of social combat. It might also conspire that a target may simply not be willing or able to engage in social combat. Declaring stakes lets the Judge know what you are trying to accomplish and whether it is even possible.

Miranda, Hank and Cyril walk into the town store owned by their nemesis, Angus Laroq. Miranda and Hank each try to engage the shopkeeper and keep him distracted while Cyril slips upstairs to investigate. Miranda sidles up to the counter. Her player informs the Judge that she would like to engage the shopkeeper in social combat by using her feminine wiles to persuade him into selling her some goods (that she actually needs, anyway) at a discount. The judge informs her that this will not work since the prices are fixed, and the shopkeeper is not allowed to haggle. Hank has an idea and drops an armload of supplies at the counter, pushing Miranda to the side. Hank tells the Judge that he is going to engage the shopkeeper in social combat using fast talk. "My goal is to confuse the fella into thinking he already rung something up, so if I win I would like to get $2 of merchandise for free." The Judge declares that this is acceptable.

In physical combat, these distinctions generally don’t need to be made. If you punch or shoot at someone, it’s pretty clear what you’re trying to accomplish and how it plays out, and it is easily understood what an acceptable target is, along with whether damage results from the attack, and if so, how much. This is not always the case with social combat. Even a character who is highly skilled at all manner of social combat skills shouldn’t be able to schmooze, cajole and threaten everyone all the time to get everything they want. This would probably make gameplay a bit tedious and mechanical, and maybe throw a story off the rails just as much as if the players opted to fight their way through every conversation! Players should use some discretion in what they would like to accomplish with social combat and how often they attempt it, and Judges should also prepare for such encounters just as they prepare the occasional (or frequent!) action scene.

For some example encounters, a player might attempt to bluff their way past a guard (intimidation), sweet-talk a clerk into slipping them a useful tidbit of information (persuasion), use facts and evidence to convince a jury to acquit (argument), or simply engage a lookout in simple conversation long enough to allow their pals to sneak past unnoticed (fast talk). In each of these examples, a player would tell the judge their intention to engage in social combat and lay out the stakes. For example, a player might say, “I suspect the clerk would have details about the Rail Baron’s itinerary, which would enable us to lay an ambush for him. I would like to engage in social combat to see if I can learn something from her.” The judge thinks this is reasonable, and allows the player to proceed. If the character had specializations in intimidation, argument or fast talk, they might also use those approaches to achieve the same goal, but they might have different consequences when everything is said and done, so choose carefully!

In this case, the stakes are that if the character is successful, he may convince her to tell him something that is useful to him. Using a different example from above—the one using Fast Talk to distract a lookout—the stakes might be “I would like to use Fast Talk to distract the lookout and allow the rest of the group to sneak past.” Stakes can be modified at the discretion of the Judge. In this case, the Judge may decide that letting the others sneak past guaranteed if the fast-talker is successful is inappropriate given the circumstances (maybe the street is deserted and any traffic would be considered unusual, or perhaps the lookout is guarding the villain’s headquarters and the Judge doesn’t want the players to breeze in quite so easily). The Judge might modify the stakes to allow the others a chance to sneak past with a bonus to their skill check, for example. If modifying the stakes, the Judge should let the player know in advance to avoid accusations of bait-and-switch.

Similarly, the Judge may impose a set of stakes as well, depending on the situation. This is appropriate if the target will engage in a counter-effort against the player. If a player wants to bluff their way past a guard, the judge may lay out stakes, a goal the NPC is attempting to achieve. The player might say, “I want to use my intimidation to attempt to get past the guard,” which the Judge sees as being reasonable. However, the guard isn’t just going to sit there like a lump; the Judge might declare stakes: “Okay, but if the guard wins, he has convinced you that you’re not talking your way past him and you skedaddle with your tail ‘twixt your legs unless you're willing to start a fight.”

Hank is attempting to fast talk the shopkeeper out of $2 of supplies. The Judge declares counter-stakes: That if the shopkeeper defeats Hank in the encounter, he catches on to Hank's scheme and things will get...complicated. Hank's player assumes that "complicated" in this context means he will be kicked out of the store, or the merchant might summon a deputy, or even worse, one of Laroq's Vaqueros.

Remember: When you choose to engage in social combat, you are taking a risk. For story purposes, you should be willing to accept the consequences of failure. If your character gets into a fist fight, you can’t just say “I refuse to be knocked unconscious” and continue to fight when your character has taken too much damage. The same goes for social combat. There is a point at which your character is defeated, and you will have to deal with the aftermath. The primary difference here is that in SC, your character will be alive/conscious, and you may have to roleplay (or at least rationalize) your defeat. As a participant in the Social Combat, the player has a choice when to disengage, depending on how many stress wounds he is willing to suffer in pursuit of his goal.

Scope

With the limitations set in place by the Stakes system above, there is one more limitation to consider which differentiates physical combat from social combat. In a physical altercation, the combatants can always carry on until they run out of blood, or some other external event makes combat impossible. A character cannot cut a swath of social destruction through the countryside with charm, logic and reasonable requests, relying on the fact that they can eventually wear down any target and get the better of them. In social combat, if the interaction is allowed to drag on too long, or the “aggressor” doesn’t make a decisive point quickly enough, then the target will become inured to their attempts as their opponent drones on, repeating himself. People who are unskilled at social combat techniques will generally have a limited arsenal to affect the will of others. Those who are more skilled have developed the ability to prolong these interactions, and thereby forestall the inevitable point of argument immunity or Godwin’s Law*. To reflect this, characters who are more skilled in SC skills will be able to take more actions before an SC is forcibly concluded.

* Godwin's Law states: "As a…discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1." It is commonly agreed that when a debate reaches this point, further discussion is wasted breath.

In each SC encounter, there will be an aggressor and a target. The aggressor is the one initiating the attack, and the target is his audience. A character engaging in SC will have a number of action cards determined by their traits and skills, as will their opponent. These action cards are used to make attacks and enhance them. If the character who started the encounter runs out of action cards before defeating their opponent or reaching a victory condition, then they must concede defeat and accept whatever stakes the Judge has laid out (if any). Each participant gets one action card for each rank of the Verve skill (Presence trait skill) or the rank of the secondary trait skill associated with their attack style; one for each rank of the Social Combat skill, and an additional one card for each specialization under that skill. This will allow the savviest character in the history of interpersonal relations to have up to 14 possible actions to conclude an SC encounter, but most will probably have much fewer than that. This should ensure SC encounters are resolved fairly quickly without disrupting the flow of gameplay too much.

Triggers

Not every SC encounter will require you to completely break the will of your target, and depending on the choices you make in SC, you may not have the opportunity. Based on the stakes you have set and the nature of the target, the Judge may set one or more trigger points for them. This is a number of Stress damage or Stress wounds you must inflict before the target gives in. At the Judges’ discretion, there may also be other triggers that will cause the target to take other actions that seem appropriate which will effectively end the SC encounter. For example, in certain circumstances, if you use an intimidation attack (on purpose or because the target perceives that you are threatening them), the target may become physically hostile (beginning a physical combat encounter), run away or attempt to summon help or the authorities. Just as the Hero can break off SC at any time, NPCs may have reasons to do so, as well. Lastly, if the player is performing poorly during the encounter, or the target is performing well, the Judge may choose to disregard his previously established trigger, and see things through to the end if the player is on the ropes, so be careful! To maintain suspense, the Judge can keep any triggers secret.

Using Your Words

Before entering SC, you will choose your attack style: Argument, Fast Talk, Intimidation or Persuasion. The aggressor can only attempt one attack style at a time. The Presence trait is associated with each type of attack, but each one also has a secondary trait associated with it. Each time you make an attack, one of the two traits will be used for the cause and the other for the effect; one trait is used to determine if your attack is successful and the other is used to determine damage. Make your choice based upon your talents, your target, or what strategy you would like to employ. You may need to use a higher trait to ensure a successful attack, or—if the target is an easy mark—you might want a higher trait for a more powerful attack. You can change which traits you use for cause or effect from one attack to the next. Make sure to specify before the action card is drawn; if the attacker does not specify, Presence is used for cause and the secondary trait is used for effect.

The TN of the attack is based upon the target’s social combat skill. The TN is 4 plus 1/2 the target's Social Combat skill level, rounded up.

If the attack is successful, then proceed to determine how the target interprets the attack. (see A Matter of Perception, below). If the attack fails, it is the opponent's turn to be the aggressor, and they are able to make their own attack. If the card result is a calamity, the aggressor automatically takes a loss this round (see Words Can Hurt, below).

A Matter of Perception

Some experts tout that up to 90% of one’s message is delivered to others not by what one says but how one says it. These are called paraverbals, and they are crucial to messaging in conversation. They include such elements as vocal rate, tone, inflection, volume and physical body language. This sort of detail is difficult to simulate, but the end result is that ultimately, it can be quite easy for one’s intended message or delivery to be off, or just misconstrued by one’s audience. You may be making a logical argument, but your target might perceive it as a personal attack or a threat. You may be attempting to gently persuade someone, but they might interpret your slick words as an attempt to pull a fast one. You may employ calm menace trying to scare someone, but they might think you’re trying to make an appeal to reason.

The Clarity attribute is the reliability (REL) score of a character's SC attacks, and is rated from 3 to 12. When the action card is turned, consult the breakdown element. If it is present, compare it to the aggressor's Clarity score. If the clarity score is less than the number shown on the broken wrench, then there is a chance that the attack has been misconstrued by the target. Consult the phase element of the card to determine how the target perceives the attack. This will yield a result between 0 and 5. If the result is 0 or 5, the attack is perceived as intended. The remaining results are assigned 1 to 4 in alphabetical order:
• 1: Argument
• 2: Fast Talk
• 3: Intimidation
• 4: Persuasion

If the perception is different from the attempt you led with, any damage you deal will be decreased (use the d4 column and the aggressor’s skill level to determine effect). If any bumps from the initial skill check are available, one may be used to cancel the misinterpretation. The player may also sacrifice one action card to “rephrase” and check the phase on the second card for a more favorable result, but they are then stuck with that result. If the attack perception is different than the aggressor’s attack style, they can also sacrifice a card to “switch gears” for the remainder of the encounter (unless they switch gears again in a later round) and go with the indicated perception. Switching gears allows the aggressor to inflict full damage if the attack penetrates rather than reduced damage. If one switches gears, use the secondary trait associated with that attack type to determine the effect column.

Cyril is attempting to persuade a local deputy to let slip some details about Angus Laroq's local operations. His chosen attack is Argument, but the action card comes up with a wrench in the breakdown element and the number 8. Cyril's Clarity is 10, which means that the target has misconstrued his attack. A 2 in the phase element means that the target perceives Cyril's words as fast talk. Since Cyril has a value of 10 in Acuity (the secondary trait for Fast Talk attacks), his player opts to sacrifice a card and switch gears. When it comes time to deal damage, Cyril will use the d10 column instead of the d4 column (which would be used if the attack was misconstrued and dealt reduced damage). On the downside, the rest of his attacks for this combat will now be Fast Talk attacks, unless he can switch gears later on. It's not getting the job done the way Cyril wants--he may have to deal with this deputy again later--but it's getting the job done. Now, however, that deputy will probably remember Cyril as "that city slicker who bamboozled me that one time."

Rephrasing and switching gears use up available action cards faster (and with the latter, changes your attack style), but having your attack misconstrued will yield reduced results and can increase the target’s defenses due to your verbal flailing and mixed messaging. If the player does not want to proceed with the attack as the target perceives it, they can take a loss for that action as if their attack had failed, but this does not alter the target’s defenses (if using the optional rules described later in The Defense Rests). Taking the loss might be necessary or desirable to avoid a trigger, such as if the target perceives that you are attempting to intimidate them, or to prevent unwanted adjustments to the target’s Nerve.

Words that Cut Deep

Once the perception of the attack is determined, consult the hit location element. If the hit location is the vitals, increase the effect by one row, and if it is head, increase the effect by two rows. Bumps can be used to alter the hit location as described in the Conflict chapter.

Next, determine if the attack penetrates the target's resistance. Compare the aggressor's Resolve attribute (plus or minus the result of the penetration element on the action card) against the target's Nerve attribute. If the attack's PV is 2 or more than the target's AV, the attack penetrates and deals full effect. If the PV is equal to or one greater than the AV, the attack "ablates" and causes reduced damage and reduces the target's Nerve by 1. If the PV is less than the AV, the attack deflects and causes no damage and does not affect the target's Nerve.

Damage is based on the skill level of the aggressor and the trait used to determine effect for the attack. Use the trait value to determine the column and the skill level to determine the row. If the aggressor switched gears for the attack, use the secondary (non-Presence) Trait to determine the effect column. Reduced damage uses the aggressor's skill level and the d4 column. Stress damage is divided by the target's willpower to determine the number of stress wounds the target suffers, with the remainder deducted from the target's stress.

The Defense Rests (Optional)

As an SC encounter continues, the target will tend to become more resistant to SC attacks. The Nerve attribute determines the target’s “Armor Value” (AV) against incoming attacks. If the target has a specialization, they can increase their AV by 1 against that type of attack.

Optional Defense Rules

After each attack, the target increases their Nerve by one, unless the aggressor took the loss (see above). If the aggressor makes a successful attack and the target perceives it as intended, the target does not increase their nerve. As such, the target becomes resistant if the aggressor’s arguments are misconstrued or if they fail.

You can also keep track of the target’s resistances to each attack type, which may shift over the course of the encounter. This requires a bit more bookkeeping, but can provide an increased “tactical” flair by rewarding success, punishing failure and creating useful combinations of attack types that may arise. If using these rules, some approaches synergize well, while others can work at cross purposes. The target’s perception of each attack made will then have the following effects:

Intimidate

• If the attempt succeeds or fails, increase the target’s resistance to persuasion by 1
• Failed attempts increase the target’s resistance to intimidation by 1

Argument

• Success reduces the target’s resistance to fast talk by 1
• Failure allows the target to heal stress wounds or cause damage to the aggressor

Persuasion

• Success reduces the target’s resistance to persuasion by 1
• If the attempt succeeds or fails, increase the target’s resistance to intimidation by 1

Fast Talk

• Failure increases the TN for a successful attack by 1
• Success reduces the target’s resistance to argument by 1

A failed attempt is one that does not meet or exceed the TN. If the skill check is equal to or greater than the TN but does not penetrate, it is still considered a success, it will just do reduced damage or none at all.

Additionally, if the target’s perception of the attack differs from the attack chosen, the target increases the resistance to the chosen attack by one unless the attacker had sacrificed an action card to switch gears or they took the loss for that round. Ultimately, if an SC encounter wears on with no initial success from the attacker, the target will rapidly become resistant to subsequent attacks.

Other Effects

As another optional rule, each SC attack has one or more special effects:
• Intimidate: Can be used in physical combat once per round (at a cost of 2 AP, or an additional 2 AP to an attack) to try and rattle an opponent. The number of available attempts that can be made in each combat encounter is equal to the character’s Verve rank, plus one if they have a specialization for intimidation. If used in physical combat, do not check the target’s perception of the attack; at this point the aggressor’s intent is pretty clear. If the attack causes stress wounds, these reduce the target’s Action Points that can be used for non-movement actions, in addition to whatever penalties the target might suffer from physical wounds. If the target is reduced to 0 APs or less, they are either subdued or must flee. The target can attempt a recover action for 2 APs, and make a Bravery check at TN 5. If successful, they recover one AP lost to intimidation, with an additional AP recovered for each bump.
• Argument: A successful attempt may be used to “heal” the aggressor’s stress wounds instead of causing damage to the target.
• Persuasion: Can be used in physical combat once per round (at a cost of 2 AP) to try and de-escalate an opponent. Used like this, Persuasion can be attempted while the “aggressor” is dodging/blocking or behind cover. The number of available attempts that can be made in each combat encounter is equal to the character’s Verve rank, plus one if they have a specialization for persuasion. If used in physical combat, do not check the target’s perception of the attack; at this point the aggressor’s intent is pretty clear. If the attack causes stress wounds, these reduce the target’s Action Points that can be used for attack actions, in addition to whatever penalties the target might suffer from physical wounds. If the target is reduced to 0 APs or less, they are either calmed down or must disengage from combat. The target may attempt to recover and build up a full head of steam by making an attack at a cost of 2 additional APs; if the attack hits, they recover 1 lost AP with an additional AP recovered for each bump. Additionally, if any opponent causes damage to the target, they recover all APs lost from persuasion.
• Fast talk: Failed attempts causes the target to recover stress in addition to the aggressor taking damage, while a success earns an automatic bump that can be used for added PV, adjusting the hit location or increased effect (as with physical combat, increasing effect normally takes 2 bumps per level).

Words Can Hurt

When an SC attack causes damage, use the associated trait to determine the effect column and the aggressor's skill level to determine the row. Divide this number by the target's Willpower attribute to determine the number of stress wounds delivered to the target. Any remaining stress are subtracted from the target's stress.

If the target receives 5 stress wounds, their will is temporarily broken. They might be confused, angry, cowed, or they might even admire the aggressor, depending on the circumstances and what type of attack style was used. If the target is an NPC that might appear in the story again, it is recommended that the Judge make use of this to add depth to the story, just as much as if the players encountered a minor character that they had beaten up in a previous encounter! If a target is reduced to 0 stress, they are temporarily mentally exhausted, stymied or flummoxed; their nerve is reduced to zero, and their social combat skill is effectively reduced to 0. If this happens to the target, it makes it much easier for attacks to be successful. If the target is stressed, do not check for misinterpretation when making an attack.

If the aggressor opts to take the loss (due to his attack being misinterpreted), then the attacker’s words are turned around on them. The aggressor suffers the damage they would have caused to the target had the attempt been successful. Added effect from hit location will also apply to the aggressor; this might represent a verbal gaffe, or an embarrassing self-own. Taking the loss does not check against the aggressor’s Nerve to determine penetration. If taking the loss resulted from a calamity, increase the effect by one row.

Stress wounds reduce the number of AP available to the target in combat. However, AP lost due to stress wounds can be used for movement to disengage from combat if no attack actions are being taken.

Sizing up the Opposition

On any round, the aggressor may spend one of their action cards to use the Judge Character skill instead of making an attack. The TN is the same as if they were making an attack. If the check succeeds, the aggressor may reduce the TN and the target's Nerve against the next attack or Judge Character attempt by one, with an additional reduction for each bump. These bonuses persist until the aggressor makes an attack; if the aggressor successfully spends multiple actions conversing and judging the character of their target, they can slip in a decisive verbal blow. When using Judge Character, failed attempts do not alter the target’s Nerve or individual resistances, but a Calamity will increase their Nerve and the TN to attack them by one.

The Set Up

At the beginning of an SC, the action card deck should be shuffled, and the appropriate number of cards are dealt face-down to the aggressor* (note that any exceptional successes or added effect results draw from the action card deck, not the aggressor’s supply of action cards). The Judge will determine the target’s appropriate stats (social combat skill level, any specializations and the target’s Nerve attribute, along with any other triggers they may have. If using optional defense rules, these can be easily tracked using the back page of the character sheet and counters or dice on the Phase I-IV box to track the resistances of each attack type.

*Alternatively, you can skip laying out separate piles of cards and draw directly from the deck. Just keep your spent cards in a separate stack to track how many of your allotted cards have been used.

This Conversation is Over

As an SC encounter carries on, the character who initiated things will exhaust their available action cards. If the initial aggressor does not have an action card available, they have run out of things to say, and must concede defeat; nothing else they might say or do will have any further effect on the target. If counter-stakes were established and the attacker did not achieve victory, the established counter-stakes are applied. If the target runs out of cards, they simply do not get a turn.

If the aggressor has action cards remaining, they may still concede defeat and disengage from SC. Counter-stakes are then applied. To use the above example of attempting to bluff one’s way past a guard, the counter-stakes ruled that the aggressor would not be able to get in using social combat, but nothing prevents the player from escalating to a physical combat! However, they would be entering that fight still suffering from the tongue-lashing (stress wounds) from the guard!

Getting Back on Your Feet

Stress wounds from social combat can rattle a person something fierce, causing a lack of concentration from playing the exchange over again in their head, or the shakes from a surplus of adrenaline or lingering fear or anger. This manifests in the same penalties as physical wounds. Each stress wound suffered will subtract 1 AP from the character’s pool. However, as stated above, APs lost from stress wounds can still be used for movement to disengage from combat.

Stress wounds are “healed” at the same rate as physical wounds. The character can recover one per scene, and if another character is able to perform a successful Leadership skill check, the character can heal one more wound per scene (with an additional wound recovered for each bump).