Minor Arcana
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Brutes are¸ by their nature¸ interchangeable. They may have some interesting characteristic that colors their presence in a scene¸ but on the great stage of life¸ their job is to enter from the right and exit to the left as the heroes and villains play out their dramas.
That is exactly as it should be for the opposition that heroes encounter. But what about the brutes that fight or work alongside the heroes? What of those who do so over time¸ serving on the crew of a ship or acting as a valet? These are not nameless¸ faceless interchangeable cogs¸ but characters with names and lives who matter to the heroes¸ and who should be able to contribute something other than a person-shaped space to a scene.
Yet for all that¸ these are still supporting characters in the Heroes' story. We don't want them overshadowing the heroes. And from a pure bookkeeping perspective¸ we do not want an elaborate system that requires tracking each brute in excruciating detail. To that end¸ the supporter system provides an optional set of rules for handling brutes who matter¸ (aka supporters or support)¸ which can be used interchangeable with the existing brute rules as needed.
The Micah's Barstool Summary
- Give a brute a name
- Give a Brute a number
- When theat brute can help you¸ add a die with that number showing to your roll.
The doc unpacks this more of course¸ but if you only want the core concept¸ there it is.