Hit points, locations, damage, etc.

[Jason D]

Jason said "Yah! Boo! Sucks to you!".

Or something like that, anyway. Obviously, I paraphrase

I think my response was more like "I don't have the time to do a second sheet, but I am pretty sure there'll be an official one with hit locations"... but then, my memory is spotty these days.

[Kloster]

So everyone's not happy after all - oh dear. Can't you make do with rolling location for significant hits, instead of every hit? I don't know the 'Stormbringer major damage table', what's wrong with it? And why does it matter?

...

That's just a personal preference. I've never liked the combination of the major wound table and the variable armor, because an unlucky player has a too high probability of loosing his character. And as it is available as an optional rule, I will use it.

I'm not complaining.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[frogspawner]

Could somebody please explain to me what the SB major wound table is?

[soltakss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by soltakss

Jason said "Yah! Boo! Sucks to you!".

Or something like that, anyway. Obviously, I paraphrase

I think my response was more like "I don't have the time to do a second sheet, but I am pretty sure there'll be an official one with hit locations"... but then, my memory is spotty these days.

Oh, yes, that's probably right.

See, as I paraphrased "Yah! Boo! Sucks to you!".

So, where's the official one with hit locations, then? >:->

[badcat]

You rate one half the average of CON and SIZ as a 'major wound'; when someone takes that much or more in one hit, they go to the major wound table and roll. Half the time you get an 'impressive scar' and heal normally, half the time something dire happens like losing a limb, part of your face, etc. In a game with average broadsword damage being 5-6 points, average armor roll being 4-5 points (sometimes 0), and average hit points being 11 or so (with a major wound average being 6, therefore) it gets pretty dire, pretty frequently.

[Kloster]

Could somebody please explain to me what the SB major wound table is?

In Stormbringer, if you take in 1 hit more than 1/2 your total hit point, it is a major wound and you roll on the table to get nasty results.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[frogspawner]

In Stormbringer, if you take in 1 hit more than 1/2 your total hit point, it is a major wound and you roll on the table to get nasty results.

OK - thanks, Kloster and Badcat, I see the trouble now. Is this what's coming for BRP? And I can see how SB variable armour could exacerbate the problem.

In my homebrew I use a similar, but finer-grained system, with 4 different grades of wounds, the special effects being none/disable/break/sever respectively. That way worse results are reserved for worse hits (which would often have been fatal anyway). The idea being to explain the damage, rather than adding to it.

I had hoped the new BRP would have found a similarly refined method.

[badcat]

Weeelll, I don't consider it to be a problem, I like it!>:->

And there are, I believe, going to be options for kinder, gentler hit point systems in BRP, the default system, only, seems to follow Elric!/SB5 mostly with all sorts of optional choices. Read up on the authors question/answers threads nearby.

[Kloster]

OK - thanks, Kloster and Badcat, I see the trouble now. Is this what's coming for BRP? And I can see how SB variable armour could exacerbate the problem.

In my homebrew I use a similar, but finer-grained system, with 4 different grades of wounds, the special effects being none/disable/break/sever respectively. That way worse results are reserved for worse hits (which would often have been fatal anyway). The idea being to explain the damage, rather than adding to it.

I had hoped the new BRP would have found a similarly refined method.

And I presume we will revert (almost) to RQ on that point with Fixed armor and Hit locations. This is purely a matter of personal preferences and I'm sure lot of people have very good reason to choose otherwise.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[darkheart]

You rate one half the average of CON and SIZ as a 'major wound'; when someone takes that much or more in one hit, they go to the major wound table and roll.

I think I like that idea.

Keeping track of individual hp on locations can be messy paper work but I like the degrading body system.

This seems to limit the paper work and still give wounds which take people out of the fight without killing or knocking them out.

Although I dislike random armour. If the idea was to represent a blow landing in a non protected area...isn't that what critical hits and specials are for?

I guess if hit locations are optional than armour is indicated for the whole body rather than each loction?

If that is the case then is a system similar to MERP or Rolemaster going to be used?

In that system the 'base' armour detracts from damage while optionaly added limb and head armour only comes into play during a critical (or in BRPs case, major) would is taken.

[Kloster]

deleted.Wrong topic.

Kloster

[badcat]

Actually darkheart, I think any of those will be possible using these rules...choose your poison.

[Jason D]

Although I dislike random armour. If the idea was to represent a blow landing in a non protected area...isn't that what critical hits and specials are for?

I guess if hit locations are optional than armour is indicated for the whole body rather than each loction?

Random armor is an optional system.

Armor is basic and is assumed to cover the whole body equally, and helmets usually just add a bonus to the default armor point protection.

I should also note that while the major wound table is a part of the core system, it's easily removed and won't hinder gameplay in the least.

[AikiGhost]

I had hoped the new BRP would have found a similarly refined method.

One man's "Refined" is another man's "Overly Complicated"

Personally Ill be continuing to use the Stormbringer style variable armour and serious wounds system as I have been for years.

[AikiGhost]

Although I dislike random armour. If the idea was to represent a blow landing in a non protected area...isn't that what critical hits and specials are for?

I guess if hit locations are optional than armour is indicated for the whole body rather than each loction?

I consider criticals and specials to be exceptionally lucky and/or powerful blows.

With random armour you get a dice code to represent your whole coverage, but often you will get the following two things coming into it.

1. Wearing a helm often gives you a +1 or so to overall armour. EG: Chainmail d6+1, Chainmail with helm d6+2 (not correct figures but you get the idea)

2. Sometimes the severe wounds chart says things like. "If you are wearing a helm X happens, if you are not severe version of X happens"

Luck,

[Kloster]

One man's "Refined" is another man's "Overly Complicated"

Personally Ill be continuing to use the Stormbringer style variable armour and serious wounds system as I have been for years.

Different experiences and memories, different solutions.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[frogspawner]

One man's "Refined" is another man's "Overly Complicated"

My explanation probably made it sound more complicated than it is. Basically, it's a major wound table, but cross-referencing Hit Location with remaining Hit Points.

In effect pretty similar to SB's table, I guess, but without the MERP/RoleMaster overtones (I never liked MERP).

[Atgxtg]

Basically, it's a major wound table, but cross-referencing Hit Location with remaining Hit Points.

Wouldn't that mean that someone with more hit points could suffer certain injuries that another person with fewer hit points could not? :confused:

[Nightshade]

Wouldn't that mean that someone with more hit points could suffer certain injuries that another person with fewer hit points could not? :confused:

I suspect he means you're more likely to when there's _less_ hit points left. JAGS uses something like that.

[frogspawner]

Wouldn't that mean that someone with more hit points could suffer certain injuries that another person with fewer hit points could not? :confused:

I suspect he means you're more likely to when there's _less_ hit points left. JAGS uses something like that.

I was trying not to clutter this thread with my own (slightly but hopefully not overly) complicated homebrew rules, but...

The system I use gives characters about half the usual RQ/BRP total hit points (but they stay alive until they go below -CON hp). Only roll location if the hit is significant. On +ve hps you're fine; 0hp or less the location hit is disabled (until healed); -5 or less it takes a serious wound (normally a break); -10 or less a critical wound (typically a sever/maim). I have a table of serious/critical wounds for each location (actually sub-locations, for a bit of variation).

So, sort-of, yes, someone with more HPs might sustain nastier wounds than another with fewer HPs - but he'd still be alive, and the weedier guy wouldn't.

I don't know 'JAGS' - is it like that?

[frogspawner]

With a mechanism to reward roleplaying, are we talking Hero Points again?

(Having at last found and read the Hero Points thread...) No, not necessarily, though perhaps similar. But I was thinking more of something like RQ2-style Defence, which would lessen the need for anything like Hero Points for fudging/backtracking. Only more generally applicable, like for falling off cliffs as well as combat.

[Atgxtg]

I was trying not to clutter this thread with my own (slightly but hopefully not overly) complicated homebrew rules, but...

The system I use gives characters about half the usual RQ/BRP total hit points (but they stay alive until they go below -CON hp). Only roll location if the hit is significant. On +ve hps you're fine; 0hp or less the location hit is disabled (until healed); -5 or less it takes a serious wound (normally a break); -10 or less a critical wound (typically a sever/maim). I have a table of serious/critical wounds for each location (actually sub-locations, for a bit of variation).

So, sort-of, yes, someone with more HPs might sustain nastier wounds than another with fewer HPs - but he'd still be alive, and the weedier guy wouldn't.

I don't know 'JAGS' - is it like that?

INstead of setting the brackets at -5HP and -10HP in a location, you could use 1/2HP and HP as the brackets.

[frogspawner]

INstead of setting the brackets at -5HP and -10HP in a location, you could use 1/2HP and HP as the brackets.

Thanks for your interest. Yes, could do. I just find using overall HP thresholds of -5/-10 simpler (so I don't have to track individual locations or calculate/remember different brackets for different characters/creatures).

[drohem]

I don't know 'JAGS' - is it like that?

It's a universal RPG like GURPS. Here is link to their website. You can dowload free copies. Also, I think that I saw it on Lulu.com if you want a print copy as well.

Jags RPG :: Jags - Not Just Another Gaming System

[Atgxtg]

Thanks for your interest. Yes, could do. I just find using overall HP thresholds of -5/-10 simpler (so I don't have to track individual locations or calculate/remember different brackets for different characters/creatures).

I did/anm doing something similar with my BRP variant. Rather than use Hit Points at I, I'm using a Wound Threshold idea (about 1./2 HP). Damage below it is a minor injury, above it a serious one, and every mutiple of the threshoild kicking up the severity to Mortal.

BAsically, a bunch of 2-3 point hits shoudln't kill you, at least not right away. With the Wound Threshold idea it takes a reeally good hit to kill someone outright. Although most wounds will kill you in time if not treated.

I went with something like 1D100+CON for the time, varying from S/R, rounds, hors and days depending on the serveirt of the injury.