How to handle Knockouts in Pulp Cthulhu

[Keeper Bolog]

Quote

For Pulp Cthulhu, a character can declare they are attempting to knock out their opponent. On the character’s turn in the DEX order, or if a surprise attack, treat this as a combat maneuver using a blunt attack (punch, club, rifle-butt, etc.) If the maneuver is successful, the opponent is rendered unconsciousness and only suffers only 1 hit point of damage.
Knockout attacks may be used on any opponent with a skull or similarly vulnerable spot (humans, deep ones, ghouls and so on, but not a shoggoth).

Hi Keepers, how do you handle Knockouts in Pulp Cthulhu games?

From my limited experience most enemies are human or human-ish creatures that have skulls or vulnerable spots so they are open to being knocked out. My fear is that this can end fights very quickly which for Pulp Cthulhu seems kinda .... boring? Maybe this is just my D&D brain wanting more complex combats but I would love your advice on this and how you guys handle it.

For example I am currently running Masks of Nyarlathothep and most enemies are human cultists, knocking them out easily with just one hit would be boring for the whole campaign...

Maybe I still need to get used to the Theater of Mind combat and how to handle movement without a battle map like D&D, any tips to help with that?

Thanks for all the advice and sorry for my probably dumb questions 🙂

 

[DreadDomain]

It is very pulp to be able to knock-out an opponent in one blow. It is still not that easy. First, trying to knockout bigger individual will inflict a penalty die per Built difference (impossible the intended target is more than 2 Built higher). Big, tough opponents will be hard to K-O. Second, unless surprised, they could attempt to Dodge. If they are the same built (ot lower) and are surprised, they will be vulnerable to that maneuver. Again, very pulp.

Having said that, when a rule in CoC or RQ is not to my liking, I often refer to BRP (or other BPR powered games). BRP imposes two conditions for a knockout attack:

• You must succeed a Hard roll
• You must roll your damage and the oppoment is knocked out only is the damage rolled would have caused a major wound. If so, the target is knocked out and they suffer 1 HP. If not, they suffer minimum rollable damage.

If you want to make KO attacks more difficult you could introduce one or both conditions from BRP. You could also choose the middle ground and impose the second condition (compare the damage rolled) on a normal success but wave it on a Hard success or better.

[DreadDomain]

Oh, just a thought, if you want to watch Pulp Cthulhu fights, I am currently watching The Two-Headed Serpent actual play on the Chaoisum You Tube channel. I have just watched episode 26 in Iceland and there is some good fights in it. It does show how the participants use a theater of the monf approach in one they describe their intent and actions while using the CoC combat mechanics.  

[Keeper Bolog]

35 minutes ago, DreadDomain said:

It is very pulp to be able to knock-out an opponent in one blow. It is still not that easy. First, trying to knockout bigger individual will inflict a penalty die per Built difference (impossible the intended target is more than 2 Built higher). Big, tough opponents will be hard to K-O. Second, unless surprised, they could attempt to Dodge. If they are the same built (ot lower) and are surprised, they will be vulnerable to that maneuver. Again, very pulp.

Having said that, when a rule in CoC or RQ is not to my liking, I often refer to BRP (or other BPR powered games). BRP imposes two conditions for a knockout attack:

• You must succeed a Hard roll
• You must roll your damage and the oppoment is knocked out only is the damage rolled would have caused a major wound. If so, the target is knocked out and they suffer 1 HP. If not, they suffer minimum rollable damage.

If you want to make KO attacks more difficult you could introduce one or both conditions from BRP. You could also choose the middle ground and impose the second condition (compare the damage rolled) on a normal success but wave it on a Hard success or better.

Thanks for the reply! Yes I know that I can use the regular CoC rules for knocking out (Major wounds) or as you suggested BRP rules (altough I don't have that rulebook).

I guess ultimately I need to "fix" my combats in theater of the mind so it's more clear who is in melee and can get knocked out and who is out of range. You said something about a live play of The Two Headed Serpent, I`ll give that a look and see how they handle the combat without a grid, cheers!

[Grimmshade]

I only use the KO rule when PC's (or NPC's) attack from surprise. Otherwise it's normal combat rules. (I mostly play with the Pulp Cthulhu rules, but I use this system with either)

[DreadDomain]

2 hours ago, Grimmshade said:

I only use the KO rule when PC's (or NPC's) attack from surprise. Otherwise it's normal combat rules. (I mostly play with the Pulp Cthulhu rules, but I use this system with either)

I like it, nice and simple. I would also allow it in combat once an opponent is somehow at a disadvantage (stun, incapacitated, just received a major wound)

[Keeper Bolog]

12 hours ago, Grimmshade said:

I only use the KO rule when PC's (or NPC's) attack from surprise. Otherwise it's normal combat rules. (I mostly play with the Pulp Cthulhu rules, but I use this system with either)

This sounds great! I already "pre-warned" my players that I won't allow knockout shenanigans and that they should mostly do it only during surprise and can always take the optional rule back but your idea is awesome, will probably use it!

[soltakss]

I match the damage done vs Hit Points on the Resistance Table, with a success meaning a knockout. So, if I do 5 points of damage against an opponent with 12 HPs then I match 5 vs 12, giving me a 15% chance, rolling 11 means the opponent is knocked out, rolling 34 means the knockout is unsuccessful. With Locational HP, I match the damage vs the Hit Location value, which makes it an easier roll, but CoC doesn't have locational hit point, I believe.