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Your favorite damage system

Started by mcbobbo, October 19, 2012, 03:10:10 PM

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The Butcher

#30
October 21, 2012, 12:26:18 AM
I don't really have a favorite. I did like the oWoD death spiral (better than the nWoD treatment). I like the Legend/RQ6 take on hit locations and wounds. And I just love ACKS' 0hp and revival tables.

I do have a least favorite, though: Savage Worlds. I ran it almost to the exclusion of everything else for two years and I'm still not sure I did it RAW. I'm not opposed to the idea of a damage-save system, but SW's take on it is particularly grating.

Bill

#31
October 21, 2012, 07:05:44 AM
Quote from: Lynn;593546Yes, hard to beat the "smashed flat, use a spatula" result.

I am fond of the critical hit result "Foe staggers to a spot suitable for dying"

Catelf

#32
October 21, 2012, 08:23:44 AM
I like systems that are fast, so if there is another system except my own where damage is built into the skill/hit roll, id like that.
Otherwise it is my own, potetially deadly very fast, unless one has armor, and lacking that, perhaps most variants of the storytelling system.

I prefer when combat is dealt with fast, and thereby leaves more space for more combat and/or more roleplaying and/or skill tests, and so on.
I may not dislike D&D any longer, but I still dislike the Chaos-Lawful/Evil-Good alignment system, as well as the level system.
;)
________________________________________

Link to my wip Ferals 0.8 unfinished but playable on pdf on MediaFire for free download here :
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The Traveller

#33
October 21, 2012, 08:32:23 AM
Bare hit points do the job usually. The problem with more complex systems is you not only have to track them for the PCs, but for everyone else as well. A marvellously detailed hit location'ed damage track is awesome, but the accounting builds up quickly. One of those questions where the designer has to balance gameplay versus realism I suppose.

You could just call non-characters mooks and use simplified rules for them, but you're actually putting the PCs at a disadvantage there, since they have the fancy damage track and the mooks don't.

Sometimes I use a very limited version, whereby whoever gets to half hit points has a one point penalty on their action speed, which in wheel based intiative systems is quite severe.
"These children are playing with dark and dangerous powers!"
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A concise overview of GNS theory.
Quote from: that muppet vince baker on RPGsIf you care about character arcs or any, any, any lit 101 stuff, I\'d choose a different game.

John Morrow

#34
October 21, 2012, 10:08:20 AM
Quote from: Catelf;593638I like systems that are fast, so if there is another system except my own where damage is built into the skill/hit roll, id like that.

Fudge not only has the damage built into the to-hit roll but also has a simultaneous combat system option where the two opponents compare their results and better result, past a certain threshold, hits.  You can find the OGL Fudge SRD here.  The Fudge SRD is a bit of a "do it yourself kit" with a lot of options to choose from, but if you've written your own system, that shouldn't be a big problem for you and I think the core Fudge system (adjective ladder, resolution mechanic, simultaneous combat rules, and the wound system I mentioned above as my personal favorite) is worth looking at.
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The Butcher

#35
October 21, 2012, 03:51:00 PM
You can't beat flat HP values for simplicity, but I enjoy the idea of wounds mattering, and the idea that someone who lost 90% of his HP can fight just as well as a well-rested, full HP equivalent is kind of un-immersive at times. No biggie, but if a damage system can model wound penalties and/or fatigue without a lot of mechanical fuss, I tend to like it.

red lantern

#36
October 21, 2012, 04:04:03 PM
There was one problem with the while ICE system. Whle the crtitical hit charts were cool suppose you're aiming at a guy's head and you get a crit that says you shot him in the foot? Likewise what if you're firing out of a trench and it's impossible to hit you in the leg but sure enough the critical chart comes up with a leg hit?
With the crimson light of rage that burns blood red,
let evil souls be crushed by fear and dread.
With the power of my rightful hate
I BURN  THE EVIL! THAT IS MY FATE!

TristramEvans

#37
October 21, 2012, 04:13:34 PM
I always found WHFRPG's Crit system quite a bit more fluid and flavourful than Rolemaster's, but yeah, random hit locations are always a bit strange to me, especially when options like an opponent's "foot" is included, but I tended to look at it this way - unless the player is making a called shot, they are basically just taking any opening in the opponen't's defenses they can exploit.

Elfdart

#38
October 21, 2012, 10:20:53 PM
Quote from: Bill;593055For sheer awesome; Rolemaster

For low stress, dnd style HP are fine with me.


I find that many of the fancy ways to do dmage don't work for me.
Savage Worlds and Mutants and masterminds I am looking at you!

Rolemaster is for pussies.

If you want awesome, try Phoenix Command where you can get up to 5 MILLION points of damage to the heart when it only takes five points to kill a man!
Jesus Fucking Christ, is this guy honestly that goddamned stupid? He can\'t understand the plot of a Star Wars film? We\'re not talking about "Rashomon" here, for fuck\'s sake. The plot is as linear as they come. If anything, the film tries too hard to fill in all the gaps. This guy must be a flaming retard.  --Mike Wong on Red Letter Moron\'s review of The Phantom Menace

KenHR

#39
October 22, 2012, 11:18:24 AM
Quote from: red lantern;593769There was one problem with the while ICE system. Whle the crtitical hit charts were cool suppose you're aiming at a guy's head and you get a crit that says you shot him in the foot? Likewise what if you're firing out of a trench and it's impossible to hit you in the leg but sure enough the critical chart comes up with a leg hit?

RoleMaster (this is based on 2e) didn't have a mechanic to let you choose a hit location to strike at.

And the crit table descriptions were purely color.  The GM was expected to interpret the results to fit the situation.
For fuck\'s sake, these are games, people.

And no one gives a fuck about your ignore list.


Gompan
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Bill

#40
October 22, 2012, 11:24:51 AM
Quote from: red lantern;593769There was one problem with the while ICE system. Whle the crtitical hit charts were cool suppose you're aiming at a guy's head and you get a crit that says you shot him in the foot? Likewise what if you're firing out of a trench and it's impossible to hit you in the leg but sure enough the critical chart comes up with a leg hit?

What I did was change the description of the result from leg to shoulder; for example.

Catelf

#41
October 22, 2012, 01:12:53 PM
Quote from: John Morrow;593649Fudge not only has the damage built into the to-hit roll but also has a simultaneous combat system option where the two opponents compare their results and better result, past a certain threshold, hits.
Hmm ... fairly interesting, it is clearly quite a good system even for multi-genre games ...

However, it do feel a bit ... too "fudgy" ( :D ) for me, and i do not consider normal fighting to be resisted rolls either, unless the fighters involved do have some kind of more direct martial arts training.

You might be interested in looking on my core rules, too:
This link goes directly to the combat section.
http://catelf.webs.com/streedcorerulespg2.htm
I may not dislike D&D any longer, but I still dislike the Chaos-Lawful/Evil-Good alignment system, as well as the level system.
;)
________________________________________

Link to my wip Ferals 0.8 unfinished but playable on pdf on MediaFire for free download here :
https://www.mediafire.com/?0bwq41g438u939q

red lantern

#42
October 22, 2012, 03:18:29 PM
Quote from: KenHR;593942RoleMaster (this is based on 2e) didn't have a mechanic to let you choose a hit location to strike at.

And that was a major flaw.
With the crimson light of rage that burns blood red,
let evil souls be crushed by fear and dread.
With the power of my rightful hate
I BURN  THE EVIL! THAT IS MY FATE!

KenHR

#43
October 22, 2012, 03:36:46 PM
Quote from: red lantern;594008And that was a major flaw.

You seem so sure of that.  Why?
For fuck\'s sake, these are games, people.

And no one gives a fuck about your ignore list.


Gompan
band - other music

TristramEvans

#44
October 22, 2012, 06:18:09 PM
Quote from: Elfdart;593855Rolemaster is for pussies.

If you want awesome, try Phoenix Command where you can get up to 5 MILLION points of damage to the heart when it only takes five points to kill a man!

I tried to fire my gun when I played that game (or the Aliens version) in '99. I'm still waiting for my GM to figure out the math.
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