Correct Application of the First Blood Rule

[Supplement Four]

The First Blood rule in vanilla CT is notorious for being (1) a character killer and (2) poorly explained.

I'll admit, until recently, I really had no idea how to implement the rule properly.

Well, the Traveller Book, pg. 36, includes a buried example of the First Blood rule.

Here's how it's supposed to work during a game:

First off, the rule is only applied when a target is first wounded, and once that character takes damage, the First Blood Rule can no longer be applied to him.

Secondly, I'll demonstrate how the First Blood Rule is mean to be used by using an example.








You fire a weapon, hitting, doing 3D damage.

Then, you roll damage: 6, 3, 4.

Your target has stats: 777777.

You've got 13 points of damage, and you roll randomly, applying this damage to STR.

STR soaks up the "6" die and 1 point from the "3", rendering STR-0.

Stats now: 077

That leaves damage of: 2, 4.

At this point, you roll randomly to applie the single dice--not lump them as a whole as you did above.

So, once once stat is reduced to zero, the rest of the damage is applied randomly in groups of single dice.

So, the "2" is applied randomly to the target's END, making his stats: 075.

And, then the "4" is applied randomly to the target's DEX.

Stats now: 035.




OK, read the description of the First Blood Rule on pg. 36 of the Traveller Book. Follow my work above (which exactly mirrors the example)...

...and once you do that, anyone want to tell me why my ending stats above of 035 DON'T match what is printed in the example at 054?[/b]

Another type-o?

 

[Supplement Four]

The First Blood rule in vanilla CT is notorious for being (1) a character killer and (2) poorly explained.

I'll admit, until recently, I really had no idea how to implement the rule properly.

Well, the Traveller Book, pg. 36, includes a buried example of the First Blood rule.

Here's how it's supposed to work during a game:

First off, the rule is only applied when a target is first wounded, and once that character takes damage, the First Blood Rule can no longer be applied to him.

Secondly, I'll demonstrate how the First Blood Rule is mean to be used by using an example.








You fire a weapon, hitting, doing 3D damage.

Then, you roll damage: 6, 3, 4.

Your target has stats: 777777.

You've got 13 points of damage, and you roll randomly, applying this damage to STR.

STR soaks up the "6" die and 1 point from the "3", rendering STR-0.

Stats now: 077

That leaves damage of: 2, 4.

At this point, you roll randomly to applie the single dice--not lump them as a whole as you did above.

So, once once stat is reduced to zero, the rest of the damage is applied randomly in groups of single dice.

So, the "2" is applied randomly to the target's END, making his stats: 075.

And, then the "4" is applied randomly to the target's DEX.

Stats now: 035.




OK, read the description of the First Blood Rule on pg. 36 of the Traveller Book. Follow my work above (which exactly mirrors the example)...

...and once you do that, anyone want to tell me why my ending stats above of 035 DON'T match what is printed in the example at 054?[/b]

Another type-o?

 

[Whipsnade]

S4,

Definitely a typo. Or a typo and a editorial gaffe wrapped around each other.

I think they forgot they had already took one pip from the '3' and subtracted a pip from the '4' also. They then subtracted each die from from different stats, the adjusted '2' from DEX and the adjusted '3' from END.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

S4,

Definitely a typo. Or a typo and a editorial gaffe wrapped around each other.

I think they forgot they had already took one pip from the '3' and subtracted a pip from the '4' also. They then subtracted each die from from different stats, the adjusted '2' from DEX and the adjusted '3' from END.


Have fun,
Bill