Damage in Traveller Combat, new version
- Thread starter 77topaz
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Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I basically use the combat system contained in Skirmish Wargaming by Don Featherstone. I am presently working on expanding it to include animals. Don sort of included horses in the table, but not explicitly. The problem with animals is the wide size range, rendering some weapons effectively useless unless used by an expert with a high skill level.
I do like the Role Master system of Critical Hits, however.
I am not a fan of the combat system of Traveller.
I do like the Role Master system of Critical Hits, however.
I am not a fan of the combat system of Traveller.
Cinematic, I just judge by the excess margin over the to hit, for critical effects, otherwise it's just make up something on the fly from the position of the shooter and target. Sometimes the dice are not used as the difficulty of the shot is so easy to be automatic, or so hard as to be impossible.
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
Combo of Striker and CT. Mostly char+skill tasks for hit determination with range determining difficulty, Striker weapons characteristics and damage level resolution, CT char damage.
- Striker table is used but almost more like a hit location with light being flesh wounds or extremities, serious larger bleeding wounds or broken bones, critical being organ or head damage,
- greater penetration doesn't create greater damage,
- Light 1D/Serious 3D/Critical 5D,
- +1D for energy/HE,
- skill alone can increase damage- or decrease it,
- daggers are as deadly as fusion guns,
- weapon characteristics are more about what armor can be penetrated at what range and how many people at a time,
- melee weapon table is not applied (to avoid the 1000 stabs mechanic),
- and damage applied as per CT shock check/post shock rules.
- strength=musculature and cardiac systems,
- dexterity=nervous system/athletic motion/reaction,
- endurance=immune system/digestive system/toughness,
- intelligence=intellect/brain,
- education=memory.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I should note that the Skirmish Wargaming combat system tends to be quite incapacitating to lethal. That does discourage players from getting into combat in the first place, unless firing from good cover in ambush.
I tend to use MgT1 damage style, as it is the version I run most often, and while similar to the CT/T4 style, it has some distinct differences from them.
Such as: It takes two attributes being zeroed to render you unconscious instead of just one, with one exception: If the first hit in combat zeros your End (and in that in MgT1, your End is always the first attribute hit), then your unconscious (unless you are using the optional rule for random initial damage, in which case you go unconscious if the first hit Zeros the attribute hit) .
I will have to admit though, more and more often, I am considering reverting to MTs damage system.
~Cryton
Edit: I chose the "Other" option as MgT1s and MgT2 are curiously absent from the list of choices.
Such as: It takes two attributes being zeroed to render you unconscious instead of just one, with one exception: If the first hit in combat zeros your End (and in that in MgT1, your End is always the first attribute hit), then your unconscious (unless you are using the optional rule for random initial damage, in which case you go unconscious if the first hit Zeros the attribute hit) .
I will have to admit though, more and more often, I am considering reverting to MTs damage system.
~Cryton
Edit: I chose the "Other" option as MgT1s and MgT2 are curiously absent from the list of choices.
Shouldn't the first option also include a reference to T5, given that's how combat damage is resolved in that ed as well?
Another system (Jovian Chronicles) had an interesting mechanism similar to the C1/3-reduced-to-0 system. Each character could take a certain number of hits that caused damage, each hit causing a variable amount tracked against HP or such. The total number of hits, however, even if it didn't kill them, would on reaching the character's limit render them unconscious or in a state of shock. I thought it was a neat way of maintaining the vulnerability of sophonts, though it took away some of the Die Hard-ishness sense in games.
Another system (Jovian Chronicles) had an interesting mechanism similar to the C1/3-reduced-to-0 system. Each character could take a certain number of hits that caused damage, each hit causing a variable amount tracked against HP or such. The total number of hits, however, even if it didn't kill them, would on reaching the character's limit render them unconscious or in a state of shock. I thought it was a neat way of maintaining the vulnerability of sophonts, though it took away some of the Die Hard-ishness sense in games.
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
That's why I prefer to use them. I'd rather have the characters / players want to avoid combat, particularly lethal combat, rather than happily engage in it.
I think the MT system is interesting, partly because I think it can be quite fast. Fugate talked about a prototype of a blitheringly-fast combat system that required a little setup (including lookups), but MT's system looks to be on par with Joe's target concept.
The other reason I find it interesting is that it enables mass combat.
Added.
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
Whoa whoa whoa!
I didn't put it together until now!
That Fugate is ALSO the Joe Fugate of model railroading fame!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Fugate
http://siskiyou-railfan.net/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v05t8leDyUk
homebrew system that locates the hit, allows aspect consideration, incorporates weapon skill in hit location, specifices regular damage by weapon/armor/techLevel, includes critical hit damage, and handles blood loss as a completely separate issue. allows role-played heroic action as a character, badly hit in let or arm, can carry on the fight as best he is able with whatever he has left.
A belated thanks to you for those links, I had no idea either. And thanks to whoever voted that brought up this topic for me to notice!
On the subject, I chose other as I am using a modified MgT2e combat system with location hits from Traveller's Digest #13, and other tweaks as I see the need.
