For Thought and Discussion _ Player Handbook

[Ackehece]

The combat consequences for the hit system is not well defined in t5.09 but was in T5.0 (pg 214) This should probably rectified in the Players Book. The T5.0 rules do work (with a bit of massage) I would suggest considering bringing back this section back.

"INJURY, WOUND, AND DAMAGE
Attacks produce a variety of injuries, wounds, and damage
against their targets.

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**** This paragraph from this section in T5 is controversial as this rule has a major bug. If fixed will make combat better, if not fixed leaving it out is fine****

NPC Effects
Attack effects against non-player characters rarely require
detailed results: what matters is if the target can continue
to resist or attack, or if it is simply eliminated from the
battle.
If a non-player target is hit and receives injury of 10 or
more, it is out-of-action. It cannot participate in the rest of the
battle. Ignore injury of 9 or less.
If a non-player object or vehicle is hit and receives damage
of 10 or more, it is out-of-action. It cannot participate in
the rest of the battle. Ignore damage of 9 or less.

The bug is that low damage weapons and melee combat don't work as 1D can never break 10 damage level.
An easy solution that I recommend is to reduce target damage to 6 unless armored, otherwise 10.
alternatively you could add 1D to all hits on NPCs by 1D or less weapons.




**** the following I find important and it is missing from T5.09: how damage is applied in combat****

Detailed Effects
During combat, Attack effects against player characters
impose specific short-term results on player characters.
At the moment of injury, these detailed effects reduce
the use of characteristics or senses, or may render the character
unconscious.
Detailed effects remain until they expire or until the end
of the combat situation.
Long Term Effects
Once combat is over, the consequences of any injury,
wounding, or damage must be determined.

(the following can be removed (to save textual space) as it does not apply to T5 other than as a connection to a previous system )

Hit System V0
Previous editions of Traveller have included a direct
Hit versus Characteristic wounding mechanism which is still
useful in some circumstances.

also this refers to Hit System V0 which is yet another hit system?






The rules for combat damage

Hits (injury, damage) points are applied to the target’s
(defending character’s) strength, dexterity, and endurance
on a temporary basis. Each die rolled (for example, each
of the two dice rolled in a hit result of 2D) is taken as a single
wound or group of hits, and must be applied to a single
characteristic. The wounded player may decide which physical
characteristic receives specific wound points in order to
avoid or delay unconsciousness for as long as possible.
The first wound received by any character, however, can
be sufficient to stun or daze him or her, and is handled differently.
This first wound is applied to one of the three physical
characteristics (C1 C2 C3) randomly. If that characteristic is
reduced to zero, then any remaining hits are then distributed
to the other physical characteristics on a random basis. As a
result, first blood may immediately incapacitate or even kill.
When any one characteristic is reduced to zero by
wounds, the character is rendered unconscious. When two
have been reduced to zero, the character has been seriously
wounded. When all three have been reduced to zero, the
character is dead.
Once a characteristic has been reduced
to zero, further points may not be applied to it; they must be
applied to other (non-zero) characteristics.

Post Combat and Combat Recovery
This could be in the BIG BLACK BOOK T5.1 as it is more referee than player

Unconscious characters (one characteristic reduced to
zero) recover consciousness after ten minutes (10 combat
rounds) with all three physical characteristics temporarily
placed at a value half way between full strength and the
wounded level. The individual has sustained minor wounds.
For example, a character with a Strength ==8 and wounded
to Strength ==4 (and rendered unconscious through the zeroing
of another characteristic) becomes Strength=6 when
he regains consciousness, and remains so until recovered.
Round fractions in favor of the character. A return to full
strength for the character requires medical attention (a medical
kit and an individual with at least Medical-1) or three days
of rest.
Unconscious characters with two characteristics reduced
to zero are seriously wounded and recover consciousness
after three hours. Their characteristics remain at
the wounded level (or 1, whichever is higher). Recovery is
dependent on medical attention (a medical facility and an individual
with Medical-3; recuperation to full strength without
medical attention is not possible)

 

[Ackehece]

these rules could still use clarity before they are used again.

Hits (injury, damage) points are applied to the target’s
(defending character’s) strength, dexterity, and endurance
on a temporary basis. Each die rolled (for example, each
of the two dice rolled in a hit result of 2D) is taken as a single
wound or group of hits, and must be applied to a single
characteristic.

I assume that mean all the damage from a 7D hit is allotted to a single wound. and then....

"The first wound received by any character, however, can
be sufficient to stun or daze him or her, and is handled differently.
This first wound is applied to one of the three physical
characteristics (C1 C2 C3) randomly. If that characteristic is
reduced to zero, then any remaining hits are then distributed
to the other physical characteristics on a random basis. As a
result, first blood may immediately incapacitate or even kill."

So does the second wound (wounds chosen by the defender) if they have excess damage remaining transfer hits to other physical characteristics on a random basis? The way the paragraph is written it could be interpreted as that only happens on the initial hit.

ie:
first hit 4D applied randomly to c2, some remaining transfers to c3 randomly
on the 2nd hit Does the excess damage from a 4D hit to C1 transfers randomly to c2 or c3?(I suppose c2 is already done so c3...)