Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Over the last year, I've developed an enhanced method of handling damage in my Classic Traveller campaign. I've touched on the system, here and there, in this post and that, but I've not put a spotlight on it like I'm doing in this thread.
As the method is working extremely well in my game, I thought I'd share.
Although I'm focussing this thread just on Damage, more information about my Enhanced CT Combat system can be read here.
DAMAGE
Damage, in my game, is doled out in two ways. There's single points of damage, and then there's damage rolled on a damage die.
-------------------------------------------------
Example
If you peruse my Enhanced Combat System, you'll see that some of the normal CT DMs have been moved around. Some DMs act on the attack roll while others act on the damage roll.
In Gun Combat, for instance, DMs obtained from a character's skill, DEX, and target range all act on the attack roll.
But, if the attack is successful, target armor DMs (both a base armor DM and an additional modifier vs. the specific weapon type) can either decrease or increase damage scored against an enemy.
A rifle hit, against an unarmored target, for example, will do damage on that target equal to: 3D +3
-------------------------------------------------
Single points of damage (the "+3" in the example above) can be taken against the three physical stats in any fashion the defender chooses. The hits represented by a single die, though, must be taken as a group of hits against a single physical stat (per vanilla CT damage rules), although different damage dice may be allotted against different phsical stats.
-------------------------------------------------
Example
When the Rifle (3D +3) damage is rolled, the results are: 2, 5, 6, 3.
The defender can break up the last 3 points in any fashion he wants, but the other damage must be taken as a group of 2, a group of 5, and a group of 6 against the physical stats (although each group may be applied to different stats).
-------------------------------------------------
Now, in my game, there are two flavors of damage: Lethal and Bruise damage.
Lethal damage is the type of damage that kills you quickly. Bruise damage can kill you, but more likely it will just knock you unconscious or stun you. Where as Lethal damage is deep cuts, gunshot wounds, bad burns, internal injuries and the like, Bruise damage is blunt trauma, lite scrapes, sprains, fatigue, bad bruises and so on.
Damage doled out in single points is always considered Bruise damage.
Damage doled out by a damage die can either be Bruise damage, or it may be Lethal damage.
How is it determined if damage doled out by a damage die is Lethal or Bruise damage?
Well, typically, it's not even thought of during a game. It's not important. But, if the distinction is made (maybe a PC medic wants to know for role playing purposes), damage dice are considered Lethal when they are applied randomly to a target's stats. Otherwise, when they are applied at the defender's discretion, they are considered Bruise damage.
RANDOM DAMAGE
Only damage dice can be applied randomly. Single damage points are always taken at the defender's discretion.
The number of random damage dice used on a damage throw is a function of the attack throw. The higher the total of the attack throw, the greater the number of dice used in the damage throw are applied randomly on a target.
In Classic Traveller, attacks are successful when the attack throw results in a total of 8 or higher. For every 2 points rolled over that attack target number (a roll of 10+...a roll of 12+....a roll of 14+...etc), one of the die used in the damage roll can be applied randomly.
Note that this rule does not increase the number of damage dice rolled. That stays the same. The attack roll only tells us how to apply that damage--either randomly or at the defender's choice. Better attacks (higher attack rolls) are rewarded with better damage (random application of damage rather than defender's choice).
Also note that the hit location chart, seen here, can alter the number of dice rolled randomly on a target, both up and down.
-------------------------------------------------
Example
A total of 13 was rolled on the Rifle attack throw in the above example, meaning that two damage dice are applied randomly to the target. The (3D +3) damage roll resulted in: 2, 5, 6, 3. This means the "2" and the "5" damage dice must be applied randomly to the target's stats, while the defender can choose how to apply the "6" die and the 3 extra points.
-------------------------------------------------
DEFENDER'S CHOICE
When a defender is applying non-random damage, he can apply the damage to his physical stats in any manner he sees fit as long as groups of hits on a single damage die are not broken up.
Once one of the defender's physical stats is reduced to zero, the defender can dump all Bruise damage into that stat--extra damage does not "carry over" onto other stats (effectively ignoring any extra Bruise damage once one stat is reduced to 0).
And, given the Stun rule, anytime one stat is reduced to 0, the affected character can make an END check (2D for END or less). If the Stun check is successful, the character is stunned for one round, but he's not knocked unconscious. His "0" stat is raised to "1", and he can continue the combat normally (if the Stun check fails, the character is knocked unconscious for 3D minutes).
-------------------------------------------------
Example
The target of the rifle shot was hit with an attack roll of 13. Damage from the shot is: 3D +3, and two of those damage dice will be applied randomly on the target.
The damage roll was: 2, 5, 6, 3.
The character who has been shot from this rifle has physical stats of 886. The "2" die, rolled randomly, reduced this character's STR score, while the "5" (again, rolled randomly) came off the character's DEX score.
So now, as the defender tries to allot the rest of the damage, the character's stats are 636.
Since the defender has to take the "6" die as a single group of hits against the character's physical stats, he has no choice but to reduce one stat to 0. But, once a single stat is reduced to 0, the Stun check comes into play, the defending player, in this instance, decides to reduce the character's DEX score to 0. And, with that stat at 0, he can dump all the other damage points into his zero DEX.
Now, the character's stats of 636 have been reduced to 606. The player has thrown the "6" damage die as well as all three single points into the DEX damage well. And, this is when the Stun check kicks in.
The character rolls 2D for 6-. If the roll is made, his stats will be raised to 616. If the check fails, the stats remain at 606 as the character goes unconscious for 3D minutes.
Either way, the character has only suffered from a Minor Wound (one stat at zero).
What does it take to hurt a character to a level more than Minor Wounds?
It takes Lethal damage...otherwise known as random damage.
-------------------------------------------------
FIRST EDITION CLASSIC TRAVELLER
Since the changes I've made to the damage system includes single damage points, a GM could, if he wanted, use the First Edition CT damage ratings for weapons instead of the (very similar to each other) ones you'll find in later editions of CT.
I'm thinking about doing this very thing in my game. I like the diversity it gives weapons.
For those of you without access to first edition CT, here are the damage codes for the basic weapons. If a basic weapon is not listed, then the damage code is the same as in later editions of CT.
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">1D +3 Claws
2D -3 Teeth
2D -5 Horns
2D -6 Hooves
2D +2 Thrasher
2D -3 Club
2D -3 Club
1D +4 Foil
2D +4 Cutlass
2D +2 Spear
3D -8 Body Pistol
3D -3 AutoPistol
3D -3 Revolver
4D -8 Carbine
3D -3 SMG</pre>[/QUOTE]Another neat little rule I like to use is for the Pike from 1st edition CT. It's a good rule to use with any polearm or other weapon with reach.
For these types of weapons, use the Short Range DM only on the 1st attack. Thereafter, use the weapon's Close Range DM.
This gives long weapons a bonus due to the reach the attacker has over the defender.
As the method is working extremely well in my game, I thought I'd share.
Although I'm focussing this thread just on Damage, more information about my Enhanced CT Combat system can be read here.
DAMAGE
Damage, in my game, is doled out in two ways. There's single points of damage, and then there's damage rolled on a damage die.
-------------------------------------------------
Example
If you peruse my Enhanced Combat System, you'll see that some of the normal CT DMs have been moved around. Some DMs act on the attack roll while others act on the damage roll.
In Gun Combat, for instance, DMs obtained from a character's skill, DEX, and target range all act on the attack roll.
But, if the attack is successful, target armor DMs (both a base armor DM and an additional modifier vs. the specific weapon type) can either decrease or increase damage scored against an enemy.
A rifle hit, against an unarmored target, for example, will do damage on that target equal to: 3D +3
-------------------------------------------------
Single points of damage (the "+3" in the example above) can be taken against the three physical stats in any fashion the defender chooses. The hits represented by a single die, though, must be taken as a group of hits against a single physical stat (per vanilla CT damage rules), although different damage dice may be allotted against different phsical stats.
-------------------------------------------------
Example
When the Rifle (3D +3) damage is rolled, the results are: 2, 5, 6, 3.
The defender can break up the last 3 points in any fashion he wants, but the other damage must be taken as a group of 2, a group of 5, and a group of 6 against the physical stats (although each group may be applied to different stats).
-------------------------------------------------
Now, in my game, there are two flavors of damage: Lethal and Bruise damage.
Lethal damage is the type of damage that kills you quickly. Bruise damage can kill you, but more likely it will just knock you unconscious or stun you. Where as Lethal damage is deep cuts, gunshot wounds, bad burns, internal injuries and the like, Bruise damage is blunt trauma, lite scrapes, sprains, fatigue, bad bruises and so on.
Damage doled out in single points is always considered Bruise damage.
Damage doled out by a damage die can either be Bruise damage, or it may be Lethal damage.
How is it determined if damage doled out by a damage die is Lethal or Bruise damage?
Well, typically, it's not even thought of during a game. It's not important. But, if the distinction is made (maybe a PC medic wants to know for role playing purposes), damage dice are considered Lethal when they are applied randomly to a target's stats. Otherwise, when they are applied at the defender's discretion, they are considered Bruise damage.
RANDOM DAMAGE
Only damage dice can be applied randomly. Single damage points are always taken at the defender's discretion.
The number of random damage dice used on a damage throw is a function of the attack throw. The higher the total of the attack throw, the greater the number of dice used in the damage throw are applied randomly on a target.
In Classic Traveller, attacks are successful when the attack throw results in a total of 8 or higher. For every 2 points rolled over that attack target number (a roll of 10+...a roll of 12+....a roll of 14+...etc), one of the die used in the damage roll can be applied randomly.
Note that this rule does not increase the number of damage dice rolled. That stays the same. The attack roll only tells us how to apply that damage--either randomly or at the defender's choice. Better attacks (higher attack rolls) are rewarded with better damage (random application of damage rather than defender's choice).
Also note that the hit location chart, seen here, can alter the number of dice rolled randomly on a target, both up and down.
-------------------------------------------------
Example
A total of 13 was rolled on the Rifle attack throw in the above example, meaning that two damage dice are applied randomly to the target. The (3D +3) damage roll resulted in: 2, 5, 6, 3. This means the "2" and the "5" damage dice must be applied randomly to the target's stats, while the defender can choose how to apply the "6" die and the 3 extra points.
-------------------------------------------------
DEFENDER'S CHOICE
When a defender is applying non-random damage, he can apply the damage to his physical stats in any manner he sees fit as long as groups of hits on a single damage die are not broken up.
Once one of the defender's physical stats is reduced to zero, the defender can dump all Bruise damage into that stat--extra damage does not "carry over" onto other stats (effectively ignoring any extra Bruise damage once one stat is reduced to 0).
And, given the Stun rule, anytime one stat is reduced to 0, the affected character can make an END check (2D for END or less). If the Stun check is successful, the character is stunned for one round, but he's not knocked unconscious. His "0" stat is raised to "1", and he can continue the combat normally (if the Stun check fails, the character is knocked unconscious for 3D minutes).
-------------------------------------------------
Example
The target of the rifle shot was hit with an attack roll of 13. Damage from the shot is: 3D +3, and two of those damage dice will be applied randomly on the target.
The damage roll was: 2, 5, 6, 3.
The character who has been shot from this rifle has physical stats of 886. The "2" die, rolled randomly, reduced this character's STR score, while the "5" (again, rolled randomly) came off the character's DEX score.
So now, as the defender tries to allot the rest of the damage, the character's stats are 636.
Since the defender has to take the "6" die as a single group of hits against the character's physical stats, he has no choice but to reduce one stat to 0. But, once a single stat is reduced to 0, the Stun check comes into play, the defending player, in this instance, decides to reduce the character's DEX score to 0. And, with that stat at 0, he can dump all the other damage points into his zero DEX.
Now, the character's stats of 636 have been reduced to 606. The player has thrown the "6" damage die as well as all three single points into the DEX damage well. And, this is when the Stun check kicks in.
The character rolls 2D for 6-. If the roll is made, his stats will be raised to 616. If the check fails, the stats remain at 606 as the character goes unconscious for 3D minutes.
Either way, the character has only suffered from a Minor Wound (one stat at zero).
What does it take to hurt a character to a level more than Minor Wounds?
It takes Lethal damage...otherwise known as random damage.
-------------------------------------------------
FIRST EDITION CLASSIC TRAVELLER
Since the changes I've made to the damage system includes single damage points, a GM could, if he wanted, use the First Edition CT damage ratings for weapons instead of the (very similar to each other) ones you'll find in later editions of CT.
I'm thinking about doing this very thing in my game. I like the diversity it gives weapons.
For those of you without access to first edition CT, here are the damage codes for the basic weapons. If a basic weapon is not listed, then the damage code is the same as in later editions of CT.
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">1D +3 Claws
2D -3 Teeth
2D -5 Horns
2D -6 Hooves
2D +2 Thrasher
2D -3 Club
2D -3 Club
1D +4 Foil
2D +4 Cutlass
2D +2 Spear
3D -8 Body Pistol
3D -3 AutoPistol
3D -3 Revolver
4D -8 Carbine
3D -3 SMG</pre>[/QUOTE]Another neat little rule I like to use is for the Pike from 1st edition CT. It's a good rule to use with any polearm or other weapon with reach.
For these types of weapons, use the Short Range DM only on the 1st attack. Thereafter, use the weapon's Close Range DM.
This gives long weapons a bonus due to the reach the attacker has over the defender.
