Stunned!

[Supplement Four]

Classic Traveller Rule: When a character has one stat go to 0, he's unconscious. He'll come-to in about 10 minutes, and at that time, his wounded stat will be raised to half it's normal value. If treated by a medic, this character will be fully recovered in about half an hour. And, if he doesn't get some medical attention, his stats will slowly creep back to normal over a three day period.


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A CT character having one stat go to 0 really isn't all that bad. I mean, sure, falling unconscious in a gunfight might be just as dangerous as getting killed (because you're at the mercy of those still conscious), but if you aren't injured further when you're out, you'll recover fairly quickly when you wake up.

It's not like you need surgery and hostpital time like you do when two stats go to zero....

I've often thought about this method that CT uses for wounds. It's kinda neat. I like it. One stat going to zero is what you have to make if you want to knock a character out.

One stat at zero is like a serious stun....


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Let me digress a moment. A few years ago, me and a buddy of mine were riding on some pretty serious bike trails. He got going a little fast as he went down the side of a hill, couldn't stop his bike, and slammed into a tree.

The dude went down for a moment. He wasn't quite "knocked out", but he was definitely dazed. If he lost consciousness, it was only for a moment--like a few seconds and no more.

But, after a few minutes, he was as OK as ever, and we continued on our bike trek.

I remember wondering at that time (after I made sure he was OK, of course) how that situation could be modeled in Traveller.

And, that's led me to a little tweak of the rule above....

Check this out and tell me what you think.


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STUN!


Whenever a character has one stat go to zero, he makes a check against his current level of END.

2D for END or less

If check is successful: The character is stunned/incapacitated/unconscious for 1D combat rounds, after which time his stats are placed halfway between their wounded and maximum values. He will heal from this point as normal for Minor wounds.

If check is successful and doubles are thrown on the dice: The character is stunned/incapacitated/unconscious for 1D minutes, after which time his stats are placed halfway between their wounded and maximum values. He will heal form this point as normal for Minor wounds.

If check fails: The character is stunned/incapacitated/unconscious for 3D minutes and recovers from this point as normal for Minor wounds.


=================================================


This is a "version" of the blanket CT rule (referred to at the top of this post) that allows characters to "go-out" for just a combat round or two, depending on their injury. A character might be out for just 2 minutes rather than a static 10 minutes listed in the CT rules. Or, a character may be out for a bit longer (max of 18 minutes), if he fails the check and rolls trip 6's on his time roll.

Using this rule, the situation that I described with my buddy crashing into the tree can happen.

Also, getting knocked out doesn't seem so "static". When people are knocked unconscious, it's not always for 10 minutes. They may be out a moment or two...or a couple of minutes...or close to half an hour.

This rule tweak brings all that into play with a little, simple, game mechanic.

I'm going to test this out in my game tomorrow.

Thoughts?

 

[Supplement Four]

Classic Traveller Rule: When a character has one stat go to 0, he's unconscious. He'll come-to in about 10 minutes, and at that time, his wounded stat will be raised to half it's normal value. If treated by a medic, this character will be fully recovered in about half an hour. And, if he doesn't get some medical attention, his stats will slowly creep back to normal over a three day period.


-------------------------------------------------


A CT character having one stat go to 0 really isn't all that bad. I mean, sure, falling unconscious in a gunfight might be just as dangerous as getting killed (because you're at the mercy of those still conscious), but if you aren't injured further when you're out, you'll recover fairly quickly when you wake up.

It's not like you need surgery and hostpital time like you do when two stats go to zero....

I've often thought about this method that CT uses for wounds. It's kinda neat. I like it. One stat going to zero is what you have to make if you want to knock a character out.

One stat at zero is like a serious stun....


-------------------------------------------------

Let me digress a moment. A few years ago, me and a buddy of mine were riding on some pretty serious bike trails. He got going a little fast as he went down the side of a hill, couldn't stop his bike, and slammed into a tree.

The dude went down for a moment. He wasn't quite "knocked out", but he was definitely dazed. If he lost consciousness, it was only for a moment--like a few seconds and no more.

But, after a few minutes, he was as OK as ever, and we continued on our bike trek.

I remember wondering at that time (after I made sure he was OK, of course) how that situation could be modeled in Traveller.

And, that's led me to a little tweak of the rule above....

Check this out and tell me what you think.


=================================================
STUN!


Whenever a character has one stat go to zero, he makes a check against his current level of END.

2D for END or less

If check is successful: The character is stunned/incapacitated/unconscious for 1D combat rounds, after which time his stats are placed halfway between their wounded and maximum values. He will heal from this point as normal for Minor wounds.

If check is successful and doubles are thrown on the dice: The character is stunned/incapacitated/unconscious for 1D minutes, after which time his stats are placed halfway between their wounded and maximum values. He will heal form this point as normal for Minor wounds.

If check fails: The character is stunned/incapacitated/unconscious for 3D minutes and recovers from this point as normal for Minor wounds.


=================================================


This is a "version" of the blanket CT rule (referred to at the top of this post) that allows characters to "go-out" for just a combat round or two, depending on their injury. A character might be out for just 2 minutes rather than a static 10 minutes listed in the CT rules. Or, a character may be out for a bit longer (max of 18 minutes), if he fails the check and rolls trip 6's on his time roll.

Using this rule, the situation that I described with my buddy crashing into the tree can happen.

Also, getting knocked out doesn't seem so "static". When people are knocked unconscious, it's not always for 10 minutes. They may be out a moment or two...or a couple of minutes...or close to half an hour.

This rule tweak brings all that into play with a little, simple, game mechanic.

I'm going to test this out in my game tomorrow.

Thoughts?

 

[Border Reiver]

I like this but if we are going to cover a rapid recovery perhaps we should look at the other end of the spectrum.

In my job there are various levels of consciousness identifiable, this is known as the Glasgow Coma Scale giving a score of 3 (out cold) to 15 (fully conscious). One thing that always surprises/scares me is the body's resistance to a head injury. The scariest of all is the lucid interval. This occurs in severe head trauma (closed and open) where the patient regains full consciousness and capabilities after a few minutes k.o'd. This interval may last up to a couple of hours followed by sudden unconsciousness and rapid deterioration caused by a rise in cranial pressure----->death. All head trauma is potentialy fatal.

Perhaps there could be a mechanic that allows a character to continue combat after 2 or all stats are reduced to zero.

 

[Border Reiver]

I like this but if we are going to cover a rapid recovery perhaps we should look at the other end of the spectrum.

In my job there are various levels of consciousness identifiable, this is known as the Glasgow Coma Scale giving a score of 3 (out cold) to 15 (fully conscious). One thing that always surprises/scares me is the body's resistance to a head injury. The scariest of all is the lucid interval. This occurs in severe head trauma (closed and open) where the patient regains full consciousness and capabilities after a few minutes k.o'd. This interval may last up to a couple of hours followed by sudden unconsciousness and rapid deterioration caused by a rise in cranial pressure----->death. All head trauma is potentialy fatal.

Perhaps there could be a mechanic that allows a character to continue combat after 2 or all stats are reduced to zero.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Border Reiver:
Perhaps there could be a mechanic that allows a character to continue combat after 2 or all stats are reduced to zero.

What do you suggest?

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Border Reiver:
Perhaps there could be a mechanic that allows a character to continue combat after 2 or all stats are reduced to zero.

What do you suggest?

 

[mike wightman]

Simplest way would be an Endurance check after one characteristic is reduced to zero (make it and it is temporarily treated as half), and a more difficult Endurance check if two are reduced to zero (if made, temporarily treat each stat as half).
Each time a stat is reduced to zero again make an even more difficult End check, and keep a note of how many extra serious wounds have been inflicted, because once combat is over there are going to be End rolls for shock, blood loss, and medical rolls are going to be more difficult for each serious wound.

Did that make sense?

 

[mike wightman]

Simplest way would be an Endurance check after one characteristic is reduced to zero (make it and it is temporarily treated as half), and a more difficult Endurance check if two are reduced to zero (if made, temporarily treat each stat as half).
Each time a stat is reduced to zero again make an even more difficult End check, and keep a note of how many extra serious wounds have been inflicted, because once combat is over there are going to be End rolls for shock, blood loss, and medical rolls are going to be more difficult for each serious wound.

Did that make sense?

 

[mike wightman]

Example.

Abb 7 7 7, is shot and reduced to 0 6 4.

He makes his Endurance check so he remains conscious with stats of (3) 6 4.

He is wounded again, this time he spreads the damage to (2) 3 0

This makes him seriously injured, but he makes his difficult End check, so he is now (2) 3 (3)

Next time he is injured he has no real choice but to go to 0 1 0 (if he'd reduced his End to 0 he would have died immediately the combat ended).

Amazingly he makes his difficult End check (don't forget to use the unwounded values for the check)
so he is [3] 1 [3].

Combat ends, his stats drop to 0 1 0 and he has taken three serious wounds, making his shock and blood loss rolls more difficult, and making it more difficult for the medics to treat him.

 

[mike wightman]

Example.

Abb 7 7 7, is shot and reduced to 0 6 4.

He makes his Endurance check so he remains conscious with stats of (3) 6 4.

He is wounded again, this time he spreads the damage to (2) 3 0

This makes him seriously injured, but he makes his difficult End check, so he is now (2) 3 (3)

Next time he is injured he has no real choice but to go to 0 1 0 (if he'd reduced his End to 0 he would have died immediately the combat ended).

Amazingly he makes his difficult End check (don't forget to use the unwounded values for the check)
so he is [3] 1 [3].

Combat ends, his stats drop to 0 1 0 and he has taken three serious wounds, making his shock and blood loss rolls more difficult, and making it more difficult for the medics to treat him.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Simplest way would be an Endurance check after one characteristic is reduced to zero....


Did that make sense?

Sure does. I was thinking along the same lines.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Simplest way would be an Endurance check after one characteristic is reduced to zero....


Did that make sense?

Sure does. I was thinking along the same lines.