Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Tim Kerby <drekhead@***.NET>
Subject: Expanded Knockdown rules revisited
Date: Sat, 9 May 1998 21:20:52 -0500
I would love some feedback on these rules I came up with. I posted
this a few days ago, but twice I listed the wrong URL, and several
people that I have spoken with say they didn't see it, so here it is
again:

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/6990/newrules.html

This is an expanded version of the Knockdown rules, and the first
part of the critical hit/expanded combat rules I am working on.

I look forward to your comments!

Thanks.
--

=================================================================
- Tim Kerby - |"Let's face it. Sometimes you're
- drekhead@***.net - | the pigeon, and sometimes
-drekhead@*********.com - | you're the statue."
ICQ - UIN 2883757 | -Unknown
Message no. 2
From: Danyel N Woods <9604801@********.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Expanded Knockdown rules revisited
Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 12:03:04 +1200
Quoth Tim (Drekhead) Kerby (1421 10-05-98 NZT):

>I would love some feedback on these rules I came up with. I
posted
>this a few days ago, but twice I listed the wrong URL, and
several
>people that I have spoken with say they didn't see it, so here
it is
>again:
>
>http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/6990/newrules.html
>
>This is an expanded version of the Knockdown rules, and the
first
>part of the critical hit/expanded combat rules I am working on.
>
>I look forward to your comments!
>
>Thanks.

Not a problem.

Well, you and James Ojaste covered the only points I could come up with
(pain-editors etc. and the alternating audibles), so as far as I can
see, it's pretty good: quick, simple, easy to use.

The only thing is, (struggling for realism AND simplicity), unless you
roll a double six AND have a deadly wound, it's impossible to suffer a
major internal bleed. From what little armchair expertise I have about
combat, ANY time you get shot you run the risk of shock and major
internal bleeding.

How about a sub-table? If the roll plus the wound modifier is in the
13-16 range, roll 1d6 on a sub-table (*twice for a Deadly wound*): 1-2
gives 'breathing difficulty', 3-4 gives 'broken bone', and 5-6 gives
'haemorrhage' (*ignore duplicates for Deadly*). This consumes little
extra time, and (especially for deadly wounds) gives truly deadly and
realistic results, which is good for RP: broken bone + breathing
difficulty = a lung punctured by a rib, breathing difficulty +
haemorrhage means a sucking chest-wound, et cetera.

As to shock, a Body test *using natural body only* against (6+(wound
modifier)) is needed; failure indicates the victim goes into shock. You
could modify this roll by *half* the level of any installed Damage
Compensators, but no other mods I can think of at the moment.

Why *natural* body? One, it helps scare the cybermonsters <EGMG>. Two,
it emphasises the fact that if you get hurt, you *GET HURT* (to quote
the immortal Blackjack). Three, you've already used the body modifiers
from dermal armour/whatever for the damage-resistance test; you
shouldn't get the same bonus twice. More in-character, shock is a
function of your body's ability to cope with the damage, not how thick
is the dermal whatever that you bought.

Of course, this comes from a man who's still trying to work out the
right cinema/lethality balance in his campaign, so...well, YMMV.

Danyel Woods
9604801@********.ac.nz
'Are you deliberately trying to drive me insane?'
'The universe is already mad. Anything else would be
redundant.'
Message no. 3
From: Tim Kerby <drekhead@***.NET>
Subject: Re: Expanded Knockdown rules revisited
Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 10:25:10 -0500
On 11 May 98 at 12:03, Danyel N Woods wrote:

> The only thing is, (struggling for realism AND simplicity), unless
> you roll a double six AND have a deadly wound, it's impossible to
> suffer a major internal bleed. From what little armchair expertise
> I have about combat, ANY time you get shot you run the risk of shock
> and major internal bleeding.

True. Further research on my part indicates that as well.

> How about a sub-table? If the roll plus the wound modifier is in
> the 13-16 range, roll 1d6 on a sub-table (*twice for a Deadly
> wound*): 1-2 gives 'breathing difficulty', 3-4 gives 'broken bone',
> and 5-6 gives 'haemorrhage' (*ignore duplicates for Deadly*). This
> consumes little extra time, and (especially for deadly wounds) gives
> truly deadly and realistic results, which is good for RP: broken
> bone + breathing difficulty = a lung punctured by a rib, breathing
> difficulty + haemorrhage means a sucking chest-wound, et cetera.

I like it, especially the combination results.

> As to shock, a Body test *using natural body only* against (6+(wound
> modifier)) is needed; failure indicates the victim goes into shock.
> You could modify this roll by *half* the level of any installed
> Damage Compensators, but no other mods I can think of at the moment.

I didn't include a resistance roll to keep things simple, but it does
make since. Maybe what I will do is add a resistance roll, using
natural body as you suggest below, but also make the effects of shock
more detrimental (like, last longer). How about that?

> Why *natural* body? One, it helps scare the cybermonsters <EGMG>.
> Two, it emphasises the fact that if you get hurt, you *GET HURT* (to
> quote the immortal Blackjack). Three, you've already used the body
> modifiers from dermal armour/whatever for the damage-resistance
> test; you shouldn't get the same bonus twice. More in-character,
> shock is a function of your body's ability to cope with the damage,
> not how thick is the dermal whatever that you bought.

All good points. I agree that natural body should be used.

> Of course, this comes from a man who's still trying to work out the
> right cinema/lethality balance in his campaign, so...well, YMMV.

As a like minded individual, I appreciate your help.
Thanks.

--
=================================================================
- Tim Kerby - drekhead@***.net - ICQ-UIN 2883757 -
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Reality is the only obstacle to happiness." - Unknown
Message no. 4
From: Danyel N Woods <9604801@********.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Expanded Knockdown rules revisited
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 12:06:33 +1200
Quoth Tim (Drekhead) Kerby (0325 12-5-98 NZT):

<<<SLICE>>>
>> As to shock, a Body test *using natural body only* against (6+(wound
>> modifier)) is needed; failure indicates the victim goes into shock.
>> You could modify this roll by *half* the level of any installed
>> Damage Compensators, but no other mods I can think of at the moment.
>
>I didn't include a resistance roll to keep things simple, but it does
>make since. Maybe what I will do is add a resistance roll, using
>natural body as you suggest below, but also make the effects of shock
>more detrimental (like, last longer). How about that?

Sounds fair enough to me. (Damn, you know you've arrived when a
major-leaguer like Drekhead takes you seriously:-)!)

>> Why *natural* body? One, it helps scare the cybermonsters <EGMG>.
>> Two, it emphasises the fact that if you get hurt, you *GET HURT* (to
>> quote the immortal Blackjack). Three, you've already used the body
>> modifiers from dermal armour/whatever for the damage-resistance
>> test; you shouldn't get the same bonus twice. More in-character,
>> shock is a function of your body's ability to cope with the damage,
>> not how thick is the dermal whatever that you bought.
>
>All good points. I agree that natural body should be used.
>
>> Of course, this comes from a man who's still trying to work out the
>> right cinema/lethality balance in his campaign, so...well, YMMV.
>
>As a like minded individual, I appreciate your help.
>Thanks.

Don't mention it. My players are gonna either gonna *love* or *hate* me
when I use these rules...but then again, it cuts both ways. <Mental
images of movie cliches: villain getting riddled with lead, then making
dramatic speech as he lies dying...'dead' goon back-shooting a PC as
they 'win'...wounded (dying?) hero making the 'get outta here, I'll
cover you' speech...> Damn :-).

What can I say but *YOU THE MAN!!!*

Danyel Woods
9604801@********.ac.nz
'Are you deliberately trying to drive me insane?'
'The universe is already mad. Anything else would be
redundant.'

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Expanded Knockdown rules revisited, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!