| From: | TODD ROBBINS <digger-@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: SR Lethality Follow-up |
| Date: | Tue, 23 Dec 1997 20:09:53 -0600 |
> (1) Currently the basic combat test (in other words, for ranged, melee, magic,
> and so on) is an Opposed Test: whoever gets more successes (attacker or
> target) stages up or stages down the damage, as appropriate. How about
> changing this back to a Resisted Test: The attacker makes his test and stages
> the damage up, based on the number of successes. Then the defender makes his
> resistance test, staging down the damage from the result (after the attacker's
> test).
Actually I've tried both ways.. and the second method playtests out
with a lot of problems. The problem comes in with staging the attack
"Above Deadly" - since this technically isn't possible, you run into
some creatures, NPC's and even players that simply cannot be hurt at all
by weapons smaller than an SMG despite the skill of it's user. The
first method actually makes the system deadlier than the second.
> (2) For both the Attack and Resistance Tests, every two successes stages the
> Damage Level up (or down) by one step. Consider this idea: during the
> Attacker's Test, every *single* success stages the Damage Level up by one
> step; for the Resistance Test, it still takes two successes to stage the
> damage down one step.
Hmm.. that has possiblities. Unfortunatly that might make the game a
little too lethal. I'll run some numbers tonite and see what the
averages play out at.
> This should address two problems that have been mentioned: it's a lot easier
> for characters with low Combat Skills to achieve enough successes (before
> including Combat Pool dice) to do real damage, and now light pistolsand knives
> are a real threat (it only takes 3 successes to score these up from Light to
> Deadly damage, instead of 6). By leaving the Resistance Test unchanged, it
> shouldn't make it Shadowrun more lethal than it already is.
Personally I don't think people with low combat skills should have much
damage potential in combat without taking the time to aim. I think of
it as the "stay out of the way" syndrome. People who are not trained
for combat are usually far to busy trying to keep from getting killed
and as a result they don't shoot very straight or very well. If they
actually take the time to aim, it reduces their target numbers and
allows them to do more damage. I find this a more than adequate
simulation of reality. Just my opinion, but I think the damage system
is just fine as is.
> (3) Currently any additional successes (after scoring damage to Deadly) have
> no effect, unless using the optional Deadlier Over-damage Rules (either the
> FoF version or the SRComp version). Consider this idea: any "leftover"
> successes, after staging up the damage to Deadly, increases the target number
> for the Damage Resistance Test, at a rate of +1 for every *two* successes
> above and beyond.
Hmm.. now that also has some possiblities, but once again I'll have to
run some numbers to see how it plays out. But as I mentioned before, I
personally think the damage rules as is are just fine. Although you
might wish to suggest these as alternates in SR3, I for one thing it
would be very unfortunate to alter the original rules in this regard as
a baseline.
Digger
