A Whiteboard Discussion: An Alternate V2.2 Damage Model

[swaghauler]

I have been kicking around an alternate damage model for V2.2 (and V2) for a little while now. IF you have read my homebrewed rules, you know that I have a unitary damage model now where EVERY attack (HTH, Melee, and Firearms) does damage DICE instead of damage Points. You also know that I use a modified version of Fantasy Hero's STUN system for HTH/Less Lethal Combat. I add up all the STUN damage done, multiply it by a LOCATION Multiplier, and then apply it to a general pool of STUN points. To determine the KILLING DAMAGE a non-lethal attack does, I divide the total STUN (after location multiplier) by the target's CON score (rounding down).

So here's what I have been mulling.

First... I would give EVERY location 10 "Wound boxes" allocated at 2 per Wound Level (ie 2 each for *light, *moderate, serious, critical, and deadly wounds).

When an attack was made, the damage dice would be rolled as per normal. The dice would also be left on the table to be seen. The result (when totaled) would be the total STUN damage taken. To determine the number of WOUNDS inflicted, EACH Die would automatically inflict 1 Wound. So an M16A2 doing 3D10 damage would inflict a minimum of 3 Wounds. However, IF a damage die rolled a number that EXCEEDED the target's CON score, another Wound point would be inflicted by that die. IF the damage die EXCEEDED TWO TIMES the target's CON score, TWO additional wound points would be assessed for that damage die (for 3 points total). Wounds would then be counted for ALL the damage dice rolled and added to the hit location's track.

The idea behind this was...

1) To make smaller weapons appropriately lethal WITHOUT driving larger weapons into "instakill territory."
2) Give a bump to lethality while still having a PC's Attributes have an effect on damage.


I haven't truly mulled over the ramifications of this damage model yet but remember a couple of things when you are reading this...

- I use the multiple dice model even for melee weapons and HTH.
- I do use ALL of the dice so you will find weapons (primarily melee weapons and primitive projectile weapons) using D4, D6, D8, D10, & D12 to generate damages. Primarily you will use the D6 (for Pistols & Smgs) and the D10 (Rifles).

So... what are your thoughts on this idea?

*My Light wounds are essentially RAW v2.2's Scratch wounds, and Moderate wounds are RAW's Slight wound level.

[swaghauler]

One thing I'd change looking at this system is that I would now add a target's STR & CON together and use that number to divide the STUN damage by.
This would reduce the number of WOUNDS sustained by HTH back to a more realistic level than just using CON alone, which is calibrated for the damage model I posted in the Homebrew thread.

[swaghauler]

I did have another idea for damage under the V2/V2.2 rules. This version would be "grittier" and also bring Twilight2000 into alignment with Traveller.

As initially described above, you would roll the damage dice and count the result as STUN damage. Also, like the system above, you would count each die as 1 WOUND with any results exceeding the target's CON scored as an additional WOUND. Where this idea differs from the idea above is that those WOUND points would be distributed to all of the Character's Physical Attribute scores. So the damage would be split between the character's STR, CON, and AGL scores. If all of the scores remained positive, then you have a Light Wound with each point taking one day to heal. If a single Attribute score goes to 0 or less, then you have a Serious Wound, and each point of damage takes a week to heal until the score is positive. If two Attributes go to 0, you now have a Critical Wound and must make a check (CON + WILL) to stay conscious. Healing time per point will be a month to heal until you are down to only one Attribute score of 0 or lower. Three Attribute scores dropping to 0 or lower requires a save of [CON + WILL] or you are dying with your last gasp in CON in minutes. A successful save will allow you to try and regain consciousness (roll the AVERAGE of CON & WILL on 1D20) as well. Healing from a Deadly Wound (3 stats at 0-) takes 1 month per point healed until you reach only two Attributes at 0 or less.

Once again, this is only a starting "white board discussion" of an alternate damage system.