Re: 'Simulationist' Wound/Combat system for HW?

From: simon_hibbs2 <simon.hibbs_at_...>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2002 12:42:14 -0000

I like what I call the 'four strikes and you're out' concept - each round is resolved as a simple contest with levels of defeat/success cumulative untill one side or the other is pushed to Complete Defeat.

I firmly belive that the winner in a contest should determine the details of the outcome. If you want a wound system, you just allow combattants to decide to inflict wounds (persistent penalties on subsequent abilities) in place of inflicting levels of defeat. Marginal (-2), Minor (-4), Major (-8), Complete (half ability), or choose a defeat to wound exchange rate you prefer. I have experimented with this and it seems to work ok, but testing has not been rigorous.

If you choose to inflict wounds, you can just keep doing so untill your opponent is effectively at 0 in their ability, or just use wounds as a way to shift the odds in your favour and then switch to pushing them down the Hero Wars defeat ladder (Marginal>Minor> Major>Complete).

I a coup de grace roll should always be required to guarantee a kill, and if a player skips it then survival of the victim is at the GM's option.

In the vast majority of contest, most players just push their opponents down the defeat ladder, and polish them off with a CDG at the end. However the option (or threat) of inflicting or recieving actual wounds like this is IMHO a usefull one.

Simon Hibbs

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