[peterb]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

You might take a look at Rolemaster Express (or HARP) for another system in which the quality of the dice roll directly affects the damage dealt.

One way of implementing such a system in BRP would be to compare what the two combatants rolled and add the difference as a damage bonus.

First you need to implement a method of finding out the relative level of success of any roll. A simple, yet elegant, method to solve this problem is to compare the tens of skill roll with the tens of the effective skill level. For example, assume that Abe and Bernie are competing in a poetry contest. For this purpose the GM uses the Oratory skill. Abe has skill 78% and Bernie 65%. If Abe rolls 50 and Bernie 46 then Abe’s relative level off success was 7 – 5 = 2 and Bernie’s was 6 – 4 = 2, it’s a tie.

Special successes increases the level of success by 150% and a critical increases it by 200%.

If the attacker manages to hit (his level of success is higher than 1) then use the following table:

Effect   Damage Bonus
1               1
2               1d3
3               1d6
4               1d8
5               1d10
6               2d6
7               2d8
8               3d6
9               2d10
10              4d6
each extra level adds +1d6 to the damage

A win by 5 or 6 points roughly equals an impale, double normal damage. A win by 8 points and up is similar to a critical. The bonus damage will defeat almost all types of armour making it similar in effect to a critical.

EDIT: One could also change the damage calculation completely and base it on the effectiveness of the blow, the damage bonus and add a bonus for the weapon used. The later would then be a fixed value. I would suggest using the average of the dice used (rounded down) - 1 and ignore any added value, i.e. a dagger would do 1 point of damage (2.5, rounded down, -1), a broadsword would do 2 points (3.5, rounded down, - 1) and a pole axe would do 6 points (3 times 3.5, rounded down, -1). A strong human of average size that managed a good hit with a sword would do 1d10 + 1d4 + 2 points of damage.

A successful parry would soak damage up to shields AP, a successful dodge would avoid the hit.