Hit points, locations, damage, etc.

[Kloster]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

BRP really isn't that deadly. The ability to kill with one hit is fairly low, and in most cases restricted to impaling weapons that critical. BRP is more lethal than, say, D&D, but there are deadlier games.
...

The ability to kill with one hit in real life is also fairly low. So, BRP lethality pleases me. But if the setting don't require it, I don't wan't EXTRA lethality.

And I agree, there are deadlier games. Some settings required it (cyberpunk for instance).

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by Kloster

The ability to kill with one hit in real life is also fairly low. So, BRP lethality pleases me. But if the setting don't require it, I don't wan't EXTRA lethality.

Kloster

Yeah, but major wounds actually reduce the lethality, as they cause characters to drop. Players otherwise would fight on until they ran out of hit points.

[Nightshade]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

BRP really isn't that deadly. The ability to kill with one hit is fairly low, and in most cases restricted to impaling weapons that critical. BRP is more lethal than, say, D&D, but there are deadlier games.

I think as of RQ3 you're underrating how bad it could be; almost any crit, impaling or not, could be pretty lethal for characters without a good Size and Con if it hit head or possibly chest. The change between RQ2 and RQ3 in regard to the threshold effects for negative values in these locations could be unforgiving (which is one reason it changed again when RQ: AIG was under development).

One thing about hit locations and Major Wound charts is that they tend to make the game less deadly, as they increase the chances of a character being taken out of a fight while still alive.

Yes and no. Locations make you more likely to go down without dying from THP, but the torso and head location hits can be potentially lethal much more quickly.

[Nightshade]

[Sorry, doublepost].

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

I think as of RQ3 you're underrating how bad it could be; almost any crit, impaling or not, could be pretty lethal for characters without a good Size and Con if it hit head or possibly chest. The change between RQ2 and RQ3 in regard to the threshold effects for negative values in these locations could be unforgiving (which is one reason it changed again when RQ: AIG was under development).



Yes and no. Locations make you more likely to go down without dying from THP, but the torso and head location hits can be potentially lethal much more quickly.

Head hits yeah, and the same for abdomen, since they were set at 1/3rd HP. Chest a bit less so, since it was at .40 HP. But with the melee hit location chart there was only a 30% chance of getting a hit on the abdomen, chest, or head, with 70% of all hits going to limbs.

[Kloster]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Yeah, but major wounds actually reduce the lethality, as they cause characters to drop. Players otherwise would fight on until they ran out of hit points.

This is exactly my point. With the MWT, this is random. With the hit locations, player choose to remain or not (if they are not disabled). If they die, this is their choice to have taken the risk (barring the disabling or killing blows).

I never complained about BRP being lethal, I like that. But I like to be able to choose my strategies. I can choose to be heroic and having a high chance to die, or backing out and play safer.

What I don't like is the random extra lethality, especially (as noted) when coupled with random armor.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[Nightshade]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Head hits yeah, and the same for abdomen, since they were set at 1/3rd HP. Chest a bit less so, since it was at .40 HP. But with the melee hit location chart there was only a 30% chance of getting a hit on the abdomen, chest, or head, with 70% of all hits going to limbs.

It only needs one, however, and over the course of their career a lot of attacks are launched at a character; sometimes a lot are launched at _someone_ in even a single game. Look at the likelyhood, overall, of rolling at least _one_ 01 over successive percentile rolls some time. Its instructive how quickly it racks up.

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

It only needs one, however, and over the course of their career a lot of attacks are launched at a character; sometimes a lot are launched at _someone_ in even a single game. Look at the likelyhood, overall, of rolling at least _one_ 01 over successive percentile rolls some time. Its instructive how quickly it racks up.

True, but the same effect applies in BRP. A crtical from an implaling weapon like a spear or sword is typically going to do enough damage to kill a character. An 18 point arrow or spear hit that bypasses armor will kill over 99% of PCs. So the hit locations don't make the game any more deadly as far as crticals are concerned.

[Kloster]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

True, but the same effect applies in BRP. A crtical from an implaling weapon like a spear or sword is typically going to do enough damage to kill a character. An 18 point arrow or spear hit that bypasses armor will kill over 99% of PCs. So the hit locations don't make the game any more deadly as far as crticals are concerned.

In fact, in that case, hit locations reduce lethality because the damage done can not bring the location below destruction (minus starting value) and the THP taken is equal to the damage taken to the location. Of course, if the location is head, chest or abdomen, this is instant death.
So, for criticals, I agree, hit locations don't change anything.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

[Enpeze]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

BRP really isn't that deadly. The ability to kill with one hit is fairly low, and in most cases restricted to impaling weapons that critical. BRP is more lethal than, say, D&D, but there are deadlier games.

Really? Which games do you know? I guess you meant Harn, Riddle of Steel...?