Hit Locations (a question for Jason & Sam)

[FunGuyFromYuggoth]

I first want to say that I am very happy with Jason (Durall) and Sam's (Johnson) update of the BRP rules in Edition Zero. I have been playing roleplaying games for going on 25 years now and was thrilled to see that somebody was going to try to bring it together. Excellent work! Thank you for your contribution to gaming!

I did want to query them on the rules about Hit Locations. I have been using the "Call of Cthulhu" hit location rules (first seen) in "Cthulhu Now." The spread of hit locations from 1-20 are slightly different between the version the new BRP rules and in "Call of Cthulhu." Can you tell me what the thought process was behind this decision? Thank you.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by FunGuyFromYuggoth

Can you tell me what the thought process was behind this decision? Thank you.

The hit locations in CoC were, if I guess correctly, emphasizing firearms as the primary weapons, or larger than human creatures swinging down at humans (both favor hits to the upper body over the legs).

I chose the hit location rules from RQ, as they emphasize a spread one would achieve in hand-to-hand combat. I've since added the "missile fire" hit location chart to the edits that Charlie is now integrating into the manuscript, so you've got the best of both worlds.

[Pnick]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

The hit locations in CoC were, if I guess correctly, emphasizing firearms as the primary weapons, or larger than human creatures swinging down at humans (both favor hits to the upper body over the legs).

I chose the hit location rules from RQ, as they emphasize a spread one would achieve in hand-to-hand combat. I've since added the "missile fire" hit location chart to the edits that Charlie is now integrating into the manuscript, so you've got the best of both worlds.

Good news. All the BRP players that I've ever played with (RQ III to be exact) believe that it is the realism of the hit location system (along with the strike rank procedure) that sets it apart - head and shoulders - from other games. I only hope that these key elements are not relegated to optional extras in future supplements. But looking at the contents table for BRP it looks like I shouldn't fear any such 'dumbing down'.

[FunGuyFromYuggoth]

Hit locations are entirely optional in "Call of Cthulhu" and one would have to hunt for it in a supplement to even see it. Combat in "Call of Cthulhu" is alot more freeform than RQ3, which IIRC RQ3 was criticized by some RQ2 players for making combat (and the system) a little more complicated than it needed to be. It was OOP by the time I came to the game, so I had no reference point.

I GM'ed RQ3 for several years and found the rules very playable and a huge leap over D&D, but I disliked the strike rank system and the sorcery section. The people who I played with were more passionate about the skill system and the magic system, plus the setting, and were unlikely to wax on about the elegance of strike ranks.

To me, strike ranks and hit locations are mechanics and don't stand out when there are so many other plusses to RQ3. Plus, in RL, people shoot or stab each other milliseconds apart, and double wounds/kills are more common than movies would have you believe. In my actual campaigns, the hit locations were used, but I preferred using one set and giving a plus or minus on the D20 to achieve a result that made more sense. I'd probably not use strike ranks and in the case of determining who hits first, use distance (missiles first), then skill level, then DEX to determine who gets to attack first. It gets the same thing done and I find it forces the player to think about the situation more tactically than relying on a static number generated weeks and months before based on numerous tables that produce similar results without any awareness of why they attack on Strike Rank 4.

[Dredj]

Does the new BRP rules book have comprehensive hit locations like in the ElfQuest rpg? I was hoping that CoC had them, but it doesn't.

I'm looking for hit location rules that determines what percentage of hit points (out of the total hit points) it takes to cause a limb to be severed or to determine when enough damage has been done to a certain limb to cause serious blood loss to occur (bleeding out); or to render the limb immobile.

[NickMiddleton]

Originally Posted by Dredj

Does the new BRP rules book have comprehensive hit locations like in the ElfQuest rpg? I was hoping that CoC had them, but it doesn't.

I'm looking for hit location rules that determines what percentage of hit points (out of the total hit points) it takes to cause a limb to be severed or to determine when enough damage has been done to a certain limb to cause serious blood loss to occur (bleeding out); or to render the limb immobile.

Yes, largely based on those from RQIII if memory serves.

Cheers,

Nick Middleton

[Dredj]

Originally Posted by NickMiddleton

Yes, largely based on those from RQIII if memory serves.

Cheers,

Nick Middleton

So RQIII and ElfQuest shared the same type of hit location styles? I remember ElfQuest gave a percentage of hit point per body part out of the total hit points. Each hit location had a different percentage.

[Dredj]

Also, is there a website that has these hit location rules?

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by Dredj

Does the new BRP rules book have comprehensive hit locations like in the ElfQuest rpg? I was hoping that CoC had them, but it doesn't.

I'm looking for hit location rules that determines what percentage of hit points (out of the total hit points) it takes to cause a limb to be severed or to determine when enough damage has been done to a certain limb to cause serious blood loss to occur (bleeding out); or to render the limb immobile.

There's a Major Wound table that provides a number of grievous wound effects, and is consulted when a character takes more than half his/her normal HP in one injury. It's the default system.

The optional Hit Location system covers what happens to each location (head, chest, abdomen, limbs), when damage meets the HP per location, exceeds it, and when it's at a negative value equal to the normal HP/location.

[Dredj]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

The optional Hit Location system covers what happens to each location (head, chest, abdomen, limbs), when damage meets the HP per location, exceeds it, and when it's at a negative value equal to the normal HP/location.

Just like in ElfQuest?