Flat rate of damage: An optional damage system

[Enkill]

Hi everyone,

Lately, I've been thinking about developing a system for damage for pathfidner and other d20 based games that applies a static number of Hit points to every attack for both characters and monsters, instead of making the damage rolls random.

So a weapon that does 2d6 damage might do 6 points of damage on a regular hit, and 12 points on a crit before other weapon and strength bonuses are added.

The idea is to speed up combat a bit, but I'm unsure if this would hurt the game or not.

Thoughts?

 

[amerigoV]

If you are going to go that route, I would be tempted to give (1) Max HPs and assume damage rolls are at Max damage. Otherwise, I would do average HPs and average damage (2d6 would average 7 over the long haul).

 

[Enkill]

Good idea. Thanks!

 

[Tonguez]

I'v toyed with Hits system for Mooks where damage is elimimated and only hits matter at a rate of 1 hit per CR. Ie a CR 1 creature will go down to one successful hit, whereas a stronger CR 3 will need 3 successful j hits.

Fun for mooks, but gets complicated at high levels

 

[Zhaleskra]

I have a game that usually does this, except it's based on the weapon, not the target. The main die in this game is also a d20.

 

[Enkill]

I have a game that usually does this, except it's based on the weapon, not the target. The main die in this game is also a d20.

In Pathfinder?

 

[Enkill]

I'v toyed with Hits system for Mooks where damage is elimimated and only hits matter at a rate of 1 hit per CR. Ie a CR 1 creature will go down to one successful hit, whereas a stronger CR 3 will need 3 successful j hits.

Fun for mooks, but gets complicated at high levels

That's interesting, sort of reminiscent of how Savage Worlds handles Extras; One wound and they're down.

 

[Zhaleskra]

In Pathfinder?

No, by mentioning another game I meant that the game was not included in your list. The damage usually isn't flat either. Most of the time it's based off a calculation that uses the character's Strength. Generally some innate modifier + characters Strength (or Strength/2, rounded up or down depending on whether it says Str/2 or 1/2Str).

However; you also said d20-based, which is similar to yet different from d20 System or D&D/Pathfinder.

 

[Argyle King]

No, by mentioning another game I meant that the game was not included in your list. The damage usually isn't flat either. Most of the time it's based off a calculation that uses the character's Strength. Generally some innate modifier + characters Strength (or Strength/2, rounded up or down depending on whether it says Str/2 or 1/2Str).

However; you also said d20-based, which is similar to yet different from d20 System or D&D/Pathfinder.

GURPS does something like that. Damage isn't static in the way that the OP mentioned, but damage is based on character strength. Weapons then have a 'static' modifier to what the character can do.

For example, a small dagger might simply change damage from crushing (what unarmed attacks typically do) to cutting (for a slash) or impaling (for a thrust.) On the other hand, a big weapon like a battle axe might say something like "swing+4" in the damage entry. (Note that I'm not looking at books; this is simply an arbitray example to show how it works.) What that would mean in game terms is that the weapon would (with a swing) do whatever the character's swing damage is plus four more.


If you're looking to go completely static, that's not hard to do. Figure out what the average values of dice are and convert damage to that. For example, the average value of a d6 is 3.5; as such, a weapon which would normally do a d6 would do either 3 or 4 damage (depending on if you round up or not; most rpgs assume rounding down except in specific cases.) For critical hits, you could either multiply the base value in the manner of D&D 3rd Edition; so a d6 weapon with a x2 multiplier would do 7 damage on a critical hit. Another option would be saying that normal hits do average values, and critical hits do full die values. In this case, the d6 weapon would do 3 damage on a normal hit and 6 damage on a critical hit. To give other examples, a d12 weapon would do 6 on an average hit and 12 on a critical; a 2d6 weapon would do 7 on an average hit (3.5 + 3.5) and 12 on a critical. Depending on what you're looking to do, that might be desirable or not.

Yet another option would be to just apply the multipliers (if you're using them) to the average value. A x2 weapon would do a full die of damage, so 3 for the normal hit of a d6 weapon (like mentioned above) and 6 for a critical; 9 damage for a x3 weapon that uses a d6, and 12 damage for a x4 weapon which uses a d6.

If you're looking to go even more simple than that, max the damage value on a critical and add whatever the modifier is. In this case, a d6 weapon with a x2 multiplier would do 3 damage on a normal hit and 8 (d6+2) for a critical; a x3 multiplier would be 3 damage for a normal hit and 9 (d6+3) for a critical.

...and I just realized while typing that both methods lead to pretty much the same thing, so using the second one is probably more user friendly.

 

[Enkill]

GURPS does something like that. Damage isn't static in the way that the OP mentioned, but damage is based on character strength. Weapons then have a 'static' modifier to what the character can do.

For example, a small dagger might simply change damage from crushing (what unarmed attacks typically do) to cutting (for a slash) or impaling (for a thrust.) On the other hand, a big weapon like a battle axe might say something like "swing+4" in the damage entry. (Note that I'm not looking at books; this is simply an arbitray example to show how it works.) What that would mean in game terms is that the weapon would (with a swing) do whatever the character's swing damage is plus four more.


If you're looking to go completely static, that's not hard to do. Figure out what the average values of dice are and convert damage to that. For example, the average value of a d6 is 3.5; as such, a weapon which would normally do a d6 would do either 3 or 4 damage (depending on if you round up or not; most rpgs assume rounding down except in specific cases.) For critical hits, you could either multiply the base value in the manner of D&D 3rd Edition; so a d6 weapon with a x2 multiplier would do 7 damage on a critical hit. Another option would be saying that normal hits do average values, and critical hits do full die values. In this case, the d6 weapon would do 3 damage on a normal hit and 6 damage on a critical hit. To give other examples, a d12 weapon would do 6 on an average hit and 12 on a critical; a 2d6 weapon would do 7 on an average hit (3.5 + 3.5) and 12 on a critical. Depending on what you're looking to do, that might be desirable or not.

Yet another option would be to just apply the multipliers (if you're using them) to the average value. A x2 weapon would do a full die of damage, so 3 for the normal hit of a d6 weapon (like mentioned above) and 6 for a critical; 9 damage for a x3 weapon that uses a d6, and 12 damage for a x4 weapon which uses a d6.

If you're looking to go even more simple than that, max the damage value on a critical and add whatever the modifier is. In this case, a d6 weapon with a x2 multiplier would do 3 damage on a normal hit and 8 (d6+2) for a critical; a x3 multiplier would be 3 damage for a normal hit and 9 (d6+3) for a critical.

...and I just realized while typing that both methods lead to pretty much the same thing, so using the second one is probably more user friendly.

Thanks for your input sir. I love your ideas.