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The Odyssey System -- Stripped-down Hot Rod d20 rules
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<blockquote data-quote="TonyTempest" data-source="post: 3940829" data-attributes="member: 44203"><p>Occupation + Talent Trees sounds awesome. That would do it for me! I agree that in a pulp-y game (and that would include such modern fare as Die Hard and 24) the Heroes should be able to do quite a bit without having to spend skill points. As long as there's some "niche protection" (a termed I've seen kicked about on the 'net! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" /> ) by having the Talent Trees, I'm good.</p><p></p><p>As for the Death Spiral (asked above), the M&M game I played had the problem that, when the character was hit (in the first round), that character then was incapable of hitting or dodging for the rest of combat, and was barely able to run away. I could have been playing it wrong, but it felt so wrong I checked and re-checked the rules and didn't find a mistake. I've had similar (but not as extreme) happenings in other games with a death spiral, so I wasn't surprised.</p><p></p><p>The problem with any sort of damage system is it can't do the plot necessitated damage you see in movies or books. The character can stand up and take any kind of damage til the end of the fight, or have a "Per Encounter" set of hit points (hmmmm.....). I mentioned the Indy v. Giant Nazi earlier... but after the Nazi was killed by the propeller, Indy kept fighting like he had just had a Cure Serious Wounds potion in his adventuring pack, maybe he had a new set of hit points when he entered a different encounter? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> However, when the plot needs the hero to go down so the villain can explain his elaborate plot, in exacting detail (with diagrams), the hero goes down like he has a glass jaw. For my money, what a high-action/adventure game needs is hit points galore, but a super-easy coup-de-grace rule so a hero can be knocked out (not killed) and thrown into a Bonds-style deathtrap or a prison cell (where the other prisoner can help him build his powered armor suit) or so on. That way, when the fight is important, the hero can go on and on like the Energizer bunny, but when the nazi gets the drop on him, he doesn't have to beat the hero like a rented mule in order to knock him out and take him to the master villain. GM fiat is okay if the players trust the GM, but a way to handle "health" that emulates that would be better.</p><p></p><p>thanks</p><p></p><p>david</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="TonyTempest, post: 3940829, member: 44203"] Occupation + Talent Trees sounds awesome. That would do it for me! I agree that in a pulp-y game (and that would include such modern fare as Die Hard and 24) the Heroes should be able to do quite a bit without having to spend skill points. As long as there's some "niche protection" (a termed I've seen kicked about on the 'net! :cool: ) by having the Talent Trees, I'm good. As for the Death Spiral (asked above), the M&M game I played had the problem that, when the character was hit (in the first round), that character then was incapable of hitting or dodging for the rest of combat, and was barely able to run away. I could have been playing it wrong, but it felt so wrong I checked and re-checked the rules and didn't find a mistake. I've had similar (but not as extreme) happenings in other games with a death spiral, so I wasn't surprised. The problem with any sort of damage system is it can't do the plot necessitated damage you see in movies or books. The character can stand up and take any kind of damage til the end of the fight, or have a "Per Encounter" set of hit points (hmmmm.....). I mentioned the Indy v. Giant Nazi earlier... but after the Nazi was killed by the propeller, Indy kept fighting like he had just had a Cure Serious Wounds potion in his adventuring pack, maybe he had a new set of hit points when he entered a different encounter? :) However, when the plot needs the hero to go down so the villain can explain his elaborate plot, in exacting detail (with diagrams), the hero goes down like he has a glass jaw. For my money, what a high-action/adventure game needs is hit points galore, but a super-easy coup-de-grace rule so a hero can be knocked out (not killed) and thrown into a Bonds-style deathtrap or a prison cell (where the other prisoner can help him build his powered armor suit) or so on. That way, when the fight is important, the hero can go on and on like the Energizer bunny, but when the nazi gets the drop on him, he doesn't have to beat the hero like a rented mule in order to knock him out and take him to the master villain. GM fiat is okay if the players trust the GM, but a way to handle "health" that emulates that would be better. thanks david [/QUOTE]
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