Recent content by rmcoen

lol, yep, that was me. It would have been very unfortunate, but I wouldn't have prevented character death. They knew when they entered the situation it was risky and mostly "succeed or die" (story, Macguffins spent, dome of death, etc.). See also comment about "Fate Points" and "not pulling...

I agree, I actually give out some extra metacurrency (the Fate Points I mentioned in my last reply), just so I don't have to be (as) careful about the scenarios I put together... use your brain, make choices, know there's a safety net - but it won't hold up if you keep pursuing a stupid or...

I feel like I'm feeding a troll here, but I'll bite... Several sessions ago, the party was in a series of interdimensional ruins, some of which had different time-speeds just to complicate things. The almost-never-even hit rogue got surprised [for reasons/consequences of actions] by a golem...

I have to agree a bit with you on the "sheaf of dead characters" [also, remember "sheaf arrows"???]. I have a folder in a box somewhere downstairs with the mirror of that - the waiting list of characters (with backgrounds) ready to go for when the next PC dies... and that one dies... and then...

It's all perspective, though. McClane vs. a hand-picked team of well-armed terrorists. He shoots (okay, he shoots four or five times) , he kills a terrorist. Terrorist unloads a full clip, McClane is "missed". Is he a super-monk/Rogue (unarmored AC, high DEX, evasion against "full Auto" AoE...

I hear what you're saying, but that goes back to the fact that PCs will be in more combats than NPCs. Death spiral is "real", it makes sense. I've sparred a lot in martial arts, and the more I get hit, the less endurance I have... the more likely I take more hits! And then we're back to the...

That's well-stated, and makes sense. One of those "that's obvious, duh!" facts that wasn't actually obvious until it is pointed out. Yes, if the area has goups of a dozen goblins attacking wagons, the mechants hire at least 6 to 10 guards in response. If it's a half-dozen ogres, they don't go...

Very true. I noted that playing Cyberpunk, after being "raised" with D&D. Ouch, gunshots hurt!! IMC, I added "-1 to hit" at Bloodied (50%hp remaining), -2 at Battered (25% remaining), and -3 at Critical (10% remaining). Most unintelligent foes flee at Bloodied; intelligent foes weigh the...

I'm picturing "the mage lets the AC 20 Dodgy McSwashbuckler go first, only to suddenly get hit with all the javelins the so-called 'tank' dodged AND DIDN'T ACTUALLY STOP"! But, in the D&D rules now, they'd either "attack the swashbuckler", or "attack the mage, the swashbuckler gives +2 Cover AC...

Now this statement I can get behind. If two "similarly skilled" opponents fight, luck and tactics (or pre-fight strategy) will/should determine the winner, not that "god loves a fool" (i.e. the PC). Restated in Klingon, "Why would I ever engage in an equal fight?"

That means you're more comfortable playing a different game system. Nothing wrong with that! If you're facing D&D level and frequency of threats and combat, though, you're quickly making a new character...

Knife is "1d4-1" damage... 18 "hits" for 0 damage that lacerate you and bleed but aren't lethal... and then one hit that does 1 real hp, another deep one to the chest that does 3hp, and now you're using Willpower and making death saves to stay conscious... :-)

Yep, Rolemaster and MERP were college saturday games for me, 35 years ago. We loved it then (bunch of enginerds), and accepted unfortunate character deaths from a lethal crit. [We also had the adjacent "blow up the world when playing Nuclear War, start your next Rolemaster character with an...

Right, that's what I was thinking. When you're doing 1d6+10, the d6 isn't as relevant (hence the "essentially just -2 damage" comment). In 5e it tends to be 1d8+4, and there are only 2 range increments, so it is slightly more relevant (30% swing in damage, say), but it's still just "-2 damage"...

This. For example, D&D monsters "die" at 0hp, while characters have Death Saves (or negative hp, depending on the edition). Many systems have Hero/Fate/Luck/Inspiration/Toon points, too, which maybe only Boss Monsters share, which mitigates bad luck or fatal injury. Thus the 7hp goblin takes...