D20Modern - massive damage threshold

[Plane Sailing]

OK, the book doesn't seem to have arrived in the UK yet, but at least we've got the SRD to look at (thanks WotC!!)

Although I've naturally not gone through things in detail yet, I find myself wondering why they might have decided to set the massive damage threshold (and the KO threshold at CON, rather than a fixed figure like 10 or 12.

After all, high CON people already benefit from their CON bonus to the Fort save if the threshold is reached, it seems like they are getting a double bonus here.

It may be to make certain characters more "heroic", I guess, but in a Modern game it seems that anyone with an 18 CON (potentially 1 in 256 of the population, if everyone got die rolls) is never going to get knocked out, even if someone tries to knock him out with a baseball bat! And criticals! He's not even going to get dazed...

I'm interested in what others think about this - does someone with a high CON win both ways (and conversely a low CON hit double jeopardy)?

Cheers

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i like basing MD on Con. we've house ruled going to negative Con instead of -10 since 1e D&D, thus giving adventurers (or anyone else with a higher-than-average Con) more survivability. this is also similar to a VP/WP system, since Wound Points are based on Con as well

I'm interested in what others think about this - does someone with a high CON win both ways (and conversely a low CON hit double jeopardy)?

yes, and yes, IMO. it also makes the Improved Damage Threshold feat very important to PCs without a high Con. it also makes cover more important to PCs without a high Con

for anyone who hasn't seen it...

Massive Damage
Any time a character takes damage from a single hit that exceeds the character’s massive damage threshold, that damage is considered massive damage. A character’s massive damage threshold is equal to the character’s current Constitution score; it can be increased by taking the Improved Damage Threshold feat.
When a character takes massive damage that doesn’t reduce his or her hit points to 0 or lower, the character must make a Fortitude save (DC 15). If the character fails the save, the character’s hit point total is immediately reduced to -1. If the save succeeds, the character suffers no ill effect beyond the loss of hit points.
Creatures immune to critical hits are also immune to the effects of massive damage.


Improved Damage Threshold
Benefit: The character increases his or her massive damage threshold by 3 points.
Normal: A character without this feat has a massive damage threshold equal to his or her current Constitution score. With this feat, the character’s massive damage threshold is current Con +3.
Special: A character may gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

 

[Crothian]

I agree with Mr Fidgit. After reading through d20 Modern with plans to run soon the only house rule I'm placing in there is people can go to negative Con before they die. I'll also introduice a feat that increases that.

 

[Great Umbrage]

Remember that there is a variant wherein you can set the massive damage threshold to "heroic" to emulate D&D, in which case it is 50hp.

 

[Crothian]

Remember that there is a variant wherein you can set the massive damage threshold to "heroic" to emulate D&D, in which case it is 50hp.

As well as setting it to 10 for somwething really dangerous.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Remember that there is a variant wherein you can set the massive damage threshold to "heroic" to emulate D&D, in which case it is 50hp.

That's interesting, thanks.

(Can hardly wait for the book to arrive here in the UK!)

 

[Desdichado]

I don't blame you. I absolutely love this book. It's gunning for a spot as my favorite RPG right now. For those who posted a few months ago to the tune of "why buy d20 Modern when you can just buy Spycraft?" I really have to question why buy Spycraft when you can buy d20 Modern. I've yet to see a d20 game that I like better.

 

[Crothian]

I don't blame you. I absolutely love this book. It's gunning for a spot as my favorite RPG right now. For those who posted a few months ago to the tune of "why buy d20 Modern when you can just buy Spycraft?" I really have to question why buy Spycraft when you can buy d20 Modern. I've yet to see a d20 game that I like better.

I think both are well done, and have their uses. Spycraft is a specific genre game where d20 Modern is more versatile.

 

[Dismas]

(Can hardly wait for the book to arrive here in the UK!)

It's arrived in the UK. I've just got home from work and I have had a message from my local bookshop (Hammicks) to say my copy has arrived , problem is I can't get there now until Friday lunchtime

 

[Desdichado]

I'm sure Spycraft is an incredible game. All reports make it out to be. But d20 Modern is just fantastic. And it does the spy genre quite well, as my Chicago game day story hour will soon show, I hope!