Getting gritty with 4e

[Cyronax]

Agreed completely. What is funny, is I will start working on something for WFRP, and then think "You know, I kinda want more heroic characters." Then work on something for DnD and have the thought of "I kinda want something more gritty!" Of course, I am weird like that!

I know what you mean. I nearly tried to DM an E6 campaign til some of my players wanted to revolt. Without houseruling tons of systems, I still don't know which is better ..... WFRP, 3.x, or 4e.

But ... I recently started a Dark Heresy campaign and have seen all the characters in the party (except me .. the cautious Pysker) get their legs and arms blown off. Several cybernetic implants later ... I question the utility of a gritty fantasy style adventure that can't allow for at least some limb recovery.

C.I.D.

 

[SSquirrel]

This thread makes me think I need to convert Ken Hood's Grim n Gritty:Revised and Simplified to 4E now heh.

Speaking of which... http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?t=82837&highlight=revised+grim is the last version he released back in the 3.5 days.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

This thread makes me think I need to convert Ken Hood's Grim n Gritty:Revised and Simplified to 4E now heh.

I like Ken's revised and simplified, but I am not sure the damage numbers could be fit into a wound track well.

However I think the only thing you need to add to 4e's mechanic to get a gritty feel if to implement a house rule that goes something like:

Each major wound you take, your max healing surge is reduced by 1. You can regain the lost healing surges through long term healing care, at a rate of 1 point per timeframe *.
Major wounds are: when first bloodied during an enounter, receive a critical hit, and when taken to negative hit points.

* The timeframe can be adjusted for how gritty you want. Anything from one day (24 hours) to a week or a month.

This method maintains the rest of the math and provides the players with a choice of pushing forward despite not being able to completely rest up or finding some place to hole up.

 

[Obryn]

I know what you mean. I nearly tried to DM an E6 campaign til some of my players wanted to revolt. Without houseruling tons of systems, I still don't know which is better ..... WFRP, 3.x, or 4e.

They're such different games, I don't think you can compare the two. It's apples and oranges. They share the basic fantasy trappings, but that's about it...

But ... I recently started a Dark Heresy campaign and have seen all the characters in the party (except me .. the cautious Pysker) get their legs and arms blown off. Several cybernetic implants later ... I question the utility of a gritty fantasy style adventure that can't allow for at least some limb recovery.

C.I.D.

Ha! Well, I've found that characters are more likely to die than lose limbs. Even so, plenty of prosthetics are available in the Equipment section.

Come on - you KNOW you want to play a Journeyman Wizard with a peg-leg and an eyepatch.

-O

 

[Gothmog]

Here has been my 4e solution to grim n' gritty with the minimum number of things to track, and using the pre-existing systems of 4e:

PCs being at full health at the start of every day bugs me a little. I know why the designers did it, but there is no way to simulate long-term injury. I've added a house rule that when someone goes to 0 hp or below, they gain 1 Wound Point per negative hit point and they have to spend 1 day of recovery for every Wound Point they went below 0 HP, and during that time, they can still move around, adventure, etc- but take a -2 to all die rolls, skill checks and defenses, and cannot regain HP above their bloodied condition. Magical healing could restore the wound points on a 1 WP per 5 HP healing basis to get them back in the action sooner. The warlord CANNOT heal wound points- only magical healing or clerical spells. You could explain the WP as whatever you like- sprains, broken bones, severe lacerations, burns, etc.

I've used this for the last four sessions now, and it does a great job. The players like it and think its fair, and it adds a little more realistic wound conditions to 4e. Give it a shot and see what you think.

 

[Doc Eldritch]

I know what you mean. I nearly tried to DM an E6 campaign til some of my players wanted to revolt. Without houseruling tons of systems, I still don't know which is better ..... WFRP, 3.x, or 4e.

But ... I recently started a Dark Heresy campaign and have seen all the characters in the party (except me .. the cautious Pysker) get their legs and arms blown off. Several cybernetic implants later ... I question the utility of a gritty fantasy style adventure that can't allow for at least some limb recovery.

C.I.D.

Heh, sounds familiar! Though honestly, in WFRP (and Dark Heresy), that is what Fate Points are for. And I was always kinda generous with those too.

 

[SSquirrel]

I like Ken's revised and simplified, but I am not sure the damage numbers could be fit into a wound track well.

I was looking thru the Revised rules last night and basically I would just have to alter the healing section since those spells don't really exist in their old form anymore. A more generic "X healing equals 1 pip, rounded down" will probly suffice. Hafta look at it a bit more

 

[Obryn]

Here has been my 4e solution to grim n' gritty with the minimum number of things to track, and using the pre-existing systems of 4e: <snip>

That's a really neat mechanic! I'd love to hear how it works out.

-O

 

[WhatGravitas]

This thread makes me think I need to convert Ken Hood's Grim n Gritty:Revised and Simplified to 4E now heh.

I think it would work better than ever, simply because the damage numbers aren't escalating that much any more.

I mean, according to the DMG (p. 185), the lowest expression for normal damage is 1d6+3, the highest expression for limited damage is 5d12+9, i.e. the averages are ranging from 6.5 to 41.5. That's harmless compared to the range of 3E, especially if you consider that that's representing a 30-level scale.

Cheers, LT.