Massive Damage question...

[Ghost2020]

I'm getting ready to start my D20 Modern game, a few one shots here and there, and I am curious how the massive damage rules hold up in play?

I know the rules cover the 'current constituion' of the victim, but how does it play out? Are combats over quickly? Does anyone use it? Etc.

Thanks!

 

[tuculus]

I've noticed Massive damage keeps the tension level in combat high. Everyone is looking for cover during firefights and when someone does expose themselves to do something heroic it is all that more exciting.

Ben runs across the square and the sniper pegs him in the torsoand he goes down.

His buddies now know that he is hurt severly (meta knowledge they know he is at least at -1 and dying), and someone must make the dash across the square and attempt to grap the rescue handle on the back of Ben's tactical vest and drag him to safety to administer treatment.

Other characters can make spot/search checks to locate the sniper and provide cover fire. All kinds of fun stuff can be done. Massive damage just keeps things jumping.

I'm getting ready to start my D20 Modern game, a few one shots here and there, and I am curious how the massive damage rules hold up in play?

I know the rules cover the 'current constituion' of the victim, but how does it play out? Are combats over quickly? Does anyone use it? Etc.

Thanks!

 

[tuculus]

To better answer your question, massive damage can both speed up and slow down combats. Most firearms are more likely to exceed a players threshold than a melee weapon. So I've noticed firefights take a bit longer because others are looking for cover and melee is about the same as when we played D&D.

The auto-fire rules really make machine guns quite nasty.

I've noticed Massive damage keeps the tension level in combat high. Everyone is looking for cover during firefights and when someone does expose themselves to do something heroic it is all that more exciting.

Ben runs across the square and the sniper pegs him in the torsoand he goes down.

His buddies now know that he is hurt severly (meta knowledge they know he is at least at -1 and dying), and someone must make the dash across the square and attempt to grap the rescue handle on the back of Ben's tactical vest and drag him to safety to administer treatment.

Other characters can make spot/search checks to locate the sniper and provide cover fire. All kinds of fun stuff can be done. Massive damage just keeps things jumping.

 

[Spatula]

Well, in the group I play in it hasn't really come up for the players... Everyone has a good Con score (15+ I believe), which is tough to beat with most guns. Even for the mooks it doesn't come up very often.

One side effect is that gun fights do seem to get drawn out, at least at the lower levels, because no one can hit anything when you add in the cover bonuses to defense.

 

[takyris]

And it's not just with guns. A tricked out 12th level character with a rapier can do 1d6+10, 17-20 crit. (It was a hypothetical build I made, a Strong4/Soldier8 duelist. Nasty.)

High-level characters are less likely to ignore squibs, because there's always the chance that the squib rolls for a crit. Heck, give the squib an assault rifle, and you don't even need a crit, just a good roll. Or give the squib a heavy handgun and the Double-Tap Feat. PCs are still heroic and badass and all that, but your katana guy doesn't just pose and ignore the eight guys firing at him with AK-47s, even if he's 10th level and they're Str1/Fst1 ordinaries. Or at least, he doesn't do it for long.

Grenades are VERY lethal. Which is good. I don't want everyone going "Oooh, a grenade, how scary, okay, 22 points damage, bummer, but no biggie," when one lands at their feet.

In a combat-intensive game, it ends up being a "but you could still die if they rolled well and you rolled badly" scenario for combat-ready characters (Strong, Tough levels), and a "really try to avoid getting hit, REALLY" scenario for noncombatants (that scientist with Int17 and Con9, for example). Again, very reasonable, very good. Everyone does fine, generally speaking, if they're about as cautious as their class levels indicate they ought to be. Tough heroes can wade into it a bit more, but Smart and Dedicated heroes should stay in the back ranks unless they've got a lot of tricks up their sleeves.