New ways to pwn people

[Soel]

Brilliant in its elegance and simplicity. Its been staring us in the face all this time...

Thanks for contributing to my games, Hong!

 

[robberbaron]

Great idea Hong. Unfortunately, my players don't mind leaving a trail of bodies. In fact, sometimes I think they are going for some sort of record.
Might use it myself, all the same.

What I will try to introduce is dismemberment rather than (or as well as) defeat. Perhaps, a simple table on which the PC rolls when he is taken to Dying. Scars, shattered limbs, severed limbs, etc. Needs some work but could be an interesting addition.

 

[RFisher]

I can see the potential for players complaining if this can be used against them.

I dunno. To me, the loss of narrative control through the depletion of abstract hp (as a Wushu fan might say it) is, I think, actually easier to accept than fatal physical injury through hp depletion. (^_^) Telling me my PC is dead because I've squandered all my "karma points" & no longer have narrative control of my PC's fate is a lot more straight forward than any "what is hp?" discussion.

 

[hong]

I dunno. To me, the loss of narrative control through the depletion of abstract hp (as a Wushu fan might say it) is, I think, actually easier to accept than fatal physical injury through hp depletion. (^_^) Telling me my PC is dead because I've squandered all my "karma points" & no longer have narrative control of my PC's fate is a lot more straight forward than any "what is hp?" discussion.

In the end, it's all about the dude factor, really. (post #12)

 

[RFisher]

In the end, it's all about the dude factor, really. (post #12)

Yeah.

Though I suspect the difference between weapons has more to do with their own dude factors than length.

 

[Nellisir]

In the end, it's all about the dude factor, really. (post #12)

I think that is about the most brilliant thing I've ever read.

 

[Mercule]

Very cool. Since I like my games a bit less four color/anime/whatever adjective I should be using, I think I might modify it a little, so it only comes up at important moments.

The player (or NPC, for those rare few) can spend an action point to translate the "dead" to a "defeat". I might actually allow this whether the PCs are on the giving or the receiving end of the "dead", so at -10 they can choose either "dead" or "0 hp, but not liking life".

 

[Voadam]

That reminds me of when a PC got whacked in the arm by a chaos beast, and started turning into a chaos beast himself. The other PCs grappled him and tried to cut the arm off. "Make opposed attack rolls," I says. "Why?" they says. "You're trying to disarm him", I says.

Wow.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Apparently the new Star Wars 'Saga Edition' has rules for limb severing - I'm guessing it is for lightsabre users - on a blow that would have killed an opponent, you can declare that instead you do half damage and sever an arm/hand/foot/leg, turning a mortal blow into a defeating blow (would that be dis-arming? heh)

OK, now that's a rule I can go for. Me likes!

 

[Nebulous]

OK, now that's a rule I can go for. Me likes!

I like it too. I would even consider leaving the victim in the "disabled zone" (0 to negative CON bonus in hp) and loses a limb. Maybe the character even has a choice in the matter. Do you want to die, or be disabled and perhaps die anyway? good stuff. These games need more options like that to recreate what is so prevalent in films and novels.