Star Wars, GMing and VP/WP

[humble minion]

For the other Star Wars GMs out there (or GMs for othere VP/WP systems), a question. When a PC is hit, how do you describe vitality point loss?

I try to get away from the dead boring 'he hits, you take 7 VP' things and actually describe what happens. I've explained it at various times as grazing misses, being singed by the blaster bolt, arms painfully jarred while parrying the lightsaber cut, and so on, but I'm really starting to run out of ideas. But system-wise, a clean miss is a clean miss, and a solid hit does WP damage, so my options are a little limited. How do you describe VP loss while keeping things dramatic?

 

[RodneyThompson]

In addition to the examples you give, which sound great and should be used still, I also describe them as near misses. Maybe the blaster bolt hits the concrete column you're hiding behind, sending up a spray of debris. Maybe that thermal detonator just knocks you down thanks to the shockwave it generates, hurling you out of the explosions path. Lightsabers slice the wall beside you or the floor at your feet, etc. See what I'm getting at?

 

[kengar]

I sometimes describe things as the player twisting out of the way of a blow and their muscles protesting the wrenching. Or parrying a blow and the force of it nearly numbing their arm. Things where they didn't actually get injured by the attack, but their body is fatigued by the combat.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

That's the same kinda thing I do. Though sometimes I get a funny look from players when I say, "The blaster bolt barely misses you. You take 12 points of vitality."

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

That's the same kinda thing I do. Though sometimes I get a funny look from players when I say, "The blaster bolt barely misses you. You take 12 points of vitality."

heh. I got that kind of thing for a while until the players got a hang of the idea. But once they did, they've loved it...though it gets hard to think up new descriptions...but this happens with getting hit in any game.

 

[humble minion]

Yeah, it was the 'Huh? But he missed me, didn't he? So why am I taking damage?' factor that was worrying me as well. But we're only a few sessions into our campaign, so I guess the players will get used to it.