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Message: <blockquote data-quote="eyebeams" data-source="post: 3421914" data-attributes="member: 9225">Other death spirals have similar exceptions with various options to ignore or mitigate penalties, but they're still death spirals.The "helpless but unconscious" result is both a good and bad thing. It basically puts such a character at the total mercy of the GM, since unless the coup de grace rule's been changed, it applies to helpless characters.As a GM this presents a bit of a dilemma. If I don't have the stormtrooper execute such a PC, I'm obviously fudging tactical play in situations where this would be the thing to do, especially if I follow the classic Star Wars setup and have more of them than the PCs. If I *do* use a coup de grace, everyone at the table knows that as GM, I made a deliberate attempt to execute that character, rather than simply reduce an in game resource like hit points. It feels a bit different than a character with 0 or fewer HP since you've whittled down the character's survival resource first. And lastly, the system encourages unheroic behaviour. As GM, it means I either spend time executing unconscious people or cheating on the PCs' behalf. As a player it means that I'm rewarded for shooting an unconscious bad guy in the face.The advantage of VP/WP is that even if combat is deadly, it *never* forces the GM to arbitrarily decide that a PC ought to die.  WP present a token resource against deadly attacks. *However*, it does have the lethality problem. It's not perfect by any means.In my house rules I just ask for a Fort save; success shifts WP damage back to VP. This introduces a level-based ability to avoid serious injury without putting me in the position of PC executioner. They always have a level-based capacity to avoid injury as well as quantifiable character resources besides. If they lose that buffer it's fair.Keep in mind, though, that in a more narrative playstyle early helplessness is good. If there are no serious tactical stakes nobody cares if I let PCs off with a knockout leading to some kind of imprisonment scene in the game or other contrivance. That's all good.</blockquote>

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