Torn Asunder--Like it? Using it?

[johnsemlak]

I listened to Adlon's review of Torn Asunder on Mortality Radio and was quite impressed. It seems ot offer very thourogh treatment of critical hits, fumbles, called shots, and related healing spells and other things.

I wonder of others have it, like it, and are using it?

Would you like the amount of 'realism' (or complexity) in your game that TA would bring? Are you satisfied with standard combat and criticals?

 

[Voadam]

I have it, it is easy to add on to the existing system, it looks like it might bog down a little in tracking critical hit point damage vs normal for healing purposes but it looks easy to implement and use in a combat.

I was expecting a little more from the serious head traumas, you die in your con number of rounds from having your throat slashed, or head crushed, but you can't cut off a person's head or get wierd brain damage effects.

The treatment of spells is a little light, I would have preferred if they had given guidelines for what effects to apply for energy spells more than the extra damage for critically fumbled reflex saves.

The effects of throwing this on are an increased importance of AC and attack bonuses, so power attack will have more of an opportunity cost, etc. Pure attacks become a bit more powerful overall for example when comparing power balance against say an enchanter. Also high crit range weapons benefit from the system over high crit multipliers.

The skill penalties from crits will most likely hurt players more than monsters.

The fighter feats are pretty powerful and desirable.

I could have done without the dung golem.

 

[trancejeremy]

Let me pimp my very recent review of it

http://www.geocities.com/nofrills_reviews/d20torn.htm

(a longer version should show up soon on RPG net, and later here, after I re-format it)

Basically, I like really really like it. Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of complex crit systems (ie, Rolemaster's) but it's probably about as good as a critical hit system can get.

It's simple to use, as it just uses the regular d20 system (you have to do a tiny bit of arithmetic, but that's it), and while it adds detail to injuries, they didn't go overboard with them.

I remember playing Rolemaster as a kid. It would take us 3 hours to make characters, then we'd get in one fight, and everyone would be too hurt to continue. Torn Asunder isn't like that at all.

In my limited play with it, which is basically just a weekend, it works great, and I'll be using it for the time being. Long term, like all critical hit systems (IMHO), it might get old, but it's excellent, short term, so far.

 

[trancejeremy]

Kobolds & Tails

Just for the record, I didn't screw up the example in my review, in my campaign world, Kobolds just have no tails.

(This came up in the discussion in the rpg net area...)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9651.phtml

 

[der_kluge]

I have it, I like it, I intend to use it when I begin my campaign this fall.

I really do like the critical hit rules. I've heard others really talk about the alternative uses for the Heal skill, and some of the other rules, but to be honest I've not read them that closely yet. The rules for broken bones might come in handy, however.

 

[Crothian]

I really do like it, but I'm not sure it fits the game I'm planning to run. But I know there are games in the future I will be using it on.

 

[Kirowan]

I just received the TA and it looks nifty. I have a question though. For those effects that say the characters suffers an additional hit point loss equal to the base damage of the weapon used to cause the injury, what exactly is the based damage of the weapon? Is that the minimum damage of the weapon or the die type? Does it include damage modifiers for strength, feats, ect.?

Nick

 

[Kirowan]

Bump.

Nick

 

[Ghostwind]

The base damage would be the die type used to calaculate the weapon's damage. For example, a longsword does a d8 damage, so the base damage would be 8 points.

 

[Sam]

Question: How much complexity does it add to combat resolution? Can you provide an example on what happens if a player (or NPC) rolls a confirmed crit on an NPC\enemy (or player)? What about critical failures/fumbles?