True 20 question: Toughness vs Defense Bonus?

[Buttercup]

OK, I'm trying to wrap my mind around the True 20 mechanics. They're very simple, generally, but there's one thing that's making me want to bang my head on the table.

What is Toughness for? How is it different from Defense Bonus?

The rules say this: "Toughness is your ability to resist physical punishment and direct damage." (page 95) Ok, so that sounds like armor class, yes? But Toughness is considered a saving throw? In that case when do you use it?

So ok, let's look at Defense Bonus on the same page: "Your defense bonus represents how hard it is for opponents to hit you, the Difficulty of your opponent's attack roll." So Defense Bonus is analagous to AC? But if that's the case, WTF is Toughness?

I really need to understand this, soon. I'm writing up character sheets for my GenCon game, and I Just. Don't. Get. It. Surely I'm missing something really simple. But what?

HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!

 

[LordEther]

I'll give this a try.

Basically, True20 works a bit differently from standard d20. In the latter, things like armor, tough hides, and protective spells add to AC (which is basically the DC for any attacks made against one's character). Hit points are used to measure things like near-misses, scratches, etc.

In True20, however, there are no hit points, so it's more important to determine exactly when a character is successfully hit. So, Defense is a measure of how hard it is to hit a character; when she is attacked, the attack roll must equal or exceed her Defense (Combat score + Dexterity + appropriate feat modifiers).

The Toughness saving throw (Con + armor bonus + appropriate feat modifiers) determines how hard it is to hurt a character. Since True20 uses wound levels (Hurt, Injured, Disabled, Dying, Dead, etc.) instead of hit points, characters get a roll to "resist" damage, so to speak. If the attack roll succeeds, the character is hit, and she has to roll a Toughness saving throw to see how badly she is injured (if she's tough enough, the hit might just be a small scratch or flesh wound, or if she rolls well enough, she may not be hurt at all; on a bad roll, the hit can knock out, disable, or kill her). Essentially, Toughness is a character's ability to minimize damage.

I hope that helps a little.

 

[frankthedm]

OK, I'm trying to wrap my mind around the True 20 mechanics. They're very simple, generally, but there's one thing that's making me want to bang my head on the table.

What is Toughness for? How is it different from Defense Bonus?

The rules say this: "Toughness is your ability to resist physical punishment and direct damage." (page 95) Ok, so that sounds like armor class, yes? But Toughness is considered a saving throw? In that case when do you use it?

So ok, let's look at Defense Bonus on the same page: "Your defense bonus represents how hard it is for opponents to hit you, the Difficulty of your opponent's attack roll." So Defense Bonus is analagous to AC? But if that's the case, WTF is Toughness?

I really need to understand this, soon. I'm writing up character sheets for my GenCon game, and I Just. Don't. Get. It. Surely I'm missing something really simple. But what?

HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!

Foes attack you, trying to overcome your Defense Bonus

Foe hits you, you roll your Toughness. Roll good, you only get nicked and have a harder time on the next save. Roll bad and depend on how much you fail by, you might be wounded, crippled or maybe even dying. Each catagory also makes the save harder next time.

It is the D20 Spiral of Death!

 

[Buttercup]

Thanks everyone. WayneLigon also gave me a detailed explanation over at CM. I just wasn't thinking about the lack of hit points, for some reason. Doh!

Yeah, so True 20 combat is really lethal, eh? Sweet!

 

[Aus_Snow]

Yeah, so True 20 combat is really lethal, eh? Sweet!

Indeed. Especially given that Toughness saves *don't* scale with level, as the others do. . . and as they do in the "mum" system (Blue Rose).

 

[BSF]

Thanks everyone. WayneLigon also gave me a detailed explanation over at CM. I just wasn't thinking about the lack of hit points, for some reason. Doh!

Yeah, so True 20 combat is really lethal, eh? Sweet!

It can be. But it also puts emphasis on two different approaches. You can have a fighter type that avoids being hit (High Dex, light armor) or one that is less concerned about being hit and just absorbing the damage (High Con/Toughness, heavy armor).

So plate armor won't prevent you from being struck. It will prevent a light strike from being meaningful.

 

[Buttercup]

It can be. But it also puts emphasis on two different approaches. You can have a fighter type that avoids being hit (High Dex, light armor) or one that is less concerned about being hit and just absorbing the damage (High Con/Toughness, heavy armor).

So plate armor won't prevent you from being struck. It will prevent a light strike from being meaningful.

The one-shot I'm running is set in the 20th century. That means most characters won't have access to meaningful armor. And they'll be up against firearms. Should be interesting!

 

[Plane Sailing]

The one-shot I'm running is set in the 20th century. That means most characters won't have access to meaningful armor. And they'll be up against firearms. Should be interesting!

Hope they remember to use their Conviction!

Cheers

 

[WayneLigon]

Hope they remember to use their Conviction!

That's something that needs mentioning again. Conviction, with it's ability to let you re-roll die rolls and take feats you don't normally have, is a lifesaver. A good chunk of the time they'll be used to mitigate that bad Toughness Save roll.

Also remember the Warrior's special Role ability. This is what lets him shine as a toughness magnet: A warrior can spend a point of Conviction to immediately erase all bruised
and hurt damage conditions (and their associated penalties).

 

[Buttercup]

Also remember the Warrior's special Role ability. This is what lets him shine as a toughness magnet: A warrior can spend a point of Conviction to immediately erase all bruised
and hurt damage conditions (and their associated penalties).

Yeah, while writing up the characters, I've decided to give 3 out of the 6 their starting level in Warrior for this very reason. I was hoping to have time to playtest the scenario, but that's not going to happen, since I can't get my local players all together betwen now and then.

I'm going to provide a 1 page cheet sheet. Hopefully that will be sufficient.