True20 - Wound level clarification (for Steve Kensen)

[WhimsyTheFae]

Steve, I have avoided doing this so far, but I am going to breach forum etiquette (I think) a bit and ask a favor regarding a thread from the Green Ronin True20 forum. I noticed you post here recently and figured that your answer may be of use to those here who are interested in True20.

Could you clarify a question that was brought up on the Green Ronin True20 forums (you sort of did already, but more clarification appeared to be needed)?

Anyway, this is a question regarding damage in True20. I will just explain the way that I have interpreted the rules and will allow you to confirm this:

- A character who takes a Hurt also takes a Bruised, but not vice-versa (-1 to future Toughness checks, Bruised only applies to non-lethal damage).

- A character can take multiple Hurt and Bruised without succumbing to the next wound level (the Toughness penalty is cumulative).

- A character who takes a Wounded also takes a Dazed, but not vice-versa (-1 to future Toughness checks, Dazed only applies to non-lethal damage).

- A Wounded condition also inflicts a -2 penalty to all rolls except for Toughness until all Wounded conditions are eliminated.

- A Dazed condition also leaves a character Stunned for one round.

- A character can take multiple Wounded and Dazed without succumbing to the next wound level (the Toughness penalty is cumulative, but not the -2 penalty and the stunned happens for each Dazed condition - and by extension each Wounded condition).

- A character who is Wounded or Dazed does not become Hurt or Bruised (unless already injured at those levels, but does not gain additional Hurt or Bruised conditions).

- A character who is Disabled also becomes Staggered, but not vice-versa.

- A character who is Disabled or Staggered does not become Wounded, Dazed, Hurt or Bruised (unless already injured at those levels, but does not gain additional injuries at those levels).

- A character cannot take a second occurance of the Disabled or Staggered injury levels, but instead automatically take the next level of injury (Unconscious for Staggered and Dying + Unconscious for Disabled).

- Successful recovery checks only remove one occurance of the highest injury level (lethal first, then non-lethal).


Thank you for your time.

 

[Kenson]

Looks to me like you have an entirely correct analysis of how it works.

 

[Galethorn]

I'm gonna go ahead and copy that whole thing...it'll help my group keep from getting confused.

Yoink!

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

Looks to me like you have an entirely correct analysis of how it works.

Thank you very much for confirming this, I appreciate it. I will post my analysis and your confirmation on the GR True20 forum for their benefit.

 

[frankthedm]

mmmmm, Spiral of Deathlicious!

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

mmmmm, Spiral of Deathlicious!

...but compared to some, this is more of the Cuddly TeddyBear Spiral of Deathlicious...

Spiral of Death-Lite (but yes, a spiral nonetheless)

 

[Skywalker]

- A Wounded condition also inflicts a -2 penalty to all rolls except for Toughness until all Wounded conditions are eliminated.

- A character can take multiple Wounded and Dazed without succumbing to the next wound level (the Toughness penalty is cumulative, but not the -2 penalty and the stunned happens for each Dazed condition - and by extension each Wounded condition).

So the -2 penalty is not cumulative. I would have thought it was given that a -2 penalty is relatively light considering you roll a d20.

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

So the -2 penalty is not cumulative. I would have thought it was given that a -2 penalty is relatively light considering you roll a d20.

I would think that this is to lessen the Spiral of Death effect. In d20 you have no penalties until knocked out (even the VP/WP system is fairly lenient). In many other non-hp games, the penalties become too cumbersome (realistic, perhaps...but, not always as much fun).

The toughness penalty still accumulates, so the chance for further injury is increased.

I think that it strikes a pretty good balance, but increasing the penalty probably wouldn't hurt too much. I think that these numbers a easier to tinker with than hitpoints. I can make it a penalty of -1 to all rolls per wound, I can make the threshold every 10 points you fail by instead of 5 and so on.

I like it as is, for now, but I do see your point.

 

[Eternalknight]

Wait, let me just clarify something. If, in the first round of a combat, a character suffers say a Wounded condition, does this mean that they suffer all the effects of WOunded and Dazed, but do not take a Hurt/Bruised condition?

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

Wait, let me just clarify something. If, in the first round of a combat, a character suffers say a Wounded condition, does this mean that they suffer all the effects of WOunded and Dazed, but do not take a Hurt/Bruised condition?

That would be correct. The wounded already gives a cumulative -1 to toughness save vs. lethal damage. The dazed does the same for nonlethal (this part is not in the pdf, but should be). So, toughness save penalties are accounted for by wounded/dazed as well as hurt/bruised.

Remember, all my comments are unofficial unless confirmed by Green Ronin.