From: Joerg Baumgartner (joe@sartar.toppoint.de)
Date: Tue 15 Jun 1993 - 17:38:50 EEST
Damage boni:
Keep it easy! Graemes suggestion with all types of dice becomes
inconvenient as soon as you get to d7 or d9, and is too fractal for my
taste, but I wouldn't mind d2 or d3s.
Paul's suggestions for calculating damage from STR+SIZ, and applying
weapon damage as modifyer:
OK, this works partly for Pendragon. Partly - I play a character with base
damage 3d6 and virtually no chance to score damage except when charging on
my horse.
A system like this mustn't be too crass, and don't increase the number of
dice involved!
How to figure weapon boni?
Only natural weapons would use the character base damage, and there are
differences between fist, kick, head butt and bear hug damage.
Crushing, slashing and piercing weapons each have their weapon specific
base damage. Crushing weapons live on the momentum they gain, which is
primarily dependent on the arch that they are swung (SIZ=arm length),
piercing weapons don't rely too much on STR or momentum, but on very small
areas of effect, i.e. maximum use of the thrusting force. Slashing weapons
are somewhat standard weapons and may have the strongest influence of
damage bonus. Any blow backed by full body momentum will transmit mor
impulse, but not necessarily more damage.
I don't see any way to throw all this into easy to play, realistic rules,
so I'd rather stick with the sysrm as we know it.
Damage bonus for skill:
With thrown weapons and bows, a lot of impulse (i.e. speed) depends on how
effectively you use your arms (in case of bows presumed that the bow is
optimized to you, which I would assume for all bows brought in as starting
equipment as well as all bows bought from a reasonably skilled bowyer). I
have begun archery five years ago, and really had difficulties to shoot
more than five arrows without tiring when I begun. Now I begin to look for
a yet stronger bow. I don't think that I've gained STR over the years, but
I certainly gained skill.
My few encounters with the art of hacking and slashing - a few Escrima
training hours - taught me that optimal use of body weight makes up for
more damage than brute strength. Also here I'd propose that highly skilled
characters inflict more damage than beginners. (I'd say that's the secret
behind Bladesharp and the like...)
What do you think? Should we build up damage bonus as a skill? Or along
with weapon skill?
Or should we apply the RQ3 Martial Arts concept to all combat actions
(maybe only doubling the damage bonus/adding the damage for fist/something
like that)?
-- -- Joerg Baumgartner joe@sartar.toppoint.de 0,,
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