Fudge RPG - Damage Capacity (was Vanilla Fudge Damage System)

Important! This is an archived mailing list. Subscription information included in any messages is no longer current. Over the years, addresses and websites have changed. Follow offsite links at your own risk.

Fudge Guide > Archives > Mailing List > 2004 > August > Full Thread

From: GmDslOnlyNet

Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2004 17:44:59 GMT

Subject: Damage Capacity (was Vanilla Fudge Damage System)

Just curious, how many people even use Damage Capacity? I've never
used it. For heroic games I just provide extra Fudge points.

Mike
-- -----------------------------------------------------------
The Fudge List FAQ is at http://fudge.phoenyx.net/listfaq.html
       ** Don't start deliberately off-topic threads. **
SequenceFirst LineUsernameDate
0

You could also try something like this: http://www.fudgefactor.org20040201hit_point_track.html

:-)

Tim.

The Fudge List FAQ is at 		TimHuntley 2004-08-27 22:19:04
1

>Duplicate posts are okay.

 EricPaquette 2004-08-26 13:43:20
2

>If a character who has almost no damage capacity left decides to take on a hoard of very angry hobgoblins, then I'm not going to roll out a big safety net.

 HpgEek 2004-08-22 21:49:00
3

There is a school of roleplaying that seems to believe that the dice are essentially God.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-22 17:05:38
4

> Yes, how well the group adapts to the player of the

[Minor Rant Warning]

If a player is going to sit around and act like a child when something doesn't go their way, then I have no use for them in my gaming group.

 AlanHaley 2004-08-21 22:38:10
5

>

I think this discussion of the value of GM fiat over blind adherence to dice has been very eloquently argued by Carl and John.

 JamesPacek 2004-08-21 04:38:21
6 "I think it would be best to distill combat down to not one roll for the entire combat, but one roll for each important "unit", which would be determined by the narrative flow. LoicProt 2004-08-19 08:13:22
7

Thomas Cackler quotation:

I've done this, and it tends to make characters play acrobats and ninja-types.

 NickMoffitt 2004-08-18 01:37:41
8

Frank Filz quotation:

Okay, see, I tend to play with every sort of attack being an attack on some sort of characteristic.

 NickMoffitt 2004-08-17 21:40:02
9

> Frank Filz quotation:

Hmm, not sure that's a real solution.

 FrankFilz 2004-08-17 19:21:07
10 rather
I
players

Hit points do have the advantage of being simple.

 FrankFilz 2004-08-17 19:01:19
11

Herman Duyker writes:

They seem to have been a victim of the Wizard's Attic debacle.

 TKurtBond 2004-09-11 21:46:21
12

> I happen to like the results of a hit point

What specific results of hit point systems do you like?

Mike

The Fudge List FAQ is at http:/fudge.phoenyx.netlistfaq.html<A>

GmDslOnlyNet 2004-08-17 20:10:21
13

Ok, so, I haven't really been following this thread, but I saw the line above and it made me think of the hit point track I came up with a while ago for Fudge.

 TimHuntley 2004-08-17 19:33:44
14

Frank Filz quotation:

You could always use a geometric or logarithmic scale for health.

 NickMoffitt 2004-08-17 19:08:15
15

Frank Filz quotation:

Or you require six scratches to take you from superb down to great.

> Of course it all comes down to what you think you're modeling, and

I think that most hit-point systems are somewhat arbitrary, in

NickMoffitt 2004-08-17 19:31:37
16

> For myself, I "solved" the problem of visualizing what hit points

I like this!

 BradfordYounie 2004-08-17 20:00:19
17

> The major problem with one-roll combat is that its outcome is REALLY

> On the other hand the outcome of a multiple-roll combat tends

The number of die rolls in even a long Champions combat is still not statistically significant...

 CarlCravens 2004-08-20 19:48:52
18

I've been working on a version of Damage Capacity (Health Roll).

 RonaldPyatt 2004-08-19 13:47:10
19

>The problem I have with hit points is some thing that comes up regularly

If you wish tto have hit points and the option of a good or freak hit to bring down someone (i.e.

 EricPaquette 2004-08-30 13:11:33
20

>Just curious, how many people even use Damage Capacity?

 EricPaquette 2004-08-11 18:07:35
21

> > Just curious, how many people even use Damage Capacity?

 MartinPolansky 2004-08-17 07:13:48
22

> Just curious, how many people even use Damage Capacity?

 CarlCravens 2004-08-17 02:20:58
23

> Just curious, how many people even use Damage Capacity?

 AaronClausen 2004-08-17 18:11:50
24

Over on the "Guild of OD&D" list there's been a recent discussion of a very Fudgey take on hit points.

 GmDslOnlyNet 2004-08-17 19:27:24
25

> In fact, I think that's the issue with the vanilla system.

 JohnRudd 2004-08-17 19:42:43
26

>I like this!

 EricPaquette 2004-08-17 20:14:47
27

> Frank Filz quotation:

But then you're keeping track of fractions, even if you try and conceal that fact.

> > Of course it all comes down to what you think you're modeling, and

Ok.

 FrankFilz 2004-08-17 19:49:38
28

> You know, I've always found the wound system in Vanilla Fudge to be a rather

I must say one of the best ideas I've had recently is this: you're hit, you're dead.

 ThomasCackler 2004-08-18 01:25:44
29

Quoting Nick Moffitt :

> Frank Filz quotation:

See

http://members.iinet.net.au/~psimmonstoakcharacter_crea

 PSimmons 2004-08-18 12:06:12
30

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karen J.

 FrankFilz 2004-08-18 13:08:23
31

> Thomas Cackler quotation:

I can see that.

 FrankFilz 2004-08-18 13:03:44
32

TC>I must say one of the best ideas I've had recently is this: you're hit, TC>you're dead.

 KarenCravens 2004-08-18 01:48:42
33

FF>----- Original Message -----

FF>> I keep wanting to try a really different approach...

 KarenCravens 2004-08-18 13:45:10
34

From:<A> "Karen J.

 FrankFilz 2004-08-18 14:15:13
35

As regards a "one-roll" non-subjective combat system, I have had success using the following simple guideline:

RD Result
1 Scratched
2 Hurt
3 Very Hurt
4 Incapacitated
5 Near Death
Optionally:
6 Instant Kill, if win

 PaulTarus 2004-08-18 16:14:17
36

Karen J.

 NickMoffitt 2004-08-18 15:37:13
37

>

It's an interesting idea, but it still looks like you do need a damage counter (unless I'm missing something).

 AaronClausen 2004-08-18 17:11:17
38

> > I happen to like the results of a hit point

My players like it mainly because it's the system they've been using since they were kids.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-18 17:14:31
39

> > I happen to like the results of a hit point

It's largely a gut feeling, but here are some points:

FrankFilz 2004-08-17 20:30:24
40

> FF> In my book, the trick is to distill the combat system down to the

> That's what my system (well, my hypothetical system) would do,

I think it would be best to distill combat down to not one roll for the entire combat, but one roll for each

 CarlCravens 2004-08-18 15:57:28
41

> All the contestants decide up front what their "win" and "quit" conditions

Nice.

 BrettRitter 2004-08-18 17:28:52
42

> Karen J.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-18 17:37:54
43

FF>I guess it depends on how the subjectivity actually plays out.

 KarenCravens 2004-08-19 01:14:04
44 "I think it would be best to distill combat down to not one roll for the entire combat, but one roll for each important "unit", which would be determined by the narrative flow. LoicProt 2004-08-19 08:13:22
45

Just curious, how many people even use Damage Capacity?

 GmDslOnlyNet 2004-08-11 17:44:59
46

> (MarkS-MAN also has a story of nearly being killed by an

Nothing kills a campaign faster than a straw death.

 JamesPacek 2004-08-20 22:30:20
47

> Totally

Without the larger context of that GM's overall style and how they ran the rest of the game, I'm not sure I accept that criticism just as it is stated.

If the story the GM wants to tell isn't mutable by the dice, then why use dic

 JohnRudd 2004-08-20 22:50:28
48

>> Totally

Much as I'd like to vent here about the nature of the specific game I cited; I won't.

 JamesPacek 2004-08-20 23:21:01
49

> If you accept that the dice are used to make the little parts of the

The difference is that dice are dumb...

 CarlCravens 2004-08-21 00:37:07
50

> But you've just implied that the frequency and circumstances should be

Except that, you may not know whether or not that will or wont build up the story in advance -- the GM might take a chance with the best of story building intentions and have

 JohnRudd 2004-08-21 01:09:27
51

> Except that, you may not know whether or not that will or wont build up

When in doubt, I prefer to err on the side of less trauma to the player.

 CarlCravens 2004-08-21 02:48:14
52

> So, I see the situation in the reverse from you.

 JohnRudd 2004-08-21 03:13:45
53

AH>If a player is going to sit around and act like a AH>child when something doesn't go their way, then I have

On the other hand, there is a problem when you are effectively telling someone "Sorry, you're done.

 KarenCravens 2004-08-22 00:42:47
54

For me the issue very much comes down to the style of game being played.

 DavidRobin 2004-08-22 13:26:45
55

> That's why some GMs let the players of dead or incapacitated PCs take

Of course if you view roleplaying as a creative endeavor then the death of a character is an opportunity to find a creative and convincing way for the player of the dead chara

 GordonLeVasseur 2004-08-22 13:34:42
56

>That's why some GMs let the players of dead or incapacitated PCs take

Or if you and your group have a sense of humor, this is when another wandering adventurer just happens to come over the hill (or around a corner, or whatever) and decides to jo

 JosephRDietrich 2004-08-22 13:18:52
57

I'm not advocating that every dice toss be thrown out, or that even most of them be modified.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-22 20:23:32
58

Bystanders were shocked to hear Aaron Clausen say, on Sun, 22 Aug 2004 15:23:32 CDT,:

>I'm not advocating that every dice toss be thrown out, or that even most

Once, many years ago, I was playing in a game where another

 MarkJones 2004-08-22 22:03:40
59

>

That's why some GMs let the players of dead or incapacitated PCs take over NPCs for the rest of the session.

 TimHall 2004-08-22 09:32:25
60

TH>That's why some GMs let the players of dead or incapacitated PCs take TH>over NPCs for the rest of the session.

Sometimes that works, sometimes not, depending on the situation in the particular session.

Of course, I've never actually had anyo

 KarenCravens 2004-08-22 22:27:11
61

>Sometimes that works, sometimes not, depending on the situation in the

The last time I killed a PC while GMing was a one shot with pregenerated characters.

 TimHall 2004-08-22 22:48:14
62

For me, this is a fun hobby, and I'm not going to allow the dice to rule so completely that the fun is overrided by the rule of the dice.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-25 18:25:28
63

> [Minor Rant Warning]

Nice topic for your first post, eh?

> If a player is going to sit around and act like a child when something

There's been a bit of conversation on this while I let it sit and mulled it over for awhile, and I think I'm

CarlCravens 2004-08-25 19:49:59
64

First off, we should all realize and accept that there are a several reasons people play RPGs and several expectations they have out of them (I've recently been reading stuff at The Forge http:/www.indie-rpg

 FrankFilz 2004-08-25 17:46:30
65

I don't know if playing a game of equals would really work all that well.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-25 22:51:29
66

Sorry about the duplicate post.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-25 22:48:51
67

AC>Sorry about the duplicate post.

 KarenCravens 2004-08-25 23:20:53
68

Ooops!

 AaronClausen 2004-08-25 23:43:38
69

You're still doing it (very, very rarely is it necessary to requote quoted text, only the new stuff), plus your sig really ought to be the standard two-dashes-plus-a-space and only four or five lines max.

That goes for everybody...

 KarenCravens 2004-08-26 02:31:59
70

>I think it really depends on how close to reality you truly want to model a Not sure the vanilla fudge system IS realistic...

 LanceDyas 2004-08-30 05:06:47
71

>

Yes, well, I rather get the impression that that's what my players like about hit points :-)

I think it really depends on how close to reality you truly want to model a game.

 AaronClausen 2004-08-29 15:37:06
72

> > The problem I have with hit points is some thing that comes

I think that sums up what I like about hit points pretty well.

I'm still thinking about what I will actually do for my upcoming Fudge Tekumel campaign.

Frank

The Fudge List F		 FrankFilz 2004-08-30 03:25:34
73

The problem I have with hit points is some thing that comes up regularly in the D&D group I play with.

 BillHamilton 2004-08-27 22:02:16
74

I know I'm coming in pretty late with a response to this, but I didn't see an answer to this in a quick scan of related messages.

 HermanDuyker 2004-09-11 13:43:37

Fudge Guide > Archives > Mailing List > 2004 > August > Full Thread

This message is Copyright 2004 Mike Harvey

Collected messages Copyright 2008 Phoenyx PBeM Roleplaying. Used on fudgerpg.info with permission.

Site Home