Skill: Damage Reduction

[Trakx]

I created a skill a long while back called Damage Reduction. There is a skill that some martial arts teach, and military special forces teach, where you learn to control your breathing and muscle tension, among other things, when you expect damage. I did a write-up, which I posted again for convenience below, but while it might sound good, I don't see how it could be used in the game, mechanically. Any ideas?

DAMAGE REDUCTION
When your hero has to take damage, he or she at least
knows techniques for not taking as much damage.
Techniques include breathing, muscle control, methods
for how to land when falling, and muscle control for
knowing when to tense or not tense during a collision
(such as in a car crash, or during a fist fight).

[silverlion]

So it reduces damage by 4 points like most skills gives the -4 difficulty slide?

[Trakx]

That's too big of a boost.
Well... maybe if you're using this skill as your action for the turn? Such as when you're falling, you know you're falling and will land - when you get close enough to land, you do the techniques you were taught to reduce the damage. *shrugs*

What do you think?

[silverlion]

Well "how much damage?" I mean how does the skill work your saying it reduces damage--does but how much damage does it reduce? Completely to 0 is a LOT, but -4 isn't really too much to me (compared to all the way to 0)

Please explain more

[Trakx]

Well, if you knew that you were about to be in a car accident, what would you do? Flinch, ball up, close your eyes... all those actions are involuntary and instinctive. You can be trained to do otherwise - to alter your instincts. Martial artists don't think about every swing they make.

This training gives you skill in HOW to fall to receive the least amount of impact, and to put your vital organs and fragile bones in the least susceptible places. If you know you're going to get in an accident, this is the skill where your hero has learned to relax and not to tense, and furthermore, to position himself to gain the best protection from within the vehicle.

If you're in combat, you know how to strike while minimizing yourself from being too open to strikes yourself. In other words, if you swing at your opponent, you're opening up your ribs. This skill may allow your hero to either swing in such a way to minimize the opening, use a different attack, or to be prepared for an attack on these vulnerable areas (breath out, tense key muscles, etc.).

This skill may not have a purpose within MSHAG. If this is the case, that's fine. I "invented" this skill back when I was obsessed with creating new powers and skills. Some skills I still like, such as Criminal Organizations and Damage Control, and others - like Damage Reduction and Terrorism Tactics, either need more clarification or to be removed.

Thanks for the reply, Tim - your input is valued.

[Tommy Brownell]

Ha...

This just reminds me of my wrestling training...which is, among other things, a lot of learning how to reduce impact so I don't kill myself.

Not sure how to phrase it mechanically, but its the same principle. If I'm falling, and I try to catch myself, I'll jam an elbow or break a wrist. However, if I just breathe out and hit on my upper back, I'll walk away fine.

[Trakx]

admin said:

This just reminds me of my wrestling training...which is, among other things, a lot of learning how to reduce impact so I don't kill myself.

Not sure how to phrase it mechanically, but its the same principle. If I'm falling, and I try to catch myself, I'll jam an elbow or break a wrist. However, if I just breathe out and hit on my upper back, I'll walk away fine.

This is exactly what I'm talking about, thank you.

[silverlion]

Well I think if you keep the skill it should do something.
And I don't see shedding 4 points of damage as bad or too severe (rolling with the blow from fall, or a strike or whatever)

[Tommy Brownell]

Maybe make it an action opposed by the damage taken + difficulty, and if it succeeds, it halves the damage taken?

Did I explain that well?

[Trakx]

Probably to most people here, but could you give me an example?

[Tommy Brownell]

Assume it's an Agility action...set it at, say, Average (8) difficulty...an attack hits for 12 points...so 12 + 8 is an Agility action, difficulty 20, and if it succeeds, then the target only has to discard 6 points, not 12.

[Trakx]

Great example, and that works, but then aren't we turning a regular skill into a +4 Body Armor?

[Tommy Brownell]

Possibly...although for any decent attack, you're looking at a fairly rough difficulty number to meet, just to halve damage.

My biggest problem is that it adds one more step to combat, slowing it down for anyone that has the skill.

[Trakx]

admin said:

Possibly...although for any decent attack, you're looking at a fairly rough difficulty number to meet, just to halve damage.

My biggest problem is that it adds one more step to combat, slowing it down for anyone that has the skill.

That's why I was thinking of putting in its text that it takes an action to use - in other words, you have to know you're about to take damage to use it.

For example: You can try to jump from the car before it crashes, or prepare for the crash.

[stormangel]

Here's my humble suggestion:

Damage Reduction (Agility):
In combat, this skill allows the user to shed off 2 points of damage, as if it were +2 Body Armor.

If not attacking is where this truly excels. Bracing for an impact in a vehicle, taking a fall, sacrificing an attack to simply stall the opponent by taking his hits, or similar circumstances allow for this skill to absorb some or all of the damage by making a Challenging (12) action, the hero can roll with the fall or a similar action to take half damage. Hitting a Daunting (16) means only a third (round up) damage is taken, and a Desperate (20) action means no damage is taken as the hero completely was able to use his body to soak up the damage in the most efffective area. Of course if the action fails, the attack has landed successfully for full damage, as this action counts your defense action. This may not be used in conjuction with an All-Out Defense.

In combat, I see this akin to an evading maneuver where you allow yourself to get hit in a minimized location.

Still not sure if this should be Agility, which makes more sense, or Stregnth. But it's a start. I eliminated the Damage recieved portion from Tommy's idea because I made it requiring forgoeing an attack and using this as the dodge action.