Hitpoints and Damage

[Trakx]

From what I recall of the game, they had a unique (at least to me) system of handling damage. When you were hit, you had to make a roll to see if the damage phased you. You didn't have hitpoints, so while you may shake off most damaging strikes, every strike that DOES actually damage you really effects your hero.

Does anyone recall this? Could someone explain it better for me? I would love to read it again, or hear it from someone who is/has played with it.

[silverlion]

You had a damage saving throw. Basically it 15+damage done vs a d20 roll +damage save value.

If you made it no problem;

If you failed you took a bruised or injured hit. (depending on if it was lethal or nonlethal damage.

If you failed by more than 5 you were stunned. If you failed by more than 10 you were unconscious or disabled
(if nonlethal or lethal dependin on type of damage

[Trakx]

That was it! Thanks for filling us in.

Now, what do you think of that?
I have always had a problem with the concept of hitpoints. Well, more specifically, the concept of gaining hitpoints.

In some games there are so many different levels of taking damage. In Dungeons & Dragons, for example, (or maybe the D20 as a whole) you have your Armor Class (which is both your ability to dodge attacks and to be effected by successful attacks - so in theory, your character might be hit with every attack, but no attack hit well enough to do damage, so it's considered a "miss"), then Hitpoints. But you might also have Damage Reduction that soaks up damage points before you take it.

Anyways, I'm getting off subject.

It's just that with gaining hitpoints, its like your hero takes less and less damage from the same strikes that, well, maybe a month ago in-game time, would have laid him out.

[silverlion]

I like the damage save. I feel its one of the truly great and innovative parts of M&M and True20 rules sets.


I like fixed health/hit point scores (that don't grow without good logical reasons--the person working out, or gaining new powers) on the other hand I don't mind games with split "Luck" points which can be spent to buy down solid hits to just near glancing blows--however most d20 games that have such a split (D20 Star Wars) didn't do it where they're spendable the right way personally they're still too much like hit points ala D&D.

Fixed Health points ala Unisystem and D6 in some variations are simple and fast, and that sometimes is worth the lack of feeling like "real" wounds)

[Trakx]

Tim, I know you wouldn't support it, but I'll ask any way:

How could this Damage Save system be converted to MSHAG?

[silverlion]

I thought I wrote up a version at one point? Somewhere?
Maybe that was for something else.


Currently I'd take Edge+Any Body Armor Defense (it require rewriting Hulk and other supers who are relying on Strength right now)

It be Edge+Body Armor/other defense trait=Damage Save

You'd play a Strength Card (certian skills could be used to switch it to will power) then it be

Less than Equal to damage Score= Zeroed Out
Beat or Equal Damage Total: Lose Two Carda
Beat Damage by 4: Lose one card
Beat Damage by 8: Lose no Cards

[Trakx]

Could you give an example?

Instead of re-writting Strength couldn't you just add Strength, counted as Defense, to that save total?

[silverlion]

Most damages aren't going to be high enough to break damage save+strength+defenses.

I thought about it but I think edge makes more sense in general.


Say You have a starting hero 1 edge 3 cards. They have Body Armor +5 and Strength 10 they get hit by Energy Blast of 8+Narrator card of 6 (14)

Normally they'd face 15 (armor+strength) vs 14 no effect

IF you made a damage save their save is its Edge 1+5 (body armor)+card played

In this case that be 6 plus 5 strength (trump) +4 agility


That's 15 vs 14 they beat it, but not by 4 so they lose 2 cards.


If you add strength in they're getting two chances to reduce damage...personally I think its a big mess and slows thing down for a game that's simple as Saga and already pretty comic book like. (especially since the recovery system is faster and built better than M&M's)


There are is more than one route to the same goal after all.