Post by simonw on Aug 24, 2014 4:34:17 GMT -6
I'm thinking of tinkering with a few changes to the system for the Crimson Blades Boxed Set and I'm looking for feedback on this idea:
Instead of AC, characters/creatures will have a Defence Class (DC) that will generally be about 3/4. High DEX might make it higher, maybe a shield, maybe there'll be a class-based bonus (Wayfarers, particularly) and certain creatures will naturally have higher DC. Heavy armour may subtract from DC.
Armour is then just damage reduction (DR) as follows:
Light - 1
Light-Med - 2
Medium - 3
Heavy - 4
Melee Combat
When fighting in close (melee) combat, you roll your HD in an attempt to equal or exceed the DC of your opponent.
1) Dortmund, a 1st level fighter (1HD) with DEX 15 attacks a goblin (DC4) with a mace and rolls one die. Normally he’d need 4+ to hit, but because of his DEX, he only needs 3+.
If you have more than 1HD and you are being attacked by several opponents, you may split your HD between your opponents as you wish or attack just one of your opponents.
2) Dortmund is now 2nd level (2HD) and charges into several goblins. This time he’s using his favoured weapon (a longsword) so he has 3HD. He can now choose to attack each goblin with 1HD, or attack two of them, one with 2HD and the other with 1HD or attack just one of them with 3HD. He chooses to go for just two of them, needing 3+ to hit each. He rolls 5 and 3 for the first goblin and 4 for the second. He therefore hits both that he went for, but leaves the third alone.
If you have more than 1HD and you have just one opponent (or you choose just to attack one of your opponents), you may still split your attacks if you wish up to as many HD as you have. Alternatively, you may roll all your HD as one massive attack.
3) Dortmund has defeated the goblins and is now faced by an ogre (DC3). It is pretty easy to hit the hulking creature and a single powerful swing is more likely to hurt the beast, so Dortmund puts his 3HD into one single mighty cleave. He needs 2+ and gets 1, 3 and 6, hitting with two dice.
Damage
Each die that hits the target potentially causes damage. If you hit with one die, you simply roll the damage die for your weapon, add any modifier (for STR, for example) and deduct the DR of your opponent’s armour.
1) Dortmund hits the goblin with the mace (D6 damage). He rolls a 4, but with his STR of 16 he gets +1, so this becomes 5 damage. The goblin has light armour, reducing this to 4, but as he has only 2HP, this is more than sufficient to put the goblin out of action.
If you hit with multiple dice, it depends on the type of attack you selected. If you attacked with multiple attacks (i.e. splitting your dice), the DR comes off each attack that hit.
2) Dortmund hit two of the goblins. The first he hit with two dice, so he rolls them both together getting 1 and 2. Because of the fighter’s STR, he adds +1 to the total, for 4 damage. The goblin’s armour DR1 reduces this to 3, but as the goblin has only 3HP, he keels over. The second goblin was hit with one die. Dortmund gets 7 (with his STR) and this is enough to kill the goblin several times over, even allowing for armour.
If you attacked as one powerful blow, you combine all dice that hit when rolling for damage. You only add STR when you’ve totaled up the damage dice. Likewise, DR from armour only comes off the total damage.
3) Dortmund hit the ogre with a powerful shot, succeeding on two of his dice. He rolls damage – 4 and 4 come up, with +1 for STR, the result is 9. The ogre has DR 2, reducing this back down to 7HP. The ogre can take this easily and smiles, swinging his club.(Note: If Dortmund had attacked with three separate attacks, he’d have caused more damage before armour (4+1=5x2=10) but after DR of 2 for each hit, the ogre would have only taken 6HP.
How does this sound? Anything wrong with it? Feedback (and other ideas) welcome.
Instead of AC, characters/creatures will have a Defence Class (DC) that will generally be about 3/4. High DEX might make it higher, maybe a shield, maybe there'll be a class-based bonus (Wayfarers, particularly) and certain creatures will naturally have higher DC. Heavy armour may subtract from DC.
Armour is then just damage reduction (DR) as follows:
Light - 1
Light-Med - 2
Medium - 3
Heavy - 4
Melee Combat
When fighting in close (melee) combat, you roll your HD in an attempt to equal or exceed the DC of your opponent.
1) Dortmund, a 1st level fighter (1HD) with DEX 15 attacks a goblin (DC4) with a mace and rolls one die. Normally he’d need 4+ to hit, but because of his DEX, he only needs 3+.
If you have more than 1HD and you are being attacked by several opponents, you may split your HD between your opponents as you wish or attack just one of your opponents.
2) Dortmund is now 2nd level (2HD) and charges into several goblins. This time he’s using his favoured weapon (a longsword) so he has 3HD. He can now choose to attack each goblin with 1HD, or attack two of them, one with 2HD and the other with 1HD or attack just one of them with 3HD. He chooses to go for just two of them, needing 3+ to hit each. He rolls 5 and 3 for the first goblin and 4 for the second. He therefore hits both that he went for, but leaves the third alone.
If you have more than 1HD and you have just one opponent (or you choose just to attack one of your opponents), you may still split your attacks if you wish up to as many HD as you have. Alternatively, you may roll all your HD as one massive attack.
3) Dortmund has defeated the goblins and is now faced by an ogre (DC3). It is pretty easy to hit the hulking creature and a single powerful swing is more likely to hurt the beast, so Dortmund puts his 3HD into one single mighty cleave. He needs 2+ and gets 1, 3 and 6, hitting with two dice.
Damage
Each die that hits the target potentially causes damage. If you hit with one die, you simply roll the damage die for your weapon, add any modifier (for STR, for example) and deduct the DR of your opponent’s armour.
1) Dortmund hits the goblin with the mace (D6 damage). He rolls a 4, but with his STR of 16 he gets +1, so this becomes 5 damage. The goblin has light armour, reducing this to 4, but as he has only 2HP, this is more than sufficient to put the goblin out of action.
If you hit with multiple dice, it depends on the type of attack you selected. If you attacked with multiple attacks (i.e. splitting your dice), the DR comes off each attack that hit.
2) Dortmund hit two of the goblins. The first he hit with two dice, so he rolls them both together getting 1 and 2. Because of the fighter’s STR, he adds +1 to the total, for 4 damage. The goblin’s armour DR1 reduces this to 3, but as the goblin has only 3HP, he keels over. The second goblin was hit with one die. Dortmund gets 7 (with his STR) and this is enough to kill the goblin several times over, even allowing for armour.
If you attacked as one powerful blow, you combine all dice that hit when rolling for damage. You only add STR when you’ve totaled up the damage dice. Likewise, DR from armour only comes off the total damage.
3) Dortmund hit the ogre with a powerful shot, succeeding on two of his dice. He rolls damage – 4 and 4 come up, with +1 for STR, the result is 9. The ogre has DR 2, reducing this back down to 7HP. The ogre can take this easily and smiles, swinging his club.(Note: If Dortmund had attacked with three separate attacks, he’d have caused more damage before armour (4+1=5x2=10) but after DR of 2 for each hit, the ogre would have only taken 6HP.
How does this sound? Anything wrong with it? Feedback (and other ideas) welcome.
