Range Matrix Comparison

[eris]

When Traveller was first printed the damage inflicted on a hit was different from later printings and later editions. I provide the following table as a comparison between the two versions.

Weapon	Wound Inflicted - original edition -	Wound Inflicted - revised editions -
Hands	1D	1D
Claws	1D+3	2D
Teeth	2D-3	2D
Horns	2D-5	2D
Hooves	2D-6	2D
Stinger	3D-6	3D
Thrasher	2D+2	2D
Club	2D-3	2D
Dagger	2D-3	2D
Blade	2D	2D
Foil	1D+4	1D
Cutlass	2D+4	3D
Sword	2D+1	2D
Broadsword	4D	4D
Bayonet	3D	3D
Spear	2D+2	2D
Halberd	3D	3D
Pike	3D	3D
Cudgel	2D	2D
Body Pistol	3D-8	3D
Automatic Pistol	3D-3	3D
Revolver	3D-3	3D
Carbine	4D-8	3D
Rifle	3D	3D
Automatic Rifle	3D	3D
Shotgun	4D	4D
Submachinegun	3d-3	3D
Laser Carbine	4D	4D
Laser Rifle	5D	5D

In the CT rules, each die of damage was deducted from a Stat (STR, DEX, END) rather than summed and deducted from the sum of the 3 physical Stats. The original Wounds Inflicted table doesn't really fit that. I know you can fiddle with it to make it work, but it has always looked like a sum up and deduct from a HP pool to me.

How have all of you handled things like the Body Pistol being 3d-8 in your games?

Eris

[coffee]

I think the way it was supposed to work (think, not know), was that you took the minus damage off the dice and applied what was left to the character.

Example: 3d6-8: Die rolls 5 4 3. Take out the 5 and the 3, apply the 4 to a random attribute (in the first round; thereafter, player chooses.)

(That's just what I think -- I don't have any evidence for that.)


I don't have Book 4: Mercenary (I gave up on the higher numbered books long ago), but I believe it had errata for the original. Perhaps it gave some insight on the body pistol.

And yeah, it looks like HP are pooled, but I do like the rules for them being removed from your physical stats, and combat outcomes being based on that (1 stat at 0 = unconscious, 2 at 0 = seriously wounded, and all 3 at 0 = dead). I always thought it showed the deadliness and randomness of combat, without the automatic kill sort of thing you could get in D&D.

[eris]

Aug 17, 2010 11:11:04 GMT -6 coffee said:

I think the way it was supposed to work (think, not know), was that you took the minus damage off the dice and applied what was left to the character.

Example: 3d6-8: Die rolls 5 4 3. Take out the 5 and the 3, apply the 4 to a random attribute (in the first round; thereafter, player chooses.)

(That's just what I think -- I don't have any evidence for that.)

I think that's how most folks applied it, based on replies I've gotten on the TML and other lists/forums.

Back in the 70's, though, I didn't have "guidance" so I came up with my own interpretation and I've sort of stuck with it ever since.

I decided that applying the damage "die by die" was an error and what was really meant was apply the damage wound by wound (or hit by hit, if you will). So, I summed the dice +/ DM for a single hit and applied it to a single Stat (with overflow going to other Stats). If one Stat went to 0 the PC was STUNNED, if two Stats went to 0 the PC was UNCONSCIOUS, and if three Stats went to 0 the PC was MORTALLY WOUNDED.

Example: Jo Generic has physical stats of 7, 7, 7. He gets shot twice in this round by an Auto pistol (3d-3 = 3+5+2-3 = 7) and (3d-3 = 4+6+1-3 = 6). From the first hit, 7 points come off one of the Stats and from the second hit, 7 points come off another and 1 off the third. At the end of the round Joe is at 0, 0, 6 and is UNCONSCIOUS.

STUNNED: If 1 Stat was at 0 the PC was STUNNED and could perform no action other than attempting to "snap out of it" once per combat round by rolling 8+. When the PC succeeded he got back 1 point in the 0'ed Stat. For the rest of the Encounter (or until the Ref decided the PC had had a chance to "get a rest") the PC was at -2DM on every task.

UNCONSCIOUS: If 2 Stats were at 0 the PC was UNCONSCIOUS and could perform no action other than attempting to "wake up" once per *hour* by rolling 8+ (Medical DM allowed). Succeeding moved one of the two Stats back to 1 and the PC could now attempt to move the second Stat back to 1 as per STUNNED, but only once per hour of rest.

MORTALLY WOUNDED: If 3 Stats were at 0 the PC was MORTALLY WOUNDED and had 3 chances (3 strikes) to roll 8+, one per combat round, or die (Medical DM applies). Succeeding on the first roll left the PC in a COMA for 1D days and then UNCONSCIOUS. Succeeding on the second roll left the PC in a COMA for 1D weeks and then UNCONSCIOUS. Succeeding on the third roll left the PC in a COMA for 1d6 months and then UNCONSCIOUS. Failing all three rolls left the PC dead.

COMA: While a PC was in a COMA he must be continually kept under Medical care, failure to do so, put the PC back into 3 strikes mode.

[coffee]

Sounds as good as any other system!