tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post6113710230195454104..comments2024-03-29T06:14:10.087-07:00Comments on B/X BLACKRAZOR: Revising B/X Combat (for, like, the Upteenth time)JBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-16441806346666265622014-08-29T14:00:27.637-07:002014-08-29T14:00:27.637-07:00LOL, the Thief discussions were impassioned. :D
...LOL, the Thief discussions were impassioned. :D<br /><br />I like both of the systems you are talking about. I'll have to look at Ancient Kingdoms. I may be able to cook up a conversion guide to Porphyry for it.<br /><br />OK, I'll see you on The Grand Tapestry and here.Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-78311353212340333582014-08-29T13:51:43.405-07:002014-08-29T13:51:43.405-07:00@ TS:
Two separate games. There is no "AC&qu...@ TS:<br /><br />Two separate games. There is no "AC" in Five Ancient Kingdoms (yes, there is armor...works a little different). If a character scores a hit, it inflicts one wound. A monster can sustain as many wounds as it has HD (an ogre can take four, a giant can take eight, etc.). On the other hand, PCs have HPs and so when they receive a wound, they subtract a random number of HPs. One Wound = D6 HPs.<br /><br />[large monsters inflict more than one wound on a successful attack]<br /><br />The new game I'm working on uses a more traditional (if compressed) AC system and all monsters have both HD and HPs at this point, just like a standard (old timey) D&D game.<br /><br />I'm glad you're having fun with domains (I always did, back in the day) and thanks for the kind words about the Companion (you're right...I should have won!). Just as an aside, our limited communication has definitely been an influence on the new book...our past - um - "discussions" on the thief class in B/X has been a direct precursor to some of the class changes in the current work. So thanks for that!<br />: )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-50212409194586349802014-08-29T08:05:17.794-07:002014-08-29T08:05:17.794-07:00'Doin' = Domain.
:: sigh ::'Doin' = Domain.<br /><br />:: sigh ::Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-65051606046007446812014-08-29T08:04:08.954-07:002014-08-29T08:04:08.954-07:00Hi, JB. :)
I'm confused. Do the monsters get...Hi, JB. :)<br /><br />I'm confused. Do the monsters get only a number of Wounds = to their HD?<br /><br />If that is the case, then the AC thing isn't a big deal.<br /><br />Otherwise, that's very similar to what I briefly did when I used Palladium for a Winter era Urutsk game. The AV was penetrated by the damage dice being rolled with mods, and whatever got past the AV did 'hits'.<br /><br />Even ranged attacks simply rolled dice to see if they hit and penetrated the armour. Long bows were decidedly deadly, as were two-handed swords. Duh. ;)<br /><br />BTW, I am going very Doin-happy lately, between ACKS and Domains at War, as well as your lovely B/X Companion. I still think you should have won that year.<br /><br />Talk with you soon.Timeshadowshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09952601433965644275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-33457764812563319022014-08-29T07:42:51.035-07:002014-08-29T07:42:51.035-07:00@ Ynas: I hope you do. It's got quite a differ...@ Ynas: I hope you do. It's got quite a different flavor from Vikings & Valkyries, but I like it.<br />: )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-55811700571674084742014-08-29T07:29:58.991-07:002014-08-29T07:29:58.991-07:00@ ProfOats:
I do try to keep the AC range small: ...@ ProfOats:<br /><br />I do try to keep the AC range small: the absolute maximum (I believe) would be 23, about the equivalent of AC -4 in B/X terms.<br /><br />The roll-over idea IS simpler, AND fixes something I was waffling on (starting with a base 11 AC, which I prefer versus a base 10 AC which is simpler on the brain...by making it "roll over," I can keep base AC 10, while still getting my "1 extra point" of AC). Thanks for that!<br />: )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-58561541046959938402014-08-29T07:22:53.762-07:002014-08-29T07:22:53.762-07:00@ Brendan:
I shall not fear basic arithmetic.
: )...@ Brendan:<br /><br />I shall not fear basic arithmetic.<br />: )<br /><br />I've considered other bonuses for fighters as they level up, for example allowing a "weapon specialization" that increases a weapon's max damage roll by 2.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-24656696613537798872014-08-29T07:20:50.958-07:002014-08-29T07:20:50.958-07:00@ Fumers:
I DID try something like that, years ba...@ Fumers:<br /><br />I DID try something like that, years back:<br /><br />http://bxblackrazor.blogspot.com/2010/05/radically-faster-combat-auto-hits.html<br /><br />Unfortunately, it was clunky in practice (using the chart and keeping track of dice shifts). I still like the idea for a superhero RPG.<br /><br />One thing that might help is that the range of "armor class" in the game is not very great...generally, you're not going to have anything better than AC 20 (or -1 for you Old Schoolers). Anyway, I LIKE the idea of arrows and whatnot bouncing off the armored hide of a dragon (as opposed to *plinking* it to death).<br /><br />@ Hedge and Faol:<br /><br />Good point, and an easy way to look at it (though I think Fumers would point out that the range of "zero" that could be rolled is pretty big against a high AC opponent).<br />; )JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-82250908955990973412014-08-29T04:44:28.880-07:002014-08-29T04:44:28.880-07:00My pirates game has non-variable hit points and no...My pirates game has non-variable hit points and non-variable weapon damage, +-1 for strength modifiers. Weapons deal 1 or 2 hits as a base; fists do 1-3 subdual. Furthermore, almost everything is thrown on two dice versus a target number of 7. It's very simple and it lends itself to cinematic fights and heroic deeds. Scott Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12067161332003628237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-51672458332463196842014-08-29T03:59:00.485-07:002014-08-29T03:59:00.485-07:00Intrigued to hear more. And reminded to check out ...Intrigued to hear more. And reminded to check out Five Ancient Kingdoms.Ynas Midgardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-61440992796536583852014-08-29T01:27:22.103-07:002014-08-29T01:27:22.103-07:00"What starts out as a tweak or two ends up sn..."What starts out as a tweak or two ends up snowballing into a giant ball of house rules that might as well be (well, pretty much is) its Very Own Thing."<br /><br />Yeah, that's how my game's starting to look. It was intended as kind of a <i>Best of D&D (1974-200)</i>, but <i>Chainmail</i> and my own gaming philosophy have made that more true in spirit. It's a little scary, but I felt a lot better when I realized <i>RuneQuest</i> made some of the same changes (combat, I mean. I hate their skill system)<br /><br />I've considered using the attack roll to determine damage as well. Fumers raises a good point, but it shouldn't be too big a deal if ACs fit within a tight range and hit points are kept low. I'd suggest switching to a roll higher system, rather than equal to or higher, for simplicity. For instance, where before you might have to roll equal to or higher than 15 to hit, now you have to roll higher than 14. If you roll a 20, that'd be 20 - 14 = 6. Results of zero or less are a miss. Tweak the attack bonus, though, not ACs. That makes monsters from other products easier to useHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-8931071319311844562014-08-28T21:30:55.090-07:002014-08-28T21:30:55.090-07:00I thought about something similar a while back, th...I thought about something similar a while back, though I didn't consider limiting the damage potential by weapon.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.necropraxis.com/2013/09/16/degree-of-success-as-damage/" rel="nofollow">http://www.necropraxis.com/2013/09/16/degree-of-success-as-damage/</a><br /><br />I do worry that, despite being more die rolls, attack hit AC roll damage might actually be more straightforward than figuring a subtraction. Attack, minus AC, and oh do I add 1? etc. Probably could be smoothed out with AC notation or practice, but I didn't get that far.<br /><br />(I also like how this naturally increases the fighter's damage potential just through the improvement of attack bonus, though if you want to do that, you might not want to limit damage potential by weapon as you are suggesting here.)Necropraxishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12716340801054739658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-83357868234865181592014-08-28T20:19:13.022-07:002014-08-28T20:19:13.022-07:00Well, d20 + attack bonuses - target AC, with a min...Well, d20 + attack bonuses - target AC, with a minimum of 0 and a maximum of weapon power (or whatever you want to call the maximum damage stat).faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-73664866237309900442014-08-28T17:27:00.371-07:002014-08-28T17:27:00.371-07:00You are making a damage roll. Damage = d20 - AC. You are making a damage roll. Damage = d20 - AC. Hedgehobbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17606283586332210195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-89819059103946714932014-08-28T13:34:46.347-07:002014-08-28T13:34:46.347-07:00Having to hit a high AC creature a million times t...Having to hit a high AC creature a million times to kill it might get tedious since you'd be doing so little damage each time. <br /><br />If I were trying to reduce combat turns to one roll, I'd skip the to-hit and just have people roll damage. Accuracy and power can just cause more damage. The math is easier, and players have more fun because they're doing something effective every round.Fumershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14156302616243889562noreply@blogger.com