supernal 18,499 Report post Posted July 1, 2018 (edited) The purpose of this system is to serve as a tool by which a player can randomize the amount of damage, or loss, a character incurs for any given storyline The needs of the story will always provide the best guidance for when, what kind, and how much damage a character or characters should take for a plot arc. When a plot has these clear parameters and the player has no question or want to randomize, then the system serves no need. But in the spirit of trying to retain elements of surprise for myself in a game where the variables can be modified at my discretion, I said to myself, I said, "lemme throw some dice at it!" So here's what I have so far. You roll using our dice roller and incorporate the damage on your character/group/etc accordingly Table Aesthetic Aesthetic Aesthetic Standard Standard Standard Standard Critical Critical Lethal Definitions Aesthetic: Scratches and bruises. Generally speaking this level of damage is mostly superficial and not of great concern. I'll emphasize again that this is just generally speaking. If, for the purposes of a plot twist or something along those lines, a minor wound leads to a greater one, that's both perfectly valid (and awesome plot engineering) and also outside of the purview of this table. There's also potential here for appearance modifications, such as scars, which can trigger memories or even PTSD episodes for your character later on Standard: As the name of 'standard' might lead you to guess, this level embodies the largest range of possible types of damage. Twisted ankles, broken wrist, severed tendon, etc and so on. At this level, the damage causes pain and impairment and is something to incorporate as a character struggle, but does not prevent you from continuing or winning the fight. Again, this is speaking generally - the right kind of severed tendon in the right kind of character can completely incapacitate them. Long term damage from a severed tendon causing a character to get surgery, or have to undergo physical therapy, are great examples of future plot engineering Critical: Damage at this level tends to be a turning point in the conflict. Losing a hand isn't a guaranteed kill, and sometimes opens up other narrative venues to explore like dialogue heavy scenes, but without medical attention or a healer, death is a very real possibility for your character. Your character can still win their conflict after receiving a critical wound, and likewise the villain might overturn your hero after receiving one themselves, but generally speaking this is a "the battle is lost, live to fight another day" scenario. For characters using NDS in a situation they’re stealing (such as materials acquisition) this means your character. Lethal: A showstopper. There is no longer a question of victory. Your character has lost. This lethal blow does not have to be the result of direct damage. Falling off a bridge can be one part of a multi-part conflict, or it can completely remove your character from the story. If you want to raise the stakes even more, use this in conjunctions with a d100 to determine if your character dies - roll a 71 or above and they do. You can deal with death by becoming a ghost, becoming undead, being resurrected, etc and so on, but now you have to incorporate that death and justify their presence after death, as a result of this system changelog 2018-11-18: capture mechanic for thieves added to critical and applies to lethal too Edited November 18, 2018 by supernal 13 EpicRome23, AngryCacti, Die Shize and 10 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
