New Uses for the Area Row

[Scriptus]

I have a couple of house rules regarding the area row on the D&R chart that I think make the game feel a little bit more like a comic should feel.

1. Toughness modifiers negate falling damage equal to their Area level on the D&R chart. This is instead of the current 10' rule which only allows the Hulk to fall from 280' without dying. Any stones of height above the toughness mod will do 1 white stone of damage to the victim. This would allow the Hulk to fall from orbit and only take 2 white stones of damage. *Please note that the 10' rule should probably still be used for heights less than 50'.

formula (distance fallen on the Area Row - toughness mod = white stones of damage)

2. When throwing heavy objects, stones in strength above the objects weight will then be used to determine distance according to the area row on the D&R chart instead of the current 10' rule which would only allow the (unenraged) Hulk to throw a tv 90'. Even a fully enraged Hulk could only throw a tv 170'. Under this new rule if the Hulk put 10 stones into throwing a tv, the 9 stones above the tv's weight would translate into 1 mile of distance.

This means that an (unenraged) Hulk could also through a minibus (5 stones) at least 100' (5 on the area row) and a car twice that distance. If the Hulk were to become fully enraged (18 strength) it is conceiveable that he could end up throwing a tank (9 stones) over a mile (9 on the area row). * the current 10' rule could still be used for distances of under 30'. **this doesn't necessarily mean the Hulk can throw the object accurately (that is more ranged combat) just that he can throw the object.

formula (Stones in Strength - an object's weight = distance thrown according to D&R Area Row)

Well what do you folks think?

[thedragonmaster]

I definitely like number 2, it feels right. Though I'll have to think more on the consequences of number 1.

[Kaimontfendo]

First of all, I've read a suggested house rule based on the concept of terminal velocity that caps out falling damage at 20 stones, and another paired with it that Toughness counts double against falling damage. I'm not sure how well science backs that second one, but with those two rules combined, Hulk would only take 4 red stones of damage no matter how far he fell.

I'm not really sure what to think of using the Area for distance of hurled objects. The rules about it are terrible in my opinion, but narrowly passable, since I don't often play characters who would do that. My distaste for such characters is also why I haven't tested any house rules that attempt to fix the hurled object rules.

Also, as a final note about both of these suggestions, I really dislike the idea of anything that that uses a linear scale up to a certain point, and exponential after that. 1 stone per 10 feet, or 1 stone per column of the D&R chart. Just pick one and stick with it!!

[Neros]

The only problem i really see in MURPG, is throwing things with Strength, since theres allready a Action meant to be used with thrown/ranged combat...

When throwing a spear, all you need to do is place some stones into Range combat (no need to place stones into Strength), but how far can you throw that spear? What about knives? Throwing a spear is different from throwing a car, but if you have a speciality in it, you know how to do it, and should atleast be allowed to combine the two Actions.

[malice]

1. I stated my fondness for this one in the Insta-kills thread. I understand where Kaimontfendo is coming from, but I gotta favor superheroism over realism (Although I'd still like to check out that house rule about terminal velocity). Also this isn't that strange considering that the D&R is exponential. Linear falling damage is inconsistent just as linear penalties on thrown objects are.

2. I've yet to master either the original MURPG thrown objects rules or Cwylrics, this one is superior to the former and untested against the latter. I've just got more to learn here.

[Stain]

First, I want to mention a great irony I've noticed in RPG's; and that is realism=complexity, but enjoyment usually favors the side of simplicity. In other words, there are a lot of RPG's that attempt to replicate realistic outcomes with complicated formulas and rules, but I've found that the most entertaining games are those that have just the right balance between realism and simplicity. I think that at its core, MURPG was intended to be easily understood and played. As such, I am not a huge fan of attempts to cover MURPG's gaps (dare I say gaping holes) with added complexity. Anyway, here's my opinion for what it's worth:

1. I think the original 10' rule sucks, to be frank, so I like your idea; but I agree with others that using both linear and non-linear scales is not good. There is some inconsistency in the transition between the two because a superhero would be hurt more if he fell from 40' than if he fell from 50'. Since the area effect row breaks down below 50', what about creating a new row for falling damage that is based off of the area effect row but is scaled to include shorter falls than 50'. Just a thought...

2. I like this concept as well, but the same applies here as for number 1. I'm assuming the stones from strength would go into an action such as CC or RC. If it's an action straight from strength, I also assume there would be some severe situational modifiers (perhaps out of accuracy).