Post by wayne on Mar 14, 2004 18:49:14 GMT -5
This is something I've just put together, and plan on trying out tonight. While our group is still exploring the world of RPGing, we've been very combat-oriented so far, and our conflicts have been getting more detailed, but without real guidelines. So, I'm presenting one area that has needed fleshing out (alongside Grappling, which we have rules for now.) I'll give feedback on how it worked out if anyone's interested. As always, comments appreciated.
<<EDIT: Tweaked the numbers a bit, removed the double/triple damage effect from deliberate knockbacks, and updated the examples.>>
KNOCKBACK RULES
A knockback is when a target is hit with enough force that they stumble, fall, or fly backwards. This is useful for moving targets away from you, or knocking them into something (a trap, a teammate's attack, etc.) The actual distance knocked back is determined by the Area/Leaping row of the D&R chart.
If the GM (or group) decides it, then knockbacks can occur automatically whenever a target is hit with enough force. However, a player can also specify when attacking that he's attempting to deliberately knockback his target rather than cause damage. In either case, the Action MUST be reasonably able to generate knockback force. Close Combat, Telekinesis, and most Force Blasts should usually generate knockback. Telepathy, Phase Attacks, and attacks such as a Fire Blast shouldn't. Most projectile attacks (Ranged Combat, Psi-Weapon) should only allow automatic knockbacks, and unless the projectile is an artillery shell, there should be a cap of 1 or 2 stones of knockback.
Note that for skilled Close Combatants, it may be necessary to cap their deliberate Close Combat knockbacks. A peak human warrior with a 9-stone energy pool, CC at level 9, and a +4 superbat can do 13 stones of damage to a defenseless man. By the knockback rules, this translates to him flying back over 100 feet, which is unrealistic for a peak human. I recommend capping CC knockbacks to the attacker's Strength (regardless of what Ability bonus his CC has.) In this case, the warrior could only knock a human target back at most 25 feet--whereas the Thing could easily knock someone a mile away.
AUTOMATIC KNOCKBACK
EXAMPLE: A hitman with Ranged Combat level 3 and a +3 gun takes aim at an unarmed, defenseless man. He fires, doing 6 stones of damage to the man (before the double damage is taken into account.) The man is average-sized, and weighs 2 stones, so 4 stones of damage are left... that means 1 stone of knockback occurs, and the man stumbles back 5 feet before collapsing. Had the hitman been able to add more stones to the attack, it wouldn't have added to the knockback until he had added 4 more stones.
DELIBERATE KNOCKBACK
EXAMPLE: A martial-arts savvy vigilante rounds the corner after hearing the shot and leaps at the hitman. He has an 6-stone Close Combat kick directed towards the criminal, deliberately trying to do a knockback. The hitman is caught off guard, and so has no defense other than his inherent weight (2 stones.) Since 4 stones of damage would have been done, 2 stones of knockback are done instead, and the hitman flies 10 feet, slamming into a brick wall (and dropping his gun!)
<<EDIT: Tweaked the numbers a bit, removed the double/triple damage effect from deliberate knockbacks, and updated the examples.>>
KNOCKBACK RULES
A knockback is when a target is hit with enough force that they stumble, fall, or fly backwards. This is useful for moving targets away from you, or knocking them into something (a trap, a teammate's attack, etc.) The actual distance knocked back is determined by the Area/Leaping row of the D&R chart.
If the GM (or group) decides it, then knockbacks can occur automatically whenever a target is hit with enough force. However, a player can also specify when attacking that he's attempting to deliberately knockback his target rather than cause damage. In either case, the Action MUST be reasonably able to generate knockback force. Close Combat, Telekinesis, and most Force Blasts should usually generate knockback. Telepathy, Phase Attacks, and attacks such as a Fire Blast shouldn't. Most projectile attacks (Ranged Combat, Psi-Weapon) should only allow automatic knockbacks, and unless the projectile is an artillery shell, there should be a cap of 1 or 2 stones of knockback.
Note that for skilled Close Combatants, it may be necessary to cap their deliberate Close Combat knockbacks. A peak human warrior with a 9-stone energy pool, CC at level 9, and a +4 superbat can do 13 stones of damage to a defenseless man. By the knockback rules, this translates to him flying back over 100 feet, which is unrealistic for a peak human. I recommend capping CC knockbacks to the attacker's Strength (regardless of what Ability bonus his CC has.) In this case, the warrior could only knock a human target back at most 25 feet--whereas the Thing could easily knock someone a mile away.
AUTOMATIC KNOCKBACK
- To figure out how many stones of knockback an attack creates, first determine how much damage (before doubling or tripling) in red stones is done.
- Subtract the mass of the target in red stones (so that a 200-lbs. man would subtract 2 stones.)
- For every 4 red stones of damage left, 1 stone of knockback occurs. The knockback occurs IN ADDITION to all the damage.
EXAMPLE: A hitman with Ranged Combat level 3 and a +3 gun takes aim at an unarmed, defenseless man. He fires, doing 6 stones of damage to the man (before the double damage is taken into account.) The man is average-sized, and weighs 2 stones, so 4 stones of damage are left... that means 1 stone of knockback occurs, and the man stumbles back 5 feet before collapsing. Had the hitman been able to add more stones to the attack, it wouldn't have added to the knockback until he had added 4 more stones.
DELIBERATE KNOCKBACK
- You must specify that you're attempting a knockback when you declare your attack.
- You succeed if your attack is greater than the extra resistance plus the target's defense--including most Force Fields, but NOT including Toughness, armor, and such. The extra resistance is the mass of the target in red stones.
- No damage is done if the attack succeeds. Instead, for every 2 stones of 'damage' that would have been done (WITHOUT any doubling or tripling), 1 stone of knockback is instead done.
EXAMPLE: A martial-arts savvy vigilante rounds the corner after hearing the shot and leaps at the hitman. He has an 6-stone Close Combat kick directed towards the criminal, deliberately trying to do a knockback. The hitman is caught off guard, and so has no defense other than his inherent weight (2 stones.) Since 4 stones of damage would have been done, 2 stones of knockback are done instead, and the hitman flies 10 feet, slamming into a brick wall (and dropping his gun!)
