View Single Post
Old 11-12-2019, 06:54 PM   #4
tbone
 
tbone's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Toning down the grue

Interesting post. I imagine that the game's audience doesn't skew so young, and expects the full monty where slashing and bashing are concerned, so I can't fault the design for being what it is.

For the young'uns, though . . . I don't know, I think there's a bit of a mismatch between "let's play a game of hacking at enemies with swords" and "let's not have too much gore". Still, to tone things down a bit, ideas that come to mind are:
  • Don't drop hit locations; as you note, they're important for tactics, and fun for high-skill characters. But drop (or rename) the ruder ones like eyes and groin, and leave out grislier combat effects like dismemberment.
  • Whatever happens rules-wise, avoid gory description of it.
  • Use lots more "foe runs away when at half HP" sort of situations. That's often realistic, is just as fun for the players, and avoid all the corpses and gibs.
  • Similarly, play up pre-fight negotiation and intimidation that avoids bloodshed.
  • I would imagine that all of these concerns and remedies really only matter for flesh-and-blood creatures. "Mom, we chopped the heads off of three evil priests" could raise an eyebrow; "Mom, we shattered a skeleton and disintegrated a ghost" sounds like spookhouse-level fun. For young players, I'd focus on constructs, skellies, slimes, crushrooms, all the monsters that aren't about blood and messy deaths.
  • Side note: Inhuman demons that poof into smoke at -1xHP would be a fine example of the above sort of foe, but mention of demons & devils will rile some parents more than bloody violence will. Whether that's a worry is a matter of knowing your players (and their parents), I suppose.
__________________
T Bone
GURPS stuff and more at the Games Diner: http://www.gamesdiner.com

Twitter: @Gamesdiner | RSS: here ⬅︎ Updated RSS link | This forum: Site updates thread (occasionally updated)

(Latest goods on site: GLAIVE Mini levels up to v2.4. Update to melee weapon design tool, with more example weapons and commentary.)
tbone is online now   Reply With Quote