Quote:
Originally Posted by Railstar
From Basic Set, page 423:
|
That quote is trying to span multiple cases in one sentence: a failed knockdown roll (the case in the OP, with the victim still above 0 HP), as well as failing HT rolls when below 0 HP. The "incapacitated by pain and injury" for 15 minutes might reasonably apply to the below-0 case. You're in bad shape there. But it seems less reasonable if you simply get knocked down (and out). That happens in rough sports sometimes, whether martial arts or not. The participants aren't completely disabled by continuing pain and injury once they awaken. One blow that doesn't deal all that HP damage just doesn't leave that sort of lasting injury, even if it jars your brain enough to leave you unconscious (even concussed).
On the other hand, if you've been completely beaten down and are only staying on your feet through sheer determination past the point where you _should_ be unconscious (Malcolm Reynolds, I'm looking at you), then failing that below 0 HP roll might well mean you collapse not out of true unconsciousness, but because you're completely disabled by the accumulated pain and injury.