Thread: Blunt Trauma
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Old 04-19-2018, 07:02 PM   #4
Anthony
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
Default Re: Blunt Trauma

Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzJedi View Post
You are correct with your math, 24 damage vs. BT 8 would do 3 points of blunt trauma. I also agree with you that location does matter for blunt trauma, and limbs are not as susceptible, but the head is even more susceptible! BABT is definitely an issue even with rigid armor, and plate armor too - why do you think maces work so well against plate armor. It's not because of penetration.
Note that non-penetrating head hits are problematic for reasons other than BABT. BABT is defined as injury caused by armor deformation (which is why it's more a problem for soft armor), but it's also possible to suffer acceleration injuries. In theory any part of the body is somewhat vulnerable, but the head combines relatively low mass (making it easy to accelerate) with being unusually vulnerable to acceleration injuries.
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