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Old 09-08-2018, 03:29 PM   #1
Empada
 
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Default Recovery from unconsciousness rules

Hi, I'm GMing a supers cinematic campaign and one of the PCs got hit in the face and failed the HT test by 5 or more and got unconsciousness during the combat.

the Recovery rules (B423) says the PC wake up after 15 minutes if he is 1HP or above (the actual condition of the character).

is there any other rule about trying to wake him up during the combat? or he is out of combat and deal with it?

I ask because my players are used to D&D, were you give him any number of HP and the PC is ready to fight again.

thanks
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Old 09-08-2018, 03:51 PM   #2
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

The Awaken spell wakes them up instantly, I think it's even good on Coma (although it won't get you any HP back). It's extremely useful for this. I vaguely remember that Ultratech has some sort of stimulant drug that can do the same thing, but I might be remembering 3E Cyberpunk, or another game entirely.
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Old 09-08-2018, 04:16 PM   #3
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

Smelling salts (High-Tech, p. 226) give an immediate HT roll to recover from unconsciousness or stun, and don't even specify that you have be above 0 HP! An essential part of any combat medic's bag of tricks, in my opinion.
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Old 09-08-2018, 04:57 PM   #4
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

The Recovery advantage (p. B80) is handy here, otherwise without help from someone else the character is probably out of the combat.
If you have a Super with the right special effect I could see an Affliction that would wake someone.
+200% to immediately wake anyone who is unconscious or merely asleep. That could be a spell, gadget or even chemical like the aforementioned stimulants.
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Old 09-08-2018, 07:42 PM   #5
dcarson
 
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

Since it is cinematic the classic movie slapping them should work at least to give another HT roll.
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Old 09-09-2018, 10:24 AM   #6
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

As a player, I'd pretty much want to be out of the combat unless it was a LONG combat. Combat in Gurps is generally a second by second timeframe. If you're knocked out and someone comes to you, shaking you, slapping you, etc. trying to wake you up, how long does that take? 10 seconds if you actually wake up that easy? And once you wake up, how long does it take to realize what happened and to clear your mind enough to get back in the fight? Another 10-15 seconds? That's a fast recovery. I've never actually had a 25 second combat before. So at that point, the combat would be over unless it was broken up and you stopped the turn by turn combat mode to wake up your friend.

You're not going to run to them, slap them and they wake up and rejoin combat in a few seconds time. That's just unrealistic. I know that's what the players want because they don't want to feel useless sitting out of combat the whole time, but too bad. Give yourself some better health, better defenses or something. Even then, there is always the chance of it happening anyway. Ya gotta learn to deal with those moments.
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Old 09-09-2018, 11:49 AM   #7
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

It's worth pointing out that waking up doesn't get you on your feet as a free action either - it takes two seconds to stand up (without use of Acrobatics). Assuming you didn't get your leg broken on the way to being knocked out of course.
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Old 09-09-2018, 11:51 AM   #8
Empada
 
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

Thanks you all for the answer.

good to know about the smelling salts, i will suggest it for them.

also, this specific case are occurring in a chase combat, they need to retrieve a container in a truck. lots of turns and jumping into different vehicles, lots of missed shots.

I didn't want to just let them try to wake up him because it would make advantages like Hard to Subdue and Recovery a lot less useful for their price, but want to see if there were another options
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Old 09-09-2018, 11:29 PM   #9
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

From Basic Set, page 423:

Quote:
It is up to the GM to decide whether you are truly unconscious or just totally incapacitated by pain and injury – but either way, you can’t do anything.
So I would say waking them up wouldn't matter - they're still totally incapacitated by pain and injury.
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Old 09-10-2018, 06:26 AM   #10
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Default Re: Recovery from unconsciousness rules

Quote:
Originally Posted by Railstar View Post
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.
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