Tv action violence in a fantasy low tech setting??

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by Lord Azagthoth

In Warhammer we used Fate Points.

You could make Fate Point as an advantage which cost x CP for using it y times per scenario (or add the Limited Use limitation to it).

This way, the players are limited in its use and do not have to pay separately for each use and the GM can award them with extra Fate Points for good roleplaying.

I have to say IME when making "bennies" cost PC development points, the players tend not to go for them (preferring to work around relying on them and develop their PCs insatted).

I'd even go so far as to say sometimes when the players had to burn through a lot of bennies and pay for them out of character development points to the point that didn't gain any or even ended up with a net 'loss' you can get the attitude "why did we bother to do that adventure". Obviously attitudes can vary table to table!

I'm not saying rationing them out can't work, but I'd separate it from the character development mechanism and run both systems side by side

[Lord Azagthoth]

Originally Posted by Tomsdad

I have to say IME when making "bennies" cost PC development points, the players tend not to go for them (preferring to work around relying on them and develop their PCs insatted).

I'd even go so far as to say sometimes when the players had to burn through a lot of bennies and pay for them out of character development points to the point that didn't gain any or even ended up with a net 'loss' you can get the attitude "why did we bother to do that adventure". Obviously attitudes can vary table to table!

I'm not saying rationing them out can't work, but I'd separate it from the character development mechanism and run both systems side by side

But if you make it an advantage, just like Luck, you can use the same Fate Point each scenario again and again. So it does count toward character development by saving you mortal wounds, character out of play when there is no healer nearby, etc. You do not lose the points when you use the Fate Point.

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by Lord Azagthoth

But if you make it an advantage, just like Luck, you can use the same Fate Point each scenario again and again. So it does count toward character development by saving you mortal wounds, character out of play when there is no healer nearby, etc. You do not lose the points when you use the Fate Point.

Ah I was misunderstanding what you were proposing!

(I thought it was buying fate points at x CP each)

[A Ladder]

Originally Posted by cupbearer

Hi

You really think the cost of points to use this is so significant? I mean when youre in it and it means you get stabbed or not wot you always choose not ta take the damage?

Oh yeah. I think my players would rather have to risk certain death and a sketchy surgery roll at -5 before spending a single character point to avoid all that. Tack on the losing of a turn? No way would my players even consider that.

Also, I think the chance of total annihilation in a low tech game is significantly less than in a high tech world with machine guns and rockets.

My suggestion: try it out at the table without a character point cost and see what happens. If it gets "too powerful" just make a ruling at the start of the next session.

[cupbearer]

Originally Posted by A Ladder

Oh yeah. I think my players would rather have to risk certain death and a sketchy surgery roll at -5 before spending a single character point to avoid all that. Tack on the losing of a turn? No way would my players even consider that.

Also, I think the chance of total annihilation in a low tech game is significantly less than in a high tech world with machine guns and rockets.

My suggestion: try it out at the table without a character point cost and see what happens. If it gets "too powerful" just make a ruling at the start of the next session.

Originally Posted by Tomsdad

Yep what Kelly Pedersen said

The thing is with TV action violence is really depends on what you're getting hit by.

For me the quintessential example is the A-team, everyone's firing rifles at each other and there's no body armour.

In GURPS terms that means any hit is either going to cripple or even destroy a limb, hit the over penetration limit on the torso with a nasty bleed pen, or be much worse in the vitals, head or neck.

I.e both in terms of long and short term effects about the best you can hope for is dropping to 0 hp.

So well worth an FP etc to avoid (does TV violence cost CP*?)

In a fantasy / historic setting you'll need a equivalent threat to entice invoking the rule.

I think there's two ways you could go:

1). have massive damage and/or make DR rare. So everyone is one hit away from losing

2). really go to town (possibly overly so) on the dangers of low TL medicine and wound care of even small injuries.


Ironically doubling down on these is likely overly gritty for a TV violence fantasy campaign! However it might well fit a fantasy campaign where the threats are huge but the heroes have a habit of "walking between the raindrops".

I guess the big question here is why do you want this rule in your game?


*Ah Ok I see it's a tweak. I get a bit leery of CP costs for something your thinking will come in a lot, it risk just turning into a CP tax per session. I agree with Kelly Pedersen it's often one the players are unwilling to pay. i.e if you want this rule to be used because you like the idea of how it will shape combat don't disincentive it's use by costing it so high.

Im calling the resource “Peril”. You can spend up to x peril per session (probably 3-5) each one is for 1 use of tv action violence. Peril can be replenished via paying cp (1:1) or after a battle i may award free removal of peril. To determine how much im using gurps DF power ups experience system and pyramid magazine “its a threat” to determine how many peril are awarded