GURPS Disasters: Hurricane

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by namada

I've stood out in 75mph winds. Been there, done that, and this is way too harsh.

I've been hit by 45 mile an hour wind gusts and have been reduce to a standstill... while riding a bicycle doing 30mph. Literarily from 30mph to a dead stop with once wind gust.

I've also walked around in 60mph sustained, single direction winds without trouble. But the slower, less energy crosswinds buffeted me around. And I'm not a small, lightweight guy.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by namada

What I meant was that I've lived through dozens of hurricanes and I don't see the effects as remotely realistic - they're way too harsh (again, if I'm reading those charts right). For example -1DX in 18mph winds is just a big fat NO from me. I've stood out in 75mph winds. Been there, done that, and this is way too harsh.

I don't claim to be an expert on storms, and of course one can never completely convert the incredible complexities of real life to fit in a game book. But I grew up in a place that was often windy, and currently live in a place that gets even windier (had a tree blown over a fence, a barn roof taken off, etc.) The numbers seems to fit my real life experience pretty closely.

[Þorkell]

Is the book on hurricanes only or do storms in general figure in it? Just curious, since I live in a slightly stormy country that doesn't get hurricanes.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Is the book on hurricanes only or do storms in general figure in it? Just curious, since I live in a slightly stormy country that doesn't get hurricanes.

A book in the "Gurps Disasters" series about storms is obviously only going to be about very bad storms. "Slightly windy" doesn't seem to be in there. :)

My memory from the playtest is that even "average" hurricanes aren't really covered much.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Is the book on hurricanes only or do storms in general figure in it? Just curious, since I live in a slightly stormy country that doesn't get hurricanes.

It does cover storms at different intensities in addition to hurricanes/typhoons. In the playtest I did with my gaming group, I ran a severe storm that was less than hurricane level using information from the book.

That two-session adventure not only went well, it inspired the creation of what has become a recurring character in the campaign; he has one of the new Quirks from the book.

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by namada

What I meant was that I've lived through dozens of hurricanes and I don't see the effects as remotely realistic - they're way too harsh (again, if I'm reading those charts right). For example -1DX in 18mph winds is just a big fat NO from me. I've stood out in 75mph winds. Been there, done that, and this is way too harsh.

I have to second this. I have spend plenty of time outside in the thick of tropical storm winds during tropical storms, cat 1 and cat 2 storms and I have never DX penalties, suffered IQ penalties, and not found it difficult to walk despite weighing 135 lbs. Based solely on that table, I have to wonder how many storms the author has actually been through.

[NineDaysDead]

Anyone explain why Night Vision is capped at 2 levels?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Anyone explain why Night Vision is capped at 2 levels?

That seems to be considered the maximum amount that normal humans can have. I've encountered it in other GURPS contexts.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Humabout

I have to second this. I have spend plenty of time outside in the thick of tropical storm winds during tropical storms, cat 1 and cat 2 storms and I have never DX penalties, suffered IQ penalties, and not found it difficult to walk despite weighing 135 lbs. Based solely on that table, I have to wonder how many storms the author has actually been through.

I wont be purchasing this until after payday so just read the preview. That high end damage looked severe but the text may modify it.
I disagree with you on the DX and IQ penalties though. I find it harder to walk and drive in high winds which amounts to a DX penalty.
And the IQ penalty is probably related to Per, though a number of skills are harder to use in a heavy down pour.

[Humabout]

Originally Posted by Refplace

I wont be purchasing this until after payday so just read the preview.

Oh, I am looking forward to seeing what Roger Burton-West writes in his review of the product, especially considering he wrote the GURPS Disasters: Meltdown and Fallout.

Originally Posted by Refplace

I disagree with you on the DX and IQ penalties though. I find it harder to walk and drive in high winds which amounts to a DX penalty.

I assume you mean sudden gusts? Hurricanes are high sustained winds. Those will slow you down if you are trying to run headlong into 50+ mph but you need to be up around 70 mph to actually affect your ability to chill in a spot and do something.

Originally Posted by Refplace

And the IQ penalty is probably related to Per, though a number of skills are harder to use in a heavy down pour.

1. The penalty is to IQ, not Per, so that doesn't make any sense.
2. The penalties stem from windspeed, not rain, so what does a heavy downpour (it's one word, by the way) have to do with anything?

Anyway, I don't know this author, but the preview makes me question pretty much anything else that might be in the book. I'll wait for Roger's review and see what he thinks before proceeding at all.