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Old 04-22-2019, 02:44 AM   #1
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Hit location Sub-Table question. (And pectorals Question)

Hello all. I seemed to have forgotten a very simple piece of information. I would appreciate some help pointing out what is no doubt staring me in the face for the last few hours.

So.... Long story short, my question is about the Torso hit location.

You have the chest, upper and lower, hit location 9 and 10 respectfully.
And then you have the Abdomen, Hit location 11.

I finally understood how pectorals worked. I just read the passage when i wasnt dead tired or something. but they protect the upper torso on a Xd6 or less. This part I follow pretty easily.

However. How does one decide where the hit landed if the hit was just an uncalled "torso" hit.

is there a sub table for it? is it just a 50/50? Gm fiat?

for whatever the reason i remember from somewhere the abdomen is a -1 to target. for reasons such as avoiding a breastplate and targeting a fauld or something similar.
--------------------------
also, Just thinking about it, the pectorals protect the vitals 100% of the time. and the upper chest (Location 9) on an X or less on Xd6.

But the Penalty to strike around them, (eg, -1,-1,-2,-2,-3), adds to the upper chest which Loadouts, Low-tech, gives as a -1, giving a net -2 to -4, to avoid the Xd6 chance.
However the line below that speaks of the Chinks(Vitals) penalty. starts at a -7 and the Pectorals penalty adds to that. Making it from a -8 to a -10. Success Halves dr.

But the b400 chinks in armor lists chinks torso as -8, chinks anywhere else (Vitals are included in the example) as a -10.

what has happened here? Why does using a small pectoral (say 1/6, 5%, -1), make it easier to squeeze an attack around to the vital than not wearingg one?

Or is that -10 already include the Largest Pectoral?

Some examples would be very usefull.
Like say dr 6(Plate) Torso breastplate, with 3/6 Dr 6 (Plate) Pectorals, over dr 3/1 light chainmaille shirt.

From what i understand, targeting the vitals (-3) with an arrow, gives them dr 6(Breastplate)+dr 6(Pectoral)+dr3(Chainmaille) to the vitals

however, shooting around the pectoral(Just at the torso), gives (-1 upperchest)+(-2 Pectoral Penalty) for a net -3. Sucess means Dr 6 (Breastplate) Dr 3 (Chainmaille) to the torso
|_>(Why would you want to do this if you could just target the abdomen a -1, or mid chest at (I assume a -1?) and avoid the pectoral all together?)


but shooting the Chinks Vitals gives (-7 base penalty)+(-2 Pectoral Penalty) giving total penalty of -9 to half do. I assume this halves Dr on all Rigid armor protecting the vitals, so Dr 3 (Pectoral)+ Dr 3(Breastplate)+Dr 3(Chainmaille). to the vitals.

but basic Set says targeting Vitals chinks is a -10? Why would the pectorals make it easier to hit the vitals at a -9? I dont understand.

Is there some sort of change in the penalty that i dont know of somewhere?
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Old 04-22-2019, 06:51 AM   #2
kdtipa
 
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Southern New Hampshire
Default Re: Hit location Sub-Table question. (And pectorals Question)

I'm not familiar with that granularity of the hit location rules, and it sounds extremely complicated. It also sounds like you're drawing from a couple sources. My first thought is: GURPS is a toolbox system. You choose what rules to use or ignore.

My second thought is: the rule sets other than the Basic Set include updates, alternates, and extensions to a lot of the basic rules that aren't always perfectly matched up with the basic rules they are meant to work with.

My guess is that you found a spot where the interplay between rules from differing sources is just not accounted for. You might just have to figure out what seems reasonable to you to reconcile the rules.
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Old 04-22-2019, 01:43 PM   #3
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Hit location Sub-Table question. (And pectorals Question)

I don't find "pectoral" in any of my GURPS PDFs.

Low-Tech has an option to divide the torso (hit locations 9-11 on the humanoid chart) into "Chest" (locations 9-10) and "Abdomen" (location 11, plus this area includes the groin). So you could use the hit location roll directly, rather than needing a sub-location roll as with most of the options in MA. If you did want a sub-location roll, then "Chest" is pretty close to 2/3 of the probability, so a roll of 1-4 should do.
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Old 04-22-2019, 05:13 PM   #4
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Re: Hit location Sub-Table question. (And pectorals Question)

Pectorals are located in a couple of places. The best written one is "GURPS Loadouts: low-tech"

The other place is lowtech instant armor.

Last edited by Jaware; 04-22-2019 at 05:33 PM.
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Old 04-22-2019, 05:53 PM   #5
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Hit location Sub-Table question. (And pectorals Question)

Two books I don't have :)

So, "pectoral" used to mean a style of armor, not a hit location, like a triple-disc cuirass. I'd assume that's meant to cover the "chest" portion of the torso (locations 10-11), in Low-Tech terms.

There are a few pieces in LT (e.g. mail standard, coif) which give 50% DR to area 9 while covering the chest and shoulders.
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Old 04-22-2019, 09:44 PM   #6
Jaware
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Everywhere and Nowhere
Default Re: Hit location Sub-Table question. (And pectorals Question)

Fair indeed. I'd recommend them. Instant armor at least. If your into low tech anyway. Saves a headache lol.

Pectorals in this one is a piece of armor that protects the vitals from the front. And they have a chance of protecting the upper chest, area 9. It costs a % of cost and weight,much like lowtech.

It makes sense. Super useful if enemies (or PC's) are targeting vitals a bunch.

For example, the smallest pectoral is a 1in6, 5%, and -1 penalty.

Meaning a hit to the vitals gives it's Dr (whatever it's made of) and whatever Dr your vitals are normally protected by. If you get hit in the upper chest, (area 9 on Random hit location etc) it has a 1/6 of protecting with it's full Dr. Targeting the upper chest and trying to miss the pectorals is a -2 to attack negatatijg it's dr, and a -8 to Target chinks vitals.

It costs and weighs 5% of the equivalent torso armor.

Last edited by Jaware; 04-22-2019 at 09:49 PM. Reason: added example
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