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Old 12-11-2017, 09:16 PM   #1
zedlopez
 
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Default Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

Having recently noticed in DFRPG a rule regarding avoiding a HT check to stay conscious by choosing Do Nothing... and learning it was already in the Basic Set, I was unsure of something.

If you're at or below 0 HP at the start of your turn, but you're also Stunned such that you were going to be forced to choose to Do Nothing anyway, would Doing Nothing get you out of the consciousness check ?

I'm inclined to say no, that if the Do Nothing choice is a non-choice forced by the Stunning, it doesn't buy you extra benefit. But an argument could me made the other way -- what's your call?
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Old 12-11-2017, 09:27 PM   #2
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

I would say, no, you still have to make the HT check no matter what. The way I see it, HT checks happen on your turn, not on an action.
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Old 12-11-2017, 11:17 PM   #3
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

Quote:
Originally Posted by zedlopez View Post
I'm inclined to say no, that if the Do Nothing choice is a non-choice forced by the Stunning, it doesn't buy you extra benefit. But an argument could me made the other way -- what's your call?
I take the last line of "0 HP or less (Basic 419) as gospel:

"Roll only on turns during which you attempt a defense roll or choose a maneuver other than Do Nothing."

Being Stunned precludes choosing a maneuver other than Do Nothing, thus, vis-a-vis, concordantly... they do not have to roll for unconsciousness, as they are doing nothing.



And Tenrath, as you roll at the start of your next turn, yes, it very much is dependent on your maneuver (since it happens after your 'action').
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Old 12-11-2017, 11:24 PM   #4
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

Yeah it doesn't matter why you chose Do Nothing, if you don't take a different Manuever and don't use an Active Defense you don't roll.
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Old 12-12-2017, 03:21 AM   #5
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

Quote:
Originally Posted by zedlopez View Post
Having recently noticed in DFRPG a rule regarding avoiding a HT check to stay conscious by choosing Do Nothing... and learning it was already in the Basic Set, I was unsure of something.

If you're at or below 0 HP at the start of your turn, but you're also Stunned such that you were going to be forced to choose to Do Nothing anyway, would Doing Nothing get you out of the consciousness check ?

I'm inclined to say no, that if the Do Nothing choice is a non-choice forced by the Stunning, it doesn't buy you extra benefit. But an argument could me made the other way -- what's your call?
I assume that the reason Do Nothing means you don't have to make a check is because you're not doing anything that might cause you to faint. Thus taking Do Nothing because being stunned forces you to still means you need not make the check.

Note that Do Nothing still allows you to talk, to maintain spells, to drop an item, and to crouch from standing. You can use your active defences during a Do Nothing, but have to make the HT roll if you do this. Being stunned gives a -4 to all defences on top of the normal effects of Do Nothing. I don't see why it needs to be even worse than that.
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Last edited by Rupert; 12-12-2017 at 03:38 AM.
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Old 12-12-2017, 11:58 AM   #6
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

Does that pass any sort of reality check, though? Seems to me like injury causes people to pass out, more than (or at the very least, in addition to) trying to do something while badly injured. Also it seems to add a weird situation where many/most people reduced to 0 would be lying around biding their time to act, making GURPS fields of the fallen even more prone than they already are to have foes lingering and able to attack people.
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Old 12-12-2017, 12:03 PM   #7
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

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Originally Posted by Skarg View Post
Does that pass any sort of reality check, though? Seems to me like injury causes people to pass out, more than (or at the very least, in addition to) trying to do something while badly injured. Also it seems to add a weird situation where many/most people reduced to 0 would be lying around biding their time to act, making GURPS fields of the fallen even more prone than they already are to have foes lingering and able to attack people.
There is always a HT check when you pass 0 HT and this is not on your Turn and not related to your actions and is avoidable by exotic Advantages only. 50% of average people fail that one so Reality Checks are going to be complicated by that at a minimum.

It's not a good area for Reality Checks anyway. We can't just out into our backyards and experiment.
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Old 12-12-2017, 12:07 PM   #8
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

thanks, folks.
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Old 12-12-2017, 01:10 PM   #9
Kromm
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

When you're forced to Do Nothing because of stun, you don't have to make the HT roll to remain conscious at HP 0 or below – just as if you had opted to Do Nothing to avoid the HT roll. If you need help visualizing it, look at it this way: You just got hurt so badly that not only are you fighting to stay conscious, but you're doing nothing but fighting to stay conscious, so you're ignoring everything else (i.e., you're stunned). Once the initial ouch wears off, you might still do nothing but fight to stay conscious, but at least you'll be paying attention to your surroundings instead of your newly acquired broken bone or gaping wound. Also, don't overlook the fact that the HT roll for the major wound that stunned you isn't negotiable, and is a totally unrelated roll; if you blow that by 5+, you'll be unconscious anyway.
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Old 12-12-2017, 02:20 PM   #10
Skarg
 
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Default Re: Is Doing Nothing to avoid consciousness HT check an option when Stunned?

Oh I see, thanks. It's one of the missable-but-important rule changes in 4e that I somehow avoided noticing, and I misapprehended what the full set of rolls was, imagining everyone who dropped to 0 had the option to take Do Nothing to avoid passing out. If there are also rolls at 0 and on major wounds, then that should tend to knock out most typical people before they even get that choice.
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