Slam Damage is Very Weak

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Bruno

It's not, though. It's (basically) like the Lethal Punch/Kick technique, but for the kinds of flying characters that can slam by putting their fists together over the head and ramming something.

Oh. Too bad.

Still, it would probably be useful for fairies and angels and the like.

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by Bruno

It's not, though. It's (basically) like the Lethal Punch/Kick technique, but for the kinds of flying characters that can slam by putting their fists together over the head and ramming something.

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

Oh. Too bad.

Still, it would probably be useful for fairies and angels and the like.

!!!

Remind me never to guess "Rumplestiltskin" !

[Lamech]

Slamming is inanely deadly. It breaks the damage curve pretty badly in fact. What if Goliath had 15 move, 10 ST, and 35HP. Then he is up to 5d damage. Add on sumo, and a shield (so you don't splat), and now David is a smear against Goliath's chunk of metal.

(A normal human would be move 10, ST17, HP 20, to not bust the guidelines for creation. I'm assuming they have some HT and DX as well.) Move 10 to hit for 2d+3. Add sumo for 2d+7. At that point a HP 10 target is flat on their ass, probably severely hurting). Also since all you do is slam people carry two shields, for a DB of +6. And a heavy cloak for 2 more. Nothing says "die in a fire" like 18 dodge. In fact a 20 HP target is probably flat on their ass. And in medieval times even the best armor will stop no more than half that damage.

[Bruno]

Move 10 is "world class sprinter" territory. Also being a sumo wrestler is a little unlikely :D

In general, if someone's going to be the speed and size of a horse, I don't have a problem with them flattening regular people.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Move 10 is "world class sprinter" territory. Also being a sumo wrestler is a little unlikely :D

In general, if someone's going to be the speed and size of a horse, I don't have a problem with them flattening regular people.

Yeah, if you look at Usain Bolt at maximum velocity, you're talking Move 14, I think.

[Aneirin]

How does slam work when using spears? From what I saw you can add a +1 to damage and give it the impaling modifier, I was wondering if something different would be better.

Slam damage isn't that strong but with the impaling modifier it would make it better, however I would have though running full speed into someone with a spear tip would do a large amount of damage (and possibly less chance of knockdown)

Unless I have slam rules for spears and other weapons wrong.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

Yeah, if you look at Usain Bolt at maximum velocity, you're talking Move 14, I think.

And that's with the +20% sprinting bonus, so a base move in the 11.5-12 area. Presuming you don't use additional Extra Effort house rules for Sprinting contests.

[Last Pawn]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

Still, it would probably be useful for fairies...

From this day forward I will be haunted by the image of a fairy suffocating in the innards of the person they performed a slam attack against, legs kicking futilely outside the body, all because they didn't do enough damage to achieve blow through...

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

Body slamming is intended to be a poor way to deal real injury between people, because it is.

Yes. 1d6+3 damage sounds about right to me. I can't seen why slams need to do more damage.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Aneirin

How does slam work when using spears? From what I saw you can add a +1 to damage and give it the impaling modifier, I was wondering if something different would be better.

Slam damage isn't that strong but with the impaling modifier it would make it better, however I would have though running full speed into someone with a spear tip would do a large amount of damage (and possibly less chance of knockdown)

If you're stabbing with the tip, it's not a Slam anymore, it's a special case of Move And Attack that may use the Slam damage formula (ie: Slammage) if that would be better (4e Martial Arts, p 107). This means that it (maybe) gets better damage, but also has no chance of Knockdown unless, of course, you manage to hand out a Stun+Knockdown check.

Originally Posted by Aneirin

Unless I have slam rules for spears and other weapons wrong.

An actual Slam performed with a long (Reach 2+) weapon like a spear works as described in 4e MA p 112: Regular Slammage plus max reach (eg: +2 damage for Reach 1,2), and a few features like taking the blowback damage to your weapon rather than yourself and being able to target the Neck hit location.