[LT] Blunt trauma
 

Hello,

I was wondering if someone knowledgeable could elaborate on the purpose, rationale, and anticipated game effect of the rules for blunt trauma on p. LT102.

Thank you in advance for any replies.

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

IDHMBWM. Could you please summarize?

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

Swords chop through armour. Not realistic.

Dan fix rule. Now sword not chop through armour, but transfer some of force behind sword.

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

You mean 'ignore Cut modifier unless damage >= DR/2'? IMO it is a good thing in that it makes Thrusts more useful (otherwise there's little point in thrusting an armoured foe). But I don't like that it opens a can of worms regarding the Follow-Up mechanics and their pricing.

BTW, is it now the property of certain rigid armours, or a property of the Cut damage type?

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

According to the sidebar, a property of armour and does not apply to DR bought by points.

This opens the question what it would cost to have this property on DR, for example if the PC bought his Ubermail as a Gadget Advantage. I'd like to see Kromm's view on that.

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

its actually: ignore Cut modifier unless damage > 2xDR

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

Wow. That's some pretty powerful effect. Given that plate is roughly DR7, and few things do 15 points of damage . . . this is an Injury reduction of 1-3, or the rough equivalent of up to 2 DR with very weird accessibility.

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

It's a wonky rule, IMO. I understand the premise of the argument, but it fiddles too much with the GURPS system. There are limits to how we can remake GURPS, and too how much we can "simulate" weapons and armor. This is one of those "nice tries" that ultimately causes far more problems than it fixes. The abdomen rule in LT does the same thing. Again, IMO. YMMV.

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

The only problems I see is that it lacks a canonical Enhancement to natural DR, so characters and monsters can't have 'armour-like skin'. But that one can be fixed simply by publishing such an Enhancement, say, in Instant Armour or somewhere.

Re: [LT] Blunt trauma
 

What problems do you perceive it causing?

All I see the rule does is make armor a bit more realistic, instead of being like Hollywood armor where the only difference between a sword swing at a soldier in mail vs an unarmored soldier is the occasional metallic clink the Hollywood sword makes as it cuts through Hollywood mail like cloth.