Combat ala HackMaster Basic

fewilcox · 07-13-2010, 02:23 AM

To start off, GURPS Basic Set Characters 3e was the very first roleplaying book we ever purchased and GURPS 4e remains our favorite roleplaying system. But we're also fans of HackMaster (the only class-based game we like) and were really excited about its fifth edition which currently exists only in a very basic form: HackMaster Basic (HMB).

The one thing I like best about HMB is that nearly everything is resolved using opposed rolls... even combat. In combat, each player rolls a d20 and adds all relevant modifiers. The higher roll wins and both players can crit or fumble which can result in extra attacks as they parry and riposte back and forth.

I'd really like to do something similar in GURPS but am at a loss as to how. The best idea I've had so far is to use Quick Contests but I don't know enough about probability to figure out if that will work (despite being an engineering major, I barely passed sadistics in college) and can't figure out how to use Combat Reflexes, Enhanced Dodge, etc with such a system.

I should also mention that we play our games as fairly cinematic so reducing the lethality of combat would be a feature and not a bug.

07-13-2010, 02:23 AM	#1
fewilcox Join Date: Jul 2010	Combat ala HackMaster Basic To start off, GURPS Basic Set Characters 3e was the very first roleplaying book we ever purchased and GURPS 4e remains our favorite roleplaying system. But we're also fans of HackMaster (the only class-based game we like) and were really excited about its fifth edition which currently exists only in a very basic form: HackMaster Basic (HMB). The one thing I like best about HMB is that nearly everything is resolved using opposed rolls... even combat. In combat, each player rolls a d20 and adds all relevant modifiers. The higher roll wins and both players can crit or fumble which can result in extra attacks as they parry and riposte back and forth. I'd really like to do something similar in GURPS but am at a loss as to how. The best idea I've had so far is to use Quick Contests but I don't know enough about probability to figure out if that will work (despite being an engineering major, I barely passed sadistics in college) and can't figure out how to use Combat Reflexes, Enhanced Dodge, etc with such a system. I should also mention that we play our games as fairly cinematic so reducing the lethality of combat would be a feature and not a bug.