Pyramid #3/87: Low-Tech III

[Christopher R. Rice]

Yeah, I tossed up some Designer's Notes of my own. Overall, the issue's pretty amazing. I've been using Broken Blade for a long time so I know how awesome it is. Really glad to see that it got the cover for this issue - it deserved it. I also have to admit that Matt's article is suspiciously something that I needed for both my fantasy campaign and my supers setting for a specific character. Overall, really great issue.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I also have to admit that Matt's article is suspiciously something that I needed ...

That, and Jon Black's article, are definitely things you wouldn't see in most gaming magazines, but are really cool.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by johndallman

That, and Jon Black's article, are definitely things you wouldn't see in most gaming magazines, but are really cool.

It's one of the reasons why I love GURPS - it doesn't just have to be all crunch, all the time. We have some truly amazing scholars who write what amounts to an essay - but in gameable form. I may be alone, but that's pretty incredible to me.

[D10]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

It's one of the reasons why I love GURPS - it doesn't just have to be all crunch, all the time. We have some truly amazing scholars who write what amounts to an essay - but in gameable form. I may be alone, but that's pretty incredible to me.

I too find it awesome.

[Dexion]

The Broken Blade article is wonderfull. I really love it.
After a few fights, I find it very simple to use.
But I have a question. How do you handle it with the Cross Parry option for MA p.121 or when the parry or block is in the DB marge?

Thanks :)

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Dexion

The Broken Blade article is wonderfull. I really love it.
After a few fights, I find it very simple to use.
But I have a question. How do you handle it with the Cross Parry option for MA p.121 or when the parry or block is in the DB marge?

Thanks :)

Good question - maybe take 1.5x the Breakage Threshold (so the threshold for each weapon goes up by 50%) but apply full damage to each.

So if you have two weapons with ST 8 (say two large knives or something, books not with me), and cross parry a blow with 9 points of damage, you'd compare 9 to 8 x 1.5 = 12, and parry with no problem. I think Failure Increment might be 2 for this one, and it would not change.

If you parry a 15 point blow the same way, then you'd apply the 15 points to the threshold of 12, and since that exceeds the threshold by 3, you'd make a HT roll for each weapon at -1, because you're over the threshold by one full increment for failure, but not 2.

This has the advantage that if you cross-parry with (say) a ST 6 parrying dagger and a ST 10 sword, you can just adjust thresholds to 9 and 15, and apply one damage total to each.

Do not re-calculate the failure increment, I'd say.

Thanks for the comments!

[Dexion]

The Broken blade system is very good and after numerous fights using it I have some questions:
-Anybody try to use something similar for armor?
-How to adapt the spells (Weaken, Shatter, Explode, Ruin, Repair or Shatterproof M116-118) of the Making and Breaking College. This spells mainly remove or restore HP. And this is the Robustness (HT score) that is testing in Broken Blade.

For example of situations I have in mind, I think of the fight in GoT where the steel sword of Sam is broken/shatter by the magical hit of a white walker (my idea of the Shatter spell). Or in the Snow White and the Huntsman when the Huntsman block with a shield a projection of glass shard than eats the wood of his shield.

For Shatterproof I think that is just a +2 bonus to HT, or it possible to do a variable bonus proportionnet to Energy. But I not sure how to handle others.

In addition how to simulate, in HT tests, the effects of acid, extreme heat or cold attack to weaken or destroy armor and weapon?

Thanks