Keeping you players alive for dummies

[Fred Brackin]

Avoid Survivable Guns. It would protect he monsters at least as much as the PCs (probably more since at least some of the opposition wouldn't be using guns).

Make at least 1 level of Luck mandatory. A lot of serious consequences begin with a bad die roll.

Yes, invest in HT and HP strategically. 1 to 2 more HP will shift the target's "Major wounds" threshold by a pt which can mean not being crippled by a limb wound and/or not even needing to roll v. Knockdown and Stunning.

[The Colonel]

Remind your PCs that they're not playing "that RPG" - combat is not the default resolution mechanic. PCs will live a lot longer if they don't get into combat all that often.
Also, for more survivable combat, have a look at tactical shooting and consider turning up the difficulty of actually hitting anything. Lots of sound and fury but very few actual hits is entirely genre appropriate for a Western.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Yes, invest in HT and HP strategically. 1 to 2 more HP will shift the target's "Major wounds" threshold by a pt which can mean not being crippled by a limb wound and/or not even needing to roll v. Knockdown and Stunning.

The added HP are certainly a good idea. You can also get them free as part of buying up ST. Higher ST pays off in lots of ways.

[Kesendeja]

One of the best things I've found to help survivability is the use of Impulse Points, from Power Ups 5 - Impulse Buys.

You can use character points to buy the effects, but Impulse Points are a renewable resource that generally cost 5cp per point.

These can be used to alter dice rolls and environment in a variety of ways.

[Donny Brook]

I found this house rule that I now use cinematic campaigns.

[johndallman]

First, your characters need Combat Reflexes. That's the basic "I do combat" advantage. Extra HP and HT are always good. To keep characters alive as GM, avoid using the bleeding rules.

Fit [5] gives +1 to all HT rolls, and is as helpful for survival as a level of HT, at half the price.

Hard to Kill [2/level] gives +1/level to HT rolls to avoid dying. You could reasonably allow characters who've survived HT rolls to avoid death to buy it as part of their legend.

Increased Speed [20/level] lets you win contests of Fast-Draw and improves your Dodge. Enhanced Dodge [15] is cheaper, but only improves Dodge.

Something else that helps is a willingness to accept that you're wounded badly enough to be out of the fight. Example: Bob took a rifle hit, which took him from healthy to beyond -1*HP. Assuming he makes his HT roll, if he doesn't move after that, he probably won't get shot at any more. If he tries to carry on fighting, he will take more fire, and another rifle hit is likely to take him to -3*HP, requiring two more rolls to survive.

Having someone around with good Surgery/TL skill is very helpful. If you fail a HT roll to survive by 1 or 2, you're mortally wounded (p. B424), but won't die immediately. You need Surgery (or magical healing) to recover, and having your own surgeon on hand helps a lot. For example, Bob has HT12, Fit and Hard to Kill 1. When he has to roll to stay alive, 14 or less means he's alive, 15 or 16 mean he's mortally wounded and 17+ mean he's dead. Rounding the numbers, that's 91% chance of survival unaided, 7% of possible survival if you get Surgery, and 2% being dead outright.

Don't encourage the characters to have High Noon confrontations, unless they're much faster and more skilled than their opponents. Ambushes are far more effective, and those need skills like Stealth, Camouflage and Tactics. Night Vision is a good low-key supernatural advantage, and a huge advantage in night battles.

[Mr_Sandman]

I'll put in another vote for encouraging some investment in HT. Adventurers who are likely to frequently get into combat should probably have at least 12.

Luck can also be important for surviving, look at the Defensive limitation, to cut the point cost a bit, since you'll want it used for avoiding enemy crits, or re-rolling blown defenses.

Speaking of defenses, Combat Reflexes is another important advantage for PCs who are going to be in a lot of fights. In the range where most non-superhuman characters find their Dodge, a plus one makes a big impact on the odds of success.

Keep in mind that not every combat is to the death. This is important, because the default rules are not necessarily that deadly (especially with decent HT, and maybe a level of Hard to Kill). The majority of the enemies that the PCs face should not have the skill, time or intent to aim and target skull or vitals. So damage is much more likely to result in unconsciousness or incapacitation before a character actually misses a death check. Most opponents should be quick to flee or surrender if things aren't going well for them. Some will take prisoners, or leave incapacitated enemies without finishing them off. Also, not every fight the PCs face will be against tactical geniuses. Enemies can make mistakes, leave openings, and act irrationally in the heat of combat.

If your campaign will still work with PCs getting crippling injuries that keep them out of action for a while, but don't kill them, rolling random hit locations for unaimed missile weapon attacks can make combat more survivable, but a bit more likely to incapacitate. Especially if your players have that Luck reroll in case a head-shot comes up at random.

[Refplace]

Its been said a lot but note just how many are saying high HT is good here.
I recommend a HT roll of 14+; you can get there using a combination of HT + Fit + Hard to Kill.
Rapid Healing is good for reducing downtime and First Aid, Physician and Surgery help too.
Luck is great for reversing those really bad rolls.
Tactical Shooting and Gun Fu are really good supplements for the genre.

Extra Life for the really unlucky player might be considered too.
High Basic Speed or Fast as Lightning (GUn FU) are good for shooting first.
Basic Move lets you get to cover and Tactics skill can help in a fight.
Even non fighters like Combat Reflexes if they can afford it.

[benz72]

I generally offer new players who suffer a fatal wound the option of forgoing the survival point for the adventure and convert that wound to the 1 HP graze (like an impulse buy). I limit this offer to one use per PC, ever. I think it encourages my players to understand the implications of getting into fights, allows them to experiment a bit with how risky they want to be, lets them avoid one bad roll, and maintains a sense of danger.

Danger Sense is the way to avoid a fight, Tactics is the way to win a fight, but if you get into trouble Luck, armor*, HT and HP are the ways to give yourself time to recover.

*not necessarily appropriate for a Western setting, but maybe in a Mystical Western setting? or pull that Eastwood 'steel plate under the poncho' trick?

[Mark Skarr]

I'm an adherent of John Wick (the game designer, not the movie series). I don't kill characters, in general. I let the players decide when and how their characters go out. That's not to say there aren't consequences for their actions--not killing them is not having no consequences. Just that character-death is not a consequence.

This encourages the players to be less careful in their actions and do things that are more interesting. This isn't a game about small people doing small things, this is a story about heroes doing heroic things. Take some risks. This is a game, not a simulation in how much the world sucks. Characters should be run into the ground like a stolen car. Don't protect them.

All that said, I also use the idea of "Dire Peril." Which, when invoked means that the gloves are off and, not only can your characters die, I'm going to actively try to kill you. The first time I invoked, and fully explained, Dire Peril, my players backed off.

The second time . . . while we lost one character (though that wasn't due to Dire Peril, the player wanted to retire his character in a grand fashion), the PCs didn't hold back. It was a "Big Damn Heroes" moment and they lived up to it fighting against all odds until the last, possible moment. While the characters didn't "win" (and Mars blew up as a consequence), the players enjoyed it, knowing that it was how Zel wanted his character to go out.