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Old 04-11-2023, 02:04 PM   #41
Polydamas
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

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Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
I'm certainly aware of this option. On the other hand, I don't like Luck, and don't encourage my players to take it, and I don't think I've ever had a player do so. But I see very few character deaths. I think this is partly because GURPS combat isn't very lethal, unless a character has Bloodlust or acts as if they had it; you have to reduce a character with N hit points to -N hit points by inflicting 2N injury points to even have to roll for survival. And it's partly because players who know that combat CAN be lethal play their characters as prudently cautious, rather than as if they were action movie heroes who knew the director was on their side. The knowledge that death is possible concentrates the mind wonderfully.
GURPS combat can be pretty lethal once smokeless powder and repeating firearms appear. The OP is about a Western game with pretty good firearms and pretty bad medicine.

I think the key thing is that the players understand how combat works in the game they are playing. If they approach a gritty 1960s military and paramilitary game like a game of D&D, they will lose a lot of characters.
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Old 04-11-2023, 03:45 PM   #42
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

I'll pile on to say that it's hard to get killed outright by any TL5 or less weapon that isn't a cannon or siege engine short of a hit to the brain or vitals. Instead, Bleeding and Infection are and were the big killers for battle casualties.

Forensic examination of medieval battle casualties indicates that there might be one or two wounds that could have been survivable (with fast access to a TL8 trauma center or your friendly neighborhood magical healer) that took victims down initially, then lots of hacking on the victims' bodies once they were down to make sure they were dead.

Forensic examination of black powder era battlefield casualties (insomuch as you can determine cause of death) indicates wounds that caused massive bleeding which couldn't be treated using standard TL4-5 battlefield First Aid. In some cases, a bullet might have taken a soldier out of combat and then he was finished off using melee weapons. Excavations of hospital or major encampment graveyards show, no surprise, lots of evidence that soldiers died from infection or disease.
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Old 04-11-2023, 05:59 PM   #43
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

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lots of evidence that soldiers died from infection or disease.
Right up until at least 1865 and the end of the US Civil War.
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Old 04-11-2023, 07:24 PM   #44
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

Another option for keeping the PCs alive is through education.
Showing them how the mechanics feel in play with either a non lethal but very tough event or an opening vignette where the players use some pregenerated characters who are destined to die in the first scenario.

Ideas might be a brawl to settle the differences of two groups in a gun free western town with the rifle armed sheriff ensuring fair play.

An opening scenario might be the doomed miners who unearth the ancient evil. Then the players can then have a consequence free session where they know their players will die. The players might also get a feel for how character creation works as well.
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Old 04-11-2023, 08:51 PM   #45
Polydamas
 
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

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I'll pile on to say that it's hard to get killed outright by any TL5 or less weapon that isn't a cannon or siege engine short of a hit to the brain or vitals. Instead, Bleeding and Infection are and were the big killers for battle casualties.
It looks like an Enfield p/1853 or Springfield M1858 do 3d+2 pi+, so it takes an above-average roll to reduce to -1×HT. A character who gets shot with one of those is going to be out of the fight.
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Old 04-11-2023, 08:51 PM   #46
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

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I'll pile on to say that it's hard to get killed outright by any TL5 or less weapon that isn't a cannon or siege engine short of a hit to the brain or vitals. Instead, .
Maybe not so hard.

A TL5 Springfield "trapdoor" does 5D P+. That's an average of 26 pts even on just a Torso hit. This leads to a Survival Roll for anyone with 13 hp or less. 50% fatality for someone with HT 10.

One of those double-barrel 10 gauge shotguns could easily do 5 buckshot hits of 2D P each and that could be 2 Survival Rolls for persons of average HT and HP.

Even the 1873 Winchester in .44-40 does 3D+3 P+ which could do 20 pts to the Torso.

At TL3 or less it's hard to suffer a 1-shot death check without a Vitals hit but even at TL4 you get these P+ and P++ guns that are in the right range. I'd be a little more cautious than "cannon or siege engine".

If you look at the math above you can also see how handy a few more HP can be.
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Old 04-12-2023, 03:33 PM   #47
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

  1. Water
  2. Snacks
  3. Breaks
  4. Breathable atmosphere

Although if your players are dying frequently enough, are you sure you just aren't running the game in a hospice?
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Old 04-12-2023, 06:02 PM   #48
Outlaw
 
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

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Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
  1. Water
  2. Snacks
  3. Breaks
  4. Breathable atmosphere

Although if your players are dying frequently enough, are you sure you just aren't running the game in a hospice?
Very Awesome!!
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Old 04-13-2023, 09:36 AM   #49
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

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Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
  1. Water
  2. Snacks
  3. Breaks
  4. Breathable atmosphere

Although if your players are dying frequently enough, are you sure you just aren't running the game in a hospice?
I tip my pedantry cap to you, sir.
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Old 04-13-2023, 02:20 PM   #50
Willy
 
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Default Re: Keeping you players alive for dummies

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Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
  1. Water
  2. Snacks
  3. Breaks
  4. Breathable atmosphere

Although if your players are dying frequently enough, are you sure you just aren't running the game in a hospice?
Nice, but to be really pedantic you should place the points in the right order:

1 Air
2 Water
3 Breaks
4 Snacks

Last edited by Willy; 04-13-2023 at 02:20 PM. Reason: spelling error
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