half dice in Hero System

[whswhs]

The Hero System rules for killing attacks call for rolling half dice under certain conditions: a killing attack may inflict 1/2 d6 as BODY, and the BODY inflicted is multiplied by 1/2 d6 to find STUN (in the sixth edition). How exactly do you roll 1/2 d6? I haven't been able to find it in the Basic Rulebook, or in my old copy of the fourth edition of Champions. Do you roll 1d6, and interpret 1 or 4 as 1, 2 or 5 as 2, and 3 or 6 as 3? Or is it something else?

[fwcain]

I have (in storage) every version of HERO System and Champions (up to the 5th edition), and to the best of my recollection, they never established any "official" way to roll a "1/2d6" (1d3). So just go ahead and use whichever method you like best.

Franklin

[Anthony]

The normal way of rolling a half-die is to roll a d6 and divide by 2, rounding up.

[whswhs]

I can work with Anthony's version.

I'd kind of like to use the hit locations chart. But the one in 4/e has multipliers from 1 to 5, which seem to go with using a stun multiplier of 1D6-1 for killing attacks; 6/e uses 1/2 D6 for the stun multiplier. Would it be better to compress the range of multipliers for hit locations to range from 1 to 3?

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I can work with Anthony's version.

I'd kind of like to use the hit locations chart. But the one in 4/e has multipliers from 1 to 5, which seem to go with using a stun multiplier of 1D6-1 for killing attacks; 6/e uses 1/2 D6 for the stun multiplier. Would it be better to compress the range of multipliers for hit locations to range from 1 to 3?

I haven't played 6e, but in prior editions killing attacks were notorious for being quite good at knocking people out because it wasn't that unlikely to roll 50-60 stun on a 2d6 killing attack, whereas as a 6d6 normal attack (same number of DCs) is grossly unlikely to exceed 30. I assume changing the stun multiplier is intended to make it so killing attacks are actually for killing rather than just being a stun lotto for knocking people out.

However, if you're using hit locations, the same locations with a x5 killing stun multiplier have a x2 normal stun multiplier, so the lotto effect doesn't exist, or at least isn't any more present than it is with normal attacks.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I haven't played 6e, but in prior editions killing attacks were notorious for being quite good at knocking people out because it wasn't that unlikely to roll 50-60 stun on a 2d6 killing attack, whereas as a 6d6 normal attack (same number of DCs) is grossly unlikely to exceed 30. I assume changing the stun multiplier is intended to make it so killing attacks are actually for killing rather than just being a stun lotto for knocking people out.

However, if you're using hit locations, the same locations with a x5 killing stun multiplier have a x2 normal stun multiplier, so the lotto effect doesn't exist, or at least isn't any more present than it is with normal attacks.

One chance in 36 seems fairly unlikely to me. It's likelier than a critical success with skill 14 or less, and less likely than one with skill 15 or more.

The 2x normal stun multiplier goes with a 2x body multiplier, so the ratio is unchanged. The ratio is 3.5:1 for stun to body for normal attacks, 2:1 for killing attacks without hit locations, but 2.5:1 for killing attacks to the head with hit locations.

On the other hand, maybe the chance of stun ought to be a bit higher for head wounds.

[Mark Skarr]

Anthony's points are very valid: the Stun Lottery always made it more useful to buy Killing Attacks over normal attacks. A 2d6 RKA with a couple of increases to Stunx made things hilarious.

For the original question, back when we were playing Hero in person (man, was that really 20 years ago now?), I had a couple of 1d3, d6s. Numbered 1-3 twice.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by whswhs

One chance in 36 seems fairly unlikely to me. It's likelier than a critical success with skill 14 or less, and less likely than one with skill 15 or more.

When you have minions with autofire attacks that probability adds up fast. At a total defense of 30, which was quite tanky for starting supers, the average stun from a 6d6 normal attack was about 0.01, the average from a 2d6 killing attack was about 1.8.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I haven't played 6e, but in prior editions killing attacks were notorious for being quite good at knocking people out ...

Back when I played Hero 4e, we had a house rule for a smaller stun multiplier for killing attacks that didn't penetrate PD. That seemed to work better.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Back when I played Hero 4e, we had a house rule for a smaller stun multiplier for killing attacks that didn't penetrate PD. That seemed to work better.

In 6/e, the STUN multiplier is 1/2 d6, not 1d6-1. So for 1d6 KA, the average BODY is 3.5 and the average STUN is 7, reduced to 5 by PD. Three successful hits will cause mortal injury (BODY reduced below 0) but not stun or loss of consciousness (cumulative STUN loss 15). On the average, of course. Even the highest rolls would be 6 BODY and 16 STUN for one attack (after PD).

I'm not sure of the intent behind that rules change, but it does seem to make mortal combat less likely to stun foes.