Health And Unliving Weirdness

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

And they somehow don't ever need to roll for crippling duration.

Isn't that because most Zombies are Unhealing?

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Isn't that because most Zombies are Unhealing?

Even if they are, Unhealing (Total) still allows them to be repaired.

[GodBeastX]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Where are you getting this? Because it seems to differ from the clarifications on the topic that Kromm once PM'ed me. (Note that "spending FP" and "losing FP" are two types of FP-reduction that are handled differently by characters with FP N/A.)

This is talked about in GURPS Zombies. Essentially it's 30 points to be immune to all fatigue loss and -30 points not to have fatigue, so it's 0 points balanced out.

However, GMs can say, for example, that Zombies CAN spend fatigue, but not lose it, so this is an advantage.

Edit: Oh, wait, he said Fatigue stuff damages health. This is actually only Extra Effort that I'm aware of if you have no FP to spend. You can take that feature.

[GodBeastX]

Originally Posted by Tallor

Health represents a lot of things. Physical robustness against trauma; overall fitness; resistance to poisons, disease, and various other metabolic hazards.

But when you're undead, you have Immunity to metabolic hazards, and often the suite of "Doesn't" advantages that makes fitness, resistance, healing, and even aging basically null.

What I'm saying is--when I build a zombie point-by-point, would it be easier to assign Hard to Subdue (since unconsciousness = death for this sort of undead) to represent more robust, complete corpses?

What do you think?

HT is not limited to living things. HT has an effect on unliving things as well. Computers, Cyborgs, even a stick can have HT.

Quoting B.483:

Health (HT): This rates the likelihood
the object will break under stress
or abuse. Most machines and similar
artifacts in good repair are HT 10.
Swords, tables, shields, and other
solid, Homogenous objects are HT 12.
Cheap, temperamental, or poorly
maintained items get -1 to -3 to HT;
well-made or rugged ones get +1 or
+2. Characters with the Machine
meta-trait use their HT score.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Even if they are, Unhealing (Total) still allows them to be repaired.

But being Repaired doesn't require a HT roll? it's just a skill roll.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

But being Repaired doesn't require a HT roll? it's just a skill roll.

But temporary crippling doesn't require a separate operation to repair, just restoration of lost HP, while Lasting or Permanent crippling does. And HT makes the difference between those.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

But being Repaired doesn't require a HT roll? it's just a skill roll.

Whether you were just temporarily crippled or is a lasting crippling is aHT roll. After which, if it's lasting, you either recover naturally or are Unhealing and need repairs or special healing situations.

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Why are you building zombies point by point? Are players going to be playing them? Are the players going to be shapeshifting into them? Are players going to be taking them as allies? If no to all of the above, then points are a waste of your time.

You should focus, instead, on mechanics. How do zombies fight and work? You can use stats as a shorthand, but don't bother with "And they cost X number of points," because it's not pertinent. Check out Monster Hunters or Dungeon Fantasy for examples of NPC bad guys. Note that they do not have point totals, just trait lists.

I mean, you might think a 50 point zombie would be a good challenge for a 50 point PC, but if that 50 point PC is an accountant with twinked out Administration and unique Financial techniques that help him ferret out corruption and decent levels of Administrative Rank, then a 50-point zombie is a bad match for him (the accountant will run circles around the zombie when it comes to financial acumen, and the zombie will be able to casually crack this guy's skull open and eat him).

I build all my characters, monsters, and NPCs on spreadsheets. It's good to know what I'm dealing with for future reference.

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Why does unconsciousness equal death? That's...not any normal rule I can think of.

Hard to Subdue also doesn't stop you failing death checks.


Physical robustness to trauma is highly relevant for anything GURPS can stat without severe discomfort. Give 'em an HT stat.

If a creature has Fragile (Unnatural) and is destroyed at -HP, being damaged past 0 HP is fairly similar to being both nearly unconscious and nearly dead.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Tallor

If a creature has Fragile (Unnatural) and is destroyed at -HP, being damaged past 0 HP is fairly similar to being both nearly unconscious and nearly dead.

Being half way to dead is pretty different from being dead, even if it's a lot closer than potentially being only a sixth of the way to being dead.

And hitting 0 HP isn't the only way to lose consciousness.