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Author Topic: Additions to rule supplements  (Read 28 times)
Hoplomancer
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GaviusGermanicus
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« on: July 27, 2010, 01:58:34 PM »

I'm pretty sure I've started this thread before, but now that more of the forum members have played BUM I think it would be more fruitful this time.

I need to think of things to add to the supplements before they go live, so that I don't think of them right after then have to release yet another version. I want the versions to remain fairly unaltered for at least a while after they go up.

This is especially important for the advanced combat supplement. I think I have everything, but I keep thinking of new things.

Here is an outline of what is in it with brief descriptions. All rules are optional:

SECTION 1: SPECIAL ATTACKS   
Critical Hits - Explains how special effects can be added to attacks deliberately made more difficult, similar to stunt dice in Exalted   
Called shots - Gives standard penalties for attacking specific body parts and the effects of those attacks. Sort of an alternate version to critical hits, but not necessarily mutually exclusive
Automatic Critical Hits    - an optional rule to allow an attack that beats defense by more than the penalty for a head-shot to do 2 damage. Not always compatible with called shots.
Lucky shots - The rule that a 6 on an attack roll and a 1 on a defense roll is always a hit, even if it would normally not be possible. The "natural 20" of BUM
   
SECTION 2: ADVANCED METHODS OF COMBAT   
Changing Weapons - giving different rules for how long it takes to draw weapons, from treating it as a free action, to taking one turn to do it, to having to roll DEX, etc. however the GM wants.
Dual Wielding - self explanatory
Full Defense - allows players to forgo making an attack in order to re roll all failed defense rolls.
Grappling - Gives rules for grappling and various moves that can be done while grappling, including
- holding a character for others to hit
- throwing a character
- strangling/incapacitating
- ending the grapple
Group Grappling   - rules for multiple characters grappling one target
Called Shots while Grappling/Crippling Holds    - just like called shots, but used while grappling
Using Shields Offensively - rules for shield bash type attacks that don't do damage but instead knock a player down or move him back, and also rules for using a shield as a weapon if you have no weapon.
Fighting From Horseback - Includes rules for the horse running over dudes.

SECTION 3: MANEUVERING   
Multiple Opponents/Ganging up (Applicable to melee only) - a character who is ganged up on takes defense penalties. Either fixed negatives based on the number of opponents, or an allocation of certain "active defense" bonuses like in GURPS.
Cover/Concealment - defense bonuses in ranged combat for hiding behind things
Selective Turn Order - "holding" your action until later in the turn order if you want to

SECTION 4: ADVANCED COMBAT SKILLS   
Weapon Skill Versatility - rules for allowing high skill with one weapon type to grant smaller bonuses with other similar weapons
Dodge Skill - a rule to basically spend skill points to have always-on armor.

SECTION 5: NON-COMBAT RULES   
Encumbrance - penalties to skill checks for having lots of equipment.

I'm also considering putting rules for fighting with trained animals here, though I need to come up with standard difficulties for this. I'm thinking I'll need to come up with a list of commands for an animal, based on dogs, of course. All rolls would be against animal handling.
Commands:
- Attack - commands the dog to bite someone
- retreat - commands the dog to return to its master
- protect - commands the dog to attack anyone who attacks a target
- threaten - commands the dog to bark at a target

Is there anything I am forgetting? I'm thinking of making the difficulty for any roll to be based on a 6, and to even attempt it you would need at least one point in animal handling and a trained animal (which of course would require said point in animal handling anyway). The difficulty for any command would increase by one point for any wound an animal takes, and this difficulty would remain even if the animal was healed magically. The results of a failed roll would be up to the GM. Most failed rolls would have the animal do nothing for that turn, but if the animal has been hurt, he would run off for the rest of the combat. Should a new command roll be required for each turn, even if the command is to continue attacking? I think it should, just to reward high skill in animal handling. Though with the base difficulty a 6, a character with 3 SOC and 2 animal handling would always succeed, and that's not even that high of a skill total. So perhaps a higher base difficulty or more situational difficulty changes, such as a higher difficulty to command it to attack a stronger target. Perhaps base difficulty of 4 or 5 + the target's strength?

So, anyone reading this, suggest anything that seems to be left out of the combat rules, or suggest how animal attacking should be handled. I always like outside perspectives.

Logged

I spend way too much time on writing game rules that I should be spending on law school. It gives new meaning to the term "rules lawyer."
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