NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

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EvilMonkey
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NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by EvilMonkey » Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:35 pm

I've had this qualm for a long time about how a bullet can do so little damage in the NWoD system. I don't care how tough you think you are, a .45 caliber bullet striking you center mass is pretty much the end of you. So for those who crave a little more realism in your games I have made the following rule:

EM's Enhanced Lethality:

Normally your dice pool for an attack is as follows: Attribute + Skill + Weapon damage rating +/- Situational modifiers. So lets say the character (Lets call him Bob) has a Colt 1911 leveled on an enemy's chest. He fires and rolls his attack. Now for the sake of argument lets say he has A dex of 2, a firearms skill of 2, and he has aimed for 1 round (+1 bonus to dice pool) The .45ACP Handgun has a damage of Damage of 3. Bob's dice pool to hit his target is an 8. The dice are not in his favor and he only rolls 1 success. His enemy giggles a little bit and Bob doesn't get home to see the wife and kids the next day...

I despise this!!! I don't care who you are even getting winged in the arm causes intense pain and a .45 caliber slug will tear you up! even if it only grazes you it takes chunks of skin and muscle and nerves. (Not to mention the shock of being hit and the blood loss as pieces of you end up on the other side of the room!) So I propose this change. Why not simply add the weapons base damage to the successes rolled. For example...

Another character (We'll call him Joe) has a shotgun leveled at Bob after he decided to start crackin' wise about his momma. Joe is an avid hunter and is ex-military, so he knows his way around a gun. His traits are: Dex: 3, Firearms 2 (Shotgun Emphasis) he hasn't had the time to aim but he is using buckshot at close range (+1 Bonus). Instead of adding the weapon's damage which is 4(9 again) (the 9 again will still apply to his roll, just not the 4 extra dice). Joe has a dice pool of 7, again the dice gods do not like him and he only scores one success; however buckshot digs deep and hits hard adding 4 extra successes for a total of five... Now we know why Bob didn't make it back home!
Here, you hold this jar of acid and the rattlesnake. I've got to hop on the unicycle and get this chainsaw revved up.

EvilMonkey
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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by EvilMonkey » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:24 am

Now you may be saying to yourself; "This is insane amounts of damage, my PC's will die in a second!" Well fear not, for there is...

EM's realistic combat rule 2: Defense is subtracted from all attack rolls, period! Guns grenades, swords you have a chance to not be hit by any of them. This represents the hectic nature and constant movement of combat.

(Addendum) If you are surprised, you get no defense for the round and thus, you are screwed. (This makes the Danger sense merit worth a whole lot more to a combat oriented character!) Your defense is also nullified if your enemy is beyond your visual range, or hidden or firing on full auto (Long burst) There's just too many bullets filling to small of a space for them to all miss.

And don't forget guys... a soldier's best friend is going prone and taking cover!
Last edited by EvilMonkey on Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Here, you hold this jar of acid and the rattlesnake. I've got to hop on the unicycle and get this chainsaw revved up.

EvilMonkey
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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by EvilMonkey » Wed Dec 15, 2010 1:33 am

Double barreled weapons:

This was brought to my attention by Tetnak There seems to be no rule for discharging both barrels at once. So I made something up to accurately represent the dual discharge.

Dual Discharge Rule: If you should find yourself holding a double barrel Firearm facing down a charging werewolf (or anything else for that matter) and you're unsure of the lethality of a single shot, why not fire both!

Double barreled shotguns have whats known as a dual trigger which allows for a faster second shot (Skeet shooting and the like depends on speed). However you can fire both at once: "But what about the crunchy mechanics of it all" you say. Don't worry I've taken care of that. Firing both barrels adds either and extra 100% damage (A double barreled 12 gauge will add 8 damage dice instead of 4) or you can add half the damage and the 8again rule (12 gauge gets 6 damage dice instead of four and benefits from the 8 again rule instead of the 9 again rule) GM's choice. However doing this HURTS LIKE HELL!!! : causing one bashing damage and it also makes the recoil extremely heavy: raising the strength requirement of the weapon by 1.

Also, should you dramatically fail the roll (The dice gods must really hate you if this happens) you are rendered prone take an extra bashing damage and you drop the shotgun. It just kicks far to much for you to hold on.
Here, you hold this jar of acid and the rattlesnake. I've got to hop on the unicycle and get this chainsaw revved up.

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TetNak
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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by TetNak » Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:33 am

Interesting.

I don't agree the defense should apply to ranged attacks however. You cannot dodge a bullet, this is not the Matrix.

I personally don't have a problem with damage in nWoD, as if it is described correctly, it does not have to be a guy getting blown away and still walking through guys. Unless you are a Vampire that is ;)
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EvilMonkey
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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by EvilMonkey » Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:32 pm

The reason I added the defense rule is because combat isn't as easy as games make it sound, people ARE moving even if standing in the same place, swinging a fist, hacking away with a sword, bringing a firearm up to your shoulder all produce movement, and in the chaos of battle it is very easy to miss a person even when they are standing still do to adrenaline (which makes it hard to hold a firearm steady enough to hit exactly where you are aiming) not to mention things such as fear (YOU face down a half ton werewolf and tell me you wouldn't be shaking and I'll call you a liar.), being over eager (I.e shooting before you should), jerking the trigger instead of squeezing it slowly and smoothly (Which produces a very large effect on your accuracy)and a million other small factors that add up to make a large impact in your performance.

Not to mention most shots in games like this aren't really aimed and are actually whats known as "Reflex shooting" which is where you bring the firearm up as fast as you can, point it in the direction of the enemy's center mass, and fire, there is basically no real aiming in this manuever and thus it is very easy to miss. Anyway it's an optional house rule, don't like it, don't use it, if you like it, feel free to use it!
Last edited by EvilMonkey on Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Here, you hold this jar of acid and the rattlesnake. I've got to hop on the unicycle and get this chainsaw revved up.

EvilMonkey
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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by EvilMonkey » Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:38 pm

Soon I will be uploading a list of penalties that can be implamented when you are injured (i.e getting shot in the lungs makes you a wee bit winded, getting shot in the leg slows you down, etc.) just need to finish up some things.
Last edited by EvilMonkey on Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Here, you hold this jar of acid and the rattlesnake. I've got to hop on the unicycle and get this chainsaw revved up.

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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by EvilMonkey » Thu Jul 07, 2011 3:14 pm

Hit Placement Penalties

Non-called shot hit placement table:
Roll a d10:

1-2 Leg hit
3-4 Arm hit
5-9 Center mass roll a d10 1-5 chest, 6-0 lower abdomen
0 head

Penalties based on hit location
Roll a d10 to determine random penalty

Head –
1-2 somehow the bullet has failed to do any major harm perhaps it struck your cheek or simply grazed you... you should probably start attending a church

3 Eye – roll a d10 on a result of 1 your character dies (Bullet enters brain through eye socket) -2 to all sight based dice pools permanently (eyes can't be replaced)

4-5 Mouth- You cannot speak, roll a d10: on a result of 1 your character gains the flaw: Speech impediment after you are treated by a doctor

6-7Ear- -1 damage caused (not much to really damage after all) , -2 to all hearing based dice pools permanently may possibly be abated by a hearing aid (GM's Discretion)

8-9 Neck, roll a d10 on a result of 1-2 your spinal cord is severed and you die, on a 3-4 you are paralyzed (GM's discretion on how bad the paralysis is) on a 5-6 it hits a major artery and you take 1 bashing damage each round as you bleed out with astonishing speed, on a 7-8 it hits your trachea and you gain a -2 penalty to all stamina based rolls and must roll each round to stay conscious. 9-0 somehow god has smiled upon you and the bullet has missed all the vital areas

0 Brain- (only possible if 3 or more damage is caused as anything less fails to pierce the skull) Your character is dead, instantly, sorry...

Chest-
1-2 the bullet misses any and all vital organs. You lucky bastard!

3-4 the bullet strikes bone, breaking your ribs, physical dice pools are at -2 due to extreme amounts of pain

5-6 Lung- lose 1 point of stamina as you find it extremely hard to breathe additionally make a stamina (The stamina penalty applies to this roll) roll each round in order to stay conscious

7-8 Liver- take 1 point of lethal damage every two minutes as you bleed out into your gut
9 Spine, you are rendered unconscious due to pain of hitting the nerve rich area, roll a d10 on a result of 1 you die, on a result of 2 you are paralyzed (Again GM's discretion applies to severity)

0 Heart- Instant death, sorry, but it is your heart!

Lower Abdomen-
Belly wounds bleed quite a bit, lose 1 point of bashing damage every minute as you bleed regardless of where it hits.

1-4 the bullet misses major vital organs

5-6 Kidneys- take 1 lethal damage each round and prepare for a very long hospital stay, if this is not treated by an actual doctor you gain a -1 penalty to mental and physical rolls (that increases by 1 each extra day this goes untreated, once this penalty equals twice your stamina you drop into a coma) as you begin to be poisoned by your own body's reduced capability to filter toxins

7-8 Groin- all dice pools are at -2 due to absolutely crippling pain, also, prepare to be the butt of everyone's jokes, you ball-less wonder you!

9-0 Stomach, you are unable to eat, also you gain a -1 penalty per day as your body succumbs to septic shock once this penalty reaches your stamina you slip into a coma

Arm-
-1 to all dice pools involving use of the arm regardless of hit location

1-3 the bullet misses anything really important

4-5 Bone- the bullet breaks a bone in your arm (Arm cannot be used until treated and damage is healed)

6-7 Artery- the bullet strikes an artery take 1 bashing damage every 5 rounds as you bleed out

8-10 Hand all dice pools involving using your hand are at a -2 penalty until healed

Leg-
Suffer a -1 to all dice pools involving movement of the leg (also reduce speed by 2) regardless of where it hits

1-3 The bullet misses anything really important

4-6 Bone- the bullet breaks one of the bones in your leg, (leg cannot be used until treated and damage is healed) your speed is lowered by an additional 4 and your dex gains a -1 penalty

7-8 Artery- take 1 bashing damage every 3 rounds as you very quickly bleed out

9-0 Foot - movement is at an additional -2 due to pain
Here, you hold this jar of acid and the rattlesnake. I've got to hop on the unicycle and get this chainsaw revved up.

EvilMonkey
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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by EvilMonkey » Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:48 pm

Edit to previously made rule:
When targeted by a ranged attack only HALF (Rounded down) of your defense applies...

After playtesting the idea I have found it to be a wee bit overpowered in favor of the defender.
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Chanur
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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by Chanur » Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:19 am

How does your enhanced lethality work with people surviving multiple gun shot wounds?

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Re: NWoD Enhanced Damage / Realistic Combat rules

Post by MadVlat » Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:47 pm

To resolve the defense question vs ranged weapons mentioned earlier in this thread I have come up with a solution I think. Subtract the shooters raw Dexterity from the targets defense rating. If there is any defense left it acts as the normal penalty to the shooters pool equal to that amount. If this would drop the defense of the target into the negatives the shooter should get a bonus to his pool equal to the amount below zero.

Quick and simple...
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