Alternate Wound Tolerance Penalties

[luke]

For those of you nettled by the anti-math approach of the original wound tolerance penalty mechanics, I've provided a set of alternate penalties.

These can completely replace the old, or be used in conjunction with them. It's up to you.

Click here to download (http://www.burningwheel.org/pdf/woundtolerances.pdf), and enjoy.

[eruditus]

yay! :D

[Kublai]

Nice, but one critique: A smashed thumb is both a Superficial and a Light wound? All hail, CDOW!

[wattj]

YAY! This I like a great deal. Much better than the old way, as I read it... But I've been told that in actual play, the old way works very well.

Heh. I may never know. :)

[luke]

Nice, but one critique: A smashed thumb is both a Superficial and a Light wound? All hail, CDOW!

Kublai, you're my favorite CDOW and editor in the whole wide world. Please mark that in red pen (on your monitor) so we can catch it before we got to print.

I'll probably be including a printed sheet like this folded and tucked into the copies that go out from here on.

-L

[eruditus]

When we demo should we demo the first version or the second?

[luke]

i've been demoing the alternate system and it's been working just fine. but we just need to slip those sheets into the books in case anybody buys them and catches us at our dirty tricks!

-L

[rafial]

Hmm... So under the new system, does that mean you'll have to roll a Steel test on taking a Light wound, instead of a Midi wound as before?

[luke]

Hmm... So under the new system, does that mean you'll have to roll a Steel test on taking a Light wound, instead of a Midi wound as before?

Yes. This is how we've been play testing it, and it works fine.

Like I said, this system is a little bit more harsh, but ultimately i think more satisfying.

-L

[Durgil]

Between work, college, and my family, I have finally got a chance to compare these new rules with the older rules, and I have come up with a few questions. First, is this an attempt to have fewer changes with the system's DN? I guess I can understand this desire, but a lot of times you're only working with 4, 5, or 6 dice, and when you raise the Ob by 1, 2, and then 3 because of superficial wounds, you might find yourself needing more successes than it is possible to get. That seems to me to be a little more awkward than raising the DN by 1, 2, and then 3.

Just so I understand this correctly, here is a generic example of each way. First the old way:

A character has a B4 in the appropriate skill and the GM decides that it has an Ob or 3. I calculate the odds of rolling 3 successes with 4 dice as ~31.2%. After receiving a superficial wound, the DN is raised to 5, which decreases the odds to ~11.1%. Another superficial decreases the odds to ~1.6%. On the forth superficial wound, the DN goes back to 4, but now only 3 dice are thrown for the character's skill of B4. This puts the odds to ~12.5%.

Now the new way:

A character has a B4 in the appropriate skill and the GM decides that it has an Ob of 3. I calculate the odds of rolling 3 successes with 4 dice as again ~31.2%. After receiving a superficial wound, the Ob is raised to 4, which decreases the odds to ~6.2%. Another superficial raises the Ob beyond the reach of the B4 skill. On the forth superficial wound, the Ob goes back to 3, but now only 3 dice are thrown for the character's skill of B4. This puts the odds to ~12.5%.

Do I understand this correctly, or is this a Gross Conceptual Error on my part?

[luke]

Hi Durgil,

thanks for the numbers analysis.

You are correct in your assumption that we are trying to phase out DN modifiers.

First, a defense: You haven't seen the new recovery rules that we've been play testing here. They are much more fluid for small scale wounds like Supies and Lights. This may mitigate the harsher effects on the back end.

Second, a look to the future: I was thinking about this very issue recently and I pondered: What if only the one superficial wound counts toward Ob penalties, and the second and third wounds don't increase penalties, but count toward equaling -1D.

Third, a rebuttal: While your example is true for Superficials, compare the differences for new Light wounds vs old Light wounds. A very different cirumstance!

-L

[Durgil]

I'm sorry Luke, I haven't taken a look past the accumulation of Sup's. I'll take a look at the Li and Mi's, and I like the sound of the direction that you're perusing. I can't wait to see what you come up with! :D

[eruditus]

Okay...

Durgil, yes your math is theoretically correct.

Yes, the new system is more harsh. Keep in mind (as I have mentioned a few times on this topic so please forgive me if I seem to be repeating myself :oops: ) that Artha changes this a bit. What seems to be out of reach with an Ob3 and 3 dice becomes a little more feasible if its open ended or double dice are rolled.

It has always been part of the system that several superficials stack up to make worse wounds but the shock and trauma ease up a little due to adrenaline and desensitization - thus the same applies with the new system. We go from nearly impossible to a slightly higher chance once that third superficial stacks.

So how often do players make Ob3 tests with four dice anyway? ;)