Post by olegrand on Dec 17, 2020 20:31:27 GMT
(I've not playtested this yet but intend to do so ASAP)
Why a variant?
The Doctor Who injury rules appear quite simple in theory but can sometimes be a bit unwieldy in actual play – especially during fast-paced combat scenes, where allocting attribute losses on the fly can be a bit tedious and tends to slow down the action.
One may also argue that the system does not really reflect what we see in the TV series but this is hard to say, since the Doctor and his companions are rarely injured at all, usually escaping unscathed from most fights, thanks to what would take the form, in play, of Story points expenditure. Yet, when we do see them seriously injured, they’re usually able to soldier on quite effectively - despite groaning in pain, wincing, etc.
So here is a variant approach to damage in Doctor Who – a simpler, more classic « hit points » system (ah - the heresy! ), which works really well in play.
Vitality
Each character, creature etc is given a Vitality total equal to the sum of Strength and Resolve.
When damage points are taken, they are simply subtracted from this total.
If the Vitality total reaches 0 (exactly), the injured being is out of action – but still able to speak and act, as long as the action does not require any form of roll.
If Vitality falls below 0, the character or creature falls unconscious.
If negative Vitality falls below Strength, then the being will normally die before the end of the current scene.
Example : Lady Penelope has a Strength of 3 and a Resolve of 5. This gives her a Vitality total of 8. If she suffers 5 points of damage, her Vitality will drop down to 3. Another injury like this and she will be down to -2, very close to the death threshold !
Shock
If a character or creature loses more Vitality points than his Resolve score in a single injury, then he goes into shock and is unable to act for the remainder of the scene, unless the player spends Story points to recover rapidly (see below).
Example : Lady Penelope has a Resolve of 5, which makes her quite combative. She would have to suffer 6 points of damage or more in a single go to fall into shock.
It was just a scratch !
An injured character who happends to have Story points left (or who has regained some points since being injured) may spend Story points to recover a number of Vitality points equal to one-half (rounded up) of his lost Vitality points – just like in the original rules.
Example : So, Lady Penelope has lost 5 Vitality points and is down to 3. If she spends 1 Story point for a quick, dramatic recovery (as described in the rules), she will recover one-half of her lost Vitality points (2.5, rounded up to 3), bringing her back to 6. A second Story point would only allow her to recover a single Vitality point (one-half of her lost points).
Last word : Everything not specifically covered above works as in the official rules.
Why a variant?
The Doctor Who injury rules appear quite simple in theory but can sometimes be a bit unwieldy in actual play – especially during fast-paced combat scenes, where allocting attribute losses on the fly can be a bit tedious and tends to slow down the action.
One may also argue that the system does not really reflect what we see in the TV series but this is hard to say, since the Doctor and his companions are rarely injured at all, usually escaping unscathed from most fights, thanks to what would take the form, in play, of Story points expenditure. Yet, when we do see them seriously injured, they’re usually able to soldier on quite effectively - despite groaning in pain, wincing, etc.
So here is a variant approach to damage in Doctor Who – a simpler, more classic « hit points » system (ah - the heresy! ), which works really well in play.
Vitality
Each character, creature etc is given a Vitality total equal to the sum of Strength and Resolve.
When damage points are taken, they are simply subtracted from this total.
If the Vitality total reaches 0 (exactly), the injured being is out of action – but still able to speak and act, as long as the action does not require any form of roll.
If Vitality falls below 0, the character or creature falls unconscious.
If negative Vitality falls below Strength, then the being will normally die before the end of the current scene.
Example : Lady Penelope has a Strength of 3 and a Resolve of 5. This gives her a Vitality total of 8. If she suffers 5 points of damage, her Vitality will drop down to 3. Another injury like this and she will be down to -2, very close to the death threshold !
Shock
If a character or creature loses more Vitality points than his Resolve score in a single injury, then he goes into shock and is unable to act for the remainder of the scene, unless the player spends Story points to recover rapidly (see below).
Example : Lady Penelope has a Resolve of 5, which makes her quite combative. She would have to suffer 6 points of damage or more in a single go to fall into shock.
It was just a scratch !
An injured character who happends to have Story points left (or who has regained some points since being injured) may spend Story points to recover a number of Vitality points equal to one-half (rounded up) of his lost Vitality points – just like in the original rules.
Example : So, Lady Penelope has lost 5 Vitality points and is down to 3. If she spends 1 Story point for a quick, dramatic recovery (as described in the rules), she will recover one-half of her lost Vitality points (2.5, rounded up to 3), bringing her back to 6. A second Story point would only allow her to recover a single Vitality point (one-half of her lost points).
Last word : Everything not specifically covered above works as in the official rules.