Critical hits = instant character death?

[rambler]

As I prepare for my upcoming campaign (kicks off next month), I've had a number of my players who have looked over the rules ask about critical hits. The basic issue seems to be that receiving a critical hit is largly equal to dying on the spot, at least in the minds of my players.

While this may be quite accurate (if I hit you in the head with a blob of plasma, you are quite likely to die) I'm wondering what the actual *fun* quotient of this system is. Would anyone who has played T20 a bit care to comment on whether this creates a problem wherein PCs are being killed off with disturbing regularity? Or have my players and I missed something basic in the system that makes this not a big problem?

 

[tjoneslo]

Your players have not missed anything. A critical hit, particularly with the larger weapons, does equal a instant player death. And like most people, your players find the thought of repeated character deaths as not fun.

The "Solution" (in quotes for a reason) is not get into combat. But easier said than done, as it takes a change of attitiude of both players and GM to find things other than combat as the fun part of playing Traveller.
As a GM you can steer your players in the right direction by: Emphasise non-combat solutions to problems. Strictly enforce the world Law level weapon restrictions. If the players insist on carrying around a arsenal have everyone run away from the "armed psychos". Give the villans mostly non-lethal weapons.

If you like the idea of playing a combat heavy T20 game:

Option 1: T20 rules state that critical hits both bypass armor and do double (or triple) damage. Instead pick one. I'd probably stick with the extra damage and let the armor absorb it.

Option 2: Give the players (or let them acquire) a really good autodoc early in the campaign. One that will revive even a fairly mangled dead body assuming the time between the killing blow and the autodoc isn't too long. Check in the medical equipment section as there should be rules. Extend the duration as long as necessary (Top Secret advanced technology, being tested in the field).

 

[Falkayn]

Originally posted by rambler:
While this may be quite accurate (if I hit you in the head with a blob of plasma, you are quite likely to die) I'm wondering what the actual *fun* quotient of this system is. Would anyone who has played T20 a bit care to comment on whether this creates a problem wherein PCs are being killed off with disturbing regularity? Or have my players and I missed something basic in the system that makes this not a big problem?

I think that tjoneslo has some good points made, but it is worth noting that a critical hit can only occur IF you get hit.

One of the recurring themes of 'realistic' modern combat systems is that the name of the game is NOT to get hit. Your players (and GM run NPCs!) will need to learn this, and so combat will consists of ducking, weaving, hiding and taking random pot-shots with only your gun sticking around the corner ... in other words, anything that protects yourself from getting hit whilst putting the enemy at risk of it.

Provided the NPCs start acting accordingly, the PCs should find that combat ends with fewer casualties, and more often than not with some talking, or running away. You can no longer stand in the doorway and kill all the orcs as they try to escape your +5 vorpal sword (unless you're silly enough to let them get battledress and PGMPs, in which case sic grav-tanks on 'em!).

 

[apoc527]

Before someone says it, note that while a natural 20 is always a hit (and essentially ignores all but total cover), realize that in order to actually GET the critical hit, you have to confirm it. Someone with enough cover will never be crit'd by anything less than a 20-20. And that has an approximately 0.25% of happening). So yes, while critical hits are scary, they are also fairly easy to avoid (assuming you use the confirmed threat rules).

 

[DrSkull]

In our playtest campaign, we didn't lose any PC's at all in combat. It was a mercenary game, and to be honest we had lots of flunkies to take the hits, but most of those who died did not die from a critical hit (HEAP grenades are much more deadly than the realtively rare critical hit).

If the enemy is using firearms, then you can even survive the crit.

A rifle critical hit does an average of 13 points of damage. An average guy has a Lifeblood of 11, so a rifle crit takes him to -2. He's knocked out of the fight, but far from dead. This is roughly equal to a solid combat hit in Classic Traveller.

A crit with a laser rifle, on the other hand, means get out the dust pan. But heck, a laser rifle is got to be good for something.

 

[graden1]

Originally posted by tjoneslo:
Your players have not missed anything. A critical hit, particularly with the larger weapons, does equal a instant player death. And like most people, your players find the thought of repeated character deaths as not fun.

The "Solution" (in quotes for a reason) is not get into combat. But easier said than done, as it takes a change of attitiude of both players and GM to find things other than combat as the fun part of playing Traveller.
As a GM you can steer your players in the right direction by: Emphasise non-combat solutions to problems. Strictly enforce the world Law level weapon restrictions. If the players insist on carrying around a arsenal have everyone run away from the "armed psychos". Give the villans mostly non-lethal weapons.

If you like the idea of playing a combat heavy T20 game:

Option 1: T20 rules state that critical hits both bypass armor and do double (or triple) damage. Instead pick one. I'd probably stick with the extra damage and let the armor absorb it.

Option 2: Give the players (or let them acquire) a really good autodoc early in the campaign. One that will revive even a fairly mangled dead body assuming the time between the killing blow and the autodoc isn't too long. Check in the medical equipment section as there should be rules. Extend the duration as long as necessary (Top Secret advanced technology, being tested in the field).

All good advice; I hope my players read this! Even if the autodoc is over-budget, there are other medical items which are affordable and effective. The personal med-kit is excellent "as is", and customizeable with the addition of new types of drugs.

All my current PC's are active duty IISS--they've got these items built into their standard-issue tailored vac suits. (It even downloads their current b.a.c. to the bartender's HUD, but they're working on a "hack" to circumvent this feature....)

DGv2.0

 

[Maspy]

I know that I and my mob of gamin' buds have the mind set of "I can take a few hits before I need to worry." Probably sunk in from AD&D, a 5t level fighter could take alot of arrows before worrying. We moved to Cyberpunk-Friday Night Firefight and were shocked by the damage of one 7.62 round vs our indestructable characters.

The solution, short of the GM's, "Are you SURE you want to do that?" came from Warhammer Fantasy Role Play.... Fate points. Spend a point and that nasty cleaving blow, which, by chance, shatters your bone and punctures your artery causing immediate death, actually glances off your helmet. Though the force was enough to knock you out...

Set up rules for earning them... good roleplaying, smart action, not being dumb can be enough. They can be a real learning aid until you get into the right frame of mind.

For the right frame of mind, definately get a copy of Friday Night Firefight. Getting hit with a large caliber bullet = Dead, dead, dead.

 

[BrennanHawkwood]

Cyberpunk-Friday Night Firefight is great for proving that PCs are expendable. Even a small caliber round can mess you up seriously and assault rifles are serious overKill.

Another technique I've occasionaly used to make players aware that a system has a nasty combat system is to make arrangements with one of the players to use their first character as a demonstration that the combat system can and will kill PCs if it is not respected. My players know that I typically don't go gunning for PCs so there is nothing quite like smearing one of them to let them know that combat is dangerous.

Naturally, YMMV with this sort of thing...I usually make advanced arrangements, especially if I can do it without the other players knowing that the arrangements have been made, simply so that the player who's character gets smoked is ready with their new, 'real' character.

 

[apoc527]

On FFNF- yea, it's deadly until you start piling (literally) on the armor. Then it gets silly. Same goes for cyberplating and stuff. Yes, there are other problems with that, but overall the benefits outweigh the negatives. C-Squad comes for you? So? Half their weapons can't hurt you (watch out for the HEAT rounds and railguns though).

Don't get me wrong. I love CP2020, but FNFF can get silly.

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by apoc527:
Before someone says it, note that while a natural 20 is always a hit (and essentially ignores all but total cover), realize that in order to actually GET the critical hit, you have to confirm it. Someone with enough cover will never be crit'd by anything less than a 20-20. And that has an approximately 0.25% of happening). So yes, while critical hits are scary, they are also fairly easy to avoid (assuming you use the confirmed threat rules).

I know that in my D&D3rd group, we'd often roll a 19 or 20 , get all happy 'cos we were sure to get a crit, and then roll a 3 or 4 on the confirm roll. Usually followed by that D20 flying across the room. So crits don't happen often and should IMO be quite dramtic when they do.

Casey