CT Only: Weakened Blow

[Supplement Four]

In the LBB1 Brawling rules, a character is allowed a number of brawling strikes at his opponent equal to his END score. After that, his attacks are made at a penalty (the Weakened Blow penalty).

I've always loved and hated this rule.

I love it because it makes END not a throwaway stat for damage. If in a hand-to-hand fight, it gives a tip of the hat to getting tired. And, different, heavier, more unwieldy weapons have bigger WB penalties.

I hated the rule because...it require bookkeeping. It's rough on the Ref, who has to keep track of numerous NPCs. And, the WB rule is complicated in the fact that characters can accept the penalty early in order not to use the penalty later.

So, here is a House Rule that I've sometimes used in the past....



The Weakened Blow plenty is triggered when the character takes damage to his END. As long as the END stays at full, the character does not suffere the WB penalty. As soon as END drops by one point or more, then the WB kicks in.

 

[mike wightman]

I've found from personal experience the weakened blow rules to be one of the more realistic rules in a role playing game (the other being coolness under fire).

Note that the rules allow you to make a weakened blow to conserve full strength attacks. If you find yourself against a less skilled opponent then the deliberate weakened blow will allow you to conserve strength.

 

[creativehum]

I've found from personal experience the weakened blow rules to be one of the more realistic rules in a role playing game (the other being coolness under fire).

Note that the rules allow you to make a weakened blow to conserve full strength attacks. If you find yourself against a less skilled opponent then the deliberate weakened blow will allow you to conserve strength.

Mike, is Coolness Under Fire in Bk1 -- or an import from another rules set?

 

[mike wightman]

It's from Twilight 2000.

Players hated it or abused it because you could only be Rambo if you had a great coolness under fire stat.

 

[Spartan159]

I can not find my copy of twilight 2000, could you share the rule as adapted for Traveller, please?

 

[nobby-w]

I can't remember how it's calculated in Twilight:2000 (it's 20+ years since I owned a copy of the game), but you could adapt the morale rules from Book1/4 or Striker into something equivalent. Give your characters bonuses from skills like tactics, or maybe +1 per two terms in an armed service. You can also give a bonus to the whole group from the highest Leader skill (yay! a use for leader).

The morale roll then becomes a roll that your character has to make to do anything more than basic actions (freeze, run, hide behind cover, panic fire) that turn.

 

[infojunky]

Mike, is Coolness Under Fire in Bk1 -- or an import from another rules set?

It also was part of TNE in the guise of Intiative.

It was calculated from the kinds of careers and a Die roll. Some careers offered a bonus to the roll.

In play it controlled the number of different actions a character could take in a combat round. i.e. Move, shoot, reload or drive Etc, etc... Low initiative character could generally do one or two.