Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

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Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by Jorel »

The Phase Sword in Phase World says, "Damage: 4D6 M.D.C. or S.D.C./Hit Point damage, plus the wielders' P.S. bonus, if any."

How is this interpreted and applied when using Supernatural Strength?

An example is P.S. of 20.
The damage bonus for a Normal P.S. 20 is +5 S.D.C. to damage.
The damage bonus for a Supernatural P.S. 20 is +1D6 M.D.C. to damage.

The way it is written the weapon deals damage to M.D.C./S.D.C. targets equally. It doesn't address the force behind the Strength bonus. So in this case the Supernatural Strength would be weaker than a person attacking with a Normal Strength, on average. Sure on occasion it would do 1 point of damage more, but rarely. I don't think this is how the rule should work.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by Chronicle »

it says + PS bonuses.......one of the few MDC weapons that state this. Of Course with supernatural PS this can become very difficult to manage because when the PS is high enough wouldn't you replace the weapon damage with SN punch damage? If that is case it very disturbing indeed.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by smashed »

You add the PS damage bonus , an SD value, which is the value given on the attribute bonus chart, regarless if your strength is normal, extraordinary, robotic, or supernatural. Supernatural Strength (and Robotic) alters your punch damage (normally 1d4 SD). It does not replace the SD PS damage bonus.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by The Beast »

Chronicle wrote:it says + PS bonuses.......one of the few MDC weapons that state this. Of Course with supernatural PS this can become very difficult to manage because when the PS is high enough wouldn't you replace the weapon damage with SN punch damage? If that is case it very disturbing indeed.


True, but PB has a history of not writing things clearly and poor editing. They could have meant the damage bonus gets added to only the SDC attack, which is the normal rule anyway.

Jorel wrote:The Phase Sword in Phase World says, "Damage: 4D6 M.D.C. or S.D.C./Hit Point damage, plus the wielders' P.S. bonus, if any."

How is this interpreted and applied when using Supernatural Strength?

An example is P.S. of 20.
The damage bonus for a Normal P.S. 20 is +5 S.D.C. to damage.
The damage bonus for a Supernatural P.S. 20 is +1D6 M.D.C. to damage.

The way it is written the weapon deals damage to M.D.C./S.D.C. targets equally. It doesn't address the force behind the Strength bonus. So in this case the Supernatural Strength would be weaker than a person attacking with a Normal Strength, on average. Sure on occasion it would do 1 point of damage more, but rarely. I don't think this is how the rule should work.


Uh, no. The normal damage for a SNPS of 20 is 1d6 MD. The damage bonus is added to the restrained 4d6 SDC attack.

The real question is if SNPS is down-converted to normal PS to find out the damage bonus or not.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

Between the SNPS damage and the weapon damage it is an ether or question.

So you would ether use the weapon damage plus the PS damage bonus OR the SNPS damage +the PS bonus damage.

Th problem is, since the phase sword does MD to MDC and SD to SDC, Which damage rating do you use? the SD numbers or the MD numbers?
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by eliakon »

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:Between the SNPS damage and the weapon damage it is an ether or question.

So you would ether use the weapon damage plus the PS damage bonus OR the SNPS damage +the PS bonus damage.

Th problem is, since the phase sword does MD to MDC and SD to SDC, Which damage rating do you use? the SD numbers or the MD numbers?


how about....the SD value for SDC targets, and the MD value for MDC targets?
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

eliakon wrote:
drewkitty ~..~ wrote:Between the SNPS damage and the weapon damage it is an ether or question.

So you would ether use the weapon damage plus the PS damage bonus OR the SNPS damage +the PS bonus damage.

Th problem is, since the phase sword does MD to MDC and SD to SDC, Which damage rating do you use? the SD numbers or the MD numbers?


how about....the SD value for SDC targets, and the MD value for MDC targets?

Hello, I said Damage Rating. As in "Do you use the SNPS numbers doing SD to the target even though the char is using their SNPS?"
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by eliakon »

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:
eliakon wrote:
drewkitty ~..~ wrote:Between the SNPS damage and the weapon damage it is an ether or question.

So you would ether use the weapon damage plus the PS damage bonus OR the SNPS damage +the PS bonus damage.

Th problem is, since the phase sword does MD to MDC and SD to SDC, Which damage rating do you use? the SD numbers or the MD numbers?


how about....the SD value for SDC targets, and the MD value for MDC targets?

Hello, I said Damage Rating. As in "Do you use the SNPS numbers doing SD to the target even though the char is using their SNPS?"


No you said
drewkitty ~..~ wrote: Which damage rating do you use? the SD numbers or the MD numbers?
Thats a question, not an offer of an answer.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

I said....
drewkitty ~..~ wrote:Th problem is, since the phase sword does MD to MDC and SD to SDC, Which damage rating do you use? the SD numbers or the MD numbers?

Notice it is one long thought.

As in I was just stating where the confusion is being caused in the phase sword text as it was written in relation to SNPS being transferred through melee weapons rules.
Last edited by drewkitty ~..~ on Sun Mar 24, 2013 3:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by say652 »

add your supernatural ps,lets say ps60 for d6x10md plus the 4d6 of the phasesword,but that damages as the phaseblade sdc to sdc and md to mdc. against sdc objects the sword is eh,just punch it,but against mdc objects the added damage is nice.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by Vrykolas2k »

You get the damage bonus with SDC attacks, and if you're lucky enough to have sn/ robotic strength, punch damage added when dealing MD.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by Alrik Vas »

Supernatural Strength is dumb anyway. However...

When hitting SDC targets, you do indeed inflict your Punch Damage + Sword Damage + Damage bonuse (for your PS). This is covered in many SDC setting games in regards to supernatural strength with weapons.

When you are hitting MDC targets, you use the sword's damage, or your punch damage, and that is all. Now, since Phase Swords say to add your PS damage bonus, in this case you would add only the damage bonus (which for the above mentioned PS 20 is +5). So you would do Sword Damage +5 and that is all.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by drewkitty ~..~ »

Alrik Vas wrote:When hitting SDC targets, you do indeed inflict your Punch Damage + Sword Damage + Damage bonuse (for your PS).

Can you give a citation (i.e.: where you found it) for the above?
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by dragonfett »

As a GM, this is how I would house rule it. Normal Strength: PS damage bonus, Augmented Strength: PS damage bonus x1.5, Robotic Strength: PS damage bonus x2, Supernatural Strength: PS damage bonus x3.

Make note that I would only house rule the Phase Sword like this because of its unique properties.
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Re: Phase Sword Strength Damage Bonus

Unread post by Tor »

This discussion reminds me of how a wise Apok with a PS of 50 or below uses only restrained punches against the Unholy's Host.

...or how a wise Sea Inquisitor grabs a C-12 Heavy Assault Laser Rifle and uses it on setting 3 against the Minions of the Deep. Very sustainable ammunition.

Chronicle wrote:it says + PS bonuses.......one of the few MDC weapons that state this.
Especially if we give a Phase Sword to a Larhold Human Renegade wearing Thor's belt.

Chronicle wrote:with supernatural PS this can become very difficult to manage because when the PS is high enough wouldn't you replace the weapon damage with SN punch damage?
Not totally sure, in HU it says you add weapon damage to SN punch dmg, not sure if this works with SNPSdmg in Rifts though. Wasn't mentioned in CB1 anyway, possible some other book?
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