Thinking about HP/SDC

[gordyzx9r]

I never tried it that way, myself I like the HP/SDC the way it is and I do use the HP tables for serious injuries to add a little more to the game.

[Snowtiger]

One of the advantages of having a split SDC/HP system is that, when a hit is guaranteed to go straight past a person's defenses, such as a .22 bullet to the skull from a wrong move in a hostage situation, you can just roll the damage and apply it directly to hit points.

I'd imagine that sort of a thing would be automatically ruled as strictly HP damage, unless there's something in between that would potentially prevent the injury from happening(such as wearing a helmet, in this example).

Also, I'd probably halve(hard armor) or quarter(soft armor) the SDC of personal armors against bladed melee weapons, because they're meant to stop blunt objects(bullets, baseball bats, fists, other blunt objects), not sharp ones(knives, swords etc). Then again, vehicle armor should be highly resistant against any small arms fire and melee weapons so the SDC would be doubled against them. I wouldn't change the AR though, as they're not harder/easier to hit using these weapons.

I think the HP/SDC system is okay, but it does require some thought and common sense in some instances.

[Natalya]

Try checking out PF1ed for ideas for a HP only game.

Also, you could incorporate house rules or house items that cause "straight to HP" damage more often if you feel that having SDC is a problem.

However, from what you posted it sounds like PCs will still have the same number of overall points from HP and SDC combined, there just wouldn't be any "straight to HP" damage possible. So maybe simply ending "straight to HP" damage might solve the problem.

[Borast]

Besides, a few really cool spells sould have to be dropped. Y'know, spells that eliminate ALL of a character's SDC...

Besides, you'd be immune to all spells that don't specifically do HP damage, since they all say "Does X SDC damage."

*ducks*

[Borast]

I like it better than the MDC system...

The HP/SDC system is not what Palladium has problems with. It's the AR system!

[Sentinel]

I personally prefer the SDC/Hit Point system.
If the characters have reasonable restrictions on their SDC to begin with, this won't get out of hand.
Don't let players load up on every armour and physical skill available.

[Borast]

Sentinel...

Let 'em load-up on all the SDC they want. AV rounds will still go through them like butter (leaving a nasty bleeding wound). Blow a mine under their feet, and you still do double damage direct to HPs, crash 'em in a car going 100kph, and you're still going to do damage enough to do serious effect to the character, etc...

[gordyzx9r]

Frankly, they're going to hit a level where the enemies can just fire and almost automatically bypass the AR. This is especially true in heavy melee combat, where the bonuses really start to wrack up. On top of that, many mutants get mad bonuses to strike.
I wouldn't worry too much about it. Not every mutant animal can qualify for tank status, and armour is overrated, however necessary it may be for surviving a thousand mooks. It's still not hard to threaten characters.

Particularly in After the Bomb. On the surface, there's overwhelmingly weapons and robots that can destroy the best armor quickly even without bypassing it. Better yet, in space, all it takes is a badly-timed hull breach...

I don't know about anyone else, but I really dig the new spider goat silk body armor.

[Borast]

On another thread I posted a suggestion that you might want to try using AR as a "base number" that your defensive actions are added to, so that someone with an AR of 15, +6 on dodge, and a roll of 10 on the attempt; has a score of 31 versus the attacker's attempt to strike...although a nat 20 would still bypass the defender's armour (unless [s]he also rolled a nat 20).

[Borast]

Your group isn't the only one. There were several people in the thread I mentioned whom espoused the same theory.

[Borast]

By the book?

Under A.R., no damage, even if it hits.

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

I can't help but think the mutant insect leather or mutant insect chitin armors might be cheaper. I don't think they'd have as much SDC, though, despite having comparable AR's...? I dunno, don't have the new book.

This is what we're doing in my ATB game. It makes the Skin and Prepare Hides skill almost invaluable. Insect armor keeps the natural AR and SDC. Which now that I stop to think about it might be incredibly ridiculous. It is however much simpler than trying to divide up the SDC by what parts I was able to salvage. Also, for as dangerous and hard to kill as the ATB giant mutant insects are I say we are deserving of such booty.

Giant Beetle Armor
AR 14 SDC 115

Likelihood that you'll survive ..Not Very