Topic: Sage?s House Rules - Volume I - Initiative

[Dr_Sage]

Hello friends!

I?ve decided to share with you some modifications to the core rules that have worked well with our gaming group.

The first one is the initiative penalty for wounds: the way the core rules works seemed way to all or nothing to us. First you have no penalty and suddely you are at -25, unable to win initiative at all.... ouch!

So thats the way my gaming group do:

** Life **      **Initiative Modifier**
100% - 76% = No penalty
 75% - 51% = -5 Initiative
 50% - 26% = -10 Initiative
 25% - 0%  = -15 Initiative

Its really simple math becuse we do the calculations once per level.  So a tough dwarf fighter with Endurance Skill Bonus of 120 would have these numbers:

** Life **   **Initiative Modifier**
90 - 61 = -5 Initiative
60 - 31 = -10 Initiative
30 - 01 = -15 Initiative

Option: You can replace the sequence with  [-10 / -15 / -25] If you really like the (-25) penalty.

I hope this idea works well with you as worked for us. 

[Duskwalker]

Sound good to me, too. Reminds me a lot of RM.

Also better reflects the fatigue from combat, although you are pretty messed up after a while without actually being hit.

Anyone introduced rules for exhaustion, yet?
 

[Right Wing Wacko]

Exhaustion rules add nothing but time and bookkeeping to my game, so I ignore it completely. IMHO.

[Dr_Sage]

Exhaustion rules add nothing but time and bookkeeping to my game, so I ignore it completely. IMHO.

You and everybody else as far as I have heard. 

Maybe we should open a new tread to talk about fatige related issues. The way I see fatige is important when the characters are not resting proprerly for some time and I choose to simulate that by giving then a small penalty in all actions and they become more succeptible to ordinary diseases like common cold.

In the heat of the combat however I don?t believe we should mess with then. Most combats in my game lasts like 4-6 rounds - yes, Hack&Slash can do that.

Shall we take this discussion to other tread?

[Right Wing Wacko]

Sure, you can start another thread, but I really don't have much more to add on the subject.
Yeah, if the PC's are on a forced march, or exhausted due to battling the weather and/or climatic conditions, or some similar circumstance, then I would penalize them, however, like you, I don't normally track exhaustion during combat (I use Martial Law by the way).

[Dr_Sage]

Agreed.

I was just politely trying to keep this tread on topic.

Written language can be so limiting somethimes, and so liberating others...

Any more opinions?

[Pecete]

Does injury level afects other skills like in the old RM?

[Dr_Sage]

Does injury level afects other skills like in the old RM?

Yes.

By the official rules the criticals often impose a general penalty to almost all actions, like skills rolls.

The only skills that are unaffected is the Resistance Skills (Magic, Stamina and Will).

Also by official ruling you have a -25 on initiative when you have less than 25% of your maximun Concussion hit points. This house rule just spread the penalties more smothly.