Topic: A question about Hack & Slach usage...

[knightscrimson]

I bought HARP when it first came out and just recently talked my primary group into giving it a shot. When brushing up on the rules in prep for the campaign, however, I decided the core combat system was clunky and incomplete, so I picked up Hack & Slash over on RPGNow.

In the implementation of Hack & Slash, I made an assumption (I thought I had read it, but can't find it now) that damage caps by attack size (from core) were replaced by the inherent scaling of damage by attack size in the Hack & Slash tables.  Now, after some particularly nasty combats, this assumption is being challenged. I could declare it a house rule, or some other kind of administrative decision on my part, but in the interests of avoiding heavy-handedness I'd really like to get some feedback on whether damage caps are still supposed to be used if you're implementing H&S.

I'd really like an official ruling, but all brands of input will help - including whatever method you are currently using and why.

Thanks!

KCP

[GMLovlie]

The damage caps used in the core rules and martial law: tiny 80; small 90; medium 100; large 110; and huge 120, are no longer used as caps in H&S, in fact there are no "caps" as such in H&S.

Instead you use the columns of appropriate size for the given weapon. I'm not sure where it is stated in H&S, but as far as I remember this was the whole idea with H&S.

In other words, you had it correct. There is no need to house rules. Look at page 6 in H&S.

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

In the implementation of Hack & Slash, I made an assumption (I thought I had read it, but can't find it now) that damage caps by attack size (from core) were replaced by the inherent scaling of damage by attack size in the Hack & Slash tables.  Now, after some particularly nasty combats, this assumption is being challenged. I could declare it a house rule, or some other kind of administrative decision on my part, but in the interests of avoiding heavy-handedness I'd really like to get some feedback on whether damage caps are still supposed to be used if you're implementing H&S.

I'd really like an official ruling, but all brands of input will help - including whatever method you are currently using and why.

As the author of that PDF, I can easily say that Jegergryte is correct, Hack & Slash does not make use of the damage caps (which were originally included because attacks of all sizes shared a SINGLE column of results) since each attack size has its own column.

If your players are finding it too lethal, then I suggest using Option 1 from the sidebar on page 6. This option should be applied equally across the board (to monsters and players alike). That should resolve the lethality issue (and was why it was included in the first place).

[knightscrimson]

Many thanks for your attention, Rasyr. This is exactly what I was thinking, but I couldn't find it written anywhere.

It's great to be able to relay the intent of the designer.