Topic: Crit descriptions

[calmacil]

Anybody got any gruesome crit descriptions? or does anyone know of a good site to get them from?

I'm writing up my own crit table using a similar idea to Martial Law. Five columns for each of 2 locations (head and neck), which works out at 95 descriptions per crit catagory (slashing, crushing etc) I'm using some from RM, m.e.r.p and Harp.
 I don't mind them being fairly lengthy, i think i'll hand write my final draft.



Here's the sort of thing i'm after;
For Slashing Crits

Foe anticipates your move and avoids the worst of your attack. The tip of your blade makes a scar.10H

A lightning strike across his ribs makes him drop his guard in pain. He barely keeps his weapon in his hand.
20H, 1S, 1B, -15, -5i, 1A

Vicious slashing attack into your opponents arm, sheering through armour, tendons and bone. The bone is broken and the nerves are severed. He yells in pain and drops whatever the arm was carrying. That arm is now useless, it hangs limp by his side, pouring with blood. 36H, 5S, 4B, -30, 2A

You plunge your blade into your foes belly and up through his heart. Your opponent falls against you, his head falling on your shoulder as the dying mans knees give way. With a shuddering sigh, he expires in a heap.
38H, 5S, 4B, dies in 5

Your blade slices into your foes stomach and rips upwards. A scream of mortal agony comes from your dying foe as his entrails spill over your hand. Foe falls to the ground, shaking and screaming for 1 round until he dies. Instant Death, 47H


Few for Crushing

You smash your weapon into your foes head, splitting the skin above his eye. Blood streams down his face.
20H, 2S, -20, -10i, 1A

Your blow thunders against the foes rib-cage. You crack 2 ribs, your victim grunts with pain.
25H 4S 1B - 5i 2A


Any help much appreciated 

[Cory Magel]

The hardest thing I've done for RM was write a critical chart...

Good luck. 

[munchy]

I for one think this topic should definitely receive more attention in an age of notebook and maybe even android phone supported gaming. One critical description for each number, not one for ten, one for each body part hit ... VAST amounts of critical descriptions should definitely be made available for the use with said gadgets! Moving into the next age, blowing your mind and combat situations with innumerable amounts of criticals, taking Rolemaster and HARP to the next level!

[Marc R]

Every time I've ever taken a run at adding locations to RM I run into the issue of it only works for GMs who are fine with on the fly changes like when you get:

"Blow to side of head, lose use of one eye due to swelling for 24 hours -50 to all actions, stunned no parry for 1 round."

But the strike was to the leg, so the GM has to change it on the fly into:

"Blow to thigh, lose use of one leg due to deep bruise for 24 hours, -50 to all actions, stunned no parry for 1 round."

It'd be tempting to say make the crit generic ala:

"Blow causes a temporary loss of function to the area struck, -50 to all actions, stunned no parry for 1 round."

But, while that would make the GM call more obvious, the GM would still have to decide "Eye, nose, ear, mouth, hmm" for a head shot, or "Leg, foot, knee, hip, thigh, shin, toe, hmm." with a leg shot so there would still be just as much work to do. . .

And such generic criticals would be kinda bleh. . .I like the gory, amusing criticals. . .but for gory and amusing you need details.

[jasonbrisbane]

I for one think this topic should definitely receive more attention in an age of notebook and maybe even android phone supported gaming. One critical description for each number, not one for ten, one for each body part hit ... VAST amounts of critical descriptions should definitely be made available for the use with said gadgets! Moving into the next age, blowing your mind and combat situations with innumerable amounts of criticals, taking Rolemaster and HARP to the next level!

I agree. In reality ACTUALLY writing this is hard but I dont see why with a list of descriptions, body parts (tied to the single digit of the critical result) and critical types why a program cant/hasnt been written to do this.

i.e.
For critical types
crush = crush,
puncture = peirce/puncture/etc,
slash = hack/slash/etc
heat = burn/fry/toast/heat

locations = harp table core rules.

then write a program to correlate them all, Yes they would Seem a bit generic and one off, but there are a number of random name generators so I don't see why the same technology cant be used and instead of syllables phrases are used instead, with a few minor tweaks. Maybe ten "phrases" for the random description (one to ten) with increasing difficulty in words used to describe the wound itself. The stat details are what matter for most people and that will be the same (bleed 1, 20hits, stun 4, -25... etc).

Anyone thought of that?


Marc:
Thats exactly what I was referring. A program could generate that description based upon the table.

Extra detail can be extrapolated based upon a table for each location and a simple lookup on that table: head and neck contain major arteries and veins as well as muscle(neck) and bone (skull) whilst the abdomen will contain the intestines and kidneys and private parts: legs are muscle, bone and arteries and veins and same with arms (same table for arms and legs?). Hands wound need a seperate table for the number of fingers injured during an attack (maybe a penalty for each finger struck?)

[GrumpyOldFart]

The only potential problem I see with that is having the old school PnP gamers feel like they can't get all the features of the game without putting it on some sort of computer. That said, I have no idea how big a part of the market they comprise either, so I have no way to guess how much effect annoying them will have on the bottom line.

On the one hand, I personally want my game to be just so, perfect in every detail. On the other hand, I can't blame the people who do all the work to produce my game material for wanting to get paid for their work, either.

Might be a good idea for something to have in the vault... dunno if I'd want it to become part of the standard.