Topic: House Rules for weapon breakage in Rolemaster - maybe of interest

[C.Tozer]

Hi folks

So weapon breakage in your games  .... is it something you do/have rules for in your RPG? Do you use the RM ones RAW?

If not maybe you should. This wee rule inclusion in your game can really spicy combat up a bit. See the link below for some house rules and weapon breakage tables that could be useful in your game.

Oh and there is a video about it too ... have a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bHvYeabqeU&t=140s

Feedback most welcome

Enjoy 😊

https://www.facebook.com/OfHorrorsandHeroes/posts/pfbid0rhARQrfXFdxC3oQQKgi9wjJC3T5ckQp2M2o7bpF7SXDvsh1r8HQ8BAdcbo6oywx2l

[katastrophe]

Just more attempts at realism that slow the game down. Weapon breakage should be the rarest of events on the table top. How long do we want a combat to last during a game session? Our rule is simple. Natural 66 on the attack took, check breakage. Hardly ever comes up but can and sometimes occurs at a bad time.

When a game gets to have a rule for breathing and sweating it’s going too far.

[C.Tozer]

Thanks for the feedback. As with any game in this fantastic hobby its going be down to GM/DM & player preference how such things are handled.

Agree any weapon breakage needs to be rare.

Any thoughts/feedback on the breakage tables shared (for other to use if they wish)?   

Just more attempts at realism that slow the game down. Weapon breakage should be the rarest of events on the table top. How long do we want a combat to last during a game session? Our rule is simple. Natural 66 on the attack took, check breakage. Hardly ever comes up but can and sometimes occurs at a bad time.

When a game gets to have a rule for breathing and sweating it’s going too far.

[Hurin]

1-100 Tables are nice, and nicely parallel to the fumble tables.

The overall system would slow down play a touch too much for my tastes, but I hope you have fun with it.

[netbat]

It might be worth using if it was incorporated into ERA, FG, or one of the other automated game aids. Not sure the extra rolls are oath it otherwise. If I was going to use it without one of those systems I would probably just roll things up in advance and just say the xth attack during the session has y break. At least that way it wouldn't slow things down.

[Majyk]

It might be worth using if it was incorporated into ERA, FG, or one of the other automated game aids. Not sure the extra rolls are oath it otherwise.

They are in Fantasy Grounds. 
Items have a breakage factor listed with their weapon entries that a single mouse click brings up after confirming the breakage attack roll broke this threshold(11, 22, 33, etc).

From there, the GM shares an easily imported chart - just once and it is in FG forever - and the Player(or GM) clicks a d100 button that then cross indexes whatever it gets as a result.

Player(or GM) modifies said weapon with the particulars of what was rolled directlyto the inventory item involved, adds a confirmation note of the details to the Notes section of the Player’s Character Sheet, and play resumes.

All told, this might take less than 30 seconds to do. More after the laughter and mocking stops!

[jdale]

Seems like it increases the chance of breakage quite a bit from RAW. That could be appropriate if you want to run a setting that is desperate and resource-starved, with more of a survival focus. Weapons become meaningful treasure, and even an enemy's weapon breaking in combat might be unfortunate because you wanted to capture it.

[C.Tozer]

Thanks for the kind words Hurin  Happy gaming to you

1-100 Tables are nice, and nicely parallel to the fumble tables.

The overall system would slow down play a touch too much for my tastes, but I hope you have fun with it.

[C.Tozer]

Fair enough. I certainly agree it can slow things down a bit but once the GM and players know what they are doing we have found no biggie

It might be worth using if it was incorporated into ERA, FG, or one of the other automated game aids. Not sure the extra rolls are oath it otherwise. If I was going to use it without one of those systems I would probably just roll things up in advance and just say the xth attack during the session has y break. At least that way it wouldn't slow things down.

[C.Tozer]

Nice one thanks Majyk - if you hadn't already spotted it the basis of the tables were from GM Ardem's game (with his blessing)

It might be worth using if it was incorporated into ERA, FG, or one of the other automated game aids. Not sure the extra rolls are oath it otherwise.

They are in Fantasy Grounds. 
Items have a breakage factor listed with their weapon entries that a single mouse click brings up after confirming the breakage attack roll broke this threshold(11, 22, 33, etc).

From there, the GM shares an easily imported chart - just once and it is in FG forever - and the Player(or GM) clicks a d100 button that then cross indexes whatever it gets as a result.

Player(or GM) modifies said weapon with the particulars of what was rolled directlyto the inventory item involved, adds a confirmation note of the details to the Notes section of the Player’s Character Sheet, and play resumes.

All told, this might take less than 30 seconds to do. More after the laughter and mocking stops!

[C.Tozer]

Yep that was kinda the vibe I was going for in part but also just what a total game changer a broken sword can be in otherwise mundane fight

Seems like it increases the chance of breakage quite a bit from RAW. That could be appropriate if you want to run a setting that is desperate and resource-starved, with more of a survival focus. Weapons become meaningful treasure, and even an enemy's weapon breaking in combat might be unfortunate because you wanted to capture it.

[Majyk]

Yeah, 100%, and that’s awesome.

For those not using RMSS/FRP breakage in their games, it happens less often than the official RM2 rules where breakage was supposed to be checked whenever a ‘0 HP’ or ‘Miss’ weapon attack was the result!

That and is also very useful in replacing the auto-exploding weapons some crits apply when fighting against a Large Creature with mundane(no Magic Bonus or higher) material boni.

PS: no slowness at all, as everyone memorizes their breakage range(doubles) by heart after it happens the first time, I promise! Then, the quick part is rolling on the GM-created table to fear and groan at what the actual damage was…most results merely being a dent or malus to the weapon vs ‘haha, too bad, now you have nothing and will die.” of the old system.

Nice one thanks Majyk - if you hadn't already spotted it the basis of the tables were from GM Ardem's game (with his blessing)

It might be worth using if it was incorporated into ERA, FG, or one of the other automated game aids. Not sure the extra rolls are oath it otherwise.

They are in Fantasy Grounds. 
Items have a breakage factor listed with their weapon entries that a single mouse click brings up after confirming the breakage attack roll broke this threshold(11, 22, 33, etc).

From there, the GM shares an easily imported chart - just once and it is in FG forever - and the Player(or GM) clicks a d100 button that then cross indexes whatever it gets as a result.

Player(or GM) modifies said weapon with the particulars of what was rolled directlyto the inventory item involved, adds a confirmation note of the details to the Notes section of the Player’s Character Sheet, and play resumes.

All told, this might take less than 30 seconds to do. More after the laughter and mocking stops!

[C.Tozer]

Nice one mate - still loving listening in to Greenbrook by the way.

Yeah, 100%, and that’s awesome.

For those not using RMSS/FRP breakage in their games, it happens less often than the official RM2 rules where breakage was supposed to be checked whenever a ‘0 HP’ or ‘Miss’ weapon attack was the result!

That and is also very useful in replacing the auto-exploding weapons some crits apply when fighting against a Large Creature with mundane(no Magic Bonus or higher) material boni.

PS: no slowness at all, as everyone memorizes their breakage range(doubles) by heart after it happens the first time, I promise! Then, the quick part is rolling on the GM-created table to fear and groan at what the actual damage was…most results merely being a dent or malus to the weapon vs ‘haha, too bad, now you have nothing and will die.” of the old system.

Nice one thanks Majyk - if you hadn't already spotted it the basis of the tables were from GM Ardem's game (with his blessing)

It might be worth using if it was incorporated into ERA, FG, or one of the other automated game aids. Not sure the extra rolls are oath it otherwise.

They are in Fantasy Grounds. 
Items have a breakage factor listed with their weapon entries that a single mouse click brings up after confirming the breakage attack roll broke this threshold(11, 22, 33, etc).

From there, the GM shares an easily imported chart - just once and it is in FG forever - and the Player(or GM) clicks a d100 button that then cross indexes whatever it gets as a result.

Player(or GM) modifies said weapon with the particulars of what was rolled directlyto the inventory item involved, adds a confirmation note of the details to the Notes section of the Player’s Character Sheet, and play resumes.

All told, this might take less than 30 seconds to do. More after the laughter and mocking stops!

[nash]

So weapon breakage in your games  .... is it something you do/have rules for in your RPG? Do you use the RM ones RAW?

You should submit to the Vault.

[C.Tozer]

Good idea thanks! I will.

So weapon breakage in your games  .... is it something you do/have rules for in your RPG? Do you use the RM ones RAW?

You should submit to the Vault.