HEAVY FIGHTING is a mechanics test for my upcoming game HEAVY DAMAGE. I've already tested these mechanics quite a bit (thanks _DivideByZero_ and midnightjaguar) and so far I really like them. This time however, I want to test bigger groups of players.
This game will consist of PvP team death match style matches in random locations and settings. I'll probably balance teams based on relative strength, but you can totally make team requests.
Also I will likely be a player in my own game cuz I wanna. This shouldn't intimidate you considering I have literally managed to lose every round I've played. (RIP in piece Raioyris, he has failed many times in the passionate pursuit of killing player characters.)
Also note that there will be a lot of losing limbs (while not dying) and shit because this system is intended (as I stated) for the game HEAVY DAMAGE which is about extremely gritty and equally bloody combat.
Character(s) creation:
This system makes two main distinctions in types of characters.
There are normals. And there are the specials.
Specials enjoy
many mechanical advantages. Normals are normal. They are the average soldier guy that you have been routinely butchering as a player of various games.
Your character can be whatever you want it to be. Feel free to rip off anything or just copy-paste your fav characters from this or that, of course if you're cool, you'll make sure to make use of this opportunity to enjoy your own unbridled creations in my game.
You can also be an army of normals, a group of normals and a special or any other combination, hell you could even be a single normal, though I promise you'll literally die when a player decides to spend a single action to eliminate you.
Note that the expected character is a single special with one or two average special traits. As a special you are a lot faster, stronger, and tougher than a normal so don't bother describing that under the trait section.
Here's the template:
Name(s):
Appearance (Natural and with current clothing/gear):
Description/backstory: (What is the premise of your dude. Back stories are appreciated but 100% optional.
Traits: (Remember a special is already pretty powerful so it is expected that you are sparing with your traits. I mean unless you want to be very very strong. If you think you have a grasp on the mechanics you can interpret them into mechanics or you can let me do it. Traits are not roll modifiers. They detail magic abilities, intensely honed skills or other properties of your character. Do not give yourself roll modifiers unless you are describing highly trained or otherwise elite normals or if you really REALLY want to make yourself broken.)
Strength-Speed:(Only for specials. This is a value from 0-10. The higher the value the faster you are the lower the value the stronger you are. If you are describing something with speed and strength on par with a terminator than write SS. You'll receive the benefits of being faster and stronger than your opponent if you want to describe things even stronger/faster please include that quality as a trait.)
Inventory: (What do you have? Specials can carry ~50KG without feeling negative effects. Normals are around ~30KG. Please include an estimate of your individual item's mass in KG. If you are an army of normals then include information about machine guns/heavy weapons and their crew size, vehicles and special. This system tracks ammo and consumables, more generally so for normals.)
NOTE: Refrain from playing a character comprised entirely of a squad/squads of normals in the first round. I want to demonstrate how to command normals for the first round. The alternative is for me to wall you with text detailing normals. You can still be a special with a group of normals.
Bonuses allotted to specials:
They ignore effect rolls of 1 and 2.
On a hit roll of 4-5 they reroll effect rolls of 1-3.
They get a free reroll if they have no injuries and 0 bleed.
They get a close quarters reroll if they have less than 5KG of gear in their inventory, this reroll is also applied to enemies melee attacks if it was not applied earlier. This can be achieved by dropping items if you suddenly find yourself in CQ.
They a lot lot more resilient and hard to take out than normals.
they can make a lot more actions in a turn or alternatively fewer stronger actions.
Now I know how little we all care for long and ostensibly complicated mechanics; however, I feel obligated to show you these and there's a few/many/all of you that would be interested on getting a good grip on the system.
For those who rightfully disdain long(ish) mechanics sections don't read it. This system is designed so that you write your action as a narrative and I translate it into mechanics. In fact, I strongly advise that you write actions as narrative in place of writing turns in terms of mechanical jargon, how you phrase your action will effect the results of an successful attack.
This system does not cover every possibility that will occur during combat, it places a lot of decision making on me especially concerning damage effects. Therefore it is highly encouraged that you creatively embellish your actions. A player who does this will exercise more control over the results of a successful turn than a player who doesn't.
Combat mechanics:
A combat turn is comprised of actions. Actions are any attack made with any equiped weapon, running, picking up or dropping items,
reloading etc. If you take only one action in a turn it receives +2 hit +1 effect. Only two actions receive +1 hit. Any more are made without effect. Movement can be negligible (not count as an action) if it isn't very far, this is a common sense judgement that I'll make.
Normals make one action and receive no bonus for doing so. Movement can also be negligible for them in the same way it can be for specials. Normals can actually reload and shoot light weapons in the same turn but at -1 hit.
Attack actions:
Basic attack: can be made in CQ or ranged. Most attacks are basic attacks, they have no particular modifier except ones conferred by weapons. These are useful though because you can add a target clause (ex: aim for the hand, etc) to your attack that will influence the 'effect' results of your attack.
Ranged:
Unload: +1 hit +1 effect or x1.5 kill potential round up (you declare or I pick based on context). If targeted at a specific part -1 hit (cancels with unloads +1 hit). Heavily drains current mag and only usable on guns with at least semi auto capability and 5 round mag/clip.
Kill potential refers to the number of kills that you will inflict on normals in a good hit. Usually a property of the weapon.
Suppression: This attack is mainly useful for dealing with normals. It halves the kill potential of your attack (rounding down) however it will force normals to take cover, where they will not be able to fire back. This attack is a large ammo investment and only some weapons (MGs etc) can attempt it or a combined attempt from numerous smaller weapons.
Sensible normals will use suppression against players. Players must declare when fighting normals whether or not they will allow themselves to be suppressed. If the suppression is successful and you have accepted the prospect of being suppressed you will take cover. If suppression is successful and you deny the effects (which in effect cancel your turn) you’ll take a hit at +0 effect. Note this can result in you getting hit twice by one attack.
Suppression is resolved as a -1 effect attack with an extra independent suppression roll
Melee:
Normals cannot make these special melee attacks except for Charges.
Haymaker: -1 hit +2 effect, only move if used does benefit from the one action turn modifier.
Jam: You and your target roll to hit (with modifiers except no evasive modifier) the winner denies the other player his turn. If the initiator wins the jam rolls on the effect chart with -1 effect.
Losing a jam does not result in your losing the rest of your actions or getting hit. Jams have priority, they are resolved at during the turn of the faster character involved.
Charge: Charge is a single action that incorporates two. If you are not in CQ with someone (the usual indicator is if you or they have launched a CQ attack, the other indicator is common sense) you can launch a preliminary action (ranged attack, throw or other that I approve of) and then launch a melee attack.
This counts as one action for the purpose of modifiers. You can charge and have the melee attack be a haymaker. If you make no action during a charge you get +1 effect for gathering momentum.
Your actions will be written as a narrative; however, if you are afraid I might misinterpret them then you can 'cast' your action. To do this write (<desired attack type>) after your action and I'll make sure I translate your turn correctly.
Strength-Speed: Stronger characters are afforded the utilities associated with strength, this helps with non-combat actions that involve strength (prying open doors, breaking shit, etc). Being faster means you go first. Stronger gives you +1 effect on haymakers and also allows you to carry +5 KG of gear per point under Strength-Speed 5. If two characters are equal in speed then they roll off to see who goes first.
Normals always go last and take simultaneous actions.
Cover and evasive action/dodging:
Cover is generally -1 hit, Really good cover (judged on a common sense basis) is -2.
Special's can declare (or imply through narration) that they are being evasive. This takes an action and confers a -1 to hit (with a %50 chance to become -2 to hit) against the character being evasive. If being evasive is the characters only move then their evasive modifier is upgraded to -2 hit -1 effect on incoming attacks.
Bleed:
You start at 0 bleed at 12 bleed you pass out. This is this games health mechanic. Note that in my tests a player is a lot more likely to be incapacitated through a bunch of effects before they actually bleed out.
Every turn specials (not normals) must take a bleed test. If you roll under your current bleed value you fail and receive +1 bleed. Having more than 7 bleed confers a +1 effect to attacks against you.
Normals die after 2 bleed and are stunned the turn they are bled. An ‘effect’ result on a normal out write kills him. If you have particularly tanky normals make sure to upgrade them so they die say after 3 or 4 bleeds.
You can remove d3 bleed by addressing your wounds. You'll need a bandage which you can either take in inventory or you can tear up clothes or stuff to create.
Hit roll:
1 and 2s are misses.
3s are weak hits (-1 effect)
4-5s are hits
6s are good hits (+1 effect)
7-8 (+1 effect, +1 kill count, if applicable and huge badassery)
9 and higher is +2 effect +2 K.P.
Effect Roll Chart:
1 is 1 bleed
2 is 1 bleed
3 is 1 bleed with .33 chance for effect
4 is 2 bleed with a .66 chance for an effect
5 is 2 bleed that effects
6-8 is 3 bleed, effect and critical effect. This is where you’ll lose limbs and such
9-10 is 5 bleed and extreme effect. This is where you’ll be cut in half, maimed and stuff but in a more Wunderkatze™ sort of way.
Effect result chart:
1 is +1 bleed and damaged gear if inventory is more than 20 KG
2 is damaged gear if inventory is more than 10 KG and is concussed (-1 to next turn hit or -2)
3 is damaged gear
4 is artery or other critical blood path damage +2 bleed
5 is perforation, shredding or other affection (loss of fingers etc). Usually bestows some perm. modifier
6 is +1 bleed and critical damage
Critical effect chart:
1-2 is perforation with a perm. modifier
3-4 is loss or debilitation of a limb with a modifier
5-6 is loss or debilitation of important internal bits (brains) or severe stripping of limbs. Strong modifier
There is no chart for extreme damage but trust me. It will be a spectacle.
Also I will be taking the liberty of changing effects were I see fit. This is to prevent abnormalities like flash bang grenades that rip peoples' arms off.
There are a lot more mechanics. I'm not posting them because I hate extremely long mechanic posts (I guess there's some irony here...). They mainly govern weapons and normals. I prefer to demonstrate them than to throw more text in your face, I'm doing this under the pretext that your turns are written as narrative, meaning you don't need to know every mechanic to play.
Just rely on common sense.
HEAVY DAMAGE is not intended to be PvP and the consequence of testing the system in a PvP setting is that you guys get to see each others moves. To counter this you can PM them to me. Or you can gloriously post them for all to see because you are an unfearing badass.