Another factor are the details you want to get into and the impact on the flow of the game. Start putting in hit locations, extra dice rolls, and it is a different experience. Doing it without the die rolls, 1hp = being grazed, a full 10hp blow may really do a number, it strikes (hey oh!) a good balance, IMO.
It's been a while since I've seen "Excalibur," the 1981 film by John Boorman, but I recall that the fight scenes and battles didn't last too long because of exhaustion. But the two you selected here, which I hadn't seen, really depicted just how grueling combat could be.
I agree that there should be some exhaustion mechanic that takes into account armor's weight versus strength and constitution (or endurance) to get to a point where fighters need to take a break or call it off. Like in hockey! ;-)
Glad to see you mention Harnmaster. I remember being awestruck when I first played it, it seemed so elegant and cool, hit location rolls and varying armor coverage. It wasn't perfect but it was a balm to my 'jaded by abstract AC' self.
I also do the same running D&D type games, quickly breaking down rolls by whether the roll was defeated by dodge, shield, or armor to give some variation in the attacks.
I've kind of come full-circle in some ways. As you know, I tend to lean towards less complex systems these days, but I was pretty anti-AC (and anti-d20 generally) for a looooong time. Credit the OSR with rekindling my interest.
Whelp, I'm over a month late to the party here, buuuuttttt....
If you're looking for a stimulationist combat, where armor makes you easier to hit but soaks damage, and fatigue is a factor (let's call it "fatigue factor"), maybe even throw in a non-round based system... have you heard the good word of HackMaster, my friend? :)
Another factor are the details you want to get into and the impact on the flow of the game. Start putting in hit locations, extra dice rolls, and it is a different experience. Doing it without the die rolls, 1hp = being grazed, a full 10hp blow may really do a number, it strikes (hey oh!) a good balance, IMO.
Totally agree. There was a time when young Harrigan was pretty upset by the abstract nature of hit points; I'm feeling better now. :)
It's been a while since I've seen "Excalibur," the 1981 film by John Boorman, but I recall that the fight scenes and battles didn't last too long because of exhaustion. But the two you selected here, which I hadn't seen, really depicted just how grueling combat could be.
I agree that there should be some exhaustion mechanic that takes into account armor's weight versus strength and constitution (or endurance) to get to a point where fighters need to take a break or call it off. Like in hockey! ;-)
Also, it's been *decades* since I've seen Excalibur -- I really need to give it a watch.
Yep. And those are the kinds of mechanics I'll be exploring -- hopefully in the next issue!
Glad to see you mention Harnmaster. I remember being awestruck when I first played it, it seemed so elegant and cool, hit location rolls and varying armor coverage. It wasn't perfect but it was a balm to my 'jaded by abstract AC' self.
I also do the same running D&D type games, quickly breaking down rolls by whether the roll was defeated by dodge, shield, or armor to give some variation in the attacks.
I've kind of come full-circle in some ways. As you know, I tend to lean towards less complex systems these days, but I was pretty anti-AC (and anti-d20 generally) for a looooong time. Credit the OSR with rekindling my interest.
Whelp, I'm over a month late to the party here, buuuuttttt....
If you're looking for a stimulationist combat, where armor makes you easier to hit but soaks damage, and fatigue is a factor (let's call it "fatigue factor"), maybe even throw in a non-round based system... have you heard the good word of HackMaster, my friend? :)
You'll have to run it at some point, Laramie!