Melee Damage Caps - a possibly new take

[Bren]

I just had an idea on Melee Damage Caps which I don't think I have seen before and as I am not sure if it is a good idea or just a whacky idea, I'd like some input. First I need to provide some background.

1) My assumption is that damage caps are in SW D6 to limit the damage done by melee weapons, in part, so that swords and rocks don't do more damage than repeating blasters. This need is increased because of high STR aliens, e.g. Wookiees. In this respect damage caps are either a good thing, a balancing thing, or a necessary evil depending on your point of view to quote old OB1.

2) It seems odd or unfair that a Wookiee with STR 6D wielding a vibroblade (STR+3D max: 6D damage) does the same damage as a STR 3D human.

What if the damage cap only effected the maximum damage the weapon could do, not the maximum dice to be rolled. So in the example above the STR 6D Wookiee rolls 9D (STR 6D+3D) and the STR 3D human rolls 6D (STR 3D+3D). The maximum damage that either can do is 6D which is 30pts + wild die (5 dice at 6 pts each + 1 wild die). While this means that both characters do the same maximum damage, obviously on average the Wookiee does far more damage than the human, which seems reasonable.

Though a bit more cumbersome, it seems to trend in the right direction.

Thoughts / comments / criticisms?

[Grimace]

Your idea isn't bad, for working with what's there. I've personally junked the idea of limiting melee damage. A battle axe is going to do a heck of a lot of damage compared to a blaster. It shouldn't have a limit put upon it. The disadvantage of a battle axe is that you have to up close and personal compared to a blaster that can inflict that damage from a long distance away.

There's trade offs for melee vs. ranged attacks, and it shouldn't have to do with limits on damage.

One thing I will say, though, is test this idea some to see if it gives you the results you're hoping for. Do it with multiple different weapons that have damage capped and see how it works on them. If the results are what you're hoping for...great! Use it! If they're not what you're hoping for, look for another way of handling it.

[Nico_Davout]

I play without any caps. Newton said that I shouldn't .
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Nico,

Han Solo shot first, midichlosomething do not exist, Rebel Alliance was created as in the WEG books and indoctrination theory is the true ending of ME3.

[jmanski]

No caps here, either.
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Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[notmalcolypse]

I kinda like this idea.

I hate the idea of damage caps set in dice, because of the wookiee dilema you pointed out.

I will implement this in the game I'm preparing and post up any results that the game generates.

Thanks for the idea.

[garhkal]

For me, my house rule is that caps can be exceeded, but doing so runs the risk of damaging the weapon.

EG Br'fasc the Barbel is using a vibroaxe. Normally capped at 7d damage (41 total output potential with out the wild die rerolling). He can exceed that, but any damage he does OVER 41 is applied as 'item' damage against the axe's 2d body strength.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Bren]

[Bren]

[Bren]

[Bren]

[garhkal]

[Grimace]

Bren, when I was referring to a blaster and a battle axe, I was envisioning a blaster pistol, not an E-Web.

While you are correct that a blaster certainly has more penetrating power, that is a facet of the attack, not of the damage. A blaster hitting a person in the arm will likely burn the arm, hurt the person and possibly make the arm useless. A battle axe hitting an arm is going to wind up with a severed arm lying on the ground.

A blaster hitting a person in the chest is going to put a hole into the person and kill them. A battle axe chopping into a person's chest is going to slice through bones and eviscerate the person, killing them. Both effects are the same.

Slap that person in armor, and now the blaster has the edge because it has better penetration compared to the battle axe. Take a few steps away and now the blaster has a huge bonus over the battle axe.

Also, when you consider such things as vibro weapons, that basically alters the penetrative effects of melee weapons such as a blade or an axe head. Vibro weapons suddenly get more effective. They still can't do damage when the target is 10 feet away, but once you get into melee range you're pretty deadly even against people in armor.

That's why I don't put caps on melee weapons. I'd hate to tell a spec ops person they can't kill a person in one hit with a knife simply because they're capped at 4D or whatever arbitrary cap was put on a weapon.

[jmanski]

To simplify ask yourself: would you rather be shot by a gun or slashed with a battleaxe?
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Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[Bren]

[ZzaphodD]