[PnP] FW: Characters's threshold of death

[Melkor]

-----Original Message-----
From: mttdicor7 at inbox.com
Sent: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 01:47:57 -0800
To: pnp at list.powersandperils.org
Subject: [PnP] Characters's threshold of death

 Hi all,

i noticed that Richard Snider changed his mind as for when characters should die in Powers & Perils.

My impression is that he realized at a later time that P&P is a lethal game, so he added the "Lethality index rule" after the game had already been published.

The "standard" option is found in BOOK I, where we read:

_Trauma (Optional) When a Character has been
battered into unconsiousness his DTV×3 is added to his roll for
Healing. If, on any roll while unconsious, he fails to heal, he is
dead. _

Let's suppose my player character has a DTV of -2, and an healing chance of 50% (most of characters do NOT have such an high healing chance, i am using an high value on purpose, to show my idea).

In this case, if you are using the TRAUMA optional rule, your chance of survival when you have been reduced between zero and -2 hit points is 56%. At -3 hit points you are dead.

Instead, if you use the so-called Lethality index rule that Snider devised at a later time 

(http://www.powersandperils.org/S_Lethality.htm [http://www.powersandperils.org/S_Lethality.htm]),

your lethality index in this case would be -8, so once you reach -9 hit points yoou are dead, but when you reach -1 hit points you have to roll on the DEATH TABLE

On this table, the wound inflicted is instantly terminal only if you roll more than twenty on 2D10 (sure, if the wound was inflicted by a severe hit you add TWO to the roll and even more if it was caused by a deadly hit but nonetheless i think it is unlikely that you roll more than twenty on this roll)

In my opinion, you should fear the DEATH TABLE only if the wound inflicted to you was a deadly hit, because in that case: "_If it is a DEADLY hit add TWO plus the number of DICE used to roll the deadly. (If a 5D10 deadly, add SEVEN)_", making it easy to roll more than twenty using 2D10, so your chances of dying are dramatic.

Otherwise, as said before, you probably will end up just bleeding and in such a case you can stop the bleeding pretty easily by yourself or with the aid of one of your comrades.

So all in all what i would like to say is that between the TRAUMA OPTIONAL RULE as found in BOOK I and the subsequent LETHALITY INDEX rule added later by Richard Snider the former is by far more dangerous for player characters, whereas the latter helps the survival of them.

What ate your thoughts about it?

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