Placement Ramifications

The most common description associated with damage is placement. This gives key information about where the damage is inflicted, and has several possible ramifications.

Vitals (1)

A vital region is one that is necessary to support life in the short term and is particularly sensitive to damage. On a human, this would refer to the head, throat, heart and lungs. When a vital is hit, the victim receives EITHER double damage OR normal damage with a mortal wound; this is decided by the attacker. Double damage is simply normal damage that would be inflicted multiplied by two (×2). A mortal wound causes the victim to lose one point of stamina every defense turn until they are healed. These are cumulative, so that if a being receives eleven mortal wounds, then they will lose eleven points of stamina every defense turn. The only ways to stop a mortal wound are to use a robotic bandage (AKA: “med-patch”) or the assistance of a medic. An untrained being with only a standard set of medical tools (meaning no “patches”) will only be able to watch a victim with a mortal wound bleed to death, as they will be unable to act fast enough (unless the victim has hundreds of points of stamina, then maybe). Mortal wounds only affect biologicals, and do not apply to mechanical beings.

Chest (2)

The upper torso or chest is one of the main cavities of the body containing internal organs, typically where the manipulating appendages are attached, and usually accounts for a large portion of the being's mass. On a human this would include everything contained by the rib cage, including the upper back.

There are no standard amendments to damage inflicted to the chest (though a Weapon-Specialist can cause a mortal wound - if they have that option).

Belly (3)

The lower torso or belly is the other main organ-containing cavity. The appendages used for locomotion are usually attached here, and it too often accounts for much of a being's mass. A human's belly is considered to comprise everything from the bottom of the rib cage to the pelvis, including the lower back.

There are also no standard amendments to damage inflicted to the belly (but again, watch for those Weapon-Specialists).

Arm (4)

An arm is an appendage used for manipulation. On a human, this is the arm (gee, imagine that) including the shoulder. On a being with no manipulating limbs, this placement could mean a foreleg (if it is multipedal), or the referee's best guess. On a parrot, this would mean it's hind legs and it's beak. Additionally, if the force of the hit is at least one-tenth (1/10) of the force that the target being can apply (both in Newtons), then any aimed shot they are accumulating (target is sharpshooter) is ruined AND there is a chance they may “drop” what they are holding. When something is “dropped”, that means it cannot be used for at least one turn; if the wielder is using “grip” pads then their arm is flung back, otherwise the item is truly dropped and must be retrieved. To check against strength for a “drop”, the victim rolls 1 die and adds their strength, this is compared to the sum of 2 dice rolled by the referee. If the force of the hit is greater than the force the being may exert, then they automatically “drop” what they hold.

OPTIONAL RULE: If a referee chooses, they may opt that a being's arm may only sustain a maximum of one third (1/3) of that being's total stamina. This means that if one arm of a being receives more than one third of their total stamina in damage, the arm is destroyed BUT the being only is affected by that damage which is needed to destroy the limb - the rest is harmlessly expended. By this means, a hit that could kill a being, taken in the arm may allow the being to survive with only the loss of a limb (assuming that they have at least one third of their stamina remaining). This rule is optional to the referee at any time, permitting them to use it in some situations and not in others during the same game.

Leg (5)

The leg is a limb used for locomotion. On a human this refers to the leg (another amazing leap in logic) including the hip. On a flying being, this placement refers to their wings (or whatever they use to fly) while in flight. Furthermore, if the force of the hit (in Newtons) is greater than the mass of the victim (in Kilograms), then they must make a check against agility (one die plus agility of victim vs. two dice by referee) or they fall down. While they are down, they duck with -5, and it takes a turn to get back up.

OPTIONAL RULE: This is identical to the rule for limiting damage a being can suffer from an arm, except that the limit for loss of a leg is one half (½) of their total stamina.

Choose (6)

This placement is the most powerful, and it may be achieved in two ways:

• roll a 6 for placement or
• the attacker beats the defender by 10.

It allows the attacker to hit any part of the being that they choose, as described in the placements previously, but with even greater accuracy. Instead of just hitting in the arm, the attacker could choose to hit a piece of equipment, or the hand specifically. This allows the placement of shots as detailed as “right between the eyes”. This kind of placement is what is needed for an assassin to function at their skill.

If a hand to hand attack beats the target by 10, the attacker has the option of utilizing various holds.