A simple mechanic?

[Doug James]

At the last third Friday games, I had intended to playtest the turn based LARP (for lack of a better description) that's been bouncing around in my head for about four years.
Now that I'm this close to actually trying to play it, I'm concerned that my basic combat mechanic is faulty. I'm no math wiz, so I thought I'd ask for some input.

Here's what I have in mind:
Ranged attacks are made with nerf guns and possibly thrown bean bags. The accuracy of said attack is assigned a bonus of one to five (being the best) and applied to a roll
of 2D6 generating a number from 3 to 18. Armor Class is subtracted from this and the final number is the amount of damage. For melee the bonus is derived from the type of weapon. Heavy +3, medium +2, light +1, any can be wielded 2 handed for an additional +1 bonus.
Otherwise, it is handled like ranged. Thoughts?

[Bryan Stewart]

What is the Average HP and AC of a person and are you looking for a more lethal game, or more survivability?

The reason why I ask is it will give a better Idea of how th egame is played. The mechanics are sound, but depending on the HP and AC of a person you could have one shot kills if they are too low and long lasting fights if they are too high.

[Doug James]

Yes. I should have mentioned that as well. Max AC 10 and max HP 10 for the toughest foes and heroes. I want a quick game. For the demo I've developed special zombie rules. If a player gets bit (any damage at all), he turns at the start of his next turn. Zombies ignore damage up to 4 but are staggered(forced to take a step back). 5 or more counts as a head shot but it takes 2 to kill a zombie (double tap).

[Bryan Stewart]

Yes. I should have mentioned that as well. Max AC 10 and max HP 10 for the toughest foes and heroes. I want a quick game. For the demo I've developed special zombie rules. If a player gets bit (any damage at all), he turns at the start of his next turn. Zombies ignore damage up to 4a but are staggered. 5 pre or more could.ts as a head shot but it takes 2 to kill a zombie (double tap).

Law of averages say on a 2d6 roll a 7 will come up most. +1 minimum for weapons so 8 total. Zombies will be real beasts, do they retain their previous damaged hp? (example guy had 8 hp he was bitten for 2 leaving him with 6 hp, does he have 6 hp or something new?)

The mechanics are pretty sound, it is just about tweaking them. Now one thing I just though of, when does the damage reduction take account? Because once a player gets bit, there is basically the rest of the turn to become a zombie, so players can turn on the bitten player and get him before he is completly turned thus ignoreing the damage reduction.

[roguetrader]

If you retained your previous damage, then if you were bitten, then shot in the heart before you turned, you couldn't become a zombie. But zombies usually need skull-vented to be stopped. Further, if the bite "kills" you and infects you to become a zombie, then the bite or the infectant in it would cause total HP loss and again, there would be no zombie. It really depends on the kind of zombie you're bacing it on. I would assume anyone infected still has to have taken 2 head shots (whether before or after turned into a zombie) to be nulled.

[Doug James]

The Basic Rules
Core Mechanic: Bonus + Die Roll - Armor Class = Damage
Ranged Bonus is based on an assigned number of one to five (being the best).
Melee Bonus is derived from the type of weapon. Heavy +3, medium +2, light +1, any can be wielded 2 handed for an additional +1 bonus.
The die roll is 2D6.
Armor Class is a combination of dexterity and toughness expressed in a number ranging from 1 for the most fragile to 10 for the best armored and fastest.
HP is a number from one to ten representing how much damage a player or target can take. Damage accumulates until max HP is exceeded and the player or target is dead or destroyed.
Actions:
A player or target has up to ten actions per turn. An action is anything that takes approximately one second; cocking a gun, firing a gun, taking a step, making a melee attack, drawing a weapon, etc.
During turns, actions are staggered; one side takes an action then the other. This is called a phase. The side whose members have the highest number of actions goes first, resolving the extra actions once per phase until they are equal in actions to all other participants. If it's a tie, they have a roll-off.
Example of Turn Order: A Player with nine actions is facing a zombie with four. The Player goes first because he has the most actions.
Phase One
Player first action: cocks gun
Player second action: fires gun
Zombie first action: takes step
Phase Two
Player third action: cocks gun
Player fourth action: fires gun
Zombie second action: takes step
Phase Three
Player fifth action: cocks gun
Player sixth action: fires gun
Zombie third action: takes step
Phase Four
Player seventh action: cocks gun
Player eighth action: fires gun
Zombie fourth action: takes step
Phase five
Player ninth action: takes step.

The start of turn is when ongoing damage is taken, end of turn is when saving throws are made.
Saving Throws are made by rolling 2D6. A result of seven or better is a success.
Actions and HP are always the same amount. As you take damage, your number of actions per turn is reduced by that amount. Being wounded slows you down.

Eventually I plan to introduce Archtypes as a form of character class. For zombie apocalypse scenarios I plan to have Archtypes like firefighter, cop, secretary, trucker, biker, etc.
I'll add more to the Basic Rules as I remember it after I check my notes.

Special Zombie Rules for playing a zombie apocalypse scenario:
If a player gets bit (any damage at all), he turns at the start of his next turn. He can kill himself or let another player do it. It is automatic costing one action, there is no damage roll and the player is dead and will not rise at the start of his next turn.

Zombies ignore damage up to 4 but are staggered (forced to take a step back). 5 or more counts as a head shot and no HP are lost but the zombie is STUNNED and may take no actions until it saves. The second head shot automatically kills the zombie(double tap).

Sample Zombie
DEAD G.I.
Actions: 4
HP: SPECIAL
Notes: Has an automatic rifle with two clips strapped to him.
Special Action: When DEAD G.I. is within five steps of a player he triggers Zombie Lunge and immediately hurls himself at the Player, moving adjacent (within two steps) as a free action and makes a Bite melee attack at +3 as a free action.

Feedback welcome.

[Travis Reynolds]

When are you planning to playtest this Doug?

TR

[Doug James]

The next third friday.

[Doug James]

I got to play test my nerf game in the breezeway beside the gamestore yesterday and decided to alter the rules a bit. I think ranged attacks should be based on straight up accuracy. Only melee attacks will use random die rolls and I'm thinking of reducing the roll to one die. And Nerf guns suck for accuracy.

[Travis Orders]

Lol. You just have to get used to your weapon. I can nail the kids/cats/dog from across the living room with about a 75% kill ratio.

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