Over_the_Edge_Players'_Survival_Guide

Players’ Survival Guide
How Much Do I Hurt the
Guy?
If you’ve scored a hit, now you take the difference
between your roll and the defender’s, multiply it by
a damage factor (see below), and the result is the
number of points done in damage. Armor reduces
the amount of damage from each attack; only the
points in excess of the armor’s roll can do damage.
These points are deducted from the target’s hit points
(see below).
Damage Factors
Unarmed combat X1
Throwing knife
Knives, lead pipes, etc.
Crossbow, throwing axe
Swords, axes, etc.
X1
X2
X2
X3
Taser X5*
*All damage from a taser is temporary. Record
it separately; it all comes back when the character
recovers.
Tasers
Since firearms are illegal on Al Amarja, tasers are
popular among private security forces. Tasers hit you
with a massive amount of voltage, probably enough
to knock you down and keep you down for a while,
but they do no permanent physical damage (unless
you have a weak heart…). They have a damage factor
of X5.
Versus armor, tasers are an exception to the general
rule because the damage comes from electric shock
rather than kinetic energy or penetration. Roll the
dice for armor as if for a normal attack. If the dice
match or exceed the number by which the attack roll
exceeded the defense roll, the armor has prevented
the taser from penetrating, and the target takes no
damage. If the roll is less than the number by which
the attack roll exceeds the defense roll, the taser does
full damage. In other words, either the armor stops
the taser or it doesn’t; there is no middle ground.
RULES OF PLAY
Messed Up
If the target is now at half or less his normal hit
points, he suffers a penalty die on all actions until he
recovers to more than half his normal hit points. The
GM may assign more specific debilities to characters
that have received specific wounds, such as decreased
mobility from a knee shot, decreased vision from a
blow to the eye, or a sudden desire to enter the priesthood
from a blow to a certain vital spot.
Down for the Count
If the target is at 0 hit points or below, he is out of
the fight. “Out of the fight” can mean a lot of things,
depending on the type of weaponry used and the
number of points below 0 that the target is at. When
you have taken enough damage to be out of the fight,
but not enough to kill you outright, you may find
yourself in any or various states of disrepair.
Someone dropped to 0 by fists and kicks is likely
hurt, unable to fight, demoralized, in great pain,
and suffering some broken bones. Such injuries,
however, are rarely lethal as most vital organs are
well-protected by a body structure carefully shaped
by millions of years of evolution. Such an injured
character should be able to return to impaired function
with time or the help of friends and eventually
recover completely (i.e., regain hit points without
serious medical attention).
Someone at 0 or below from application of clubs,
cudgels, monkey wrenches, tire irons and the like may
well have badly broken bones and internal bleeding,
but he’s likely to be in stable condition. He might be
able to resume mobility after a while even without
assistance. (A concussion, though, can really mess
you up.)
Knives and other sharp, pointy things that get
you down are likely to leave you incapacitated and
bleeding. Untended, you could easily bleed to death
(especially from a slashing weapon) or die from internal
injuries (especially from punctures). Infection is
also a danger if the wounds are not sterilized.
Guns, well, you really shouldn’t get shot if you’re
a law-abiding tourist on Al Amarja, but guns and
other heavy duty stuff are likely to leave you in shock,
dying, bleeding, helpless, and hopeless. Emergency
medical attention may well be required to save you.
(May I personally recommend Ahmed’s Kwik Klinik,
as gunshot wounds are likely to reach the attention of
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