Dumb question

[AliceTheOwl]

Dumb question, but rep to whoever answers:

 

What does exploding damage do?

 

I'm running Josh's PbP, and I'm at work, and don't have the rulebook with me.

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

Dumb question, but rep to whoever answers:

 

What does exploding damage do?

 

I'm running Josh's PbP, and I'm at work, and don't have the rulebook with me.

 

A standard explosion works a lot like Area Effect, with an important difference. For every hex a target is from the center of the explosion, they take 1 damage class less effect from it. I.e. an 8D6 Energy Blast Explosion will do 8d6 to those in the same hex it is targeted at, those 1 hex further out will take 7d6, etc. You just use 1 roll for everyone effected, and as you lose a die of effect off of it, you subtract the highest die. So in the above example, assume you rolled 6,5,5,4,3,3,2,1. Those at the center would take 29 STUN and 8 Body. One hex out and it goes down to 23/6. Another hex and it is 18/5.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Dumb question

 

Okay. What kind of damage would someone standing 4 hexes from the center of a 7d6KA roll?

 

(Yes, I know it's stupid to be asking you guys this stuff, and I'm sorry! Josh tried to explain it to me once, and he only confused the heck out of me.)

 

Here's what I'm trying to figure out how to roll for.

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

Okay. What kind of damage would someone standing 4 hexes from the center of a 7d6KA roll?

 

(Yes, I know it's stupid to be asking you guys this stuff, and I'm sorry! Josh tried to explain it to me once, and he only confused the heck out of me.)

 

Here's what I'm trying to figure out how to roll for.

 

Okay, damage for a Killing Attack is slightly more complex, but not too bad. Each full d6 of Killing damage is 3 damage classes. So with your example someone in the target hex would take the full 7d6. 1 hex out would be 6.5d6, 2 hexes out 6d6+1, 3 hexes 6d6, and then 4 hexes would be 5.5d6. But it is important to roll the full damage and then count off from there. So if you rolled 6,5,4,4,3,2,1 for the killing attack, someone 4 hexes away would take 17 body (the top die left gets turned into the 1/2 die).

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Dumb question

 

Ahhhh . . .

 

*gets it*

 

Thank you!

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Dumb question

 

It is actually quite simple if you can draw it out in front of you.

 

The centre hex of the explosion gets the full 7D6.

Each hex surrounding the centre gets one less DC (6.5D6)

Each hex surrounding those hexes gets one less die (6D6+1)

etc etc

 

So you get a series of concentric circles each getting less damage. Someone in the fourth circle would get 6D6 damage, someone in the 5th would get 5.5D6.

 

In your case the person is 4" from the centre hex (or the fifth circle) and so would take 5.5D6 damage.

 

 

Doc

 

[edit - too slow in typing obviously! I think I disagreed about the distance - I can see two interpretations and mine is probably wrong]

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

Ahhhh . . .

 

*gets it*

 

Thank you!

 

No prob, happy to help!

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Dumb question

 

Yeah, well, for all the intelligent and thought-provoking posts on here, I feel rather embarrassed to be posting something like, "Hey, someone explain the rules to me, please . . .?"

[Doc Democracy]

Re: Dumb question

 

Yeah' date=' well, for all the intelligent and thought-provoking posts on here, I feel rather embarrassed to be posting something like, "Hey, someone explain the rules to me, please . . .?" [/quote']

 

Hell, this is the place to ask about the rules! Especially if you're stuck somewhere without you're book - just make sure you listen to someone like Archemoo that knows what he's hes talking about rather then me...

 

 

Doc

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

Hell, this is the place to ask about the rules! Especially if you're stuck somewhere without you're book - just make sure you listen to someone like Archemoo that knows what he's hes talking about rather then me...

 

 

Doc

 

At least your current version looks like it agrees with mine. The only other version I saw was perfect for a Normal damage attack.

 

And Alice, no sweat. Helping explain the rules is one of the reasons that this board exists. It gives those of us with KS: HERO Rules something to do, other than argue about interpretations.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Dumb question

 

One little thing I think it is worth pointing out: if the damage is 7d6K and the closest target is 3 hexes away, you might be tempted to simply roll 6d6, but this is in fact not quite equivalent. It may simplify things, but it will result in higher average damage. Just something to be aware of. You might want to roll the full dice every time.

 

Rolling 7d6 and removing the highest result will average less damage than rolling a simple 6d6. This would not be true if you removed a randomly picked result; then rolling 7d6 and removing one would be equivalent to rolling 6d6. The methods of removing a final result are quite different statistically.

 

Another small thing to be aware of is that you can buy down the rate at which the damage falls off (e.g. loses 1 DC every 2 hexes, 1 DC every 3 hexes, etc.) by increasing the Explosion Advantage. I don't think this is the case for any of the standard weapons on the 5E® weapon charts; I'm sure they would list this explicitly.

 

EDIT: I suppose you might be able to justify rolling the fewer number of dice by saying that when there are no closer targets the outer targets are affected more because they are not shielded from the blast by closer targets, but this is probably pretty SFX- and situation-dependent.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Dumb question

 

That definitely sounds like an important distinction. Rep forthcoming (whenever I can rep again . . .).

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

That definitely sounds like an important distinction. Rep forthcoming (whenever I can rep again . . .).

 

I'd mentioned it in my description, but it certainly is an important distinction and prestidigitator's description was much clearer (and more easily noticed) than mine.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Dumb question

 

You did, but, to a newbie like me, reiteration and explanation are very important. ^ v ^

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

You did' date=' but, to a newbie like me, reiteration and explanation are very important. ^ v ^[/quote']

 

Yup. And even more important, while I mentioned it, I didn't describe WHY it was important. I've noticed that most people do MUCH better when they are not just told to do something, but are also told why it is important. See what happens when I break my own rules...

[prestidigitator]

Re: Dumb question

 

I'd mentioned it in my description' date=' but it certainly is an important distinction and prestidigitator's description was much clearer (and more easily noticed) than mine.[/quote']

Er, I glazed over the fact that you had slipped that in there, too. Wasn't trying to hog the credit or anything. Just speedreading.

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

Er' date=' I glazed over the fact that you had slipped that in there, too. Wasn't trying to hog the credit or anything. Just speedreading. [/quote']

 

Heh. I figured you hadn't seen it, which meant that I didn't do a very good job of pointing it out. Which means you pointing it out was A Good Thing .

 

[ghost-angel]

Re: Dumb question

 

Yeah' date=' well, for all the intelligent and thought-provoking posts on here, I feel rather embarrassed to be posting something like, "Hey, someone explain the rules to me, please . . .?" [/quote']

meh, we all forget the rules sometimes ... it's a big book to memorize.

 

Ok, I was about to post when I saw this: in the Smilies bar ... where'd that one come from!?!?

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Dumb question

 

Here.

[Sean Waters]

Re: Dumb question

 

Hadn't really thought about KA explosins being more difficut to administer than normal explosions. Good point.

 

One more argument against the current KA mechanic

 

**DUCKS**

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Dumb question

 

In this particular case, it was simpler to build the power as a killing attack. The original purpose of it was to get through solid stone.

 

Then the PC got a hold of it . . .

[archermoo]

Re: Dumb question

 

Hadn't really thought about KA explosins being more difficut to administer than normal explosions. Good point.

 

One more argument against the current KA mechanic

 

**DUCKS**

 

Eh, not any more difficult. Just different. Slightly more complex, but only because it requires an understanding of how Damage Classes work in relationship to Killing Attacks.