KAs, point caps and damage classes

[Rebar]

5E.

 

In a game with a 40AP point cap on attacks, how large can a HKA be if the character has a 30STR?

 

Is that a 2D6-1KA (5D6-1 w/ STR) or capped at 3D6-1?

[Kraven Kor]

Re: KAs, point caps and damage classes

 

Kind of up to you, really. I would always recommend having the AP cap take into consideration the Characteristics maximum you will be seeing; you don't want to give too much or take away too much from any given archetype. If you say 40 AP Cap on Powers but don't consider this, the wizard will have an 8d6 Blast, while the fighter will have 8d6 HA + 4d6 from STR + 6d6 from Offensive Strike...

 

I would say that for a Heroic campaign with a 40 AP limit, weapon damage should be capped as well.

[Christopher]

Re: KAs, point caps and damage classes

 

I can tell you the 6E approach, maybe that helps:

In 6E attacks are rated as Damage Classes. 1 DC equals 5 Active Points. 3 DC equal 3d6 normal Damage (HTH or Ranged) or 1d6 killing Damage. The source of the damage class is unimportant: 6 DC from STR 30 + 3 DC from a weapon + 2 DC form CSL/Martial maneuvers makes 11 DC (11d6 normal Damage or 3 1/2d6 Killing Damage). From your limit of 40 AP and the fact that the 6E Powerfull heroic is said to have 4-9 DC I would say 8DC (8d6 normal or 2 1/2d6 killing) would fit.

How to place Maneuvers here is diffculty: When the attack has a severy drawback (Haymaker, Move-by/Through and other free maneuvers) or using CLS to boost damage it may allow the to go over that limit.

When it has no relevant Drawback (like every Martial Arts Maneuver) it should be part of the overall DC cap (reaching 12 DC with a Haymaker is different from being able to doing 12 DC with Martial Strike and getting an +2 bonus to defense every phase).

Martial Arts a just another way to increase the Damage and even a weak Dagger (3 DC Killing, no STR Bonus) can go to the cap if enough Combat Knowledge (Martial Arts, CSL) is applied to it.

 

One thing about Martial Arts:

It does not nessesarily mean Traning with Monks. It's equally fitting to display a critters natural fighting ability or a swordmaster. It's just one way to get to extra DC and/or better Offense/Defense values. How this is archievd (Special Effect) is totally unimportant.

[ghost-angel]

Re: KAs, point caps and damage classes

 

Assuming the 40AP is a 'hard' cap, then:

 

40 AP = 2 1/2D6 Killing Damage

Half of that (since you can no more than double a KAs Base Damage in 5E) is 1D6+1.

 

You can have a 1D6+1 HKA, with 30 STR you will reach the games Active Point Cap for Attacks, assuming that translates to a Hard Cap of 8 Damage Classes.

 

If it's a Soft Cap, where no one Power can be over 40 AP, but a combination of Attacks can have a higher overall DC Level than 40 AP:

 

40 AP = 2 1/2D6 Killing Attack

+30 STR (2D6 Killing)=

4 1/2 D6 Killing Attack for an over all 14 Damage Classes and 70 Active Points - almost double the games AP Cap.

 

Generally speaking - the first answer is what most games do.