Reduced Penetration

[sobran]

I am posting from my phone at work, so I don't have the rules in front of me. Going from memory here. Anyway, as I recall, Reduced Penetration says to split the attack into two equal portions and apply them against the target's defenses separately.

 

For ease of use, I have always just doubled the target's defenses instead, as that is easier to do on the fly. I can't think of a situation where this approach would be mathematically any different than the RAW. Am I overlooking something? I keep wondering why Reduced Penetration is written that way. There has to be /something/...

 

EDIT: oops. Meant to put this in the System forum.

[Christopher]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

Asuming we talk about 6E:

Since you roll two times, it could be happening that one attack only causes minimum damage, but the other causes maximum.

Let's take a 2d6 KA, Reduced Penetartion vs 3 resistant Defenses and asume you roll a 1 and a 6.

 

With RAW the part with 1 would do 0 damage, the other part would do 3.

With your idea the overall would be considered a 7 against 6 defenses and thus would do 1 body.

[Christopher]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

Taking a easier example:

4d6 KA, Reduced Penetartion vs. 7 defenses.

The average roll for 2d6 is 7, thus on average it would do no damage.

 

Using your aproach:

There is no chance a combination like 1, 1, 6, 6 would do any damage.

 

Using RAW:

Depeding on how the 1, 1, 6, 6 are divided among the two attacks, there is a chance to recieve 5 Body (and a fitting amount of Stun) or 0.

The chance that one of the two 2D6 rolls get beyond the normal defenses is higher than the chance that 4d6 go beyond doubeled defenses.

[sobran]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

You raise a good point. In the examples I ran, I hadn't considered how a roll that was signifigantly below the defenses would affect the outcome. So there is a difference I overlooked. Thank you!

 

I will point out that Reduced Penetration doesn't affect the way that STUN is figured though, just to make sure we BOTH run it right

[Christopher]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

Right. No change regarding STUN (Sum of the Body before defeneses Times Stun Multiplier).

 

Knockback however is calculated from the higher Body result, not the sum.

[sobran]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

Isn't KB calculated from BODY rolled, rather than what got through the defenses?

 

EDIT: Nevermind. I just caught what you meant. It's late for me.

[Christopher]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

Isn't KB calculated from BODY rolled' date=' rather than what got through the defenses?[/quote']

Yes, Bdoy before defenses. In chase of reduced Penetartion how ever only the higher of bot rolls. So reduced Penetration also lowers the Knockback a little bit.

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

(speaking as 5th Edition player here)

 

The Reduced Penetration limitation is one of the reasons I keep more than one color of dice in my dice bag.

 

In the case of the RKA 4d6 RP example, I might use two red dice and two white dice to roll the damage.

[sobran]

Re: Reduced Penetration

 

(speaking as 5th Edition player here)

 

The Reduced Penetration limitation is one of the reasons I keep more than one color of dice in my dice bag.

 

In the case of the RKA 4d6 RP example, I might use two red dice and two white dice to roll the damage.

 

That would certainly make it a painless endeavor.