Limit to HTH weapon power damage?

[The Reaper]

Hello Forum,

 

My GM wanted me to ask the Forum if there is a limit to the damage one can do with the Hand-to-Hand Weapon (the power) -- specifically a limit to what one can add to one's normal STR attack.

 

For example, he didn't think it made sense that a character with STR 20 could use a HTH weapon and do more than double his normal damage with STR. I.e., if you can only do 4d6 with your STR attack, the HTH weapon should only be able to add a maximum of 4d6 more to the attack.

 

My GM could not find this rule, and neither could I. Is this an actual rule?

[Greywind]

Re: Limit to HTH weapon power damage?

 

5thR p185

Hand-To-Hand Attack damage counts as base

damage done by STR for purposes of the “doubling

damage” rule (page 405). For example, a character

with STR 20 and HA +2d6 does “base damage” of

6d6, which he can double to 12d6 through various

means. However, a character in a Heroic campaign

with a weapon defined as an HA still cannot more

than double the weapon’s damage by applying STR.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Limit to HTH weapon power damage?

 

6th Ed removes the doubling damage rule as a default, but suggests it as a toolkitting option for appropriate campaigns.

[esampson]

Re: Limit to HTH weapon power damage?

 

Two things, however.

 

First is that this rule is meant for a Heroic campaign. It doesn't quite seem like your Reaper character is playing in a standard Heroic campaign (on the other hand it doesn't seem like he is playing in a standard Superheroic campaign, either, if you have Normal Characteristic Maximums or are using things such as the Two Handed limitation).

 

The second is that this rule is actually the reverse of what your GM is looking for. Rather than saying there is a limit to the amount of damage that can be added to a given strength it says that there is a limit to the amount of strength that can be used to increase a given amount of damage. By the rule a +12d6 weapon is perfectly fine and with strength it can be raised to a maximum of 24d6 but no higher, even if the character should have a 150 Strength.

 

Such a weapon would typically have a very high strength minimum in a Heroic campaign (think something along the lines of a giant's club) and so probably could not be wielded by someone with only a 20 strength without penalty (and subsequently wouldn't get any additional damage for the users Strength) but those rules don't tend to be applied in the Superhero genre. Even when they are applied it is a limitation applied to the power similar to the two handed limitation so it is entirely possible to make the weapon with a low strength minimum. You simply don't get as much of a limitation.

[CrosshairCollie]

Re: Limit to HTH weapon power damage?

 

Hello Forum,

 

My GM wanted me to ask the Forum if there is a limit to the damage one can do with the Hand-to-Hand Weapon (the power) -- specifically a limit to what one can add to one's normal STR attack.

 

For example, he didn't think it made sense that a character with STR 20 could use a HTH weapon and do more than double his normal damage with STR. I.e., if you can only do 4d6 with your STR attack, the HTH weapon should only be able to add a maximum of 4d6 more to the attack.

 

My GM could not find this rule, and neither could I. Is this an actual rule?

 

No, there isn't. There is such a rule for Hand to Hand Killing Attack, but not for Hand-to-Hand Attack.

 

Your GM is, of course, free to implement such a rule if he so desires.

[The Reaper]

Re: Limit to HTH weapon power damage?

 

No, there isn't. There is such a rule for Hand to Hand Killing Attack, but not for Hand-to-Hand Attack.

 

Your GM is, of course, free to implement such a rule if he so desires.

 

Yes, yes... he already knows he's omnipotent and has the power to make house rules...

 

Thanks, everybody, for the fast responses!