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Dark Heresy combat adjustment (houserules)

Posted: 2009-01-09 10:48pm
by Feil
Dark Heresy (the Warhammer 40,000 pen and paper rpg) does a pretty good job of creating realistic combat, but it still has some shortcomings in that regard (although some might call them features). The following rules are an attempt to resolve some of them:

-to make ranged weapons less ridiculously long ranged (pistols standing a decent chance of hitting a target 120 meters away, for instance)
-to make grenades scatter more reasonably
-to bring armor in line with reality, and either stop a shot or not stop it
-to make getting shot considerably more unpleasant
-to drastically reduce the time it takes to look up critical damage.

Comments and suggestions are much desired.

Code: Select all

Follow Dark Heresy rules for determining hits, except for the following:

Normal range is from 1/2 to 1 times the weapon's listed range. 
Long Range is from 1 - 2 times.
Extreme Range is from 2 - 3 times.
Weapons may not hit targets more than 3 times their listed range away.  

Grenades have a range of 4 times strength bonus.  If you miss a grenade throw, roll the following for scatter distance:

For point blank range: 1d2
For short range: 1d2
For normal range: 1d5
For Long Range: 1d5
For Extreme Range: 1d10

If using a grenade launcher, double the rolled distance, as being able to lob the grenade further and faster means precise placement is more difficult.  




If an attack hits and the target is wearing armor, compare the armor value with the weapon's penetration value.  If the penetration value exceeds or equals the armor value, immediately roll for damage.  If the penetration value is less than the armor value, make an opposed throw: 

The attacker rolls a number of d10s equal to the number it would usually roll for damage, plus or minus the modifier, plus its penetration value.  Do not add strength bonus for melee weapons.

The defender rolls 1d10 plus his armor value, plus the value of any cover the attack hit.  

If the defender's roll is equal or greater than the attacker's roll, the armor stops the weapon and there is no damage.  Otherwise, roll for damage.  Do not subtract any damage for armor points.  

Notes:
A character in melee may spend a fate point to add his strength bonus OR his agility bonus to his penetration rolls.  This bonus lasts until the character spends a turn without attempting at least one melee attack against a hostile character.  


Do not subtract damage for toughness.  In stead, the defender may put up to twice his toughness bonus worth of damage on his remaining wounds.  Any damage in excess of this is applied directly to critical damage.  


Critical damage is NOT cumulative.  For healing, a player always counts as having the number of critical damage as his most severe Condition.  When a player takes critical damage, he should consult the following Condition Table.  

(1-2) Condition 1: Take 1 level of fatigue.  
(3-4) Condition 2: Take 2 levels of fatigue and be stunned for 1 round.  The attack will also knock an item out of the player's hand, knock glasses/hat/unsecured helmet off his head, or do major cosmetic damage to any clothing.  
(5-6) Condition 3: Take 2 levels of fatigue, be stunned for 1 round, and take 10 points of temporary characteristic damage appropriate to the damage type and body part.  
(7-8) Condition 4: Take 2 levels of fatigue, be stunned for 1 round, suffer from blood loss, and take 10 points of permanent characteristic damage appropriate to the damage type and body part OR lose a limb/eye/ear/have a bone splintered/have an organ destroyed/etc.  
(9-10) Condition 5: The character is dead.  
(11+) Condition 6: The character is dead in a spectacular way.  

Notes:
Headshots do +1 critical damage.  
Explosive weapons do +1 critical damage.  
Rending weapons inflict blood loss on Condition 3. 
Energy weapons compel an agility test to avoid catching fire at condition 4 in stead of inflicting blood loss.  If the target is already on fire, they go into shock and collapse unconscious.
Impact weapons stun the target for 2 turns at condition 3 and 4 in stead of 1 turn.  

Re: Dark Heresy combat adjustment (houserules)

Posted: 2009-01-10 04:08pm
by Imperial Overlord
You range adjustments reduce rifle ranges even more, limiting a long las to less than 500meters. Most pistols can shoot up to 120meters, but they aren't accurate at all over 60m unless you have a lot of bonuses stacked up against few or no penalties. Your solution is worse than your problem.

Your opposed penetration roll will greatly slow down combat. Since you can kill someone just fine without penetrating their armour (maul to the chest versus chainmail) and armour can provide partial, but not total protection (maul to the chest while wearing carapace, bruising and worse from bullets that don't penetrate kevlar) and your system totally discounts those hits (and the base system does not) I don't really see that much more "realism" benefit from the increased time consumed.

Your reworked Toughness Bonus is unclear. Please rephrase or provide an example.

I don't see any immediate problems with your reworked grenade scatter.

Your quick and dirty criticals seem fine. (I slip a bookmark in the critical tables section, so I don't find this to be an issue).