Most Lethal game System

[Tasoth]

This thread is to see which PnP Game system is so lethal that a normal round of combat can result in one or more dead characters. My vote goes for the Unisystem, I'll get to why later.

[Graeme Dice]

This thread is to see which PnP Game system is so lethal that a normal round of combat can result in one or more dead characters. My vote goes for the Unisystem, I'll get to why later.

I'd imagine that Rolemaster is up there.

[Faram]

I'd imagine that Rolemaster is up there.

I remember RM

Roll a E crit and 66, instakill on any mob!

[Crayz9000]

Roll a E crit and 66, instakill on any mob!

Blessed +5 gas grenades?

[Thunderfire]

GURPS can be really deadly. Characters have around 10-15 HP and
a G3 rifle does 7d6 damage per hit.

[weemadando]

Legend of the Five Rings.

Lets face it, during the creation process for the game they consulted with various people on period weaponry, and a quote from one of those sessions:

"So how many times would you have to hit me with that to kill me."

"Just once."

And the combat system developed from there...

[Hendrake]

I'd imagine that Rolemaster is up there.

I remember RM

Roll a E crit and 66, instakill on any mob!

No, it isn't. Even with an 'E' critical, you only have 16% chance of dying. (86-00 and 66). Spacemaster is far worse since getting an E crit is 100% getting maimed and abut 26% dying (75-00 and 66 but it varies more with critical types)

Chivalry and Sorcery: A lucky blow can be the end of you, as is a good placed spell.

Unknown Armies is good with mortality, but having a D100 basis on both hits and body values, it's very much up to chance.

SLA Industries: with a shot to the head you're done.

Paranoia: Need I say more? You have got 6 lives and most don't get through 1 game session.

Call of Chtulu: The Basic system is not very lethal, but what you are up against is (though mostly is sanity at risk...) The D20 version is far less lethal.

And of course the Italian RPG Elish is VERY lethal (everyone who isn't dead during the session dies at the end), as is Puppetland, but these are VERY obscure RPGs.

[SirNitram]

Oh come, does there need to be a thread?

Paranoia.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

While not THE most lethal system, Tensided has to be up there. Here's a recent excerpt from the SDN campaign to show you what I mean:

DF: 20
Adj AT: 18
Final roll: 26
MoS: 6

5 shots hit
General locations: 3 x body, 1 x arm, 1 x head
Spec. body locations: R. clavicle, L. torso, heart
Damages: 12 (r. arm perm. useless), 8 (incapacitation), 9 (instant death)
Specific arm location: R. elbow
Damage: 16 (r. arm severed at elbow)
Specific head location: L. ear
Damage: 13 (L. ear severed)

The night is lit up in a loud and spectacular manner as Dirk opens up with his beefy automatic rifle. Steel core 30-06 bullets pour from the barrel of the 15 lbs rifle at 600 rpm. Most people could not control the recoil effectively, but Dirk's grafted arm gives him more strength than most soldiers had when the gun was still being made. Half the shots from the ten shot burst hit. The first staggers the unfortunate victim backward as it destroys his collerbone. The second catches him in the torso and erupts out his back in a spray of blood. The third rips his heart to pieces, killing him instantly, but before his lifeless body has a chance to hit the ground, the fourth and fifth rounds sever half his arm and his ear, right through his helmet.

[weemadando]

Oh come, does there need to be a thread?

Paranoia.

"You're teeth aren't clean comrade..."

"Wha- aAAAAAAAAARGH!"

*activates another clone*

[Marcao]

My vote goes for Dream Pod 9's Silhoutte system. A system were you have to respect a firearm of -any- caliber. The average human being in the system (with a 0 in build and fitness) has a measly 25 stamina. A 9mm round has an average damage multiplier of 18. In essence, three margins of successes (54 dmg) and you are quite, quite dead. Silhoutte scares the hell out of me in combat, but it is great fun. It gets my vote for the most lethal system I know of.

[Alyeska]

Most lethal computer system I saw was when a guy sealed up every opening to his computer, filled it entirely with water, then tried turning it on...

[Thunderfire]

Most hits in GURPS will take you out of combat. A hit in the right location
has a good chance to kill you instantly.

[dworkin]

Traveller

You could die during character generation.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Traveller

You could die during character generation.

Lol! WTF?

[LadyTevar]

Traveller

You could die during character generation.

Lol! WTF?

It's true. They have you rolling up your whole life's story up to the point you start playing your character.

[weemadando]

Legend of the Five Rings.

Lets face it, during the creation process for the game they consulted with various people on period weaponry, and a quote from one of those sessions:

"So how many times would you have to hit me with that to kill me."

"Just once."

And the combat system developed from there...

Sorry, the quote was:

"How many times can you hit me in a five second combat round."

" I just have to hit you once."

Its one reason I always laugh at people who take Bushi in an L5R game.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

What's Bushi?

[weemadando]

What's Bushi?

A warrior class. Effectively a combat-centred samurai.

I generally take courtiers or if I am truly insane, a duellist.

Though I am looking at creating a Hattori Death-seeker Samurai-ko. That should be fun. I might even last a whole half session.

[Slartibartfast]

"You had a horrible accident. You lose 10 DEX. You can try to get it back by performing an INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS SURGERY! Do you do it?"

Yes

"You DIED! You SUCK AT THIS GAME!"


from the computer MegaTraveller game character generation screen.

[SAMAS]

Rifts, if you forget body armor.

[weemadando]

Rifts, if you forget body armor. :mrgreen:

Great, you had to say it, now we're going to get Slartibartfast and the other anti-RIFTS fanboys swarming this thread.

Speaking of which, I have to get going soon, so my Fennodi Justice Ranger can lay the smack down on that damn dog-boy that sold us out to the Vampires.

[SirNitram]

I never got the point of RIFTS. Are we supposed to just go ooo and ahhh over the MDC nonsense?

[weemadando]

I never got the point of RIFTS. Are we supposed to just go ooo and ahhh over the MDC nonsense?

No. The system is strange, and probably silly too... But you get over that. With a decent GM its fantastic because well, there a really no limits on what you can be, and with a good GM, they can handle that fact and work it properly.

Its not the best system ever, but its not nearly as bad as most people say.

[SirNitram]

I never got the point of RIFTS. Are we supposed to just go ooo and ahhh over the MDC nonsense?

No. The system is strange, and probably silly too... But you get over that. With a decent GM its fantastic because well, there a really no limits on what you can be, and with a good GM, they can handle that fact and work it properly.

Its not the best system ever, but its not nearly as bad as most people say.

I've never heard anyone else talk about it, really. Unless you count the brief fanwanking one of it's forces got in the Fantasy forum.

Somewhere around where I saw a description of an MDC pistol I realized there was something seriously retarded with the system. The excuse for the over-the-top violence of the examples for it's damage on non-MDC targets was that it was for shooting massive, armoured targets.

If you have a handheld pistol that can bring down large armoured targets, and you're still building the large, armoured targets, the system has very little thought behind it.