NEWS

[6E] Pacifist

  • 7 Replies
  • 1123 Views

KabalahRaith

  • *
  • Newb
  • *
  • Posts: 7
« on: <08-03-21/1818:26> »
So, for Pacifist level 3 in Firing Squad of 6WE, You are allowed to do Stun damage, but if it spills over into Physical because the Stun Condition Monitor fills, does that mean you lose the ability to earn and use Edge for 24 hours for violating your code?
"You may not knowingly take actions that would result in inflicting Physical damage to a target, but you may still take actions that would result in inflicting Stun damage to a target." Firing Squad excerpt.
So, the easy answer would be to say No as a general rule, otherwise this level is meaningless.  However, if people kept abusing it, i.e. Use 4 point Edge Boost to add Edge to dice and full dice pool to rock a Clout spell against a target you have previously hit hard with a stun spell and fairly sure he is on his last legs, and you score 14 hits and he only resists 2, and only has 9 blocks of Physical Condition Monitor at full, and you just put him down for the count with 1 block of Overflow.

This was previously posted in the "Gear" section because that's where folks were discussing Pacifist gear, but it seemed to be a dead thread, so I reposted here, hoping for some opinions.

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

  • *
  • Errata Coordinator
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 4572
« Reply #1 on: <08-03-21/1907:08> »
Obviously, you don't know how a target's soak roll is going to go.

I would say that there's a degree of "what can you reasonably anticipate" when it comes to dealing physical damage.

Since you're allowed to use say a taser, it seems reasonable that if you tase someone and an improbable string of dice rolls means you end up dealing physical damage, that you probably shouldn't be penalized.  Everyone had every reason to expect that all you would do is deal some stun damage, right?

On the other hand, if someone's been incapacitated by stun damage already, and you wake up that character with a 1 box stim patch so you can interrogate them... if you go ahead and use that taser on someone who you know has 9 boxes of stun already then yeah you should have expected that stun damage to overflow into physical, and therefore violate your beliefs.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Hobbes

  • *
  • Catalyst Demo Team
  • Prime Runner
  • ***
  • Posts: 3078
« Reply #2 on: <08-03-21/1949:37> »
Also keep in mind a few physical boxes are not going to be obvious.  Get a good roll on a stun damage attack, target goes unconscious.  If your attack did a couple physical boxes, you wouldn't necessarily know. 

Ultimately it's a GM call but I would go with player intent as much as possible.  If the player is honestly trying to keep to the code, should be fine.  Pacifist players should be penalized if unintended consequences violate their code.  Accidental death and dismemberment is a thing in this line of work and a Pacifist would feel bad even if they didn't intend to injure anyone.   

But it needs to be obvious.  Normally a player wouldn't know the condition monitor of an NPC without some kind of check, so minor injuries are likely unnoticed.  But you blow an arm off, or crash a car into someone.... gonna be kinda clear they got hurt. 

MercilessMing

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 598
« Reply #3 on: <08-04-21/1530:16> »
Cool so if it's blunt force trauma we're all good  :)

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

  • *
  • Errata Coordinator
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 4572
« Reply #4 on: <08-04-21/1550:32> »
I'd say GM discretion trumps all. Is it truly within the spirit of pacifism to beat someone bloody with a baseball bat? Probably not ;)
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

KabalahRaith

  • *
  • Newb
  • *
  • Posts: 7
« Reply #5 on: <08-04-21/1747:52> »
Sounds like you all are in line with my thoughts. No hard fast rule that says, do one box of Physical and bye bye Edge for 24 hours.
But be reasonable and roleplay it and be prepared to take the Edge hit if you things don't go as planned, or go too well.
That is why I am choosing Stunbolt over Clout, I feel that taking the Body soak out of the equation reduces the deviations, of course that means losing the base damage bump too.

CanRay

  • *
  • Freelancer
  • Mr. Johnson
  • ***
  • Posts: 11141
  • Spouter of Random Words
« Reply #6 on: <08-04-21/1923:36> »
Just remember:  Krime Stinger Grenades are Stun Damage.

...

Technically.
Si vis pacem, para bellum

#ThisTaserGoesTo11

MercilessMing

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 598
« Reply #7 on: <08-06-21/1132:49> »
Technically, Agony doesn't do any damage at all!  8)