Memnoch
Initiate Douchebag
Liberty!
Posts: 46
Preferred Game Systems: D&D 3.5 , Star Wars D20 , GURPs
Currently Running: GURPs - The Weird West
Favorite Species of Monkey: Kowakian monkey-lizards
|
Post by Memnoch on May 29, 2015 22:36:29 GMT -8
How would you go about designing a GURPs encounter with a tornado? I am running an old west style game, and was thinking about destroying a town (With my players in it.) with a tornado. Any thoughts/Ideas on how to do this right, make it fun, and memorable?
|
|
|
Post by mook on May 30, 2015 11:35:35 GMT -8
Ooh, fun! GURPS does Old West really well, I bet it'll be a blast The FluffMy only real suggestion story-wise is to make a scene near/in an active tornado as chaotic as hell: thunderous sound, kicked-up dirt (penalties to Hearing and Vision rolls), flying debris (DX checks to avoid, maybe even Active Defenses against larger pieces 'attacking'), etc. I have the dust storm scene from "Fury Road" spinning through my brain, if you've seen it. The CrunchAbsolutely, you could run the whole scene by narrative and just throw in occasional skill penalties and whatnot. If you're feeling The Call of the Crunch, though... My first stop is usually the GURPS Index Imp. Sadly, it is like 5 years un-updated, but it still covers the bulk of the core 4th Edition books. A search for "tornado" gives two hits. GURPS Fantasy, pp. 87-88 The "Tornado" entry here is missing the entries for "Major disaster effects" and "Historic disaster effects" (which I believe is errata -- I submitted), but the entry for "Hurricane" gives a progression of ST checks (at 0, -2, -5) to avoid damage (0, 1d, 3d) from flying debris. GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 9: Summoners, p. 27 Giving stats to a "Living Tornado" air elemental, they recommend a melee innate attack called Whirling Fury (inflicting knockback equivalent to double a 3d crushing attack, but no actual damage unless the target hits something while flying through the air) and a ranged innate attack called Lightning Bolt (inflicting 3d burning damage and requiring a resistance roll against being stunned). Synthesizing all that, I'd use something like this (assuming it's "crazy strong winds" and not "end of the world!"): - All characters in a hex affected by the tornado (i.e., outside and unprotected) make a ST check to avoid damage from flying debris at the start of every turn. Possibly use double that damage when determining knockback to account for the speed at which the debris is traveling (depends on how fussy I'm feeling)
- All characters in a hex affected by the tornado at -4 to all skills and trait checks (DX, Vision, etc.); -2 if they are indoors with partial protection (outhouse, drafty saloon); no penalty if they are fully protected (mine shaft, cave, bank vault, train car)
- Assign a chance (1 in 6? 1 in 12?) each turn that lightning will strike someone/something, then roll randomly to determine what/who if it strikes
Like most things with GURPS, there's a wide array of ways you could handle this depending on what kind of 'feel' you're going for. Hopefully this gives you some ideas to start with. Have fun!
|
|
Memnoch
Initiate Douchebag
Liberty!
Posts: 46
Preferred Game Systems: D&D 3.5 , Star Wars D20 , GURPs
Currently Running: GURPs - The Weird West
Favorite Species of Monkey: Kowakian monkey-lizards
|
Post by Memnoch on May 30, 2015 12:20:13 GMT -8
That is Awesome!! Thank you very much Mook for the help. I know my players would thank you too. ( or perhaps curse you! ) I'm looking forward to this. I have never played in a game in which there was a tornado, I hope it will be something my players remember for a long time.
|
|
|
Post by stork on May 30, 2015 12:34:15 GMT -8
Leave it to the Mook.
I would also avoid falling damage if you can. Tempting as it is to have the wind pick up your PCs and have them fall to the ground from a random d6 d12 height. The damage inflicted by such a move would wipe out the party.
|
|
|
Post by mook on May 30, 2015 13:52:21 GMT -8
No reason the winds can't snatch up a bunch of dirty NPCs and drop *them* onto the ground for a million points of bloody damage, though, just to get the PCs' attention.
|
|
Memnoch
Initiate Douchebag
Liberty!
Posts: 46
Preferred Game Systems: D&D 3.5 , Star Wars D20 , GURPs
Currently Running: GURPs - The Weird West
Favorite Species of Monkey: Kowakian monkey-lizards
|
Post by Memnoch on May 30, 2015 19:54:54 GMT -8
For sure, at least one NPC has to go for a one way ride "on camera". Maybe some innocent npc that the pcs genuinely like...entice them to do something stupid to save the poor soul. I surely don't wish to kill any of the PCs, but banging them up is fun, and killing well liked NPCs sure does get their attention. I don't know yet what the scenario will be, I just know its something I want to fit in before the end of the campaign.
|
|