Twilight 2000 mechanics question

>
> We've heard estimates that Twilight 2000 characters can take excessive
> damage without becoming dangerously wounded or unconcious.  I believe
> that Rob Dean estimated that an average character could be hit with
> Six or so .50 calibre machine gun bullets before becoming unconcious.

It does depend on where the hit occurs.  An average character has a chest
value of 60, but a head value of only 20.  Anything over 20 pts to the
head is a guaranteed unconscious result.  Anything over 40 to the head is
death.  You can work the numbers out yourself.  In the basic game (for
obvious reasons I didn't buy the add-ons) a 9mm pistol does 1d6 per hit,
a 5.56N assault rifle does 2d6 per hit, and a .50 caliber MG does 8d6
per hit.  So you really wouldn't need that many machine gun bullets to
kill...only 5 or 6 for torso hits and 2 for the head.  (-:  It's those
smaller weapons that are a problem.  After 15 or so pistol bullets to
the chest, you _might_ fall down.  (Hmmm...how many bullets in a Browning
HiPower?)

> Since I don't have the game, could someone with the books look up the
> following for me?
>
> How many 120mm shells does it take to kill a Twilight 2000 character?

It depends on where it hits.  Since a 120mm DS round (non-uranium) does
28 dice of damage, and an average character has 60 hit points in the chest
area, 28*3.5=98 points of average damage.  98 points of damage to the chest
would be a "serious" wound.  (No s***!)  This means that the average
character would be seriously wounded by such a hit, and would only have
(?!) a 10% chance of remaining conscious.  The second hit would probably
finish him off....if he's hit in the head, he's dead.

> 2G Scott
> "'URuuumph!' he said, pulling the steel core penetrator from his ribcage.
>  'It's a good thing it wasn't a depleted uranium projectile.'"
>         --  Rob Dean

Did I say that?  If I didn't, I guess I should have...(-:

BTW--does anyone need a near mint copy of T:2000 2nd Ed?  I've got one for
sale--$10 plus shipping (the boxed set, not just the book).  Send me email
if you're interested.

Rob Dean

Rob Dean [email removed] writes:
> It does depend on where the hit occurs.  An average character has a chest
> value of 60

        I have to take exception to this...are you using the first
edition?  In the second edition hits to the chest are determined by
(strength + constitution) x 3.  Since both str and con are
determined via a 1d10 roll, mean average would be 5.  5 + 5 x 3 =
30.  To receive a chest value of 60 would require the character to
have his or her strength and constitution equal to 10.  Even if the
person was wearing body armor, with two points absorbed per attack
the person is not going to survive long against hostile fire.

> but a head value of only 20

Head hits = con x 2.  con = 1d10.  Mean average heat hits = 10.

I see from the rest of your description you weren't overly fond of
this system.  Maybe it's because you've been playing with the above
overpowered numbers :).  But I like the damage to each part of the
body.  I think a wound list is more appropriate than assigning
points however.  Improves the roleplaying a bit (and if you are at
all familiar with RoleMaster, the gore index skyrockets as well).

        Bringing it all back to traveller, I think the TNE should
use a simple point system like D&D or Star Frontiers.  The system
in use in Megatraveller is needlessly complex.  A wounds system in
TNE probably wouldn't be a good idea, simply because the massive
damage done by sf weapons, and the fact that this is not a combat
oriented game.

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