Damage mod table beyond 100, who has the numbers?

[Jed Clayton]

Hello.

I had a look again at the Damage Modifier Table and I'm wondering how it should progress beyond a sum of STR+SIZ that is more than 100. The table in the rulebook stops there.

All right, I know that I probably will never need this for human player-characters, but it might matter for monsters, giants, etc. Also, as a roleplaying geek, I just want to know for sure, since it's part of the system's design.

My evidence so far suggests that from 101-110, you get a bonus of +3D6, from 111-120 you get +3D8, the next step is +3D10, then +3D12. The increment of +3D12 could then be followed by another increment in D6's, that is, +4D6, +4D8, +4D10, etc. That seems the way the game designers for MRQ did it. The problem is: Mathematically, this does not make sense.

Rolling +3D6 does not give you more damage than +2D12. I'd much rather have the 2 twelve-siders if I were the player. The average roll result of 2D12 is 13 and the maximum is 24, compared to only 10.5 and 18 for 3D6.

I was thinking that maybe the +2D12 bonus should be followed by +3D8 instead. That would make more sense since it would allow for the rolled damage to go up instead of down: with +3D8 you throw an average of 13.5 and a max of 24. This in turn can be followed by +3D10 and +3D12. If I then default to six-siders (4D6), I would get a much lower average than on the previous 3D12, and trade a max 36 for a max 24 (4 x 6 = 24). This gap widens more and more as the progression chart goes further up, except if I kick out the lower two dice sizes (the D6's and D8's), jumping directly to +4D10. I have no idea what the correct mathematical expressions are, but like that it would work smoothly. Apparently, the D12 is the biggest die in this progression (not followed by a D20, for example). This gives the twelve-sider a good role in MRQ, considering that it didn't even exist in RQ 3rd Edition.

So, in my opinion the progression chart should go like this:
+2D12 (as mentioned in the book), +3D8, +3D10, +3D12, +4D10, +4D12, +5D12, +6D12, +7D12, +8D12, +9D12, +10D12, and so on.

Does anyone have any further data?
Is there a definitive damage modifier chart (beyond 100) in the RQ Open Game document?

I also wanted to ask about a quick-start table for hit point distribution going beyond human limits and for the appropriate distribution for creatures that have multiple limbs and other body shapes, like Centaurs, Scorpion Men, Lamia ... Does anyone have that info?

 

[GbajiTheDeceiver]

The SRD contains bonuses for up to 200:

101–120 +3D10
121–140 +3D12
141–160 +4D10
161–180 +4D12
181–200 +5D10

It seems logical to follow that pattern, maybe widening the bands as you go along.

As for the second question, I don't think they've ever been published, no. A few people have made attempts to work them out, but in the absence of any official confirmation they can only be considered "best guesses".

 

[Jed Clayton]

The SRD contains bonuses for up to 200:

101–120 +3D10
121–140 +3D12
141–160 +4D10
161–180 +4D12
181–200 +5D10

It seems logical to follow that pattern, maybe widening the bands as you go along.

All right. The SRD is good in this regard. I have to copy that or jot it down some time.

I like the progression now. My guess was just off the mark.

It would have been funny, for example, if a character with a STR+SIZ total at 115 suddenly did LESS damage regularly than a character with a total of 100.

101–120 +3D10 maximum: 30
121–140 +3D12 maximum: 36
141–160 +4D10 maximum: 40
161–180 +4D12 maximum: 48
181–200 +5D10 maximum: 50

I'm using the totals as my benchmark here, since those would occur whenever you rolled a critical success that gives you Maximum Damage (including the damage modifier maxed).

Above 200, no problem. Whatever is rolled up in that area will almost always kill a player-character (maybe several times over).

For the Crimson Bat and the Mother of Monsters, you only need to take one look at their stat blocks to realize they will never be defeated. They are small deities with those stats, as unmoved by normal humans as mountains would be.

As for the second question, I don't think they've ever been published, no. A few people have made attempts to work them out, but in the absence of any official confirmation they can only be considered "best guesses".

OK, don't worry about it.

 

[soltakss]

"If it has stats it can be defeated".

That's one of the mottoes my old group had and it's still true today.

Sure the Crimson Bat and Mother of Monsters look tough, but if you can mount the damage you can defeat them, especially if you can aim to ignore armour.

A well-prepared party can be a match for almost anything a GM can throw at them.

I've never been a fan of assuming that creatures above a certain level are unbeatable. High STR and SIZ means a good Damage Bonus but that in itself does not guarantee success.

In my opinion, all the tables should be extrapolated to include very high STR/CON/SIZ, especially Damage Bonus and Hit Points.

 

[Fishy]

I also wanted to ask about a quick-start table for hit point distribution going beyond human limits and for the appropriate distribution for creatures that have multiple limbs and other body shapes, like Centaurs, Scorpion Men, Lamia ... Does anyone have that info?

There's nothing official that I know of, but I've done some analysis of the Monsters book that could help. it's here

 

[atgxtg]

"If it has stats it can be defeated".

That's one of the mottoes my old group had and it's still true today.

Sure the Crimson Bat and Mother of Monsters look tough, but if you can mount the damage you can defeat them, especially if you can aim to ignore armour.

A well-prepared party can be a match for almost anything a GM can throw at them.

I've never been a fan of assuming that creatures above a certain level are unbeatable. High STR and SIZ means a good Damage Bonus but that in itself does not guarantee success.

In my opinion, all the tables should be extrapolated to include very high STR/CON/SIZ, especially Damage Bonus and Hit Points.

I agree. If it is expressed in the same terms as other characters, it can be defeated by other characters. High stats just mean that it probably won't be easy, and any failures will be paid for dearly.

Mathematically, just having enough people pick up a bow and take a shot to avoid AP is virtually guaranteed to drop something. One in 20 arrows will hit the mark. So enough shooters and even the Crimson Bat will fall to the laws of probability.

It "probability" won't fall alone, either. :shock:

And yeah, all the table should be extrapolated. Otherwise there is little point in giving creatures variable stats. If a bear has max SIZ and CON it stands to reason that it should have more hit points.

Luckily, the progression for both Hit Point (+1 per 5) and damage bonus appear to be self-evident.