Taking Damage

[Sinanju]

"Let's split up." "Good idea. We can do more damage that way." --Ghostbusters
"Let's split up." "Good idea. We can take more damage that way." --Countless PCs

So, if I'm not mistaken, in Classic Traveller, the first hit you took in combat all went into one stat. If that stat went to zero, you were knocked out. If two stats went to zero, you were comatose. Three stats at zero, and you were pushing up daisies.

In 2nd Ed Mongoose Traveller, the first hit you take must go into END, with any spillover going into a second (and third, if necessary--yikes!) stat of your choice. If two stats are reduced to zero, you're unconscious. Is there any effect if that first stat is reduced to zero? Not that I can see.

Also, after the first hit, when distributing hits between stats, can you divide up the points however you like? Or must they all go into one stat after another as each is reduced to zero? Or does each die of damage have to be applied to one stat? Or is it a GM call? (I remember long-ago Traveller games, when we had complete freedom to distribute the damage amongst our stats as we saw fit. We often engaged in "creative unconsciousness", as in, "Oooh, one more hit and I'm dead. I think I'll reduced a second stat to zero and pass out (and hope the other PCs can win this firefight)."

 

[paltrysum]

Sounds like a viable strategy, but one that probably rarely gets employed.

 

[locarno24]

You certainly don't have to 'zero' one stat after another (other than starting with END) otherwise you could never be killed without being knocked out first.

The example I recall from the first mongoose traveller implies you have to put all damage from one hit into a given stat, but you get to choose freely which stat it is; don't know if that's changed:

Next round, Kathya shoots him again for 9 damage. This brings his Endurance down to 0, and the remaining 8 points spill over into another Physical Characteristic of the Vargr's choice. He's got Strength 10 and Dexterity 7. If the Vargr picks Dexterity, he'll drop to Dexterity 0 and be knocked out. He chooses Strength, so he drops to Strength 2.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

In 2nd Ed Mongoose Traveller, the first hit you take must go into END, with any spillover going into a second (and third, if necessary--yikes!) stat of your choice. If two stats are reduced to zero, you're unconscious. Is there any effect if that first stat is reduced to zero? Not that I can see.

Remember to adjust your Characteristic Modifier.

I remember long-ago Traveller games, when we had complete freedom to distribute the damage amongst our stats as we saw fit.

Mongoose Traveller 2nd Edition is a different game.

 

[arcador]

The only rule I take from Mg ed 1 is that you can't distribute the damage from a single hit into two stats, but you can choose which (after the End is 0).

I.e. if a char is 7 7 7, and gets hits for 10 damage, first END gets 0, then he must take the remaining 3 damage from either DEX or STR, but can't distribute it among them. If he's hit a second time, he picks DEX or STR and takes it all on one of them (with the remaining on the last one).