Quick question. I know this has probably been addressed numerous times but I can’t seem to find anything on it.
When a player damages an enemy, does the surplus damage transfer to another enemy?
Like if the barbarian rolls a 10, wielding a 2-handed sword, and gets an 11, how many goblins bite the dust?
I’ve read through the book and can’t seem to find the answer.
If it is fictionally correct I sometimes allow them to. Like if it’s a tight cluster of goblins I would let him cleave through several or shiskabob a couple of them at the same time. Usually they should narrate it that way, but I’m a nice GM.
Is there another game where surplus damage transfers to another enemy? I had never heard that idea before.
On page 56 (The Hack and Slash Move) it says:
If the action that triggers the move could reasonably hurt multiple targets roll once and apply damage to each target (they each get their armor).
So, I would interpret this to mean, if the barbarian from your example first fictionally set up the attack move such that he was then fictionally able to damage multiple goblins at once, then he would roll once and apply that same damage rolled to all of the goblins, minus their armor.
The flip side, though, would be that he would only be able to attack one goblin if it was established in the fiction that he was only able to hurt one goblin, if they were spread out or hanging back from the attack, etc.
Remember that the guiding principle is to lead with the fiction and let the move follow.
Jim Jones does that also mean that on a 7-9 each goblin that was targeted would deal their own damage as well?
Chris Bennett when multiple enemies attack, you roll once and add +1 for additional enemies. So yes.
Chris Bennett I believe Shadow, Sword, and Spell (currently having it’s 2nd edition Kickstarter) by Richard Iorio II allows damage from an attack to carry over into multiple targets in a couple of different ways. If the type of attack would fictionally affect an area, then those opponents that failed their dodge checks by enough degrees to still take damage would get hurt. Also, if playing with the optional cleave damage, then any carry over would go into the next target.
Richard’s 12 Degrees system it’s pretty cool in play. If you want a game that combines fictional positioning with heroic combat that is backed up by a crunchier round by round combat mechanic, you might want to check out the 2nd Edition of the game. My guess is that it will clear up and polish the rules of the original.
And speaking of cleave, I think there are feats in various games, maybe Pathfinder, that allow a cleave action that would do similar things.
Chris Bennett Yes, but in the way that Aaron Griffin describes. That’s covered on page 22 under the heading Damage from multiple creatures.
Chris Bennett in 13th Age the mooks has a pool of hp (hp of a minion x number of minions). In Scarlet Heroes and Godbound, created by Kevon Crawford, the excess of damage taken by one opponent its dealt to another of the same or leat power, IIRC
13thAge is another game where ‘surplus’ damage carries over, but it is only.when fighting mooks. Mooks come in ‘mobs’. They have individual HP values that are part of ‘mobs’ total HP. So damage in excess to kill the first mook carries over to the next mook or mooks.. It makes for so quite spectacular combat narrations.
Oops. Got scooped. LOL!
If it is more awesome that the damage carries over, why not?
Jim Jones has the official rules-as-written, and also the underlying spirit: follow what fictionally makes sense.
With that in mind, I’ve often found that what makes the most sense fictionally is to have damage “spill over.”
Like, if the fighter dives into a horde of foes and lashes out left and right: roll damage once, apply to everyone nearby.
But if the ranger draws a bead on the lead 3hp goblin and rolls like 8 damage, I’d probably be a fan and be like “dude, yeah, it goes right through the first goblin, the one right behind him, and thunks into the third guy for 2 damage. The first two sort of blink, then drop, and the third one’s just staring and this shaft sticking out of his shoulder with this disbelieving looking on his face.”
To be honest i only do it with hordes like 3hp and stuff like that. I feel with them its definitely more frustrating to hit at 11 damage when the bad guy was at a 1. But i don’t think you should do to many kills since otherwise thst kind of negates the power of hordes. Basically fiction first like the rest have ssid, secondary is being a very nice gm
I did this with my Barbarian last night when he was fighting a bunch of demon doggies. I figured it was only fair seeing as how, in a prior scene, his sword cleaved through the neck of a monster, slipped out of his grip and then cut into one of the other PCs. Granted, he was trying to swing his two-handed sword one-handed (his other arm was paralyzed) and got an 8 on a DD with STR to keep his grip, opting to continue the swing even though I told him he would lose control over it if he continued. 🙂 [the PC did get a chance to dodge, but unfortunately did not.]
In any case, I had no regrets about letting his damage spill over in the later fight, as it really felt in line with the whole forceful, messy weapon thing.