Where I've Been

     As you might notice, my regular blogging had ceased without warning. To get the big questions out of the way, I DO intend to return to blogging at a usual schedule. Eventually. I have been in a battle with my mental health, barely navigating social issues I have been dealing with, and suffering from burnout. I haven't even had energy to update my Play by Post games, which is unlike me. Do not fear, however! For I have been plotting and planning new things and exciting items to post on this blog! Including the beginnings of a story, which if I actually get around to it, will be a sort of "fan fiction" about some characters I have made and GM'ed for over the months I have played RimWorld in GURPS. 

    Finally, I'd like to thank y'all for reading the blog (or at least looking at it) in my absence. Being able to say I have a blog about GURPS that people read is really cool and makes me feel more like a respected member of the community (even if no one knows my name or knows of this blog!) Again, thank you guys.

Surviving Fatal Injuries

     Something I have come across in my games, is too much death (or not enough death, but that's for a different day.) If a player is struck down, RAW, they die. Instead, this post is a guide to revive those players, but with injuries, like those presented in Battle Brothers.

    First up, are hits to the head and face. On a hit to the head by a blunt weapon, you are just considered dead. A hit to the head with a cutting attack, you might be hit in the ear or jaw, causing horrible scarring or loss of hearing. A hit to the head with a piercing attack will either cause death, or possibly a loss of IQ. Slashes and blunt attacks to the face might cause broken noses (or missing noses), damaged eyes, missing teeth, or gaining a negative Appearance. An injured nose (or windpipe) causes temporary max fatigue and smell loss. Getting hit in the ear will cause hearing loss, either temporarily or for the rest of their life, depending on severity.

    Hits to the body are much more forgiving. A piercing attack in the arm or leg might cause a pierced muscle, which will lower your combat skills temporarily or lower your basic move, depending on hit location. A blow to the vitals might collapse your lung partially, making you lose maximum FP, or maybe your heart was weakened, losing maximum HP. Getting hit in the arms might also make you lose striking ST temporarily, depending on the type of the wound.

    Now, using this system requires a large balance of death and destruction. You might die, but three or four enemies will die in return. My favorite mechanic to add is using Will as a morale check, with enemies losing morale quickly as they take HP damage or watch their friends die. Same story goes for the brave adventurers, though they are definitely more fearless than the brigands of the north they've found. If you use a similar system (or this exists RAW and I somehow missed it) reach out! I'd love to hear how you run injuries in your games.

Workshopping More Impressive Boss Fights

     GURPS is fickle when it comes to bosses. Yes, you could have an unkillable warrior who is dedicated to ripping apart anyone who stands in their way, but that would mean the players are completely unable to fight against them. In this short article, I will describe how I've created a scheme to provide cinematic boss fights in my games, without outright dominating the battlefield.

    The first step, is one often repeated. USE HENCHMEN. No battle is complete without grunts on the battlefield. There are two interesting ways to do it. One is to have a few warriors that are well armored but provide protection to the boss preventing them from being damaged. The other has respawning grunts that keep coming to attack the party but are weak and just distractions.

    Two is to not have the boss have tricks up their sleeves. One I have experimented with recently after a Battle Brothers fight gone wrong against some barbarians is to utilize "Heroic Feats of ####". In this specific scenario, the barbarian boss would activate both HF:BS and HF:ST to overwhelm a cocky player, but it will only last for three or so seconds. Use this time to let the boss refresh themselves and ward off the player, but give them hints about this newfound power. It is bad practice to suddenly whip out changes halfway through the fight without warning or informing the players.

    Finally, make the boss use the environment to their advantage. Large red barrels, hidden traps, weak columns, turrets, or healing shrines. The environment is an important part of the fight, but make sure you let the players use it too. It is completely fair for a player to use their intuition to shoot the red barrel next to the boss if they have been using the barrels to blow up areas the entire fight. I hope that today's post helps you guys make more fun and interesting boss fights. If it doesn't, thank you for reading on regardless!