Missile Attacks/Damage

[stormcrow]

Page 77
When missile weapons hit, the effect can be devastating because the damage is mitigated by armor alone. The  target’s own hit point total (reflecting its effort to defend itself) is  not subtracted from the damage you have done (your hit point  total).

I don't understand this. Could someone provide an actual example of the above, please?

EDIT: Is it saying only armour reduces damage suffered?

[mahrundl]

Yes. In melee combat, you can block and parry blows, so your combat skill helps you avoid injury. That's not the case when a fast moving pointy stick tries to go through you.

[khaboom]

I know it's supposed to be the honorable thing to kill pcs without equivocation but... in the interests of plot and character development (and other feeble justifications), I often end up giving LK SRs to mitigate missile damage because armour is so often no better than cardboard v the slings and arrows of a Hamlet maddened by outrageous fortune or just the desire for blood-letting.

[stormcrow]

Thanks both

[zanshin]

Example, rules as written.

Jack the tank, Hoggle the Leprechaun and Bard the Bowman are battling 3 Uruks each with MR 25.

Jack is big and strong, and gets a Hit point total of 33 from his dice and adds. Hoggle slashes gamely with a dagger nearly as big as him and gets 20. Bards the Bowman takes aim ,dodging behind Jack and Hoggle. The GM rules he has to make a L3 Dex Save to hit an Uruk - his Dex is 22, he rolls an 8, he hits. He then rolls his bow damage with adds and gets a total of 27.

The delvers have a combat total of 80, of which 27 is missile damage.

The Uruks roll a total of 77 from their dice and adds.

The delvers have won by 3 - however, as a missile has struck , all 27 of the bow damage is applied to Uruk number 1 (other nomenclatures are available) who then expires messily with 2 points of overkill.

The shock of the missile hit won the combat for the brave Delvers and the direct hit killed the Uruk. The delvers take no damage. The other 2 Uruks take no damage as their comrade had absorbed it with the arrow.

The underlying rule is you don't count damage from comparing hit totals twice; the enemy take the larger of direct damage, or big cloud of fists damage.

Hope that helps.

[wizarddoc]

FWIW. I'm a total newbie at T&T, and have struggled with figuring out the deluxe rules some, especially the magic and melee (I have only played solo). Here is my take on the missile attacks...

From dT&T page 77 - "Missile-users generally designate a target to shoot at." It states that if they shoot blindly into a mob they should roll a luck saving roll "just to hit something..." I think of this like massed archery in a medieval battle, they would fire to cause disruption in formation, incidental wounds and maiming, and cause the enemy to raise shields/take precautions to avoid damage. Also suggested is an alternative rule for each fighter on the receiving end to roll a low luck saving roll and the one who fails catches the arrow. Thus a sharp pointy stick flying into a melee can cause multiple people to be distracted or take precautions to avoid being hit, thus giving opposing melee fighters time to hit them. Thus the rule of missiles adding to overall HPT.

Aiming at a specific target, I would guess is a "stunt" (which I can't find in the book to save my life, but everyone here talks about them) that is rules as written approved. The archer has aimed at one specific person and let fly, he has to roll dex saving roll to hit *that target*. If he does, that is pure damage to the one sniped that is only absorbed by the armor.  Imagine it like an arrow slipping through a gap in the armor.  Some damage absorbed by the gambeson, but still it all goes to one person.
If he fails the roll, well there is still a sharp pointy object flying into a whirlwind of people moving, dodging, swinging. It's very possible it will hit "someone", or distract them as above so they take a hit from someone else, again the add to overall HPT. From the way the combat rules open, it would seem that one round is "the span of time in which all participants have an opportunity to try to damage their opponents...includes feinting, dodging, parrying, trash talking..." I would assume that multiple foes noted the archer and attempted to avoid being the pincushion of the moment.

Granted it does seem that this view falls apart some if you are the sole PC. Then you either hit, or don't, and if you are bringing a one shot pistol to a sword fight, well I'd probably house rule that a miss is a miss. Unless the shot struck the wall and blew stone fragments into their eyes blinding them...Just narrative the results to make it work. I noted in another thread on this same subject someone complained of a giant tossing a boulder and failing the dex roll, but the hpt was so high the character dies from a "miss" OK, well, the boulder hit the cliff and caused a landslide that buried the PC causing his death EVEN THOUGH the thrown boulder missed, so a narrative fix for a "rules" problem.

Anyway, my two cents.

[zanshin]

wizarddoc , you may be new to T&T but you have completely grasped and described beautifully the narrative nature of T&T combat. Please take a round of fervent applause.

Also, Welcome!