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3 years ago ::
Oct 11, 2010 - 12:20PM
#11
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Ironically, my intent in suggesting adding surges was to be more gritty and realistic. I know surges are pretty 'heroic'/action-movie-like and not very realistic, but compared to healing fully from anything in 5 minutes, they're a step in the right direction.  They also work with mechanics like diseases, and can be used by the DM model things like exhaustion and privation.
Absolutely, I just meant there were no present mechanics to make use of healing surges but we had a function for additional... uh... winding. 
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3 years ago ::
Oct 11, 2010 - 2:49PM
#12
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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Sure, presumably second wind would then use a surge (or two, if you want it to heal your bloodied value), and you' might want to pick some of the powers that currently give fixed healing give surge healing, instead. The main thing would be healing up with surges after a short rest, instead of just getting your hps back.
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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3 years ago ::
Oct 11, 2010 - 2:51PM
#13
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Date Joined:
Aug 28, 2009
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You've got some great ideas here. I had not thought of using wounds, but now that you mention it, it fits very well and happens to be the same system used in Mutants & Masterminds and other d20 systems that don't use hit points.
The Doctor Comics Blog: doctorcomics.blogspot.com
On Twitter @doctorcomics
GW Card List: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/26023881/Card_List
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3 years ago ::
Oct 11, 2010 - 3:28PM
#14
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Date Joined:
May 25, 2009
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If you wanted to skip hacking in surges altogether, you could just have certain conditions or effects restrict character ability to use their second winds. A simple example option would be to allow all characters to regain their bloodied value in HP between encounters, rather than healing to full (effectively they get a 'free' second wind between encounters).
For imposing other restrictions based on fatigue, disease, or other nasty conditions, maybe an afflicted character cannot start any encounter at more than 3/4 or 1/2 their max HP value, or they may only regain 1/4 hp (maybe 1/4 + level?) when they spend their second winds rather than their bloodied value. This kind of affliction could be represented by adding in a new condition to the game (Worn Out: Your second wind power only grants you 1/4+level of your maximum HP) that can be caused by any number of things - excessive fatigue or certain types of debilitating attacks seem like obvious options. Add in a couple of ways to get rid of being Worn Out (save ends, appropriate skill check / power / tech, use of survival days/rations, etc.) and you're good to go.
If you're already of a mind to really grit things up and add in a lot of other material and such to track, then surges are a fine way of running things, but I think an option like the one I present here would be a way to limit things a bit with a lower 'extra stuff' overhead.
Also, I kind of like the idea of shying away from any kind of daily resource in a system that (as far as I've read so far) has none. No longer being reliant on a 4-6 encounter 'work day' for the math to come out right seems like a very freeing (and possibly very intentional) mechanic.
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3 years ago ::
Oct 11, 2010 - 7:02PM
#15
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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True, GW is nearly free of daily mechanics. The only resource difference between a short and extended rest, for instance, is that you re-build player Alpha Decks after the latter. So, you could end up 'using up' your mutations in the course of a long day, and getting totally random ones out of the DM's deck.
For greater realism, you could just have a healing rate for characters, so you heal up some value in a short rest as 'first aid,' then more after a long rest. That would make hps more of a dialy - or longer - resource, like they were in the original. (In 1e Gamma World there were relatively few healing mutations, artifacts, or the like - and you healed 1 hp per /day/ of rest... yes, a game can be both whacky and grim.)
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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3 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2010 - 5:50PM
#16
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Date Joined:
Aug 28, 2009
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First off, I want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread, and to others which have chipped in their two cents and opinions on how to run Gamma World more seriously than it was designed. After a week, I am starting to get some ideas on where I want to go. After some initial mis-steps, I have started blogging it. My GW #1: Post-Crash DatingMy GW #2: Nobody Calls Me Chicken Again, my thanks to everyone on the forums who has helped in the conversation.
The Doctor Comics Blog: doctorcomics.blogspot.com
On Twitter @doctorcomics
GW Card List: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/26023881/Card_List
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3 years ago ::
Oct 25, 2010 - 11:59PM
#17
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Date Joined:
Aug 28, 2009
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I've moved on to figuring out a new reason for the world to end. The Big Mistake is just too hand-wavy for me. My GW: The Apocalypse We're All Waiting For
The Doctor Comics Blog: doctorcomics.blogspot.com
On Twitter @doctorcomics
GW Card List: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/26023881/Card_List
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3 years ago ::
Oct 27, 2010 - 11:24AM
#18
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Sorry to go slightly off direction, but as you know i have spent a lot of time thinking about this subject now. I came to the realization that the main thing killing the seriousness of the game are the automated killer mutant robots... (and the omega deck and alpha flux :P)
I think the best method of keeping it serious is to first make it recognizable. The mistake happens in 2012, so for my game, the best tech you will find will be stuff that we have around today. More like Rifts than Paranoia. Where the Book of Eli sets the real theme, and an iPod is a top item. Some monsters for the sake of monsters, but men are monsters enough in that sort of setting, and making something of the remains is a herculean enough quest.
So sure, some guns but every shot counts amount of ammo. Crossbows, and clubs are the common place weapons, and armour ould be made from road signs, but not likely, and much more encumbersome.
The real problem becomes healing. With limited armour, and traps, monsters and men tearing into you, you fall quickly.
So, my current thoughts (I run the first game Saturday), is to change the mechanics a bit. Turn the game into epic by having monsters use a lower number. Either +5 instead of +10, or maybe half level when players use full level for rolls. Not sure yet.
End result being that youre in a world thats bent ripped asunder, and you are the Heroes that will help turn the course of the planet back towards benevolence instead of kill or be killed. I may even u ae some of the gamma world stuff for aliens, and let them actually be aliens who are watching our devolved culture and trying to decide between putting us out of our misery, or aiding the Heroes set things aright ( though that might get a bit cheesy...)
So I can be like everybody else!!! :D :D :D 
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3 years ago ::
Oct 27, 2010 - 12:57PM
#19
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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Sorry to go slightly off direction, but as you know i have spent a lot of time thinking about this subject now. I came to the realization that the main thing killing the seriousness of the game are the automated killer mutant robots... (and the omega deck and alpha flux :P)
That's only, what, 2/3rds of the game...
I think the best method of keeping it serious is to first make it recognizable. The mistake happens in 2012, so for my game, the best tech you will find will be stuff that we have around today. More like Rifts than Paranoia.
So the Big Mistake was supposed to merge a bunch of wierd realities. You might want to go for a more conventional apocalypse, but, then, you lose the mutant origins, too...
So sure, some guns but every shot counts amount of ammo. Crossbows, and clubs are the common place weapons
I suppose, if it's been a very long enough since the End. There are actually a tremendous number of guns in the world - in the united states, hundreds of millions - almost 1 for every citizen - and billions of rounds of ammo. If the initially casualties of the End Times are substantial, the survivors would be hard-pressed to burn through all that (though depending upon the violence of the apocalypse it might be hard to dig up).
The real problem becomes healing. With limited armour, and traps, monsters and men tearing into you, you fall quickly.
You'd have to add a grimmer healing mechanic, of course. Surges and long-term wounds, that sort of thing. As it stands, if you survive an encounter at all, healing is a non-issue.
Really, though, it sounds like you want something like Aftermath. Only the 6th ed of GW even aproached that (and even it had whacky nannites turning cities into strawberry ice cream).
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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3 years ago ::
Oct 27, 2010 - 1:12PM
#20
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1/3rd maybe. The characters are all the same, just less gear and randomness, and different monsters (setting not equal game)
While the big mistake merged realities, they didnt need to be higher tech realities, but rather dinosaur filled, mutated monster filled, etc realities. Underground complexes filled with killer mutant robots dont have to exist for the story to still fit into the GW setting. You could easily, in any GW game, have your players trying to take down the rampaging dragon that crossed over, and its armies of dragonborn or whatever, with absolutely no omega stashes anywhere. Removing omega from the game as a gm is just focusing on other possible aspects of the game and should feel no more off theme than to have a game that lacked badders.
While good point on ammo, I am of the assumption that if it was easily findable, it was quickly collected, hoarded, and made inaccessible by people wanting it. Not found in your typical wilderness or dungeon crawl.
Never heard of Aftermath, will check it out, but we spent a over a hundred on these GW boxes and booster cards, so converting it to something playable makes more sense than throwing it to the side. :P
So I can be like everybody else!!! :D :D :D
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