Damages and end of hostilities
Damages inflicted to the opponent
Along with the resolution of Actions during a Fight, blows are inevitably sooner or later given and taken. The following rules determine the effects of the blows received by any of the opponents.
To well understand the charts, one should keep in mind that an Combat Action in Zebra Island RPG can stand for several blows given with a weapon. Hence, even the Opponent who « defended » can have hit blows, meaning he was only mainly in defensive posture while he still inflicted Damages to the Attacker.
The system for managing Damages is simple. The reference - or basic - Damages are those inflictable with bare hands, described in the following charts:
| Damage Level | |
|---|---|
| - | None |
| 1 | « Just fine! » |
| 2 | « Ouch, as if… » |
| 3 | « See the Stars?! » |
| 4 | « … » [blamm !] |
The above corresponding numbers are used in the following table so that it's more easily read:
| Level of inflicted Damage | Roll for Attack or Defence of the Opponent no. 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roll for Attack or Defence of the Opponent no. 2 | Success Level of the Roll | Critical Failure | Normal Failure | Normal Success | Critical Success |
| Critical Failure |
- / - | - / 1 | - / 2 | - / 4 | |
| Normal Failure |
1 / - | - / - | - / 1 | - / 3 | |
| Normal Success | 2 / - | 1 / - | 1 / 1 | 1 / 2 | |
| Critical Success | 4 / - | 3 / - | 2 / 1 | 2 / 2 | |
It is necessary to add to that computation basis Boni in function of the used weapon. A weapon adds Boni to Damages in two possible and sometimes simultanous ways: by increasinf the Damage Level for a same Level of Success to the Roll on the one hand; by increasing the number of inflicted wounds at the basic given Level on the other hand. The following chart gives an idea of these Boni for several weapons.
| Weapon | Modification of Damage Level * | Modification of Damage Amount ** |
|---|---|---|
| Strength of the Character > 7 | - | +1 |
| Dagger | +1 | - |
| Sabre | +1 | +1 |
| Katana | +2 | - |
| Marine Gun | +1 | +2 |
| Musket | +2 | +1 |
| Shot (Cannon) | +2 | +2 |
| Cannonball | +3 | +2 |
* If the modificators lead to a Damage of 5 or more, consider that the blow is equivalent to cancelling all the remaining Skulls in the Health Level « … » [blamm !] of the Character: he or she is thus left as dead on the battle field in the best case.
** Hence the increase in the number of Skulls to cancel in one blow.
End of Conflicts and Encounters
A general rule is that the opponents are left as dead, whoever they are, particularly the Players' Characters, but also some Non-Players' Characters at the convenience of the Game Master – In the worst case, there is the risk, if they really die, to become Ghosts and, then, they can become Non-Players' Characters who are difficult to eliminate! As well, it goes without saying that it is for a Campaign more interesting if the principal Non-Players' ennemy Characters survive longer or at least if one doesn't know for sure if they were finally defeated or not…
Death must come one day at last but for the beauty and even more the pleasure of the game, this unique event in the life of a Character should be carefully prepared and brought in the story…
Death happens thus when all Skulls of the Health bar on the Pirate's Sheet of a Character have been crossed and when the Game Master or the situation in a more general manner doesn't let anymore chance to leave the Character as dead or benefit from an unthinkable turn of chance. (Some games use a system of Fate Points, cartoons pretend that cats have nine lives… In Zebra Island RPG, nothing of the kind is that well defined and is thus leaved to the judgement of our friend Game Master who will wisely make use of it…)
