Hello,

imagine an attack on a coach. The coach is chased by some bandits or monsters and careens along the uneven road with breakneck speed. (That's a scene from an adventure outline/log in the Gamemaster's section). The GM builds a Coach Tracker, and when it arrives on the event space, the coach topples. Assuming the adventurers are on the coach: How to handle the damage?

I thought maybe using an action card and pretending that the coach "attacks" the PCs. A Coach travelling on top speed and crashing to the ground would have -- I suggest -- the same Strength like a Troll or a Rat Ogre: 7 (If it goes slower and topples over for some reason, Strength can be reduced to up to 4).

The Coach "attacks" the PCs with "Strength vs. Athletics", because the PC can try to avoid damage with his catlike reaction. He can also add misfortune dice to the coach's attack by spending fortune points, announcing clever manouvers or applying fitting talents. The GM may add missfortunes to the dice pool due to circumstances. If the PC sees catastrophe coming, it should at least warrant for one misfortune die, because the PC can brace himself for the fall/can try to hop off in time. The default difficulty of the attack is as usual one challenge plus one challenge on the action card, and a toppling coach is assumed to be four steps deep into the reckless stance.

As a template for resolving damage, I'd thought about using the mounted melee action "Kick & Bite" which has (with some minor alterations):

one success: St+4 damage, target lies prone and has to spend one extra manouvre to stand up.

two successes: as above, +2 damage

one boon: +1 damage

two boons: +1 critical

comet or three boons: +2 damage, +1 critical, target is buried under luggage or parts of the coach. Has to spend at least two manouvres to get free.

chaos star or four banes: target suffers wounds, but eventually lands on his feet. No manouvres are necessary to stand up or free himself. This effect cancels out the Manouvre effect of the one sucess and the comet line.

I'm not sure whether this is too hard on the PCs. I've made some testrolls assuming PC agility of four with Athletics trained and seeing it coming (three characteristic, four reckless, three challenge, two misfortune). The effect wasn't that desastrous for the assumed PC, and there were even several rolls which didn't generate damage at all. I think that would be quite realistic, because the chances, that a character is able to hop off a toppling coach aren't that bad.

But that's assuming the PC is on top of the coach (or the driver's seat). If the PC is in the coach, I would add an expertise die to the pool (hence the comet line) and perhaps up to two fortune dice (if you really want to grind the PC in the coach).

So that's what I came up with. Any thoughts? Does this sound feasible or am I going in the wrong direction (with a crash on the fifth event space)?

Hi Korknadel.

So we meet again! I would not check Athletics (St), but rather Coordination (Ag) to determine whether they can escape a toppling coach unharmed. Also, I would probably let the PC's test, not the coach, as the game generally suggests a player-side view of rolls. Jumping at the right time an angle would definitely be a Hard (3d) task, maybe only Average (2d) for a coach that is somewhat slower. Rough terrain to land on would incur a misfortune, soft moss a fortune die.

No successes: You fall off the coach and land on something hard. Suffer 6 damage. You fall prone and must spend a manoeuvre to stand up.

Success: You barely get a scratch from falling. Only 1 wound, but you still fall prone and must spend a manoeuvre to stand up.

Success Success: You land on your feet, ready to face your pursuers. They won’t expect that! During your next turn, get <fortune> to all actions.

Boon Boon: You land in a soft spot. -1 damage.

Bane Bane: That is not going to end well. You hear a snapping sound as you touch the ground: +1 critical

Comet: You burst into fierce laughter despite the dangers as you drop from the coach. You and all engaged allies gain the Inspired condition for 2 rounds.

Chaos Star: Some wooden part of the coach splinters and hits you with a thousand wooden needles: +2 damage +1 critical.

Thank you very much, Glaukonit! There are a lot of things about your suggestion that I like very much. And choosing Athletics instead of Coordination -- foul mistake, I blame Tzeentch for that, who creeps unter my blankets every night and tries to befriend me with his crude notions on how to play WFRP!

What I like most about your version is the fluff. Yeah, that's the spirit!

But what I still like about my version is that it doesn't have a fixed amount of damage. I wanted something that compares to mechanics in other RPGs how damage by falling off a cliff etc. is handled. And as far as I know, WFRP3rd doesn't have that kinds of damage handling (yet). And I don't like fixed damage that doesn't take into account luck, armour, toughness and other characteristics that might fend off damage. That's why I came up with the idea of pretending that falling off a toppling coach could be resolved as an attack rather than a PC action (or perhaps, unconsciously, I like to think of the PCs as targets all the time ).

So, now I have an even bigger problem, because I like your idea, bit I still like mine, and I'm undecided. Nonetheless: Thank you for the inspiration!!

You're welcome.

Just to be clear on this. You want variable damage that is reduced by Toughness and Soak? This will make it superdangerous to fall off anything for already squishy PCs like mages or any social type career. I always image armor (especially heavy armor) to be somewhat of a danger to people who don't use it as intended (Yes, it says right there on the collar of your full plate: Warrany void if jumping off high buildings)

This is why I went with fixed damage instead. Now for the sideeffects, thats a different matter. Also, you could just ignore soak and still count toughness.

Again you are ever so right!

But, alas! You're right if we are speaking about breaking ones neck because of some plate armor. But what about the minor cuts and bruises from rocks and gravel on the road and splintering wood from the crashed coach? The root you fall onto or the treetrunk you bump into when falling to the ground (and perhaps rolling some distance)?

One of the beautiful things about WFRP3rd is that it doesn't pretend to be "realistic", so I think both concepts are in a way arguable.

Or we could make it even more complicated by adding a line:

two comets (or two chaos stars in your variant): if equipped with plate armor, you may break your neck: +2 critical