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I was working on my next weeks game notes and I've realized that the Hell hounds do not have a "mauling" ability or something like that.

I haven't used them in awhile, and I'd like the hell hounds to charge at the players and jump at them like attack dogs. And if successful, i want to knock them how as the dogs attack and maul them. But I dont recall if there's a good rule or write up of something like this in another palladium book.

Any thoughts?

Rappanui wrote:I generally treat mauling as a two step move: Power Bite and knockdown move. Characters can be hit with normal bonus, but counts as 2 actions for the creature. If successful, the Character must make a balance save (14 or higher on D20) or be knocked down. Characters that weigh more then the creature can lift are immune to being knocked down. Characters with acrobatics or gymnastics or Tumbling or Clowning I'd treat as having a +4 to save vs Balance, non stacking.

Actually, that's not bad!

I do have a copy of the "humanoid knock-down Impact table" from page 73 of the Heroes Unlimited book in my combat notes, and treating it like a "Leap attack/Power Bite" would work in this fashion.

for heavy characters you could use the "super-foe knockdown table" on the same page of H.U.

As for the characters with gymnastics/acrobatics, they get a "sense of balance" skill as part of the package, I would only require them to successfully roll this skill to stay on their feet.

Any other/additional thoughts?

mrloucifer wrote:

Rappanui wrote:I generally treat mauling as a two step move: Power Bite and knockdown move. Characters can be hit with normal bonus, but counts as 2 actions for the creature. If successful, the Character must make a balance save (14 or higher on D20) or be knocked down. Characters that weigh more then the creature can lift are immune to being knocked down. Characters with acrobatics or gymnastics or Tumbling or Clowning I'd treat as having a +4 to save vs Balance, non stacking.

Actually, that's not bad!

I do have a copy of the "humanoid knock-down Impact table" from page 73 of the Heroes Unlimited book in my combat notes, and treating it like a "Leap attack/Power Bite" would work in this fashion.

for heavy characters you could use the "super-foe knockdown table" on the same page of H.U.

As for the characters with gymnastics/acrobatics, they get a "sense of balance" skill as part of the package, I would only require them to successfully roll this skill to stay on their feet.

Any other/additional thoughts?

I agree for the most part. Regarding "sense of balance", I do not think it should figure that strongtly (either way). The sense of balance is IMO for staying on your feet when for example the tightrope one walks wavers but I would not think it helps so much against a slamming impact. Just my 2 cents. I would also definitely use the HU KD rules, they are great and work very well.

Hendrik wrote:I agree for the most part. Regarding "sense of balance", I do not think it should figure that strongtly (either way). The sense of balance is IMO for staying on your feet when for example the tightrope one walks wavers but I would not think it helps so much against a slamming impact. Just my 2 cents. I would also definitely use the HU KD rules, they are great and work very well.

Well Hendrik, I suppose it comes down to your playing style in this case.

In my silly and overinflated opinion, potentially being knocked over or keeping one's balance in a shaky situation is exactly what the Sense of Balance skill is for. Using your example above, walking a tightrope has its own skill to use (Walk Tightrope or High Wire) via the Acrobatics skill, just as Gymnastics offers "Work Parallel bars and Rings", although both skills offers the "Sense of Balance" skill.

I see the "Sense of Balance" skill as an added benefit of building one's grace, balance, and strength through being trained in these demanding physical skills, and thus should be used in moments where staying on ones feet is required. Sense of balance just as much using the slamming impact as its deflecting and redirecting the kinetics.
In my mind its also a way to reward the more practiced, graceful and balanced characters with a chance to shine in these moments (especially as I dont see many characters taking Gymnastics/Acrobatics in the BTS setting).

How I've used "Sense of Balance" in the past in these situations is like this. Lets say Joe had Sense of Balance at 40%, and gets hit with a body block/impact for 31 points. In the table, he has a 30% chance of being knocked down, but using his Sense of Balance allows him 10% more leeway to keep his balance. But if the damage is more than 41 points, he's now in a 50% chance of being knocked down, and this is higher than his Sense of balance skill, he has to adhere to the GM rolling for the potential knock down / being knocked off his feet (and the loss of attack/action that round that comes from it).