Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[kreider204]

How do you describe an attack that hits, but fails to cause damage?

In some cases, it's pretty easy. If two people are boxing, I can say "He hits you, but not hard enough to hurt."

In other cases, I can't really make sense of it. "He shoots you with his modern large caliber firearm and the bullet hits; despite the fact that you are wearing no protective gear, the bullet does no damage ... "
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"It only takes an extra second to be courteous."
- Constable Benton Fraser

[jpk]

Don't describe anything until both rolls are finished and roll all those results into one description. Do not fall into the "a perfect shot between the eyes" followed by all ones on a damage roll trap.

That's my two cents, anyway. Then it's not a narrative issue.

[Baiyo]

For something like a bullet, I'll usually describe it as a near miss. Or in the case of someone ending up Shaken from being shot at by a firearm, I might describe it as being hit by debris as the bullet ricochets off of something nearby. You can also go with "the bullet just grazed you," or perhaps "the shot only takes your hat off, but you may not be so lucky next time."

So your example might turn out something like: "He shoots at you with his modern large caliber firearm. However, because you are wearing no protective gear you're moving just fast enough to throw off his aim. When you feel yourself for any holes that shouldn't be there, you find a groove through the hair on your head that didn't used to be there."

When's it my character making a successful Soak roll, I've gone with "the bullet ricocheted off the bullet still lodged in my chest from the last time I was shot." (Thank you Simpsons.)

Obviously, the same old descriptions get stale after a while. That's why when I'm GMing I'll sometimes tell the players that they can describe how they just barely avoided that last deadly strike. The newest players always seem to come up with the more creative descriptions.

That's the sort of thing that's been working for me anyways.

Edit: Also ditto what Joel said. Narrating post-damage roll makes it much easier.
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[Zadmar]

[Cutter XXIII]

That's the funny thing about bullet wounds, though. Even in the real world, they're highly unpredictable. One could actually get shot (especially with a modern, high-velocity projectile) and suffer no effect, some debilitating effect, or instant death.

"The bullet passes right through you, and in the haze of adrenalin you feel no pain" is an option. I've also described bullets as piercing a shirt, pants, or hat, but missing or grazing the skin (as Baiyo suggested).
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Matthew Cutter
Deadlands Big Bug (Brand Manager)
Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc.

[ogbendog]

Slightly offtopic, but i read a book once where a character was shot. It went something like, "someone punched him in the shoulder and poured warm soup down his back. then the pain hit"