Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 kzak May 21, 2009 13:05:58	The d20 Modern book does actually say two different things about this: Page 111: Damage exceeding the character's Constitution is Massive Damage and provokes the Massive Damage check. Page 224: A creature taking damage equal to or greater than its current Constitution provokes the Massive Damage check. I've always thought that the former interpretation was the correct one, though recently a person I know claims otherwise. Do GMs run with different interpretations based on whether or not the character receiving damage is a player character? Which interpretation is the common one for players/GMs on this forum?
#2 backstabbist May 21, 2009 14:41:35	If a very literal person looked at p224 as the general rule for creatures, and p111 as a specific rule for characters, then one could argue that Characters are >CON while all other creatures are ≥CON. Our gang dont do that, we play it as just Over Con forces MAS we might have to check the BPs and BunkerNotes for an 'official' answer
#3 chonen Jun 12, 2009 15:50:41	I have only barely used D20 Modern and the Massive Damage Threshhold surprised me when I saw it in the book. Having a low Con already gives you fewer hitpoints so now the "bookish types" have to contend with getting one shotted. And why doesn't this scale with level? As you level the Massive Damage Threshhold becomes a lower % of Max HP and your threats start dealing more damage, so even a character with good Con has to worry about a one-hit-KO. And this is actual death not just dropping to 0. Or am I just blowing this out of proportion because I haven't seen it in play?
#4 narukagami Jun 12, 2009 16:02:25	I have only barely used D20 Modern and the Massive Damage Threshhold surprised me when I saw it in the book. Having a low Con already gives you fewer hitpoints so now the "bookish types" have to contend with getting one shotted. Why shouldn't they? If they can't take hits they should try getting shot less. Cover is your friend. And why doesn't this scale with level? Because fortitude saves do. For a Tough Hero Massive Damage saves become completely irrelevant after level 4, for everyone else it starts losing relevancy around level 6. Massive Damage is only a problem, or even relevant at all, in low level games. Once you hit level 10 you might as well just forget about it completely, because at that point it just becomes a useless time wasting die roll.
#5 backstabbist Jun 12, 2009 23:49:21	so even a character with good Con has to worry about a one-hit-KO. And this is actual death not just dropping to 0 uh, yeah, it kinda is just dropping.... it aint a Death save You are just a mundane Treat Injury check away from coming back, but dont dilly-dally in getting that Treat done Effects of Hit Point Damage At 0 hit points, a character is disabled. At from –1 to –9 hit points, a character is dying. At –10 or lower, a character is dead. Massive Damage Any time a character takes damage from a single hit that exceeds the character’s massive damage threshold, that damage is considered massive damage. A character’s massive damage threshold is equal to the character’s current Constitution score; it can be increased by taking the Improved Damage Threshold feat. When a character takes massive damage that doesn’t reduce his or her hit points to 0 or lower, the character must make a Fortitude save (DC 15). If the character fails the save, the character’s hit point total is immediately reduced to –1. If the save succeeds, the character suffers no ill effect beyond the loss of hit points. Creatures immune to critical hits are also immune to the effects of massive damage. There is a reason we have this saying in the d20Modern forum: "Try getting shot less" --- Razoreface It is common for folks coming over from DoorKick games to miss this key concept: Getting shot can be really bad for you.