Post originally by Eduardo Penna at 2004-11-17 21:46:45
Converted from Phorums BB System

When I want a grittier game using the Tri-Stat system, I use the two alternate damage options suggested in Tri-Stat Core (which, I imagine, are not presented in Ex-Machina). One is BESM's maximum damage rule: all attacks inflict maximum damage, with no damage roll needed. It makes combat quicker both with an in-game reason (since everyone is taking much more damage per shot) and on a meta level (since you remove the damage roll).

The other one is HKAT!'s rules for attack/defence: a Defence roll only avoids all damage if the defender's margin of success is greater than the attacker's. Otherwise, the defender takes half damage.

Overall, these two options do not change the outcome of a fight. Whoever would have won it in the first place tends to do so with these options too, but they do it much more quickly. It makes combat with main antagonists quite deadly, while fighting mooks is even quicker (since most tend to fall after a shot or two, tops) but with an occasional serious injury.