Forum

In Coriolis: The Great Dark, delving feels like it should involve not only environmental dangers but also (from time to time) threats like creatures and other combat encounters. But realistically, in a non-breathable environment, even a small puncture in a suit from a creature’s attack should be deadly.

How do you design delving encounters without making every hit automatically lethal? How do you handle these kinds of encounters in play? Or do you assume that such spaces are generally breathable? The Quickstart and the adventure at the end of the core book seem to suggest there’s a breathable atmosphere - but shouldn’t that be more of a rare exception?

I guess it is one for the designers to answer but I suspect they have avoided addressing it due to the so many factors and of added lethality. And I suspect most delve locations are not breathable and very very cold. I agree it should perhaps have been addressed for immersion reasons.

My guess is that you have to imagine breathing systems intact even on severe hits. However, there’s also the severe cold from space. I haven’t read the campaign - perhaps it addresses (or should address) that on some delve locations.

I for one would feel the added lethality would present interesting play. Perhaps tons of cold damage (and a chance at death, as if dying) each round until a number of extra supplies are used in a repair action, which also needs an extra roll.

It can get advanced and fiddly if there is not a simple rule however. Say that in a hostile space environment you suffer a critical hit - and your armor rolls no success - maybe then there is a leak? Treated like drowning until repaired. But as you can see, even this fairly simple rule results in fiddly things.

But I wish something was there rules-wise though. Maybe players will come up with something, or Alien has rules.

I’ve only had a chance to flip through the rulebook PDF while waiting for my physical copy to arrive, so I probably don’t have the full picture yet - but my quick take would be this:

Since damage is somewhat abstracted (normal damage can mean bruises, disorientation, etc.), it could be roleplayed as bludgeoning hits that don’t actually puncture the suit - or, in the case of firearms, bullets striking external components of the suit without breaking the seal.

Only once critical injuries occur would leaks and issues with a non-breathable atmosphere come into play, along with all their roleplay consequences.

I’m also really interested to see how delving encounters are handled in the official adventures - I’m sure there will be plenty of tips and ideas there for creating interesting encounters in such hostile environments.

I’d love to hear how other players (and the designers if they’d like to chime in!) see this topic!

I’ve only had a chance to flip through the rulebook PDF while waiting for my physical copy to arrive, so I probably don’t have the full picture yet - but my quick take would be this:

Since damage is somewhat abstracted (normal damage can mean bruises, disorientation, etc.), it could be roleplayed as bludgeoning hits that don’t actually puncture the suit - or, in the case of firearms, bullets striking external components of the suit without breaking the seal.

Only once critical injuries occur would leaks and issues with a non-breathable atmosphere come into play, along with all their roleplay consequences.

I’m also really interested to see how delving encounters are handled in the official adventures - I’m sure there will be plenty of tips and ideas there for creating interesting encounters in such hostile environments.

I’d love to hear how other players (and the designers if they’d like to chime in!) see this topic!

Thank you so much