Determining D3 Damage (Calling All Rules Lawyers!)
Hi, folks. I'm trying to wrap my head around this, because I can't find any solid guidance in the rules. The following is copy/pasta'd from Lustria. The model-in-question is the Oldblood on Carnosaur.
I've read through the Making Attacks section many times now, and I can't figure out whether to roll a single die after the save rolls to determine my D3 damage in combat, or whether to roll a die for every unsaved wound. It might actually work both ways: rolling a single D3, or rolling several times. There are two procedures for making attacks, and both (in the case of our Oldblood on Carnosaur) seem to be optional - I don't think that there's a "right way" so long as you pick whichever you prefer.
I know that we're all used to how this worked in 8th edition, but I do find it exceedingly strange that everything is now written in the singular ('the weapon's damage characteristic') and that the rules constantly refer to the weapon itself rather than the model doing the wounding (or the wounds,even). If a weapon has 'a damage characteristic,' then that surely must stay the same no matter how many wounds you've scored? Wouldn't rolling multiple die to determine damage be putting more emphasis on the model's damage output rather than its weapon's capability, the damage of which is, again, regularly mentioned only in the singular throughout the rules (rather than the model)? Can a weapon have several damage characteristics?
(puts on tinfoil cap)
Here's the 'Making Attacks' section.
MAKING ATTACKS
Attacks can be made one at a time, or, in
some cases, you can roll the dice for attacks
together. The following attack sequence is
used to make attacks one at a time:
1. Hit Roll: Roll a dice. If the roll equals
or beats the attacking weapon’s To Hit
characteristic, then it scores a hit and you
must make a wound roll. If not, the attack
fails and the attack sequence ends.
2. Wound Roll: Roll a dice. If the roll
equals or beats the attacking weapon’s
To Wound characteristic, then it causes
damage and the opposing player must make
a save roll. If not, the attack fails and the
attack sequence ends.
3. Save Roll: The opposing player rolls a
dice, modifying the roll by the attacking
weapon’s Rend characteristic. For example,
if a weapon has a -1 Rend characteristic,
then 1 is subtracted from the save roll. If the
result equals or beats the Save characteristic
of the models in the target unit, the wound
is saved and the attack sequence ends. If
not, the attack is successful, and you must
determine damage on the target unit.
4. Determine Damage: Once all of the
attacks made by a unit have been carried
out, each successful attack in‘flicts a
number of wounds equal to the Damage
characteristic of the weapon. Most weapons
have a Damage characteristic of 1, but some
can in‘flict 2 or more wounds, allowing
them to cause grievous injuries to even the
mightiest foe, or to cleave through more
than one opponent with but a single blow!
In order to make several attacks at once, all
of the attacks must have the same To Hit, To
Wound, Rend and Damage characteristics,
and must be directed at the same enemy
unit. If this is the case, make all of the hit
rolls at the same time, then all of the wound
rolls, and finally all of the save rolls; then
add up the total number of wounds caused.
Something that I'd previously looked over is that the entire numbered list is only for making attacks one at a time.
1st paragraph, final sentence,
"... The following attack sequence is
used to make attacks one at a time:"
If you have three attacks, then you're going to be going through that list three times (probably wise if you're trying to kill or wound three specific dudes in a unit, for example). If you choose to play it this way, then it seems inevitable that your D3 damage must be randomized multiple times.
Oldblood 'Blue' attack 1 against Alpha, 1 hit, 1 wound, 1 failed save, 1 damage.
Oldblood 'Blue' attack 2 against Musician, 1 hit, 1 wound, 1 failed save, 2 damage.
Oldblood 'Blue' attack 3 against Standard Bearer, 1 hit, 1 wound, 1 failed save, 3 damage.
Since these attacks all target different models and they're made one at a time, then, yes, they'd all have different damage characteristics. I can't think of a logical way to finish one attack sequence only to prescribe it a damage characteristic later, because it'd potentially change the outcome of the combat.
So, that's method 1: rolling 1 attack at a time, getting all of your damage results 1 at a time.
Method 2 is to roll several attacks at once.
Final paragraph,
"In order to make several attacks at once, all
of the attacks must have the same To Hit, To
Wound, Rend and Damage characteristics,
and must be directed at the same enemy
unit. If this is the case, make all of the hit
rolls at the same time, then all of the wound
rolls, and finally all of the save rolls; then
add up the total number of wounds caused."
Although all of the attacks have the 'D3' characteristic (which is, in fact, a 'damage characteristic'), 3 separate damage characteristics can occur, which would retroactively violate this rule (unless 'D3' is enough to satisfy it).
To me, 'D3' is more of a placeholder for a damage characteristic, because 'D3' indicates 3 possible outcomes. You also can't do 'D3' damage, you can only do '1, 2, or 3' damage. I don't think that a randomized damage characteristic bars a player from using this method, I think that it just means that a single roll covers it because that's the only way to ensure a single outcome. If the inverse is true, we'd have to attack one-at-a-time, which I doubt was the intent because they'd not have given us two methods.
So it'd go,
Oldblood 'Blue' makes 3 attacks > gets 3 hits > gets 3 wounds > Red fails 3 saves > 'Blue' rolls a single die to get a matching damage characteristic > 'Blue' adds up his wounds.
Still, there's no concrete wording. I keep getting caught up on this...
"... each successful attack in‘flicts a
number of wounds equal to the Damage
characteristic of the weapon."
... because it could so easily go either way, and, yet again, we see the weapon's damage characteristic mentioned in the singular.
I suppose I'll take the 'majority rules' approach. It seems that it's entirely up to interpretation, unless you feel that 'D3' is a suitable damage characteristic (in which case, there's still no rule for determining how many dice are to be rolled!). I'd figured that I'd just explain where I'm coming from so I don't look all beardy. ;) It seems like either way is legit, each with their own merits and drawbacks.
