Stun and Knockdown

[Zvezda]

The knockdown and stun rules need some clarification. They work pretty good for t2k and merc:2000 where you fight humans. They, however, have some weak spots when used with DC. Fighting humanoid darklings often becomes somewhat odd. Take the gigantic ogre for example. If the rules are applied to it, you can knock it down with a lucky shot form a nine millimetre. The ogre with AGL four goes down almost every turn. So using the rule does not work to well, neither does not using the rule. There is simply no reason why the ogre should be immune to the laws of physics and not be knocked down by the blast wave of a grenade for example.
The stun rules are similar, but a lot easier to deal with. It works quite good simply not to use them for darklings.
We only use the stun rules for monsters which are very similar to humans, like the morlocks or elves.
To make the knockdown rules more appealing to me I use the total of CON and AGL of large creatures to determine the knockdown value. It works, but a more satisfactory solution would be to give information on the amount of damage a monster can take before it is knocked down and whether it can be stunned or not, with the description of the particular darkling. What do you think, and how do you deal with that in your games?

[anthraxus]

We typically don't use the knockdown rules, although I would think (especially with a revamped hit location table to de-emphasize the legs) that just restricting knockdown checks to all leg wounds and upper body wounds that cause a shift in damage category.

We haven't really ever had a problem with the stunning rules. Most of the minions have high enough CONs that it isn't difficult to pass the check. Although I do tend to ignore them for minions that are radically different in physiology from humans (Toxic Mothers, Plaguelings, Tentacular ETs, etc.)

[Marcus Bone]

Well, I'll just say that as we are totally revamping the wound and damage system (the biggest step we are making away from 1st Edition really), Stun and Knock-down will be handled very differently. Can't go into details as yet, but more info to follow...

Marcus

[Zvezda]

Can't wait to see the new edition. I is a good idea to change that I suppose.