Hey guys, first time poster and reader of Burning Wheel. I was reading the section about IMS and damage. The text isn’t as clear as I’d like. Would someone mind laying out what happens with hitting, damage, and IMS?
Thanks!
A more specific question would help us help you better.
Fair enough, I shall make it more specific!
It says that there is only one roll, the attack/damage roll. But yet the damage roll talks about Shades, even though Shade is covered by the skill. Did I miss something there?
When your damage is high enough you can exeed the threshold of your shade. A b17 wound is a G1. (i think) And you need gray weapons to do gray damage
OK, so here’s how you do damage:
Roll, with all the targeting a specific body part and all that, using your skill. If you hit and exceed the obstacle, you deal damage. The IMS determines how severe the wound is, placing it on the track. The shade determines another part of the track it can hit, which might auto-KO someone (depending on how “nice” their wound track is).
That sound about right?
Ok here goes… I’ll do it step by step.
Joe the Hammer-bearer is fighting Sir Alston the Foolish.
Joe has scripted strike and Sir Alston has scripted Strike as well.
Joe the Hammer-bearer rolls his B6 Hammer skill. He rolls an amazing 6 successes. He needs to beat ob 1 to hit someone. So he’s certainly going to hit.
Sir Alston the Foolish declares I offer up my heavily armored chest for Joe to hit.
Joe decides to spend one of his 5 extra successes to move his hit location to Joe’s unarmored head (Now we know why he is the Foolish).
Joe has a Power of B5 and his weapon has Pow 3 and Add 2. His I damage would be B4… If he chooses to spend no more successes that is what he would do for damage. However he has 4 extra successes still and an add 2 weapon. So he can do his weapons S damage. Which is B12… So Joe hits Sir Alston with a B12 wound. Surely killing Sir Alston the Foolish (This is why you wear armor in combat folks)
However Sir Alston had a strike scripted as well and would get to complete all his strike stuff before he crumbles in a headless heap at Joe’s feet. Yes, I excluded Armor and and therefore VA from the example.
Thanks! That makes a lot of sense. I like it 
Thanks, Peregrine.
(Though you had it about right, Spyder.)
Wait a sec…Spyderswebbing…I know you! I got you into Burning Wheel!
And yes, it’s an elegant system, IMO.
Hey, I know you too. I got you into RPG’s!
And you’re right, it IS awesome… I’ll be playtesting it in two weeks! Can’t wait!