Message 7: Tue May 21 15:44:51 (read)
From: eccles [To: caligari]
re: strength and dex.
I can see the point you're making about the differences in the strikes. In
the 3rd ed combat system, one of the differences is that damage is rolled
by [set damage]+[success-1]. So, hitting accurately really counts. All the
damage rolls have been reduced by one though, to compensate for this a 
little. ie: claws roll Dex + Brawl, damage Str + sucesses - 1 (instead of
Str +1). There are other differences of course, like lethal and nonlethal
damage (punching vs stabbing/shooting). If folks were interested in moving
to this system, I'd think about it, but I prefer to stay with the familiar
one.

As it stands: yep, I do regard Strength as not just brute force, but as 
a measure of muscle fitness/strength/responsiveness, so I'm happy to keep
things as is when it comes to rolling damage.

I think that I could be ok with a maneuver or two that let you roll Str

Message 6: Tue May 21 15:44:51 (read)
From: eccles [To: caligari]
+ sucesses damage - say a higher difficulty (7 or maybe 8) and damage -1 +
sucesses -1, as per the 3rd ed rules. I'd be a bit concerned that it could
be out of proportion with the rest of combat, and might reserve the right
to pull it again :)

Message 16: Wed May 22 12:16:51 (read)
From: caligari [To: eccles]
You're going to *love* me...
 
Here's an idea for an alternate Martial Arts system, based on the ideas
Greg Stolze and some others put together for Godlike.

Message 15: Wed May 22 12:21:22 (read)
From: caligari [To: eccles]
OK, Martial Arts is a separate skill, but you rarely roll it. Notably,
you do not roll it in combat. Instead you roll Melee or Brawl or Dodge
as usual.
 
Instead, you use your Martial Arts skill to assist the normal attack
or dodge or whatever. These effects are probably the result of using
the points in Martial Arts to get effects. Some suggestions are:
 
Aimed Blows
Extra Damage
Faster Hits
Hits out of usual sequence
 
Perhaps you have a pool of points = skill to use each turn, and various
of those effects (and perhaps maneuvers) cost a point or points to use.
<shrug>
 
Anyway, its an idea, so I thought I'd throw it out there.
:)

Message 14: Wed May 22 12:25:53 (read)
From: caligari [To: eccles]
... actually, looking at the skill in Godlike and its translation, its
possible you'd want to have Martial Arts + Dex points to spend each
turn, with some things costing a single point (? attack earlier by one -
just for the one attack; one extra damage; one to attack succes?; one
to dodge success - probably a limit on those ?) and some costing more
(? hit limb; extra attack - ie without using rage?)...