There is a debate going on in the Cortex System RPG boards over Strength as a dump stat for characters.  Agility is more important for scoring a hit on an opponent, Vitality more important for survivability.  Strength winds up often being the stat that gets short shrift.  One of the ideas to make strength more important in Cortex is to have it effect melee and hand-to-hand damage.

In the Cortex system, weapons damage is usually represented by the basic damage done by an attack with the weapons damage added (ex. Bill swings a knife at Jim.  Bill’s attack is and Agility of d6 and a skill in Melee Combat of d4 v. Jim’s Agility of d6 and Atheltics (he’s dodging) of d4.  Bill gets lucky and rolls a 9, while Jim rolls a 4…that’s 5 points basic damage, which is broken into 3 stun/2 wound.  He then rolls a d4W for the knife and gets a 2W — total:  4 wound, 3 stun…)

Here’s the rub:  Bill’s a friggin’ monster with a d10 Strength.  Shouldn’t the knife do more damage?  Certainly if it’s a cinematic-styled game, it should.  There are a few ideas floating around on the Cortex System RPG boards, suggesting an average between the knife damage and the strength of the character (in this case, it would be a d6 [rounding down].)  Another is to roll the strength and weapons damage and average that.  (Ex. On a d4W Bill rolls a 2, and for his strength a 7:  average of 11 is 6, rounding down.)

I am suggesting that the d10 Strength would be the damage roll for the weapon, but it would be Basic damage…thus the increased impact of the strength only amplifies, but does not replace, the weapon’s wound capabilities.  (Ex.  Bill had the 5 points basic for his initial impact split into 3S and 2W.   He rolls his strength-based damage of d10B and gets a 6.  That is split down the middle for 6 stun and 5 wound.  It’s a serious wound, but not immediately fatal to Jim with his 12 Life Points.)

As for hand-to-hand combat, I often allow the characters to choose Agility or Strength in HTH Combat.  While not entirely realistic in the ability to strike a blow, it captures the “big action hero” punch/kick styles for the movies.  Schwartzeneggar was never very fast in his punches, for instance, but on impact, they were impressive in their effects (on screen, at least.)