Soaking wounds in combat tracker

[Niles]

I am trying to understand combat more and how you may soak wounds. Do you only get one chance per round to soak wounds? I thought you could use as many bennies as you want until all wounds are soaked. The reason I ask is because in combat tracker, I drag a benny from the record sheet to the "soak" field under the character in combat tracker. I understand the target number is 4 to soak one wound and raises soak more. However, when I make a second soak roll with a benny, even if I got a 4 (and sometimes a raise) with it, it doesn't soak any more wounds. I kept soaking and I finally rolled a number higher than the first number I rolled and it recognized that one, but not a lower roll. So my question is this...if your first roll doesn't soak all your wounds and you want to continue using bennnies to soak all your wounds, shouldn't combat tracker recognize if you make additional 4's and raises and remove more wounds accordingly? I also realize that you simply can't add subsequent roll totals together, since that would end up giving you such a high total that the roll would soak more wounds than what you earned through 4's and raises. But shouldn't it recognize the additional 4's and raises and remove more wounds on successful rolls? Or am I totally off the mark here and missing something?

[amerigoV]

Welcome to Savage Worlds!

One thing to clarify in case this is the problem. You spend a bennie to soak (so drag the bennie into the damage area for the individual in the Combat Tracker). The system does the roll and the math. But you do not hit "apply" button until the Soaker is happy with the result. If the first roll is not to their liking and they have bennies, they can drop another bennie onto the damage area. Note that this is a reroll, not an additional soak.

To given an example. If my character takes 2 wounds, I need a net result of an 8 to soak both of them. So spending 2 bennies and getting a 4 each time just soaks one wound. I need to get an 8 overall.

If that is not is what happening, would you post a couple of screen captures? I just tried it (spending bennies until I get a high result) and it worked fine for me.

[Niles]

Welcome to Savage Worlds!

One thing to clarify in case this is the problem. You spend a bennie to soak (so drag the bennie into the damage area for the individual in the Combat Tracker). The system does the roll and the math. But you do not hit "apply" button until the Soaker is happy with the result. If the first roll is not to their liking and they have bennies, they can drop another bennie onto the damage area. Note that this is a reroll, not an additional soak.

To given an example. If my character takes 2 wounds, I need a net result of an 8 to soak both of them. So spending 2 bennies and getting a 4 each time just soaks one wound. I need to get an 8 overall.

If that is not is what happening, would you post a couple of screen captures? I just tried it (spending bennies until I get a high result) and it worked fine for me.

Thank you for replying! Yes, I think you are right. I was thinking another soak roll of at least 4 would soak the second wound, but you're saying you need an 8 overall to soak both wounds. I was just looking at it in a different way.

[GunnarGreybeard]

Thank you for replying! Yes, I think you are right. I was thinking another soak roll of at least 4 would soak the second wound, but you're saying you need an 8 overall to soak both wounds. I was just looking at it in a different way.

From what I understand as a SW noob, you use a benny to reroll the soak attempt. If you are unhappy with result you can continue to spend bennies and reroll but the rerolls do not stack. You would just get to choose the single roll from the bunch that you are most satisfied with.

[Valyar]

As per the rules, soaking is Vigor check and as such can be re-rolled via Bennies. Page 96: Characters can’t Soak more than once per attack, but may spend Bennies as usual to reroll the Vigor check if they aren’t satisfied with the results.

[mac40k]

Also worth noting is that you can only Soak wounds from the current attack. Once wounds are applied, you need to heal them instead. IOW, if you already have 1 W from an earlier attack (that you didn't Soak or chose not to) and take a wound from a new attack, you can only Soak that new wound, not both, even if you roll an 8 on the Soak roll.

[Niles]

Also worth noting is that you can only Soak wounds from the current attack. Once wounds are applied, you need to heal them instead. IOW, if you already have 1 W from an earlier attack (that you didn't Soak or chose not to) and take a wound from a new attack, you can only Soak that new wound, not both, even if you roll an 8 on the Soak roll.

That's interesting. So does the program recognize prior and current wounds when you go to soak? Otherwise, how would you keep them separated?

[YamaShintaku]

That's interesting. So does the program recognize prior and current wounds when you go to soak? Otherwise, how would you keep them separated?

Yes, it is all automated and works pretty nicely.

[mac40k]

That's interesting. So does the program recognize prior and current wounds when you go to soak? Otherwise, how would you keep them separated?

Already answered, but yes and I wanted to point that out so that you didn't think it was a bug if/when you encountered it.

[Niles]

Already answered, but yes and I wanted to point that out so that you didn't think it was a bug if/when you encountered it.

Thanks mac40k. These are the little things that aren't discussed in detail in the rulebooks. This is also a ruleset where I see a lot of room for house rules if you wanted to change things to suit your game, which is what I really like too.