Buying Down Running

[RobCRogers]

I know that you can buy down Running, Swimming, and Leaping under Characteristics, but (like many GMs, I bet), I prefer to keep those abilities with Powers. Currently, I can't buy "negative" Running under Powers, although that seems to be a good place to put it since you can include notes and power namesI'd like to be able to purchase it there. For example:

Bum Leg
-2" Running

I know that I can write this up as a custom power, but then the Movement section doesn't reflect it.

Any chance this feature will be added in an upcoming version?

[Simon]

No. You will have to use the Characteristics tab.

[RobCRogers]

Originally posted by Simon
No. You will have to use the Characteristics tab.

Umm. Gee, thanks. Any explanation why? If I'm forced to do it with the characteristics tab, the reduction isn't clearly demonstrated on the sheet. Why stick 0 as the bottom limit for Running, Swimming, and leaping in the Powers section? If you can reduce it, it should be able to be reduced in either location.

[Simon]

The rationale has been explained numerous times in the past.

If you want a fully-detailed explanation, I'd suggest running a search. In brief:

You can purchase Modifiers on your Running....You can buy various increments of your Running with differing Modifiers. Allowing negative Running to be purchased outside of the Characteristics tab (where you cannot apply Modifiers) makes things rediculously complex (at best) and potentially erroneous (at worst) due to the potential for varying modifiers.

Selling off your Running on the Characteristics tab is reflected just fine on the finished character sheet....the actual total of your Running will display exactly as it should.

If you want an "explanation" as to why the character has no/limited running, then you can purchase a 0-point "Custom Power" and give the explanation....or you can include it as a note in the character description (or any other background section).....or you can include it as a note on the appropriate Physical Limitation that describes the character's condition.

How you do it is up to you, but negative Running will never be allowed.

[RobCRogers]

Originally posted by Simon
The rationale has been explained numerous times in the past.

Then apparently I'm not the only one asking for it. Hmm, maybe it's not such a bad idea, then.

Originally posted by Simon
How you do it is up to you, but negative Running will never be allowed.

Aside: I bristle at phrases like "will never be allowed." That sure sounds dictatorial to my ears, and not very customer-oriented. I usually wouldn't bring that up, but this wasn't the only time I've seen a similar response here. Often your responses are absolutely great, and you have a terrific response time, but sometimes I wish that the responses would be a bit more diplomatic, or that the decisions would be a little more open to reasonable argument or discourse.

Back to the topic at hand, I'm still confused as to why I can buy negative characteristics under my powers, but can't do the same with the movement powers. Surely the same complications that you mentioned (about modifiers) would apply to these. Is it a programming issue, where allowing this ability would take more effort than it's worth because of having to reconfigure the program? If so, that's a perfectly reasonable response, much fairer than implying that we're asking for something unreasonable or are likely to abuse the system somehow.

[Simon]

Check the Characteristics more closely. You can only buy some of them down below 0. Specifically, those Characteristics for which rules exist in the system for negative values: STR, DEX, CON, BODY, INT, EGO, PRE, and COM.

PD, ED, SPD, REC, END, STUN and the Movement Powers all have a minimum of 0.

If you don't like this rule, I would suggest taking it up with Steve.

[RobCRogers]

Originally posted by Simon
Check the Characteristics more closely. You can only buy some of them down below 0. Specifically, those Characteristics for which rules exist in the system for negative values: STR, DEX, CON, BODY, INT, EGO, PRE, and COM.

PD, ED, SPD, REC, END, STUN and the Movement Powers all have a minimum of 0.

If you don't like this rule, I would suggest taking it up with Steve.

Okay. Simon, thanks for a polite reply to some comments that likely weren't fun to read. I really appreciate it.