Game Balance

[SoroProject]

 I have been playing Champions since the original release but haven't played for almost 12 years or shortly after 5e came out (which I loved). I just ordered the 6th edition book but been thinking about how I would run a game now and came out with this balance chart. I am hoping to get some input from the forums on it.

.	.	Offence	Defense	Other
.	1	50	40	20
.	2	60	50	40
.	3	75	60	80
1,2, and 3 are levels in a catagory that shows how many active points you can use in that group on an ability
Superheroic - Split 6 points of levels between Offence, Defence, and Other catagory
Heroic - Split 4 points
Normal - 2 points

[fdw3773]

Is this balance chart for a future campaign using Champions Now, or 5th or 6th Edition? If it's the former, since Champions Now draws a lot from the earlier editions that I've previously used, those point guidelines look about right for 3rd Edition. 🙂

 

If it's the latter, page 126 of the 5th Edition Champions source book by Aaron Allston has a comprehensive chart for point levels, skill rolls, combat values, defense ratings, and so on for low-powered, standard, high-powered, etc. characters that may give you better fidelity. Similarly, page 9 of Champions Complete that uses the 6th Edition rules has a similar guideline for the power level (Low, standard, cosmic, etc.)

 

 

[BNakagawa]

My favorite approach is to define a [GENERIC BAD GUY] who has campaign specific typical values for CVs DCs, DEFs, STUN, SPD.

 

Look at your character and imagine you are attacking GBG. calculate your typical hit rate, figure out how much damage you expect per hit and figure out how many seconds of combat you think it will take to KO the GBG.

 

Next, look at the flip side and figure out what are the odds of GBG hitting your PC and how much damage a hit will do and calculate how many seconds your PC will last while under attack by GBG.

 

It doesn't tell you everything involved in power balance, but it gives a pretty objective metric for comparing relative power levels. It also works no matter what your table considers 'average' because I have experienced a broad range of values over the decades.

[SoroProject]

Thanks everyone for the input. My main reason for wanting this guideline is for balance between players so you don't have a player who is better in every category compared to the other players through clever design or well configured limitations.