Why Is "Requires EGO Roll" -1, not -1/2

[Misery Lad]

A player of mine has a character with a bevy of abilities that are only activated with an EGO Roll. I thought this would entail a -1/2 (Just like "Requires a Skill Roll") but, once the player ran his character through Hero Designer, the limitation came up -1. I'd like to know if this is correct and, if so, exactly why? Is this change in the way EGO is handled as a characteristic roll explained anywhere in the printed rules? Thanks.

[JJR]

Re: Why Is "Requires EGO Roll" -1, not -1/2

 

The value of the limitation is based up the value of the characteristic roll using the activation chart. If the character had a 14- ego roll the value of the limitation would be -1/2. With an 11- ego roll the value of the limitation is -1.

[Blue]

Re: Why Is "Requires EGO Roll" -1, not -1/2

 

Exactly. The value of the limitation scales to how good your Stat roll is. The higher the stat roll you have, the less valuable the limitation is.

[Misery Lad]

Re: Why Is "Requires EGO Roll" -1, not -1/2

 

Ah, I see. Thanks. That makes sense. One question, though; if he has Skill Levels on the side that raise his EGO rolls, should those be taken into consideration or is that just thought of as a compensating factor, like taking Spatial Awareness when you're blind?

[Derek Hiemforth]

Re: Why Is "Requires EGO Roll" -1, not -1/2

 

One question' date=' though; if he has Skill Levels on the side that raise his EGO rolls, should those be taken into consideration or is that just thought of as a compensating factor, like taking Spatial Awareness when you're blind?[/quote']I think this is a GM call. To me, it depends on how much he paid for the levels compared to how much he saved with the Limitation. He has paid points for the levels, so he's eaten up some of the savings he got for the Limitation anyway. But if the difference is huge, then the GM should disallow it.

 

For example, if he paid 20 points for +10 Skill Levels with EGO Rolls (for a total EGO Roll of 21-), and the powers are 60 Active Points each (for a -6 to the roll), he'd be left with a 15- roll (about 95% chance of success).

 

If he had saved, say, 25 points with the "Requires An EGO Roll" Limitation, then this might not be too bad. Yeah, he'll still make it most of the time, but he also spent almost all of the Limitation savings buying the Skill Levels. However, if the Limitation had saved him 50 points, then he's obviously milking the system for a loophole, and the Limitation value adjusted accordingly.

[jackalope]

Re: Why Is "Requires EGO Roll" -1, not -1/2

 

A player of mine has a character with a bevy of abilities that are only activated with an EGO Roll. I thought this would entail a -1/2 (Just like "Requires a Skill Roll") but' date=' once the player ran his character through Hero Designer, the limitation came up -1. I'd like to know if this is correct and, if so, exactly why? Is this change in the way EGO is handled as a characteristic roll explained anywhere in the printed rules? Thanks.[/quote']

 

I'm going to disagree with some of the previous posters. I think that requiring a CHAR roll should be worth twice as much as a Skill roll, and here's why:

 

I'm making a character who can greatly increase his leaping ability via a series of acrobatic rolls and flips. So I buy him the following power:

 

+10" Leaping, Requires an Acrobatics Roll (-1/2) (10 Active Points) Total Cost: 8

 

or I can buy him this power:

 

+10" Leaping, Requires a DEX Roll (-1) (10 Active Points) Total Cost: 5

 

Let's say I have a DEX of 23. That would give me a DEX Roll of 14-, and an Acrobatics Skill of 14-. In both cases, the roll for using this power would at -1, or a 13-. Pretty good.

 

Now, let's say later I want to increase my chances of success with my "Acorbatic leaping". If I built the power the first way, using the Acrobatics skill, every +1 to my roll will cost 2 points. If I built the power the second way, using a DEX Roll, every +1 to my roll will cost either 15 points, if I increase my DEX by 5, or 5 points, if I buy a Skill Level with DEX.

 

And that's why Requires a CHAR Roll is worth twice as much as Requires A Skill Roll - raising a CHAR Roll is far, far more expensive.

 

EDIT: Nope, looked it up, and a +1 with CHAR Roll is only 2 points. That's crazy, it should be worth way more than that.

[Asperion]

Re: Why Is "Requires EGO Roll" -1, not -1/2

 

I have always had the belief that Req Skill Roll is based off the base skill, no skill levels allowed. Why should Req Char Roll be different in the since that it does allow skill levels? The way that I see things then both disads shiould be the same and not allow skill levels. If a char buys his EGO to 21- then that should be the base to work off of, not EGO of 11- with +10 EGO Levels. In the case off the latter then the base roll would be 11-, no +10 levels.