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What does "Overall" not cover?


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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

Wouldn't an Overall Level not be applicable to the use of a skill the character could not conceivably know? For example, if I were a present-day character transported a thousand years in the future, I wouldn't be able to apply my Overall levels to tasks like repairing a stardrive until I had learned at least a little about how stardrives work (not to mention overcoming my belief that FTL travel is impossible by definition).

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

I love Overall Levels. Out of Combat Time, they're awesome.

 

One of the things that you need to keep in mind during Combat is that, like any other kind of Level, you can only allocate them to one purpose per Phase. So, for example, if the GM asks you to make a PER Roll, and you use them there, you can't, in that same Phase, use them for OCV, DCV, Dive for Cover... nothing.

 

It makes it very tactically important to juggle them well.

 

Cheers,

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

Yeah' date=' Overalls work on Find Weakness and DFC. They even work on Contact rolls. They work on almost any roll that needs 3 dice, other than damage and knockback. ;)[/quote']Actually, you can use two Overall Levels like Combat Levels to add an additional +1 Damage Class; so they'll even work on damage rolls. :D
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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

Combat levels are indeed quite awesome. Personally, I think they should be worth 12 pts (since Combat Levels and Geenral Skill Levels both feel like Overall Skill Levels with a -1/2 limitation excluding the other), but:

  • 1) 10 is a nice round number;
  • 2) I can't bring myself to charge the numerous characters that I have who have bought them the extra point difference; and
  • 3) I have too much respect for people who write & introduce the Dark Champions genre, trade in their legal careers to buy the company, and give said company new life to argue over 2 pts. ;)

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

Baby, Overall means Overall.

 

Overall levels are one of the best buys in the system. They look expensive at first blush, but they're a fistfull of savings when you get down to brass tacks. I know GMs who don't allow them because of how effective they are. I do allow them, but I take a critical look first.

 

They can lead to bat(uber)mentsch syndrome (omni-competence), but they work very well for solo characters who have to be able to do it all, and for certain character types - skill hounds who have to hang with mega-heroes, for instance. You just have to be careful that the lack of granularity they introduce (the character just got better at almost everything) doesn't lead to stepping on other character's shtick.

 

Personally, I like them. And since I prefer heroic games and skill-heavy characters I tend to buy them...

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

Even in more "realistic" games they don't tend to be unbalancing (in my experience) simply because "realistic" games tend to use fewer points - at which stage sinking 30 points into +3 with everything is a really big investment.

 

In addition, many genres feature characters who are unusually competent in a range of areas (often alongside weaklings who are competent in almost nothing :D) so it's not necessarily out of genre.

 

cheers, Mark

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

About the only thing you can't apply Overall levels to besides the already mentioned Familiararities is the talent Cramming (which istelf just a temporary familiararity).

 

Thanks for the reminder about cramming; that'll stop the purchase of cramming with the dubious Overall levels bought with the limitation of only for Cramming (-2) to make the literal Mr. Know-it-All.

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

Thanks for the reminder about cramming; that'll stop the purchase of cramming with the dubious Overall levels bought with the limitation of only for Cramming (-2) to make the literal Mr. Know-it-All.

 

That's assuming you want to stop it.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary expects Lucius to now create a character named Batubermentsch

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

You can apply them to any 3d6 bell curve resolution roll. That includes PER Rolls, FW, and a slew of other rolls. Activation Rolls are borderline and require GM permission, and it generally boils down to SFX.

 

There is a reason why so many of the hundreds of characters I have made have at least one OL, and often many more.

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

They are better for some Heroes than for others. Overall Levels have a decidely pulp-ish feel to me; I'm questioning whether they should be allowed in more "realistic" games. Am I just being paranoid?

 

I hear what you're saying, but as someone else pointed out above, OLs can only be used once per phase. The second you get into combat it can become a real poker game, especially if you are fighting multiple opponents by yourself. I have a hard time not second-guessing myself about where to put the levels.

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Re: What does "Overall" not cover?

 

I hear what you're saying' date=' but as someone else pointed out above, OLs can only be used once per phase. The second you get into combat it can become a real poker game, especially if you are fighting multiple opponents by yourself. I have a hard time not second-guessing myself about where to put the levels.[/quote']

 

In that case, I think you really can't go wrong with putting them on DCV, since it's DCV vs both HtH and ranged attacks (AFAIK).

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