An alternative to the Speed chart

[mrinku]

Since damage is variable, that's not a good example, Hugh. You are paying 5 points for an effect that you cannot rely on. Chris' idea is moving Speed from being a fully reliable effect to being one that is not. You would be better to compare it to Recovery or PD.

 

In regards to getting varying benefits for a fixed purchase, isn't that already the case with buying up skill rolls? If I start with a base roll of 13- I get less and less benefit with each Ievel I buy.

 

I'm not saying I'd use Chris' system, but it's worth examining. If you want a flat distribution, maybe adopt a half-turn and use a 1d6 roll against half SPD, with the odd number used in the first or second half-turn. So SPD 2 has to roll 1 to act, SPD 5 might need 3 or less in the first half-turn and 2 or less on the second one.

 

(Or - HERO heresy - use a d12...)

 

And maybe have it so that Segment 6 and Segment 12 (aside from SPD 1) are automatic successes, so that the standard noncombat SPD is a guaranteed floor? Although that would push the average number of actions up, with a greater effect for lower speeds. To compensate, subtract one from the half speed target number, so SPD 1 would only act on segment 6 and SPD 2 on 6 and 12, but SPD 3 has a chance of extra actions in the first half-turn (if they roll a 1) and SPD 4 and higher can get extra actions at any point.

[doccowie]

Maths arguments aside with bell curves (we all agree, I think?) I just love the idea of every player having twelve cards in front of them, with (say) 5 hearts and seven spades; or five awesome sportsball players and seven from a team you don't like - I don't know how you do this in the US).

Shuffle them up at the start of each turn, every phase all the players slam their top card down in front of them to see if they act.

 

Issues:

Makes coordinating and planning more difficult. Haymakers are perhaps less valuable if you don't know when your opponent will act.

You could draw all the cards at the start of the turn to generate and display a SPD chart anew every turn, but gosh, who can be bothered?

Maybe everyone sneaks a look at their own top card after slamming down the previous one - may give people time to plan their action during other people's turns and speed things up?

 

Characters may get pummelled for a few phases with no comeback, or vice versa, so it adds a bit of swinginess to combat. I'm not sure if this would be a bug or a feature.

 

Would the GM have a separate pack of cards for every villain? Or do they just stick with the speed chart? They have enough to worry about, and both sides using cards doubles the swinginess.

 

Segment 12. Maybe you still have the first segment of combat having everybody act and everybody getting a free recovery.

Then each turn you could either just say everyone gets a recovery post segment 12 whether they act or not, or you mark one of the cards as your recovery card, and you get it at a random time each turn.

Or you could just take one good card out of the twelve (so with SPD5 you would have 4 good, 7 bad), and everyone always goes on 12.

 

Still, I would love to run a couple of combats this way just to see how it works out...

[mrinku]

I'd probably go with "everyone goes on 12". That feature of the speed chart is pretty important as it lets the slowest hold an action into the next turn and gives them a fighting chance. I'd be reluctant to mess with the post-12 since a lot of rules assume that happens.

 

Holding actions is probably where any system with a random component needs scrutiny, since it's likely to happen more often, while also running into wasting a phase more often. Worst case would be a low speed character that holds a phase then gets their next phase the following segment.

 

Don't know if that would be easy to analyze mathematically, but a bit of light playtesting should show if it's a problem or not.

[Hugh Neilson]

Since damage is variable, that's not a good example,

5 points buys 1d6 which averages 3.5 damage, with variance. It does not buy 2d6 sometimes and 1d3 other times. Adding variability to SPD can be done with cards or a d12, maintaining consistent value for each

h point of SPD, or 2d6, making some more valuable than others. The variability can be achieved while maintaining consistent value for each +1 SPD, just as we have variable damage with a consistent value for each DC.

 

In regards to getting varying benefits for a fixed purchase, isn't that already the case with buying up skill rolls? If I start with a base roll of 13- I get less and less benefit with each Ievel I buy.

Sills also come with penalties to the roll, so bonuses allow me to reliably achieve greater effects. There's a reason skill levels are much more popular than buying up individual skills, though.

 

d6 only can handle 1-12. Die 1 is counted as 1 - 6, and die 2 is 1-3 add nothing, 4-6 add 6.

 

Still, I would love to run a couple of combats this way just to see how it works out...

I've toyed with testing it in a "time has gone wild" or "the Balance has shifted to Chaos" scenario.

[Hugh Neilson]

More random SPD = more swingy combat. A middle ground would roll 1d6, or use 1 set of cards, to set the phase for everyone.

 

Given Hero is a toolset, it seems like more swingy combat orders would be good tools to include.