Klaus Mogensen

Re: Killing Attacks vs Stun Lottery

I use a Flat 3 for the StunX... has worked so far nicely.

The problem with this is that then 1d6K would do the same average Stun as 3d6N, but do more Body, which even requires special defenses - all at the same cost. Killing Attacks simply become too cost effective.

It might work if the cost of KAs were increased to 20 per d6.

- Klaus

Re: Rolling High

One thing I like about roll high is that it makes the system feel more open ended. When making skill rolls we all roll 12-' date=' 13- it makes it seem like there is an 18- limit when there is no such thing.[/quote']

I also find that when the system says "roll under your skill to succeed", GMs are less likely to assign modifiers than in systems that say "TN 10 is easy, TN 15 is medium, TN 20 is hard" (or some such).

 

Let's say we use Skill+3d6 >= TN to succeed, where Skill = levels+CHA/3, then the standard (medium) TN will be 13 (corresponding to rolling under 8+levels+CHA/3). TN 10 would be easy, while TN 16 would be hard, etc. The GM would then say e.g. "Beat a hard difficulty" rather than "Roll under your skill with a penalty of 3". Nicer and less math-y.

 

For combat, characters can have their "defense difficulty" (DCV+10) written on their sheets, and players would just roll OCV+3d6 versus this.

 

- Klaus

Re: I know what you are getting for Christmas (I've felt your presence)

A PRE attack is basically a way to change the emotional state of a target or targets quickly. That is basically it: you can make someone fear you' date=' hate you, love you or respect you. [b']What it absolutely and categorically does not do is allow you to dictate what the target does as a result.[/b] You can influence that with subsequent social interaction skill use but all a PRE attack does is puts a target into a particular emotional state.

(My emphasis).

This seems like a free pass for players to just ignore PRE attacks against them.

GM: "Great Chthulhu's grandfather is rising in front of you, tearing apart the tiger tanks the military had lined up to fight him. He's gobbling up all the people he can get his unwholesome tentacles on, with gore running in rivers down his gibbering body. Now he's turning his baleful eyes in your direction!" (Rolls PRE attack) "Effect 236 vs. your 3 PRE - you've never been that afraid before; you're about to die from fright."

Player: "I collect my courage and keep disarming the ticking bomb in front of me with a steady hand."

- Klaus

- Klaus

Re: Home on the Range

Going way back to 1e' date=' the "can't more than double" rule didn't exist and most Bricks had a 1d6 HKA to take advantage of that. This was fixed my capping out how much the STR could add. But the same logic that says a dagger wielded with STR should do more damage would seem to indicate even more STR should add even more damage. If it's logical to you that your high STR character should do more HKA damage, buy more HKA. It's logical to me that my supersonic flying character has better PD, so I buy more PD rather than whine that Flight should grant extra PD.[/quote']

Somebody in the 6e forum suggested that STR adds always should be normal damage. So if you have 1d6 HKA and 10 STR, you would do 1d6K + 2d6N; if you had 50 STR, you would do 1d6K + 10d6N. That could work.

 

- Klaus

Re: Home on the Range

A character with 15 STR and a 3d6 HKA does 4d6 HKA and paid 50 points.

 

A character with 30 STR and a 2d6 HKA also does 4d6 HKA and also paid 50 points, but he has all the other benefits of an extra 15 STR.

This just shows that STR is too cheap now, because you get "all the other benefits" for free.

In fact, it is cheaper than free now, since the 30-STR character doesn't have to spend nearly as much on Figured Characteristics and may even get to buy some Figureds back.

- Klaus

Re: The Distinctive, The Special, The Cool

I'm replying without reading the other replies in order not to be influenced positively or negatively by them.

I particularly like:

• the way a (relatively) few basic Powers can be modified with advantages and limitations to build almost anything
  
• that you only need one book of coherent rules rather than "Hero Supers", "Hero Magic", "Hero Tech", etc. (though I don't mind books with examples of how to implement the rules)
  
• the BODY/STUN damage system, which allows for varied effects without complex rules
  
• the spacing of actions provided by the Speed Chart
  
• group skill levels
  

I think that about covers it. I have always thought the characteristics system rather clunky and that too few characteristics are used for skills. The Disadvantage system is nice enough, but it is hardly unique and could use a thorough revision.

I should add that I mainly like the ideas above; the implementation of these ideas needn't be the same as now. In particular, I think a lot of streamlining would be nice.

- Klaus

Re: Home on the Range

I guess we're really discussing 6e rules, and that discussion is officially closed ... not that that is going to stop me replying.

A solution would be to let basic attacks (no range, STR doesn't add) cost 4 points and then let Ranged and Can Add STR each be a +1/4 advantage. That would let EB cost 5 points per d6, same as now. HA would also be 5 per d6, but I think that is reasonable enough, since all characters have some STR to add.

This means that you could have a ranged attack to which you can add STR for 6 points per die, or you could buy an "energy touch" attack at 4 points per die.

4 points per d6 provides whole numbers for all values of advantages, which deals with some rounding issues.

Another way is to let Ranged and Can Add STR be 20-point adders and give all attacks one free adder. Other such adders could be included, perhaps AVLD or Killing or Reduced END (-4 END).

- Klaus

Re: Alive through Force of Will

Aid BODY, triggered by getting below 0 BODY.

- Klaus

Re: Instant powers

You could buy levels with Requires a Skill Roll, using the option to use PER instead of a skill. Some of the levels only require one roll, while others require two; hence it it unlikely that all of them kick in at once.

- Klaus

Re: New Advantage: Stunning

Here's the question I really would like answered: How would you design an attack that's designed to make it easier to stun an opponent. I already know about 6d6 NND attacks with the limitation: only to Stun someone so please don't mention it.

I suppose you could Link your attack to a Suppress CON. Or if you're really cheesy, you could buy extra attack dice and link the attack to a similar amount of Heal.

- Klaus

Re: stock manipulator

Change Environment, affects wealth (+/- 10 points of Perk/Disadvantage), 23 radius doublings, Long-Lasting (+8 steps). Cost: 5 + 10 + 115 + 40 = 170 points.

You could add the limitations No Conscious Control (-2) and Focus, IAF, Immobile: Wall Street tickers scroll (-1½). Real Cost: 38 points.

- Klaus

Re: Rolling lots of D6s

Right average' date=' wrong distribution and variance.[/quote']

I know - you can't really simulate 5d6 accurately simpler than just rolling 5d6. d20+7 has approximately 50% greater spread than 5d6 and a flat distribution.

 

- Klaus

Re: Rolling lots of D6s

I also use the groups-of-10 method without problems. However, if you do want an alternative, you could use this substitution:

Instead of 5d6, roll d20+7. Body = half the d20 roll, rounded down.

It's not an exact substitution, but it has the right average and a not-too-dissimilar spread.

- Klaus

Re: Cleanse the Planet

Since I guess this nanite invasion is a one-off occasion, I think the solution to get rid of them should be a plot device rather than a detailed power.

I.e., the GM should say something like: "Professor Weiss-Ghuy thinks he can built a device to infect the nanites with a nanite virus. However, he needs a sample of unobtainium to make it work. You have to get it for him."

- Klaus

Re: New Mechanic: Scale

Original post updated to match corrections.

Thanks!

However, dekagrams are 1/100 kilograms, not 1/10, and a tenth of a ton is 100 kilograms, not 10.

- Klaus

Re: New Mechanic: Scale

I made a mistake when I wrote the original Scaling suggestion: I forgot about the square-cube law. Ants can lift many times their body weight because lifting ability is based on the muscle cross section (scale squared), while body mass is based on scale cubed. Here is a corrected version:

Damage is unchanged, since the energy in a punch depends both on muscle strength (scale squared) and the distance you can accelerate your fist (scale straight), which comes to scale cubed in the end, same as mass.

Note that if Strength applies to jumping like it does to throwing, small creatures (like grasshoppers) can jump relatively far, while large creatures (like elephants) can't jump at all.

- Klaus

Re: New Mechanic: Lightning Speed

Perhaps the following:

 

Combat Tasks: 5 Points Per Step Down The Time Chart

I would hesistate allowing that. Could this include STUN recovery? If it includes BODY recovery, why not?

And what about combat actions that normally require a half phase - could you do those as a 0-phase action for 5 points? Can full-phase actions like recovering from being stunned become ½-phase actions for 5 points?

I think this opens a very big can of worms. It will require very careful thinking to implement, not to mention a very big 'STOP' sign.

- Klaus

Re: New Mechanic: Lightning Speed

Can we apply it to REC to take Regneration out of healing? Even at 5x the cost it would be worth it to not hear the '5E Regen sucks' crowd complain.

The standard version says 'task' and 'non-combat only', either of which would leave Regeneration out.

However, we could extend the concept to include unconscious actions like sleeping and regenerating. For 3 points, you would only need to sleep ~7 minutes a day (compare this to the 5-point "need not sleep, eat or excrete" life support item).

If Regeneration it capped at once a minute, it would cease to become a combat ability. 7 points to recover BODY once per minute doesn't seem terribly overpowered to me. It won't prevent you from getting killed unless you get involved in a lot of battles between getting healed.

- Klaus

Re: New Mechanic: Lightning Speed

Can we apply it to REC to take Regneration out of healing? Even at 5x the cost it would be worth it to not hear the '5E Regen sucks' crowd complain.

I'm thinking it could replace the current version of Regeneration.

- Klaus

Re: Decoupling Movement from Speed or Segement moviement

(PS how do I display a .jpg I have as a thumbnail in the actual post?)

• First click the "Attachments" icon (the paper clip) to upload a file to the site.
  
• Then click the "Insert Image" icon (yellow with a mountain) to insert the URL of the uploaded file.
  

- Klaus

Re: Decoupling Movement from Speed or Segement moviement

Instead of going to segmented movement, how about just buying movement per turn and dividing by SPD to get how much a character can use per phase. SPD thus no longer increases a character's movement. If a character wants to move faster, he should buy a movement power.

 

Adjustments needed elsewhere :

 

Movement powers cost half as much. 1" of Running, Flight, Teleport costs 1 CP. 1" of Swimming, Leaping, Gliding costs 1/2 CP.

 

Damage added for movement to a Move Through is calculated using the characters movement per turn divided by 6 instead of 3. For move By it is divided by 10 instead of 5.

Here, you use SPD 2 as a standard. I think SPD 4 works better as an average for player characters - in the high end for heroic campaigns, but in the low end for superheroic campaigns. So 2"/turn of Flight, etc., would cost 1 point, and movement damage would have a divisor of 12.

Endurance cost of moving is paid per turn at 1 END per 5" moved during the turn.

No need for that - just pay when you move, 1 END per 5" moved, same as now.

- Klaus

Re: Decoupling Movement from Speed or Segement moviement

The main argument against segmented movement seems to be that there are too many segments in a turn, making it too time-consuming. Well, here is a fix for that:

• A turn is subdivided into 4 rounds of 3 seconds/segments each.
  
• Characters with SPD > 4 will act more than once in some rounds, but cannot act twice in the same segment (first action in the first segment of the round, second action in the second segment of the round, third action in the third segment of the round).
  
• You can move once per round, regardless of SPD (usually in conjuntion with an action phase, if you have one that round).
  
• The cost of movement is unchanged (still e.g. 2 points per " of Running).
  
• This gives a fixed conversion rate of 5"/round = 12 kph.
  
• In the low end of the Time Table, replace "1 phase" with "1 round".
  

This gives a new, simplified SPD chart:

- Klaus

Re: Decoupling Movement from Speed or Segement moviement

One rather simple way: You buy your movement as m/s (meters per second or meters per segment, take your pick). You can only move when you have a phase; then you move for all the segments since you last had a phase. Move Through/By damage is based on your m/s movement capacity.

Another way: But movement as "/turn. You can move ("/turn)/SPD (rounded down) in a phase. A SPD 4 character could e.g. buy 28"/turn, moving 7" per phase. Move Through/By damage is based on your "/turn movement capacity.

Segmented movement would be easier if there were fewer segments. In the 6th edition discussion, I have at different times suggested a 6-segment turn (where characters with SPD > 6 act twice in some segments) and a 4-round turn (with an action-point system which allows acting twice in a round). In either of these, segmented movement would be much less of a hassle (in fact, it is an integrated part of the action-point system).

You can see a description of the action-point system here.

- Klaus