Discussion about rules

[Nerian]

This is where questions and discussion about the rules will be had.

[Thot]

I am expressing possible interest. I have already toyed with that kind of concept in the past, and I am curious to see how it may pan out.

To make it simple for the test, I could just go Sword and Board. If I follow my current inclination, it may be a Draconian Paladin, or Human Monk instead. Or what I can make that would feel like that with the rules, obviously :)

[Nerian]

I understand it's a bit of a different concept as my rules do not restrict where you spend your xp so pretty much anything is possible. The rules are not completely finished yet, still have more spells to make which work more like rotes in WoD. Probably still have more perks to make.

I'm hoping it will make combat more dynamic while allowing complete customization of characters.

 

Let me know if you want an invite.

[Thot]

OK, I have built something of a character. You obviously may want to look at it, and would probably have feedback. I have not tried to break anything, but I have still tried to make a "decently optimized" character.

As it is, I already have a couple of question:

- I have a high Martial Arts score. I guess when I make a Martial Arts attack, I roll Agility + MA, right ?

- Weapon damage is equivalent to Gauntlet (+0), or is there any bonus ?

- Are all damage Bashing or Lethal for Martial Arts, please ?

- The Greater Martial Arts Perk hints at MA Maneuvers. Probably things like Trip / Throw / Grapple and so on, I guess, but they are not described anywhere.

There are more, of course, but let's already start with that please :)

[Nerian]

Ok I'm taking a look over your character sheet, it looks like there is some math that is incorrect, or maybe wasn't explained how it works well enough. Let me answer some of your other questions before I get to that though.

 

Martial Arts attack would be Agility + MA

 

Damage is calculated as weapon damage + extra successes over the evasion roll, So if you roll 3 successes and the opponent rolls 1 success, then you would roll your might and your weapon damage calculate those successes, then add 1 success to that for your extra successes over what was needed.

 

So an every day normal gauntlet does not give you extra damage. So it would just be a might roll + any extra successes you got during your attack. Magical gauntlets may give you a bonus depending on what kind of magic is in the gauntlet.

 

 

Martial arts has the capability of choosing Bashing or Lethal, if you do not specify that you are trying to subdue then you would be doing lethal damage, sort of the same way with a sort and using the flat of the blade. Your hands are trained lethal weapons.

 

Hah Right, I have not described the martial arts maneuvers as of yet, however you are pretty spot on with those trip, throw, grapple etc. I purposely wanted to leave that kind of open that way you can choose maneuvers from where ever, you basically design your own maneuvers and then pay the xp for it and it's something your character has trained. I may one day describe those, but for now they are left open.

 

 

Ok so on the xp spending, because you are human your Ability Scores cost you New pip times 9 instead of times 10,

Ability Scores start at 1 for free.

Let's take your Agility score as an example, your Outlander background gives you another -1 to your agility multiplier So Agility for you is New pip times 8 to get Agility 4 You would have to spend 16 points to get Agility 2, then spend 24 points to get Agility 3 then you would have to spend 32 xp to get to Agility 4

So to get Agility to 4 you would spend a total of 72 xp

 

The same formula applies to all the Ability scores without the outlander -1 bonus So Might 2 would cost you 18 and Endurance 2 would cost you 18. Cunning 3 would cost you 18+27

 

Your skills cost 10 for a new skill except athletics and survival because of outlander, those would cost you 9

So total xp you have spent on skills here is Athletics 9 + Perception 10 + Survival 9 + Evasion 10 + Martial Arts 10+16+24+32

That is a total of 120 xp

 

The perks you calculated correctly, however you wouldn't have had that much xp to spend on them

 

 

I hope this clears up what I would assume to be some confusion, and it lets me know I need to put an example in the rulebook.

 

[Nerian]

Ah just as a my bad looking at all of this I see I did miss the word ability in the human part. Humans get - 1 multiplier to all ability scores, not just blanket everything

[Nerian]

After doing a bit more calculation I've changed the starting xp to 320

[Thot]

Thanks for the answers.

I have taken it into account by adjusting the sheet.

Obviously the more examples you can put in the rules, the better it is. Always.

Two personal feelings at this point :

1 - I feel like Stamina will be a precious commodity very easily spent as it is, and not quickly recoved. At the moment, you recover it only after Long Rest ? I feel like fights could be very static that way, in my opinion. Playtest could help assess that, of course.

2 - And also, I don't like the first dot of a Skill is 10 point, and next is "New Rank x 8". Just make it "New Rank X 8" including the first, it is much more elegant and fluid in my opinion.

EDIT : also, may I point out that the Acrobatic and Quick Dodge Perks are the same as written ?

Edited April 3 by Thot (see edit history)

[Nerian]

Ah Acrobatic and quick dodge are the same, not sure where my mind was with that. I have removed quick dodge, thanks for that catch.

 

I was actually just thinking about the new skill cost yesterday as it looked off to me as well. I like your suggestions that is getting changed to make it simpler.

 

I have been toying with allowing a roll after a short rest to recover both mana and stamina, and after long rest recover it completely. I think that is what we will go with to start the playtest, keeping in mind that may change in the future, but I think it'll be a good balance.

 

[Nerian]

Ah yes I see in the rulebook I had already started to make that change with mana forgot to update it for stamina as well..

 

 

The rulebook now correctly has that in the proper areas.

[Nerian]

The math is correct on your abilities. Looks like the math on the skills aren't correct if you could redo those using the new new rank X 8 currently still looks like over the skill point max for character creation.

 

I figure you were probably waiting on the ruling on the New dice X 8 before correcting it, so no worries if thats the case, I'm not trying to be a hardass or anything.

[Thot]

Character updated to take all that into account. He is now slightly better rounded skill-wise, which I like.

I still need to do equipment, but that looked secondary to me so far.

[Nerian]

Ok I do see you added more skills, however looks like the math isn't correct.

 

So the skill xp works the same way the ability xp does so your martial arts 5 would cost you 8+16+24+32= 80 Xp the rest of the 1 rank skills would cost you 8 each except athletics and survival those would cost you 7 each.

 

So by my calculations your skills cost 134 xp

 

Looks like you have 396 xp spent. If you could cut that down to 320, so I can see what that amount of xp gets you, it may get adjusted more.

[Thot]

I allocated the 4 Skill Points from being a Human to Martial Arts.

All the rest I bought. Probably made a couple of mistakes there though, I agree.

[Nerian]

Nope I'm a doof and forgetting my own rules

Looks like your at 316 xp when I look it over now.

 

So ya everything looks good if you want to clone the character sheet and put it on the sheet.