Purr
Kaerri's Man. =)
SHOP TALK - House rules.
There is now a hard level cap for Actions per Round starting at 1st level. No character regardless of skill, background, powers of any kind, martial arts knowledge, etc. may surpass this maximum.
1st-3rd level - 5 Actions per Round.
4th-7th level - 6 Actions per Round.
8th-11th level - 7 Actions per Round.
12th-14th level - 8 Actions per Round.
15th level - 9 Actions per Round.
I am both giving bonus Actions per Round in advance while also simplifying and providing a balance to how many Actions characters receive. I would like to try this; I suspect the result will be more fun for all involved. No more having to wait out for the rest of the group to have the fun while you, the Player with less Actions, just sits there watching like a kid in school detention. Even better, you don't have to stand there and get beat on by the bad guy who has 3 more Actions per Round than you do.
So how many do you get?
Characters with NO Hand to Hand Skill: 3 Actions per Round and no more. These characters do not have Level Advancement combat bonuses (a 10th level Paramedic still has only 3 Actions per Round).
Hand to Hand Basic, Expert, Commando, Assassin, and Bullfighting all have Actions per Rounds as stated by their systems (usually 4 at 1st level and more as they increase in character level).
Hand to Hand: (Martial Art Systems). All Martial Art Systems begin with 5 Actions per Round at 1st level.
Additional Actions per Round gained through Level Advancement that go above the cap are replaced with bonuses to Strike, Parry, Dodge, or Roll. Select two of these to improve by +1 instead.
Some additional notes on this:
Actions per Round are, for the most part, based on the education of the character. Boxing still provides an extra Action per Round. I'm also allowing Wrestling to do the same (as I do in Broadsword), except that if you have both, they don't stack. This is to give grapplers a fair shake (heh. Get it?). Also, we might finally have a game where not every single character on the planet has the Boxing Skill. I mean, really?
So let's say you choose a Martial Art system that doesn't have a lot of Actions per Round in its Level Advancement (Moo Gi Gong, I'm looking at you). Grab one of these Physical Skills and you're closer/at the cap too. Best of all, you can choose the martial art system that you feel best fits your character! It's not all about chasing the bonuses anymore! I feel there is so much more to the martial arts than just chasing bonuses; I think it is high time I make a game that makes that happen. =)
1st-3rd level - 5 Actions per Round.
4th-7th level - 6 Actions per Round.
8th-11th level - 7 Actions per Round.
12th-14th level - 8 Actions per Round.
15th level - 9 Actions per Round.
I am both giving bonus Actions per Round in advance while also simplifying and providing a balance to how many Actions characters receive. I would like to try this; I suspect the result will be more fun for all involved. No more having to wait out for the rest of the group to have the fun while you, the Player with less Actions, just sits there watching like a kid in school detention. Even better, you don't have to stand there and get beat on by the bad guy who has 3 more Actions per Round than you do.
So how many do you get?
Characters with NO Hand to Hand Skill: 3 Actions per Round and no more. These characters do not have Level Advancement combat bonuses (a 10th level Paramedic still has only 3 Actions per Round).
Hand to Hand Basic, Expert, Commando, Assassin, and Bullfighting all have Actions per Rounds as stated by their systems (usually 4 at 1st level and more as they increase in character level).
Hand to Hand: (Martial Art Systems). All Martial Art Systems begin with 5 Actions per Round at 1st level.
Additional Actions per Round gained through Level Advancement that go above the cap are replaced with bonuses to Strike, Parry, Dodge, or Roll. Select two of these to improve by +1 instead.
Some additional notes on this:
Actions per Round are, for the most part, based on the education of the character. Boxing still provides an extra Action per Round. I'm also allowing Wrestling to do the same (as I do in Broadsword), except that if you have both, they don't stack. This is to give grapplers a fair shake (heh. Get it?). Also, we might finally have a game where not every single character on the planet has the Boxing Skill. I mean, really?
So let's say you choose a Martial Art system that doesn't have a lot of Actions per Round in its Level Advancement (Moo Gi Gong, I'm looking at you). Grab one of these Physical Skills and you're closer/at the cap too. Best of all, you can choose the martial art system that you feel best fits your character! It's not all about chasing the bonuses anymore! I feel there is so much more to the martial arts than just chasing bonuses; I think it is high time I make a game that makes that happen. =)
All weapons in the game do double-damage dice (fists, swords, firearms, oncoming cars, that Taco Bell you just ate). P.S. and Skill bonuses are not doubled; dice only. Critical hits double the damage of these dice (so a punch now does 2d6 damage instead of 1d6 damage. That 2d6 damage is doubled to 2d6 x 2 upon a Critical Strike, x3 if it stacks with another Critical Strike.
Characters are no longer killed unless the GM decides this is their fate or the PC takes -50 Hit Points of damage.
Any character, upon reaching 0 Hit Points, is knocked unconscious for 1d6 minutes (4-24 Rounds) whereupon they will wake in a world of pain and disorientation with 1 Hit Point and the following penalties: All Skills, Attribute Bonuses, Combat Bonuses, and Actions per Round are halved! No Skills involving intense concentration are possible without GM approval.
When they wake up, this Knock-out penalty will remain for another 4d6 minutes +1 minute for every Hit Point of damage the character took under 0 (-9 Hit Points = Knock-out penalty lasts 4d6+9 minutes).
Healing the character to half Hit Points reduces the duration of these penalties by half. Healing the character to full Hit Points removes the penalties. S.D.C. recovers normally.
Characters are no longer killed unless the GM decides this is their fate or the PC takes -50 Hit Points of damage.
Any character, upon reaching 0 Hit Points, is knocked unconscious for 1d6 minutes (4-24 Rounds) whereupon they will wake in a world of pain and disorientation with 1 Hit Point and the following penalties: All Skills, Attribute Bonuses, Combat Bonuses, and Actions per Round are halved! No Skills involving intense concentration are possible without GM approval.
When they wake up, this Knock-out penalty will remain for another 4d6 minutes +1 minute for every Hit Point of damage the character took under 0 (-9 Hit Points = Knock-out penalty lasts 4d6+9 minutes).
Healing the character to half Hit Points reduces the duration of these penalties by half. Healing the character to full Hit Points removes the penalties. S.D.C. recovers normally.
1. The "Roundhouse Strikes (SPECIAL! No Parries can be used during this attack; does 1d10 damage.)" This means that your character loses his Automatic Parry for that Action, not the entire Round.
2. Overhead Fore-Knuckle Fist (SPECIAL! This special attack is so difficult that it's always done with a -4 to Strike, but does 1d10 damage.) I am adding this benefit: Opponent is -4 to Parry this technique.
3. Add 5 to CHI (Purr note to self: Replace with +1 to M.E.. We are not using Chi at this time.)
Choy-Li-Fut Weapon Katas translate from the following...
W.P. Spear: Pa-Kua Lance, W.P. Short Sword: Willow Leaf Double Swords - Paired, W.P. "Eighteen" Staff.
...to the following for Other Strangeness:
W.P. Paired Weapons
W.P. Spear +1
W.P. Staff +1
W.P. Sword +1
2. Overhead Fore-Knuckle Fist (SPECIAL! This special attack is so difficult that it's always done with a -4 to Strike, but does 1d10 damage.) I am adding this benefit: Opponent is -4 to Parry this technique.
3. Add 5 to CHI (Purr note to self: Replace with +1 to M.E.. We are not using Chi at this time.)
Choy-Li-Fut Weapon Katas translate from the following...
W.P. Spear: Pa-Kua Lance, W.P. Short Sword: Willow Leaf Double Swords - Paired, W.P. "Eighteen" Staff.
...to the following for Other Strangeness:
W.P. Paired Weapons
W.P. Spear +1
W.P. Staff +1
W.P. Sword +1
Tiger Claw's Duo-Claw Strike only gives up the Automatic Parry for that Action, not the entire Round.
Ninjitsu now has Knockout from Behind at 1st Level. Knock-out from Behind works like a Sneak Attack; the opponent cannot be aware of the attacker. There is a Saving Throw vs. Pain (14) to resist the Knock-out which lasts for 2d4+2 minutes if the Save is failed.
W.P. Archery +1 W.P. Bow and W.P. Crossbow +1
W.P. Blowgun +1 (consider this added to the game)
W.P. Chain +1
W.P. Claws +1 (consider this added to the game)
W.K. Knife +1
W.P. Rope/Grappling Hook +1 (User cannot Parry with this W.P.!)
W.K. Spear +1
W.K. Staff +1
W.K. Sword +1
W.P. Targeting +1 (Thrown Weapons)
W.P. Blowgun +1 (consider this added to the game)
W.P. Chain +1
W.P. Claws +1 (consider this added to the game)
W.K. Knife +1
W.P. Rope/Grappling Hook +1 (User cannot Parry with this W.P.!)
W.K. Spear +1
W.K. Staff +1
W.K. Sword +1
W.P. Targeting +1 (Thrown Weapons)
Technical Skill Program (Basic, based off of the Science Skill Program in Ninjas & Superspies) - New!
Research with a +10% bonus.
Any Four Technical Skills. Each gains a +5% bonus.
Lore: Martial Arts: 40% (+5%) - New Technical Skill! (Add a +15% bonus to any Hand to Hand: Martial Art System practiced by the character. This Skill is automatically received when a new Martial Art System is attained.)
Board Games: 30% (+5%) - New Cultural Skill! (Replaces the Skill Go, includes all board games from Monopoly to Go to chess to Connect Four, etc.). The art and science of skillfully playing board games of all kinds.
Research with a +10% bonus.
Any Four Technical Skills. Each gains a +5% bonus.
Lore: Martial Arts: 40% (+5%) - New Technical Skill! (Add a +15% bonus to any Hand to Hand: Martial Art System practiced by the character. This Skill is automatically received when a new Martial Art System is attained.)
Original post here. =)
Lore: Martial Arts: 40% (+5%/level) - New Technical Skill!
This is the study of the philosophies, techniques, strategies, origins, famous teachers and practitioners, and factual history of the martial arts. The basics of popular martial art systems the world over are known to the character. The less popular the martial art, the less information is available unless the character practices the system in question.
After one minute of astute observation, characters with this skill can attempt to identify a martial art system being performed/displayed. -10% for rare martial arts, -25% for secret martial arts. This Skill can be taken twice. Bonuses include a +10% bonus and no roll is needed for worldwide martial arts (such as Judo, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, and the like).
Lore: Martial Arts: 40% (+5%/level) - New Technical Skill!
This is the study of the philosophies, techniques, strategies, origins, famous teachers and practitioners, and factual history of the martial arts. The basics of popular martial art systems the world over are known to the character. The less popular the martial art, the less information is available unless the character practices the system in question.
After one minute of astute observation, characters with this skill can attempt to identify a martial art system being performed/displayed. -10% for rare martial arts, -25% for secret martial arts. This Skill can be taken twice. Bonuses include a +10% bonus and no roll is needed for worldwide martial arts (such as Judo, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, and the like).
Board Games: 30% (+5%) - New Cultural Skill! (Replaces the Skill Go, includes all board games from Monopoly to Go to chess to Connect Four, etc.). The art and science of skillfully playing board games of all kinds.
Awareness - New Espionage Skill!
Awareness. This training enables the individual to actively use their five senses and internal hunches in gathering information from their surroundings. Training includes trusting one's natural gifts and training to accurately identify sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch sensations in situations where the character can reasonably make use of their senses. It is the practiced difference between seeing and observing.
This skill is not passive in nature; Player Characters must declare when they are using it, for very few creatures can stay in a state of "yellow alert readiness" indefinitely.
Base Skill: None. Provides a +1 Perception bonus at 1st level proficiency and +1 added automatically at every 3rd level until 15th.
Bonus: +5% to the Detect Ambush and Detect Concealment skills.
Awareness. This training enables the individual to actively use their five senses and internal hunches in gathering information from their surroundings. Training includes trusting one's natural gifts and training to accurately identify sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch sensations in situations where the character can reasonably make use of their senses. It is the practiced difference between seeing and observing.
This skill is not passive in nature; Player Characters must declare when they are using it, for very few creatures can stay in a state of "yellow alert readiness" indefinitely.
Base Skill: None. Provides a +1 Perception bonus at 1st level proficiency and +1 added automatically at every 3rd level until 15th.
Bonus: +5% to the Detect Ambush and Detect Concealment skills.
Skill Related Notes.
As in Psychie and Sherwood's game, having a percentage-based Skill selected twice (or more) provides a +5% bonus each time the Skill is selected after the first time.
As in Psychie and Sherwood's game, having a percentage-based Skill selected twice (or more) provides a +5% bonus each time the Skill is selected after the first time.
Original post here. =)
Huh! No. They don't. Nor is there a Lore: Mutant Animals Skill (not unless the character is a geneticist or happens to be in some environment where there are Mutant Animals all around them on a regular basis).
Ah! Beautiful question, Silanon! I hadn't thought of that!
Huh! No. They don't. Nor is there a Lore: Mutant Animals Skill (not unless the character is a geneticist or happens to be in some environment where there are Mutant Animals all around them on a regular basis).
Original post here. =)
It is a separate Skill from Small Thrown Weapons which uses the same bonuses as all Modern W.P.s (starts at +1).
What if... at every level, a PC/NPC just receives a Skill slot? Not an instantly-earned grab-of-knowledge or proficiency, but just the slot?
They have to go somewhere and meet someone to learn the Skill they want, like a gym, library, or maybe a friend or mentor (even a fellow PC)?
It would mean the PC/NPC would have to interact with the rest of the world instead of just having the skill magically just pop into their head. That's a lonely path. But this? This seems like something that a few of us will have to exit our comfort zones with, but... like in Real Life, with the work comes the reward.
All the PC has to do is mention who or where they learned the Skill from - the idea is interaction. Don't worry about training times or costs or anything like that. Just... who taught you? How did you come to know? These little things can create stories all on their own and with stories and interaction come bonds of friendship! That's the real reason I like this idea. =)
They have to go somewhere and meet someone to learn the Skill they want, like a gym, library, or maybe a friend or mentor (even a fellow PC)?
It would mean the PC/NPC would have to interact with the rest of the world instead of just having the skill magically just pop into their head. That's a lonely path. But this? This seems like something that a few of us will have to exit our comfort zones with, but... like in Real Life, with the work comes the reward.
All the PC has to do is mention who or where they learned the Skill from - the idea is interaction. Don't worry about training times or costs or anything like that. Just... who taught you? How did you come to know? These little things can create stories all on their own and with stories and interaction come bonds of friendship! That's the real reason I like this idea. =)
In the spirit of not cheating my Players out of their justly-earned rewards, I am using what I call the True Percentage method when doing the math for Skills. The True Percentage is the same as the mathematical term ("true") - it is the grand total of all modifiers especially here in Palladium when they pass the 98% mark. This is present whenever the PC is affected by negative modifiers to a Skill roll as it displays the PC's true ability to get the job done.
Regardless of what any percentage beyond 98% turns out to be, a roll of 99 or 00 still returns in failure (a "soft-cap" as Kaerri has so very well put it).
Reasoning: The alternative is to state that all PCs who reach the 98% mark are equally effective whether they are 5th level and 20 years old or 50 and 15th. I feel PCs of great experience should be able to succeed in situations their lesser-experienced peers fail.
Regardless of what any percentage beyond 98% turns out to be, a roll of 99 or 00 still returns in failure (a "soft-cap" as Kaerri has so very well put it).
Reasoning: The alternative is to state that all PCs who reach the 98% mark are equally effective whether they are 5th level and 20 years old or 50 and 15th. I feel PCs of great experience should be able to succeed in situations their lesser-experienced peers fail.
All Weapon Proficiencies that provide bonuses receive +1 bonus to Strike at levels 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15. All Ancient W.P.s that gain Parry bonuses also accrue them at the same rate (thanks, Sil!).
Reasoning: This has saved me from having to remember which W.P. levels up and when. On top of that, I really like the idea of having that +1 to Strike happen at the level of skill selection (as opposed to having to wait an entire experience level to see a bonus). Thanks to Sherwood for bringing up the subject (Fat Gandalf's OOC, Chapter 2, post #90). =)
Reasoning: This has saved me from having to remember which W.P. levels up and when. On top of that, I really like the idea of having that +1 to Strike happen at the level of skill selection (as opposed to having to wait an entire experience level to see a bonus). Thanks to Sherwood for bringing up the subject (Fat Gandalf's OOC, Chapter 2, post #90). =)
Instead of Action Points, we use Willpower and Willpower Points inspired by Werewolf: the Apocalypse ("Arrooo!").
1. Read and choose a Nature and Demeanor from this list of Archetypes. Archetypes will only be used for RP purposes and the recovery of Willpower points (GM discretion). There may be the possibility of "Willpower checks" to see if your characters can resist temptations (think of your diet!). Like an Attribute roll, one will roll equal to or under their Mental Endurance to avoid the temptation.
2. Each character will have a number of Willpower Points equal to their Mental Endurance (M.E.) Attribute/3 round down. Therefore, an M.E. of 3 will have 1 Willpower while an M.E. of 30 will have 10 (the maximum).
3. Willpower Points can be spent using the following guidelines:
3a. The PC must declare the use of a Willpower Point before they roll dice. Failure to declare means forfeiture of using a Willpower Point for that roll.
3b. No more than one Willpower Point can be spent per Action.
3c. One Willpower Point will add 1d4 to any d20 roll or +5% * 1 on the 1d4 die (+5%-20%) to a Skill or other percentage-based roll. These include but are not limited to Saving Throws, Initiative, Dodge, Strike, Detect Ambush rolls, Medical Doctor rolls, Save vs. Coma/Death and the like.
3d. Willpower Points add to the "Natural Roll" of a die when used toward Critical Successes, Knock-outs, and the like (i.e. a PC needs a 19 or higher for a Critical Strike. They roll the d20 and the d4. The d4 result is 2. This adds +2 to the d20 roll and the PC, for this roll alone, Critically Strikes should they roll a natural roll of 17 or higher).
3e. Willpower Points have no effect on Strike rolls of 1-4 (i.e. spending a Willpower point will not negate the possibility of a Fumble). If a 1-4 is rolled on a Strike, the Willpower Point is wasted. Willpower Points cannot be spent on the Fumble Chart.
1. Read and choose a Nature and Demeanor from this list of Archetypes. Archetypes will only be used for RP purposes and the recovery of Willpower points (GM discretion). There may be the possibility of "Willpower checks" to see if your characters can resist temptations (think of your diet!). Like an Attribute roll, one will roll equal to or under their Mental Endurance to avoid the temptation.
2. Each character will have a number of Willpower Points equal to their Mental Endurance (M.E.) Attribute/3 round down. Therefore, an M.E. of 3 will have 1 Willpower while an M.E. of 30 will have 10 (the maximum).
3. Willpower Points can be spent using the following guidelines:
3a. The PC must declare the use of a Willpower Point before they roll dice. Failure to declare means forfeiture of using a Willpower Point for that roll.
3b. No more than one Willpower Point can be spent per Action.
3c. One Willpower Point will add 1d4 to any d20 roll or +5% * 1 on the 1d4 die (+5%-20%) to a Skill or other percentage-based roll. These include but are not limited to Saving Throws, Initiative, Dodge, Strike, Detect Ambush rolls, Medical Doctor rolls, Save vs. Coma/Death and the like.
3d. Willpower Points add to the "Natural Roll" of a die when used toward Critical Successes, Knock-outs, and the like (i.e. a PC needs a 19 or higher for a Critical Strike. They roll the d20 and the d4. The d4 result is 2. This adds +2 to the d20 roll and the PC, for this roll alone, Critically Strikes should they roll a natural roll of 17 or higher).
3e. Willpower Points have no effect on Strike rolls of 1-4 (i.e. spending a Willpower point will not negate the possibility of a Fumble). If a 1-4 is rolled on a Strike, the Willpower Point is wasted. Willpower Points cannot be spent on the Fumble Chart.
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