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[BNW] Point-Build system
Below is my initial ideas for a point-build system for BNW. I'd like
some feedback, if you fine folks don't mind -- moe on the concept than on
specific values and weights or modifiers offered for the one Power Package I
have worked on so far.
Also, I'm not 100% certain I'm still subscribed to this mailing list
(hence CCing myself!), so if someone could send me proper instructions on
subscribing, I can make *absolutely* certain!
BTW, what the heck happened to the Delta Times website ... ???
Point Build Character-generation System (NOTE: this was drafted in NoePad,
so, you may wish to view it in a nonproportional font to get all the columns
to line up correctly).
Draft 0.1 (incomplete)
Sean P. Long
PART ONE:
Basic concepts and premise; "Introduction"
Well. BNW having a point-based system ... sounds pretty counter-thematic,
doesn't it? I'm sure some (maybe even Matt himself =o) are under the initial
impression that this will be munchy as all get-out. Well, sorry to disabuse
you folks of that notion, but, it (hopefully) won't be. Each power-package
will have it's OWN, unique, list of costs ... though some minor things will
remain in the "generic" advantage list.
At this point, in draft 0.1, the character edges/flaws will be a seperate
pool. Eventually, I plan to make them *not* be seperate. I also plan on ALL
power packages, and Normals too, have the same number of build points; this
will make "Regs" balanced with Deltas of all stripes.
Why a point based system, you ask? Simple: why must *every* Blaster be
the same? Why should *every* flier be identical? Beyond Tricks, there is no
real difference between one Delta and another, if they share the same Power
Package. But ... what if you could have two blasters, one of whom needed
time to "charge up" their slow-ROF (Rate Of Fire) blast but could do
tremendous damage with it ... and another, a fast, low-power, ultra-high-ROF
blaster, who would never more than "plink" a target, but could fire a LOT of
times in a round?
In other words, we could have two Blasters, one of whom (over three combat
rounds) went "wait ... wait ... BLAMMO!!!!" and the other who went
"plink-plink-plink-plink-plink-plink-plink ...
plink-plink-plink-plink-plink-plink-plink ...
plink-plink-plink-plink-plink-plink-plink!" The ideal is, for both to be
equally able in combat ... the plinker could take down lots of low-armor foes
in little time, but might be hard pressed to do much of *anything* against,
say, a Delta Primer in power armor, whereas the BLAMMO-blaster would easily
be swamped by a horde of simple thugs, but ... get that Primer in his armor
in the blaster's sights ... and, well, "blammo" no more primer.
The two, ideally, would be *balanced* overall, but also *different*. The
point system is also, potentially, a means of balancing the power packages a
bit more, in the future. But not yet: for now, I'm going to make sure that
the existing official Power Packages (in the two books I own, the Core book
and the Player's Guide) can be duplicated 100% accurately, if a player so
wishes. THAT has the advantage of *compatibility* ... pre-existing
characters will not be wholly unbalanced compared to point-build characetrs.
I may also try writing up some *new* power packages, and eventually, a truly
"mix and match" optional system MIGHT be made ... but that's in the distand
future.
Regardless, on with the show!
RULE 1: Power Points
Power Points are given to Deltas, and are what the Delta uses to buy up
their abilities beyond the basic, minimal powers granted by their choice of
Power Package. Leftover Power Points convert to Skill/Edge points, on an X
for Y basis. Any still unspent are *lost* forever. Period.
Each Delta gains 100 Power Points with which to tailor their Power
Package, and refers to the price list specific to that package for prices,
and to the "Common List" for those items whose prices never change. However,
if you are a blaster, you cannot get Armor at the cost listed for a Tough.
It just doesn't work that way. Nor can a tough get blaster-style powers by
using the Blaster list. That's a big nono right there: differing costs are
what will be used to make each Power Package stay unique unto itself (mostly,
anyway).
POWER PACKAGES: group 1, BNW Core Book
*NOTE: Bargainer and Gadgeteer do not appear below, as I do not own the
source materials specifically for them at this time.
<-- Blaster -->
Base Powers (standard package costs 100 points)
--> Energy Blast
Weapon Type Ammo Shots Quick ROF Range Damage Cost
Energy Blast energy unlimited 1 1 5 1d6 ---
Modifiers: Cost
4 +1d6 Damage 5
5 +2 Damage^ 5
5 +1 Range Increment 5
-1 Range increment -3
2 +1 ROF^^ 5
-1 ROF^^ -3
1 Two-Fisted^^^ 10^^^
SFX: Fire 10
SFX: Lightning 10
SFX: Laser -10
Limited Shots: Strength^^^^ -40
Limited Shots: 2x Strength^^^^ -30
Limited Shots: 3x Strength^^^^ -20
Limited Shots: 4x Strength^^^^ -10
Massive Damage^^^^^ ^^^^^
^ This cannot be bought more times than the Blaster has dice of damage,
IOW, 2d6+2 and 2d6+4 are both fine, but 1d6+4 is not.
^^ Rate of Fire cannot be *used* at higher levels than twice the character's
Speed, though it can be purchased at any level desired at Character
generation. IOW, a Speed-3 character cannot USE more than ROF/6 but can
PURCHASE ROPF/10 if they desire it (and probably plan to increase their speed
during play).
NEGATIVE Rate of Fire works a little differently. Consider ROF to be the
listed rate (base of 1), PER X rounds. Negative ROF adds to X, not the ROF
number itself. So, a -1 ROF modifier results in being able to fire once,
every TWO rounds.
The two *CAN* be taken together, so, a Delta might have a ROF of "5/2" or
5 shots per 2 rounds. All 5 can come in one round if desired, but
essentially, once a shot is used from the ROF pool, that same "shot" is not
available on the immediately-next round (or rather, for a number of rounds,
counting the round in which the shot is used, equal to the second of the two
numbers). For X/3 ROF, IOW, TWO rounds of waiting are required before that
"slot" is refilled.
A ROF of 3/3 *sounds* the same as 1/1, but, remember: the Delta then
*could* fire all three at once, and forgo any attacks for two entire rounds.
Since this is a slight advantage, that is why negative ROF modifiers are not
worth as much as positive ROF modifiers cost. That 3/3 ROF would cost (+15
and -9) 6 points, slightly more than a straight ROF2, whcih over 3 rounds
would give SIX, not three attacks ... but only 2 shots int eh critical first
round. =o)
Hopefully that didn't confuse anyone too badly ...
^^^ Two Fisted grants attacks, at the full ROF, from a second location
(typically, as with most blasters, the hands, but this is not required).
Thus, it's cost is 10 PLUS the entire cost for ROF spent on teh primary
attack!
^^^^ This provides a limited pool of shots, equal to either 1x or 2x teh
Character's STRENGTH score, just like the magazine or clip of a pistol. The
recharge rate below is applied as a multiplier/divisor to the point value
given above:
x1 1 round of "rest" to fully recharge
x2 1 shot per round of rest
x3 1 shot per hour of rest
x4 Fully recharges every 24 hours (i.e. at Sunrise each day)
Additionally, certain situations or materials might be required to
recharge; the GM should determine which category applies, as an addition to
the ABOVE modifier:
+3 Rare/impossible to obtain (uranium, during a solar eclipse, etc)
+2 Uncommon/hard to obtain (during a thunderstorm, absorbing fire,
etc)
+1 Common/easy to obtain (sunlight, water, common electrical
current, etc)
+0 Window Dressing / Purely Cosmetic (wearing certain crystals or
jewelry, etc)
EXAMPLE: A Strength 3 Delta has a pool of 4x Strength, or 12 shots; her
pool of shots recharges every day at Sunrise, but ONLY if she is bathed in
the light of the rising sun (smog sucks). Her Limited Shots disadvantage is
worth a whopping -50 points ... but she'd better make those 12 shots *count*
... !
^^^^^ Massive Damage costs 10 times the Dice, in damage, to apply.
Optionally, the price can be lowered by half, if the Delta must expend 2
actual attacks for the Massive Damage modification to take effect
(essentially, charging the attack up; this works for one-handed, ROF 2+
characters, or for any two-fisted, ROF 1+ character as well).
--> SFX
SFX ("Special Effects") change the nature of the attack (the Ammo Type as
well), and grant some benefits:
Fire: Per Scorchers, this can heat things, set fire to them, and so
on. eitehr actual fire, or pure-heat attacks, use this SFX. NOTE: yes this
means the Scorcher is, essentially, a Blaster with some SFX and other
modifiers applied. =o)
Lightning: Lightning cannot be fored througha metal grid, and any
metal shell (including power amror) which is relatively unbroken and properly
grounded (GM's discretion) gains double armor value, BUT ... any
technological device suffers *double* the amount of damage, after armor
deflection.
Lightnign can also be used for STUN attacks, in which case
biological entities suffer double damage, but nonlethal of course; this
further doubles ALL armor values (so trying to stun a Delta Primer in
well-grounded power armor is, er, *very* difficult, as they then have
QUADRUPLE armor values ...). This would require a special Trick, at the GM's
discretion, to pull off a Stun attack.
Laser: Pure light; it can be reflected by mirrors (GM's
disctretion), and any "reflective or highly polished" armor has +50%
effectiveness against it ... but it can be used to *cut* rather than smash
things, and has more fine control: +5 to all attack rolls using this power.
Forgoing damage to Blind is a possible Special Trick, at the
GM's discretion.
STANDARD MODIFIERS:
+4d6 Damage +20 =20
+10 Damage +25 =45
+5 Range Increment +25 =70
+2 ROF +10 =80
Two-Fisted +20 =100
--> Armor, 5/-
Modifiers Cost
+1/+0 5
-1/0^^^^ -20^^^^
+0/+1 5
SFX: Fire Resistant^ 10
SFX: Fire Immune^^ 20
SFX: Lightning Resistant^ 10
SFX: Lightning Immune^^ 20
SFX: Laser Resistant^ 10
SFX: Laser Immune^^ 20
SFX: Switchable, Obvious^^^ -5
SFX: Switchable, unobtrusive^^^ 5
SFX: Constant, Obvious^^^ -10
^ Resistant Armor has doubled effectiveness at deflecting damage from the
apropriate type. Halve the cost if the Blaster's attack has the same SFX,
double it if it has a DIFFERENT SFX.
^^ Immunity provides just that, total immunity. Armor infinite/infinite ...
=o) Halve the cost if the Blaster's attack has the same SFX, double it if it
has a DIFFERENT SFX.
^^^ The default is, constant & unobtrusive. Obvious armor is just that: it's
somehow obvious (though it doesn't have to be, itself, armor-looking ... it
could be fur, or a reptilian-like scaley skin ... or yoru skin could be
metal).
Switchable means, it's not always on, and requires some degree of effort
to use. When the characetr is knocked unconscious or falls asleep, the armor
is "off" ... and also is usually "off" during normal daily activities. If
it's unobtrusive, then, it's not *visibly* obvious, but ... you can turn it
OFF and get shots, just liek Regs, without revealing that you're a Delta.
Handy, eh?
The best example of a "Switchable, Obvious" I can think of is Colossus,
from Marvel Comics' "X-Men" ... when it's off, you're pretty much normal.
When it's ON ... you don't exactly blend into a crowd.
"Obvious" armor, wether switched on or *constantly* on, gives the
equivalent of the "obvious" flaw, but for no additional points.
^^^^ This can only be bought once, and eliminates any other modifiers EXCEPT
Immunities; essentially, you don't HAVE armor of your own (unless you buy it
and wear it, like any REg would have to).
STANDARD MODIFIERS:
None
OTHER EXAMPLES:
Sunstar -- the example used for Limited Shots, above:
Energy Blast (NET: 4d6+0 damage; ROF 2; Massive Damage/Charge; Shots: 4x
Strength; Range Increment 15; Ammo Type Laser)
+20 +3d6 damage; = 4d6 damage
+5 +1 ROF = ROF 2
+20 Massive Damage (charge required)
-50 Limited Shots, 4x Strength
24-hour recharge (sunrise)
common requirement (sunlight)
+10 SFX: Laser
+50 +10 Range Increment
Armor (NET: 11/-, 22/- against flame-based attacks, totally immune to laser
attacks)
-5 Switchable: Obvious (golden glow surrounds her)
+10 SFX: Laser Immune (matches Energy Blast SFX)
+20 SFX: Fire Resist (diferent rom Energy Blast SFX)
+30 +6/- Armor = 11/-
She's tough, she can throw somewhat less damage than most blasters, and she's
got a couple special tricks built-in to her power. Not bad, and IMO not
overpowered. =o) Mind, a 4d6 Massive-damage attack every round will hurt
... but, if she has Strength 2 or 3, that's 8 or 12 shots ... 2 shots per
Massive Damage attack ... she won't be doing that very often, now, will she?
=o)
-- Pax --
Ever Defiant !
Sean
GM Pax
ICQ# 18582108