RE: [BNW] The BNW game system

[Theo McGuckin <tsm@jlab.org>]

> Actually, it's not been a problem - it means that, in order to succeed
> at difficult tasks, you need to roll really well.
> 
> Deadlands was designed with d6 being the "average" - so all of the DL
> target numbers are based on the d6, too (IIRC - it's been a while
> since I read through my books)

Another big difference is that deadlands was based on higher skills
meaning more dice. But even if you had 5d12 it could be hard to reach 10+
TN (well maybe not hard). In BNW you take your base stat and then ADD your
skill to it. Comparing the two systems comes out like this:

An "average" shooter in deadlands has an Xd6 deftness (X doesn't really
matter in this case), maybe an Xd8 and a shooting of 2 or 3 (for a total
2d6 - 3d8) and needs to hit a 5, not horrible odds (it's late, I don't
feel like doing the math).

An "average" shooter in BNW has a 2 speed and a 2 shooting, so he gets a
2d6+2 to hit TN 5, still not too bad.

At the high end of the spectrum a deadlands expert shot will have 5d12 and
hit 10's fairly easy. A BNW expert shot (human pinnacle) will have a 5
speed and 5 skill for a 5d6+5 and can also nail 10's fairly well.

We played BNW for awhile and I enjoyed the system as well as the setting.
I liked the whole "low-power" superheroes setting a lot more than
traditional comic book heroes. The biggest problem we ran into was with
initiative, but we brewed up some rules to cover that. I found the system
easy to play and run as a GM, but my group only has one guy who's into
superhero games and he prefered the 4-color kind, so we never took the
campaign very far.

Theo McGuckin - SysAdmin, JLab, Safety Warden (Bldg. 85)


	"A brave man loves the feel of nature on face."
	"But a wise man knows when to come in out of the rain."