Question for the lucky handful with the book

[frogspawner]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

Thanks, gents. That's considerable help, as I'm planning to use something like it in an upcoming campaign, and figured there was no reason to reinvent the wheel.

Unless the wheel has rough corners on it, like I think this one does. E.g. Expend 3 PP to avoid all damage from an attack, automatically? Can NPCs use that too? Does it have to be personal power, or can it come from storage devices, bound spirits, or what-have-you? And why is it cheaper than the other uses? (Which, incidentally, I don't like nearly so much!)

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Does it have to be personal power, or can it come from storage devices, bound spirits, or what-have-you? And why is it cheaper than the other uses? (Which, incidentally, I don't like nearly so much!)

Now that is a very good point. I think the idea of using POW was to limit it. Characters would have to choose between luck or magic. But POW storing devices opens up a whole 55 gallon can of worms.

I'd prefer Luck Points, and keeping them separate. The maybe allow some items that give more luck points, such as a rabbit's foot or horseshoe.

[SDLeary]

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Unless the wheel has rough corners on it, like I think this one does. E.g. Expend 3 PP to avoid all damage from an attack, automatically? Can NPCs use that too? Does it have to be personal power, or can it come from storage devices, bound spirits, or what-have-you? And why is it cheaper than the other uses? (Which, incidentally, I don't like nearly so much!)

Actually, going back to it, its a Soak ability. 3 PP gives you the ability to soak up one point of damage. Thus, to soak up three points of damage, you would need to expend 9 PP, and so on. Its written to imply that only the characters person PP should be used, but does not state that explicitly (the term used is their).

[Nightshade]

Originally Posted by frogspawner

Unless the wheel has rough corners on it, like I think this one does. E.g. Expend 3 PP to avoid all damage from an attack, automatically? Can NPCs use that too? Does it have to be personal power, or can it come from storage devices, bound spirits, or what-have-you? And why is it cheaper than the other uses? (Which, incidentally, I don't like nearly so much!)

I don't see a big deal with it, honestly. I don't have a problem with it being automatic, and just assumed it'd have to come from your personal stock. As to it being cheaper--honestly, its the single most legitimate use, since many versions of BRP can be sudden death, and that's what I want to buffer with it: the opening round of battle with the critical hit from the longbow arrow in the head problem. The other uses can allow some avoidance of anticlimax that's probably a virtue too, but buffering sudden random death is what I want it for.

As for the usage by NPCs, I'd say that's probably better handled on a campaign by campaign basis than having it be hardwired anyway. I'd probably use it for major NPCs and not others, myself.

[Nightshade]

Originally Posted by SDLeary

Actually, going back to it, its a Soak ability. 3 PP gives you the ability to soak up one point of damage. Thus, to soak up three points of damage, you would need to expend 9 PP, and so on. Its written to imply that only the characters person PP should be used, but does not state that explicitly (the term used is their).

1 _point_? That's pretty useless, honestly; it might occasionally be the difference, but its way underpowered compared to the reroll at that point.

[SDLeary]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

1 _point_? That's pretty useless, honestly; it might occasionally be the difference, but its way underpowered compared to the reroll at that point.

I don't know.. if you are playing with Hit Locations, this can be the difference between holding onto your weapon or not. Or, if over double has been reached in a location, the difference between going unconscious or not (trunk locations). Not to mention that it could prevent bleeding.

SDLeary

[Rurik]

Originally Posted by Nightshade

1 _point_? That's pretty useless, honestly; it might occasionally be the difference, but its way underpowered compared to the reroll at that point.

In the Interest of being Fair and Balanced(tm) I am going to agree with Nightshade on this one.

Though this is automagic (forcing something with a skill of 95% to re-roll is not) it becomes severely limited in use.

Take a Dragon for example, even with 18PP you can only reduce damage by 6, which is pretty much going to be useless. And when fighting dragons is when you want a mechanic like this to work.

[Atgxtg]

Argh. Someone emailed me a list of the uses and I can't find it!

I recall that there were a few other uses, such as altering the success level of an attack. I think there was a option to turn a success into a failure, and that it was usually cheaper than buying off damage point by point. I think it was 7 PP.

[SDLeary]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Argh. Someone emailed me a list of the uses and I can't find it!

I recall that there were a few other uses, such as altering the success level of an attack. I think there was a option to turn a success into a failure, and that it was usually cheaper than buying off damage point by point. I think it was 7 PP.

That is listed as an expansion to the basic listed before. 6 PP is the cost.

SDLeary

[Rurik]

Can one buy down a greater success at a greater cost?