Post by machfront on Jan 4, 2009 9:45:40 GMT -5
What you're about to read is probably cram full of the obvious, but I figured I'd throw it out there anyway.
Basically, Type appropriate bonuses to SRs. But this could be more than simply Type. It could be background and/or character concept.
Coming up with an appropriate SR level is something all T&T players and GMs are used to and by and large it isn't extremely difficult. I'm sure most of us adjucate the SR by factors that are a bit more...external...than the direct difficulty of the action. Such as bad weather or the character being tired or under stress, etc. But what about factoring in the character himself?
For those of you not familiar, in Castles & Crusades there is a universal mechanic called the SIEGE mechanic or SIEGE check. It's very much like SRs, only a little bit more complicated. There's a Challenge Base as well as a Challenge Level and Primary attributes make it easier to make a SIEGE check than by way of the rest (Secondary Attributes).
But what's more is that any time a character wants to do something that is class appropriate, the character gets to add their level to the roll, thereby making it easier to succeed. This can be a Class Ability, such as the Ranger's Tracking ability, but it can also be more 'unmeasured' things. An example is a Rogue making a SIEGE check to "case" an establishment before a robbery or break-in to see the level of security, weak points, entrance and exits, etc. This isn't a measurable skill, but it's something that a thief would have a good grasp on considering what he does for a living and thus the referee would likely allow him to add his level to the roll to increase his chances of gleaning pertinent information.
It would seem to me that it makes a lot of sense to do the same sort of thing in T&T.
C'mon. You're a T&T GM. You definiately have a better grasp of "rulings instead of rules" and of fair play and knowing your players and their character's and being a T&T GM, you've got to be a little bit creative just by default, so this should be easy.
If you've a player who's character is a warrior, but he dresses in loose shirts and a doublet and high, swash-topped boots, carries a rapier and main gauche, then you know he's not a Bashing Bruiser, right? So, the next time he wants to jump from the second-story overlook onto a table, get up and grab the nearest wench and give her a big, sloppy kiss before making good his escape, why not give him a bonus to his SR? Or alternatively, make the SR one level less than you otherwise would have?
It doesn't matter if you use skills (as I do) or Talents or just go bare-bones Old School with nothing more than SRs. This works for all the above.
There are many, nebulous things that, say, a wizard may be comfortable knowing or looking into that a warrior would not.
It doesn't matter if he has a high Intelligence score or a given skill or Talent.
If Majax the Mystical is looking over some dusty old tomes or through another wizard's unlabled potions and trying to make heads or tails of them, he should have a bonus or lowered SR where another character would not.
If balance is your thing, then one could do the reverse. Bruno the Barbaric Battler is probably spending more time at the pub or sharpening his axe than he is at the local library, so if he were trying to make sense of something written in a brittle volume, then the SR could be penalized. I wonder about that, though. Even in light of the afforementioned bonuses. SRs aren't the easiest things in the world to make, especially when you consider that it's the core resolution mechanic and they show up so often in play (at least with me).
But as I said, even making use of skills or Talents, this would play out well, I think. So, the character doesn't actually have skill in navigation... according to the player, the character spent his whole life outdoors, in the wilds or on the sea. He probably still has a better sense of which way is north, even in less-than-ideal conditions. Bonus time.
I'm not sure which I would go for. Lowering the SR by one level, adding the character's level to the roll or even double the level. Or perhaps all could be used depending on the situation and character.
So, if there's a wizard that dresses in all black and all of his spell books have a huge pentegram on the covers and the player cackles with glee any time undead are present... even if he hasn't said the wizard fancies himself a necromancer... the next time he's taking a closer look at the engraving on a sarcophagus, lower the SR below what you first thought it would require to get the gist of what's inscribed there.
Give 'em a little. They'll be thankful you did.
Besides...they still probably won't be ready for what will come out of the tomb now or later anyway. ;D
Basically, Type appropriate bonuses to SRs. But this could be more than simply Type. It could be background and/or character concept.
Coming up with an appropriate SR level is something all T&T players and GMs are used to and by and large it isn't extremely difficult. I'm sure most of us adjucate the SR by factors that are a bit more...external...than the direct difficulty of the action. Such as bad weather or the character being tired or under stress, etc. But what about factoring in the character himself?
For those of you not familiar, in Castles & Crusades there is a universal mechanic called the SIEGE mechanic or SIEGE check. It's very much like SRs, only a little bit more complicated. There's a Challenge Base as well as a Challenge Level and Primary attributes make it easier to make a SIEGE check than by way of the rest (Secondary Attributes).
But what's more is that any time a character wants to do something that is class appropriate, the character gets to add their level to the roll, thereby making it easier to succeed. This can be a Class Ability, such as the Ranger's Tracking ability, but it can also be more 'unmeasured' things. An example is a Rogue making a SIEGE check to "case" an establishment before a robbery or break-in to see the level of security, weak points, entrance and exits, etc. This isn't a measurable skill, but it's something that a thief would have a good grasp on considering what he does for a living and thus the referee would likely allow him to add his level to the roll to increase his chances of gleaning pertinent information.
It would seem to me that it makes a lot of sense to do the same sort of thing in T&T.
C'mon. You're a T&T GM. You definiately have a better grasp of "rulings instead of rules" and of fair play and knowing your players and their character's and being a T&T GM, you've got to be a little bit creative just by default, so this should be easy.
If you've a player who's character is a warrior, but he dresses in loose shirts and a doublet and high, swash-topped boots, carries a rapier and main gauche, then you know he's not a Bashing Bruiser, right? So, the next time he wants to jump from the second-story overlook onto a table, get up and grab the nearest wench and give her a big, sloppy kiss before making good his escape, why not give him a bonus to his SR? Or alternatively, make the SR one level less than you otherwise would have?
It doesn't matter if you use skills (as I do) or Talents or just go bare-bones Old School with nothing more than SRs. This works for all the above.
There are many, nebulous things that, say, a wizard may be comfortable knowing or looking into that a warrior would not.
It doesn't matter if he has a high Intelligence score or a given skill or Talent.
If Majax the Mystical is looking over some dusty old tomes or through another wizard's unlabled potions and trying to make heads or tails of them, he should have a bonus or lowered SR where another character would not.
If balance is your thing, then one could do the reverse. Bruno the Barbaric Battler is probably spending more time at the pub or sharpening his axe than he is at the local library, so if he were trying to make sense of something written in a brittle volume, then the SR could be penalized. I wonder about that, though. Even in light of the afforementioned bonuses. SRs aren't the easiest things in the world to make, especially when you consider that it's the core resolution mechanic and they show up so often in play (at least with me).
But as I said, even making use of skills or Talents, this would play out well, I think. So, the character doesn't actually have skill in navigation... according to the player, the character spent his whole life outdoors, in the wilds or on the sea. He probably still has a better sense of which way is north, even in less-than-ideal conditions. Bonus time.
I'm not sure which I would go for. Lowering the SR by one level, adding the character's level to the roll or even double the level. Or perhaps all could be used depending on the situation and character.
So, if there's a wizard that dresses in all black and all of his spell books have a huge pentegram on the covers and the player cackles with glee any time undead are present... even if he hasn't said the wizard fancies himself a necromancer... the next time he's taking a closer look at the engraving on a sarcophagus, lower the SR below what you first thought it would require to get the gist of what's inscribed there.
Give 'em a little. They'll be thankful you did.
Besides...they still probably won't be ready for what will come out of the tomb now or later anyway. ;D
