Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Comparative Stat Blocks

I have no idea what the new system would be called, but I have a pretty good idea of how it works. First, here's the stat block for Doc Stalwart in Stalwart Age...

Now, here's the initial proposed stat block for him in the new game:

Doc Stalwart - Legendary Hero (D16); Hits 16; Move 30'

  • Might D16 (8); Mind D16 (8); Power D8 (4); Reflex D10 (5)
  • Armor (8); Flight (60'); Gadgeteer
  • Brawling (+2 to hit); Profession (Scientist +2); Grit (+2 Resolve); Charisma (+2 Popularity)

A lot of things are packed into each ability. For example, he attacks with D16 (his tier die for being legendary) and deals D16 melee damage. He's also got D16 for popularity (for being legendary). He has 8 points to use to buy tags. He has static defenses of 5 vs. physical attacks (from reflex D10) and 8 from mental attacks (from his mind D16). However, he soaks the first 8 points from physical attacks (so bullets that deal D8 bounce right off of him - a machine gun D10 might scratch him if it rolls well). His hits seem really low, but the game has a mechanism that I first used in my wrestling RPG where you get knocked down but get back up again several times. You are not defeated at 0 hits - you just tag out of the fight for a round or two. This better emulates superhero action (since heroes are constantly getting knocked down, being out of the fight, and then leaping back in). Hits are the DV of your might + the DV of your tier (so 8+8 for Doc). This would mean a character like Twilight Archer (D10 tier and D6 Might) has 8 hits (and no armor - eek). He gets knocked down by Doc 50% of the time.

You can take multiple actions by taking a -1 die shift with each additional action; Doc can throw one punch rolling 1d16, 2 punches rolling 1d12 each, 3 punches rolling 1d10 each, 4 punches rolling 1d8 each... if he's fighting a bunch of mooks (evade of 2), he might try punching 4 per round, since he only misses on a 1. Against a foe with evade 5, he's probably not giving up too many dice... but if he has to run and pick something up, he's taking the -2 dice shift on his attack (each action uses a die rating).

By the way, a speedster mechanically works similar to Stalwart Age - Messenger (Power D20) gets 10 bonus actions each round; he can attack 11 times without taking a penalty, or use 10 actions to travel 1,000' each, meaning he can run up to 10,000' in 6 seconds. Unfortunately, his Might of 8 means that he only averages 4 points per punch, but he can quickly take out a room of mooks; against a foe with body armor 5, he's going to deal death by a thousand papercuts.  

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