Ruins of Khazan - A Rumbles RPG - Sign Up/System Test

[Sharpandpointies]

Does this apply to social buffs?

[Nik Hasta]

Does this apply to social buffs?

It applies to all buff abilities.

[Nik Hasta]

It applies to all buff abilities.

Wait, no it doesn't.

The Social Buff is a tricky one. Strictly speaking, the ATK stat is halved at the point of attack, while the Social Buff doesn't actually go through the attack process and instead the full +40 CHR is felt in the Social Matrix stats.

I think that's fine, it would be pretty miserly of me to try and limit social Techniques that hard. To confirm, for Social Matrix boosts cast on oneself, Mind is not halved and RES does not factor.

[Sharpandpointies]

Outstanding!

[Postmania]

Traits/Proficiencies:

Death Magnetic (+10 SKI / +10 PRE) - Jane channels her death energy into gunfire through weapon-like constructs she unveils from within her robotic form as gleaming chrome instruments. These fire special magnetically accelerated Blackstone bullets glowing with her signature emerald energies which mark out green trails in the air as they fly towards their targets. Many a soldier has fallen to her precise and capable sniping and long range fire.

Effect: Basic Attack Actions are now ranged. Jane's Range Value on Considered Shots only is now derived from the following formula: [PRE]*20 in metres or 50*20 = 1000 Meters. Otherwise, for at will Techniques and "from the hip," shots, Jane will use her standard Range value.

Stealth: [56/5] + [51/10] + [5] = 20

Hunter-Killer Mode [Persistent] [+25 SKI] - The green aura of energies in Jane's ambient deathly energies shimmers and seems to lessen in quantity, but brightens around specific areas around her eyes, hands, and feet, as well as changing colors; at times the green fades into a sickly yellow before fading back. She becomes even quicker and more accurate, her systems working in even greater efficiency and her movements more difficult to overcome. In this design Jane draws ever closer to the god of Death. And so she has his favor: activating this technique applies the status effect of Flow State to Jane. (-15 ENR to activate, -5 ENR each turn, -10 to each technique to follow)

Mind Techniques:1 Mundane Slot -> 1 Mundane Slots from Body moved here then combined -> 1 Honed Slot

Honed

Immortal Technique [+40 CHR] - Jane's eyes dim for a moment, then suddenly reappear in a smaller, more intense glow as she is imbued with enhanced vision of enemy weak points by Nekro. Targeting diagnostics fill her field of view as she gains a buff of +19 to PRE for 4 Rounds. (-25 ENR)

All relevant changes are updated. HK mode is just a skill buff now, to make room for giving Jane a Honed Mind tech

[grampagen]

Perhaps consideration is due for a Mind buff for my brainless barbarian.

...but I do want her to deliver brain busters.

Ah, decisions.

[Postmania]

As I've said consistently throughout the process of building this system; Mind is really strong. They don't have to care about Dodge or Counter since the damage is not the point, they only have to really care about RES and even then they still can't really fail.

This is why it also has a blanket nerf of -50% to ATK power for both damage and RES checks. Remember if you have 100 CHR, you actually only have 50.

Hmm...

But self-buffing is auto success... and with an Epic level Technique, even someone like Krys, who has no CHR, could amp a given stat by +40 for 6 Turns if they use Stack.

And let's say they put that on SKI for example and then activate Heat Death... hmm... that could be a bit grimey.

Might need to nerf that, not sure...

Also, might need to buff STR to make it a little more attractive for damage dealing. Currently, high PRE can net you good damage, high recovery and good Dodge all in one, high CHR nets you the ability to boost any other stat really well. High STR gets you high DUR and you have a lot of damage potential but maybe it needs a little lift.

But then I also look at something like Van and what a crazy landmine of a character she is and I feel like it doesn't need any buffs.

Hmmm... more things to think about.

So just out of curiosity, I notice you can buff CHR with a Mind effect along with everything else.

So it's feasible to buff CHR with an effect, then use that buffed CHR to do a stronger Buff with CHR, right?

Of course, you can't stack the same buff, but this isn't like multiple turns of buffing CHR with the same buff

[Nik Hasta]

So just out of curiosity, I notice you can buff CHR with a Mind effect along with everything else.

So it's feasible to buff CHR with an effect, then use that buffed CHR to do a stronger Buff with CHR, right?

Of course, you can't stack the same buff, but this isn't like multiple turns of buffing CHR with the same buff

Yeah that's fine, perfectly legal use of the system there.

[Postmania]

Does Jane's new trait upon Considered Shot expand her range in terms of normal range, or are all these longer range shots Difficult Shots?

[Sharpandpointies]

I think that's fine, it would be pretty miserly of me to try and limit social Techniques that hard. To confirm, for Social Matrix boosts cast on oneself, Mind is not halved and RES does not factor.

Just to clarify. Do you mean 'The Technique Modifier is not halved'?

Or, let's just let you explain it.

"When One Understands The Road, It Is Simple To Choose The Proper Branch."
Honed CHA Technique
+40 CHA buff, Social Interactions Only

How much does this boost Krys's CHA? 40 (Tech Modifier)? 10 + 40 (CHA + Tech Modifier)? 10 + 20 (CHA + Tech Modifier/2)?

[Nik Hasta]

Does Jane's new trait upon Considered Shot expand her range in terms of normal range, or are all these longer range shots Difficult Shots?

The premise of this Trait is that Jane has to focus and line up a specific shot to get both benefits of the enhanced range and the damage boost that comes with a Considered Shot. A Considered Shot as defined in the Ranged Attack Guide is as follows:

If the shooter opts to sacrifice either a basic attack or Technique action and end their turn specifically targeting an opponent to make a Considered Shot, as long as that opponent remains in their normal range by the time of their next turn they will gain a +50% bonus to damage and therefore hit for 125% of their normal damage. The shot must be taken immediately at the start of their next turn.

Out of combat, we'll just have to have Jane take a post to get set up to snipe before you can post firing but the boost will still apply.

A Considered Shot can also be a Difficult Shot which lowers her HIT check by 25%, if she's at the limits of her enhanced range or if there's a chaos or challenge in the shot she's making:

Long Range: At the limits of the shooter's effective range, as in 75% of the total range or beyond, the HIT stat of a ranged attack will also take a -25% as this constitutes a Difficult Shot. There are other contexts for a Difficult Shot these will be applied by the GM as required. In the context of a group melee, a Dodged or Countered (perfectly or imperfect) Difficult Shot will have a chance of hitting another nearby target, the former by GM decision and the latter by the target's decision.

That said, looking at the rules, I think I've created a catch-22 for you. Let me just run through this in my mind to see if there's an issue.

> Enemy is 80 feet [~25 metres] away, at Normal Range with her standard Range value. Jane wishes to snipe them with a Considered Shot so she assumes a sniper position and ends her turn.
> Doing so will enhance her range to 1000 metres and thus put the opponent in Short Range [15% of her range so within 150 metres but outside melee range] so Considered Shots are technically not possible as outlined in the rules.
> This means that instead of +50% DMG on hit from Considered she gets the benefits of Short Range fire which is +25% DMG on hit [100% of her normal damage] and +25% SKI towards her HIT check. So there is still a benefit to her using the Considered Shot function even though, mechanically, she's activating Considered and immediately switching to Short Range rules.
> If she didn't use Considered Shot and just fired at the target within her turn. She would be in Normal Range so she would get no boost to her HIT and would hit for 75% DMG (i.e; normal Ranged Attack rules.)

Okay, good, so while it's a little more complex than I thought, it still gives Jane a net boost as a sniper character. I think to simplify it so she can turn this on and off and you can still get Considered Shot within your normal range if you so choose, I'll amend the wording of the effect of your Trait to the following:

Effect: All Basic Attack Actions are now ranged. Additionally, when activating "Sniper Mode" and attempting a Considered Shot is now derived from the following formula: [PRE]*20 in metres or 50*20 = 1000 Meters. Designated Techniques can also benefit from the enhanced range but their invocation will follow the same rules as Considered Shot so they will need to be prepped and fired on the following turn. Outside of "Sniper Mode", Jane will use her standard Range value for Ranged Attack Calculations.

So you use her normal range and calculation rules for her attacks unless you specifically engage "Sniper Mode" and then that can only be used in the function of a Considered Shot [Prep Shot > End Turn > Start of next Turn > Immediately Fire]

Additionally, Techniques would normally be exempt from the benefit of this Range boost. If you amend Mark of Death and Doom Artillery to say that they are compatible with using the range granted to her by Death Magnetic that's also fine. This allows you to use the boost from those Techniques at extreme range. You will need to amend the other Techniques that have Death Magnetic listed on them because they don't get the range boost.

Sound fair?

Just to clarify. Do you mean 'The Technique Modifier is not halved'?

Or, let's just let you explain it.

"When One Understands The Road, It Is Simple To Choose The Proper Branch."
Honed CHA Technique
+40 CHA buff, Social Interactions Only

How much does this boost Krys's CHA? 40 (Tech Modifier)? 10 + 40 (CHA + Tech Modifier)? 10 + 20 (CHA + Tech Modifier/2)?

Short answer; the second option; 10 + 40 (Base CHR + Technique Modifier)

Long answer, to give you a view behind the curtain; The reason for the above is actually due to how the calculations work on my spreadsheet engine that powers the game. I would have to tweak some calculations and I also don't think it's fair to penalise players for trying to get an edge in Social Matrix checks that hard.

For Social Checks, the system just looks at the currently Active Stat for the relevant calculations and works with that. The halving is not applied because that's done by a different formula in the context of buffs and debuffs as a combat action.

[Sharpandpointies]

Thank you! Wheee, moar points (I based the tech on the +40 only, silly me).

[Sharpandpointies]

That actually makes a chunk of change difference, because if I STACK on Charisma when I use this, the Stack applies to both the social skill base and the buff. At least one skill moved into another category, and my Intimidate hit 10 <-- huge, I know.

[Nik Hasta]

In other news, doing a quick audit of the cast as it stands. Players who are effectively good to go, or close enough that they could get rolling without much issue, are noted. Players who, last I heard, are still being developed are likewise noted.

Sandy and Pie have been PMed to see if they are coming back, since they've not posted in the thread since late last year and their characters are way behind the rest of the cast. They are obviously very welcome but I would like to know whether they are still in or not, as their characters will require a fair amount of work and I'd be keen to press on with that.

> Krys: Once-Sword of the Goddess played by Sharpandpointies READY
> The Great Kinu played by grampagen READY
> Jane Doe played by Postmania READY

> Arxiros "Arx" Irosaan played by Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh UNDER DEVELOPMENT
> Maximo Frogspierre played by Miburo UNDER DEVELOPMENT
> Tzachanothel played by Beadle UNDER DEVELOPMENT

> Vánagandr Fenrir played by Siriel UNDER DEVELOPMENT/POTENTIAL NEW CHARACTER

> Alice played by MrSandman PM TO CONFIRM IF THEY'RE IN
> Ray Bestia played by KingofPie PM TO CONFIRM IF THEY'RE IN

So, development people, if you could let me know where you stand so I can help you get things sorted if required.

- Siriel, you and I have been discussing via PM. I am currently awaiting an update re: your Traits.
- Miburo, you and I have been discussing via PM. I am currently awaiting an update re: your Techniques.
- Cthulhu, I haven't heard from you in a little while. Please get in touch either here or via PM if you need assistance.
- Beadle, I haven't heard from you in a little while. Please get in touch either here or via PM if you need assistance.

My aim is to start the game towards the end of this month. I have a bit of legwork to cover in terms of NPC generation and some setting stuff but the broad campaign structure is largely complete and I have enough work done that I could start rolling once players are ready.

So, that's where we are.

[Sharpandpointies]

*sits quietly and vibrates with anticipation*