Re: Duelmasters: Roll-Up Help

From: johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu (John White)

Date: Sat, 01 Aug 1992 09:02:53 +0000

In article <1992Jul30.225706.15789@aero.org> hlavaty@aerospace.aero.org
(Grisel Gonzalez) writes:
>In article <4194@equinox.unr.edu>, kirby@dws005.unr.edu (Stephen Kirby)
writes:
>
>> 	How do you figure out the percentiles?.
>>
>> 	The 55 par, 40 rip, 25 def, 25 init, and 20, dec?
>>
>> 	I realize that they are the ratings in each area, but I wonder how
>> to figure them our, and what effect 'learning', 'experience', 'trains',
>> and style have on them.
>
>The process is a bit involved and I don't have the time to go into it right
>now (I'm taking a break from work - Sshh! Don't tell anyone! :), but the
basic
>process is this: Each stat gives you a certain amount of skills. For
example, a
>17 wit gives you one each of att, init, dec, def and dec. There are several
>skill/stat charts out there. Boss Rat has one and so does the Neon
Necromancer.
>
>First you figure out what the character's bases are from his stats alone
>(they might be 50 att, 40 init, 45 dec, 45 par, 45 def, 60 rip). Then
>you add/subtract the appropriate style bonus. For a LU, my research shows
the
>following common LU bonuses: 15 att, -10 par, 5 def, 5 rip, 25 init, and
>15 dec. If I decide to make this guy a LU, I could expect the following
>bases for him: 65 att, 65 init, 60 dec, 35 par, 50 def, 65 rip. Remember
these
>are the most *common* values. Actual mileage will vary but my guesses are
>usually only one skill off for the most part. Sometimes you end up with
higher
>bonuses (for a "lucky" warrior) and  other times you get lower bonus for
those
>"unlucky" warriors (like my waste with the absolute lowest ratings that
we've
>ever seen in both parry and defense - kind of makes you wonder why you play
>the game when luck or the absence there of can make such a big difference
>and you have no control over it what so ever...).
>
>Simple, huh? It is actually. Of course, getting reliable data from which to
>compute the style bonuses is the real pain ...
>
>C-ya
>
>Grisel

Grisel seems to have forgotten throughout this conversation, the annoying
habit of the DM "common wisdom" to talk about "percentiles."  I should
explain that these so-called percentiles are just the number of skills times
5.  That's it.  That's all.  So when she talks about "60 attack," she means
12 skills.  When she says "1 each in..." she means just that: 1 skill in
each area.  The sheets don't say, "has increased 5% in attack ability" but
"has learned an attack skill."

Nothing personal at all.

Just felt like venting some steam at a silly DM convention...

--
John White
johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu
|===============================================================|
|                    Reasons to go to Caltech:                  |
|000)  Food?  Sleep?  Reading?  What?  Huh?                     |
|001)  I saw a woman.  Once.  I think.                          |
--
John White
johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu
|===============================================================|
|                    Reasons to go to Caltech:                  |

References

Re: Duelmasters: Roll-Up Help
hlavaty@aerospace.aero.org (Grisel Gonzalez)
Thu, 30 Jul 1992 22:57:06 +0000