Thread: Killing PCs
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Old 10-13-2018, 02:53 PM   #48
Mark Skarr
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Somewhere high up.
Default Re: Killing PCs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andreas View Post
Stats are important for much more than just contested rolls. It tells you how high the capabilities of the foe is compared to the PCs, and thus whether invested time and effort could be enough to give the PCs a chance. Then it also gives you the means to resolve the conflict once the PCs have made their preparations.
Again, this is only an issue if you're generally an inconsistent person and don't take good notes. But, the only matter that "invested time" becomes relevant is if they're making a roll, otherwise, it's a role-playing issue and rolls only become relevant from the PCs perspective not the NPC's.

This is like stating that all enemies should be fully stated and their mechanics spelled out in game rules. When, the fact is, just writing down what they can do and a basic number for the roll is much more useful and relevant.

The issue you bring up, for stories, generally only comes from when you have multiple authors writing stories about the same characters and they have their own interpretation of their abilities.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andreas View Post
No, they can't if the stats are designed to make it impossible for them to take it out even with great luck. For example, no character limited to mundane attacks could kill an Incoporeal spirit. If the concept of the enemy is such that they can't be killed, then just assign the stats accordingly.
If it's an incorporeal spirit, and within the context of the game there is nothing the PCs can ever do about it, then why are its stats relevant? Why would you bother figuring out what all of it's abilities are when you can just write down "incorporeal spirit, unaffected by anything" in your notes and move on?

My notes for Asmodeus are very basic:
Name: Asmodeus
Aliases: Devil on Two Sticks, Abraham Samuel Mo, II, esq.
Position: King of Hell, rules Limbo as well
Wants: [redacted]
Abilities: He's Asmodeus, duh.
Notes:
Usually interacts as a lawyer. Always wins cases (he's the Devil). Friendly and easy going. Terribly against violence as that's antithetical to pleasure. His "clients" can reach him on any phone ("stop calling me on bananas, Heaven!"). Currently holds one of the Terminus Cores, in Limbo, to keep it out of normal reality.

How would stating out one of the Kings of Hell matter? Considering that he's normally an ally of the party (the situations are much more complex than religion would lead you to believe), it's more important to just keep him in the background as a plot device. He doesn't need stats.
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