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Old 11-06-2018, 10:04 PM   #31
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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Originally Posted by Kax View Post
Also, any combat talent that affects all skills that's cheaper than 15 pt./lvl is munchkin-cheap, or less than 10 pt./lvl if it's only defaults. It should cost at least as much per level as Combat Reflexes, really. And for some fighters that's still cost-effective.
When you look at the chain of defaults (Broadsword>Shortsword>Knife), a character with Broadsword at DX+10, Shortsword at DX+10, and Knife at DX+10 spends 60 CP and gains Jitte/Sai and Tonfa at DX+7 and Main-Gauche, Rapier, Saber, Smallsword, and Two-Handed Sword at DX+6. That ends up being a minimum of +11 to default for a large group of related skills for 60 CP, which would suggest that 10 CP per level for a talent that increases the defaults to DX of all combat skills would be acceptable (though it would not apply to combat skills that did not have defaults to DX, like unarmed combat skills). I would never allow a general default to best combat skill though, as it would just be too abusive.
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Old 11-06-2018, 11:05 PM   #32
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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Also, any combat talent that affects all skills that's cheaper than 15 pt./lvl is munchkin-cheap, or less than 10 pt./lvl if it's only defaults. It should cost at least as much per level as Combat Reflexes, really. And for some fighters that's still cost-effective.
Melee combat munchkins max out a single skill and leave everything else at minimal or zero points, and their reaction to a 15 point talent would be "for that many points, I can buy +1 DX and -0.25 basic speed".
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Old 11-06-2018, 11:33 PM   #33
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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Melee combat munchkins max out a single skill and leave everything else at minimal or zero points, and their reaction to a 15 point talent would be "for that many points, I can buy +1 DX and -0.25 basic speed".
And my response is, "No you can't". At least not after chargen, that's going to cost 20 points and not give back anything.
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Old 11-06-2018, 11:50 PM   #34
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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And my response is, "No you can't". At least not after chargen, that's going to cost 20 points and not give back anything.
You can't normally buy talents after chargen so that's moot, and a 15 point talent will still mentally translate as 'waste of points', and a 10 point talent is marginal (if it covers shield, cloak, and unarmed combat, maybe. If it covers thrown weapons as well, probably). Reality is, there's a heavy dropoff in utility between your primary weapon skill and any other weapon skill.
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Old 11-07-2018, 01:39 AM   #35
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

I like the way talents can circumvent huge attribute scores. The Psi does not have a megamind but with IQ12 and 4 levels of talent is quite professional.

I can see an English/Welsh Archer with some sort of Longbow Talent but it would be the Bow, quick draw and that's it.

A Knight may have a talent based on familarity with certain weapons. Possibly a Halberd/2handed weapon, Short Sword, Riding, Saviour Faire etc.

Therefore a modern Soldier after so many years in service could have a Soldier Talent: Tactics, Guns (various), Gunner (various), Camoflage, Stealth, Tracking, First Aid, Soldier. Hiking, Thrown Weapon etc
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Old 11-07-2018, 02:37 AM   #36
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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You can't normally buy talents after chargen so that's moot, and a 15 point talent will still mentally translate as 'waste of points', and a 10 point talent is marginal (if it covers shield, cloak, and unarmed combat, maybe. If it covers thrown weapons as well, probably). Reality is, there's a heavy dropoff in utility between your primary weapon skill and any other weapon skill.
I generally see two melee skills at good level in warrior-type PCs, a primary and a secondary, assuming the character isn't a sword-and-board type, in which case they'll have three. The primary is a big weapon, selected for damage and/or utility in a fight. The second is usually a knife, for close combat and situations where one can't really carry the primary. Alternatively they might have high (rather than minimal to adequate) unarmed skill(s) as their backup.

If the primary isn't a sword, both skills need to be bought at full price (assuming the secondary skill is knife), and the secondary will be high enough that it's costing 4/level. In my experience, of course. Thus any price under 8/level makes this talent a bargain. On the other hand, at 10/level or more it's almost certainly a waste of points for all but a very few character concepts. I think it has to cover Shield, simply because that is a melee weapon skill (though one with odd rules for defence). By extension it should then also cover Cloak. At this point it might be worth 10/level. If it covered unarmed skills as well I think it'd be attractive at 10/level for builds where the player wanted their character to be broadly capable.
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Old 11-07-2018, 04:06 AM   #37
evileeyore
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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You can't normally buy talents after chargen...
Where do you get that idea from"? Talents are as purchasable as any other mundane Advantage that doesn't require a UBC.
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Old 11-07-2018, 09:11 AM   #38
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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You can't normally buy talents after chargen
ill.
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Old 11-07-2018, 09:17 AM   #39
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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Social Engineering:Back to School says different.
Well, technically, what it says is "the GM may allow the use of earned points to buy up these traits directly" and, later, "the GM may allow" converting points in varied skills to pay for a relevant Talent. That is, either is an optional rule subject to GM judgment.
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Old 11-07-2018, 10:04 AM   #40
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Default Re: Would you like a Melee Fighting Talent?

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I generally see two melee skills at good level in warrior-type PCs, a primary and a secondary
I generally don't see more than one skill with 8+ points in it, because that's the breakpoint for 'spreading out is incredibly inefficient'.
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