Naruto like campaign, beginner needs help

[InLaNoche]

Excellent! This is all good info and great advice. I will be starting off small, and am glad that this will be my daughter's first play, since it means I can play test GMing as well at the same time.

I do want to tone down a bit of the higher end stuff from Naruto, and try to make a bit of balance between the schools. I worked over an old question list (from Elderscrolls : Arena) to work out what schools best suits your ideal-isms, and ran them over my players (my daughter, my friend, and his daughter), and they came out with Water, Air, and Earth, so I know what I need to focus on to get ready.

I also have the first scenario set up to lead into the story. The players are all students at a martial arts school. They will start out with a bit of combat training (sparing to get them into the system, but very light on rules, more focused on describing what they want to do).
After the training, the Master will approach a few of them to graduate them to the next school (the elemental school) after doing a test (to be worked out) that indicates what element they are aligned to.

The next day starts with them trying to get to school. Since the girls playing are 10 years old, I am going to try and put some anime silliness into the story, and try to make them late for school (plot).


As to actual powers, they will have some latent powers that I will situation-based allow them to use (not their choice) in this play setting. I think I remember seeing something about partial costs for stuff like this.

After the first chapter, they will age, off screen, and be given a bit of a point boost (to show 5 or so years of training) where more of there powers will be within reach, so in the beginning, simple powers are more in demand.

I am still at a stand still with the balancing of the powers, but as I get ideas I will post them and would greatly appreciate feed back and input on them.

Lastly, not sure if anyone is interested, but I created an Excel Character sheet that has quite a few of the Base Book 4e skills, Advantages, and disadvantages coded in to calculate points as well as the stats. I started it a while ago when my friend was going to run a PBEM GURPS adventure (but timing and players fell through). I am re-working it for my Ninja game and will strip out the unneeded and add the new stuff, but anyone is interested, I can post it.

[mikeejimbo]

Originally Posted by InLaNoche

As to actual powers, they will have some latent powers that I will situation-based allow them to use (not their choice) in this play setting. I think I remember seeing something about partial costs for stuff like this.

Depending exactly how you want that to work, you should look into the Unconscious Only, Uncontrollable, and Unreliable Limitations. (pB115-116). None of those work exactly like how I'm imagining you want to run it - I'm imagining you're saying that in certain situations they'll be able to use it and others they won't, but they'll have control over it when they are in those situations? You could also just slap an Accessibility (pB110) on it.

Sounds like a fun premise, overall! You should consider keeping a campaign log to update us.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by InLaNoche

I started working on some of the elemental skills, and would like some help defining them (both gameplay and game costs.

Ah I should have responded to this, too. Your ideas seem ideally suited to being built as Powers. If you don't have GURPS Powers I highly recommend it. (And GURPS Martial Arts, too, for your campaign, but that's a slight tangent at the moment.) It becomes a lot easier to define the gameplay and costs of these Powers once you do.

Just for an example, I might build Stone Block like this:

Damage Resistance 2 (Reflexive +40%, Arms Only -20%, Costs 2 Chi -10%, Link (Enhanced Block) +10%) [8]
Enhanced Block 2 (Link (Damage Resistance) +10%) [11]

Once this is activated (by paying 2 Chi) it's on for 1 minute and can be maintained for another minute for 1 more Chi, but Reflexive also lets them activate it as part of their defense. It's kind of odd in that both Damage Resistance and Enhanced Block are usually always on, but I believe this works. Reflexive will also turn it on automatically if they're unaware of the attack. Alternatively, you could use Active Defense (p Powers 112), where it requires that they be able to see the attack coming. This brings the cost to [4] for the Damage Resistance, and may be closer to what you're envisioning.

[InLaNoche]

Originally Posted by mikeejimbo

Just for an example, I might build Stone Block like this:

Damage Resistance 2 (Reflexive +40%, Arms Only -20%, Costs 2 Chi -10%, Link (Enhanced Block) +10%) [8]
Enhanced Block 2 (Link (Damage Resistance) +10%) [11]

Once this is activated (by paying 2 Chi) it's on for 1 minute and can be maintained for another minute for 1 more Chi, but Reflexive also lets them activate it as part of their defense. It's kind of odd in that both Damage Resistance and Enhanced Block are usually always on, but I believe this works. Reflexive will also turn it on automatically if they're unaware of the attack. Alternatively, you could use Active Defense (p Powers 112), where it requires that they be able to see the attack coming. This brings the cost to [4] for the Damage Resistance, and may be closer to what you're envisioning.

I like this. Thanks! I think I would go the Active Defense route. I would prefer that the player has to actively initiate the block. The only issue is how Block functions. How would the damage side of things work? I'm guessing (and from what I read so far) there is no mod that divides damage?

Also, I was looking through the powers book, and don't see anything that will get me the water lash. Unless maybe create? how would damage be managed? Would I then treat it like a whip melee weapon?

I will definitely keep logs, most likely taken from audio recordings of the sessions, and will gladly share them once things are underway. I do see this being about a month down the road at the most, but I'll see how quickly I can get through this. My problem right now is having the time to read the BS front to back, which I think I should. I have been just browsing the sections I was concentrating on at the moment...

[mikeejimbo]

Oh right, forgot about the Armor Divisor. You can put Hardened on the DR. Each level reduces the Armor Divisor of the incoming attack by one step.

Not sure about the whip either, but I think it might be an option in the Melee Attack limitation somewhere.

[whswhs]

Note that there is also a thing called a Power Block, found in GURPS Powers. It requires a roll vs. 3 + (Will + Power Talent)/2. If you make the roll, you can do one of two things:

* If you have an ability based on DR, it doubles the DR for the attack you're blocking.

* If you have an ability based on Control or Obscure, each level of the ability counts as DR 1 against any attack of a suitable kind.

That latter sounds like it might fit the special effects you're looking at, though the cost might prove excessive. One level of Control Earth (Chi, -10%; Elemental, -10%) would cost the character 16 points and give DR 1.

[mikeejimbo]

Ooh I didn't realize that use of Power Block. I would go with that. Control might make a good "base" power.

[InLaNoche]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Note that there is also a thing called a Power Block, found in GURPS Powers. It requires a roll vs. 3 + (Will + Power Talent)/2. If you make the roll, you can do one of two things:

* If you have an ability based on DR, it doubles the DR for the attack you're blocking.

* If you have an ability based on Control or Obscure, each level of the ability counts as DR 1 against any attack of a suitable kind.

That latter sounds like it might fit the special effects you're looking at, though the cost might prove excessive. One level of Control Earth (Chi, -10%; Elemental, -10%) would cost the character 16 points and give DR 1.

Hmmm. that sounds like it's getting a bit to complicated. Was just reading over Damage Resistance, and it seems like I should just have a straight DR value to the block, closer to what mikeejimbo suggested. Thank you though for the insight on other ways. This might work better for a stone wall shield for higher levels.

I was looking at the divisors (specifically the fractions) but that seems to be specified by the attack. I also looked at the Flexible Armor rules, and like the idea of (from Star Fleet Battles) splash damage that penetrates, and may re-work that idea a bit. Though I have to play out a bit of combat with powers in play, not sure how fast/slow I want combat to end. This is anime style-ish, so I am shifting away from realism.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Hellboy

I wanna know the mechanics of Sakura's using kunai impalement on right arm, bite on left arm to grapple during the chuunin exam. I figure technical grappling required since it covers partial control.
.

Grappling with a bite is discussed a little in Martial Arts. Much of the rest might be covered by a failed Fright Check.

Being bitten by a girl with pink hair who shows no regard for her own safety and who just wants to do damage to you somehow, some way is probably enough to make even a ninja roll for a Fright Check.

The result just ends up as a customized "flail ineffectually" rather than a simple Mental Stun.

[KarlKost]

Originally Posted by InLaNoche

I like this. Thanks! I think I would go the Active Defense route. I would prefer that the player has to actively initiate the block. The only issue is how Block functions. How would the damage side of things work? I'm guessing (and from what I read so far) there is no mod that divides damage?

Also, I was looking through the powers book, and don't see anything that will get me the water lash. Unless maybe create? how would damage be managed? Would I then treat it like a whip melee weapon?

I will definitely keep logs, most likely taken from audio recordings of the sessions, and will gladly share them once things are underway. I do see this being about a month down the road at the most, but I'll see how quickly I can get through this. My problem right now is having the time to read the BS front to back, which I think I should. I have been just browsing the sections I was concentrating on at the moment...

No, no need for Create. The water is just "special effects"; you could simply do it with an innate attack and the meele limitation (probably for reach 4). The water is just the aesthetics that you put into it (but it can still have relevant meaning - for example, it could counter and be countered by fire effects)

[KarlKost]

So, lets see a few ideas

Blinking Fight - for a very anime take, this is an ability that you could give for free to all "ninjas" in the game. Do you that annoying blink "speed" of the guys on Dragon Ball Z? Ok, thats just Warp with a Hard technique to buy off the -10 penalties for rapid teleport. Give it to EVERYBODY, free of charge, and it just become a common feature (just like we don't need to pay for two arms). Ninjas have it thou, mind you, not just low peasants (in this world, not having that ability+technique is a disadvantage of commoners). Very fun.

Focus Chi - thats another Wild Ability that you could give to ALL ninjas. Depending on your game, I could suggest you to DEMAND from your players to spend AT least, say, 90 CP on "Chi Pool" (to buy "Chi Points"), and AT MOST 180 CP. That would give you a pool between 30-60 Chi for beggining chars (I'm just giving some random numbers for thought, play with those as you like). So, if you do adopt this idea, give them between 120-150 extra points at creation. Adjust ALL abilities to have the limitation " Uses Energy Reserve (Chi) only -10%/lvl", instead of making them just using ANY "fuel" (that leaves the regular FP for mundane physical use only, not to fuel the ninjas "Magic"). Another option is just giving a fixed Chi Pool for all for free (it may be a fixed amount, but IMO its funnier if it is only for initial chars but can be increased with bonus CP afterwards).

And, why going at all that trouble? Well, its simple, to give the players Regeneration, but I would put a -5% limitation on it (Energy Reserve (Chi) only), but also with the limitation " Requires All-Out Concentration" (just let me check how much it is that).

Give that to ALL ninjas too... This is that classical thing on animes, when the heroes have been beaten badly, their energies are spent, but they spend some time to increase their Cosmos/Chi whatever, and gain that impossible power out of nothing. They will regenerate 1 Chi/second, but to do so, they must do nothing except glow with Chi energies (add nuisance effect), scream (another nuisance effect) and compress all their muscles.
Better Regeneration is up to you (maybe its the skill of the true Masters)