10-02-2020, 06:23 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
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Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
I'm running a cinematic wuxia fantasy campaign right now and I'm considering allowing per die bonuses to be transformed into flat bonuses (e.g., +2/die becomes +4 damage). The +2 to +1/die is a standard GURPS convention, but is reversing it breaking anything? I don't *think* so but I'd like some opinions and if you've done it how did it work?
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10-02-2020, 07:55 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: The Wired
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
AFAIK, the "+1 per die or flat +2" rule actually only applies only to AOA (Strong). Other cases of the "+n per die" idiom, such as damage bonuses from relative skill levels, don't offer that option. This suggests to me that "a flat +2 if that would be better" is there because a mere +1 basic damage bonus is a little too weaksauce to be worth giving up all active defenses for an entire turn.
Generalizing the flat +2 option to all cases of "+1 per die" seems like it wouldn't be that much of an issue, but a flat +4? I'm not so sure. The average result of 1d+4 (7.5) is more than double that of 1d (3.5). Observe that, if you applied Modifying Dice+Adds (B269, boxed text), such a bonus would add an entire die! Last edited by VIVIT; 10-02-2020 at 08:04 PM. |
10-02-2020, 08:04 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Kentucky, USA
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
Given the cinematic wuxia setting, an assumed 2 dice seems reasonable. I don't see why this would break anything.
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10-02-2020, 08:16 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: The Wired
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
If everybody has at least 2 dice, then why do we need the flat +2n option at all? The only time you would have reason to take the flat bonus instead of the per-die one is if you only have a single die.
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10-02-2020, 08:36 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Sep 2016
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
Because thrust attacks, which are pretty much all unarmed attacks are thrust, and for most levels of ST with be at 1d. So having +4 is superior there to +2 per die for a cinematic wuxia game where Kung fu is strong.
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10-02-2020, 09:14 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
My preferred solution is to allow player choice between +2/die or skill / 5 flat
Making it just flat +4 seems really punitive to King Kong or a Sky Giant when he learns Karate |
10-02-2020, 09:24 PM | #7 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: The Wired
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
Quote:
Maybe this could be added as an additional benefit to TBaM? Quote:
EDIT: Ah, wait, skill / 5? Interesting! That's 3e-ism, isn't it? Do note however that this makes damage partially dependent on DX. 4e damage bonuses from skill are based on relative level, not absolute level. DX+1 grants +1 per die, DX+2 grants +2, and then it stops improving because +3 or +4 per die is getting pretty ridiculous. Last edited by VIVIT; 10-02-2020 at 09:33 PM. |
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10-03-2020, 09:18 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
Yeah it's a 3e ism
My goal in using it is to make the noodle armed high skill guy who stabs people more viable I don't mind it rewarding DX, I like high attributes. |
10-03-2020, 12:20 PM | #9 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
Quote:
Since it takes 2 ST to get a +1 and 10 ST to get a +1d, I just view +1 as +20% and +2 as +40%. This way it'd scale up uniformly for all damage. If you don't have a calculator a fixed add is easier, though you could just roll damage and call that "+1 per 5 rolled" or "+2 per 5 rolled" I think the reason 1d gets the better bonuses than 2d or beyond is because it could so often result in 0 so it's a way to avoid 0s. If the intent is to make committed/AOA strong more cinematic than you could double the output to 40% and 80% boost to striking ST. AOA strong has the same effect as Mighty Blows which is 1 FP worth of Extra Effort. EE in Combat is simpler (fixed adds) than the usual approach (choose a desired %, roll will at penalty based at %) but that's another way (just use the variable results not the fixed ones) you could represent a cinematic spectrum: do the will rolls not just for % increase to Lifting ST but % increase to Striking ST too. |
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10-03-2020, 12:33 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: Reversing Dice + Adds for Per Die Bonuses
Honestly, in a fantasy wuxia campaign you've already thrown reality out the window. I would let characters with Trained by a Master use swing damage for their martial arts attacks. Maybe as a +50% enhancement to TBaM.
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