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Old 07-01-2021, 10:50 AM   #11
RobW
 
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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Originally Posted by Shadekeep View Post
This talent is most useful in situations where the GM conceals the attributes of enemies from the players.
As a mechanics-minded player, I'm curious. Prior to combat, a fighter's ST can be guessed from the weapons they carry and the minimum ST requirements. Once combat begins, a figure's DX can be determined from when they act. Do you do things that conceal this kind of info?
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Old 07-01-2021, 12:49 PM   #12
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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As a mechanics-minded player, I'm curious. Prior to combat, a fighter's ST can be guessed from the weapons they carry and the minimum ST requirements. Once combat begins, a figure's DX can be determined from when they act. Do you do things that conceal this kind of info?
Hmm, good points. As I say, I personally focus more on the role-playing aspects, so didn't really account for this. I did realise that a lot of TFT enemies, such as beasts, often have fixed stats, so players familiar with the books will know these already. For some players this skill probably has more utility in specific circumstances rather than general applicability. For example, encountering a foe with an unfamiliar weapon (and hence an unknown ST requirement), or an unarmed fighter.
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Old 07-01-2021, 02:53 PM   #13
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

Thanks for that. I see a lot of utility for this kind of assessment outside of combat, even in our games where stats can get pretty transparent once in combat.
Spying on an unknown camp, the clientele in a shady bar, the interesting stranger, etc. And if combat training were a thing, an instructor with this skill just ought to be better.
I might offer something like this, perhaps a little more affordable because the kind of information this skill reveals sounds like a fun way to influence the players
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Old 07-01-2021, 03:55 PM   #14
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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... a lot of TFT enemies, such as beasts, often have fixed stats...
I think it's okay to vary a creature's DX by a point or two and its ST by 20% or so, just to keep the players on their toes.
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Old 07-01-2021, 04:14 PM   #15
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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Oh, and if folks want to house-rule this into their games and avoid confusion with the old Veteran talent, the other name I mooted for this skill is Gauge Opponent. That parallels Assess Value, as one lets you determine the monetary worth of an item and the other relative attributes of a person. Or you could use your own name, like Combat Sense or whatever is most descriptive to you.
I am... the THREAT ASSESSOR!
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Old 07-01-2021, 08:54 PM   #16
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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Originally Posted by RobW View Post
Thanks for that. I see a lot of utility for this kind of assessment outside of combat, even in our games where stats can get pretty transparent once in combat.
Spying on an unknown camp, the clientele in a shady bar, the interesting stranger, etc. And if combat training were a thing, an instructor with this skill just ought to be better.
I might offer something like this, perhaps a little more affordable because the kind of information this skill reveals sounds like a fun way to influence the players
My suggestion for finding out some data on NPC stats or possible talents might be Hexagram #2 p 25 Stefan Jones' article on Horoscopy and Cosmic Alignment: Astrology on Cidri. Some slight expansion on that article would be needed.

Using month of birth and perhaps location of birth, a generalized personality (either ITL p 14 or some talent generalizations) might be drawn up.

Using time and date of birth, star charts, etc. a more specific casting might occur. Perhaps one stat, a talent, preferred weapon/armor, a handicap or other pertinent information.
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Old 07-06-2021, 06:57 AM   #17
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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I think it's okay to vary a creature's DX by a point or two and its ST by 20% or so, just to keep the players on their toes.
Agreed, I tend to do the same. I also like to introduce subspecies and varieties who have different baselines, like giving different core stats to an Arctic Wolf than a Timber Wolf.

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I am... the THREAT ASSESSOR!
Ha, I like! :D
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Old 07-06-2021, 08:29 AM   #18
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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Agreed, I tend to do the same. I also like to introduce subspecies and varieties who have different baselines, like giving different core stats to an Arctic Wolf than a Timber Wolf.
Monster variability is what keeps the Expert Naturalists employed.
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Old 07-06-2021, 09:18 AM   #19
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Default Re: Veteran Talent

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Monster variability is what keeps the Expert Naturalists employed.
Also knowing what mushrooms to eat (or not eat). ^_^

Incidentally, there is also attribute variability even within a species. There are often gender differences, such as male lions and female hyenas being larger and more aggressive than their gender opposites. And juveniles will have different stats than adults. Of course there are also individual differences, too, but the range of those is typically more narrow. When an individual animal has exceptionally different stats from the baseline, this is often obvious in the creature's appearance (size, musculature, movement, etc).

Even animals with baseline stats can be made interesting by giving them atypical behaviours and habits. Take for example the Tsavo lions as seen in "The Ghost and The Darkness". This real pair of lions had unusual, almost preternatural, behaviour that made them even more dangerous than regular lions.
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