[DF] Demolisher Template: 252 points?

[Dammann]

Maybe I am missing something, or failing repeatedly in my arithmetic, but I keep coming up with 252 points for the Demolisher template from Pyramid 3/36.

I get 150 for Attributes, -10 for Secondary characteristics, 86 for Advantages, -38 for Disadvantages, 38 for Primary Skills, 20 for Secondary Skill, and 6 for Background Skills. That adds up to 252. Am I crazy? Will someone with that issue check my math? I keep getting the same thing.

There is a line about raising a Skill by two points at the end of the Secondary Skills section. That would be a reasonable part to drop.

[Langy]

Looks like it's missing 2 points of disadvantages. Just add a disad that costs 2 points and it's good.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Dammann

Maybe I am missing something, or failing repeatedly in my arithmetic, but I keep coming up with 252 points for the Demolisher template from Pyramid 3/36.

I get 150 for Attributes, -10 for Secondary characteristics, 86 for Advantages, -38 for Disadvantages, 38 for Primary Skills, 20 for Secondary Skill, and 6 for Background Skills. That adds up to 252. Am I crazy? Will someone with that issue check my math? I keep getting the same thing.

There is a line about raising a Skill by two points at the end of the Secondary Skills section. That would be a reasonable part to drop.

The Secondary Skills looks like it might be where the problem is. I am coming up with a total of eighteen points for those: four for Armory; two for Prospecting; four for Traps; and eight points for any four of the list of things after the bullet point.

[Dammann]

Yeah, and 18 points would make sense there, but then the write-up invites us to add two points to one of the skills we've just chosen, Forced Entry, Prospecting, or add another ranged-combat skill. It seems unnecessary to me, and I think it may be the problem.

Langy, is there a convention for DF Templates that Disadvantages come to -40? I might have failed to notice that.

I am helping to make a data file for GCA, and in writing up Demolishers, and it would sure be simpler to drop that "add two points to something." I want to make this thing as true to published material as possible, though, so if there is an unspoken thing about how the templates are divided up, I'll keep to that.

[Langy]

Originally Posted by Dammann

Langy, is there a convention for DF Templates that Disadvantages come to -40? I might have failed to notice that.

Actually -50 (you have to include reduced primary and secondary characteristics, too), but yes. That's the convention.

[Kromm]

There's only 18 points in secondary skills . . . I have no idea where you're getting 20 points from. It's clearly:

Armoury: 4 points
Prospecting: 2 points
Traps: 4 points
Four 2-point options: 8 points

That comes to 18 points. Reading this thread, I think you're missing the syntax of the list of choices, which puts an "or" in there. It's standard template-speak to say something like "Any X of these N-point skills; or N points in one of those skills to improve it; or N points in another skill on this template to buy/improve it." This always means N×X points.

[Dammann]

Kromm, I am sure you're right, I must have misread.

Looking at the article again, I see the source of my confusion. A semicolon separates the phrase about adding points, without an explicit "or." All the other sets of skill choices lack such an "or" as well, though, so this is clearly a case of my misinterpretation of the syntax of the template.

Thank you for the clarification, everyone! I'm off to correct that data file.

[Dammann]

As a side note, the peculiarities of this template make it more attractive to players who might prefer to do more customization. Racial disadvantages don't typically count against campaign limits, and having only -38 in the write up leaves more room for adding one's own to garner points to customize the template with advantages. Having an extra -12 points in potential Disadvantages to play with, in addition to the -20 that are part of the Dwarf Template give a Demolisher's player a little more room to complicate their character, compared with the standard DF Templates. At first glance, "bomb-guy" might seem like a very specific role for a character to play, but the overlap of fighting and trap-focus niches combined with more room to min-max should appeal to some players. Throw in the unique weapons, and you have a pretty cool Template here!