Rules

[bravesirrobin]

i think it's part of long term balance - the need to combo up. also it removes the need to name every awesome combo.

[johandenerad]

'Combo-ing up' is the worst kind of speedbump; especially for combat supplemental charms. At high levels, you're only ever going to attack with excellencies or combos, nothing else is hitting with all those persistent defences around. So some of your combat charms that you spend 8xp on never get used, the equivalent of putting two session's worth of XP down the toilet.

On the DB thing: by this system, an essence 3 solar can make a combo of 3 charms. In a bog standard combat combo, say, they'll be putting in an excellency, a supplemental and a defence. A DB of the same essence can throw in an extra action, a supplemental and a defence - oh wait, most defences are reflexive - so another supplemental, or a simple plus any other excellencies and reflexives they want. This system doesn't remove DB's being challenging.

[bravesirrobin]

all valid points.

i'm willing to trial it. we'll see how it goes.

[Blackrat]

bravesirrobin said:

also it removes the need to name every awesome combo.

No fucking way. Anyone who takes advantage of this rule is still required to name the combo, and shout the name aloud as it's used, just as before. Otherwise I'm not playing (At ST's discretion, though, they can use the same name for a slightly different combo if the two are linked closely enough*.)

* On which note, this also removes another annoyance of combos - that your favourite ones become utterly invalid - both in terms of XP wastage and in terms of the name - once you have learnt another charm that needs to go in the "same" combo; you have to make a whole new one under standard rules, I believe.

[johandenerad]

blackrat said:

bravesirrobin said:

also it removes the need to name every awesome combo.

No fucking way. Anyone who takes advantage of this rule is still required to name the combo, and shout the name aloud as it's used, just as before. Otherwise I'm not playing

Seconded.

blackrat said:

once you have learnt another charm that needs to go in the "same" combo; you have to make a whole new one under standard rules, I believe.

Ooh, good one. I like this rule.

Imagine how tough Immaculates are going to be with these rules... or Sidereal Martial Artists...

[Learned Hand]

Because without flexible combos sidereal martial arts are just a bit of a waste.

I love this rule.

[bravesirrobin]

we'll see how it goes, but yes. i'm now officially instituting the rule that you can only use a combo this way if you can name it.

[Blackrat]

bravesirrobin said:

i'm know officially instituting the rule that you can only use a combo this way if you can name it.

(And also if you can't, you lose a billion XP and die. IC and OOC.)

[Blackrat]

Merit: Lucky

Revision from the First Ed. version, primarily because BSR and I agreed that getting X re-rolls per session was too powerful, but per story was not powerful enough.

Cost: 1 point
NB - no longer a variable point cost

Rather than adding dice to a die pool when channeling his/her primary virtue (only), the character can opt to re-roll a die pool instead.

Note that a character may channel each virtue a number of times per story equal to his/her rating in that virtue.

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Fox will be trialling this rule, and other characters are welcome to do so as well. Note that it combines particularly well with Phoenix Renewal Method (Integrity charm). However, because that's a very powerful charm, BSR is slightly changing the rules - see next post.

[Blackrat]

Phoenix Renewal Tactic

As per the core book description, except that a character can only regenerate a temp. Virtue point as a result of natural WP regeneration if they have full temp. WP - i.e. temp WP regenerates first, then temp Virtue points.

Note that when regenerating as a result of a successful stunt, the character can choose which of temp. WP and temp Virtue points to regenerate, as normal for this charm.

[bravesirrobin]

Cheers for posting that BR.

The other thing that I'm thinking about is the "Barabarian" flaw. I'm still not sure how much of an impact it's gonna have in game - beyond, say, not putting stuff in social abilities.

[Blackrat]

bravesirrobin said:

The other thing that I'm thinking about is the "Barabarian" flaw. I'm still not sure how much of an impact it's gonna have in game - beyond, say, not putting stuff in social abilities.

I agree with this, and have dropped it from Fox's build for that exact reason. Either you're a social character, in which case you won't take it, or you're not, in which case this is basically just BP's for free.

[Blackrat]

I'm addicted to posting new rules, so here's another. This may not be of much use to anyone but Fox, who will again be trialling it, but any comments are welcomed if you're interested. (And feel free to take it if you do think it'd be useful!)

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Charm (Presence): Striking Confidence Meditation

Type: Simple
Duration: Scene
Min Ability: 3
Min Essence: 2
Cost: 4m per dot

The Lawgivers are not easily cowed in debate. They can look the most fearsome or beautiful opponents in the face, and deliver their arguments unshaken.

This charm allows the Solar to negate the penalty to social rolls / DVs arising from a difference in Appearance ratings. The Solar can buy off their Appearance deficit at the cost above, buying off no more than his permanent Essence in dots. S/He cannot give him-/herself an effective Appearance higher than their opponent's using this charm. If the Solar faces multiple opponents with different Appearance ratings, they may buy effective Appearance up to the highest of their opponents' ratings, but their effective Appearance against any individual opponent is capped at that opponent's rating. In other words, the Solar cannot earn a bonus from this charm - just remove or lessen the penalty.

Note also that this does not give the Solar a higher Appearance rating, or change their appearance in any way. Therefore this charm will almost certainly not be applicable to any other uses of the Appearance attribute*.

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* if there are any, which I don't think there are.

A good charm to compare it to is Increasing Strength Exercise (Athletics). Note that although that only costs 3m per dot, BSR decided that Appearance was sufficiently powerful to merit a slightly higher cost.

[johandenerad]

Can we institute this charm as being constantly active for free on all characters...?

I hate the Appearance mechanic.

[johandenerad]

blackrat said:

bravesirrobin said:

The other thing that I'm thinking about is the "Barabarian" flaw. I'm still not sure how much of an impact it's gonna have in game - beyond, say, not putting stuff in social abilities.

I agree with this, and have dropped it from Fox's build for that exact reason. Either you're a social character, in which case you won't take it, or you're not, in which case this is basically just BP's for free.

I totally disagree (partially because I've taken it, but hey). I intend to roleplay off it and that effect me negatively. Valion will be likeable but there's no way he's going to be given the time of day by anyone above the rank of peasant (and perhaps not even then); that kind of exclusion merits a flaw. Also, it should effect the way your character sees others rather than just how others see him. Valion will consider any non-northener non-exalt a valid target for robbing, kicking and generally being mean to (even with compassion 3), with all the negative consequences that will entail.

Also, there's no reason social characters shouldn't take it as a flaw, because it could be interesting to roleplay.