Friday 28 January 2011

Interpreting Low (and high) Ability Scores: The Physical Attributes


Strength
Score
Mechanical Advantage
B/X
Descriptor
Score = grip strength in pounds divided by 10
Jovial Priest House Rule
Encumbrance effects on Movement
120’ up to Str*1/5 in dungeon stone (1 dungeon stone = 150 coin encumbrance)
90’ up to Str*2/5
60’ up to Str*3/5
30’ up to Str*4/5
15’ up to Str*5/5
Can carry an additional 50% if not dead weight (eg piggy back) or dragging along the ground
1

Weaker than a 6 year old

2
Non-combatant
7 year old
Non-combatant
3
-3 to hit
-3 damage
Open doors 1in6

9 year old
-3 to hit mêlée (increase chance natural 1)
-3 damage mêlée (zero damage possible)
Open doors 1in20

4-5
-2 to hit
-2 damage
Open doors 1in6
12 year old
-2 to hit mêlée (increase chance natural 1)
-2 damage mêlée (zero damage possible)
Open doors 1in12

6-8
-1 to hit
-1 damage
Open doors 1in6
14 year old
-1 to hit mêlée (increase chance natural 1)
-1 damage mêlée (zero damage possible)
Open doors 1in6

9-12
Open doors 2in6

16 year old male to
Average Adult
Minimum Dwarf and Elf Adventurers
Open doors 2in6

13-15
+1 to hit
+1 damage
Open doors 3in6
Tough
‘Indiana Jones,
James Bond’
+1 to hit mêlée
+1 damage mêlée
Open doors 3in6
Able to wield medium weapon in off hand if Dexterity also >12

16-17
+2 to hit
+2 damage
Open doors 4in6
Strongman, pumped
‘Van Damme’
‘Riddick’
+2 to hit mêlée
+2 damage mêlée
Open doors 4in6
18
+3 to hit
+3 damage
Open doors 5in6
Mr Universe
‘Arnie’
+3 to hit mêlée
+3 damage mêlée
Open doors 5in6
19+

Super Human





























































Notes regarding movement, strength and encumbrance.
150 coins = 15 pounds = 1 'dungeon stone' (as opposed to the normal 14 pounds = 1 imperial stone)
Strength score is multiplied by a fraction to determine max encumbrance for that given movement.
eg Strength 3, max encumbrance 3*5/5 = 3 dungeon stone = 45 pounds = 20kg or 30 kgs dragged along the ground. I think this might be reasonable for the AVERAGE 9 year old, who using grip strength as a real life comparator has strength of 3.
eg strength 10 average, max encumbrance 10*5/5 = 10 dungeon stone = 150 pounds = 68kg (I think this is pretty acceptable, I'm average, I could barely move with 68 kg unless I was piggy back someone, and I think my 50% increase rule, allows something almost realistic but simple to apply.
eg strength 18, max encumbrance 18*5/5 = 18 dungeon stone = 270 pounds = 122 kg.
Personally I think olympic weight lifters can be said to have strength exceeding normal human range.
Notes regarding natural 1 ‘to hit’ roll:
Always misses irrespective of other bonuses
Must roll on mêlée weapon breakage table
Notes regarding natural 20 ‘to hit’ roll:
Always hits irrespective of other penalties
Delivers maximum damage for class based weapon damage (irrespective of Strength penalty ie a magic user with strength 3 rolls a 20 whilst wielding a small weapon (damage range 1-4), he will deliver 4 damage and has no -3 damage penalty]. This allows the weak, with good fortune, to still have an opportunity to kill a normal man.
Able to ‘cleave’, which allows any remaining damage after the first opponent is killed to be carried over onto the next opponent in mêlée range








Dexterity
Score
Mechanical Advantage
B/X
Descriptor
Mobility/Agility & Eye-hand coordination
(choose one maybe two to describe you)
Jovial Priest House Rule
Thieves add bonus / penalty to % skills

1

Bed bound

2
Non-combatant
Non-mobile (wheelchair)
Non-combatant
3
-3 to hit missile
+3 AC penalty
-3 personal initiative

Spasticity / walking frame
-3 to hit missile (increase chance natural 1)
+3 AC penalty
Automatically lose personal initiative
-3 party initiative  
Missile ranges short=long
-2/3 movement penalty

4-5
-2 to hit missile
+2 AC penalty
-2 personal initiative

Klutz, can’t hit the backside of a barn
-2 to hit missile (increase chance natural 1)
+2 AC penalty
-2 personal initiative
-1 party initiative
Choose: Missile ranges short=medium, medium=long, or
-1/3 movement penalty


6-8
-1 to hit
+1 AC penalty
-1 personal initiative

Uncoordinated,
Butterfingers
Minimum for thief class
-1 to hit missile (increase chance natural 1)
+1 AC penalty
-1 personal initiative

9-12

Average
Minimum Halfling Adventurer
13-15
+1 to hit missile
-1 AC bonus
+1 personal initiative

Lithe, good shot
+1 to hit missile
-1 AC bonus
+1 personal initiative
Able to dual wield weapons
16-17
+2 to hit missile
-2 AC bonus
+2 personal initiative

Acrobatic, sure shot
+2 to hit missile
-2 AC bonus
+2 personal initiative

18
+3 to hit missile
-3 AC bonus
+3 personal initiative

Grace on legs / dead eye
+3 to hit missile
-3 AC bonus
+3 personal initiative
19+

Super Human






















































































Thieves add their -1,0,+1,+2+3 ability modifier to all their thief percentile skills for Dexterity 6-18.
Notes regarding natural 1 ‘to hit’ roll:
Always misses irrespective of other bonuses
Must roll on missile natural 1 table                 
            1: Weapon Breakage of : string (bow, 1 turn to fix if spare), mechanism (crossbow, needs weapon maker to fix) or total destruction of device (other missile weapons or DM discretion)
         2-3: Randomly determine a new target from all allies and opponents within long range (a distracted wild random shot in any direction is what a 1 represents) and roll a new ‘to hit’ roll using the range to the new opponent.
Notes regarding Dexterity 3, -3 to party initiative - You don’t want such an individual in combat with you.
Notes regarding changes in missile ranges - eg short=long, such poorly dexterous individuals can not hit anything at medium range and all short ranges are at long range penalty in addition to other penalties, effectively -4 at Dexterity 3; less severe for dexterity 4-5.
A choice of penalty is allowed at Dexterity 4-5, movement penalty suggestive of an abnormal gait, or a missile weapon penalty must be chosen. At dexterity 3, both apply.
  
Constitution
Score
Mechanical Advantage
B/X
Descriptor
Fitness, hardiness, physical resilience
(choose one maybe two to describe you)
Jovial Priest House Rule

1

Bed bound

2
Non-combatant
Non-mobile (wheelchair)
Non-combatant
3
-3 hit points / Hit dice

Physical cripple
-3 hit points / Hit dice
If negative hit points save vs death ray at -3
-3/4 movement penalty, and
Make a save vs paralysis every morning or be too sick / exhausted to adventure that day

4-5
-2 hit points / Hit dice


Sickly, frail
-2 hit points / Hit dice
If negative hit points save vs death ray at -2
Choose: -1/2 movement penalty, or
Make a save vs paralysis every morning or be too sick / exhausted to adventure that day


6-8
-1 hit points / Hit dice

Unfit, unhealthy
-1 hit points / Hit dice
If negative hit points save vs death ray at -1


9-12

Average
Minimum for Dwarf & Halfling Adventurers
13-15
+1 hit points / Hit dice

Fit, hardy
+1 hit points / Hit dice
If negative hit points save vs death ray at +1

16-17
+2  hit points / Hit dice
Superfit, resilient
+2 hit points / Hit dice
If negative hit points save vs death ray at +2

18
+3  hit points / Hit dice
Ironman
+3 hit points / Hit dice
If negative hit points save vs death ray at +3

19+

Super Human



Notes regarding If negative hit points save vs death ray see this post.
Like for dexterity at Constitution 4-5 a choice of penalties is allowed (movement penalty for being so unfit and easily tired, or a frailty penalty preventing daily activity). At Constitution 3 both penalties apply.

1 comment:

  1. Not fond of the party initiative penalties because that ends up penalizing the other players & characters for your bad die rolls. It's one thing to suck, but another thing when your sucking makes all the other character suck (and thus you get to be responsible for sucking the fun out of someone else's combat monster).

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