[OOC] Borenhold's Tavern

[Outcast]

Sorry - continued computer 'fun'.

Catching up (and hopefully posting!) now.


Character creation's producing an impressively wide range of results - from 85 to 108 points of stats, if my hasty arithmetic serves. I think that some of us migntl wind up hiding behind the godlike paragons.

[Megiddo]

It balances out pretty well.

[TheMystic]

Take comfort in the fact that 85 puts you way beyond Paragon of your species and into Demigod territory (if we weren't one hit point wonders at the moment anyway)

[TheMystic]

... actually that doesn't sound like too bad a game concept. Every player is a paragon of their race, 18's in every stat (before race modifiers) then give them all the available racial traits, without replacing any. You end up with a true paragon, although it may be broken.

Humans would get +2 to two attributes, +1 skill point a level and a skill focus every three among other things
Some races, namely the gnomes, would get multiple sets of spell like abilities.

Would that game be an alliance, or a competition I wonder.

[Megiddo]

If you want to do that, you should just use the Mythic ruleset

[Megiddo]

Everyone should now have a game thread up.

[Outcast]

Originally Posted by TheMystic

Take comfort in the fact that 85 puts you way beyond Paragon of your species and into Demigod territory (if we weren't one hit point wonders at the moment anyway)

Averaging just over 14 a stat would make for a pretty unimpressive divine being.


Any time that overt elements of divine power for characters get brought into a game, the incidence of PC megalomania tends to go through the roof. Whatever the GM's intentions, there tends to be a risk that players will conclude that - as divine entities - their PCs have an absolute right to pursue any and every inclination they have, and furthermore that (given their power) there can be no OOC reason for them to fail. As a result, that sort of game has a very high incidence of destructive intra-group feuding, as contending would-be 'absolute powers' refuse to accept that there's any need for compromise, with added doses of refusal to accept that any PC failures can be 'fair'.

Games like Amber all too often generate quite a bit of ill-feeling among players who find that their dreams of earth-shattering power don't match the results in play. But if the game's designed to have significant competitive elements, then PC-vs-PC contention can work well, and what better field for such contests than the divine? Likewise, if the players actually invest in whatever cooperative storyline the GM might plan, then superheroic efforts can be a great deal of fun, whatever the setting.

[TheMystic]

I'm not sure what point buy system you're using, but 102 puts an 18 in every stat. 101 puts a 30 in one stat. So you're right, I probably estimated a bit low for Demigod. But it still exceeds what is considered to be the maximum theoretical upper limit of capability for a player race.

[sethdot]

Originally Posted by Outcast

Any time that overt elements of divine power for characters get brought into a game, the incidence of PC megalomania tends to go through the roof. Whatever the GM's intentions, there tends to be a risk that players will conclude that - as divine entities - their PCs have an absolute right to pursue any and every inclination they have, and furthermore that (given their power) there can be no OOC reason for them to fail.

And then you find out you're playing Exalted and it's all good

[JasonWFD]

Originally Posted by TheMystic

I'm not sure what point buy system you're using, but 102 puts an 18 in every stat. 101 puts a 30 in one stat. So you're right, I probably estimated a bit low for Demigod. But it still exceeds what is considered to be the maximum theoretical upper limit of capability for a player race.

I don't mean to speak for Outcast, but I think he's talking about the way we're doing stats and just adding up the total from all 6 final ability scores in his comparisons. I don't think he's talking about a point-buy system here.

Unless of course, I'm now lost and confused. Which is a distinct possibility.

[Outcast]

Originally Posted by TheMystic

I'm not sure what point buy system you're using, but 102 puts an 18 in every stat. 101 puts a 30 in one stat.

I simply totalled up the scores; in points-buy terms, the disparity would be far, far wider than 23 - though I don't think I've ever seen a chart going above 18, and hadn't been going to take the time to try to work out the more complex calculations (Ygraine's statline would cost... 21 points plus the expense of a 19, on a hasty totting-up).

Three of the characters rolled for thus far have at least one beyond-human stat each - scores unattainable even for a 20th level character maxing out a racial bonus attribute that had started at 18. That level of beyond-theoretical-potential is likely to be rather noticeable - to the rest of the PCs, as well as to NPCs. And especially so when backed up by other exceptional stats.

Those characters who 'merely' touch upon the superheroic scale with a single attribute (Sethdot and I both got a single 19 in our rolls) are certainly far beyond the norm... but I never denied they were. What I commented on was the spread: and that holds true.

They're not beyond-the-scope-of-possibility in the same sort of way as characters with multiple scores over 20, let alone a 30. Even under the base PF rules, there'd be characters out there with scores of 19, 20, 21 - rare and exceptionally talented, but there in the world.

It's the difference between being Batman and being Spiderman. We'll just have to try to make sure that we swish our capes and buckle our swashes as stylishly, even while being 'merely' human in most of what we do.

Originally Posted by sethdot

And then you find out you're playing Exalted and it's all good

*laughs* Admittedly, in my small experience of Exalted, I've tended to see more arguments about rules (especially combining Charms) than disputes over divine authority. I loved the initial setting, however....

[Megiddo]

This game will have a fairly exalted-esque flavor to it, admittedly.

Just look at my stunt rules!

[JasonWFD]

Any game where you are rewarded for being awesome is awesome.

[TheMystic]

I was in a one shot like that. Not too much coherent plot there, but the GM was awesome and in the end only two of the party met a fowl end.

[OllieNorth]

Originally Posted by TheMystic

I was in a one shot like that. Not too much coherent plot there, but the GM was awesome and in the end only two of the party met a fowl end.

Polymorphed into chickens, then served fried?