Q & As

[Alex Koponen]

Questions re P&P and the Answers I've given:

Hi I was wondering a question about Character creation for P&P ... I got
it today (found it) and it looks awesome, almost as good as Runequest (my
personal old time fav.).  Anyway, in character creation it says the
following:

page 6, the Multiplier Assigned chart.  How does that work?  From what I
can understand on page 5, you take the 2d6+14 and then distribute the
amount you rolled (for example, 5+14 equals 19) through the
characteristics created in the Native Ability characteristic construction.
Is that right?

Ans. The Native Ability (# rolled and modified by race and sex) multiplied
by the Multiplier equals Maximum Ability. Current Ability starts out equal
to Native Ability and through Initial Increase and experience gets built
up towards and sometimes to Maximum Ability.
    Multipliers range from 1.5 to 4 (in the case of C and App and
non-humans it can go as high as 8) in 0.5 increments. The higher the
better. [Example: Native Strength of 13. Mult. of 1.5 yields Max. of 20
which is a +1. Mult. of 4 yields 52 which is a +3 for damage etc.] The
total of these multipliers spread out among the stats (excluding C and
App) must equal the amount rolled, in this case 19.

 ***
So how does the chart on page 6 work in comparison to that rolling and
dividing?

Ans. The chart shows what the Maximum Ability would be for a given Native
Ability and multiplier assigned.

***
page 7 "Osc, with 280 experience points, starts with a CEL of 3" ... not
sure how that works, looked through the books, can't find it so far.  can
you help?

Ans. ??280 Experience Points?? The Initial Increase Table only lists
Expertise Points with a 280. Expertise is used for buying skills and
crafts. Experience points show practice in combat. See p.39 for Combat
Experience Levels. If you have 280 Experience you would be CEL 3 until you
got to 450 CEP.

 ***
Thanks for your help!
 Ok another series of questions:
how does one create Offensive Combat Value and Defensive Combat Value.

Ans. OCV is the value of CEL + Strength bonus + Stamina bonus.
DCV is the value of CEL + Agility bonus + Dexterity Bonus.
 p.13 has the bonus table.

***
thanks for the info so far, ok few more questions (lol and I'm sure more
will come in time)...from the player char record sheet...

CEP, where do I find it and how does it work?
Poison Resistance, same thing, where do I find it and calculate it?
DR(FV) from the other side of the PC sheet, on Armor Record info, what is
this?

Ans. CEP = combat experience points. B1 P.38. Some characters start with
some at the beginning depending on Initial Increase purchases B1 p.7.
 Poison resistance B1 p.16, rule 1.3254.
 Damage Resistance(Fatigue Value) B1 p.30 & B2 p.8.
 I suggest you read all the rulebooks front to back.

***
Thank you for the help.  I am trying to read it from front to back, but
there's so many tables and sections and subsections that it gets
confusing.

Hi sorry to bother you again, my group is deciding to try the game again.
Was wondering a quick question.  On page 7, there is the table for Initial
Increase.  The formula that is given, (Agex2)+Station+2d10, is that to be
used for Char. Points total?  For example...I have a character that is 18,
a Station 4, and I roll 2d10 to bring forth the number 15.  So does that
mean I have, total of  55 Char Points.  That means that my Experience
Points is 250 and my CEL is 3 and finally I have 300 Expertise Points to
distribute in gaining skills?  Thanks! for any help!

Ans. Initial Increase uses the formula to determine the factor which is
then divided up (with 5 to 30 points in each) among Char. Pts; Exp Pts;
Expertise and Wealth.
An Example:
So if your total Init.Inc. is 60 you might put 30 points into say
Character Points (giving you 90 points towards raising current abilities);
15 points into experience points (giving the character CEL3); 10 points
into expertise points (giving 200 expertise points to spend on learning
skills) and the remaining 5 points gives you 25 times the coin type of
your station. Alternatively you could have spent your Init. Inc. points
emphasizing expertise rather than Character Points or in some other
fashion as long as each gets at least 5 points and no more than 30 points
of the Init. Inc.

***
Ok I see.  So for example, I use the formula of (Age x 2) + Station + 2d20
and I get a total of 60 points all together.
 I then use 20 points to give me 70 Character Points.  Those 70 Character
Points can raise my Characteristics to the Maximum ability but not above
Maximum ability?
 I then use 15 points to give me 225 Experience Points and would place me
at CEL of 2.
 I Then use 15 points to give me 300 Expertise Points to be used to buy
skills.
 I then use 10 points to give me a Wealth level of 50.
 Is that it?

Ans. *** yep ***

***
I think I have it, a question about Damage real quick.
 I understand using OCV and DCV, that is fine, but the damage is not
explained well:
 Deadly Hit:  Do I have the choice to roll either 2d10+WSB+EL ... or ...
1d10+(SB)D10+WSB+EL
 Severe Hit:  If using a weapon, I roll 1d10+SB+WSB+(El/2)
 Hit: uses weapon, 1d6+SB+WSB.
 All of these damage, though, is subtracted from Hit Point Value.  When
HPV reaches zero, the character or monster is dead, right?

Ans.
Deadly Hit:  Do I have the choice to roll either 2d10+WSB+EL ... or ...
1d10+(SB)D10+WSB+EL
*** No. No choice. Always use 2D10+WSB+EL unless SB is +2 or better in
which case use 1D10+(SB)D10+WSB+EL.***

Severe Hit:  If using a weapon, I roll 1d10+SB+WSB+(El/2)
Hit: uses weapon, 1d6+SB+WSB.

All of these damage, though, is subtracted from Hit Point Value.  When HPV
reaches zero, the character or monster is dead, right?
 *** No. When HPV = 0 then it is unconscious. When damage exceeds DTV it
dies. Note that armor subtracts from damage, thus a 0 damage hit is
possible. ***

***
Ok I have figured out and fully constructed the character as an example
for my playing group.  One thing I am not sure of is how character skills
are used.  I understand how to construct and buy skills and place ELs but
not sure how to roll the skill such as when someone wants to Climb or when
someone wants to Forester.  I think that will be about all I need to
learn, I am pretty excited about running a P&P game because its world is
so exciting.  Thanks for your helping me learn the rules!

Ans. Basically you have two types of skills.
or 80 skills    in which you want to roll equal or less to your skill on
percentile dice to be successful with the skill, +25 for a partial
success. Typically doesn't have a default for those without the skill.
[or 60 skills are a subset of or 80 skills]

other skills    which modify (usually by EL) a percentile roll such as a
combat to hit roll or a survival roll. These usually do have default rolls
though complete lack of skill often gives hefty penalties (usually = cost
to learn).

***
I understand how the combat works now.  But I am still unclear about the
noncombat.  I have read and reread the skills section but I dont see the
specific part where it says "this is how you define your skill %" that
needs to be rolled for skills like Assassin or Forester etc.  Is this form
of skill defined by the Max. Level (that is, for example, what I roll on %
dice defined by the following Armorer...is I + W + (StBx5) or 80).  The
biggest problem I have is that I'm pretty good with roleplaying
systems...as I've roleplayed for years from Runequest to D&D to
Traveller...but the way the P&P is set up is more like cliffnotes than
rules since it uses an outline system of explanation and not a "read
through" like these other games.  Thanks for your helping me with this.
     Is this form of skill defined by the Max. Level (that is, for
example, what I roll on % dice defined by the following Armorer...is I + W
+ (StBx5) or 80).

Ans. ** Yep **
    Okay, I have a character who has a 73 in Jeweler skill. To cut a gem
or make a ring the character needs to roll a 73 or less on percentile dice
to do a good job. If I roll a partial success, 74-98, then I've done a
sloppy job that isn't worth as much. If I miss my skill roll by more than
25 I've blown it, in jeweler skill I've wasted the materials and time, if
I'd been using herbalist then I've misidentified an herb with potentially
dangerous consequences.
    Say your beginning character decides to be an assassin and you have
the expertise needed (200 cost to learn) having spent at least 10 points
on expertise in the Initial Increase Table of rule 1.14. The formula
(I+W+D+A)/20 applies. Say your maximum level is 6 using maximum abilities,
this would give you only a 36% (roll a 36 or less on percentile dice)
chance of being accepted into the guild and taught the skills. If the roll
is failed you don't spend the 200 expertise, you don't get the skills, but
you do get the ill favor of the guild. Presuming you make the roll and the
highest current ability of I, W, D and A is 60. Rule 2.23 shows that for
other skills, like Assassin, you divide by 10 or the divisor used in the
formula, whichever is higher. In this case it is 20 so dividing 60 by 20
we get 3 as the character's starting EL in Assassin. Note that A only
applies when he successfully ambushes a victim (errata).
    The assassin also automatically learned Trailing as a sub-skill (cost
included in the assassin skill). Say the current ability of 60 also
applies to Trailing. The character gets a starting EL of 60 in Trailing.
Following someone he has a 60% chance of being successful, 25% chance of
rerolling and a 15% of either losing the target or letting the target
become aware of being trailed.
    Forester is slightly different in that one rolls for most of the
subskills, either learning them at the indicated EL or not learning them
at all.