BESM d20 Revised

[pawsplay]

So, to what should abilities add at all? Skill use? Lifting (str only)?

And as I said, you don't have to buy advantages and parry to effective replace Fighting. Fighting is just an easy way to not your general melee abilities. Advantages and skills show only where your better at.

In a certain way of looking at things, if all the sub-traits of a trait cost the same, the trait is over-costed. Because training in one weapon really should cost more than 1/4 of a point of the whole enchilada, because you use it more than 1/4 of the time. Further, FIG in most games would help you develop general ability without needing individual skills, but in M&M, Close Attack and Parry cover that. They are uber-skills.

The reason this sticks out for me is some work I was doing with the WORG/OMACS people on converting DC Heroes/MEGS characters to M&M 3e. It turns out FIG is completely arbitrary, which makes it really hard to benchmark. It's just a number, basically a random number for any character with increased attack and Parry.

The Unusual Background only limits (gets subtracted) from the total character points. It doesn't hinder the player to pay all of the remaining ones for a big blast.

Correct, it is still the GM who says whether such traits are permissible at all.

In which edition is GURPS currently?

4th. And I have to say, it really does both simplify and expand possibilities, no small feat.

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

Strange, but I have to believe you.

Look at the last page of the RPG Now Preview pdf. There is the designation I found. I found no other.

http://watermark.rpgnow.com/pdf_previews/388-sample.pdf

Ah. Interesting. I don't have the electronic copy, so I don't know if that preview is accurate or not; sometimes the preview that a company uploads doesn't reflect the actual product they release and they never update the preview. What I do know is that my physical copy definitely has a more extensive designation. It does have the stock-picture they used too, so I'm wondering if that preview might be an older file that was modified later and that it was the modified version which was sent to the printers. *shrug*

Well, if you were interested in BESMd20 and/or SASd20, I'd say pick up a physical copy of the Stingy Gamer Edition if you were planning on pulling extensively from the rules or were concerned about OGC. The electronic copy is fine for reference and figuring out if it's worth you investing time and money in the first place.

 

[pawsplay]

SAS d20 Stingy Gamer Edition turns out to contain very little OGC. Honestly, I think GoO just went through and highlighted some sections to meet the requirements of the d20 license, plus the names (only) of Attributes so you could print a SAS character sheet. Virtually none of the rules are labelled as OGC, even mechanics like Total Defense.

 

[Walking Dad]

...

Well, if you were interested in BESMd20 and/or SASd20, I'd say pick up a physical copy of the Stingy Gamer Edition if you were planning on pulling extensively from the rules or were concerned about OGC. The electronic copy is fine for reference and figuring out if it's worth you investing time and money in the first place.

I actually prefer PDFs for my roleplaying books. I mostly play PbP these days, so opening a PDF is often easier than looking up things in a book.

Could you maybe scan the print designation? I cannot find a cheap print copy online.

The preview reflects the actual OGL in the PDF, BTW.

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

SAS d20 Stingy Gamer Edition turns out to contain very little OGC. Honestly, I think GoO just went through and highlighted some sections to meet the requirements of the d20 license, plus the names (only) of Attributes so you could print a SAS character sheet. Virtually none of the rules are labelled as OGC, even mechanics like Total Defense.

Like I said, the physical copy I've got has _all_ the rules open. It looks like the electronic copy has some issues. I know I'd be seriously annoyed if I was just relying on the pdf.

I actually prefer PDFs for my roleplaying books. I mostly play PbP these days, so opening a PDF is often easier than looking up things in a book.

Could you maybe scan the print designation? I cannot find a cheap print copy online.

The preview reflects the actual OGL in the PDF, BTW.

I actually am a pdf only fellow these days myself, without an _extremely_ good reason. I bought an iPad when they first came out, so I could make that transition and I've been very pleased.

Ok, I'll see about uploading a scan of my books OGL. I've got access to a scanner at work, so that shouldn't be a problem. Won't be OCRed, but... *shrug*... that's not really such a big deal in this case I don't think. If I can't attach it as a post, then I'll put it up on mediafire or something.

As a sidenote: This is another reason why GoO had problems. Inconsistent things like this. *sigh*

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

Ok, attached is the scan I made from my book. Hopefully it's good enough.

 

[Walking Dad]

Thanks! That looks much more open than the pdf OGL.

 

[pawsplay]

So... combat skills. Do you use them? I'm wondering, because as written, a Gun Bunny at 6th level could have +6 BAB, then another 9 ranks in Gun Combat, netting a +15 to hit. That's not completely out of whack with a boosted 6th level D&D character, but it's high. And although you can boost defenses with Defense Combat Mastery and skills, by default, AC doesn't scale, but every class has a BAB progression. Since BESM d20 has armor as DR (basically)... it's as if characters tended toward the higher end of attack bonuses, while most targets have to rely on their touch AC for defense.

What happens if you cut loose with skills like that? Any problems? What about skills for Special Attacks.... do characters tend to lose the Will save race, or does Mind Defense and basic progression do a decent job?

Has anyone simply dispensed with combat skills, as they suggest you may do? If so, how do you deal with DCs for special attacks?

 

[Walking Dad]

I personally dislike to have a automatic scaling Bab and combat skills in the same system, but I haven't done the math.

Theoretically it would be

Attack skill vs defense skill
Bab vs armor?

 

[pawsplay]

I personally dislike to have a automatic scaling Bab and combat skills in the same system, but I haven't done the math.

It's funny, I was thinking about that and Star Wars Saga Edition and I had this thought, "What about a base skill bonus? I wonder if that would work?"

Theoretically it would be

Attack skill vs defense skill
Bab vs armor?

Armor doesn't add to AC in BESM.