Spycraft Question : Defense Value

[Morrus]

Moved to d20 System Games.

 

[Evil Josef]

From what I've heard, the rules concerning Defense sound perfectly reasonable, especially considering the cinematic feel Spycraft is intended to portray. If you're playing, say, a super-secret spy scoping out a villian at a Monte Carlo casino, traipsing about the roulette table in your kelvar might make you a bit suspicious. Besides that, it would be nice not to rely on armor for situations like this, especially when they become sticky.

As far as contemporary, realistic campaigns go, the rules could still apply. If you're going to be part of - as another example - a terrorist busting squad or SWAT team, your armor might be important, but it's not the first thing you should rely on keeping yourself from getting killed. Careful planning and decent cover from one's surroundings will play a larger role in preventing one's self from being shot. The DR involved makes his all the more feasible, and I assume that the average operative is going to be low enough level to where armor will still be feasible.

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

The soldier class gets an additional bonus to defense when wearing armor as they increase in level. This bonus is +1/4 level.

At level 20 a soldier has a defense bonus of +8. But if he wears armor he has +5 to the equipment bonus provided by the armor. Light armor do provide a small defense bonus (or penalty if they are really bulky). Kevlar vest provide +1 for example.

So a level 20 soldier could go without armor and get +8 to defense. Or he could use a kevlar vest and get +6 to defense AND a damage reduction of 4 or 5 (if it's reinforced). Think hard, what option do you prefer?

OTOH, wearing armor doesn't feel right for any of the other classes so the game might as well be balanced in such a way as to discourage its use.

And as a closing statement, I LOVE SPYCRAFT!

 

[Evil Josef]

Shoulda known a Leonard Cohen fan would be together enough to lay it out that nicely.

 

[gustavef]

OTOH, wearing armor doesn't feel right for any of the other classes so the game might as well be balanced in such a way as to discourage its use.

And as a closing statement, I LOVE SPYCRAFT!

For the Genre of "Supper Spy" ala Avengers, Prisoner, and or James Bond, I agree. And in that Genre Spycraft delivers.

However, for a Cyberpunk, or Covert Ops, type game, I would disagree. Going into a Tactical situation without any protection is foollish. (And protection should not be "being lucky" 8*)

What sort of "distrubs" me is that the rules seem to "discourage armour use by higher levels" then "encourage the heroic/cinimatic feel"

I would of prefered the game to have presented less cinimatic rules and then given options to encourage the cinimatic feel.

In general, I prefer a class based "defense value" (like the class based attack value aka BAB), and Amour providing Damage Resistance. Like what was presented in Polyhedron's Shadow Chasers.

So back to the drawing board....8*)

-gustavef, busily tinkering with a world-idea, and quitely stealing bits and pieces various d20 games....

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

For the Genre of "Supper Spy" ala Avengers, Prisoner, and or James Bond, I agree. And in that Genre Spycraft delivers.

However, for a Cyberpunk, or Covert Ops, type game, I would disagree. Going into a Tactical situation without any protection is foollish. (And protection should not be "being lucky" 8*)

What sort of "distrubs" me is that the rules seem to "discourage armour use by higher levels" then "encourage the heroic/cinimatic feel"

I see your point. But Spycraft IS designed with the cinematic James Bond and Mission Impossible in mind. It's been designed as a superspy RPG. Everything works toward that feel, it's not just the armor.

There are also super science gadget, class abilities that allow you to defy the law of physics and game mechanics that allow you to bring down the house in a casino.

If you want to run a realistic covert ops campaign, I'm sorry to say that this game was not designed for you and that no apology will be offered.

 

[jkantor]

I don't think anyone wants to play a truly realistic game - at least not when it means that your top agent dies (or better - is permanently crippled) in the first round from a lucky hit (something which, strangely enough, never happens in movies).

 

[jkantor]

I don't think anyone wants to play a truly realistic game - at least not when it means that your top agent dies (or better - is permanently crippled) in the first round from a lucky hit (something which, strangely enough, never happens in movies).