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<blockquote data-quote="Livemike" data-source="post: 8004955" data-attributes="member: 6863383">All TTRPGs should have what the numbers mean explained, including but not limited to skill ratings, character stats and difficulty ratings/modifiers.&nbsp; That explaination has to include the probabilities of a character accomplishing something.&nbsp; RPGs are languages and the maths is part of the definition of characters, situations and objects.&nbsp; Take the system I'm working on &quot;Exceptional&quot;, what would it mean for a difficulty number to be 24?&nbsp; Well the &quot;Roll Base&quot; table describes what numbers characters should have for particular ability levels.&nbsp; An average person with a minimally trained skill has a base of 11 while someone with a good relevant stat and professional training has a base of 20.&nbsp; The difficulty table gives an approximate probabilities for characters of various levels of ability.&nbsp; Looking it up you see that DF 25 translates to about a 28% chance for Joe Average and 90% for the professional.&nbsp; So you actually know what DF 25 means.&nbsp; You know what having a skill total of 11 or 20 means.&nbsp; Because I put it all the tables so people understand what's going on.&nbsp; If you just say &quot;4 is a high skill&quot; but don't explain what that means in terms of success chance you're not really translating the world into a language people understand.&nbsp;&nbsp; Players shouldn't have to do the math, firstly because most don't want to and secondly because the designer ought to have done it himself.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; If he hasn't then even he doesn't know what the world he's describing is like.&nbsp; If plate mail gives a +3 to damage resistance does that mean it's really good or marginal?&nbsp; If he hasn't had the math worked out he doesn't know.&nbsp; If he has then he should write down so we don't have to repeat the work.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Livemike, post: 8004955, member: 6863383"] All TTRPGs should have what the numbers mean explained, including but not limited to skill ratings, character stats and difficulty ratings/modifiers. That explaination has to include the probabilities of a character accomplishing something. RPGs are languages and the maths is part of the definition of characters, situations and objects. Take the system I'm working on "Exceptional", what would it mean for a difficulty number to be 24? Well the "Roll Base" table describes what numbers characters should have for particular ability levels. An average person with a minimally trained skill has a base of 11 while someone with a good relevant stat and professional training has a base of 20. The difficulty table gives an approximate probabilities for characters of various levels of ability. Looking it up you see that DF 25 translates to about a 28% chance for Joe Average and 90% for the professional. So you actually know what DF 25 means. You know what having a skill total of 11 or 20 means. Because I put it all the tables so people understand what's going on. If you just say "4 is a high skill" but don't explain what that means in terms of success chance you're not really translating the world into a language people understand. Players shouldn't have to do the math, firstly because most don't want to and secondly because the designer ought to have done it himself. If he hasn't then even he doesn't know what the world he's describing is like. If plate mail gives a +3 to damage resistance does that mean it's really good or marginal? If he hasn't had the math worked out he doesn't know. If he has then he should write down so we don't have to repeat the work. [/QUOTE]

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