Annoying Game Questions You Want Answered

[Count Arioch the 28th]

More options than I want, but that's a good thing. Thanks!

[SlyJohnny]

Bugbears? Thri-kreen? Kobolds? Catfolk? Corgyns?[/url]

[SlyJohnny]

Well, it's approximately 1/36 + (3.5/28*2/36). Or 3.5%. Actually, it's a little less, because that's really the average number of rolled single results, and the average is tweaked very slightly by the chance of rolling multiple injuries and then rolling a 2 or more and then rolling the same result.

Ah, missed this! Outstanding, thank you.

[Count Arioch the 28th]

Bugbears? Thri-kreen? Kobolds? Catfolk? Corgyns?[/url]

The internet loves them some Corgis.

[Meikle641]

I've been sorely tempted to steal the Corgyns for my system. Corgies are cute as fuck.

[Meikle641]

You're free to rip that off because you can't copyright tables that invert number lines. However, this is the 21st century and if you are seriously considering making look up tables to speed up the process of comparing two roll-under rolls, you're first going to need to finish baking your clay tablets proclaiming that those kids should get off your lawn.

Seriously man: don't fucking do that. It's terrible. Instead of asking people to compare margins of success for roll under rolls, just add the skill to the natural roll, set the base target number to 100, and have the higher total win. For fuck's sake, THAC0 style math is so twentieth century.

-Username17

Haha, fair enough. I think I'll go roll-over then. How would I handle crits and such then? In BRP crits are like, rolling under 1/5th your skill and stuff. Would I then just do fixed crit numbers?

[Username17]

There are lots of ways to do criticals. My first suggestion would be to not do Criticals at all, because crits are extremely un-friendly to players. But if you want to do them, you basically have two options:

• A fixed percentage of successes are criticals (3e style). This is achieved on a percentile dice by giving players a "critical number" (or more than one critical number), which is a number that if you roll it in the ones place of your dice makes the roll a "critical threat" that is a critical success if the roll is also a success.
• A fixed margin of success. This achieved by simply saying something like "a roll of 100+ is a success, a roll of 150+ is a critical success" or whatever. In this case, getting better at a task dramatically increases the amount of critical success you get - like in Shadowrun.

Do not under any circumstances do the 4e D&D bullshit where succeeding less makes the percentage of criticals increase. Nor should you do the bullshit of nWoD where two skilled people can only critical or miss each other. Those are both easy to avoid however.

-Username17

[flare22]

you apply your strength bonus when using thrown weapons do the and one and a half your strength for two handed weapons do you apply one and half of your strength when throwing a two handed thrown weapon such as a spear?

also when using craft alchemy do you need artisans tools? and if so does the bonus of masterwork tools stack with the bonus from an alchemist lab?


Artisan’s Tools

These special tools include the items needed to pursue any craft. Without them, you have to use improvised tools (–2 penalty on Craft checks), if you can do the job at all.
Masterwork
These tools serve the same purpose as artisan’s tools (above), but masterwork artisan’s tools are the perfect tools for the job, so you get a +2 circumstance bonus on Craft checks made with them.

Alchemist’s Lab

An alchemist’s lab always has the perfect tool for making alchemicals items, so it provides a +2 circumstance bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks. It has no bearing on the costs related to the Craft (alchemy) skill. Without this lab, a character with the Craft (alchemy) skill is assumed to have enough tools to use the skill but not enough to get the +2 bonus that the lab provides.

see how the 2 item descriptions are contradictory one says your assumed to have tools even without the lab and the other says u need them or you get a penalty

[zugschef]

1. you don't throw a spear with two hands.

2. an alchemist's lab includes all the tools and on top both entries specify the bonus as "circumstance bonus" and bonuses of the same type don't stack.

[fectin]

What about a caber then?

[flare22]

so the bonus's don't stack and you don't need artisans tools or an alchemist lab to use the skill without a -2

[fectin]

Alchemist lab IS the artisans tools for craft(alchemy), IIRC. It's worded a little awkwardly as a holdover from 3.0.

[Grek]

so the bonus's don't stack and you don't need artisans tools or an alchemist lab to use the skill without a -2

Craft (alchemy) is an exception to the usual rules on tools for the craft skill. You don't get the normal -2 penalty for not having proper tools, but the +2 "better tools" bonus for alchemy costs more money than regular artisan tools do.

[ishy]

2. an alchemist's lab includes all the tools and on top both entries specify the bonus as "circumstance bonus" and bonuses of the same type don't stack.

actually

The basics[/url]]Dodge bonuses and circumstance bonuses however, do stack with one another unless otherwise specified.

[squirrelloid]

1. you don't throw a spear with two hands.

While his example was poor, it doesn't actually answer the question: "what happens when you throw a weapon with 2 hands?". (Hammer toss or a Caber come to mind).

I would assume you get 1.5x str mod to damage. Despite the Caber appearing in an actual source, I'm not sure if the str implications are specifically spelled out.

[hogarth]

1. you don't throw a spear with two hands.

While his example was poor [..]

Why is it a poor example? In D&D, a spear is a 2-handed weapon.

[erik]

1. you don't throw a spear with two hands.

While his example was poor [..]

Why is it a poor example? In D&D, a spear is a 2-handed weapon.

[zugschef]

2. an alchemist's lab includes all the tools and on top both entries specify the bonus as "circumstance bonus" and bonuses of the same type don't stack.

actually

The basics[/url]]Dodge bonuses and circumstance bonuses however, do stack with one another unless otherwise specified.

ah sorry.

1. you don't throw a spear with two hands.

While his example was poor, it doesn't actually answer the question: "what happens when you throw a weapon with 2 hands?". (Hammer toss or a Caber come to mind).

I would assume you get 1.5x str mod to damage. Despite the Caber appearing in an actual source, I'm not sure if the str implications are specifically spelled out.

i still don't think that strength is the major factor in thrown weapon damage. pitchers who throw a perverse fastball are not particularly strong. tossing trunks is the best example for how high strength lets you actually toss, but doesn't change anything about how hard the trunk lands. and, though i admit i have no data, i guess hammers aren't thrown faster than say a baseball.

[erik]

While his example was poor, it doesn't actually answer the question: "what happens when you throw a weapon with 2 hands?". (Hammer toss or a Caber come to mind).

I would assume you get 1.5x str mod to damage. Despite the Caber appearing in an actual source, I'm not sure if the str implications are specifically spelled out.

i still don't think that strength is the major factor in thrown weapon damage. pitchers who throw a perverse fastball are not particularly strong. tossing trunks is the best example for how high strength lets you actually toss, but doesn't change anything about how hard the trunk lands. and, though i admit i have no data, i guess hammers aren't thrown faster than say a baseball.

Well, the higher you throw a trunk the harder it lands.

And as for a hammer throw vs. a baseball. Speed is only one part of the equation.

I mean, if I had to choose I'd totally prefer to be hit with a cloth and leather 5 ounce baseball at 100mph vs. a 16 lb metal hammer thrown at 60mph.

Dang, there's few thrown objects I'd less prefer to get hit by than a hammer thrown by a pro. I say this as an expert in stupidly being hit by sporting projectiles as I have made the mistake of catching a discus at 80' when I was a lad. Thank god my school didn't do the javelin.


Now, D&D cabers of 3e were a total joke. They didn't deal any strength damage but instead had their own special fail rules. They just dealt 2d6 if their target was immobile, and forced a 5' move backward on a failed reflex save.

To address the original question, in 3.x it was quite clear that thrown weapons deal strength mod damage unless otherwise specified, and the 1.5x Str bonus was only for melee attacks. So 2-handed thrown weapons only get 1x Str Mod to damage.

[wotmaniac]

also....
spear, et.al., are 2-handed melee weapons (primary), that happen to be able to be thrown (secondary). Additionally, when you throw them, you are typically only using 1 hand.

[Ted the Flayer]

By core rules, how fast is Astral Travel? If I projected into the astral plane and traveled a couple hundred miles and popped back into reality, would that take more or less time than normal travel?

I'm adopting a lot of it into my game world (except more emphasis on starships), and I'm just trying to figure out if I want it to function like Star Trek/Wars and have hyper/subspace that allows FTL travel, or if I want to use Warhammer 40k where FTL travel is more random and the warp contains hungry demons.

[Previn]

also....
spear, et.al., are 2-handed melee weapons (primary), that happen to be able to be thrown (secondary). Additionally, when you throw them, you are typically only using 1 hand.

I am surprised no one has mentioned Ax throwing.

[Meikle641]

By core rules, how fast is Astral Travel? If I projected into the astral plane and traveled a couple hundred miles and popped back into reality, would that take more or less time than normal travel?

I'm adopting a lot of it into my game world (except more emphasis on starships), and I'm just trying to figure out if I want it to function like Star Trek/Wars and have hyper/subspace that allows FTL travel, or if I want to use Warhammer 40k where FTL travel is more random and the warp contains hungry demons.

Somewhat relevant. Not sure how useful for you, though.

[wotmaniac]

also....
spear, et.al., are 2-handed melee weapons (primary), that happen to be able to be thrown (secondary). Additionally, when you throw them, you are typically only using 1 hand.

I am surprised no one has mentioned Ax throwing.

Huh. Well .... I guess there is that.

[ishy]

By core rules, how fast is Astral Travel? If I projected into the astral plane and traveled a couple hundred miles and popped back into reality, would that take more or less time than normal travel?

I'm adopting a lot of it into my game world (except more emphasis on starships), and I'm just trying to figure out if I want it to function like Star Trek/Wars and have hyper/subspace that allows FTL travel, or if I want to use Warhammer 40k where FTL travel is more random and the warp contains hungry demons.

It depends on your method of travel.
For example teleportation is instantaneous travel through the Astral Plane.