[Sorcerer] Fresh From Play: Comments, Questions

[Bill Cook]

This being particular to the system, I thought I'd separate it from the thread I started in Actual Play.

Comment: The game text does not overstate the peril of a many-to-one match up!  Quite by accident, the most powerful sorcerer in our group was attacked by five mooks.  Sure, he shot one, but they basically kicked his ass.

Question: I've got a character whose parasite confers Big and Fast.  The sorcerer's Stamina is 4.  The demon's Power is 8.  This table shows damage effects by total penalties during combat.  Please confirm.

[*]No conferment:

[*]0 = 4 score dice
[*]1 .. 3 = 3 .. 1 score dice
[*]4 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*]5 .. 8 = 0 score dice; may master
[*]9 .. 16 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*] 17+ = optionally dead
[/list:u]
[*]Confers Fast:

[*]0 = 8 score dice
[*]1 .. 7 = 7 .. 1 score dice
[*]8 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*]9 .. 16 = 0 score dice; may master
[*]17 .. 32 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*]33+ = optionally dead
[/list:u]
[*]Confers Big:

[*]0 .. 8 = 4 score dice
[*]9 .. 11 = 3 .. 1 score dice
[*]12 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*]13 .. 24 = 0 score dice; may master
[*]25 .. 48 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*]49+ = optionally dead
[/list:u]
[*]Confers Big and Fast:

[*]0 .. 8 = 8 score dice
[*]9 .. 15 = 7 .. 1 score dice
[*]16 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*]17 .. 32 = 0 score dice; may master
[*]33 .. 64 = 0 score dice; may not master
[*]65+ = optionally dead
[/list:u]
[/list:u]

Question:  6, 6, 4 vs 6.  How many victories?

Comment: I quite like this combat system.  I thought it was an afterthought when I first read through it.  But it's really punchy in use.  It has a lot of character, and I find that most design choices benefit the play experience.

[Nev the Deranged]

Well, in real life, ganging up on someone is exceptionally effective in pretty much any situation. Thus, in the game world, ditto.

As for your chart... I can't make heads or tails of it, and I've been drowning myself in the Sorcerer rulebooks for a month now. Maybe I'm not seeing the forest for the trees, but I haven't a clue what the numbers or comments on your chart refer to.

I do appreciate the final question about rolls vs. 1 die, though... I forgot to ask that one myself. Since the Forge decided to play nice today I will probably post my full block of questions on another thread.

Um... so in essence, I guess I really have nothing to add to this and my post has no point.

*sigh* I hate when that happens.

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

I get your chart pretty well when it concerns "no conferment," as you're talking about the naked sorcerer (basically). But I don't really get the ones that include Fast. Fast does not actually add to the character's score in teh same way that Big does. Think of it as a few extra dice to roll that are only counted for purposes of when the character acts; I usually make sure they're all one color.

I'm pretty sure your Big chart is OK, although like Nev, I'm a little boggled by your notation ... it's kind of your way to say the rules to yourself, but from an angle that never really occurred to me.

As for your dice question, the roll you're citing: 6, 6, 4 vs. 6 is handled precisely like any other: the three-dice roller has won with a single victory. The special rules about single-die rolls only apply on a true tie, such as 6, 5, 4 vs. 6.

Best,
Ron

[Bill Cook]

Think of it as a few extra dice to roll that are only counted for purposes of when the character acts; I usually make sure they're all one color.

Do you mean, create an extra set of dice, equal to Power - Stamina, where the set is at least one?  And by this distinction, the ranges of total damage penalties during combat remain clear to apply to Stamina alone?

I would provide an example, but I'm not sure how to do it in a way that wouldn't be confusing.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

Yes! That is exactly right.

Best,
Ron

[Bill Cook]

Understanding that, there are a few more wrinkles I need to iron out.

Are penalties applied to Fast dice?  If so, which set is first applied against, score dice or Fast dice?  If it's score dice or if penalties are never applied against Fast dice, can you still use them when penalties reduce score dice to zero or lower?

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

I'll qualify this answer by assuming that Fast is being conferred by a demon to another character, rather than being applied to itself.

So Schrack (Power 5) is conferring Fast to Bart (Stamina 3).

Any penalties Bart sustains apply to Bart's scores only. Therefore the extra dice of the Fast are not affected; Schrack isn't hurt, after all.

However, say that Bart is unhurt and Schrack has had its Power reduced for some reason. In that case, the dice of Fast are reduced (and if they equal or are beneath Bart's Stamina, the Fast is useless).

Similarly, say that Schrack has had its Stamina reduced for some reason but its Power is OK. In that case, the dice of Fast are unchanged, but if the order of action is involved in when the Fast takes effect on Bart, then the reduced Stamina may delay when that happens.

Best,
Ron

[Bill Cook]

So no injuries to Bart will ever lessen the quantity of Fast dice available.  Let's say Bart's Stamina is reduced to zero; he still has two Fast dice available.  So are the sub-ranges of total penalties that determine pain effects (i.e. reduced score dice, master to act, may not act, optionally dead) shifted by two, or do Fast dice just sit there, waiting to see if Bart can manage whichever pain effect in order to announce?

This should be the last 2%.  Thx for your patience.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Bill,

Let's say Bart's Stamina is reduced to zero; he still has two Fast dice available. So are the sub-ranges of total penalties that determine pain effects (i.e. reduced score dice, master to act, may not act, optionally dead) shifted by two, or do Fast dice just sit there, waiting to see if Bart can manage whichever pain effect in order to announce?

The Fast dice just sit there. They play no roll whatsoever in Bart's capabilities in terms of damage-penalty totals. Don't think them as "Stamina Boosters" at all.

And actually, as it happens, we're not quite done yet. I've been trying to post a response to your Actual Play thread for many hours now and failing badly due to many reasons, none of which are making me happier. I swear, I'll get there.

Best,
Ron