Post by wayne on Sept 22, 2003 8:04:35 GMT -5
This one I came up with while trying to translate a couple of anime characters into this system. It represents tactical or strategic planning and execution.
<<EDIT: I just used this in a game, and looking back at what I posted realized I'd left out a minor detail in the posting. Also, I'm adding a couple more examples... the usual response I seem to get for this Action is "bleh", but I think I can show how it can be more useful than, say, Concentration.>>
TACTICS/STRATEGY
Cost = Action Number + 4
Description
This allows you to plan and execute a tactic or strategy and benefit from it. It essentially lowers the resistance of another character's Action, or of a specific problem or situation. You may apply any number of stones to the Action/problem/situation, even over multiple panels, but only up to your Action Number plus your Intelligence. Then, in any panel afterwards (unless the situation alters, in which case you lose your stones) you may take advantage of your analysis. This is done by performing another Action to exploit the advantage you've gained. The Resistance of the situation is lowered, after taking into account situational modifiers, to a minimum of 0. The Difficulty of the situation is also reduced by -1 (regardless of the number of stones applied.) This power may be used again on a specific situation after the situational advantage has been exploited. Comes with a free Intelligence bonus.
Comments
While similar to Concentration, this Action instead reduces Resistance rather than boosting your effort, and can often make the impossible possible. Just remember that any advantage you acquire by applying this Action to a situation must be exploited before the situation changes, or you lose your stones and must reapply them. You may describe the situational advantage you gain if you wish, but usually the GM does so... after all, part of the point of this Action is so that you can be as tactically ruthless as your character is supposed to be, without actually having to think up the tactics!
Rule for Modifier Box:
Example 1
Kurama has a Tactics/Strategy Action Number of 6, and wants to make use of it in a fight. His other powers are currently nullified, so he has little else to use as defense against waves of ice shards his opponent is throwing (area attack). He applies 6 stones toward his Tactics/Strategy to avoid or reduce his opponent's attack. The GM tells him that he can turn his body as he dodges so that less vital parts of his body get hit, lowering the damage done. Next page, he puts 3 stones into Close Combat (his max) to dodge, and tells the GM he's going to use the tactical advantage he devised. The GM then lowers the strength of his opponent's attack by 6, from 10 to 4 stones. Only 1 stone of damage gets through, rather than 7.
Had his opponent suddenly switched to using his Ice Weapon power, and made an Ice Spear to use in conjunction with his Close Combat, Kurama's strategy would have been nullified, and he wouldn't have seen any reduction in the oncoming attack.
Example 2
Amp has a Tactics/Strategy Action Number of 3. He's in the middle of a mission, and comes across an access panel he needs to take out to help his teammates. The problem is, its shielded. He tries using his full Electric Blast, at 5 stones, and gets nothing. So after two Panels of regeneration, he tells the GM he wants to apply his Tactics/Strategy to the situation, and puts 4 stones into it (his INT can cover the extra stone.)
The GM tells him that he realizes the electricity flowing through the access panel is probably AC, and that if he modulates his Electric Blast while using it, it'll probably have a greater effect. So the next Panel, after he's back up to full energy, Amp tells the GM he'll make use of that strategy while applying another full Electric Blast of 5 stones. The GM reports that his strategy worked, lowering the Resistance of the access panel's shielding by 4, down to 3. Two stones of damage get through, enough to fry the access panel.
Example 3
Warp has been having a rough week with his Danger Room training sessions. His teammates have been outshining him, and he's basically been feeling useless in combat. That night, he gets an idea. Around midnight, he sneaks out of bed and into the Danger Room's control booth. Being something of an amateur hacker, he attempts to make some "advantageous" tweaks to its system, but finds himself stymied. The GM reports that his computer experience tells him he can't break into the system... his Computer Action is only 2, and his Intelligence is 3. He needs to match a Difficulty of 6 to use the system (the Professor, who's away, felt that he'd try this and upped the security.)
Warp tells the GM he's using Tactics/Strategy on the situation, putting only 2 stones into it. The GM tells him that he can get in if he first stresses the system, and then tries several simultaneous security attacks. Next Panel, Warp gets up, and checks the hallway to make sure he's still alone. The following Panel, he sits back down and puts 5 stones into Computers, telling the GM he'll apply the strategy. The GM tells him that the Difficulty has been lowered to 5, and that he gains access--but that the reduction in the Resistance (which was 360) is negligible. Warp then spends the next hour, at 3 stones per Panel, into making the desired changes. The next morning, his teammates are somewhat amazed at how much more efficiently his Spatial Shear seems to be working--at least until Beast also notices and checks things out....
<<EDIT: I just used this in a game, and looking back at what I posted realized I'd left out a minor detail in the posting. Also, I'm adding a couple more examples... the usual response I seem to get for this Action is "bleh", but I think I can show how it can be more useful than, say, Concentration.>>
TACTICS/STRATEGY
Cost = Action Number + 4
Description
This allows you to plan and execute a tactic or strategy and benefit from it. It essentially lowers the resistance of another character's Action, or of a specific problem or situation. You may apply any number of stones to the Action/problem/situation, even over multiple panels, but only up to your Action Number plus your Intelligence. Then, in any panel afterwards (unless the situation alters, in which case you lose your stones) you may take advantage of your analysis. This is done by performing another Action to exploit the advantage you've gained. The Resistance of the situation is lowered, after taking into account situational modifiers, to a minimum of 0. The Difficulty of the situation is also reduced by -1 (regardless of the number of stones applied.) This power may be used again on a specific situation after the situational advantage has been exploited. Comes with a free Intelligence bonus.
Comments
While similar to Concentration, this Action instead reduces Resistance rather than boosting your effort, and can often make the impossible possible. Just remember that any advantage you acquire by applying this Action to a situation must be exploited before the situation changes, or you lose your stones and must reapply them. You may describe the situational advantage you gain if you wish, but usually the GM does so... after all, part of the point of this Action is so that you can be as tactically ruthless as your character is supposed to be, without actually having to think up the tactics!
Rule for Modifier Box:
- Intelligence Bonus
- Apply stones to opposing Action/situation
- Take advantage of applied stones in a later panel
- Applied stones are lost if the situation changes
- Resistance of situation is lowered by applied stones
- Difficulty of situation is reduced by -1
Example 1
Kurama has a Tactics/Strategy Action Number of 6, and wants to make use of it in a fight. His other powers are currently nullified, so he has little else to use as defense against waves of ice shards his opponent is throwing (area attack). He applies 6 stones toward his Tactics/Strategy to avoid or reduce his opponent's attack. The GM tells him that he can turn his body as he dodges so that less vital parts of his body get hit, lowering the damage done. Next page, he puts 3 stones into Close Combat (his max) to dodge, and tells the GM he's going to use the tactical advantage he devised. The GM then lowers the strength of his opponent's attack by 6, from 10 to 4 stones. Only 1 stone of damage gets through, rather than 7.
Had his opponent suddenly switched to using his Ice Weapon power, and made an Ice Spear to use in conjunction with his Close Combat, Kurama's strategy would have been nullified, and he wouldn't have seen any reduction in the oncoming attack.
Example 2
Amp has a Tactics/Strategy Action Number of 3. He's in the middle of a mission, and comes across an access panel he needs to take out to help his teammates. The problem is, its shielded. He tries using his full Electric Blast, at 5 stones, and gets nothing. So after two Panels of regeneration, he tells the GM he wants to apply his Tactics/Strategy to the situation, and puts 4 stones into it (his INT can cover the extra stone.)
The GM tells him that he realizes the electricity flowing through the access panel is probably AC, and that if he modulates his Electric Blast while using it, it'll probably have a greater effect. So the next Panel, after he's back up to full energy, Amp tells the GM he'll make use of that strategy while applying another full Electric Blast of 5 stones. The GM reports that his strategy worked, lowering the Resistance of the access panel's shielding by 4, down to 3. Two stones of damage get through, enough to fry the access panel.
Example 3
Warp has been having a rough week with his Danger Room training sessions. His teammates have been outshining him, and he's basically been feeling useless in combat. That night, he gets an idea. Around midnight, he sneaks out of bed and into the Danger Room's control booth. Being something of an amateur hacker, he attempts to make some "advantageous" tweaks to its system, but finds himself stymied. The GM reports that his computer experience tells him he can't break into the system... his Computer Action is only 2, and his Intelligence is 3. He needs to match a Difficulty of 6 to use the system (the Professor, who's away, felt that he'd try this and upped the security.)
Warp tells the GM he's using Tactics/Strategy on the situation, putting only 2 stones into it. The GM tells him that he can get in if he first stresses the system, and then tries several simultaneous security attacks. Next Panel, Warp gets up, and checks the hallway to make sure he's still alone. The following Panel, he sits back down and puts 5 stones into Computers, telling the GM he'll apply the strategy. The GM tells him that the Difficulty has been lowered to 5, and that he gains access--but that the reduction in the Resistance (which was 360) is negligible. Warp then spends the next hour, at 3 stones per Panel, into making the desired changes. The next morning, his teammates are somewhat amazed at how much more efficiently his Spatial Shear seems to be working--at least until Beast also notices and checks things out....