[RQ-Rules] Re: what's wanted?, Maintaining sorcery spells and other stories

[Simon Phipp]

Steve Lieb:

> I've got a fairly basic random NPC/monster generator set up in MS
> excel I'd be happy to share with whomever wants it, my main problem at
> this point is "feature creep".

I started to do one in Progress 4GL, but nobody else uses Progress. I'd like
to have a look at it. Have you posted it anywhere on the Web?

> note: the intent of the sheet is NOT to save characters as data files
> - it's just generate/print, generate/print very quick for random
> encounters or adventure population.

Oh, surely that should be fairly straightforward?

> implemented: output sheet is independent of calculations, so you can
> randomly generate a character, and then say, manually enter a value
> for STR and see that immediately reflected in his skill mods, damage
> bonus, etc. (just don't save it or you'll lose the formula in that
> cell!)

There must be a way around this in Excel.

> - considering: how to present locations/hp.  I *want* to show it
> fairly graphically for the 15 or so "body types" possible like the old
> RQ3 character sheet, with the HP/AP for each location laid out kind of
> in a 'body' shape.  Or do I just make it a lot simpler and have a
> column of melee/missile loc rolls, hp/ap list for each location?

Better to have locations in columns, it is a lot easier to read than the
little picture of a man and can be applied to any body type. It should also
be easier to set up in Excel, rather than having to position the cells
depending on body type.

> - considering: in conjuction with the skills, I'm toying with adding a
> Human-Equivalent-Age field.  Basically, you'd enter a HEA for each NPC
> (default entry would be adult in their physical prime, maybe 25-30),
> and it would use this number to give the character/creature equivalent
> skills.  Ie if you enter 15 for an elf, the elf isn't necessarily 15
> but would be given skills appropriate to a mid-age teen human and a
> slight stat reduction for being juvenile.  Enter 70 for a trollkin,
> and he's obviously not 70 but will have a lot of skills but MAJOR
> physical stat reduction for decrepitude, and possible INT reduction
> for senility...not sure this would be worth the effort

Maybe, but I wouldn't be interested in that particularly. I don't use stat
reduction for age and I'm not that interested in generating very old
characters.

> Opinions?  Comments? Suggestions for a feature that people
> particularly want/need?

If you could send me a copy or let me know where to download it, I'll send
you any comments I have on it.

Peter Brink:
> Clive Wickens skrev:
> 
> > On a more generic note, spirit magic spells are generally 
> > weaker than divine magic,what would you say is the ratio in
> > terms of power eg how many points of spirit magic would equal 
> > one point of divine magic for a similiar effect ?
> 
> Each point of divine magic is worth two points of spirit magic or sorcery.

For the purposes of dispelling spells or seeing how strong the spell is, then
yes a 2 for 1 applies. However, for the purposes of spell effects it is
usually a 4:1. For instance, Shield provides Protection 2/Countermagic 2.
Shield of Darkess provides Darkwall/Protection2, but is a 2 point spell so is
2:1, Crush provides + 10%/+1D4 which is 2-4:1, Spirit Block gives +10 POW,
Spirit Shield gives +2, so 5:1. There must be many more examples, but these
are the ones I could think of.

So, it depends, which is the worst answer that you could have ....

See Ya

Simon




	
	
		
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