Squishier heroes/beefier mechs

Discuss rule quandaries, supplements, or anything else OVA related here.

Moderators: Clay, Jade

Post Reply
Plank
Shelled Plebeian
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 11:39 pm

Squishier heroes/beefier mechs

Post by Plank »

So I'm doing a mech game I wanted to have like a clear power level divide. I'm aware of scale but I wanted a bit more oomph to things.

So I was thinking of perhaps using a different die type for "mech scale" conflicts and maybe lower health.

Anyone got an idea on just how broken having the big things using d12s might be?
Clay
Dangerously Sane
Posts: 1282
Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2004 4:32 pm
Location: Nowhere-land
Contact:

Re: Squishier heroes/beefier mechs

Post by Clay »

The main problem with messing with the die size is that it doesn’t just make numbers bigger, it alters the probability curve somewhat. When you roll two six-sided dice, the odds of rolling doubles are 1 in 6. With two twelve-sided dice, the odds drop to 1 in 12. (Yes, it seems as though the odds always match the size of the dice. Isn’t math fun?)

The mecha should still roll higher most of the time through the size of the die alone, but when you start adding a lot of dice to the mix, I have a feeling you may find the gap between results minimize or even disappear through the sheer amount of doubles a bunch of six-sided dice can produce.

But you can always interpret that as a feature instead of a bug. Maybe +5 ranked martial artists should be able to face off with +5 mecha.

I don’t have any data on 12 sided dice, but you can find Father of Dragon’s comparison of d6 and d10 here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1911&
Plank
Shelled Plebeian
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 11:39 pm

Re: Squishier heroes/beefier mechs

Post by Plank »

Interesting.

It'll be fun to play around with different die types. And regardless it will be a necessary sacrifice to give those poor d12s some love
Zealot Vedas
Worthy Tortoise
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:15 am

Re: Squishier heroes/beefier mechs

Post by Zealot Vedas »

Sorry for posting in a thread that's a couple months old, but an idea struck me. Could you stat the mech as your "main" character, and have an alternate version of Companion or Minions that act as the pilot/crew of the mech? The mech itself would probably have a Weakness that prevents it from acting if the pilot is disabled.
Does driving a tank count as a martial art? Does being a tank count as a martial art?
sniffycrab
Exalted Amphibian
Posts: 243
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:24 pm
Location: Woonsocket, RI
Contact:

Re: Squishier heroes/beefier mechs

Post by sniffycrab »

Zealot Vedas wrote:Sorry for posting in a thread that's a couple months old, but an idea struck me. Could you stat the mech as your "main" character, and have an alternate version of Companion or Minions that act as the pilot/crew of the mech? The mech itself would probably have a Weakness that prevents it from acting if the pilot is disabled.
That seems like a good idea. Mecha having a base 40 hp/endurance while pilots have base 20. I remember some one wanting to do that for a pat monster trainer type game.
Post Reply