First off, thanks for replying to this thread Clay. I really appreciate any creative input that would, ultimately, help me gain more experience with the construction process of OVA2e.
Gameplay experience on the other hand..... well.... I'm still working on that one.
Clay wrote:While OVA itself doesn’t make use of templates, I think they’re a great way to kick-start character creation, especially if you have new players overwhelmed by the sheer number of options OVA offers.
Templates were a useful process in the last tabletop engine that I had construction process experience in, so I figured that I would use transplant that knowledge to OVA2e to both increase my knowledge of OVA2e's character creation process as well as help anyone who has similar ideas for characters but have no idea where to begin.
Clay wrote:If you want to simplify Players customizing these templates, you may have an easier time just creating separate lists, one being the template and the other being the new Abilities and Weaknesses unique to the character being written up.
If by that you mean make separate posts for each template profile and associated customized Abilities and Defects for easier referencing, then I'll probably do that in the future. I wasn't sure what the forum's policy was on double posting and anti-spamming protocols that would potentially delete a post I worked on the moment I hit the "Submit" button so I played it safe.
Clay wrote:Something else to consider: If everyone has an Ability, effectively no one has an Ability. I can’t say with any veracity what is appropriate for Monster Musume, but I noticed almost every template features Strong +1, which pretty much negates the purpose of having Strong +1. You’re already scaling the Ability (so that any Monster is +5 against any non-monster), so I think Strong is in essence implied across the board. But if your intent is actually “This template is +1 stronger than most other monsters) then you’re fine as is.
That's basically the intend. Wasn't really sure how to note how a monster character has the Scale Advantage in the strength department but considered weak to the other monsters, though in retrospect, putting the Strong Ability Level at +0 probably would have suffice....
Oh well, live and learn I guess.
Clay wrote:I thought about including “Fusion” rules in the game, but in the end I decided the mechanics of it are just too different for various examples of the idea. A mecha fusion implies different things than a Dragon Ball Z style fusion, which is in turn different than your two-parted Dullahan.
Your Dullahan has SO many Abilities in combined form, it may be easier to give it an “Accidental Transformation” instead for when it’s separated, then create two separate character sheets, but divide the combined Health/Endurance between them (with more going to the fortified body than the weaker head. In general, a Transformation should be the form it is in less often.
Fusion..... interesting Ability concept idea. Certainly something I'll have to work out the Ability Mechanics for Vehicles and similar concepts. Probably something like Vehicle Fusion for mecha and Group Fusion for living beings with the latter having a high DN for dice checks to ensure that it goes as planned rather then something going wrong. But I'm getting off track.
The initial reason why I published the Dullahan Template is largely because I needed some second opinion on how one would replicate the
Gestalt/Combiner Robots seen in many media. Again, I only had a previous tabletop engine to transplant my ideas onto OVA2e. Considering the basic nature of the Dullahan, and especially how I wrote it, I went that route. Especially when said Dullahan is fully capable of controlling said body when in near proximity.
Though if Accidental Transformation satisfies this as well, and more efficiently, then I'll go that route instead for the Dullahan. Just means that I gotta put in notes in the Accidental Transformation Defect along the lines of the Head having no body and the Body being a Blind, Deaf/Mute. Though now that I think of it, might also be prudent to replace Psychic with the Unique Ability of having a removable head.
Clay wrote:Anyway, I’m sure Monster Musume fans will be really happy to have all the work done for them! Good job!
Once again, thanks for the critical overview.