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DIR Return to: 2015 Errata Suggestions
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#Post#: 1115--------------------------------------------------
Assigning Difficulty
DIR By: Selerik
Date: October 18, 2015, 12:36 am
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Hey all,
It can sometimes be difficult to know how challenging a scene
will be for a group of players. I know players and plot have
tried to find a balance for this, but when scenes are too easy
or too hard it can leave people unsatisfied with their
experience. While I know immersion is important, fun is as well,
and that is why I am making this suggestion.
Challenge Ratings for Modules, and Challenge Readiness for
Players. I'll explain them in order.
Challenge Ratings for Modules is a rough number associated with
the average power level a six person party would need to manage
the threats involved. It is not the sort of information players
currently have when the rumors of the day come through, and even
just having an estimate there would help guide players
adventuring towards threats that suit where they are in the
game.
Challenge Readiness is how dangerous of a combatant a player is.
This is effectively their level minus all CP invested in Scholar
and Trade skills. Example: A character who is a Rank 10 Tracker
(20 CP) would be valuable for finding a battle, but would be
considered two full levels below their actual level for
Challenge Readiness due to Tracking's inability to contribute to
combat directly. This is a ROUGH estimate of power, and
something being too high or low in Challenge Rating should not
be taken as a hard rule. This doesn't account for the loss of
power a character faces if low on stamina, mana, or similar, and
is based on being at peak condition. Likewise it cannot account
for buffs you have active, or the difference in natural HP or
Armor from one class to another. It is just meant to be a more
reliable measure than raw character level.
Note that the above suggestions in no way require a rewrite and
in no way change game mechanics. At most, Challenge Readiness
(or whatever it is renamed to) could end up being noted next to
the total level on character sheets.
I didn't exclude Stealth skills in the Challenge Readiness
calculation, even though many of them are non-combat. This is
because I am lazy and don't feel like figuring out which to
include/exclude tonight. It should also be noted that the
addition of Challenge Ratings diminishes the potency of Size-Up.
If this system were added, please consider whether Size-Up would
need to be changed in cost or potency.
I look forward to your thoughts.
#Post#: 1116--------------------------------------------------
Re: Assigning Difficulty
DIR By: ZachC
Date: October 18, 2015, 8:59 am
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I know that modules have had a sort of challenge rating
associated with them, but if a plot thinks a group is pretty
strong they may not try to turn them away. Sometimes you have
to walk into danger unknowingly.
I assume the particular module you're referencing is the one
with all the were-creatures, which I agree was obscenely
overpowered for pretty much any party. With the lack of silver
weapons in this game along with the potency of these shifters, I
really don't know if any party in this game could have won that
module. And lets be honest, the morally right thing to do in
that module was to avenge the deaths of the townsfolk. I don't
know if plot meant for the module to be that grossly overpowered
but that's how it ended.
I don't think that combat readiness is a bad idea and I could
see it being beneficial to size-up because you can get an idea
of the actual combat level of the opponent your facing.
However, I don't want to add more detail to NPC's stat sheets
because that can take enough time to write as it is.
#Post#: 1117--------------------------------------------------
Re: Assigning Difficulty
DIR By: Selerik
Date: October 18, 2015, 9:49 am
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Thanks for the feedback.
I feel like I should clarify with Combat Readiness that it is
something that players would be keeping track of, rather than
plot. For instance, I'm a level 5 character. However, I have 30
points in trade/scholar skills, making me effectively a level 2
character for combat-relevant stats. That is important for me to
know and to be able to tell a plot or other player trying to
figure out if I'm strong enough for an encounter.
#Post#: 1118--------------------------------------------------
Re: Assigning Difficulty
DIR By: Lothar6669
Date: October 18, 2015, 10:47 pm
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I like the idea of a way to determine if something will be too
hard for a party, but its a hard thing to do. A low level rogue
or mage is still a big threat if played right. I agree modules
should have a difficulty meter on them, or atleast most of them.
But its very hard to determine player strength. One way I have
seen it done is to take the total level of the party and use
that to warn players if they are under leveled for it or not.
My problem lies with telling people how hard a module is because
that takes the mystery out of it. So I would really like to see
only plot be involved with warning people and keep it simple if
they recommend it or not. That would only be a warning, and
players could heed it or not.
As for the were-creature module, it was super overpowered and as
zach said pretty much no team walking into that could have beat
them. Then again, now that a team has been wiped out by it, we
can learn from their misfortune. And we should thank the heroes
that laid down their lives to get said information.
#Post#: 1119--------------------------------------------------
Re: Assigning Difficulty
DIR By: Selerik
Date: October 22, 2015, 7:46 pm
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I can see your cause for concern. I would argue that a player
who makes a 2nd level character deadlier than another, even with
the same stats, is bringing something extra to the game and
probably knows they can take on greater threats than typical for
their level. How to address that can be difficult for sure,
since the skill levels is rarely a simple one. Even with all
combat stats, a character broadly built would be less potent
than a specialist at some times and more potent at others.
As far as mystery, I can appreciate mystery in a game, but I can
also appreciate a hint of what you're getting into being over
your head. If you want to stay away from level-tracking
encounters, an alternative system for that might be
color-banding encounters. Green would be easy - minimal risk,
blue would be mildly challenging - risk, but probably no risk of
death, so on so forth ending with a difficulty for severe risk
of fatalities and other bad stuff. It doesn't specifically give
a power level, but it gives an idea of the danger involved - as
well as the rewards. That can also be a cue for the people
NPCing, on whether to hold back or go berserk.
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