FOR DAN'S BESM GAME
For everyone in Dan's BESM game, I have complied a big long thing about some of the questions and problems people have been having with combat:
Since combat has been taking forever, and people keep asking the same questions each game, I thought I’d compile a list of important numbers for you to keep on your character sheet.
Attack Combat Value (ACV) = (Body + Mind + Soul) / 3 I call this “Base ACV”
Defensive Combat Value (DCV) = (Body + Mind + Soul) / 3 I call this “Base DCV”
However, most times when you have to roll your ACV, you’re actually rolling an Adjusted ACV. Combat Values can be modified by any ranks you have in Attack Combat Mastery, or Defensive Combat Mastery. So:
Adjusted ACV = Base ACV + levels in Attack Combat Mastery
Adjusted DCV = Base DCV + levels in Defensive Combat Mastery
EXAMPLE: I have Body 5, Mind 5, Soul 5, Attack Combat Mastery 2, Defense CM 0
My Base AVC = 5, Base DCV = 5
Adjusted ACV = 5+2 = 7
Adjusted DCV = 5+0 = 5
Here is where things get tricky.
Each type of weapon you have will have it’s own “To-Hit ACV” which you roll to see if you hit something. The two major types of weapons are Melee (which includes unarmed attacks), and Ranged.
Melee To-Hit ACV = your Adjusted ACV + levels in Melee Attack
Ranged To-Hit ACV = your Adjusted ACV + levels in Ranged Attack
This is further complicated by the fact that the book wants you to take a subcategory of Melee or Ranged, like “swords” or “handguns” and your levels in Ranged Attack only count if you’re using a weapon of the proper subcategory.
EXAMPLE: My Adjusted ACV (from last example) is 7, I have Melee Attack (swords) of 5.
Melee To-Hit ACV (swords) = 5+7 = 12, or I roll 2d6+12 to hit with my sword.
To calculate damage, you need to know your Damage Multiplier (DM). DM starts at 5 for everyone, but levels of Massive Damage increase it by one. So:
Adjusted DM = Base DM + levels of Massive Damage
The damage a weapon deals depends on the level of the weapon, and your To-Hit ACV.
Damage = (adjusted DM * level of Weapon) + To-Hit ACV.
EXAMPLE: My sword that I just hit with in the last example is a level 3 weapon. Also, I have one level of Massive Damage, bringing my Adjusted DM to 6.
Damage = (6*3)+12 = 30
Personally, on my character sheet, I keep a little list of this info, which looks like this:
WEAPON | LEVEL | TO-HIT ACV | DAMAGE
Sword 3 12 30
Handgun 2 10 22
To further complicate things:
-If you are using a weapon that you do not have ranks in Melee or Ranged Attack for (say you’re a swordsman, but you picked up a pole-arm), you use your Adjusted ACV with no modifiers for Melee Attack.
-Sometimes Massive Damage will only apply to a particular weapon, or against a specific type or enemy (these kinds cost less than the kind that applies to everything). Be sure to remember that in your calculations.
When rolling defense, you start with your Adjusted DCV, and add any levels in Ranged or Melee Defense, depending on what type of attack you are defending against.
Ranged DCV = Adjusted DCV + levels of Ranged Defense
Melee DCV = Adjusted DCV + levels of Melee Defense
EXAMPLE: After hitting with my sword, my opponent attacks back with his.
My Adjusted DCV is 5, Melee Defense (swords) is 4
Melee DCV = (5+4) = 9 or I roll 2d6+9 to dodge.
Further Complication
-Typically types of Melee Defense are divided by what weapon you are using to defend, i.e. sword, staff, unarmed. If your ranks in Melee Defense are in sword, and you defend unarmed, you only use your Adjusted DCV.
-Types of Ranged Defense are crazy, and I usually don’t bother too much with them.
The other problem we seem to have is Initiative. For Init, you use your Base ACV, not your Adjusted ACV. Init can be raised by a few powers, most prominently the Combat Technique:Lightning Reflexes, which raises it by 3.
Since I'm writing this without the book in front of me, I'm not 100% of this info, but I am a good 95% sure that all this is correct. Comment with any questions.
Since combat has been taking forever, and people keep asking the same questions each game, I thought I’d compile a list of important numbers for you to keep on your character sheet.
Attack Combat Value (ACV) = (Body + Mind + Soul) / 3 I call this “Base ACV”
Defensive Combat Value (DCV) = (Body + Mind + Soul) / 3 I call this “Base DCV”
However, most times when you have to roll your ACV, you’re actually rolling an Adjusted ACV. Combat Values can be modified by any ranks you have in Attack Combat Mastery, or Defensive Combat Mastery. So:
Adjusted ACV = Base ACV + levels in Attack Combat Mastery
Adjusted DCV = Base DCV + levels in Defensive Combat Mastery
EXAMPLE: I have Body 5, Mind 5, Soul 5, Attack Combat Mastery 2, Defense CM 0
My Base AVC = 5, Base DCV = 5
Adjusted ACV = 5+2 = 7
Adjusted DCV = 5+0 = 5
Here is where things get tricky.
Each type of weapon you have will have it’s own “To-Hit ACV” which you roll to see if you hit something. The two major types of weapons are Melee (which includes unarmed attacks), and Ranged.
Melee To-Hit ACV = your Adjusted ACV + levels in Melee Attack
Ranged To-Hit ACV = your Adjusted ACV + levels in Ranged Attack
This is further complicated by the fact that the book wants you to take a subcategory of Melee or Ranged, like “swords” or “handguns” and your levels in Ranged Attack only count if you’re using a weapon of the proper subcategory.
EXAMPLE: My Adjusted ACV (from last example) is 7, I have Melee Attack (swords) of 5.
Melee To-Hit ACV (swords) = 5+7 = 12, or I roll 2d6+12 to hit with my sword.
To calculate damage, you need to know your Damage Multiplier (DM). DM starts at 5 for everyone, but levels of Massive Damage increase it by one. So:
Adjusted DM = Base DM + levels of Massive Damage
The damage a weapon deals depends on the level of the weapon, and your To-Hit ACV.
Damage = (adjusted DM * level of Weapon) + To-Hit ACV.
EXAMPLE: My sword that I just hit with in the last example is a level 3 weapon. Also, I have one level of Massive Damage, bringing my Adjusted DM to 6.
Damage = (6*3)+12 = 30
Personally, on my character sheet, I keep a little list of this info, which looks like this:
WEAPON | LEVEL | TO-HIT ACV | DAMAGE
Sword 3 12 30
Handgun 2 10 22
To further complicate things:
-If you are using a weapon that you do not have ranks in Melee or Ranged Attack for (say you’re a swordsman, but you picked up a pole-arm), you use your Adjusted ACV with no modifiers for Melee Attack.
-Sometimes Massive Damage will only apply to a particular weapon, or against a specific type or enemy (these kinds cost less than the kind that applies to everything). Be sure to remember that in your calculations.
When rolling defense, you start with your Adjusted DCV, and add any levels in Ranged or Melee Defense, depending on what type of attack you are defending against.
Ranged DCV = Adjusted DCV + levels of Ranged Defense
Melee DCV = Adjusted DCV + levels of Melee Defense
EXAMPLE: After hitting with my sword, my opponent attacks back with his.
My Adjusted DCV is 5, Melee Defense (swords) is 4
Melee DCV = (5+4) = 9 or I roll 2d6+9 to dodge.
Further Complication
-Typically types of Melee Defense are divided by what weapon you are using to defend, i.e. sword, staff, unarmed. If your ranks in Melee Defense are in sword, and you defend unarmed, you only use your Adjusted DCV.
-Types of Ranged Defense are crazy, and I usually don’t bother too much with them.
The other problem we seem to have is Initiative. For Init, you use your Base ACV, not your Adjusted ACV. Init can be raised by a few powers, most prominently the Combat Technique:Lightning Reflexes, which raises it by 3.
Since I'm writing this without the book in front of me, I'm not 100% of this info, but I am a good 95% sure that all this is correct. Comment with any questions.