Character conversion thread

As an aside, I took Hank and Erin both to Level 10 just to see what happens. What I did is likely not how it will flow, but what I did see is that if you want to have a level-3 skill at Level 6 and bump that same skill to level-4 at Level 9, you have to plan for that! In both cases you have to lay the groundwork at least the level before because you can't gain level-3 or level-4 skills in just one Level increase. And because of what it does to the prior level, you really have to plan for those two full Levels early. This ironically also means that you will likely not end at Level 10 with a level-3 skill. It takes too much investment to get to level-4.

Another thing I saw was that the skill list you have at Level 2 is probably the skill list you have at Level 10. Granted the numbers will be larger, but you just don't have room to broaden your skill base if you want a level-4 and a couple level-2 skills. I didn't expect that.

I also found that taking the level-2 of the Psychic Training Focus at Level 10 is pretty mind-numbing. It gives a huge powerup! For a character that is a full Psychic, they should probably just take Psychic Training 1 and 2 pretty much immediately. Probably for a Psychic/Warrior, too.I probably am missing a whole bunch of stuff, but it is kinda interesting. Fact-checking gladly accepted.

Well... That's probably correct. But you're the precog, not me. I can't foresee or plan 31 relevant chapters ahead. =)

We barely played one relevant chapter (chapters 1 and 3 were just introductions/didn't get us any XP, so just the chapter 2 counts)

Yeah I did some fast math with advancement and you've got to Commit if you want some high level skills.
But that's fine I think. Just got to know going forward.
Also I can not recommend Specialist highly enough. Rolling 3d6h2, is so so much better than just one skill point.
I may just take it again for another skill at 5

Oh, I have no expectations of necessarily seeing Level 10. It was just an exercise to "try out" the system and see how it works. I just didn't expect to find that your first two levels really are your foundation you don't expand past, and the level of commitment required to get skill levels 3 and 4. Again, that's not good or bad; it's just unexpected.

And I do hope we play long enough to reach Level 10. I just don't expect that to happen quickly. Right now the long term goal is just making Level 5! And that will take quite a while on its own.

Honestly, I want an equivalent to Specialist that works with Shoot. Call it, I dunno, Marksman. While the Foci for Punch and Stab are really cool, the ones for Shoot are ... unimpressive. I want Marksman.

Alternatively, I want a Rifleman Focus that does something meaningful for longarms. Gunslinger is more pistol oriented and Sniper is too niche. I dunno exactly what it should do, but not those two. Something actually cool, like the ones for Punch and Stab. Or just Marksman.

Hey, sorry I'm taking so long. I'm working on Douklan and understanding chargen and basic system mechanics of Stars Without Number. I just wanted to assure you that I haven't dropped off the Earth. I expect to submit the (close-enough-to) finished Douklan in the next day or so, then I will respond to the 4B thread.

Thanks for the feedback! =)

On the contrary... The player that had Gunslinger in my other game walked with an arsenal of heavy weapons at his back. The 1d4 on missed hits was also very helpful.

Having D20 rolls in a 2d6 system seems way too swingy to me. And no option for rerolling? Crazy design decisions .
But on the note you made, if we stick to the d20.... I would
Steady Aim
Level 1: Choose a combat skill to gain as a bonus skill. You may reroll this skill up to twice a scene, taking the second result. You may reroll any of the other combat skills up to once a scene.
Level 2: The combat skill gained from this foci gains 1d6 added to the attack roll. If you miss by, do 1 damage.

Something like that?

That's one way. And I wasn't thinking about changing from d20 to 2d6. Instead, I was thinking of giving it 2d20h1. But that's probably too powerful.

I considered 2d20h1 but that would take playlisting, though as a lv 2 it may be fair.

Well, no homebrewing anymore. We will stick to the available foci. =)

For the record, I did use Gunslinger after all. Even at the first level, it still adds in the skill level as extra damage.

Holy Crap!!

I just looked at Teleportation. WOW!

It's base power allows for teleportation per scene, not per day. That's pretty useful. Once you get to level-1 and take Proficient:Apportation, you can teleport up to 10 meters an unlimited number of times! You don't even need to walk anymore. And when you make level-2 and take Perceptive Dislocation, you can cherry pick any destination in range (which is 10 kilometers). That's pretty impressive!

And this isn't even considering any of the other abilities. Just the base "let's jump around" is really powerful.

So, assuming Ryan/Alfredo has Proficient:Apportation, it will be nearly impossible to track him down because he can teleport up to 10 meters at will with no limits, and farther than that multiple times per scene. Honestly, I don't know how you hunt that down. And that's just a Level 2 character! At Level 6 they can either teleport, at will, an unlimited number of times, up to 1000 kilometers (with Effortless Apportation); or they can become virtually unhittable with one guaranteed avoid-death per day (with Stutterjump).

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I also saw three cool things that any non-psychic character can do with the Wild Psychic Talent Focus.
1) Just take it once and take Precog:Terminal Reflection. It is a "try again" ability you can use twice a day. While it isn't necessary, taking it a second time gives you two options: Sense the Need means you can suddenly have a useful item once or twice a day; or Intuitive Response which guarantees you always win initiative, as long as you are not surprised.
2) Take Teleportation:Personal Apportation-0. You can now teleport up to 10 meters once a scene. Not terribly terribly overpowered, but still useful. But ... now take the Focus again and this time get Proficient:Apportation. Now you can teleport up to 10 meters as many times as you want. And you can get this at Level 2 at the cost of your two first two non-dedicated Foci. Not bad!
3) Take Telekinesis:Telekinetic Armory and never be unarmed and unarmored again! You can gain AC15 armor and a TL 4 advanced weapon, both of which are invisible, and both of which last the whole day. That's not a bad Focus investment! Since it lasts all day, there is no need to take the Focus a second time.

@PhoenixScientist I approved the (new) character sheet, but I don't think you have finished it. Your skills, for example, are too many and too high.

Let me know when it's ready for review, ok?

Unfortunately, I didn't have a backup of the previous values to help you rebuild it.

Well, it's a powerful psionic. An experienced teleporter can reach or see into any location they’ve ever been. But they can only teleport to another location they have either occupied before or can see with their unaided vision. That limits it, somehow.

10 meters is the usual movement range during combat for unemcumbered PCs, so they are not "faster" per se, but that indeed allows them to "skip" any obstacles in between if they can see the destination.

Kill on sight is a (terrible but effective) counter-measure used against law breaking teleporters.

Yeah, Hank has figured this part out already.

But that becomes super hard if they have level-3 Teleportation.

EDIT: Also, I am NOT complaining about any of this. Just noting that as I research this more, I see how powerful some of this stuff actually is. And also note that I intentionally didn't want an overt power like Teleportation or Telekinesis. No sour grapes! Just impressed with it's effect.

Also, despite how cool Wild Psychic Talent: Telekinetic Armory is, I don't plan on giving it to Erin as I always viewed her as purely "mundane". But that is a super-cool one-shot Focus for a Warrior!

With the damages both Alfredos have been able to do. Yeah. It's required.(At least in Slaine's mind). Safety first, answers later.

Doing some math on character to LV 10 I got Medicine and Notice to LV4, Stab to 2
But also dex to 18
Grabbed Administer or Survive on my way since I would have 1 extra point by the end.
But the math was tight.
(Of course, this is just planning, not actually playing the character and adapting to the story and world)

Slaine is full expert.