Defining Attributes

Define Attributes for D100

Attributes: Defines the basic physical/mental capabilities of a character.

Background for Attributes

The DnD3.5/D20 Attributes are well done and nicely describe the physical and mental abilities of the character. However I have played many other RPG games and I find that I prefer certain other methodologies. Specifically the 2^nd edition of TSRs Top Secret, named Top Secret S.I. In this system you have a few core attributes and the remaining attributes are calculated from them.

Core Attributes

Strength

Strength determines how much the character can carry, lift and movement. In Melee it may also effect how much damage a blow can do.

Reflex

Reflex determines the character's reaction time to events. In other words how quickly the character responds to events. This attribute will determine how fast the character can move, and aid in Initiative.

Intelligence

Intelligence determines how smart the character is. What is the characters capacity for understanding new things and solving complex problems, not how educated.

Willpower

Willpower determines the character's ability to focus on a task despite fear, pain or other distraction. It is an essential attribute for spell casters.

Constitution

Constitution determines how much abuse your body can endure before you pass out and/or die.

Derived Attributes

Dexterity

Dexterity determines how effectively the character can perform physical actions: climb, fire a missile weapon, dodge a blow etc. Actions or skills that require good reflexes and also intelligence to execute effectively. It is the average of two attributes: Reflex and Intelligence. (Reflex+Intelligence)/2

Charisma

Charisma determines how likable by others your character can be. Do not limit your thinking to just looks, but the total package of looks and personality. This attribute will effect the characters ability to influence people without threat of violence. It is the average of two attributes Intelligence and Willpower. (Intelligence + Willpower)/2

Movement

Movement determines just how fast the character can move in a walk, run or sprint. It is the combination of two attributes Strength and Reflex. (Strength+Reflex)

D20 Ranger Two Weapon fighting

This will be a short post today and not related to D100. In a BB I frequent, there is a greatr discussion by a wanna-be power gamer trying to decide when it is best to use the D20 Ranger & Two Weapon Fighting. The amusing part is that the power gamer comes up with a methodology using statistics and chance to hit, to make some really neat graphs to help make the decision.

D100 Damage and Hit Point Model

D100 Taking Damage

Overview of Damage and Damage Avoidance

A character never gains hit points. A player can improve their ability to survive in two ways: skills and armor. Armor provides a direct reduction in damage. Skills allow the player to avoid a blow all together, or deflect a blow to a non deadly or more heavily armored part of the body. Both skill and armor vastly improve the survivability of the character. As the characters skills improve the reliance on heavy armor decreases.

Damage Reduction from Armor

Each armor type has a fixed damage reduction value. The reduction value is a direct 1:1 deduct in the damage received by the character. For example if an armor has a damage reduction of 4 (DR=4) and the character takes 6 points of damage, that damage is reduced by 4. The character takes 2 points of damage. That is all there is to damage reduction from armor. It gets no more complicated then that!

Simple Damage Avoidance from Skill(s)

In the simplest terms D100 melee is similar to a D20 opposed skill check. If the attacker makes a successful skill check, the defender makes their skill check. If the defender succeeds the attack is blocked, if the defender fails the blow lands and armor’s damage reduction is applied.

Damage and Body Zones

“But what about the 10 zones on the body?” you say. Say no more for here it is explained. Each body part in the 10 zones has the same amount of points for damage, based on the Constitution. However each body part may not be equally protected. For example the character may have a chain hood, breast plate, and hide covering the arms and legs. Each of those armor types has its own damage reduction, and so those body zones have different damage reduction values. On the surface this may sound complicated but in practice with the zone chart (See Below) it is easy to record and track.

Bumping Damage with Skill

Bumping allows the character to move damage from one zone to another zone. So a blow to zone 3 (stomach) could be moved to a non lethal zone or to a better armored zone. Bumping only comes into play if the defender fails to block the blow.

Bumping is a double edged sword, the attacker can bump a successful blow to a less armored and/or more lethal zone. Bumping still favors the defender as the attacker bumps first. The number of bumps is determined by the skill level.

In Conclusion

The combination of damage zones, armor, skill and skill bump combine to improve the survivability of the character through both armor and skill with increasing the amount of damage the player can absorb. This damage model is easy to apply, easy to explain and follows common sense. The damage zone chart facilitates the allocation of damage and damage reduction in an easy to manage visual way.

D100