Flaws/Hindrances

Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 01 Jun 2016 07:02

Whilst some of our Flaws can be handled as Descriptors (with some benefits too), others can't really.

I was reading the Cypher System Core Ruelbook last night about starting with such disabilities or advanced levels. It had an idea for giving XP for these sorts of things.

I was thinking of redoing the D&D Drawbacks with XP awards for Cypher System. XP makes more sense in this case, b/c you XP can be spent on small advancements.

Yes, I am trying to get some standard style rules across games. Any interest?

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

nicko1973 01 Jun 2016 21:02

"I was thinking of redoing the D&D Drawbacks with XP awards for Cypher System. XP makes more sense in this case, b/c you XP can be spent on small advancements."
what do you mean? are you saying if you take a drwback you get an XP? if that is the case it would work i think, it would make your title cumbersome "impulsive vector who operate vehicles who is afraid of spiders and is allergic to milk products" who would gain 2 x XP.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 02 Jun 2016 00:58

;) Yeah, um, it would NOT go in your title. But I do like the sound of that guy :D

Basically, it is a way to get some early advancements. The Drawback would just be written onto sheet in the Special Abilities, as an Inability or even just in the RP section.

There is a section on it in the Cypher System Rulebook for ideas - most ideas match up well with our Drawbacks :)

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 07 Jun 2016 12:54

Again, anyone else?

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

blairos 07 Jun 2016 14:51

I've been thinking about this and am still not sure. I think I'd need to see what sort of point gain you'd get for various flaws.

Couple of questions:
1) I'd assume that down the track, these Inabilities could be bought off by paying back the xp gained?
2) Would these have to count against the four areas of character advancement (ie. Could I use 4 points at character creation to raise an Edge, and then spend 4 points in Tier 1 to raise the same Edge)? Likewise, could they be used to gain multiple Focus abilities?
3) This wouldn't work with all the advancement areas, but if it costs 4xp to improve the various Pools by 4, could we break that down and say that for each 1xp gained at the start, a character could increase a Pool by 1?

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Hanlon's Razor - Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 08 Jun 2016 00:05

Check out the section in the Core Rulebook for some idea. From memory, something like blind might equal 12. Basically 3 advances.

Many Drawbacks could be bought off, just like we have stated for the D&D ones. Others might be harder - depends upon story.

Not really sure where you are going with other stuff.

Flaws won't change anything about XP. You simply start with XP. If you want to spend them on advances as usual you are free too, and obviously that would be the desired situation.

You simply start with XP. It does not mean you can break rules and double up in some areas. You still tick for of the boxes (req 4 XP each) for each advance and then go up a Tier when 4 boxes are checked (16 XP).

I have a feeling people are looking too much into this. It is NOT adding anything onto your PC. You simply take some Drawbacks to gain XP (and start advanced in other areas if you spend that XP as normal… or like any XP you simply keep for rerolls).

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Vamprey 08 Jun 2016 03:39

I dont mind it and you could actually tailor the xp depending upon how drastic the drawback was. e.g. shortsighted +1, blind in one eye, +2, totally blind +4…..not saying these are accurate jsut as an example of how things could be tailored.

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Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 08 Jun 2016 05:09

That is what I was going to go for next. :)

For easy of use do people want these in categories with assigned XP numbers. (I would go at least 3, possibly 4 with something like Blind at the top).

OR

Do we just rate every individual Drawback.

Either way, I don't mind. Categories are easier to follow and assign. Indiv points takes more time and harder to get right - will need to adjust in time - but also might be more representative of exactly what the Drawback is worth.

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Vamprey 08 Jun 2016 06:03

I would go with categories but be pretty general, something like:

Psychological
- Phobia
- personality
- etc

Physical
- sickness/disease
- lower body
- upper body
- head
- etc

Maybe something like that

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Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 08 Jun 2016 06:20

I think you missed my meaning. Sorry, let me explain (give eg). I don't mean group that actual Drawbacks by effects; I mean by 'level' of penalties. Meaning, for D&D, we have Minor and Major.

I could group the Cypher ones into similar categories with a set amount of XP.

Off top of head:
1. Minor = 2 XP
2. Moderate = 4 XP
3. Major = 8 XP
4. Extreme = 12 XP (Obviously this is the level for something like Blindness; no legs etc.

Then place each Drawback into one of these 'levels'. (like we have with D&D).

OR

Just assign XP value to every individual Drawback (with the provisos I outlined in above post).

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

blairos 08 Jun 2016 06:55

Nope, that's exactly what I was asking. I didn't have a copy of the Cypher System book handy last night, so hadn't read the relevant section. I wasn't sure if these were 'free' spends or if they counted towards advancement as per regular xp. Now that I know that, I've got to say, I don't think I'd want to utilize that option, to be honest.

However, if others did want to give it a try, I don't see any reason we couldn't go with it, pretty much exactly as it is in the rulebook. Shouldn't be too hard to convert any of our pre-existing ones across to Cypher.

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Hanlon's Razor - Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by stupidity.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Vamprey 08 Jun 2016 07:39

No reason you couldn't:

1. Have them grouped by penalties. - "I'm only after a small quirky drawback without to much penalty"
2. Have them grouped by drawback type - "I know I want to play a guy with a limp"
3. Have them in purely alphabetical order - "What do you get for a phobia again?"

in the one PDF. Make it bigger sure but potentially easier overall to use.

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Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 08 Jun 2016 07:56

Not sure that would be required. Might even make the PDF unwieldly. I don't think it would take long to quickly browse (or roll) a Drawback. But others see merit in that = fine.

But still: Grouped penalties OR indiv penalties.

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Vamprey 08 Jun 2016 09:12

For me individual, maybe have them in a table with the XP out the end, which would make it easy to scan through to get a value you want. I would even go so far as to break up the descriptions that we already have grouped together into separate things and change the descriptions though keep the penalties the same, if you get what I mean.

Alphabetical for me as well, then could just add a few tables as per my ideas above, which wouldn't take up to much room, though would require looking at two spots to get info.

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Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 09 Jun 2016 03:06

IF we go with individual XP for every Drawback, I would simply start at lowest on table and as you get lower the penalties get higher. (But yes, an alphabetical list would then be worthwhile).

Otherwise group all the 2XP together and list alphabetically and so on for 4XP, etc

Not sure what you mean about breaking up. Do you mean the different 'names' given to each of the D&D Drawbacks? No point in repeating the exact same Drawback under different names.

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Vamprey 10 Jun 2016 05:38

That is kinda what I meant, I just meant have the description under each name, so if you're looking for say Timid you dont have to look around to find it under Anti-Social. Just makes it easier to find alphabetically.

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Chaotic Good: Governments should be afraid of their people.

Re: Flaws/Hindrances

Connors 10 Jun 2016 06:49

Yeah, but that looks like you are 'selling' more Drawbacks when you only have so many. Maybe just one name (and suggestions for others when you write on sheet, or what type of people would take).

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman