[OOC] The Dark Star

[DragonBeastMode]

Ok I fixed the stats.

[Light]

Looks good.

[DragonBeastMode]

Now I fill smart because I know how to do it. just got to wait to see id Merc except hopefully.

[Parser]

Good to know.

Also, what sort of stat is "average human" in this setting? 8? 10?
I'm guessing 10 but I'd appreciate some benchmarks. Like what would be base human and what wpuld be olympic athelete tier stats in this setting?

[MercuryHg34]

Well the soft level cap is 100, and every level you get 3 points to invest in parameters as you choose (with the exception of putting all three in one parameter). Having said that, each parameter caps at 99. So while it's not possible to cap every parameter, capping 2 or 3 is very possible. I think the best answer to your question is that level-wise, 70+ is considered high performance while parameter-wise it depends on the parameter since the stacking on each stat differs depending on how many points are invested and what the stat is.

EDIT: The average of your starting parameters is somewhere between 7-10 depending on how you build them, but in the long run that matters less. It's just our way of making sure nobody starts overpowered in the early game.

[Jerkchicken]

And that really doesn't explain anything at all.

He's asking for a scale of power/proficiency with stat numbers.

[Parser]

No, see, what would be the attributes for Joe Average, World's Most Average Man?
And then what would be the attributes for, like, a bear or something. Benchmarks.

[Jerkchicken]

Yeah like what ranges of numbers would be equivalent to certain power or skill levels?

Like say running. What range would be average, skilled, trained, and godly?

[MercuryHg34]

Oh, I see. This is a better question for Light but the short version as I see it is that everything you guys interact with or fight scales with the party's average level. for example, a "bear" would be a low-level enemy, but as you get stronger we might make you fight a "bear" that's stronger than before so it feels like relatively the same challenge. Eventually, you'll encounter different types of "bear" that have special attributes that make them more difficult than the party average, providing a greater challenge at higher levels. So basically it depends, but as far as comparing your character to a regular person just think of yourself as simply having a set of skills a normal person wouldn't necessarily have and therefore slightly "stronger" than them. This difference is expanded upon every time you put ranks into skills, becoming a more adept fighter/magician.

As far as the running example goes, that is a case-by-case scenario so you'll have to check the skills and see for yourself when we've finished the skill list in the glossary. One example I can give you right now is a core skill called Adrenaline. It is a fairly advanced skill on the Health Mastery tree, so it will have somewhat high prerequisites to even start putting ranks into. The effect at each rank is quite noticeable though since it's max rank is lower than some of the "easier" skills before it. It is a triggered skill that activates when your character dips below 15% HP remaining, and when that happens at rank 1 your character instantly restores 50% of their Stamina and Mana. At rank 2 it restores 75%, and rank 3 (it's maximum rank) it restores 100%. On the other hand, a simpler skill like Restoration on the Stamina Mastery tree goes up to 10 ranks but simply improves the rate that you naturally restore stamina each round.

[Jerkchicken]

Level scaling? No, level scaling is shitty and boring enough in video games. Just leave the poor bears alone along with the areas that characters have now surpassed and focus on the appropriate progression for what lays in front not the back.

Also that doesn't explain a thing at all. We're asking what power or proficiency do these numbers mean at various ranges do. Here's an example from Mutants & Masterminds's trait ratings

• –5 Completely inept or disabled


• –4 Weak; infant


• –3 Younger child


• –2 Child, elderly, impaired


• –1 Below average; teenager


• 0 Average adult


• 1 Above average


• 2 Well above average


• 3 Gifted


• 4 Highly gifted


• 5 Best in a nation


• 6 One of the best in the world


• 7 Best ever; peak of human achievement


• 8 Low superhuman


• 10 Moderate superhuman


• 13 High superhuman


• 15 Very high superhuman


• 20 Cosmic

[Parser]

That thing is what I'm asking.
Please stat out, say, a completely average dirt farmer. What parameters does this completely average dirt farmer have?

[Whisket]

Parameters cap at 99 right? Ten sounds average to me.

[Parser]

I'd like to get the GM's thing on this.
Like what is average and what is Herakles-tier.

[MercuryHg34]

I'm not sure how that's relevant to your character building since knowing that shouldn't change anything physically. Someone like an ordinary farmer wouldn't necessarily have parameters mapped out for them unless they were an enemy to fight or an NPC ally in combat somehow. The parameters depend on the type of creature/enemy it is, so technically a "human" just like your characters can have any number of possible parameter combinations just like your characters do, because it all depends on who they are. Fighting enemy knights, you'd expect higher CON and STR for sure, with other stats adjusted to fit the kind of knight they are. The point is that the average will be comparable to the party's average, give or take depending on who the enemy is. Bosses will obviously be noticeably higher than average so that they can only be beaten by a party working together. No matter how you build your starting parameters you won't be seen as some exceptionally athletic person or as a wildly talented and adept magician, etc. That is not to say however that you can't end up like that at higher levels. Think about how a generic rpg hero starts off like every other person around him in terms of overall strength and then becomes an incredible badass who's strength is no longer comparable to ordinary people. That is the way it should feel as you are getting stronger.

Also with the bear example, all enemies (including bears) scale with the party average, but that doesn't mean you'll just be fighting stronger and stronger bears the entire story. The types of enemies as well as their overall strength will reflect how far you've come in building your characters and in the story.

[Parser]

No, dude, I'm not asking for game mechanics. This is not mechanics time right now.
I am asking. What a stat. Of 10 or 5 or 15 means. So I can RP those stats, and get a general idea of how tough/strong/fast/whatever my guy is in comparison to the general population. What can I do and not do with a given stat. That is my question.

[MercuryHg34]

Whisket said
Parameters cap at 99 right? Ten sounds average to me.

I answered this earlier, the average for starting characters is between 7-10 depending on how you spent your points in the point-buy system. Parameters do cap at 99.

Parser said
I'd like to get the GM's thing on this.Like what is average and what is Herakles-tier.

Do you mean for starting levels or for the game as a whole? Because those two are very different things. Someone who is Olympian at starting level would have multiple parameters near 20 or so, the average being 7-10 by comparison. Similarly, since the level cap is 100 and you get a total of 300 points to allocate over the course of 100 levels, the average for the parameters of a level 100 playable character is 43 on 6 of the 9 parameters and 44 on the remaining 3. But that's assuming you spread your points as evenly as possible. Someone with one or 2 capped parameters will still have an overall average near those numbers. Compared to that, a Herakles-tier character would have an average parameter spread of around 60. These "Herakles" characters are more often than not bosses. I don't know what else to say, because you left the question rather open-ended.

If I HAD to stat out a dirt poor farmer they's have around the same average as you guys, with stats ranging between 5-12 mostly but being very well balanced.

[Jerkchicken]

I find it odd that despite having played a PNP game. You're having trouble responding to a question involving basic matters.

Also is there reason for so much level and stat number inflation?

[MercuryHg34]

Parser said
No, dude, I'm not asking for game . This is not mechanics time right now.I am asking. What a stat. Of 10 or 5 or 15 means. So I can RP those stats, and get a general idea of how tough/strong/fast/whatever my guy is in comparison to the general population. What can I do and not do with a given stat. That is my question.

Without involving stats and being as general as possible, think of yourself as average overall. I don't know how much more simple I can make the answer. Think about yourself in real life. For example, I am excellent at writing music, much more so than the average person. By contrast, I am extremely terrible at sports because I never play them or exercise, much less than the average person (needless to say). I could list a ton of examples, but at the end of the day I'm still an average person. Roleplay your advantages and weaknesses however you think is appropriate for someone with parameters like yours. If you are a warrior with high strength and low intelligence, then you can safely assume playing your character as a meat-head is logical and reasonable. Or, if you are a magician with high intelligence and low strength, role-playing someone who is very knowledgeable but unable to lift a sword over his head is easily within boundaries.

The point is, don't let your parameters be the end-all of how you roleplay the character, just use them to compliment the character you already had in mind. Don't over think it.

[MercuryHg34]

Jerkchicken said
I find it odd that despite having played a PNP game. You're having trouble responding to a question involving basic matters.Also is there reason for so much level and stat number inflation?

If the question had been clear from the start then I could have answered it much faster. Also, please explain what you mean by inflation. If I don't know exactly what you are referring to then I can't give an adequate answer the first time (as we just saw).

[Jerkchicken]

That's a nice sentiment and all but given the large numbers being bandied it would be disingenuous to say that it works like that