Radical Stickguy Mechanic Change Idea

[grifflik]

Okay, so inveterate tinkerer that I am, here's an idea I'm kicking around:

Roll your Power, determine your Karma, pick a profession, assign your Attributes, determine your name, and draw your picture as usual.

When trying to do stuff, roll a number of d4's equal to your Power. Add an additional die if you have an applicable positive Attribute or useful piece of equipment. If a piece of equipment is useful and neat, add two dice. If the piece of equipment is a katana, add three dice. Subtract a die if you have an applicable negative Attribute. Each die with a result of 3 or 4 is a success and are all that really matter. Dice with results of 1 and 2 are non-successes and are ignored. Difficulty of task is determined by the GM based on the following:

Wicked Easy: 0 successes (auto success unless you have negative dice; ie. St: 1 and 2 neg. qual.)
Easy: 1 success
Sorta Easy: 2 successes
Sorta Hard: 3 successes
Hard: 4 successes
Wicked Hard: 5 successes

Karma can be spent to...

1. ...add automatic successes to a Power roll on a 1 for 1 basis. Karma spent in this way reduces Karma value (1 for 1).
2. ...negate damage to a body part on a 1 for 1 basis. Karma spent in this way reduces Karma value (1 for 1).

Example:
James Peltier, Traveling Salesman of Doom (Power: 2, Karma: 3...Deadly, Strong, Kinda Slow) is attempting to lay the smackdown on an irate customer that is demanding a refund. The GM judges that the customer isn't a huge obstacle and decides the task is "sorta easy" (2 successes). James doesn't want to kill the customer (Deadly can't apply), but he doesn't mind flexing his muscles a bit (Strong can apply). Adding the positive attribute to his Power (2), James rolls three dice, resulting in a 1, 2 and a 4...only 1 success. James spends a point of Karma for an auto success, bringing his success total to 2, accomplishing the "sorta easy" task of beating up the customer. James' Karma is reduced to 2.

When competing against another player, both roll Power as usual. The player with the greatest number of successes wins the contest.

When rolling three or more dice, any time the values of ALL the dice rolled come up the same (ie. three 1's, three 2's, three 3's, or three 4's), gain a point of Karma. A Stickguy's Karma can never exceed its starting value.

What think ye? Be it interestin' or do it suck?

[Rob Lang]

It's a great idea but I have one problem with it and that is that a low power character will never be able to do anything that is particularly hard. I know that people with crap characters like the idea that there is a possibility that they can achieve something truly astounding. The probability might be small but still possible. In a game where reality steps aside for good, old fashioned fun, I think having a system where players can achieve just about anything with a bit of a gamble is a good idea.

Perhaps spend a karma to add a dice?

[grifflik]

[Rob Lang]

Ooooh, automatic success with Karma! That's much better. I must admit, do like your improvement to the Stickguy mechanics. If they were to change, I would definitely update the Sitckguy setting to match them.

[grifflik]

[Praetorian]

[grifflik]

[Praetorian]

[grifflik]