Pauli, my thoughts:
I think you could use your vehicle Dodge rules with FEND, but let me
first ponder what it all means (i.e., succumb to Compulsion: Must
blather on and on, 18-):
Any switch from rolling vs Skill to rolling vs 'Skill/x + y' would
technically mean "for this purpose, skill matters less than it
normally does". That's theoretically a perfectly good game mechanism,
and could be used in many places. The bigger the x, the smaller the
effect of skill.
But GURPS doesn't use the mechanism, which is fine; fewer mechanics =
simpler. There's one exception, though, Skill/2 in defenses. Why that
exception? That's a question for SJG to answer, but it's always
seemed to me that it's not for the reason given above. It's a game
balance tool – keeping defenses from getting too high for good
playability* – and not a statement by the designers that skill should
be less important to good defenses than it is to every other combat
task.
* Not that 3e and earlier didn't find other ways to mess up that
balance. : )
So that leaves an oddball quirk in the GURPS rules, and that's what
FEND tackles: what if there wasn't that odd exception, and defenses
worked like any other use of skill?
Getting to your question: Per the above, are your rules suggesting
that the *importance itself* of skill will vary by vehicle type when
making vehicular Dodges? Or are you only trying to implement, like
GURPS, a way to limit how high a defense gets?
FEND would be comfortable with your using Skill/x for the former
purpose, and would frown upon using Skill/x for the latter purpose.
But whichever is your intent, I think there's no practical barrier to
using your rules with FEND. Change two-legged vehicles' Dodge to use
full skill (plus various mods, as suggested in FEND). Boost flying
vehicles' Dodge to use Skill x 2/3, or Skill/2; whichever you like.
Boost wheeled vehicles' Dodge to use Skill/2 or Skill/3, whichever
you like.
Is there any reason why that wouldn't work?
As for deflector screens: Knowing nothing about how the PD-less 4e
handles deflectors, or even exactly what a deflector is in your game,
some ideas for gaming deflectors as something other than PD:
a) Do deflectors offer automatic protection, yet allow powerful
enough attacks to blow through? Then plain old armor, i.e. DR, sounds
like a good simulation.
b) Do deflectors act like a mobile shield, "catching" some attacks
while "missing" others? Then letting a deflector roll its own Block,
separate from the ship's own defense, may make sense.
c) Do deflectors in some way boost the effectiveness of the ship's
own evasive maneuvers? Then let the deflector add a bonus to a ship's
Dodge (think of it as a 4e shield defense bonus, not as 3e PD).
Finally, another question about your rule: What's the reasoning
behind subtracting SM from vehicles' Dodge? Is it that a huge vehicle
would have to move much farther to Dodge an attack on its center? I
can see sense in that, though would have to wonder why the same
shouldn't apply to regular creatures, too.
Lengthily,
T Bone
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Visit the once-again NEW T Bone's Games Diner!
http://www.gamesdiner.com
On Apr 26, 2007, at 12:45 PM, Pauli Hakala wrote:
I have been thinking about using these rules with my GURPS 3e Space
Vikings homebrew setting. However, some problems arise with how to
best implement these rules changes with deflector screens,
reactionless thruster starships and other vehicles.
I have been using a Skill/2 dodge base for two-legged vehicles
(or troopers using houserule Evasion P/A skill/2 for dodge base),
Skill/3 base for flying vehicles and Skill/4 base for wheeled
or tracked vehicles. What's more, as a houserule, I've been
applying a Dodge Modifier based on both size modifier and
acceleration of the vehicle;
Dodge Modifier = (sAccel in Gs x2) - Size Modifier
This adds (or subtracts from) directly to a vehicles dodge. (As
an additional houserule, I've been adding only half PD to defenses
to promote the effects of high piloting skill, but this is a bit
unelegant.) With a highly negative dodge modifier, GM Fiat often
dictates that a huge vehicle cannot dodge beam weapons fire at all
(instead, the big ships rely on cDR and lots of cHP).
The real problem here is, I am finding it difficult to figure out how
I could use the otherwise most excellent FEND rule;
<http://www.gamesdiner.com/fend3e>
..with these widely varying Skill/X dodge bases?
Also, while I would have no problems with eliminating PD from
armor entirely, the setting makes extensive use of deflector
screens (PD:8). If PD is removed, the problem is that these
fairly expensive deflector screens would become simply a waste
of money, so I would need some way to make these screens still
count for something somehow, justifying the expenses?
(I already have houserules with which very powerful beam weapons
as compared to force screen cDR or cHP, massive slow moving objects
or homing missiles can bypass the deflector PD. These all factor
directly into space combat tactics used in the setting.)
-Pauli
--
"Accompanied only by the full moon, howling of
the nightwolf, and the path under my bare feet,
the elvenpath.."
-Nightwish, Angels Fall First: Elvenpath
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