Beware: Terribly Stupid Newbie Questions!

[Ralph Kruhm]

Hi there,

first, about myself, I am a long-term roleplaying gamer, as well as a huge B5-Fan. Finally, I am able to rip some free time out of Real Life (TM) to lay my hands on the spectacularly looking B5 RPG. Though I dispise the fact that it´s d20 (I was a big-time AD&DII-Fan & -DM, but threw 3E away after my very first adventure - the rules, especially the combat rules, had been MUCH to complex for my taste; I like my combats quick and deadly, if I have to do them at all; I concentrate on role-play, not play-rolls), I will try to give it another chance. But, who could really expect that, I got some questions the very first day I tried to get on friendly terms with the system... :roll:

Since I really want this thing to work, I´ll start going through those questions by throwing them at you, hoping against all odds you won´t crucify me for asking the same questions that have been asked, undoubtedly, before. I looked at the FAQ-PDF and run a forum search, but couldn´t find the answer, so, here are the first two, with lots more certainly coming soon. Feel free to help or laugh, but the soul who dares to help me shall be blessed by the Great Maker...

1. Rulebook p.27, Crippling Strike:
Is the rule regarding successful critical hits assumed to work on critical sneak attacks only, or on all critical hits?

2. Rulebook, All Alone In the Night:
The Initiative mods for the NPCs based on Dex seem to be incorrect in a lot of cases. Am I right or do I misinterprete some rule? For example, Vir Cotto, p.144, has an Initiative mod of +1 based on a Dex mod of +1, but his Dex is 10, so he shouldn´t have a Dex mod at all. And I find these a lot. I would love to know if this is really a mistake, and if, how should I proceed when inserting those NPCs into my game: Should I adjust their Initiative with the correct Mod or should I adjust the Dex based on the Initiative Mod, since I don´t know what the designers had in mind when they designed those NPCs, by doing it one way or the other, I might make them weaker or stronger than they had been intended to be originally (well, I COULD decide for myself, of course, but maybe this has been dealt with before, and there is an official answer...).

As I said, thanks to all in advance who risk to help.

 

[Ralph Kruhm]

.....pleeease ??

...and another question, not exactly based on rules...:

BEWARE SPOILERS
If you are a player and intend to play "The Fiery Trial" one day, OR if you haven´t seen B5´s 1st S. episode "Chrysalis" yet, please do not read further!!!

In "The Fiery Trial"s´last adventure, teh characters leave B5 for Quadrant 37 two days before New Year. Am I assuming correct that this would have them somewhere out in space when Prsedent Santiago gets atomized? How and when would they hear about it first? Would it influence the rest of the adventure in any way?

 

[PaulB]

It's probably a bit early in the day to get a reply... patience.

 

[Ralph Kruhm]

Only where the bulk of this audience lives... It´s 3pm here as I post this. 8)

But I understand, of course, and will be patient for the oversleepers to show up. :wink:

 

[Mongoose_Carnifex]

Hi there,

first, about myself, I am a long-term roleplaying gamer, as well as a huge B5-Fan. Finally, I am able to rip some free time out of Real Life (TM) to lay my hands on the spectacularly looking B5 RPG. Though I dispise the fact that it´s d20 (I was a big-time AD&DII-Fan & -DM, but threw 3E away after my very first adventure - the rules, especially the combat rules, had been MUCH to complex for my taste; I like my combats quick and deadly, if I have to do them at all; I concentrate on role-play, not play-rolls), I will try to give it another chance. But, who could really expect that, I got some questions the very first day I tried to get on friendly terms with the system... :roll:

Since I really want this thing to work, I´ll start going through those questions by throwing them at you, hoping against all odds you won´t crucify me for asking the same questions that have been asked, undoubtedly, before. I looked at the FAQ-PDF and run a forum search, but couldn´t find the answer, so, here are the first two, with lots more certainly coming soon. Feel free to help or laugh, but the soul who dares to help me shall be blessed by the Great Maker...

1. Rulebook p.27, Crippling Strike:
Is the rule regarding successful critical hits assumed to work on critical sneak attacks only, or on all critical hits?

2. Rulebook, All Alone In the Night:
The Initiative mods for the NPCs based on Dex seem to be incorrect in a lot of cases. Am I right or do I misinterprete some rule? For example, Vir Cotto, p.144, has an Initiative mod of +1 based on a Dex mod of +1, but his Dex is 10, so he shouldn´t have a Dex mod at all. And I find these a lot. I would love to know if this is really a mistake, and if, how should I proceed when inserting those NPCs into my game: Should I adjust their Initiative with the correct Mod or should I adjust the Dex based on the Initiative Mod, since I don´t know what the designers had in mind when they designed those NPCs, by doing it one way or the other, I might make them weaker or stronger than they had been intended to be originally (well, I COULD decide for myself, of course, but maybe this has been dealt with before, and there is an official answer...).

As I said, thanks to all in advance who risk to help.

Well, these aren't 'official' answers as I'm just flicking through the book to look at the problems you've mentioned, but are my best guesses as to the intent of the writer are -

1) Critical sneak attacks only.

2) I think in the case of Vir Cotto, it's a mistake. His DV, ranged attack bonus and Reflex save have been calculated as if off Dex 10, so feel free to adjust the Initiative modifier to +0 if you wish. Usually if there's some special case, it's clearly stated somewhere, and sadly mistakes like the Dex modifier do slip past the editors sometimes though we do our best to catch them!

 

[Ralph Kruhm]

Thanks for your help. You´ve earned yourself a spoon full of Spoo.

a) I guessed so myself, but wanted to be sure.

b) Well, it´s not Vir Cotto alone, there are a lot of those, and that´s why I asked if there´s a logic behind it I don´t see. If it´s a mistake, it would prove I finally seem to get some understanding for d20 mechanics :lol:
So I´ll go and look for other hints which part of the NPCs is the original score (but I secretly hope someone else has already done this and could tell me what they are :wink: ).

 

[skalvar]

Thanks for your help. You´ve earned yourself a spoon full of Spoo.

a) I guessed so myself, but wanted to be sure.

b) Well, it´s not Vir Cotto alone, there are a lot of those, and that´s why I asked if there´s a logic behind it I don´t see. If it´s a mistake, it would prove I finally seem to get some understanding for d20 mechanics :lol:
So I´ll go and look for other hints which part of the NPCs is the original score (but I secretly hope someone else has already done this and could tell me what they are :wink: ).

As far as I know it's a mistake. Anything that came out in the days before the stat-checker's reign of terror may well have an occasional error. We try hard but spend most of our time writing text, not checking over math in character templates.

Regarding your third question: Go with whatever hits the players between the eyes hardest. If you don't get a flinch, do it again only harder. The accident gives Games Masters a great opportunity to ratchet up the social and political tension without having to dangle small babies out of airlocks.

Shannon
Mongoose
Current Status: Mulling. You don't want to know what, just mulling.

 

[Ralph Kruhm]

Thanks. Spoo, too.