Noctum arrived today - questions?
- Thread starter wazza
- Start date
Quite a few!
1. What are the average ‘atribute/skill’ ratings (calculated ‘bases’) for humans?
2. What are fields of experience in comparison to ‘normal’ skills, and how are they used?
Do they use a different game mechanic?
3. Are fighting skills actually skills or fields of experience?
4. What is it with ‘secondary attributes’?
5. How are combat and damage handled?
6. How to use the ECG and the ‘Fight or Flight’ tables?
Thanks a lot!
1. What are the average ‘atribute/skill’ ratings (calculated ‘bases’) for humans?
2. What are fields of experience in comparison to ‘normal’ skills, and how are they used?
Do they use a different game mechanic?
3. Are fighting skills actually skills or fields of experience?
4. What is it with ‘secondary attributes’?
5. How are combat and damage handled?
6. How to use the ECG and the ‘Fight or Flight’ tables?
Thanks a lot!
1. Average Human Attribute and Skill range is: 3-4 on a scale from 1 to 9.
2. Fields of Expertise are used almost exclusively for Investigations. Characters use them when they can take their time. This means applying a +5 bonus on top of the +10 for taking their time. So they will hardly ever fail.
3. Skills.
4. Secondary attributes are mostly derived from primary ones. So, Reflexes, Stamina, Mentality, Damage Bonus Hit and Blood Points and Movement are all secondary attributes.
5. Combat uses two "Modes": Suspense Mode and Duke Mode. Suspense is the traditional combat rpg system where every player and opponent roll dice for their attacks etc... Duke Mode is for running an intense and action-packed skirmish and is much more character driven.
Suspense mode uses combat rounds, initiative, movement and attacks as normal. Characters can dodge, hit the deck and take cover etc... A hit chart covers where the blow/bullet lands (Upper Section, Midsection and Lower Section). There are critical hits in the form of “Hard Hits”, if both damage dice roll max (i.e. two sixes on 2D6) then an extra 1D10 is rolled.
Weapons do damage by rolling dice. For example a .357 Magnum does 3D6+2. Injuries impair a characters ability to move and perform actions as well as causing pain, exhaustion and physical damage. Damage can be lethal as well as bashing. Combat seems brutal and deadly.
6. I’m not sure what you mean by “ECG”, please clarify.
There are five stages of Fight or Flight. It’s a diceless system with the storyteller determining what affects a particular character. Numerous examples are given as to what can increase Stress. The five stages are: Agitated, Upset, Enraged, Rabid and Berserk. Each level increases Strength and Stamina while decreasing ability to reason. Stages decrease after the threat is gone.
From what I’ve rear so far Noctum appears to be a well thought out and coherent system. I’m certainly looking forward to running it. Please let me know if you have further questions.
2. Fields of Expertise are used almost exclusively for Investigations. Characters use them when they can take their time. This means applying a +5 bonus on top of the +10 for taking their time. So they will hardly ever fail.
3. Skills.
4. Secondary attributes are mostly derived from primary ones. So, Reflexes, Stamina, Mentality, Damage Bonus Hit and Blood Points and Movement are all secondary attributes.
5. Combat uses two "Modes": Suspense Mode and Duke Mode. Suspense is the traditional combat rpg system where every player and opponent roll dice for their attacks etc... Duke Mode is for running an intense and action-packed skirmish and is much more character driven.
Suspense mode uses combat rounds, initiative, movement and attacks as normal. Characters can dodge, hit the deck and take cover etc... A hit chart covers where the blow/bullet lands (Upper Section, Midsection and Lower Section). There are critical hits in the form of “Hard Hits”, if both damage dice roll max (i.e. two sixes on 2D6) then an extra 1D10 is rolled.
Weapons do damage by rolling dice. For example a .357 Magnum does 3D6+2. Injuries impair a characters ability to move and perform actions as well as causing pain, exhaustion and physical damage. Damage can be lethal as well as bashing. Combat seems brutal and deadly.
6. I’m not sure what you mean by “ECG”, please clarify.
There are five stages of Fight or Flight. It’s a diceless system with the storyteller determining what affects a particular character. Numerous examples are given as to what can increase Stress. The five stages are: Agitated, Upset, Enraged, Rabid and Berserk. Each level increases Strength and Stamina while decreasing ability to reason. Stages decrease after the threat is gone.
From what I’ve rear so far Noctum appears to be a well thought out and coherent system. I’m certainly looking forward to running it. Please let me know if you have further questions.
By ECG I just ment the electrocardiogram stripe, drawn on the charactersheet, exactly what you described under the 'fife stages of fight or flight'.
Sorry, if I caused any confusion :wink:
You answered all of my questions, but brought up two more.
1. Could you please give a glimpse how the 'Duke Mode' works?
2. As far as I understood, the GM determines in which stage of a 'fight or flight' reaction your character is, and therefore how his attributes are changed, according to the situation...but how is determined what he really does, fight; or flight?
Thanks!
Sorry, if I caused any confusion :wink:
You answered all of my questions, but brought up two more.
1. Could you please give a glimpse how the 'Duke Mode' works?
2. As far as I understood, the GM determines in which stage of a 'fight or flight' reaction your character is, and therefore how his attributes are changed, according to the situation...but how is determined what he really does, fight; or flight?
Thanks!
1. Duke mode is made using one roll which determines success or failure. All multiple actions in Duke Mode require a Duke Pool - all skills relevant to the actions are added up and divided by the total no. of actions to be performed. This score is used as a single skill score when rolling dice.
Example: Jack wants to draw his gun, knock over a table for cover, jump for an open window and fire his gun. This is four actions so in Duke Mode the Storyteller decides the 1st action involves Reflexes, the 2nd Strength, the 3rd Athletics and the last Pistol skill. The character adds all these skills together and divides them by four to reach the score to be used for one test incorporating all the actions.
All tests in Duke Mode have a ratio of failure. If a character scores under the required difficulty then some actions will fail. The most complicated actions fail first.
2. A character can choose between Fight or Flight once his stress level reaches three.
Hope this helps, any more questions?
Example: Jack wants to draw his gun, knock over a table for cover, jump for an open window and fire his gun. This is four actions so in Duke Mode the Storyteller decides the 1st action involves Reflexes, the 2nd Strength, the 3rd Athletics and the last Pistol skill. The character adds all these skills together and divides them by four to reach the score to be used for one test incorporating all the actions.
All tests in Duke Mode have a ratio of failure. If a character scores under the required difficulty then some actions will fail. The most complicated actions fail first.
2. A character can choose between Fight or Flight once his stress level reaches three.
Hope this helps, any more questions?
As I feared...other questions! 
As far as you explained, the ''Duke Mode'' really seems to emphasize on
a ''cinematic'' style of roleplaying... but here the questions:
1.
As far as I know, the final score which is added to a dice role is the sum of Attribute [Base] + Skill. So does that mean, that if Jack :wink: wanted to do all the things in your example, that he had to calculate all his scores separately for his actions, before he get's an result? :?
Example: Jack wants to draw his gun, knock over a table for cover, jump for an open window and fire his gun.
Draw gun [Ref]+Knock over a table [Str]+jump for an open window [Ref+Athletics]+fire his gun [Ref+firearms].
2.
Is the role static?
I mean, are in this mode competitive rolls possible, in case that two characters actions contradict each other?
Example: Jack fires in this case at Bill; so, can Bill dodge and shoot back, or make any roll at all to protect himself, or will the GM simply make a ruling how hard it get's for Jack and Bill [possibly another player and not just an NPC] get's pretty much screwed? How is this handled?
Thanks a lot!
As far as you explained, the ''Duke Mode'' really seems to emphasize on
a ''cinematic'' style of roleplaying...
but here the questions: 1.
As far as I know, the final score which is added to a dice role is the sum of Attribute [Base] + Skill. So does that mean, that if Jack :wink: wanted to do all the things in your example, that he had to calculate all his scores separately for his actions, before he get's an result? :?
Example: Jack wants to draw his gun, knock over a table for cover, jump for an open window and fire his gun.
Draw gun [Ref]+Knock over a table [Str]+jump for an open window [Ref+Athletics]+fire his gun [Ref+firearms].
2.
Is the role static?
I mean, are in this mode competitive rolls possible, in case that two characters actions contradict each other?
Example: Jack fires in this case at Bill; so, can Bill dodge and shoot back, or make any roll at all to protect himself, or will the GM simply make a ruling how hard it get's for Jack and Bill [possibly another player and not just an NPC] get's pretty much screwed? How is this handled?
Thanks a lot!
In the example each of Jack's actions is tied to either a skill or attribute (not both). All the levels he has with these are added up and divided by the number of actions he is attempting. So, Draw gun ((reflexes 5), Knock over table (Strength 3), jump for an open window (Athletics 1) and finally fire his pistol as he exits (Pistol6) = 15 divided by 4 = 4 (Round results up).
As this example demonstrates only ONE Skill or Attrubute is added in Duke Mode NOT Attribute+Skill as normal.
Timing is important in Duke Mode. A person in the middle of multiple actions may be halfway through when another person starts to act on his initiative. It's down to the Storyteller as to when different things come into play. The rules don't specifically state how competitive rolls come into effect during Duke Mode. I assume it a Storyteller call, but it is supposed to be cinematic i.e a single hero against lots of goons.
As this example demonstrates only ONE Skill or Attrubute is added in Duke Mode NOT Attribute+Skill as normal.
Timing is important in Duke Mode. A person in the middle of multiple actions may be halfway through when another person starts to act on his initiative. It's down to the Storyteller as to when different things come into play. The rules don't specifically state how competitive rolls come into effect during Duke Mode. I assume it a Storyteller call, but it is supposed to be cinematic i.e a single hero against lots of goons.
