% resolution

Malorium

Mongoose
errr....potentially stupid question.

Are we actually sure that we will need to roll under a skill score, have the rules changed in such a way that we now add our skill score to a D100? This would explain the very low scores on the character sheet despite the fact that he's a Shaman and would also reflect the comment on Preview 1 that states 'combat involves nothing more than simple addition and subtraction, even when engaging multiple enemies.'

Are we looking at an opposed roll system here?

Or is this really just a stupid question?
 
Given the other changes, it's not an unreasonable question. However, several designers and playtesters have commented that the percentile system will still be quite familiar to long-time fans, so I suspect that while the criticals/specials/fumbles/etc. may have been tweaked, the core mechanic of rolling % or less is probably still very much intact.
 
And adding a two-digit number to a roll of D100 is much more tiresome than adding a fixed number to, say, a D10 or a D12 in other game systems. That would not make RQ easier, but harder to figure out.

Gosh, I know I've heard negative comments about roll-low percentile systems over the years, but it's always worked beautifully for me in RuneQuest and Stormbringer ... except of course the fact that in RQ3, my player-characters always came out with depressingly low percentage scores in their skills. There was one guy in my gaming group with sword at 55% or 60% and that was about the best combat skill in the party. :)

I gave that party an NPC mercenary soldier to accompany them, and he had his sword skill at 80%, if memory serves.
 
I just scanned the previews again and can't find one single mention of whether the roll is over or under. Skills of 125%+ seem kind of high for a roll over mechanic, though. If I am remembering the HARP mechanics correctly.

Help, someone with experience playing percentile roll-over games. It is certainly not a dumb question. :(
 
From everything I have seen and heard it will be a roll under your percentage to succeed. There will probably be modifiers that will add or subtract from your chance of success.

As for low chances to hit, instead of having a competent mercenary with an 80% skill it would be better to have an NPC with a Bladesharp 4 that he could cast on the players. Now that 60% is an 80% and he is hitting for some pretty good damage! :twisted:
 
Roll under with strictly multiple of 10 modifiers is the cleanest and simplest way to handle it, really, and with the general thrust being towards simplification I'd be surprised if it was otherwise.

Really interested in seeing how the ability to handle skill scores up to 10,000 is done, though...

I still say 60% is miles too high for a starting character, though.
 
GbajiTheDeceiver said:
I still say 60% is miles too high for a starting character, though.

Funny, I'd say it's about right if the character is supposed to know how to fight.

If your character is a warrior, and doesn't even have a skill of 60% in his main fighting skill then he/she is no warrior yet. A brave youngster with a weapon parhaps, but no warrior.

That merc with a skill of 80% sounds like one tough hombre though! Somebody like that propably didn't come cheap.
 
GbajiTheDeceiver said:
Roll under with strictly multiple of 10 modifiers is the cleanest and simplest way to handle it, really, and with the general thrust being towards simplification I'd be surprised if it was otherwise.

Okay, I can see that. But I don't personally think adding with multiples of 5 is that hard. But either way I guess.

GbajiTheDeceiver said:
Really interested in seeing how the ability to handle skill scores up to 10,000 is done, though...

10,000?! I have run a game with the same characters for 15 years, 20 years game time, and the highest percent of any character was around 250%. Insanely high I admit, but no where near 10,000.

GbajiTheDeceiver said:
I still say 60% is miles too high for a starting character, though.

40 to 60% is fine. An Elf's bow skill could be around 80% as a beginning character in RQIII. It really was not a problem.

The power range in RuneQuest is very different than in D&D. A beginning character in RuneQuest is still a threat to an experienced character. So a high skill, while handy, is not really an absolute indicator of power. Magic makes much more of a difference than skill percent, and even then magic never really gets that powerful.
 
HyrumOWC said:
It's still roll under with ten percent of your skill being a "crit" and 00 a fumble.

Hyrum.
OWC

Cool, that sounds pretty good. Easy to understand and playable. Do they still have specials? I can understand if they dropped them. Just curious!
 
Lord Twig said:
HyrumOWC said:
It's still roll under with ten percent of your skill being a "crit" and 00 a fumble.

Hyrum.
OWC

Cool, that sounds pretty good. Easy to understand and playable. Do they still have specials? I can understand if they dropped them. Just curious!

Nope, no specials.

Additionally, if you score a crit with a weapon you do max damage for the weapon and if it's also an impaling weapon then you impale the target. Impaling has additional effects but I've been asked by the Mongoose guys to not get too specific.

Hyrum.
OWC
 
Alright, that helps a lot! This gives us a much better idea of how the game will work and I think it is pretty good.

I was fairly certain that they would have to change things in some way because the old Critical/Special/Fumble chart was a little complex.

Thanks!
 
My pleasure. :)

I don't know if I said it on this board, but MRQ impressed me so much that I shuffled a couple of projects out of the way so we could work on an adventure for it. I'm REALLY digging the system and can't wait for it to be out there so I can talk more. ;)
 
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