Alternate Core Documents

[Thanqol]

Hey, hey!

I've spent the past few days theorycrafting some backup characters, and I've noticed a few odd things:

Spells:

- Sculpt

Sculpting an object with a DT rating (such as barding or a safe) requires a successful Science skill check with a penalty equal to 10 + (Object’s DT * 2). Sculpting a substance that is in motion requires a successful Science skill check at a -30 penalty.

This is ambiguously worded, because a certain reading implies you can use it to create items with a DT rating by taking a penalty on your roll. In exchange for a -50 penalty, a level 10 unicorn with 100 science has a 50/50 chance of creating DT 20 armour for 7 days at the cost of a minor amount of Strain. If they're prepared to take a bigger penalty and cast it a few times to get it right they could conceivably create armour that is comparable or superior to power armour. At expert level, this conjured armour is permanent.

The alternative reading is that it can't be used to create armour and the penalty applies to trying to sculpt other people's armour, which I think it the intended one, but it could stand to be clarified.

- Telekinetic Grasp:

This spell creates a telekinetic field with real force behind it. It can be used to cause damage directly, grapple or apply force against a resisting target.

There are no rules for how much damage it does, only that these attacks are made with a science check.

- One Trick Pony:

I feel like this perk is very underpowered with a great many spells. Compare:

Assume two unicorns, both level 18 and Potency 9. One has OTP with Mighty Spell rank 3, the other does not. Both selected 'Energy Strike: Light' as their spell.

The regular unicorn's damage equation is 9*4+45+4d10 = 101 damage average. However, he can strike up to 7 targets, or 3 targets twice, dealing 202 damage to 3 targets, and at Long Range.

The OTP unicorn's damage equation is 9*8*4+15+1d10 = 308 damage average. However, this is Short Range and single target only. If there are 4 or more combatants, the regular unicorn's potential damage is 707, the OTP unicorn's damage potential is still 308 - four hundred points lower. DT does apply twice to the normal unicorn, but that's usually an extra 20 points of reduction per target, narrowing the gap only by 80 on a good day. And to really kick the OTP in the teeth, they do it for more strain (3*10 = 30, as opposed to an expert cast which is 25) than the regular unicorn. And finally, they've spent just as many perks on getting to this point (2x Mighty Spell v 1x Advanced Spell + 1x Expert Spell) as the regular unicorn.

And this is before the unicorn pulls out all his other spells!

My gut reaction to close this balance gulf is to just automatically give OTPs the Advanced and Expert versions of their one spell at the relevant level. However, I'm also aware that in a combat-focused tabletop boardgame that this could well make One Trick Ponies the One True Build, capable of disintegrating otherwise significant challenges. Perhaps this would balance itself out with 75-strain death blasts. I'm not sure what the right move is here.

I'm really cut up about this because I adore the narrative implications and roleplaying potential of OTPs. The reason I compared Light Spray was because I had a OTP in mind who was really amazing at fireworks, but mechanically it's unjustifiable.

(Not even mentioning that regular unicorns can take Mighty Spell 1, which makes things even nastier for the OTPs)

Perks:

- Jouster and Royal Jouster

These are two other perks I love and want to use, but I can't because it makes no mechanical sense.

Jouster gives you the ability to ignore 2 extra points of the enemy's armour. This translates to... two extra damage per hit! Royal Jouster replaces -5 DT with 1/2 DT, which is all right, but you've still basically spent 2 perks to mildly buff a weapon which is still 1xSTR+5+1d10. And you're at level 8. At level 8 it's not really believable that you'll lack the 300 caps needed for a Bear Trap Hoof (3xSTR+25+1d10). A few more levels on, when Power Hooves are on the table, the balance shifts even sharper away from it. It might be handy if you're absolutely disarmed, completely out of Strain, and fighting fully armoured Steel Rangers, but if that's happening then you're fucked regardless of if you spent 2 perks preparing for it or not.

Finally, as a straight up comparison, two serves of Iron Hoof does you better. +2d10 damage per hit, or an average of +10 damage, is more effective against any target with a DT lower than 20.

There are two possible solutions I see. One is to do what the game does, and have bare-hoof and horn damage scale up with your unarmed skill. The other is just to add a range of higher tier horn-augmenting unicorn unarmed weapons (which is my preference).

- Splash Damage

I wound up playing an Enclave Pegasus, focused on Explosives and Stealth (Comet "My government isn't actually evil, I'm sure it's all a big misunderstanding," Kicker), and I've been eyeing up this perk. As much as I want to take it, doing so would be a huge commitment because battlefield targeting would become extremely difficult if I wanted to avoid blowing up friendlies. What I'd really like out of the perk that would stop it from being a huge liability is make the double blast radius an option rather than just a thing you do.

- Lead Rain

Choose a combat style: Battle Saddles, Firearms or Magical Energy Weapons. This perk reduces the AP cost of each attack using your chosen style by 5 AP, up to a maximum savings of 35 AP.

What does this mean? That you can't reduce the AP of an attack more than 35 through any combination of sources? That it only works for the first seven shots of each turn?


By and large, my Fallout Equestria gaming experience has been radical and excellent, and I had forgotten how much fun I could get out of number crunching some darn spreadsheets (which I have been doing for the last 4 hours). I hope that my humble bug analysis helps somehow!

Sincerely,

- Thanqol

[Godna]

- Sculpt

First you'd need material of DT whatever to make armor of that DT. Doesn't matter if it allows for the creation of items(which I have used it for before for making a set of spiked shoes),but you do need material.

- Telekinetic Grasp:

I pointed this one out ages back...they never did squat. Thanks for bringing it back up.

- One Trick Pony:

Does kind of exist in a strange place, but there are spells it is better for. Shield being a good example, I think there does need fixing, but it'd require an extremely delicate touch.

- Jouster and Royal Jouster

There are plenty of trap perks like these.

- Splash Damage

Natrual problem with the weapons. I've been in your shoes before myself. Fighting Timberwolves with only explosives.

- Lead Rain

Pretty much. It used to straight up reduce it by 5, but unfortunately that turned 15AP weapons into 10ap weapons allowing 50% more attacks with them.



Thanks you for your time by the way it's nice to see new users posting

[Viewing_Glass]

Thanqol, good to see another poster. I would post your concerns regarding Jouster and Royal Jouster in uSea's topic (Have a handy link to the topic). While the damage of the unicorn/alicorn horn seems appropriate, I have always been hesitant about those perks. What happens on a crit fail? I mean, you can't degrade a hoof on a crit fail, but horns can be sawed off/broken off...

[Thanqol]

- Sculpt

First you'd need material of DT whatever to make armor of that DT. Doesn't matter if it allows for the creation of items(which I have used it for before for making a set of spiked shoes),but you do need material.

You just know some poor GM is going to have a party encounter some magically reinforced bunker wall or something and have the PCs hang out by it until they can turn it into a suit of power armour.

I think there does need fixing, but it'd require an extremely delicate touch.

Yeah. I'm almost inclined to decouple the advancement from the Potency multiplier of mighty spells, because when you're dealing with X8 multipliers balance becomes exceedingly tricky with the existing system. In it's place, perhaps give OTPs automatic advancement to the highest levels of their spell, free Powerful Caster at all relevant levels, and the option of taking a "Master" rank level in their respective spell using the same kind of idea as The Great and Powerful. That is to say, the player works out some suggestions as to what a level 4 version of their spell, be it Arcane Bolt, Shield or Organise does and it's negotiated from there.

It's kind of turning around and saying, "Here are some examples, you guys work it out!". I think that's fair, given how specific OTP is as a perk.

There are plenty of trap perks like these.

Perks that cool thematically shouldn't be traps mechanically

Pretty much. It used to straight up reduce it by 5, but unfortunately that turned 15AP weapons into 10ap weapons allowing 50% more attacks with them.

I'd like to see the language tightened up, all the same.

[SilverlightPony]

Re. "Sculpt" wording: I think it's intended as "if you're using sculpt to reshape something that already has a DT value".

[Godna]

Yeah. I'm almost inclined to decouple the advancement from the Potency multiplier of mighty spells, because when you're dealing with X8 multipliers balance becomes exceedingly tricky with the existing system. In it's place, perhaps give OTPs automatic advancement to the highest levels of their spell, free Powerful Caster at all relevant levels, and the option of taking a "Master" rank level in their respective spell using the same kind of idea as The Great and Powerful. That is to say, the player works out some suggestions as to what a level 4 version of their spell, be it Arcane Bolt, Shield or Organise does and it's negotiated from there.

That seems like it might be a decent idea there. Although that might make it a little too strong all that automatically, but it'd need testing. Another suggestion might be to allow them to take the higher levels of their spell at a lower level before letting them take their capstone master rank at a fair level.

You just know some poor GM is going to have a party encounter some magically reinforced bunker wall or something and have the PCs hang out by it until they can turn it into a suit of power armour.

Magic makes it safe from Sculpt, but I would never do such a thing.

[Thanqol]

That seems like it might be a decent idea there. Although that might make it a little too strong all that automatically, but it'd need testing. Another suggestion might be to allow them to take the higher levels of their spell at a lower level before letting them take their capstone master rank at a fair level.

This also seems fair and reasonable.

[Kkat]

- Telekinetic Grasp:

This spell creates a telekinetic field with real force behind it. It can be used to cause damage directly, grapple or apply force against a resisting target.

There are no rules for how much damage it does, only that these attacks are made with a science check.

I'll look at the others later, but I'm tackling this one now because Godna has also had trouble with it... and honestly, the spell was never addressed before because I assumed people would look at the spell and immediately conclude:

• Telekinesis described as strong enough to do real damage?
• Effect given in Strength value?
• Too clumsy to wield weapons?
• Attacks for 15 AP?

Obviously, this spell is the TK version of an unarmed attack. Bare TK rather than bare hooves.

My bad.

Okay, maybe it's not so obvious. So I have now added "doing damage as per bare hooves". Hope this fixes the problem.

As for the Jouster and Royal Jouster perks, I'm considering a serious rework of them. How does it sound for Jouster to change the horn from Armor Piercing (light) to Armor Piercing and give a small bonus to run distance on a charge? Royal Jouster could change it to Armor Piercing (heavy) and give a greater distance bonus?

[Thanqol]

- Telekinetic Grasp:

This spell creates a telekinetic field with real force behind it. It can be used to cause damage directly, grapple or apply force against a resisting target.

There are no rules for how much damage it does, only that these attacks are made with a science check.

I'll look at the others later, but I'm tackling this one now because Godna has also had trouble with it... and honestly, the spell was never addressed before because I assumed people would look at the spell and immediately conclude:

• Telekinesis described as strong enough to do real damage?
• Effect given in Strength value?
• Too clumsy to wield weapons?
• Attacks for 15 AP?

Obviously, this spell is the TK version of an unarmed attack. Bare TK rather than bare hooves.

My bad.

Okay, maybe it's not so obvious. So I have now added "doing damage as per bare hooves". Hope this fixes the problem.

I also have reservations about the stunlock potential of this spell. Potency*4 strength = effective strength of 24 without much trouble = Strength 10 Earth Pony has 0 chance of escape. With 15 AP actions, an average unicorn with this spell could theoretically disable 5 Steel Rangers in a single round and then cheerfully juggle them. Alternately, it is powerful enough to wrestle to the ground extremely large creatures such as dragons, Ursa Minors, etc.

As for the Jouster and Royal Jouster perks, I'm considering a serious rework of them. How does it sound for Jouster to change the horn from Armor Piercing (light) to Armor Piercing and give a small bonus to run distance on a charge? Royal Jouster could change it to Armor Piercing (heavy) and give a greater distance bonus?

I feel like this would make them viable. The ability to ignore DT altogether is significant enough to ensure that the horn attack will always be useful. It may be less damaging than a primary battlefield weapon, but it should be less damaging than a primary battlefield weapon, and there will always be situations where having the ability to bypass DT will be useful. Solid investment for two perks.

Thanqol pauses for a moment and imagines a unicorn cutting through a blast door with just her horn

I'm not sure of the ramifications of extra charge distance, but it seems like a nice little payoff for when you're not currently using the horn.

[Kkat]

I also have reservations about the stunlock potential of this spell. Potency*4 strength = effective strength of 24 without much trouble = Strength 10 Earth Pony has 0 chance of escape. With 15 AP actions, an average unicorn with this spell could theoretically disable 5 Steel Rangers in a single round and then cheerfully juggle them. Alternately, it is powerful enough to wrestle to the ground extremely large creatures such as dragons, Ursa Minors, etc.

What do you mean by "stunlock"? Nothing in this spell does stun damage, nor does anything cause loss of actions.

With 15 AP actions, the unicorn you mention is doing 24+1d10 damage a hit. Yes, that's pretty powerful for the AP cost... it is an expert version of the spell for a reason. But it's hardly insane, especially compared to other options that other characters would have at that level.

Also: I've altered the escape text to read: Targets held by the spell may attempt to break free as per Telekinesis. This would mean that bonuses for flight, and automatic escapes via heavy weapons and projectile battle saddles also apply.