[Torg] Improving Attributes in play: Edges

[Sam Frazier II]

*blink* Why 5 times? Is that some abtrary number, or does it have some significance? Why not (x+y) * the number of attributes there are? 5 doesn't really make any sense to me.

Considering a character built on 66 attribute points is already well above average, I'm going to have to vote this as a bad idea. 

The reason is that for 5 possibilities, using Edges, you could:
-- Gain your first edge (Plus all the skills under the attribute)
-- Raise your untrained skill from a 4 to a 5
-- Raise your trained skill from a 1-2 (without a teacher) and have one left over
-- Raise your trained skill from a 4 to a 5 with a teacher
-- Gain your first add in a trained skill
and a few more of the like.

For 10 Possibilities, using Edges, you could:
-- Gain your second edge (Plus all the skills under the attribute)
-- Raise your untrained skill from 9 to 10
-- Raise your trained skill from 4 to 5 (without a teacher)
-- Raise your trained skill from 9 to 10 with a teacher.

etc

and once you reach 24 possibilies (which is what you'd need to up the lowest attribute a GM should ever allow, IMHO, up one) you start getting in the neighborhood of equivalany between edges and how TORG currently raises attributes. After this, the Edges start to become more and more expensive compared to raising an attribute.

But I digress, that is the math side of things. 

Philisophically speaking I see a flaw in your reasoning.

You want to allow characters to buff their stats eaiser initially, and then make it tougher for them later. Much like the method of raising skills (it seems though that times 5 thing still boggles me). Well why? Why allow to raise an attribute, which raises all the stats under the attribute for the same cost as it would take to raise a begining characters skill? That is off balanced.

Even allowing a second or third edge for 10 or 15 possibilities is significant (considering someone could do that at a low level, not a medium level character). The skills which could be raised for those possibilies makes it very much an game system abuser's wet dream.

E.G.
Dex at 10, 7 skills, for 10 possibilies I can get 2 more Dex Edges raising my 7 skills too.....Gee how can I say no? I'd be stupid not to use it.

Honestly I like the thought of the attributes costing 3 times the cost of the attribute number you are heading too for the very reason I meantion here. The skills associated with it that get raised along with it.

Also it makes sense. How hard is it to raise a normal humans attributes? Even one number. 

Hope this looks like a method to allow more powerful characters than the game expects. 

IMHO, if that is what you are going for, then start with characters with 68 -72 attribute points, instead of the 66. Or give the characters 1 attribute point after so many advetures to demonstrate their ability to change their characters natural abilities as they adventure. There is less game math involved in each of those.

My opinion is it is a bad idea, and not to use it. BUT If it works for the players and your game, by all means use it. The point of the game is to have fun.

SDF II





________________________________
From: Benjamin Grant <benn at 4efix.com>
To: torg at justintimeadventures.com
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 10:50:11 AM
Subject: [Torg] Improving Attributes in play: Edges

 
I am not sure if I have sent this to the list, but I thought
I would tell you guys about this.
 
Out players from time to time want to buff up the underlying
attribute after character creation.  The normal Torg way is, I believe, to
charge three times the level to which they want to go.  So if they have an
8 Spirit and want a 9, the cost is 9*3 = 27 possibilities. 
 
On the one hand, I want the character to be able to add the
first bump or two far cheaper, but on the other hand, I want following bumps to
cost far more.  I also want the cost to be more related to not the current
level of the stat, but how far from the level of the attribute at character
creation the player wants to go.  In other words, I want going from a starting
attribute of 8 to 9, and a starting attribute of 11 to 12 to cost the same.
 
So I created Edges.
 
Let’s say a character has an 8 Charisma and an 8
Spirit.  They want to raise their Spirit.  It can never become 9, but
they *can* add a +1 Edge to their Spirit, which has the same
effect.  It is written like this: Spirit: 8+1
 
The cost of purchasing an edge is the total number of
current Edges plus the level of Edge desired, the entire quantity multiplied by
five, in possibilities of course.  And of course, you have to buy each
Edge Level separately, you cannot buy a +2 Edge in Spirit without first buying
the +1 Edge in Spirit.
 
This means that if the player wants to go from CHA:8 and
SPI:8 to CHA:8 and SPI:8+1, that’s going to cost him (the total number of
current Edges + the level of the desired Edge) times 5.  That’s (0+1)*5
= 5 possibilities to get his first Edge, he now has CHA:8 and SPI:8+1.
 
Now he is ready to add another Edge – he is deciding
whether to add another one to Spirit or to add one to Charisma.
 
If he adds it to Charisma, he will have to pay:
(total current Edges of 1 + level of desired Edge 1) times 5
= (1+1)*5 = 2*5 = 10 possibilities to go to CHA:8+1 and SPI:8+1.
 
However, if he instead does not add it to Charisma and goes
for a +2 Edge in Spirit, he will have to pay:
(total current Edges of 1 + level of desired Edge 2) times 5
= (1+2)*5 = 3*5 = 15 possibilities to go to CHA:8 and SPI:8+2
 
This illustrates that it is cheaper to spread the Edges
around to multiple attributes than it is to keep buffing the same attribute
over and over – as intended.
 
What do you guys think?  I can report that after having
employed this mechanic for over a year, it seems to work well in actual play.
 
-Benn Grant
eFix Computer Consulting
benn at 4eFix.com
603.283.6601


      
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