RE: (TFT) Language of Dice --> TFT d20 and animal IQ --> bell curves.

["rsmith" <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>]

>I'm not wild about having different types of rolls for different
attributes,
>but you raise a valid point regarding IQ. I think that a d20 TFT system
>would have to re-rate figures with IQ 5 and 6. Statistically, IQ 5 should
be
>d20 IQ 1. IQ 6 would be d20 IQ 2. IQ 7 would be d20 IQ 3. Alternatively,
you
>can keep the IQ system as is, but have a special rule that makes IQ 6
>succeed on a 1 or 2; IQ 5- on a 1.
>
>--Ty

Hi Ty, everyone.

	You DON'T want to have special rules
for IQ in TFT d20.  I consider this a small
problem.

	Critters with IQ 1-3 turn into IQ 0 in
d20.  All other monsters and animals have to
have their IQ's seriously shrunk and placed
in the same couple slots.  (An advantage of
a bell curve is that you can distinguish
between marginalized low values at the
extremes.)

	An advantage of the d20 system is that
it forces the gap between people and animals
wider.

	Any other way of handling things
causes more problems that they solve.


	Most people end up with an IQ of 11
to 13 (even if non-wizards) just to get
cool talents (or enough memory for all the
talents they want if the GM doesn't have
some system which allows people to buy
memory).  This makes Control Person a very
marginal spell.  The d20 makes it much more
likely to take over those darn PC's and make
them dance to the GM's tune!

	(I think the above paragraph is an
advantage of d20, as I feel that no-one
takes Control Person anymore.  Certainly d20
will change the balance of a bunch of spells
which will have to be considered on an
individual basis.)


	***

	Ty, you asked why people liked the
bell curve.  The answer for me is that
the d20 curve is 'flat', boring.  The
system for figuring out success in
Shadow Run, Deadlands or Sorcerer, is
hard to calculate a head of time.  You
know what you want to do (Sorcerer more
dice, Deadlands more cards and poker
chips), but it is hard to say, "Oh, if I
do X my odds improve by 15%."  When you
can't calculate odds, you have to go via
your gut.

	Some of the magic in rpg goes out
when you know exactly what the odds are.
In TFT, people get to know the 3d6 pretty
fast, but some of the magic comes back
when you suddenly are confronted with a
6 die roll.  (Which is another reason
why I like extra dice as a modifier come
to think of it.)

	I think that might be a reason why
D&D has so many different types of dice.
To prevent the dreaded (and so very well
documented) die twenty fatigue syndrome!

	(Well, I documented it just now, so
that counts...)


	***

	Silliness aside, I am actually
bothered (really) by the flatness of a
linear system.  It really does seem less
interesting to me than other ways of
playing with dice.

	You dislike the 'sweet spot' around
12 - 13 which characters like to reach.
Other people would just talk about
diminishing returns after you reach a
certain level of competency.

	The problems with 3d6 you have done
a good job of documenting.  If people are
rolling a lot of 3d6, you tend to get a
lot of similar characters clustering
around the same attributes.  (I DO believe
that this is a bad thing and to say that
good roleplayers can fix a sucky system
thru sheer force of roleplaying does not
say good things about the sucky system.)

	I just feel that there is something
nice in the current TFT system that I
think will be lost if every single roll
becomes a d20 with modifiers.


	Logical?  No.


	***

	In this debate, I've been looking for
places where the Xd6 (with the marginalized
ends) works well and other places where it
does not work.


	I remember one case where Briel (a
powerful wizard with high fST, medium high
DX and very high IQ) was climbing up along
a raging white river cutting its way thru a
steep V shaped valley.

	Everything was soaked and the walls
of the valley were covered with thick
layers of moss and slime.

	Briel got most of the way up the cut
then fell in.  No swimming talent, tsk, tsk!

	I smashed him down the river, plowed
him into boulders, sucked him into whirl
pools and rolled him in pockets under falls.
He blew ever saving throw, took damage left
and right.  He was at 2 adj ST, blinded, was
dazed, semi-conscious.  His lungs were half
filled with water and he was seeing black
spots from lack of air.  He was trapped in a
pocket under a fall.

	I said, "Ok, you have to make a 6vsDX
or you're dead."  He was alone so no Revival,
this was it.

	Torrey, (the player) rolled a SIX ON
SIX dice, forever cementing his reputation
for marvelous, wondrous luck.


	This happened in 1985 or '86 and we
STILL talk about that roll.


	***

	Ty, I am so impressed with TFT d20 that
I am going to try it in my campaign.  (My
players are doubtful.)  I think it is brilliant
and wonderfully creative.

	I'm just afraid that it will suck some of
the joy out of life...


	Rick
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