New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 18 of 18
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Iceland
    Gender
    Male

    Default New World of Darkness rules

    EDIT: Changed the title to be about NWoD rules in general.

    Okay... so, I'm going to be ST-ing a game of Princess: The Hopeful (a fan-made splat for NWoD) in a couple of weeks. Only, none of us owns the main book. We ARE all familiar with the system, and understand the basic functions, but could someone be kind enough to give me a basic rundown on which Abilities go with which Skill? I would have, for example, thought that Medicine went with a cerebral kind of skill, but a Princess healing Charm requires a roll of Medicine+Dexterity.

    Also... dice rolls in general? Does a roll of 1 still subtract? And under which circumstances do you reroll a successful roll?
    Last edited by Jeivar; 2017-03-05 at 04:54 PM.
    "Is this 'cause I killed the hippie? Is that even illegal?"

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Anonymouswizard's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    In my library

    Default Re: New World of Darkness skills

    It depends on the roll.

    For example, knowing what treatment to prescribe might be Intelligence+Medicine, but performing a surgery could be Wits+Medicine (or Dexterity+Medicine, I could see Resolve+Medicine in a few cases as well). Trying to outrun someone might be Stamina+Athletics, for example.

    You should generally call for the Attribute and Skill that makes the most sense in the current situation. Composure+Intimidation suggests a very different set of circumstances than Presence+Intimidation.
    Snazzy avatar (now back! ) by Honest Tiefling.

    RIP Laser-Snail, may you live on in our hearts forever.

    Spoiler: playground quotes
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by Zelphas View Post
    So here I am, trapped in my laboratory, trying to create a Mechabeast that's powerful enough to take down the howling horde outside my door, but also won't join them once it realizes what I've done...twentieth time's the charm, right?
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Raziere View Post
    How about a Jovian Uplift stuck in a Case morph? it makes so little sense.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Morty's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Poland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness skills

    Yes, the combination of attribute and ability is decided either by the Storyteller or the rules. Supernatural powers are common examples of combinations that are set in stone, but there are others.

    You no longer subtract 1s from your results. I'm not sure what you mean by "reroll a successful roll", though. Rolling a 10 means that you roll that dice again, on top of the normal success. If that's what you mean.
    Last edited by Morty; 2017-03-01 at 07:58 PM.
    My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
    Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? See our Discord server.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Das Kapital

    Default Re: New World of Darkness skills

    Skills and attributes are not permanently connected. You can freely combine a skill and an attribute to best match the task you're trying to model. Sometimes a roll can combine two attributes instead, like a perception check or a roll to kick down a door.
    Steampunk GwynSkull by DR. BATH

    "Live to the point of tears"
    - Albert Camus


    Quote Originally Posted by Wyntonian View Post
    What. Is. This. Madness.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Iceland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Okay, I've been going over the Princess: The Hopeful wiki, jotting down the main rules and generally familiarising myself with the whole thing. I've come to realise I need more help.

    For one thing, could someone explain the Virtue and Beats system to me a bit?

    Secondly, how are Experience rewards handled in the new game?

    Also, on the P:tH wiki, the bit about Sensitivity and Shadows states:

    Success: The Princess undergoes a Haunting. She takes one of the Conditions Demoralized, Enraged or Hypersensitive. If the number of successes is less than or equal to her current Shadows dots, the Condition resolves the first time the Noble takes a Beat from it. If the successes exceed her Shadows, the Condition lasts until resolved in the stated way, and the Princess also gains a new Shadows dot and the Haunted Condition
    . . .
    Resolving Haunted is the simplest way to remove a Shadows dot; once that Condition ends, though, a Shadows dot can’t be lost so easily.
    I thought the Conditions listed only ended when resolved, which also removes a Shadow dot. So... why would the condition end, and the Shadow dot remain?

    Thanks.
    "Is this 'cause I killed the hippie? Is that even illegal?"

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    The Random NPC's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2009

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeivar View Post
    Okay, I've been going over the Princess: The Hopeful wiki, jotting down the main rules and generally familiarising myself with the whole thing. I've come to realise I need more help.

    For one thing, could someone explain the Virtue and Beats system to me a bit?

    Secondly, how are Experience rewards handled in the new game?

    Also, on the P:tH wiki, the bit about Sensitivity and Shadows states:



    I thought the Conditions listed only ended when resolved, which also removes a Shadow dot. So... why would the condition end, and the Shadow dot remain?

    Thanks.
    I'm not sure about the others, but Beats are the new EXP system. Every time you would hand out EXP you instead hand out Beats, 5 Beats make up an Experiences and costs are no longer multiplied (so a 5 dot merit costs 5 Experiences). As for Conditions, resolving and ending are two different ways for Conditions to go away, specifically, the only way to lose the Conditions Demoralized, Enraged, and Hypersensitive are through resolution. Those don't seem to grant Shadow dots either. However, if the number of successes are greater than your Shadows, you also gain the Condition Haunted, which grants the Princess and Shadow dot and goes away without resolving at the end of the current scene.

    EDIT: I forgot to mention, while you may want to hand out Beats for a variety of reasons, in my experience, your players should be gain most of their Beats from resolving Conditions, making headway on/resolving their Aspirations, and Dramatically failing.
    Last edited by The Random NPC; 2017-03-05 at 10:46 PM.
    See when a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one there to hear it, you can bet we've bought the vinyl.
    -Snow White

    Avatar by Chd

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Iceland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Quote Originally Posted by The Random NPC View Post
    EDIT: I forgot to mention, while you may want to hand out Beats for a variety of reasons, in my experience, your players should be gain most of their Beats from resolving Conditions, making headway on/resolving their Aspirations, and Dramatically failing.
    And how would you recommend handling Aspirations?
    "Is this 'cause I killed the hippie? Is that even illegal?"

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Anonymouswizard's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    In my library

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Okay, I can't answer anything specific about Princess, but...

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeivar View Post
    For one thing, could someone explain the Virtue and Beats system to me a bit?

    Secondly, how are Experience rewards handled in the new game?
    Right, Virtues and Vices replenish Willpower. They work slightly differently in 1e and the various 2e games (in theory they work identically in 1e and 2e and Supernaturals just have alternative archetypes, but there's at least a practical difference in what's available*). I'm going to focus on 2e Personality Archetypes for mortals and vampires (because I don't know about others).

    Okay, so mortals get a Virtue and a Vice. Do an act in line with them and regain Willpower. In theory it's easier to act in line with your Vice so you can use it to regain a single point of Willpower regularly, while the harder Virtue gives you a full refresh occasionally. IIRC they might be limited to once per scene and once per session respectively, but I'm AFB. If you're in need of a quick point because stuff's likely to happen soon fulfil your Vice, if you're running on empty look for an excuse to fulfil your virtue.

    Vampires get a Mask and a Dirge. These are personality archetypes, the one you present to the world at large and the one you present to those close to you. Minor acts in line with either give a point of Willpower, major acts give a full refresh.

    * 1e claims that you can take more than the sevens in the corebook, but everything assumes those are the only ones available. 2e is much nicer about the 'make up your own stuff'.

    Beats and Experiences work as follows: every time you fulfil an aspiration, get a critical failure (once per scene), or a small number of other triggers you get a Beat. If your Beats total five they reset to zero and you get an Experience. Experiences buy you improvements at a per-dot ratio (so XP costs are no longer quadratic, this means that spreading your skills thin at character creation is not quite as suboptimal as hyperspecialisation).
    Snazzy avatar (now back! ) by Honest Tiefling.

    RIP Laser-Snail, may you live on in our hearts forever.

    Spoiler: playground quotes
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by Zelphas View Post
    So here I am, trapped in my laboratory, trying to create a Mechabeast that's powerful enough to take down the howling horde outside my door, but also won't join them once it realizes what I've done...twentieth time's the charm, right?
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Raziere View Post
    How about a Jovian Uplift stuck in a Case morph? it makes so little sense.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    The Random NPC's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2009

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeivar View Post
    And how would you recommend handling Aspirations?
    Honestly, my group isn't the best example, we constantly forget that we have Aspirations to work towards.

    Quote Originally Posted by Anonymouswizard View Post
    Okay, I can't answer anything specific about Princess, but...



    Right, Virtues and Vices replenish Willpower. They work slightly differently in 1e and the various 2e games (in theory they work identically in 1e and 2e and Supernaturals just have alternative archetypes, but there's at least a practical difference in what's available*). I'm going to focus on 2e Personality Archetypes for mortals and vampires (because I don't know about others).

    Okay, so mortals get a Virtue and a Vice. Do an act in line with them and regain Willpower. In theory it's easier to act in line with your Vice so you can use it to regain a single point of Willpower regularly, while the harder Virtue gives you a full refresh occasionally. IIRC they might be limited to once per scene and once per session respectively, but I'm AFB. If you're in need of a quick point because stuff's likely to happen soon fulfil your Vice, if you're running on empty look for an excuse to fulfil your virtue.

    Vampires get a Mask and a Dirge. These are personality archetypes, the one you present to the world at large and the one you present to those close to you. Minor acts in line with either give a point of Willpower, major acts give a full refresh.

    * 1e claims that you can take more than the sevens in the corebook, but everything assumes those are the only ones available. 2e is much nicer about the 'make up your own stuff'.

    Beats and Experiences work as follows: every time you fulfil an aspiration, get a critical failure (once per scene), or a small number of other triggers you get a Beat. If your Beats total five they reset to zero and you get an Experience. Experiences buy you improvements at a per-dot ratio (so XP costs are no longer quadratic, this means that spreading your skills thin at character creation is not quite as suboptimal as hyperspecialisation).
    Don't forget you also get a Beat for making headway on your Aspiration, which usually happens with more complicated or longer ones.
    See when a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one there to hear it, you can bet we've bought the vinyl.
    -Snow White

    Avatar by Chd

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Das Kapital

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Aspirations are your PLAYERS aspirations for directions they would like the story to go in. They tell the Storyteller what aspects of the story to focus on, and give the players a mechanical reward for acting towards those directions, by giving beats. Aspirations can be short-term (ex. Meet the Prince), or long-term (ex. Become the Prince). Short-term Aspirations give Beats when they're finished, long-term when significant progress is made towards it. Aspirations can also be negative for the characters (ex. Lose someone close to me), or mechanical in nature (Learn a new supernatural power), but I would consider those types of Aspirations as to be exceptional. Most aspirations you'll see will also be the Character's goals. Negative ones require a larger player-character disconnect than most RPG players are used to, and mechanical ones are just tricky.

    For the ST, a positive story Aspirations gives them low-key feedback as to what type of story each player wants, and allows them to help the players advance their characters as they want. Negative story Aspirations tell the ST that the players won't get mad if the ST starts to REALLY bring the heat on them. And mechanical Aspirations give an opportunity for the ST to make a small story out of gaining a new Dot in something.
    Steampunk GwynSkull by DR. BATH

    "Live to the point of tears"
    - Albert Camus


    Quote Originally Posted by Wyntonian View Post
    What. Is. This. Madness.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Iceland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Okay, I just want to be sure I understand the combat system correctly:

    Billy Murder has Strength 4, Weaponry 3 with a speciality in knives, and a knife that does 1L

    He stabs at Hank Hero, who has Dexterity 3, Wits 2, and wears heavy leather worth an armour score of 1.

    Billy has an attack dice pool of eight (4+3+1), but subtracts three (Hank's Wits 2 and armour 1). He rolls five dice and gets one success. He adds the knife's damage to his one success, and so inflicts 2 Lethal on Hank.

    Do I have it right? Does the Athletics score affect defence at all these days?
    "Is this 'cause I killed the hippie? Is that even illegal?"

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Anonymouswizard's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    In my library

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Defence is floor(Wits or Dex)+Athletics(+Celeity). Not sure if armour subtracts from dice pool or damage, but how have it.

    Unless you're playing 1e in which case yeah, no athletics to defence (and damage is added as bonus dice).
    Snazzy avatar (now back! ) by Honest Tiefling.

    RIP Laser-Snail, may you live on in our hearts forever.

    Spoiler: playground quotes
    Show
    Quote Originally Posted by Zelphas View Post
    So here I am, trapped in my laboratory, trying to create a Mechabeast that's powerful enough to take down the howling horde outside my door, but also won't join them once it realizes what I've done...twentieth time's the charm, right?
    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Raziere View Post
    How about a Jovian Uplift stuck in a Case morph? it makes so little sense.

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Iceland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Quote Originally Posted by Anonymouswizard View Post
    Defence is floor(Wits or Dex)+Athletics(+Celeity). Not sure if armour subtracts from dice pool or damage, but how have it.

    Unless you're playing 1e in which case yeah, no athletics to defence (and damage is added as bonus dice).
    Are you SURE about the athletics thing? It seems to make physically-inclined characters insanely difficult to put down.
    "Is this 'cause I killed the hippie? Is that even illegal?"

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Bugbear in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Curse word for the galaxy
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Yes defense is (lower of dex or wits) + athletics. Defense doesn't apply against firearms, and every time you use your defense against an attack, your defense drop by 1 for each attack that follow in the turn.

    Athletic characters are only hard to hurt in one on one melee combat.

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    SwashbucklerGuy

    Join Date
    Apr 2017

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Quote Originally Posted by Anonymouswizard View Post
    Defence is floor(Wits or Dex)+Athletics(+Celeity). Not sure if armour subtracts from dice pool or damage, but how have it.

    Unless you're playing 1e in which case yeah, no athletics to defence (and damage is added as bonus dice).
    Armor subtracts from damage, after the roll.

    Example: Let's say we have two characters, Bob and Martin. Bob stole from Martin, and now Martin wants to punch Bob to teach him a lesson.

    Martin has Strength 3 (he has a physical job with a lot of lifting) and Brawl 2. His dice pool to punch Bob is 5. Bob is a somewhat more wiry fellow, with Wits 2 and Dexterity 3. He manages to go biking and do other outdoor activities on occasion, so his Athletics is 1. That gives him a Defense of 3.

    Now Martin's dice pool is down to 2 (dice pool of 5, minus Bob's Defense of 3, equals 2 dice). He opts not to spend Willpower on this first roll (which would add 3 dice to the pool), and rolls a 7 and a 9. Success! Bob would take 1 Bashing damage.

    If Bob were wearing, say, a heavy leather jacket or something of that nature (or really anything that gave him 1/0 Armor), that 1 point of Bashing damage would downgrade to 0. It doesn't mean that Martin didn't hit Bob, it just means that he didn't clock him in the jaw, and that the heavy padding in the jacket absorbed enough of the force that it doesn't hinder Bob at all.

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Iceland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    So it look like we're finally going to get a game off the ground after many, many delays, and I just wanted to ask about the inspirations thing. How generous should one be with counting something as a step towards an aspiration? How fast are players expected to pick up new experience points? Would it be totally out of order to just do thing the traditional way and award an XP point or two per session, depending on performance?
    "Is this 'cause I killed the hippie? Is that even illegal?"

  17. - Top - End - #17
    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Ashes's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Location
    Denmark
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    Spoken as a player, I quite like the beats system. Keeps me on my toes and makes for good roleplaying.
    And I'd say, be pretty generous with the aspirations. Those things are hard. And in my group, people usually only spend XP every three or four sessions. Less than that, and it feels like you aren't making progress.
    I think, therefore I am... I think...

  18. - Top - End - #18
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Morty's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Poland
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: New World of Darkness rules

    The aspirations were one of my biggest hurdles when transitioning to Chronicles of Darkness-era rules. I couldn't get a hang of them, and neither could my players. From what I've learned, though, I'd advise being generous with both defining and awarding them.
    My FFRP characters. Avatar by Ashen Lilies. Sigatars by Ashen Lilies, Gullara and Purple Eagle.
    Interested in the Nexus FFRP setting? See our Discord server.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •