Forums of the Megaverse®

If you see a line like "+1 to dodge, +3 when flying 200 moh or faster", you use one or the other.

Autododge always uses the Autododge bonus plus PP bonus. What they're trying to say is that you don't get to use your Dodge bonus when autododging.

Napoleon wrote:Okay.. so say normally I get a +10 to dodge, +10 to parry, +5 to strike, or whatever, do I add these normal bonuses to the bonuses from skills that say +1 to dodge, strike, parry when flying? Maybe I just answered that myself.... argh.

In this example, the flying character is +11 dodge, +11 parry, +6 strike.

Don't worry. I found Palladium's system very confusing when I started. It gets much more intuitive the longer you play, and the more books you read.

Yeah, there's a lot of stacking involved in calculating bonuses, best that can be done is have a very clear spec sheet with all the different bonuses statted out as clearly as possible, specifying when they apply. It gets even crazier when you start adding weapons with their own bonuses, because then you get normal, HTH, situaitional, W.P., and special ability bonuses all stacking together. As Necrite said, it starts quite confusing, but as you read/play more and more, it becomes clear, and is (I think) a very nice system.

Ancient Melee Weapons: Use PP, OCC, RCC, HtH, and WP bonuses, plus any granted by the weapon.

Ancient Ranged Weapons and Guns: Use WP bonuses, any granted by the weapon (think Wilk's laser pistol), and any granted by targeting systems. OCC and RCC bonuses which specifically mention these weapons also apply.

Napoleon wrote:Okay, so with weapons bonuses, I only apply the WP bonus to guns right? And knifes and swords also get the H2H strike bonus right?

Correct.

I've regularly ruled that H2H damage bonuses (when they exist) are SDC, mostly because there's nothing to indicate they aren't.

Damage bonuses for HtH training and WPs only apply to SDC combat. Same goes for PS bonuses.

J. Lionheart wrote:

Napoleon wrote:Okay, so with weapons bonuses, I only apply the WP bonus to guns right? And knifes and swords also get the H2H strike bonus right?

Correct.

Actually, you can apply PP bonuses to both ancient and modern weapons, though H2H bonuses are only applicable to ancient weapons.

No. PP bonuses NEVER apply to guns, or missile weapons. I don't have much time right now, but I'll post a page number later, if nobody beats me to it.

Necrite wrote:No. PP bonuses NEVER apply to guns, or missile weapons. I don't have much time right now, but I'll post a page number later, if nobody beats me to it.

I'll beat you to it.

Check out Splicers page 204, column 2, toward the bottom, under "W.P. Modern Weapons (guns!)". There it says, and I...

Using a gun by the average untrained character is relatively simple: point and shoot. Each squeeze of the trigger fires one shot and counts as one melee attack/action. Normal strike bonuses from Hand to Hand Combat skills do NOT apply, but bonuses from a high P.P. attribute or the Sniper skill do count.

Need I say more?

Napoleon wrote:Okay, so if I have a +8 bonus to strike from my high P.P., I could apply that when firing a gun? Would this also apply to Bio-weapons mounted on my armor?

It absolutely would. See my previous reply with regards to guns. As far as Bio-Weapons go, you can again see Splicers page 204, this time at the top of column 1, under "W.P. Bio-Weapons: Light", where I...

...bonuses from a high P.P. attribute do count when the weapon is built into Host Armor."

I think that says it all.

Confusing indeed. Palladium's writing and description style is pretty non-uniform. In one description, they'll fully explain something and mention all the bonuses, and in another similar description they'll leave parts out. You have to guess or know everything in the book to figure it all out. It's not rare for me to be reading something and then start thinking, "Wait a second, I thought before it said this. How can that be." Without memorizing the book, it's easy to see seemingly contradictory statements.

I figured that if I took a month to look over the book (15 minutes one day, 2 hours 3 days later, etc.), I'd start to get everything. If anything, I dread looking at the details more now than when I got started.

And I'm supposed to GM a quick game of this (with my real-life friend Napoleon) in a week....

Maybe I'm just tired,
Poocho

[Why is it that every night I'm online late, I have to be tortured with those annoying repetitive "Good Feet" infomercials. Ugh]