Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (
More info?)
Stephenls <stephenls@shaw.ca> wrote in message news:<2p1dr0FelfoiU1@uni-berlin.de>...
> The "target number" is always 8, and you almost always re-roll 10s.
Didn't the "10 Again" rule first show up in Adventure?
> Specialties add a die to your pool.
Speaking of pools, do you still "split" them the same way for multiple
actions?
> A task that's easy adds dice to
> your pool, and a task that's difficult takes dice away. You only ever
> need a single success to succeed.
Can you still get automatic success if your dice pool is over the
target number of 8?
>
> The attributes are different, having been divided into Power, Finesse,
> and Resistance, as well as Mental, Physical, and Social. Observe:
>
> Mental Physical Social
>
> Power Intelligence Strength Presence
> Finesse Wits Dexterity Manipulation
> Resistance Resolve Stamina Composure
This really took me a bit to wrap my head around, but I've got it
now!^^
>
> Abilities are different. They're now called Skills, and also divided
> into Mental (Academics, Computer, Crafts, Investigation, Medicine,
> Occult, Politics, and Science), Physical (Athletics, Brawl, Drive,
> Firearms, Larceny, Stealth, Survival, and Weaponry), and Social (Animal
> Ken, Empathy, Expression, Intimidation, Persuasion, Socialize,
> Streetwise, and Subterfuge). Those 24 skills are the only skills the
> game will ever have -- no more new skills in supplements.
Bravo! Not sure about "Weaponry", tho, as that implies Firearms to
me--maybe they should have left it Melee? Also don't like Martial Arts
being a subset of Brawl, but whatever...
>
> The game no longer has Backgrounds -- instead, it has Merits, which
> Backgrounds have been folded into. Some Merits are rated • to •••••,
> while some are rated a single number (Encyclopedic Knowledge is ••••,
> for example, and Unseen Sense is •••), while some are rated, say, •• to
> ••••. Merits are also divided into Physical, Social, and Mental, and
> most of the former Backgrounds are Social Merits now. Appearance has
> become the Striking Looks merit (•• to ••••, every two dots provides a
> single bonus die to Presence rolls that benefit from an attractive
> appearance).
>
Bet this sticks in the craw of those who disallowed Merits as
powergaming twinkery!^~ Actually, this reminds me of Godblooded's
mandatory Merits in Exalted...
> Speaking of Attributes that disappeared, Charisma is now Presence,
> Appearance is now the Striking Looks merit, and Perception has been
> folded into Wits (Perception rolls are now either Wits + Composure, or
> Wits + a relevant Skill, like Investigation). Oh, yeah -- you can add
> two Attributes together to make rolls now. Willpower is no longer ever
> rolled -- instead, Resolve + Composure. Speaking of Willpower, spending
> it doesn't provide an automatic success anymore. Instead, it provides
> three bonus dice to a roll. Also, instead of existing independently,
> Willpower is equal to Resolve + Composure. Some events in vampire
> require the expenditure of a permanent Willpower point, in which case
> the cost of raising it back up to Resolve + Composure is always 8 XP per
> dot, regardless of its rating.
What all is Composure good for? It seems that that's the one trait
you'll want as high as possible...
>
> The game no longer has freebie points (character creation provides 7
> Merit points), and Flaws work completely different. Instead of
> providing points at character creation, Flaws are now an optional system
> -- chose one flaw at character creation, and any session where it
> significantly hinders your character, you get an additional XP.
>
Not sure I like the "no freebie points" bit, esp as the fifth dot
costs double. And aren't the chargen point spreads lower than before?
Is this compensated for with XP costs?
> Combat is /completely/ different -- there's no damage roll, now.
> Attacking with, say, a sword is Strength + Weaponry + 3 (because swords
> have a damage rating of 3), and every success is a point of damage
> inflicted on whoever you're attacking.
So, neither iniative nor To Hit are reliant on Dex?
> There's no more Dodge skill, and
> dodging isn't a necessary action anymore -- everyone has a Defense
> rating (lowest of Dexterity + Wits, modified by certain Merits), and
> that rating is subtracted from the dice pools of everyone who attacks.
> The Dodge maneuver is "Give up your action this round to double your
> Defense." There are no more multiple actions per round. Rounds are now
> 3 seconds. Some weapons (like shotguns) allow you to re-roll 9s as well
> as 10s.
Isn't it true that there's no soak, as such? I suddenly feel very
naked...<g>
>
> The differences go far beyond that. Saying there aren't any major
> differences is very, very inaccurate -- this is easily Storyteller 3.0,
> as far beyond the Trinity/Exalted system as that was beyond the old WoD
> system. (Although they don't call it the Storyteller system anymore --
> it's now the Storytelling System.)
>
True. IMO, one of the largest changes is with Botching. IIRC, if the
penalties subtracting from your dice pool empty it, you can still try
a "chance roll", signifying your character making that last-ditch,
desperate attempt: roll 1D10, and anything but a 10 is a failure,
while a 1 is a botch (tho they call it something else); rolling a 10
allows you to roll again, so you can accumulate suxx so long as you
keep hitting 10...^^ (good luck!) This is the ONLY situation in which
you can Botch a roll.
> It's also the best iteration of the system for modern games I've seen
> yet. The chase rules are /awesome/.
So, we already established this wouldn't work well for Exalted, but
what about for Adventure! et al? I wonder how well Dramatic Editing
and Stunting would work in this system...
Dex,
reciting the above from skimming the books two nights ago, so
apologies if anything is inaccurate...
... Or maybe I'm just 
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram