Message no. 1

From:	Rand Ratinac docwagon101@*****.com
Subject:	Centering (Stealth - Graht, pay attention)
Date:	Fri, 26 May 2000 00:51:00 -0700 (PDT)

> :No, seriously, it seems I expressed myself poorly.
I didn't mean the RESULT of the centering test is
added to the result of the open test. I meant that the
number of successes - or half, depending on how good
you think centering should be - should be added. So
that adept in Manolis' example, with seven successes,
would add either +7, or +3 to the highest result on
his open test.
> :Doc'
>
> Ah, that's a very different thing. That could
work, and seeing that even 3-5 successes on a
centering test is often doing pretty well, I think
adding the full number of successes to the result of
the open test would give resonable results.

Exactly. That adept Manolis is talking about would
likely be TERRIBLY butch at centering. Assuming he
rolled all successes, that STILL means he's got a
centering skill of 7. With an average 50% success rate
(see below) he'd have a skill of 14!

> The only problem is, what is the TN that the
centering test is rolled against? If you are making
an open test, the test (by definition) does not have a
TN. In fact, this is exactly why the issue came up in
the first place.
> Mongoose

Sure, but that's easy enough. It'd be a flat 4 test,
with no modifiers. On the other hand, you COULD start
with a target number of 0, modify it with any
appropriate perception modifiers and bump it up to 2
if the final result is 0, 1 or negative. But I'd
probably just go with the flat 4.

Personally, however, I use an opposed test (stealth
vs. perception), although I'm considering switching
over to Dave's method (where the base number is 4 for
both people). I think I like that, because the
stealther only has to make one test (instead of
multiple ones when dealing with multiple goons with
different intelligence ratings), only re-rolling if
conditions change (he starts sneaking across the
lighted courtyard instead of through the shadows, for
example) and on the other hand, as intelligence
ratings are usually going to be lower than stealth
ratings (when dealing with the big'n'nasty stealthers
at least), this actually gives the perceiver a bit of
a chance.

Dave, did you consider doing an opposed test, or did
you just decided immediately on a target number 4 test?

====Doc'
(aka Mr. Freaky Big, Super-Dynamic Troll of Tomorrow, aka Doc'booner, aka Doc' Vader)

S.S. f. P.S.C. & D.J.

.sig Sauer

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