| From: | Mark Steedman <M.J.Steedman@***.RGU.AC.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: SR3 Wishlist - karma |
| Date: | Thu, 30 Oct 1997 11:49:49 GMT |
> |
> | We've been experimenting with a slightly larger karma pool, but it lasts
> | over the entire run, not each scene. It definitely gives the more
> | experienced players the edge, but they are stingy about when and how they
> | use their dice.
>
> The characters in my game have karma pools of around 30 (and they
> earned it over the course of several years of playing). And it's
> driving me nuts.
I have found anything over about 10 starts becoming, 'bullets don't
hurt unless applied repeatedly'. It is very noticeable though that
the power effect of lots of karma is proportional to the players
abilities, there is a lot to the tactics of when to burn karma and
when to accept a small wound and save the rest do dodge while you run.
Having had a few occasions of 20+ karma characters in games though it
does rappidly become 'hey look i'm superman'.
> I've instituted a couple stop-gap house rules. For
> one, their KP only refreshes when things have calmed down and they
> can take a breather. I can structure my adventures to reduce the
> number of times their KP refreshes, but it's still tricky.
Um can i point out that 'refreshes with each new sceen' leaves the GM
to determine exactly what is meant by a sceen, it might be
'everything to do with breaking and entering that compound (ie 1 set
of pools to sneak over the fence, shoot up the guards crack the
computer and get out' or it might refresh half way through a
firefight because its a new sceen when 'the toxic shamen comes in to
do the job properly becasue his henchmen are getting wasted'.
If the players don't know how many firefights from now its going to
refresh they get a little more careful.
> The other
> is that KP can be spent on auto successes without burning, but can't
> buy re-rolls (this was to speed up game play).
>
Ouch.
I have been reducing the problem by having a reducing award rate,
instead of 1 per ten you get a point of ppol at accumulated good
karma totals of :
0,10,20,30,40,60,80,100,125,150,175,200,225,250,275,300,
333,336,400,433,466,500,550,600,750,700,750,800,850,900,
950,1000,1100,1200,1300,1400,1500.... etc.
5 karma pool is pretty quick but even NPC's on hundreds of karma
really cap out around 20 or so. I may have to slow things even more
but with the present 450+karma characters it reduces the problem fom
45 or so to a more manageable 18-20 or so, lots but a couple of
bursts of APDS and they are seriously burning it.
> Anyway, lengthening the ammount of time between refreshes isn't the
> answer. The refreshing of karma pool is what's causing the problem.
>
> Hmmm.. maybe losthalo was right (about using Good karma).
>
Another trick i have seen tried is offering 'karma pool to good karma
trade in's', the problem is the ration to offer, about 3good:1pool it
gets slightly tempting epecially at karma pools over 20, above about
5:1 and the magicains especially will trade in. However the effect on
good karma totals in the game could be a little nasty, as the
magicians who are karma sinks trade in pool faster than the sammies.
--
I have always played 1karma/reroll rather than the official 1,2,3,4
which has some effect but the problem with the offical costing is it
would make the often fine line between weapons the PC's sneeze at and
ones thay die from even narrower, and i have found this bad enough
already, use more goons and the MGL6's come out, use heavier guns and
they either go first or make 10+ rerolls on every soak to live.
Best of both worlds, lighter armour due to location and a few good
badguys is difficult to enforce all the time without really
streaching realism.
Mark
