R.A.T.I.O.S.: Roleplaying And Tactics In One System [Version #17 (3/18/97)] Written by Scott J. Compton Copyright March 1997. All Rights Reserved. This game is free to the public, but is copyrighted under the laws of the United States. You have the author's permission to use RATIOS for your own private use and to pass it along to others free (without exchange of money). To get an official hardcopy of this game, contact Fractal Dimensions, INC., 17-29 Main Street, Suite 316, Cortland, NY 13045. You may also contact Fractal Dimensions electronically (fractal@fractal.mandarin.org) or personally e-mail the author (who is also the author of SORD: The System Of Role Development) at the address sord@earthlink.net. RATIOS is a quick little universal system for players who love to roleplay, but want a simple yet realistic engine for calculations. If you are not an experience gamer, you will feel that this is a "loose" system that lacks depth of definition. The design of the game was stimulated by RPG War-simulated Chess: a gaming tool mini- game that determines how battle works if "ratios" describe the ways war was weighted between two sides. RATIOS gives the Game Master an elegant and simplistic system of defining characters, modifying characters, creating opponents against characters, having combat with a small number of character, or having wars in great numbers. RATIOS should answer any situation or circumstance that might arise when roleplaying. But the greatest quality of RATIOS might be the fact that everything is percentage or ratio-based, and the attribute system handles all complications. RATIOS gives you 26 attributes from A to Z, and allows their full and realistic development. All formulas for RATIOS is listed in a chart at the back of the game before the character sheet. Just get yourself some percentage dice (2d10) and away you go. Table of Contents: =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= I. Character Creation Information --------------------------------- 1a. The 26 Attribute Definitions 2a. The Basic Characteristics 3a. Levels and Achievements 4a. Cultures and Professions 5a. Capabilities 6a. Personality II. RATIO Combat System ----------------------- 1b. Weapon Damage 2b. Weapon Attack Types 3b. Initiative Sequence 4b. Attack Sequence 5b. Special Circumstances 6b. Huge Combats III. Formulas in RATIOS ----------------------- Appendix A: RATIOS Character Sheet ---------------------------------- I. Character Creation Information 1a. The 26 Attribute Definitions: --------------------------------- Most conventional RPGs often contain between 5-10 attributes. RATIOS is much different in that there are 26 Attributes (A through Z). RATIOS is anything but conventional; RATIOS gives you ultimate balance, simplicity, and realism combined in a straight-forward and easily applicable format. With so many attributes, the reader might question if a character can be broken down into so many parts effectively. I can assure the reader that each attribute is significant because it represents a specific trait as well as a set of skills that the character can use. A. Agility (AGIL): The character's conscious ability of coordination and deftness from habit or repetition. This attribute does not decide the speed of the habit. See Quickness and Balance. Example qualities include juggling and ambidexterity. Makes up one-fifth of the Defense %. (AGE:0-40). B. Balance (BALN): The character's ability to maintain physical and upright stability. Example qualities include climbing and tightrope walking. Makes up one-fifth of the Defense %. (AGE:0- 30). C. Chance (CHNC): The ability and influence on opportunity to succeed. Example qualities include gambling, fishing, and exploration. Chance makes up one-third of the Initiative %. (AGE:Any). D. Death (DETH): The character's core ability to resist death, when all Health, Nourishment, or Vitality is lost. Makes up one-third of the Toughness number. (AGE:Any). E. Emotion (EMOT): The ability to control, resist, or enhance an emotion. The emotional reaction makes one-third of the Initiative %. (AGE:20-100). F. Focus (FOCS): The character's ability to concentrate and to gather personal energies for wielding powers. Makes up one-fourth of the Achievement Reduction Total. (AGE:Any). G. Guile (GUIL): The character's strategic intellect and attack capacity. Makes up one-fifth of the Attack percentage. (AGE:15 and up). H. Health (HLTH): Ability to withstand disease and the environment. See Recovery, Nourishment and Vitality. Makes up one-third of the Damage Status. (AGE:0-50). I. Instinct (INST): The character's ability to non-actively perceive something using the six senses (touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, and ESP). Makes up one-fifth of the Attack %. See Observation. (AGE:0-20). J. Judgment (JUDG): The character's ability to decipher if an action or belief might have consequences. Makes up one-fifth of the Defense %. (AGE:Any). K. Knowledge (KNOW): The capacity to recall a memory and the character's overall education. This attribute makes up one-fourth of the Achievement Reduction Total. (AGE:Any). L. Language (LANG): The ability to speak, read, write, negotiate, translate, and communicate in multiple languages and dialects. (AGE:Any). M. Movement (MOVE): The character's stride and aerobic capacity based on body height and composition. This attribute has an initial bonus equal to the height, weight, and fat composition of the character. Each percentage of movement tells how many feet a character can move in ten seconds on average. Double the Movement value is at maximum with a percentage check. Movement is the only skill that can exceed 100% with the Movement Bonus. Also makes up one-fifth of the Defense %. (AGE:0-50). N. Nourishment (NRSH): The influence of sleep and nutrition upon the character. Makes up one-third of the Damage Status. (AGE:Any). O. Observation (OBSR): The character's ability to consciously and actively sense something. Makes up one-fifth of the Attack %. See Instinct. (AGE:Any). P. Persuasion (PERS): The character's leadership skills and ability to represent or convince a belief upon others. (AGE:20-100). Q. Quickness (QCKN): The character's unconscious ability to react to something quickly. Makes up one-third of the Initiative %. See Timing. (AGE:0-25). R. Recovery (RCVY): The ability to recover from the deprivation of Health, Nourishment, or Vitality (i.e., the Damage Status). (AGE:0-10). S. Strength (STRN): The character's ability to lift or apply force to another object. For every percentage point of Strength, the character can bench press 10 pounds of weight at maximum. For brute-force behind melee or thrown weapon attacks, this ability adds an extra percentage of damage. Also makes up one-third of the Toughness number. In some settings, weapons could have a minimum current Strength percentage requirement to fight with the weapon in combat without penalty to the Attack %. (AGE:10-30). T. Timing (TMNG): Ability to consciously do something at a desired, exact moment. See Quickness and Agility. Makes up one-fifth of the Attack %. (AGE:0-50). U. Unconsciousness (UNCN): The character's ability to resist going unconscious, when the character's Damage Status is below 10% or when the character is hit to the head. Also makes up one-third of the Toughness number. (AGE:Any). V. Vitality (VTLY): The ability to withstand physical damage. Makes up one-third of the Damage Status. (AGE:Any). W. Work (WORK): The character's level of proficiency at completing something. This attribute makes up one-fourth of the Achievement Reduction Total. (AGE:Any). X. Xperience (XPER): The character's creative ability to apply what has possibly been learned to a new circumstance. This attribute makes up one-fourth of the Achievement Reduction Total. (AGE:Any). Y. Yearning (YERN): The character's mental desire and will to resist or accomplish something. Makes up one-fifth of the Attack %. (AGE:Any). Z. Zeal (ZEAL): The character's spiritual ambition to resist or accomplish something. This attribute makes up one-fifth of the Defense %. (AGE:Any). Attributes have a Maximum Percentage Value (MPV) and a Current Percentage Value (CPV). At best, the CPV can equal the MPV. CPVs can be reduced based on situation-based modifiers. On a whim, the Game Master might give a penalty or bonus modifier to any CPV due to the circumstance. The MPV (and of course the CPV) can never equal or exceed 100% nor can the MPV equal or fall below 0%, except for the Movement Attribute. Due to the Movement bonus and Encumbrance percentages, the Movement percentage could equal zero (means that the character cannot move) or exceed 100%. When a player creates a new character, all MPVs start at 1%. Optionally, a Game Master might set all MPVs at a higher starting value such as 10%. The Maximum Percentage Values are a semi- permanent and increase with Age and Levels. Since all characters start at the 0th Level, the only factors that can influence the MVPs of the 26 Attributes are Age, Culture, Profession, and any starting Levels if any. In many cases, MPVs and CPVs are converted into actual numbers or other percentages that have other meanings such as Damage Status, Attack %, Initiative %, Toughness, etc. Checks: Depending on the circumstance, the GM will ask a PC to make an Attribute Check to perform a certain action. The GM determines which Attribute(s) are to be used for the check. The GM usually requires an average percentage number, in the case when two or more Attributes are checked. In most cases, the GM will also impose a penalty or bonus to the Check. The Check itself is a percentile roll compared with the CPV of one or more Attributes (plus any modifiers imposed by the GM). For example, a characters attempts to hold himself from falling off a cliff for the next ten seconds, the GM might require a Strength CPV roll at a 10% penalty. If the character's Strength CPV is 43%, then the player must roll a (43%-10%) 33% or lower to succeed. If a character has a capability that could be applied to the situation, the GM might allow that capability to apply to the Check. Thus, if a character learn the Climbing skill at a 18% rate, the GM might allow half of the 18% to be used in this situation. Thus, a 9% bonus could be gained to the Check. 2a. Basic Characteristics: -------------------------- Name: The character's name and aliases if any. Real Age: The actual age of the character, if the character is not of the human culture. Human Age: The Human Age equivalent if the character is not human. Age: As noted after each Attribute definition, Age has a range of influence upon the attributes. Only during the designated time period noted for each attribute, the character has the ability to use its Age to increase an attribute's Maximum Percentage Value (MPV). For every Human Age Equivalent year of the character, 10 percentage points can be distributed among the 26 attributes. A 50 year old human for example would start with 500 percentage points to distribute among the "available AGE range" attributes. In other words, a 25 year gains 250% to distribute, but could only use 200% of the 250% for the Instinct Attribute, since Instinct has an Age range from 0-20. Therefore, the 25 year old could never again use Age to increase the Instinct attribute past his 20th birthday. As a character ages, the GM might also subtract points from certain attributes such as Strength and Health due to physical deterioration. Sex: Male, female, hermaphrodite, or other. Height & Weight: The measured length of the character from head to toe in inches (not feet or meters). Conversion from CMs to inches is: 2.54 CMs = 1 inch. The total body weight of the character measured in pounds. The conversion from Kgs to pounds is: 2.2 pounds = 1 KG. Total Body Fat%: The amount of fat that is on the character. Human males typically have a normal range from 12-18 percent. Human females typically have a normal range from 16-25%. Total Fat Weight: The fat-weight is determined by using the formula [(Total Body Fat% x Total Body Weight)/100]. In game terms, the Total Fat Weight can be thought of as extra carried weight that the character has to haul around. Movement % Bonus: This percentage is added on to the Movement Attribute maximum percentage score. It is determined by: (Height in inches)/(TBF%). The movement bonus increases with height because it refers to the stride of the character (i.e., a giant will cover more ground than a dwarf). Weight Encumbrance %: This is a permanent penalty subtracted to a character's Maximum Movement Attribute Percentage score. The percentage subtraction equals: [(Total Carried Weight (in pounds) + Total Fat Weight)x10]/[Height (in inches)]. 3a. Levels and Achievements: ---------------------------- A character can use a Level to increase any attribute by 1%. At each Level, a character therefore earns a 1% bonus. The bonus percentage can be applied to any attribute. Players will often roleplay their characters between the 1-1000 Level range during typical Adventure Campaigns. A Level also adds directly to the character's Maximum Damage Status. GM's often have characters start at a Level equal to the Human Age of the character. There is a constant rate at which a Level is gained based on four Attributes of Focus, Xperience, Knowledge, and Work. The Game Master awards points known as Achievements. For every 1000 Achievements, the character gains a Level. When converted from percentage to actual points, the four attributes of FOCS, XPER, KNOW, and WORK reduces the number of Achievements needed to a lower number needed to gain a level. For instance, if the four attributes add up to a total of 121 points, then only (1000-121) 879 Achievements are needed for each Level. If all four attributes had a MPV of 99%, then the best possible reduction would equal (1000-396) 604 Achievements needed per Level. These four attributes, when tallied, equals the ART (or the Achievement Reduction Total). After the ART is subtracted from 1000, the number needed per Level is called the Required Achievement Total (RAT). The CAT (Current Achievement Total) is the number of Achievements that the character currently has earned in between one Level to the next. The Game Master should use his own judgment to weight how many Achievements should be gained per game adventure. Depending on what transpires during the adventure, what foes were slain, the amount of time that passes, and other such factors, the GM will have to get a feel for how many points to award. It is recommended that no more than 1000 Levels are achieved by any character. Thus, characters beyond the 1000th Level should be considered one the greatest heroes ever to walk the planet if not a god outright. For high-powered games, it is recommended that the 2000th Level mark is never exceeded. Since there are 26 attributes that start at 1% and other factors such as Culture and Age can also give initial percentage bonuses, a character would need to reach about 2500 Levels to maximize all of the attributes at 99%. The Game Master will find that the progression of Levels should be rated around 1000-3000 Achievements per typical adventure. A poor adventure might give about 500 Achievements while an exceptional adventure might give 5000. 4a. Cultures and Professions: ----------------------------- Cultures: A culture is a product of its genetic, evolutionary background and the cultural habits and dispositions it follows. Depending on its cultural background, a character might start with bonus percentage points for specific attributes. For instance, if the culture is abnormally strong compared to other cultures in the worldbook used, it might begin with an extra +5% to the Strength Attribute. If the culture is extremely good at climbing, it might gain an initial +3% to the Balance attribute. In all, all Cultures within each worldbook should have equivalent net bonuses for setting balance. Cultures also have attribute caps that tell a limit, if it is below 99%. Every Culture should have many limits on the maximum achievable attribute percentages. Some caps might be as harsh as 75% maximum or even lower. The Cultural Maximum percentage caps are the main statistically distinguishing features from one culture to the next besides potential initial bonuses to the attributes. The GM that creates each culture might weigh the penalty caps of some attributes with the initial bonuses of other attributes. The GM may also wish to define a set of capabilities that a character can learn through its culture. Professions: A profession offers a character a range of attributes that a character can be trained in to gain new capabilities, skills, abilities, and powers. Professions should be created and defined by the Game Master or another supplement. For example, the Sorcerer profession might educate its students in the attributes of Focus, Judgment, Knowledge, Language, Observation, and Recovery. However, for each attribute that is designated for professional training, the character must permanently add additional 10 points to the RAT (Required Achievement Total). Additionally, Professional knowledge and training is not cheap. Usually a profession will require a character to help with the profession and invest time, resources, and monetary value into it. The GM should be careful giving too much access to character concerning skills, abilities, powers, etc. As a result, a GM should make it evident to the players that some specific capabilities cannot be gained without Professional instruction and a RAT investment into certain attributes for specialty education. 5a. Capabilities: ----------------- As a character lives its life, it continues to learn new skills, abilities, talents, and qualities. Important facts, trials, and characteristics should be written down on the character sheet. The educator, teacher, or trainer might be noted, and the time spend on the capability should also be written down. The Game Master will then evaluate the capability and write its bonus percentage number. Most capabilities should not exceed 25%. The following chart will help the GM determine the level of training: Capability Current Percentage Rating Learned Experience ---------- ------ ------------------ 1-3% Beginner Several days/weeks 4-6% Novice A few months 7-10% Intermediate Several months 11-15% Proficient A few years 16-20% Expert Several years 21-25% Master Many years When the capability is attempted, the bonus will be added to a CPV of an attribute (or an average CPV of several attributes) to give the chance to try to perform the capability. For example, a character wishes to climb a tree and has previously been taught by a master forester how to climb trees. The character currently has a bonus of +5% for climbing. The GM would require a Current Percentage Value check of an attribute (probably Balance) at the time of climbing the tree. When the character attempts to climb, he will gain a +5% bonus. Even with capability modifiers, a character can never exceed 99%. All characters have the ability to train themselves in the desired capabilities if they have the proper materials and resources, but at an extended time rate. It is possible that some desired capabilities might require an average of two or more Attributes to perform like Horseback Riding, since the skill is somewhat complex. 6a. Personality: ---------------- Each player gets to define his or her character. There should not be any strict system for personality type, since part of the fun of roleplaying is to develop a character and get to know it. Instead, the player should write phrases that the character would commonly say. Also, it is recommended that the player defines at least five words that best describe his or her character. The player should give a percentage to the word to know how strongly the character obeys it. For example, the character might choose the five words as Good: 75%, Obsessive: 60%, Reliable: 70%, Pessimistic: 80%, and Curious: 55%. The words that describe the character should have antonyms so a silent comparison can be made. II. RATIO COMBAT SYSTEM 1b. Weapon Damage: ------------------ Weapons have four basic qualities for combat: 1). Length, 2). Bluntness, 3). Damage Force, and 4). Penetration. When a weapon strikes, it will always have a Damage Force. The Length is calculated by the weapon's damaging part in inches (such as a blade or axe head). Thus, a sword with a 36 inch blade would have a Length of 36. Bluntness is calculated by the weight of the weapon in pounds multiplied by ten. A five pound sword has a Bluntness of 50. The Bluntness and Length values are added together for the weapon's Damage Force. Thus, a five pound sword 36 inches long has a Damage Force of 86. The Penetration value is equivalent to the sharpness of the object. If it is somewhat dull, it might have a Penetration value of 10-20%, whereas a sharp sword might have a Penetration value of 60-75%. Only the sharpest, well-built, razor-sharp edges or material substances would have a Penetration value over 90%. Since a blade gets dull with use, its Penetration value decreases with time. Even though its maximum value might be 63%, its current Penetration might be far below the maximum. The current penetration percentage is multiplied in decimal format to the weapon's Force value. In other words, if a weapon has a Force of 86 and a Penetration of 35%, an additional 30 points of Damage will be added; the weapon has a base damage capacity of 86+30 or 116 points. Thus, weapons that are extremely heavy, pack a lot of force, and can penetrate easily are the most deadly tools. The Game Master might want to subtract a percentage of Penetration each time any weapon hits its target for realism. If the weapon is sharpened, it will gain back its Penetration percentage value. The GM may wish to also directly compare the Penetration percentage with an Armor percentage to see if the weapon tore through the armor. 2b. Weapon Attack Types: ------------------------ Melee Weapons: A Melee weapon is an extension of the wielder's limb, or is actually the limb itself inflicting the damage. As a result, the character's Strength figures into the normal damage inflicted by the weapon. The Strength Attribute percentage directly adds to the damage. Thus, if 100 points of Damage Force is inflicted, and the character's Strength is 43%, then an extra 43 points of damage is added to the total damage. The GM should allow the character to learn skills that increase the Attack % and damage capabilities of a particular weapon category. Projectile weapons: These weapons are fired or thrown by the character. The part of the weapon (such as an arrow) that hits the opponent reflects the Damage Force. However, the part of the weapon that fires a projectile will also have an additional damage bonus based on its ability to fire or throw an object (such as the strung tension of a bow which might add an additional +50 damage). A character's current Strength Attribute percentage also gives an additional amount of damage, if the character throws an object. Weapons that are thrown are often limited in accuracy and distance thrown by the weapon's weight and the strength of the character. However, fired projectiles often have a Penetration percentage above 75%. All projectile weapons have reduced accuracy the farther the target is in distance. The GM will give appropriate modifiers at the time of the attack. All Projectile Weapons have a cumulative penalty for every "x" feet determined by the Game Master. For example, the GM might rate a close range to give no penalty, short range to give a -10% Attack % penalty, medium range at -20%, and far range at -30% or greater. Finally, some types of projectile weapons have an additional penalty for the loading time of a projectile that directly adds a predetermined number of seconds (besides the normally calculated WIP number described later). 3b. Initiative Sequence: ------------------------ INITIATIVE %: (Average of Chance, Emotion, and Quickness). The ten seconds in a round is rated at 100%. Thus, each second is 10% of the round, while 1% of the round is 1/10th of a second. Thus, combat takes place in a 10 second round. An Initiative Difference (ID) for each character (or the average Initiative % in each group) is needed to be calculated at the time of the Initiative sequence. All participants roll percentage dice for their initiative percentages at the beginning of a Combat Round, unless one group is first surprised (according to the GM's discretion). Those that successfully make their initiative percentage roll (by rolling under their Initiative %) start first, and those that fail calculate an "Initiative Difference." For instance, Character A has an Initiative % of 22 and Character B has an Initiative % of 30. If Character A has an Initiative Roll of 62%, and Character B rolls an 80%, then Character A would have an Initiative Difference of 40%, while Character B would have an Initiative Difference of 50%. In the event that the Initiative Roll is successful and *LOWER* than the character's Initiative number, the character begins immediately on the 0th second (with possible penalties based on capabilities and weapons such as WIPs). All IDs are rounded up to the nearest 10%. In other words, the Initiative percentage tells the second in which the character starts taking action in Combat. If a character has an ID of 46%, the character would start on the 5th second (all percentages are rounded up to the nearest 10%). If a skill, attack, or capability's first strike or attempt continues into consecutive Rounds, a new Initiative Roll will not be needd. For example, if a spell caster requires 15 seconds of time to initially cast a spell, the caster would not be required to make new Initiative % rolls until the action is complete. Likewise, if an attack has a high calculated ID and WIP, the attacker might not get to make the first attack until the next Round. The Game Master will call out each second of the 10 second Combat, stating from the 0th second. In the circumstance when attackers go on the same second, the person with the better Initiative percentage number will obviously get to go first. For instance, if Character A has an Initiate % of 39 and Character B has an Initiative % of 37, Character A edges Character B on the second they both make the attack or action. If both characters also have the same Initiative %, the GM can say the attacks occur simultaneously, or the GM can opt to have both sides roll a percentage to see who edges the other. ID within a Round: It is possible for a character to also start a new attack or action in the middle of a Round (especially in the event that an attack or action continued into the following Round). To do this, the character must make a new Initiative % Roll and add the current second of Combat to the outcome to determine the new ID. If the number is over nine, then the character must wait until the following Round. WIPs: On the moment that a character can react in a Round, many things can be attempted. The character may wish to use a skill or capability. The character may wish to talk or move. In most events, the character will attempt to attack. When attacking with a weapon, a penalty (in seconds) must add onto the time at which the weapon will make its attack. The penalty is called the Weapon Initiative Penalty (WIP). The penalty is a number of seconds measured in percentage that gets added to the ID. The WIP equals 1/10th the Damage Force of the weapon in percentage. The WIP%s are always rounded up to the nearest 10%. If the Damage Force for a sword is 144, then the WIP % equals 20% instead of 14% (or two seconds of combat time). However, the difference that was lost can be added to an Initiative % for comparison if two or more attackers fight on the same second of combat. Thus, in the example above, the WIP is calculated to be 20% even though 1/10th of the Damage Force of 144 equals 14%. The difference between 20% and 14% is a 6% bonus for the character to apply to the Initiative %. In the event that the character has to fight an opponent on the same second of Conflict, the extra 6% can be added to the character's Initiative % for comparison with the opponent's Initiative %. Using the WIP: The WIP also tells a second by second time ratio between one attack to the next. If the WIP equals 10% (or one second of time), then the weapon can be used to attack on every other second after the first initial second it attempts to strike a target in the round. Thus, if the ID is 40% and the WIP is 10%, the weapon's first strike of Combat would be 50% (or on the 5th second). Since the WIP is 10%, the weapon would also be able to attempt an attack on the 7th and 9th second. If the WIP is extremely high, like 30%, then the character must wait three seconds between one attack to the next. In this way, the fastest weapons have a WIP of 10% since a weapon must have at least a Damage Force higher than zero and WIPs are rounded up to the nearest 10% (or one second). The largest weapons might have a WIP of 30% or higher if they are heavy and long, but would not be able to strike as often. The additional weapons attacks cannot exceed the 9th Combat second of the Round. All other numbers beyond the 9th second are thrown out, since a new Initiative % Roll will be needed for the next Round. A Combat Round lasts a full ten seconds. Even though a Combat Round starts on the 0th second, it is only possible for an attacking character to start on the 1st second because all WIP%s are rounded up. If a character does not attack and decides to take another action instead, the character could conceivably start on the 0th second (such as talking or moving). Many actions might also have penalties to start based on the capability of the character. For instance, if a character wishes to draw a sword from a scabbard, the GM might impose an extra two second penalty. Thus, a Combat Round ends after the full 9th second. At the moment when the 10th second is reached, new Initiative % rolls are required and the entire process starts over and over until combat is resolved or ends by word of the GM. 4b. Attack Sequence: -------------------- ATTACK %: 2d10% + (Average percentage of Guile, Instinct, Observation, Timing, and Yearning) If the attacker successfully makes the Attack % Roll at an equal or lower value than the Attack percentage, the Attack has a chance of hitting its target. The additional 2d10% is rolled on each attack and determines the Chance Damage that is inflicted (See Chance Damage). Anytime a "10" is rolled, another 1d10 can be rolled to add onto the Attack percentage (this process can occur indefinitely), even though the initial 2d10% will also be used for the Chance Damage. It is also possible for characters to purchase Attack skills for specific weapon categories that increase the Attack % to a higher amount. Finally, a character might learn a specific weapon skill to increase the Attack % by some minor amount when using it. Optional Attack % bonus Rule: The GM might allow a player to hold an attack to gain a better Attack %. For every extra second that the attack is held before it strikes, the character earns an extra 1d10% to the Attack Roll on any attack. Thus, if a character's weapon attack is suppose to fall on the 3rd second, but the character holds it for another four seconds, the character will make the attack on the 7th second and earn an extra 4d10% to the Attack %. This rule is limited by the Round. An attack can not be held beyond the 9th (last) second of any Round. DEFENSE %: (Average percentage of Agility, Balance, Judgment, Movement, and Zeal). In the event that an opponent's attack percentage is successfully made, the Attack % will be directly compared to the Defense %. If the Defense % is higher than the Attack %, the defender side-steps, dodges, or parries the blow and does not receive any damage. Each Attack % can change (due to the 2d10%). For example, if an Attack % is calculated to be 52%, and the defender's Defense % is 48, the defender will be hit. It is possible for characters to purchase a Defense skill to increase the Defense % to a higher number. Level Ratio Differences: If two opponents are at a ratio difference between Levels, the opponent with the higher level gains a 10% bonus to the Attack and Defense percentages. Also, the character will inflict an extra 10% to the total damage with every point of ratio difference. Only the higher Level character's statistics need to be adjusted. If a PC has such an advantage, the GM should not outright tell about the advantage until the combat scenario actually describes the advantage. Thus, if the ratio is 2:1 (one character is at the 250th Level while the other character is at the 125th Level), then the character at the 250th Level gains an additional 10% to the Attack and Defense percentage, and an extra 10% to the damage inflicted. Ambidexterity: If a character becomes ambidextrous in a limb, the less skilled limb will receive a -25% to attack and a -25% (or -3 second) initiative penalty with that arm with a beginner skill. A master might still receive a minus 5% to attack and a -5% (-1 second) initiative penalty with the less skilled limb. Damage: Damage inflicted is a Total Value that combines the Damage Force of the weapon with its Penetration percentage. If the weapon is melee or thrown, the Strength Attribute will also add in extra damage. Variable damage called "Chance Damage" also adds to the Total Value. Chance Damage: The rolled percentage number for the extra 2d10% of the Attack % also modifies the damage stronger by adding additional Chance Damage. Chance Damage is a raw point value, not a percentage. The Chance Damage is added to the Damage Force and Penetration number, and will only be inflicted if the Attack % roll actually hits the defender. The Total Damage increases in the following way: 2d10% Roll: Additional Damage: ----------- ------------------ *20% *Damage Glance. 12-19% No bonus. 11% Add 1d10x1 points. 10% Add 1d10x2 points. 09% Add 1d10x3 points. 08% Add 1d10x4 points. 07% Add 1d10x5 points. 06% Add 1d10x10 points. 05% Add 1d10x20 points. 04% Add 1d10x30 points. 03% Add 1d10x40 points. 02% Add 1d10x50 points. * Damage Glance: Chance damage is not inflicted to the opponent, and the Total Damage is halved. It should also be noted that if the weight of the object causing Chance Damage is less than a pound, the Chance Damage will be reduced. Thus, if a weapon weighs 0.7 pounds, then the Chance Damage is multiplied by 0.7 for a lower total. Thus, there are many types of damage that the GM and player should understand which include the Damage Force (based on length and weight of weapon), the Penetration %, a Strength damage for Melee weapons, and the Chance Damage. DS (Damage Status): Damage subtracts points from a character's Damage Status. The maximum Damage Status equals: (Total of the Vitality, Health, and Nourishment Attribute percentages, plus Level). Commonly, characters start with 25 or more DS points. The Damage Status can fall to zero points (not below), and has an unlimited maximum. See Death. DR (Damage Recovery): The Recovery Attribute percentage tells a rate at which wounds are healed according to the Game Master's world. Characters will be required to make Recovery Attribute percentage checks to gain back a percentage of possible recovery that the GM allows. For example, if a character eats a healing herb, the GM might say it heals back 100 points. If the character only has a 25% current Recovery Attribute, only 25 points will be earned if the herb is eaten. The GM should also remember that time heals all. Each day, the GM might wish to give some number of points back to the Damage Status of all characters based on rest, relaxation, sleep, and morale. Unique Damage: If a character is poisoned or is bleeding, an amount of damage is inflicted at a given rate. An antitoxin or time would be required for a poison to be diffused in the body. The application of pressure or closing the wounds shut would be needed for bleeding. Internal bleeding and organ damage requires time or operation to cure. Armor: Armor defends. That's obvious. Armor does not allow a character to dodge. It penalizes movement. It can also be damaged. Armor is rated at a certain percentage Rank against the Total Damage inflicted. Thus, Armor minimizes the damage inflicted to the character by a certain percentage. Each time a damaging blow is inflicted to the character, the Armor's Rank diminishes by a point. Armor that protects well against penetration and bluntness often has a rank around 50% on average. Armor that only protects well against bluntness or only against penetration often has a rank around 25%. Hide or clothing often protects 10% of the Total Damage on average. A fully armored and shielded knight might have a 75% reduction in Total Damage. It is extremely rare to have armor above 80% in reduction capability. Once Armor has been damaged, it can be repaired back up to its maximum Rank capacity. Finally, armor should have a bulk rating that gives a Current Movement percentage (not a Maximum Movement % reduction) when wearing it. Armor example: Daxin buys a leather coat and pants. Their combined protection gives an Armor Rank of 22%. On each damaging hit, the armor subtracts 22% of the Total Damage inflicted to Daxin. If 150 points of Damage are inflicted, Daxin takes 117 points to the Damage Status instead of 150. After being hit a dozen times, the Armor Rank of the leather coat and pants is down to 10%. But if Daxin pays to have it repaired, the Rank would go back up to 22% again. If Daxin adds metal studs to the armor, the Maximum Rank might increase to 27%. Toughness#: Characters have an internal toughness that helps to subtract damage after the Armor percentage diminishes the blow. The Toughness number equals the average of the character's Death, Strength, and Unconsciousness Maximum Attribute Percentages (converted into a number). Taking the same example from the Armor example above, if Daxin takes 117 points of damage instead of 150, but also has a Toughness# of 17, then Daxin will only take (117-17) 100 points of damage to the Damage Status. Hitting a location: The Game Master can use dice or his or her own method or ruling to determine where an attack lands. If the location is important, the GM might roll a 1d10 and say that "1" is the head, "2-4" is the shoulders and arms, "5-8" is the chest, back or torso, and "9-10" is the leg area. 5b. Special Circumstances: -------------------------- Unconsciousness: When a character is hit to the head, or is currently under 10% of its maximum Damage Status number, a current Unconscious % roll will be needed. If the percentage roll fails, the character will be knocked out for 1d10 seconds plus one second for every 10 points of damage taken to the DS. Death: In the event when a character reaches a zero Damage Status, the character must make a current Death Attribute percentage check on every future attack that causes damage (poison and bleeding cause damage at a rate and therefore consecutive checks might be required at each minute, hour, time period, etc). In the event that more damage points are inflicted past zero, the character's Death Attribute percentage will be penalized by that amount. Therefore, if a character is currently at a zero Damage Status and is inflicted with another 45 points of damage, the Death check will be penalized -45% on that attack. If the character's Death check is successful, the character will not die and remain at a zero Damage Status. If it fails, the character dies. For example, if Nevnuth has a Damage Status of 240 points and is hit with 262 points of Damage, Nevnuth's Damage Status equals zero, and a Death Attribute Percentage Check is required at a -22 (262-240) penalty. 6b. Huge Combats: ----------------- When more than 20 or more combatants are engaging in battle, the standard RPG combat system will have a hard time handling the paperwork of character sheets and the calculations. As a result, the GM may opt to adapt the RPG Chess system as a representation of a huge battle between two forces. The RPG War-simulated Chess game is available from sord@earthlink.net and is published in the Fractal Spectrum. Go to http://home.earthlink.net/~sord/ for more information and to view the game, SORD supplements, and other RPG materials. III. Formulas in RATIOS: ------------------------ ART (Achievement Reduction Total) = [FOCS + KNOW + WORK + EXPR] Attack % = 2d10% + [(GUIL + INST + OBSR + TMNG + YERN)/5] Capability Check = [CPV + Bonus Capability %] Damage Status, Maximum = [HLTH + NRSH + VTLY + Level] Defense % = [(AGIL + BALN + JUDG + MOVE + ZEAL)/5] Fat Weight = [Total Weight x TBF%]/100 Initiative % = (CHNC + EMOT + QCKN)/3 Initiative Difference = [Initiative % - Initiative % Roll] Level = 1000 Achievements = [1% point for any Attribute] Movement % Bonus = (Height)/(TBF%) RAT (Required Achievement Total) = 1000 - ART Toughness Number = (DETH + STRN + UNCN)/3 Weight Encumbrance % = [(Carried Weight + Fat Weight)x10]/[Height] Appendix A: RATIOS Character Sheet ---------------------------------- Player Name: Campaign Name: Player's Personal Information: Character Name: Real Age: (years) Human Age: (years) Sex: Height: (inches) Weight: (pounds) Total Body Fat %: % Fat Weight: (pounds) [TBF% x character Weight]/100 Movement Bonus: % [Height]/[TBF%] Total Carried Weight: (pounds) Weight Encumbrance: % [(Fat Weight + Carried Weight)x10]/[Height] Character's Culture: & Comments: Character's Profession: & Comments: ATTR MPV CPV ---- --- --- AGIL BALN CHNC DETH EMOT FOCS GUIL HLTH INST JUDG KNOW LANG MOVE NRSH OBSR PERS QCKN RCVY STRN TMNG UNCN VTLY WORK XPER YERN ZEAL ---- --- --- Total% Mean% Start% Age% Cult% Level% ---- --- --- Personality Description: ------------------------ Experience and Achievements: ---------------------------- Level: ART: [F+K+W+X] RAT: [1000-ART] CAT: The Combat System: ------------------ Initiative %: % [(C+E+Q)/3] Attack %: 2d10%+ % [2d10%]+[(G+I+O+T+Y)/5] Defense %: % [(A+B+J+M+Z)/5] Maximum Damage Status: [H+N+V+Levels] Current Damage Status: [H+N+V+Levels]-[Damage] Maximum Armor Rating: % Current Armor Rating: % Toughness #: [(D+S+U)/3] Name of Weapon Length Blunt DF# Pene% Damage Cost -------------- ------ ----- --- ----- ------ ---- Carried Items, Wealth, etc. Weight --------------------------- ------ Capability Name Bonus% ATTR(s)/Description/Definition/etc. --------------- ------ ----------------------------------- Character Background/Notes/etc. ------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------- This game was written by Scott J. Compton. Copyright March 1997. All Rights Reserved. You may distribute this game free on the internet as long as the text is unaltered.