Many moons ago I backed the Blades In the Dark Kickstarter – one of the stretch goals was a supplement based on Steven Brust’s Jhereg series.
I kept checking, then things got way too busy post Google+ death and I hadn’t checked if it actually came into existence.
So, it does! I basically thought to check again because the last book of the Jhereg novel series comes out early next year – a long time reading things one of my all time favourites.
A Danger Room type scenario, Cyclops and Corsair using it for training. Cyclops is another example of using the ‘level’ attribute as a column shift holder. His writeup in the X-Men set points out he has Incredible agility with his Optic Blasts. This goes nicely with Corsair having Weapon Specialist in the Ben Riely version – in the box set he has Marksmanship.
The Riely stats have Cyclops with X-Men costume body armour at Excellent/Excellent – and Corsair only Good/Good – which means his Amazing Blaster Pistols take 3 shots to put Cyclops down. Cyclops also has an initiative advantage. All that running around in a zillion different scenarios, compared to spaceshift manoeuvring.
Anyway, an example of working on Energy and Force blast use, with a ‘best damage’ rank heuristic added.
Battles: 10000; Sum of rounds: 23178; Corsair: 0.2 ± 0.0; Cyclops: 0.8 ± 0.0;
Their FASE stats are identical. They are both Weapon Specialists in their chosen projectiles. Both with Remarkable Agility, giving them Amazing checks for extra attacks.
If you assign the damage for a boomerang and an arrow to be the same, not counting the greater array of tricks Hawkeye has this is a 50-50 standup shootout.
The Judges Book writeup gives Hawkeye +3CS with a bow, which is not RAW – Weapon Skills don’t stack, this is stacking his Marksman with Weapon Specialist as a Super Archer of sorts. This is before Ultimate Skill in the UPB, which you could certainly see him having.
Battles: 10000; Sum of rounds: 27291; Hawkeye: 0.5 ± 0.0; Boomerang: 0.5 ± 0.0;
The extra attacks FEAT roll is then only a Green intensity, much easier and a considerable advantage. Some Hawkeye writeups specify ‘3 Attacks per Round’ This would involve writing code to make that a white roll to get extra attacks – which clearly would boost the win rate higher.
Battles: 10000; Sum of rounds: 21632; Boomerang: 0.25 ± 0.0; Hawkeye: 0.75 ± 0.0;
Taking the recent versions from Ben Riely, we have the stronger and more during Sabretooth vs Wolverine’s Adamantium Claws, basically. There’s an earlier version that just had Wolverine with Excellent damage with Claws – but the X-Men boxed set version also said he just restrained himself to Excellent vs human opponents. Not sure he counts Creed as human. Wolvering has a slight initiative edge, too. Also, faster simulations with more damage.
This meant instituting Weapon Specialist rules, Edged weapon checks and artificial body armour shredding. I have not put Berserk in, but this would have the effect of more hits, fewer stuns, so can compare the two once I write the Berserk code.
Battles: 10000; Sum of rounds: 37975; Sabretooth: 0.27 ± 0.0; Wolverine: 0.73 ± 0.0;
If you chuck Sabretooth in a vat of adamantium, and he gets Monstrous claws it flips the other way, although not as far as Wolverine still has the initiative advantage, but can now be put down in two hits. Neither of them will regenerate fast enough to matter in fights this short. Another thing to do – a number of rounds distribution.
The version of The Thing in the Marvel Super Heroes Advanced Set Judges book has Monstrous Strength and Endurance.
The Ben Riely updated version has Unearthly Strength and Monstrous Endurance. The original version, if fighting the Hulk toe to toe can’t hurt him or Stun him by the rules (Strength is less than the Hulk’s Unearthly Endurance). That makes a 100% win rate for The Hulk in those times, despite the Thing being a superior fighter – at Incredible and Martial Arts B. He’d have to charge or get tricky to be able to do anythng.
The Hulk has Monstrous Body Armour vs Physical – The Thing only Incredible.
A Good test of the FASERIP-Slugfest Body Armour code changes.
The Thing’s superior Fighting Skills allow him to compete here:-
Battles: 5000; Sum of rounds: 30452; The Hulk: 0.87 ± 0.0; The Thing: 0.13 ± 0.0;
Team The Hulk = winning battles: 4368; perfect battles: 0; close-call battles: 0; Team The Thing = winning battles: 632; perfect battles: 0; close-call battles: 0; ------------------------------------------------- Combatants ------------------------------------------------ The Hulk: {team=The Hulk; avg Health=101.55 (from 240); damage done (per battle average)= 228.36; hits/slams/stuns/kills/misses (PBA)= 3.81/1.43/0.31/0.0/3.1; rounds (PBA)=5.92;} The Thing: {team=The Thing; avg Health=-3.36 (from 225); damage done (per battle average)= 138.45; hits/slams/stuns/kills/misses (PBA)= 5.54/2.43/0.44/0.0/3.43; rounds (PBA)=5.09;}
Of course, if the Hulk gets mad, very different story. Also a bunch more code to do those +1 CS a round changes.
