tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post4597799632285772332..comments2024-03-28T21:12:06.818-07:00Comments on B/X BLACKRAZOR: StrengthJBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-27787375617842687182016-03-11T12:56:58.741-08:002016-03-11T12:56:58.741-08:00Nope, not terribly.
Strength (the attribute) is ...Nope, not terribly. <br /><br />Strength (the attribute) is fairly important, both by itself and for deriving secondary abilities. The "super strength" power is important because of the effect it has. But a character's mass is fairly unimportant...in fact, it's unimportant ENOUGH that it's not randomly determined or anything; players are allowed to choose their character's mass from within "normal human" parameters.<br /><br />If a person wants to play a character who's 6'5", 289#...you know, the size of J.J. Watt...that's fine with me. It will inconvenience them in some ways (like being inconspicuous, in or out o costume), but if they're intent on making a "tank-ish" character (a la, most every tank in the comic book universe) they might as well look the part. It's a supers game for goodness sake!<br /><br />[having a character outside of human norm will require other power selections on the part of the player]JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-2074169718250581972016-03-11T09:20:15.931-08:002016-03-11T09:20:15.931-08:00Besides using it to determine strength, is mass im...Besides using it to determine strength, is mass important in the game?Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01248905587983891548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-4207217164862634082016-03-11T07:49:24.514-08:002016-03-11T07:49:24.514-08:00@ JD:
No worries...remember I invite criticism (t...@ JD:<br /><br />No worries...remember I invite criticism (that's part of why I post these things).<br /><br />First, remember this is an abstract model for superheroes. If we were looking at your "super heroic self," I might shave off your extra poundage...most of those comic book dudes (and dudettes) have very little flab, even in middle-age. For a guy who's 210, you'd probably have a strength in the low "good" (13-15) range. This gives you a "carry" of 105 pounds (that amount you lug on your back for a couple miles) and a base "lift" of 210.<br /><br />'But JB! Those numbers don't add!' Well, they kind of do:<br /><br />- Right now you're carrying an extra 40+ pounds of (body) weight, along with you 30-40 pound pack. You could probably shlep an extra 10 pounds (well-distributed...maybe some steel-toe boots) without collapsing.<br />- To lift something over 210 pounds would require an "athletics" roll (a secondary ability derived from your strength and coordination attributes) which has a tiered success rate and could result in a greater rate of "lift," possibly up to 300 pounds on a good day (your roll can also be boosted by spending "ego" points). As a referee I'd rule you could just "move something around" (sliding heavy things on the ground, for instance) at a higher rate than what you can "lift." I can lift the end of a large couch, for example, but I couldn't lift it entirely off the ground (presuming, say, there was a harness wrapped around it, attached to a rope that I pulled while standing at an elevated level).<br /><br />This is similar to comic characters with super strength. There are some folks who'd have a problem LIFTING a 60 ton Abrams tank, but they might be able to flip one on its side or stop its motion.<br /><br />As an abstract base to work with, it models pretty well. I should note that I used myself as a model of "average" strength (though I'm possibly selling myself short...it's been a while since I've hit the gym).JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-40526755012622960752016-03-11T07:04:03.768-08:002016-03-11T07:04:03.768-08:00Just curious (no challenges to math here). I'v...Just curious (no challenges to math here). I've carried logs in the 200- 300 lbs range about 150 yards, and moved around ones far heavier. It's hard exhausting work but I can do it, but I'm a not in great shape mid-late 40's guy who weighs in over 250lbs (which isn't as bad as it sounds as my peak when young and fighting was 210). I've gone hiking/camping and I'd rather not carry over 30-40lbs for a couple miles. What Strength would I be by your calculations?JDJarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07691101939920824546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-51450949574536527412016-03-11T04:02:55.295-08:002016-03-11T04:02:55.295-08:00@ Darniz:
It does with regard to giant-size heroe...@ Darniz:<br /><br />It does with regard to giant-size heroes (I looked at Giant-Man, Goliath, and DC's Giganta). For D&D, it depends on whether your giants are just "large humans" or something a little thicker.<br /><br />Take the 1E Frost Giant. Looking at the MM illo, I'd probably go with a baseline 6', 190#, plus "good" (13-15) strength...he's obviously a warrior.At 15' high, that makes his weight a tad under 3000# (a ton and a half). This would allow him to comfortably carry 1500 pounds (15,000 coins) or throw a 1500# boulder, or lift (barely) a fellow frost giant of the same weight.<br /><br />If you say your giants are "hard as stone" or similarly extra-dense, it would increase the creature's weight plus the weight they could lift.<br /><br />I should note that a potion or girdle of frost giant strength adds an extra weight allowance (what I call "carry" weight) of 600# (6000 coins). That is a bit below the weight allowance of even an AVERAGE (9-12) strength frost giant, by my calculations (750#). But I suppose one would have to consider that the character using such a magic item has a smaller over-all frame than a giant, and thus can't shlep as much as a creature 150% of his (or her) height. JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4143435314932633148.post-35280950689826427542016-03-10T20:12:48.333-08:002016-03-10T20:12:48.333-08:00For d&d I have always thought of giants as ...For d&d I have always thought of giants as 'strength personified', stronger than they should be based on relative height and weight. I even came up with weight ranges for each of type. It would be interesting to look at giant strength and see if this is true in light of your calculations. Darnizhaanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15005189125696185700noreply@blogger.com