As many of you may have noticed, character sheets have been enabled for your accounts in the forums. However, you may be noticing a set of stats that seem alien or out of the norm. Over the next several days, tentative stats will be developing on your forum pages, and you will be "interviewed" about your characters and asked questions about their experience and fighting ability. The stats you see are a new template, designed to streamline the process of battle and to give more freedom to the player as to what their characters can and cannot do. And when these stats are being actively used, it will also circumvent the rigidity and demand of certain actions and attacks, and should prevent many unnecessary arguments and headaches.
In this tutorial, you will learn the function of of the Sousei Stat System and what each value represents, then you will learn how to use the Sousei Stat System and be able to maintain your own stats. With a little practice and ambition, you'll be fully capable to be GM or campaign organizer through the use of these new stats.
So, why was the Sousei Stat System created? It was created in response to the traditional Dungeons and Dragons character sheet and method of role-playing. DnD was found to be overly complicated, with a high learning curve, and being too restricting to the player and their character. In addition, Dungeons and Dragons is always updating, with new editions, books, and rules -- all that came at a cost. Therefore, when the original Sousei Stats template was drafted, it was drafted with this goal in mind: create a list of stats that was short and simple to use and only concerned battle or conflicts, and give the player the freedom to do whatever they wanted otherwise. The Sousei Stat System offers the player a set of modifiers for fights so that they could be conducted in a fair and scientific fashion, but without leaving any boundaries or restrictions to the actual role-playing. The Sousei Stat System is, in very little way, related to anything other than battle -- these stats were designed based on your character, and with the exception of certain abilities or techniques, everything else is left to the honor of the player utterly and completely. Beyond battle, those numbers are as useful as words written in water.
First of all, take a look at your official stat sheet when you get it. You will notice that the name of your file is a number and your character's full name. When you open this .txt file, you will see that your stats are broken into five parts or five brackets, and that your character's name is at the top. Each bracket contains a different set of information about your character, and the entirety will cover everything your character can do in combat (as well as a few things to keep in mind outside of combat).
In the top bracket of your official stat sheet, you will see a brief bio on your character. This top section is simply to record the pertinent information on your character to keep for future reference. However, this top section also contains your character's equipment list and the modifiers that each item they have equipped carries. Don't worry about the modifiers -- they are only for your reference. All of the calculations have already been done for you, so all you need to do is enjoy. The second bracket contains all of your pertinent stats. In this list you will see your character's level, experience required to reach the next level, and the list of all of their attributes: health, energy, strength, skill, and magic. Health is a measure of your character's vitality -- how hearty they are, how much of a beating they can take, etc. Energy is a measure of how much mana a character has (or, for non-magical characters, their endurance/morale/energy to perform special moves), and your techniques/spells will drain your energy. Strength is a measure of your character's physical strength -- how muscular they are, their natural defense, how much their punches hurt, how much they can lift, or how hard they swing. Skill, on the other hand, is the measure of how fast your character can move and/or how agile they are, as well as the measure of how well they can fight, their martial prowess in as far as hand-to-hand or weapon combat, etc. And finally, magic is the measure of how strong your character's mana is, and how powerful their spells are.
The third bracket contains your character's techniques. This is a list of every spell and special attack your character has at their disposal. You will notice, in numbered order, the name of the technique, it's energy cost, a brief description of what it does, and special instructions/calculations at the very end. Ignore those for now -- they'll be explained during the battle walkthrough. The fourth bracket contains your character's abilities. These are either inactive traits, active traits, special modifiers, techs, etc. You will see the name of the ability and how they affect your character in battle. Certain abilities will allow you to substitute regular attacks and defenses, such as "energyball" or "counterattack"; you will see a brief description of what they do and how to use them. Finally, the fifth bracket contains your character's items and unequipped equipment. There, you will see each item, what that item does, how to use it (if applicable), and how many of them you have. They are expendable -- once you use one, it's gone.
So, now you know what your Sousei Stat sheet looks like and how to read it. In battle (and, in times, outside of battle), this sheet will remain essential to you. Save your stat sheet somewhere where you'll be able to find it. In the event that you should lose your stat sheet, back-ups are always on hand -- so don't worry if you need a second copy. With your list of stats, you are now ready to learn how the Sousei Stat System works!
Battling with the Sousei Stat System requires two things: your stats, and dice. Regular attacks, or any values/calculations listed as "roll" will require you to use any standard pair of six-sided dice. Yes, that's right, any pair of regular board game dice will do. However, it is easier to use an internet dice roller for both the common and uncommon dice. With Sousei Stats v1.0, battles were done in turn-order; so, for this walkthrough and explanation, we will assume that there is a turn order, and turns are being taken. When it is your character's turn to take an action, you have the option of performing a physical attack, a technique, an applicable ability, or to use an item. You may, of course, only use one action. We will first begin by exploring ordinary, physical attacks.
When it is your character's turn, and you'd like to attack, you first state the attack and the target. The description and preciseness of this action are not required, but you must clearly state your target (though any description to your attack would be helpful). After you state your attack, you will roll the standard dice (the two six-sided dice, or 2d6). You will, of course, receive two numbers from this roll. However, you will not add these two numbers together; the numbers you get will be put together, in the order in which they appear. For example, if you roll a 1 and a 5 (in that order), your roll total would not be 6 -- it would be 15. Remember, your roll total is the combination of the two numbers in the order in which you rolled them. Rolling a 3 and a 4 would give you the total of 34 -- and not 7 or 43. When you have this roll number, you will then add that total to both your strength total and your skill total. Your roll plus your strength plus your skill will equal your attack calculation. You will then state this number if there are no mods around who can do the calculation for you. The defender will then roll the standard dice (2d6), and they will do the same thing. They will add that roll to their strength and their skill, and that number will determine the defense calculation. This number will then be posted (if there are no mods around to do the calculation, or if they're otherwise unavailable to watch the fight).
The defender's total will then be subtracted from the attacker's. If the defender's total is greater to or equal than the attacker's, then the attack missed or did no damage. The defender can then post their reply action to the attack accordingly. However, if the attacker's total is higher than the defender's, then the attacker's total minus the defender's total equals the damage dealt. The defender can then post their reply to reflect taking the hit, and how severe it was.
Let's look at a quick example. A will be the attacker, and B will be the defender.
A has 15 strength and 10 skill.
B has 10 strength and 10 skill.
A posts his attack action:
::thrusts his sword at B::
A then rolls 2d6, coming up with a total of 4 and 4 (44). A adds 44 to his strength (15) and his skill (10). 44+15+10=69. So, A's attack total is 69.
A then states his total:
((69))
While A is calculating, B rolls 2d6, coming with a total of 2 and 6 (26). B then adds 26 to his strength (10) and his skill (10). 26+10+10=46.
B then states his total:
((46))
B's defense total of 46 will now be subtracted from A's total of 69. 69-46=23.
A's attack hit, inflicting a total of 23 damage. 23 will be subtracted from B's health.
B now states his response to A's attack:
::gets stabbed in the shoulder, grunting in pain::
And physical attacks are as simple as that. When a character reaches 0 health, they are out of the fight. This can be reflected however you choose to do so, depending on the fight itself.
Using magical attacks and special techniques will be much easier. Previously you were asked to ignore the calculations listed after your techniques. Take a look at them now: those are the instructions for how to calculate damage for your techniques, spells, etc. The attacker will either directly state using the technique, or their attack action will be a description of the technique they are using, and they will simply follow the formula to calculate attack damage. Be sure to subtract the energy cost from your current energy -- if you don't have enough energy to cover the cost of a spell or technique, you can't use it. As for defending against a technique, the method remains virtually the same. If you are defending against a physical technique, you will simply follow the process of defending against an ordinary attack (roll+strength+skill). If you are defending against a magical attack, however, you will roll 2d6 as usual and add that total to your magic instead. As always, post attack and defense totals, subtract the defender's total from the attacker's total, and you have your damage dealt. If you are unsure if a technique requires you to defend with your magic or with your strength+skill, ask the other player or ask a moderator.
If you are using a healing technique, the target does not need to roll a defense roll. The caster's total is the amount healed.
Instructions for how to use applicable techniques will be listed, as well as energy costs (if applicable). Always be mindful of your techniques in battle, for they may require you to either modify attack/defense calculations, or will have an effect on your character every time they attack (or when it is their turn to attack). When you want to use an applicable ability, simply state the action of your character using the ability and follow the formula/instructions listed As always, make sure to specify your target when applicable.
Most items do not require a special roll or instructions on how to use. You will see the effect that the item you have has after the item name; and to use that item, simply state the action of using that item and who that item is being used on. If you are using it on another person, please state the effect that item has on them in case they don't know or don't have any of that item on them.
And that is how the Sousei Stat System works. Please keep in mind that this version of the Sousei Stat System is an experimental modification of v1.0. It may be subject to tweaking or modification if needed, and in the event that such should happen, you will be notified and provided with a new set of stats. A new or modified tutorial will also be provided, explaining the changes and teaching you how to use the new modifications. Congratulations on learning how to use the Sousei Stat System v2.0!
Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:38 am