Fun with penalty skill levels? (FRED)

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Ever since I heard about the PSL concept in Hero 5th Edition,
I've had vague thoughts about all the useful things you could do
with them.

Has anybody actually done anything tangible, fun & cool with
those mechanics?

--
Peter Knutsen

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Peter Knutsen <peter@knutsen.dk> wrote in message news:<caunhl$huj$2@news.cybercity.dk>...
> Ever since I heard about the PSL concept in Hero 5th Edition,
> I've had vague thoughts about all the useful things you could do
> with them.
>
> Has anybody actually done anything tangible, fun & cool with
> those mechanics?

I have a suggested limitation on them: can only reduce penalty by
1/2. So you are a good shot at range/in the dark etc., but not so
good range and darkness don't matter.
For sword and sorcery campaigns you gotta get the PSL: only for
placed shots. After all everyone knows the dragon has only one
weak point. Put a RSR (attack roll) or Activation roll on it
and you have a cheap way to make that incredibly lucky shot,
sometimes.

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

Peter Knutsen wrote:

>
> Ever since I heard about the PSL concept in Hero 5th Edition, I've had
> vague thoughts about all the useful things you could do with them.
>
> Has anybody actually done anything tangible, fun & cool with those
> mechanics?
>

I had a GM who sicced a martial artist on us with umpteen levels to cancel hit
location penalties. He was really scary.

 

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Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.super-heroes (More info?)

"Eric Root" <eroot@swva.net> wrote in message
news:40ED4E93.2090205@swva.net...
> Peter Knutsen wrote:
>
> >
> > Ever since I heard about the PSL concept in Hero 5th Edition, I've had
> > vague thoughts about all the useful things you could do with them.
> >
> > Has anybody actually done anything tangible, fun & cool with those
> > mechanics?
> >
>
> I had a GM who sicced a martial artist on us with umpteen levels to cancel
hit
> location penalties. He was really scary.

mmm let's do the math, 3 points per PSL * 8 levels to hit the head as
easily as if hitting
the whole body = 24 points, leaving 226 to build a martial artist. Yep
that's scary all right.
My suggestion? Have your characters practise defending the particular
areas of the body
he tends to target (head, vitals etc) and buy skills levels with the
limitation "only against
attacks aimed at XXX location".

>
>
>