Exalted rolled out DVs
2014-Dec-16, Tuesday 19:21![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dorchadas
While I was pretty happy overall with Exalted's combat system when I tested it out, there's still one thing that annoys me--that the defender doesn't get to roll. I prefer opposed-roll combats, which is why when nWoD is played in our house, Defense is Dexterity + Wits and the defender rolls. Since DV is based on the mathematical average of the defense pools, it wouldn't cause too many mathematical problems.
It would make combat deadlier, though. Since DV is the mathematical average, roughly half of the rolled results will be above it, and half would be below. All the rolls above lead to the same expected result, since you can't defend any harder than completely. But some of those rolls below would lead to hits that would not have otherwise occurred under the static DV system, and that means more damage done overall. How much more, I'm not sure. I'll have to see how it works out.
This also lets me change the Onslaught Penalty from only applying on flurries (which are dumb) to applying to all attacks that take place between actions, the same way it works in nWoD. It makes it half as effective, since it would be -1 Defense per attack and 2 Defense = 1 DV, but that's fine with me. I implemented it in the test battle I ran, butschoolpsychnerd said she felt like there was nothing she could do to prevent it.
Actually, I can probably get rid of DV penalties on basic attacks if I'm using both of those changes. That will work to reduce lethality, so it'll help counteract the way the previous two suggestions increase it and prevent some annoying bookkeeping at the same time.
I'm pretty sure this hack breaks down completely once Charms and buckets of dice come into play, but for mortal-level games I think it'll work. I'll have to test it and see if it slows the game significantly.
That only leaves rolled damage is the remaining annoyance, but that's way too much work to strip out. If I make damage values static, then even mortal Exalted turns into iaijutsu duels, and reducing that requires reworking the damage values of all the weapons, powers, and enemies in the game. I have better things to do with my time.
It would make combat deadlier, though. Since DV is the mathematical average, roughly half of the rolled results will be above it, and half would be below. All the rolls above lead to the same expected result, since you can't defend any harder than completely. But some of those rolls below would lead to hits that would not have otherwise occurred under the static DV system, and that means more damage done overall. How much more, I'm not sure. I'll have to see how it works out.
This also lets me change the Onslaught Penalty from only applying on flurries (which are dumb) to applying to all attacks that take place between actions, the same way it works in nWoD. It makes it half as effective, since it would be -1 Defense per attack and 2 Defense = 1 DV, but that's fine with me. I implemented it in the test battle I ran, but
schoolpsychnerd said she felt like there was nothing she could do to prevent it.Actually, I can probably get rid of DV penalties on basic attacks if I'm using both of those changes. That will work to reduce lethality, so it'll help counteract the way the previous two suggestions increase it and prevent some annoying bookkeeping at the same time.
I'm pretty sure this hack breaks down completely once Charms and buckets of dice come into play, but for mortal-level games I think it'll work. I'll have to test it and see if it slows the game significantly.
That only leaves rolled damage is the remaining annoyance, but that's way too much work to strip out. If I make damage values static, then even mortal Exalted turns into iaijutsu duels, and reducing that requires reworking the damage values of all the weapons, powers, and enemies in the game. I have better things to do with my time.
