statistics for bio's

[amegakure]

So i was thinking...why not place stats on different attributes one might have in a bio. Of course we already have the WS score but we could incorporate all skills such as, dexterity, intelligence, and street skills..(cant think of the word) but being unseen and unheard. If there was a base number then one person couldn't just say hey you didnt see me or hey i saw your guy coming. It would make rping more complex and realistic. Plus it would help with bios that cater to different walks a life. For instance warders are great at multiple things but they cant be better than every thief, assassin, killer, soldier there is. For instance a mere farmer aka. Mat took on two of the best swordsmen they had with a quarter staff. what do you guys think?

[Visar Falmaien]

That isn't a bad idea, but this is not an RPG with stats, it's a role-playing writing board. Weapon Score is meant to be a rough guideline of skill level and many other factors. It's up to you to determine what happens in a fight, as long as you don't mod the other character's actions or what happens without their consent.

 

I am not in favor of adding stats like that, as it would 1. be too complicated for the purposes of writing for fun, and 2. not be complicated enough to be "realistic".

 

If we were going to be realistic, we could go with a multitude of factors (and this is just assuming a 1 v 1 duel, there are many more possibilities with violent situations):

 

skill level with weapon they are using (this can be broken down into dozens of elements),

skill level at fighting the weapon the opponent's using (why Mat kicked Gawyn and Galad with the staff: they were not well trained in fighting such a difficult weapon)

Reach of the weapon being used

Reach of the weapon fighting against (a proficient spearman has a reach advantage against a proficient swordsman)

Armor of the person fighting

Armor of the person fighting against

luck,

initiative (who strikes first)

element of surprise

element of expectation (duel mentality)

familiarity of terrain

strength of both fighters

agility of both fighters (which could be tied to their strength, not opposing it, many rpgs get that wrong)

psychology of each fighter involved, who's prepared to fight, are they familiar with each other or total strangers;

Who's more afraid? Who's more angry? Emotions have a lot to do with starting a fight and a resolution of a fight. . .

 

I could go on and on and on. There is no way to make an "rpg" skill set realistic. It's impossible as realism is far too complicated. Therefore, the simplest method to determine an outcome of a fight (roughly, you can always have a lower WS person defeat a higher WS with the right conditions), is to just have a rough idea of what their skill level with their own weapon is, and that's what Weapon Score is about.

 

Sorry for the long rant, but I believe very firmly that our system the way it is is simple and works. As far as fight outcomes, be creative, and don't hesitate to brainstorm it out with the PC person you're RPing with, that's the best way to do it. This is cooperative writing, not competitive. Make sense?