BESM d20 question.

[Grug]

So i'm running a PbP BESM game on RPOL.net, I've run into a conundrum. One of my players bought the Servant attribute for a big steampunk robot.

The entry for servant says the servant starts as a level 1 adventurer with 10 Character points and ten points per rank (for 20 points at first rank). However, as written the servant never actuallly gains levels, only more Character points. This poses a problem when it comes to skills, since because the character level never increases, the servant can never get a class skill above rank 4, or a combat skill above rank two. Am I reading this correctly? Is the servants only option to gain attack prowess to buy and increased bab?

[Grug]

No one knows?

[Starsinger]

Well, if it's a 1st level adventurer (the class right?) then obviously it gains experience like a Cohort (see the DMG), at least that's what I would do.

[Jakezor]

Well, if it's a 1st level adventurer (the class right?) then obviously it gains experience like a Cohort (see the DMG), at least that's what I would do.

Man, I wish I could check my rule book on this (it was unfortunatly "borrowed" indefinatly)

As i remember it though, no, they do not gain XP as per a cohort.

If it wants to increase its BAB/what ever else, it needs to buy them via its points.

I'd advise you houserule it's skillcap to be the same as its "owning" player's.

Additionally, is servent the attribute to go with? OBM w/ artificial AI might very well be more appropreate, but whatever I suppose.

[TimeWizard]

Y'know, there is an ability specifically for owning a big mecha. It's called Own a Big Mecha. It might be better then Servent in the long run, I don't have my book on hand so I don't kow if that'd work or its only for piloting.

[Grug]

The player wants a human sized robot with built in weapons. More like a partner than a vehicle.

I probably will make that houserule. In the meantime, does anyone else play BESM? War stories plz? Wanna join my game?

[Theli]

I've DMed a couple sessions of BESM d20 myself a little while back... I think I'd much rather have tried out the tristat system. It just seems silly to try to shoehorn everything into d20...

As to the system, it was alright. It's very freeform, which can be a good or bad thing depending on how you like to DM.

But hey, you're running a game? Where?

[Jakezor]

I've played some BESM, tri stat though.
And (almost) everything I, personally, like from BESM is lost in the d20 adaptation.
Those things being:

Rule Fluidity (You wanna do that? alright, lemme just slap on a modifyer... say... + 5, alright, go for it)

Simple, hardish to exploit mechanics. (no magical kobolds with familars instantly ascending to godhood.)

No class system, No levels, gain points, spend points, however you want.
Also, no races. Want to be "human" but don't want the extra feat? fine. want to be an elf who explodes if he takes too much damage? if the story teller gives it the OK, the mechanics are there.


d20 BESM...
Adds more rules, bogs you down, makes combat annoying (so if I take a five foot step, ready X as a free action, and blah blah blah)

Adds classes *and* races...

Tri-Stat is just faster, simpler, requires fewer dice and rules explanations (handy for breaking in new players) and, well, I've had some good times with it.

[Grug]

I've never heard of Tri stat before. what's it like?

As for my game, I'm running it out of RPOL.net. It's under the anime section and titled BESM - Race to the West. It's an alternate earth with magic and steampunk and fantasy races taking place in the mid 1800s on the American frontier. The characters are all trying to strike it rich right now, but other complications may arrise.

[Grug]

I've never heard of Tri stat before. what's it like?

As for my game, I'm running it out of RPOL.net. It's under the anime section and titled BESM - Race to the West. It's an alternate earth with magic and steampunk and fantasy races taking place in the mid 1800s on the American frontier. The characters are all trying to strike it rich right now, but other complications may arrise.

[Theli]

Here's a review.

How many players are you up to in that game?

[Grug]

Meh, doesn't sound that exciting.

I currently have two people and a third coming soon. One is a Prostitute/gunslinger, one is an exiled Elven samurai, and the one coming is a spanish mechanic with a robot guardian.

[Theli]

Hmm, I'll consider joining when I get home... Expect my character concept in a PM if I do.

[Dairun Cates]

I've played some BESM, tri stat though.
And (almost) everything I, personally, like from BESM is lost in the d20 adaptation.
Those things being:
...

Simple, hardish to exploit mechanics. (no magical kobolds with familars instantly ascending to godhood.)

I dunno. It's psychotically easy to make a character that only gets hit on critical failures or critical hits and has enough HP to survive quite a few of those. While not quite at pun pun level, it still can get pretty bad if you don't check it.

Consequently, one of my first campaigns was a BESM d20 campaign centered around a high school on a spaceship with a Robot secret agent posing as a student, a gun bunny secret agent posing as a teacher, a tech genius with a rival with a penchant for internet flaming, a mech-loving rich boy, and a half-elf pokemon trainer with a cat that morphs into a dragon. It was a VERY special party.

Mind you. Said campaign is the source of one of my best built villains, the infamous "Yuu Ataka".

[Artanis]

I'm still trying to get my mind around how the hell BESM is supposed to even come close to translating well into d20. I'm in a soon-to-start BESM (non-d20) campaign, and every time I open the rulebook, I have another six examples of how it's the exact opposite of DnD shoved in my face



In DnD, you buy a sword. Coincidentally, said sword gives you the ability to hit people for X damage.
In BESM, you have the ability to hit people for X damage. Coincidentally, you have said ability because you bought a sword.


Edit: Of course, you could translate the BESM Default Setting into anything you please, but that's beside the point because it wouldn't require a whole new ruleset, just some good descriptions by the DM/ST/Whatever

[Theli]

Yeah, it can get confusing...

You're not really supposed to have equipment or money in BESM. Any equipment you have is supposed to be represented by attributes you purchase with character points.

And then you have combat skills, which cost more than regular skills, which you can then use weapons with...OR you can have special powers that you use to attack. Oh, and btw, some of those powers could conceivably have those same combat skills used to enhance them...

*boggle*

Yeah, they really butchered d20 when they dumped BESM into it. They should've never made a d20 version...but that's where the money was at the time so...

[Grug]

That's just it. BESM isn't supposed to be like DnD. There's a greater emphasis on story rather than combat, and the book actually says to limit fights to one per session. Yes, some of the stuff is complex. but the fluidity of BESM allows you to gloss over a lot of it. If you want tactical and involved fighting and wealth, go with DnD. In my opinions BESm would probably do better in a PbP game where a game space isn't shared.

Of course it could be hyperbole since this is my first time using the system.

[UglyPanda]

Servants have twice as many points as you invest into them. They can also take quite a few defects (Some of which are very cheap). If you need to give them HP, give them ranks in health. If you want them to be combat capable, give them a special attack (Some of which are also very cheap). Also, someone please tell me that servants max out at some low rank, otherwise possessing one is completely unfair from an optimization standpoint.

BESM suggests trying not to kill off the PCs except in very special occasions. That's as far as you can get from D&D, where you can die arbitrarily and come back.

[Grug]

There's a limit. Servants are forever locked at level one Adventurer (generic) class, and therefore a subject to skill limit. Since Attacks are now based on skill points and not abilities, the servant is affected by a skill point limit. The only way to get a higher attack bonus for the servant is to buy it. Also, servants start with fewer points than any other 1st level character.

If you want to talk Cheese, try Pet Monster. 6 points a rank to buy, gives 20 points a rank to the pet.

One of my current players has a servant: A robotic assistant with built in weapons. "She" is rank two and has a rank one basic attack, a rank one limited shots attack, the Construct race, reincarnation (as long as head stays intact) and Damn Healthy. This may sound like a lot at first, but keep in mind its draining on the leader's points early on, which he will have to make up for later on.

[Theli]

Meh, doesn't sound that exciting.

Oops, sorry. That was a review for Tristat dx, which is an addition to tristat...

Here's a review for BESM 2nd Edition Revised which I believe is the last one to use the classic tristat version:

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9811.phtml

[tyckspoon]

Oops, sorry. That was a review for Tristat dx, which is an addition to tristat...

Here's a review for BESM 2nd Edition Revised which I believe is the last one to use the classic tristat version:

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9811.phtml

3rd Edition, actually. The company had some very rough times and had to fold the Guardians of Order title; it's published under an imprint of White Wolf, now. Still uses the Tri-stat core, adds in a usefully generic default world setting. Nice book, although kind of expensive.