First, I find the system a nice refreshing change of pace but the rules could be clarified in some areas.
I would love it if someone could explain the math for me regarding building custom classes and the fighting value trade-offs and the associated XP penalty.
First, I don't fully understand the need for a 150xp penalty for trading in each tradeoff for a custom power. While I can see it being abused if my math is correct you are essentially asking the character to pay an extra 340% per custom power gained for the equivalent power traded. I understand if you don't want to do an even swap of power for power because of the sheer number of fighting powers available through weapon and armor selection. But the math is crazy on this if you ask me.
If I look at the Value 2 (fighter) versus the value 1b (thief) there are 8 power trade offs according to the table:
- 1 custom power to reduce armor selection from unrestricted to board
- 1 custom power to reduce armor from broad to narrow
- 1 custom power to reduce weapons from unrestricted to broad
- 1 custom power to reduce to eliminate one fighting style
- 2 custom power to eliminate fighter bonus damage from melee and missile
- Now the only differences are the increased attack throws and cleaves, presumably for arguments sake lets say they are valued at 1 power each.
So, assuming for this arguments sake that the difference between a value 1b and a value 2 is 8 custom powers, divide that by the xp cost difference between the two values (500) and you get 62.5xp per custom power.
Here is where I get confused.
If you did a trade off for custom powers one for one that is a 100% exchange. You are not paying anything or gaining anything other than the power swapped.
if you traded a power reduction for a custom power then asked the character to pay 62.5% xp per power extra that is a 200% increase/penalty. Crazt talk, but workable.
So why are the rules asking for a 340% xp increase for a custom power swap?
It is cheaper to spend 200 xp and buy value 1 thievery for 3 skills at 66.66xp per skills and trade them in for custom powers than to pay 340% to trade in a power and increase your xp for the equivalent 340% increase.
According to the math for the fighting value trade-offs then I should be able to do the following:
- Take a 1b value fighting (thief) take the narrow armor down to restricted and restricted to none gaining 2 powers I don't have to pay XP for.
- Then take the weapons selection from Broad to Narrow gaining 1 custom power
- Then use 1 custom power to increase the thief attack throw rate to value 2.
- Then use the other custom power to cleave.
- Then bank the other custom power for something fun.
- Now I have what I want for 500xp, a value 2 fighter with no armor and narrow weapons, I save a value purchase point, and I have a bonus power.
- Right? According to the math if you reverse engineer the trade off table this should work right?
Alternatively, do you think it would be fair to gain 2 powers by going from unrestricted armor to narrow and converting them to one custom power that you don't have to pay additional XP for?
I admit that I am not Steven Hawkings, but the math isn't making sense to me, or even just simple logic of having such a steep price for swapping one power with another.