Monday, June 26, 2017

Character progression in the Black Swan System

Last post I introduced the Black Swan System and it's resolution mechanics based on a skill system that maps to a particular 3d8 die roll. Instead of adding more dice, the skill mechanism allows you to reroll and add low values, the higher your skill the higher the values you can reroll. For example the "trained" skill level allows you to reroll any ones rolled. The next level, "skilled", allows you to reroll ones and twos. In turn "experienced" allows you to reroll ones, twos and threes, and so forth until you get to "legendary" which allows you to reroll values between one and six (inclusive).

It was also pointed out that there is no upper limit to any of the rolls. A "trained" roll can equal a "legendary" roll since, improbable as it may be, the player rolling for "trained" can get a streak of 20 ones and just keep adding to the roll and in that manner inch its way to beating an opposing "legendary" opponent that just happens to roll a low or at best an average "legendary" roll. But how far apart is the average "skilled" roll from an average "legendary" roll? In other words how much do I need in modifiers to (on the average) equal one with the other.

Turns out the modifier bonus required to equal a "skilled" roll to a "legendary" roll is in the order of +23. That's quite a bit! Thinking in D&D combat terms, that's like matching a 1st level fighter with a 20th level fighter!

The chart below shows the difference between the rolls' mean values.



Unqualified Trained Skilled Experienced Expert Master Legendary
Unqualified 0 2 4.5 8 12.5 19 27.5
Trained
0 2.5 6 10.5 17 25.5
Skilled

0 3.5 8 14.5 23
Experienced


0 4.5 11 19.5
Expert



0 6.5 15
Master




0 8.5
Legendary





0


I like to see things graphically rather than laid out on a table, so the next graph shows the information in a radial layout on which each spoke graphs the mean difference between its level and the skill levels above it. Starting with unqualified on top and moving counter-clockwise we see that all points are at zero since unqualified is above no other skill level. The next skill counter-clockwise is trained which is slightly above trained as you can see the blue line begin to spiral downwards. Skilled is above the yellow and blue lines, and so forth. You can clearly see how much faster the lines circle downwards as we approach the master and legendary skill levels. This means these higher levels are distancing themselves faster and faster from the lower levels. In other words you'll need exponentially more and more modifiers in the form of weapon bonuses, magic modifiers, blessings from the gods, etc., just to keep up to the skill's improvement rate.


You can't just buy yourself into master or legendary skill levels, you've got to sweat it out through adventures, learning and training.

So what do I seek to achieve with this?

For starters a simple skill representation with levels that aren't just +1 points away from each other. This makes reaching each a significant milestone, specially for the upper tier. It's something you can be proud of as a player. It's not easy for an NPC or another player to simply stack up modifiers and reach the roll values of a master or legendary. But don't feel 100% safe in your master or legendary skill level! Remember that the Black Swan System allows lower levels to reach higher levels if they keep getting low rolls and adding these to the total (called a black swan roll in the game, an unexpected and highly impacting event). As a high level character you can feel confident, but not 100% safe, in your high skills. A lowly goblin can always happen to roll a black swan and beat your master roll!


3 comments:

Golden Key said...

Well Done! Highly recommended.

WashingtonDC Limo Car is facilitaing with Luxury Car Service, Limo Service DC in Maryland, Virginia & Washington DC at cheap Limo Rental Prices.

Prom Nights Service:

Prom Limo Service ensures best Prom Limo Hire servive.
Enjoy Cheap Limo Service.

We are providing Airport Transfers to Washington DC, Maryland & Virginia.

.BWI Airport Limousine And Car Service
.BWI Car Service .BWI Limo Service.
. Car Service to Dulles
. IAD Car Service . Dulles Airport Limousine Service.
. Dulles Airport Transportation
. Car Service to Dulles.

Book the luxury airport shuttle near you.

Car Service Washington DC
Airport Car Rental
Airport Chauffeur Service to meet the demands of people traveling to and from Washington DC.

Get Free Quote
Reserve Limo Online Now for Luxury Tour!

Wooden Windows said...

Выбираете, в какой компании-изготовителе купить оконные блоки и двери из дерева? Советуем обратить внимание на производство СВ Окна, которое изготавливает окна с 1995 года. Компания изготавливает широкий диапазон деревянных окон от эконом до эксклюзивных. Даже самый требовательный заказчик сможет выбрать великолепные деревянные стеклопакеты. В программе производства присутствуют деревянные окна эконом из соснового бруса, дервянные окна из европрофиля, дерево-алюминиевые евроокна, портальные окна и двери, складные двери гармошки.

Wooden Windows said...

Никак не можете определиться, на каком же производстве заказать деревянные стеклопакеты? Рекомендуем организацию СВ Окна, основанную в 1995 году. Организация делает широкую гамму деревянных окон от бюджетных до фешенебельных. Даже самый прихотливый потребитель найдет великолепные деревянные евроокна. В номенклатуре изделий можно обнаружить деревянные окна эконом из сосны, евроокна из древесины дуба, дерево-алюминиевые окна, окна-порталы, складные двери гармошки.