Random AP values

[Shadowdragon]

I noticed that hard leather has AP 2 and random AP 1d6, while ring armour has AP 5 and random AP 1d6. Is one of these a typo? In fact, the random AP values in the BRP book don't seem to match up with their static AP values very well. There also seems to be some values missing (what is the random AP range for a static AP of 4). If the armour table in BRP is wrong, what should the random values for static APs 1-8 be?

[Al.]

IMMO Jason and Sam dropped a bollock on this one. The random and fixed AP scores do not even remotely tally.

I am surprised that more house rules for stitching the two together have not been posted here.

Al

[Wolverine]

The random AP roll is a throwback to Stormbringer, whereas the fixed AP value originally comes from RuneQuest 3. I believe Jason simply took both from their original sources and correlated them into the table. That's why they appear to be out of sync, as it were.

[NickMiddleton]

IMMO Jason and Sam dropped a bollock on this one. The random and fixed AP scores do not even remotely tally.

I'm not convinced they should tally, actually. The problem is tying together too many systems that weren't originally used together.

Fixed AP works well with Hit Locations. Random AP works well with NO hit locations and Major Wounds. In both cases the randomisation (did you hit an arm or the head with hit locations,did they roll a 1 or an 8 with their armour die with random AP) add in a necessary degree of randomisation to combat.

I am surprised that more house rules for stitching the two together have not been posted here.

I'd never use Random AP with Hit Locations, and I have considered in the past adjusting the random AP values to something more centred (so all armour rolls are two die plus some degree of off set): but in practice, random AP have always worked well enough for me.

Cheers,

Nick

[dragonewt]

Fixed AP works well with Hit Locations. Random AP works well with NO hit locations and Major Wounds.

This reminds me of how HERO System deals with hit locations (or the lack of) and armour. If hit locations are used, then the specific armour value of a location is used. If no hit locations are used, one method uses an activation value for armour, such that those with more coverage have a higher chance of the armour being effective ('activated'), however the armour value is still fixed.

[Jason D]

The random AP roll is a throwback to Stormbringer, whereas the fixed AP value originally comes from RuneQuest 3. I believe Jason simply took both from their original sources and correlated them into the table. That's why they appear to be out of sync, as it were.

That is exactly what was done.

I* wrestled back and forth about rebalancing all of the random values, but since they were mutually incompatible and had never mapped particularly well to equivalent fixed armor values, I left them more-or-less as is.

* Sam had walked away from the project more than two years ago at that point.

[vagabond]

I noticed that hard leather has AP 2 and random AP 1d6, while ring armour has AP 5 and random AP 1d6. Is one of these a typo? In fact, the random AP values in the BRP book don't seem to match up with their static AP values very well. There also seems to be some values missing (what is the random AP range for a static AP of 4). If the armour table in BRP is wrong, what should the random values for static APs 1-8 be?

Off the cuff I would do the following:

Static AP 1 => 1d3-1

AP 2 => 1d4

AP 3 => 1d6

AP 4 => 1d8

AP 5 => 1d8+1

AP 6 => 1d8+1

AP 7 => 1d10+1

AP 8 => 1d10+1

Basically, find a die roll + modifier that places the static AP somewhere

around the average. But, be aware that the minimum value of a lessor

armor is not higher than a better armor.

Ian