IQ and INT, and i love Gauss! - And Stats for females-

[icebrand]

Preety much spot on huh?

The 3 first columns are real world data, 2D6+6 is your INT value, roll chance is the actual % you have of getting that number. Now you can let your players re-roll 2 and 3's without any guilt whatsoever, and also, you know how SMART a character is (yeah, yeah, i know IQ is just a part of int, but i think this is a damn good approximation for a game, huh?)

Now, stat for female humans!!! Some of us have noted that females tend to (are actually) smaller and weaker than a male in many species (and noted as such on rules!). Maybe game designers chose to avoid differences due to sensitive issues... Anyway:

STR: 3D4.

Females have, at equal mass, about 60% strength on the lower limbs, and 40% strength at the torso. Source is wikipedia so not sure data is actually correct.

I like rolling 3D4 since i freaking loathe D3's, and i like the results way more.

SIZ: 2D6+3 for chicks is ideal. Average male (1.75) is 13 siz, and average female (1.60) is 10 siz.

This makes females smaller and weaker to a male.

For female player characters:

First and foremost, we roll 2D6+6 for everything. Girls get to choose 2D4+4 and allocate +3 to another stat of choice or roll 2D6+6.

SIZ we select based on whatever you feel your character height should be. Then roll for it, and if higher, you can exchange it for another roll (remember we roll 2D6+6 for all). If lower just discard it.

Well, that's it, hope you like it!

[PhilHibbs]

I think the RQ3 creatures section said to use 2d6+4 for STR and SIZ for human females, but that adventurers should not use different rolls. Most people who are playing non-warrior female characters tend to assign lower rolls to those stats anyway when using elective systems.

[KingSkin]

In my game females get -2 to STR but gain the gender-specific ability to bear children.

Seriously though, I tend to favour the view that Stats are abstracted broadly enough from reality already that they don't need the granularity of varying between the sexes. I think your system seems pretty reasonable though, if that's what you want to do.

[PhilHibbs]

In my game females get -2 to STR but gain the gender-specific ability to bear children.

I want to be called Loretta. I want to have babies.

[rust]

I want to be called Loretta. I want to have babies.

Your first wish is granted, Loretta.

[seneschal]

So why is it that so many of my characters are dull and defective?

[Atgxtg]

Which IQ scale are you using? And what is the standard deviation? The values look off to me. So do your probabilities.

Edited June 3, 2011 by Atgxtg

[Agentorange]

so...where's the stuff about Gauss rifles ?

[icebrand]

Which IQ scale are you using? And what is the standard deviation? The values look off to me. So do your probabilities.

I took the IQ data from here:

http://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/IQBasics.aspx

Its probably not 100% accurate, but seems accurate enough for an RPG! (uses a normal curve with 5 sd, based on 2 test results) Also i didn't find much raw data, but if you have a spread of your own, id be glad to use it instead!

[icebrand]

so...where's the stuff about Gauss rifles ?

Pistol, Gaus (single stage)

Skill: Revolver (or energy pistol on sci fi-est settings), 1H weapon

Base: 20 (99-00 malfunction)

Damage: 1D6, impaling, silent (projectile is sub-sonic), 1 attack (1/SR)

Ammo: 3, 6 with extended cartridge

Range: 30 (extremely accurate for a handgun)

HP: 12 (can't parry)

STR/DEX: 7/5

ENC: 1.0

Value: Expensive to Friggin Expensive (depends on setting)

Rifle, Gaus (multi stage)

Skill: Rifle (or energy rifle), 2H weapon

Base: 10 (+10 with bipod; 99-00 malfunction)

Damage: 2D12+4, impaling, 1 attack (1/SR)

Ammo: 2

Range: 150 (300 with a telescopic sight)

HP: 12 (can't parry)

STR/DEX: 12/5

ENC: 5.0

Value: Friggin Expensive to unavailable(depends on setting)

[soltakss]

Presumably you have to be Bloody Rich to afford something that is Friggin Expensive.

Also, how can you get hold of an "Unavailable" item?

[icebrand]

Presumably you have to be Bloody Rich to afford something that is Friggin Expensive.

Also, how can you get hold of an "Unavailable" item?

You don't!!! (though you may build one from scratch!)

[seneschal]

Also, how can you get hold of an "Unavailable" item?

You buy it with unobtainium, of course!

[Dahak]

I want to be called Loretta. I want to have babies.

Sweet Loretta Modern thought she was a woman, but she was another man.

[Smoking Frog]

I was recently monkeying around with SIZ values and sex differences for characters in a Heian Japan (794 to 1185) fantasy setting. Any comments on the following attempt to model this?

Japanese men averaged 160 cm and women 150 cm. So the average SIZ for men would be 9/10 and for women 7/8 -- yeah, Heian Japanese were SHORT. But they were taller than the later Edo Period (17th to 19th century) Japanese (156 for men and 145 for women).

I have not yet figured out how to roll a range for SIZ that averages to 9/10; I will probably just "cop out" and create a chart where you compare a roll like 2D6 or 3D6 with various dice result ranges assigned to each SIZ. Contemporary Chinese and Koreans were taller than the Japanese, so I did not want to just ignore the obvious differences between their average SIZ and those on the BRP tables.

My solution for sex differences was that females would have -2 SIZ but +1 POW and +1 DEX. The POW increase is setting specific: most mediums were women, so I assumed women had more POW to channel kami and/or dead guys. Since extra damage is based on SIZ and STR, I don't think you need to penalize women on STR. Their smaller size already means they are shifted down the table. (Perhaps not entirely realistic, but there are period stories mentioning women warriors, so I wanted to leave that sliding panel open at least a bit.)

The DEX increase is based on my, perhaps faulty, memory of reading somewhere that women on average have faster reflexes. ("Maybe I dreamed it . . . ")

[Atgxtg]

I was recently monkeying around with SIZ values and sex differences for characters in a Heian Japan (794 to 1185) fantasy setting. Any comments on the following attempt to model this?

You might want to just go with SIZ based on mass, or height, rather than both. Unless you want to track two stats.

To get a 9-10 average (9.5), you need to roll an odd number of dice, and use an add. Say 3D4+2. Anytime you have a average that is between two whole numbers, you must use an odd number of dice. For example 3D6 (10.5).

But, if you want all humans to roll 2D6 for SIZ, I'd suggest just going with 2D6+3 (10) or 2D6+2 (9) and not worring about the slight descrpancy. It is close enough to be historically accurate anywayt, since most historical values tend to be approximatation.

As for the STR descrpancy, smaller SIZ would mean smaller muscles, and a lower STR. But that should hold true for s SIZ 8 man, as well. Since BRP doesn't link STR to SIZ for males, you got a leg to stand on here.

I think you got a point with the DEX, too. Smaller people usually have better eye hand coordination. THat was why women (and children) were preferred for certain jobs, like in th eold textile mills. .

[Smoking Frog]

You might want to just go with SIZ based on mass, or height, rather than both. Unless you want to track two stats.

To get a 9-10 average (9.5), you need to roll an odd number of dice, and use an add. Say 3D4+2. Anytime you have a average that is between two whole numbers, you must use an odd number of dice. For example 3D6 (10.5).

But, if you want all humans to roll 2D6 for SIZ, I'd suggest just going with 2D6+3 (10) or 2D6+2 (9) and not worring about the slight descrpancy. It is close enough to be historically accurate anywayt, since most historical values tend to be approximatation.

As for the STR descrpancy, smaller SIZ would mean smaller muscles, and a lower STR. But that should hold true for s SIZ 8 man, as well. Since BRP doesn't link STR to SIZ for males, you got a leg to stand on here.

I think you got a point with the DEX, too. Smaller people usually have better eye hand coordination. THat was why women (and children) were preferred for certain jobs, like in th eold textile mills. .

I only have data on the average heights in the past, so I was just going to assume that someone who was SIZ 10, for example, would use both the height and weight ranges on the BRP chart.

Good point about the dice rolls. I guess I need to decide what is the maximum and minimum SIZ. The SIZ chart in BRP is obviously not designed for Heian Japanese. SIZ 5 has a height range of 3'7" to 4', which is short even by their standards. And a "meager" SIZ 13 is still 5'10 to 6', which would make your character really, really tall. Maybe an "optimal" solution would be to "redo" the ranges for each SIZ. But then I suppose I would need to alter the relative SIZ for objects as well.

Certainly in BRP terms, a SIZ 8 man with STR 11, is identical (in that regard) to a SIZ 8 woman of STR 11. I suppose to be totally "realistic" you would need to account for women on average having lower upper body strength than men, but I don't know how you'd do that under the game system, or whether it would even be useful.

My memory of the reflexes advantage of women was that it was irrespective of size. I think this was why Heinlein made pilots mostly women in Starship Troopers (if I can remember back that far.)

[KingSkin]

I think you got a point with the DEX, too. Smaller people usually have better eye hand coordination. THat was why women (and children) were preferred for certain jobs, like in th eold textile mills. .

I'm pretty sure women and children were wanted in textile factories because they could work cheap and men were better used doing physical labour. Certainly once the machine looms came in they specifically wanted children because they could crawl under the machines while they were still running to collect the chaff (and often lose hands and arms in the process). I don't think it had anything to do with their DEX scores and I honestly don't think there's much correlation between small SIZ and high DEX, other than received wisdom that big guys are slow and small guys are fast that years of absorbing various media has given us.

[Smoking Frog]

I'm pretty sure women and children were wanted in textile factories because they could work cheap and men were better used doing physical labour. Certainly once the machine looms came in they specifically wanted children because they could crawl under the machines while they were still running to collect the chaff (and often lose hands and arms in the process). I don't think it had anything to do with their DEX scores and I honestly don't think there's much correlation between small SIZ and high DEX, other than received wisdom that big guys are slow and small guys are fast that years of absorbing various media has given us.

I also think DEX and SIZ don't correlate, although, I suppose if you have a SIZ hugely out of proportion to your STR, you might be hampered in moving around at all. Maybe Jabba the Hut falls into this category. His DEX would only be effective against things close enough to reach with his hands or tongue.

[KingSkin]

Yeah, but Jabba's low DEX is more of a result of the fact he's a slug than his SIZ itself. Using the same theme, the Rancor is huge but probably has a fairly decent DEX. This is always the problem when DEX has to cover both gross body movement and fine motor skills. The Rancor is fast and fully capable of throwing attacks at whatever is in front of it and looks like food. I wouldn't trust him to unwrap a gift though. Jabba is almost exactly the reverse.

When you only have a single score to try an cover both types of movement you have to kind of kludge them together. I thinks it works for BRP though, the rules for skill bonuses factor in your SIZ for physical skills which helps to balance it out.

[Smoking Frog]

Yeah, but Jabba's low DEX is more of a result of the fact he's a slug than his SIZ itself. Using the same theme, the Rancor is huge but probably has a fairly decent DEX. This is always the problem when DEX has to cover both gross body movement and fine motor skills. The Rancor is fast and fully capable of throwing attacks at whatever is in front of it and looks like food. I wouldn't trust him to unwrap a gift though. Jabba is almost exactly the reverse.

When you only have a single score to try an cover both types of movement you have to kind of kludge them together. I thinks it works for BRP though, the rules for skill bonuses factor in your SIZ for physical skills which helps to balance it out.

Excellent contrast between the Rancor and Jabba. Of course, if you keep your scantily clad presents, I mean prisoners, on a short enough chain, you don't really need to move much.

I was reminded of the question my friends and I debated after we first saw Return of the Jedi: How does a giant slug become an inter-galactic criminal kingpin? Who was the competition?

[Dredj]

I was reminded of the question my friends and I debated after we first saw Return of the Jedi: How does a giant slug become an inter-galactic criminal kingpin? Who was the competition?

I always wonder that myself, when I see Jabba. I guess it's more about who you know. And not so much about who/what you are.

There seems to be a great deal of discrepancy with IQ charts. The IQ system I use, though I don't know the name of it, doesn't start accounting for genius until a person has an IQ of at least 180. 160 is minor genius. I always thought that game systems like BRP derived their stats from that particular IQ charting system.

[Atgxtg]

I'm pretty sure women and children were wanted in textile factories because they could work cheap and men were better used doing physical labour. Certainly once the machine looms came in they specifically wanted children because they could crawl under the machines while they were still running to collect the chaff (and often lose hands and arms in the process). I don't think it had anything to do with their DEX scores and I honestly don't think there's much correlation between small SIZ and high DEX, other than received wisdom that big guys are slow and small guys are fast that years of absorbing various media has given us.

Eye hand coordination does play a factor. Guys with big hands ususally aren't as good at "finesse" work. I once worked at a place where they did a lot of hand soldering. Virtually the entire soldiering staff were women.

Some of this is just simple physics, too. The larger one is the longer the nerve impulses have to travel, and the worse off they are in the muscle-to-mass ratio.

[Atgxtg]

I only have data on the average heights in the past, so I was just going to assume that someone who was SIZ 10, for example, would use both the height and weight ranges on the BRP chart.

Remeber what they say about assumptions. . But considering you situation, it's a reasonable way of doing things.

Good point about the dice rolls. I guess I need to decide what is the maximum and minimum SIZ. The SIZ chart in BRP is obviously not designed for Heian Japanese. SIZ 5 has a height range of 3'7" to 4', which is short even by their standards. And a "meager" SIZ 13 is still 5'10 to 6', which would make your character really, really tall. Maybe an "optimal" solution would be to "redo" the ranges for each SIZ. But then I suppose I would need to alter the relative SIZ for objects as well.

I don't think you need to go to that much work. When RQ was created, the designers used a 3D6 roll for SIZ and didn't worry about correlating it to actual data until later. And even then, they weren't sure about what to make the standard, and tweaked it froim game to game.

I'd suggest just sticking with the 2D6+6 roll and subtracting 3 rather that working up a different die roll. Not that you can't do it that way. I was doing something along those line for animal stats a few years back. Trying to make the SIZ ranges and average better match up with real world data. But I did things by mass rather than height.

Certainly in BRP terms, a SIZ 8 man with STR 11, is identical (in that regard) to a SIZ 8 woman of STR 11. I suppose to be totally "realistic" you would need to account for women on average having lower upper body strength than men, but I don't know how you'd do that under the game system, or whether it would even be useful.

Yeah, you would, to be totally realistic. You could do something like women a STR reduction when upper body STR applies, but it would be very complicated and probably wouldn't be worth it. Besides, if we did that, we would probably need to factor in for the differences between the arms as well. IMO a slight reduction in STR and SIZ for females is a reasonable approach.

I've been thinking of tying STR more closely to SIZ. There probably shouldn't be characters with STR 18, SIZ 8.

[PhilHibbs]

I've been thinking of tying STR more closely to SIZ. There probably shouldn't be characters with STR 18, SIZ 8.

So what would you do if someone rolled those? Increase their SIZ to realistically balance their strength? Because I can see a mutiny coming if you take someone's rolled 18 away. Of course, I may be maligning your group, not all roleplayers obsess over big numbers, but plenty do.