Are these backgrounds balanced enough?

I've created a few backgrounds and I'd like feedback on how to balance them better. I've created one that gives the Amulet of Leadership (gives one extra follower but creates extreme reactions), one each for the dedicated mage, thief, and technologist. The five stat and skill limit sucks - doesn't give enough options for backgrounds...

{1078}{Amulet of Leadership

You are a natural-born leader, gaining a bonus to Charisma (+1), but tend to be a bit clumsy resulting in penalties to your Backstab (-2) and Prowling (-2) skills.

As you ready to board the IFS Zephyr, a cloaked stranger grabs your arm. He (she?) places something in you hand saying, "At last I found you. May this help you with what lies ahead." There's a flash of light, and the stranger is gone.

You have the amulet given to you by the stranger. Unfortunately, someone took advantage of the distraction to rob you of all your wealth.}


{1079}{Born to be a Mage

You were born to be a master of magick. You have an extraordinarily strong will, gaining a bonus to Willpower (+5), but you are slightly less fair than your peers, resulting in a penalty to your Beauty (-1), and your eyes are a bit weak, resulting in a penalty to your Perception (-1). Because of your strong affinity to magick, you are extremely susceptible to it, Magick Resistance (-30%), and you also are slightly more susceptible to poison and fire, Poison Resistance (-5%) and Fire Resistance (-5%).}

(I'm also thinking of giving this background Quality Robes, which are slightly better than regular Robes. Currently, I have the starting wealth cut from 400 to 350.)


{1080}{Thief

You're well on your way to becoming a master thief. You're not known for being fair, charming, intelligent, or willful; resulting in penalties to your Beauty (-1), Charisma (-1), Intelligence (-2), and Willpower (-2); but you're thieving skills are second to none, with bonuses in all thieving skills, Backstab (+2), Pick Pocket (+2), Prowling (+2), and Spot Trap (+2), as well as a bonus in a certain technology skill that suits your liking, Pick Locks (+2).}


{1081}{Born to be a Technologist

You were born to be a master of technology. You are extraordinarily smart, gaining a bonus to Intelligence (+5), but you are slightly frail, resulting in a penalty to your Constitution (-1) and Willpower (-1). Because of your strong affinity to technology, you are extremely susceptible to natural elements, resulting in penalties Poison Resistance (-10%), Fire Resistance (-15%), and Electrical Resistance (-15%).}

(I'd like to find an unexpected item to give this background, but haven't thought of one. Currently, I have the starting wealth cut from 400 to 350.)

 

Give the techie something useful, the Charged Ring, or something useless, the Electric Light. Perhaps a knowelege of Lemon & Potato Charges.

 

{1078}{Amulet of Leadership

You are a natural-born leader, gaining a bonus to Charisma (+1), but tend to be a bit clumsy resulting in penalties to your Backstab (-2) and Prowling (-2) skills.
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hmm .ok

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{1079}{Born to be a Mage

You were born to be a master of magick. You have an extraordinarily strong will, gaining a bonus to Willpower (+5), but you are slightly less fair than your peers, resulting in a penalty to your Beauty (-1), and your eyes are a bit weak, resulting in a penalty to your Perception (-1). Because of your strong affinity to magick, you are extremely susceptible to it, Magick Resistance (-30%), and you also are slightly more susceptible to poison and fire, Poison Resistance (-5%) and Fire Resistance (-5%).}
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-Unbalanced.

Why ? A mage does not need Beauty , Perception ,Magick Resistance (-30%) is useless used only by (unbelievable) magick traps and grenades !!!!

Very unbalanced.

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{1080}{Thief

You're well on your way to becoming a master thief. You're not known for being fair, charming, intelligent, or willful; resulting in penalties to your Beauty (-1), Charisma (-1), Intelligence (-2), and Willpower (-2); but you're thieving skills are second to none, with bonuses in all thieving skills, Backstab (+2), Pick Pocket (+2), Prowling (+2), and Spot Trap (+2), as well as a bonus in a certain technology skill that suits your liking, Pick Locks (+2).}

This is ok.

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{1081}{Born to be a Technologist

You were born to be a master of technology. You are extraordinarily smart, gaining a bonus to Intelligence (+5), but you are slightly frail, resulting in a penalty to your Constitution (-1) and Willpower (-1). Because of your strong affinity to technology, you are extremely susceptible to natural elements, resulting in penalties Poison Resistance (-10%), Fire Resistance (-15%), and Electrical Resistance (-15%).}

Slightly unbalanced . Instead of giving negative elemental resistances why you do not reduce max hps by 20 % ?


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Thanks for the feedback. (Obviously, I picked the wrong place to post. Would "Modding and scripting support" be a better location?)

Without playing an NCP with the Amulet of Leadership, I'm guessing that's slightly overbalanced. (I'm assuming that the effects don't stay when the amulet is removed, but followers will not leave.)

Born to be a Mage: {wp +5, be -1, pe -1, repair -12, firearms -16, resistmagic -30, resistpoison -5, resistfire -5}

I forgot that I also had repair -12 and firearms -16, not that it matters much.

Thanks for the info on magick resistance. I'm thinking now {st -1, dx -1, be -1, wp +5, pe -2, haggle -4, pickpocket -4, picklocks -4, repair -12, firearms -16}


Thief: (be -1, ch -1, in -2, wp -2, backstab +2, pickpocket +2, prowling +2, spottrap +2, picklock +2) I'm thinking of giving pe +1, and maybe st -1.


Born to be a Technologist: {in +5, wp -1, cn -1, resistpoison -10, resistfire -15, resistelectrical -15, techpts +1}

Interesting suggestion, though it's more constraining that I'd like. I'm thinking now: {cn -1, in +5, wp -1, pe +1, haggle -4, pickpocket -4, picklock -2} but it doesn't quite have enough down side yet. Maybe a -2 each to backstab and spottrap, or maybe melee -1, spottrap -2. I don't think I'm going to give the character any items.

Thanks again for the feedback. More to come if I can find a place to post where I'll get more feedback.

 

Now that's REALLY unbalanced! You've given a +5 to a stat, then taken -5 from other stats, which would balance it, but then you've also taken -10 in other penalties too! Fine if you want a stupidly reduced character, but up to you of course. :lol:

If you think about stat changes being 1 point, and skill changes being 1 point for every 4 ranks. Then you can equal the changes more easily.

-6 in stats, +2.5 in skills. That's unbalanced as well.

You other ideas seem to more or less balance out.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I've posted updated backgrounds and new ones in Arcanum Hints & Tips. I'll explain the thief and mage there.

 

i take offense to this. seriously. being a good leader does NOT impede the quest to being a good backstabber. :lol:

and myrdyr, these people at this forum do not like triple-posters

 

Unlike the crap that you come up with, that was obviously an accident. Not only that, but it was an easily fixable accident, which I fixed.

 

Can I just point out that it's the CLUMSINESS that makes you bad at backstabbing and prowling, not the leadership. READ the posts before you complain about them for goodness sake! :roll:

 

but it is implied that cluminess is stemmed from leadership...

 

Teacher never made you diagram sentences, did she.

Please point out in the following sentence the exact place where clumsiness is implied to stem from leadership:

"You are a natural-born leader ... but tend to be a bit clumsy...."

Doesn't it seem rather that ther are two entirely separate thoughts here? One, leadership skill. Two, clumsiness. Is any cause-and-effect relationship mentioned? No? Well then shut the hell up and learn to read.

Oh, and I really like how your one-liner took up the entire screen just because you can't snip your quotes, and because of your large and annoying sig. Good job.

Isn't there a way to for users to opt out of seeing others' sigs? Well why not???!!!

 

That can only be changed by the admins, and, if so, the noone can see anyone else's sigs, not just one person's.

To be clear; no.

You may be able to recommend it in the phpBB.com Mods request forum, and then maybe Jinxed will install it for ya, if they make it.

NOTE: You may have to be registered/logged in to see the forum's content.