Custom background for Inventor

Discussion in 'Modding and Scripting Support' started by VanceMadrox, Jun 2, 2009.

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  1. VanceMadrox

    VanceMadrox New Member

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    VanceMadrox, Jun 2, 2009
    VanceMadrox, Jun 2, 2009
    #1
    After finding that there's no way to make a character who needs glasses with standard backgrounds I decided I want to make a custom background to have a character that does have glasses.

    My goal is to have a glasses (or goggles) wearing Inventor but I want it to be balanced. How does this sound?

    Inventor:

    You have spent most of your life in your lab working on your projects and inventions. This work has made you smarter (+2 INT) and given you experience with various forms of technology (+20 aptitude). Spending so much time inside has been bad for your health (-1 STR, -1 CON), especially your eyes (-2 PER). Luckily you start with a pair of Eye Glasses which help your sight.
     
    VanceMadrox, Jun 2, 2009
    VanceMadrox, Jun 2, 2009
    #1
  2. Philes

    Philes Well-Known Member

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    Philes, Jun 2, 2009
    Philes, Jun 2, 2009
    #2
    Pros:
    +2 INT
    +20 tech aptitude (not sure how useful this is, and 20 seems like a lot)
    Glasses (not a huge pro)
    Cons:
    -1 STR
    -1 CON
    -2 PE

    Essentially, the STR/CON balance out the 2 INT. The -2 PE is essentially -1 PE with the glasses, but one is sorta pigeonholed into using them instead of your typical eyesight. Not a bad tradeoff.

    The 20 tech aptitude seems off, however. It's almost too good. Maybe instead of that have him start with a tech item of some sort? Something to show for his lab work/projects.
     
    Philes, Jun 2, 2009
    Philes, Jun 2, 2009
    #2
  3. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    Muro, Jun 2, 2009
    Muro, Jun 2, 2009
    #3
    The tech aptitude doesn't really do too much, and most players wouldn't even observe that it does anything at all. 20 MA is very much, but 20 TA? Nah.

    This background is pretty much a tradeoff: -1 CON, -1 STR for +2 INT. The perception with the glasses and TA serves more of a roleplay tool (and a neat one, so to speak), since you wouldn't use PE in such background, and there is the mentioned minimal significance of TA.

    A little additional thinking. It would be interesting to kind of force the player to use the glasses, with something like "Your eyes have got awfully injured during one of your experiments. After plenty of hard work, you have developed special glasses which can keep your PE at 7 while their on, but your PE drops to 1 whenever you take them off." However that would propably appear to be hard to impossible to script in a background.
     
    Muro, Jun 2, 2009
    Muro, Jun 2, 2009
    #3
  4. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

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    Dark Elf, Jun 3, 2009
    Dark Elf, Jun 3, 2009
    #4
    From memory, I believe that a half-ogre with the Raised in the Pits background has to put a couple of points in INT in order to raise it to 2, because it's really at a negative value.

    So, if the background lowers your perception by, let's say, 20, and you start with a pair of glasses that up your Perception by 19 IF your PE is at -12, perhaps you could make it work?
     
    Dark Elf, Jun 3, 2009
    Dark Elf, Jun 3, 2009
    #4
  5. Muro

    Muro Well-Known Member

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    Muro, Jun 3, 2009
    Muro, Jun 3, 2009
    #5
    If you ask me, it sounds perfect. I don't know about Vance, but I think that those settings would greatly fit his background.
     
    Muro, Jun 3, 2009
    Muro, Jun 3, 2009
    #5
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