Topic: Percentage Action

[Bigstef1975]

 I just wanted to ask you how you manage the percentages of actions that players must spend per round? Have you tried the technique of aligning the percentages continuously? Example: In the first round my character decides to charge his longbow 80%. He has 20% left and must wait for the GM to come back to him for his remaining 20%... given to him with 20% he decides to shoot (50%) but does not have enough percentage so it is postponed until 2nd round where he fires and he has 70% left in the second round considering the 20% remaining from the first... When the GM comes to him , he has 70% left. He decides to recharge his longbow 80%. Which pushes him back to the 3rd round and he remains 90% action in the 3rd round given the 10% difference. He decides in the 3rd round to draw his charged longbow but at -10. Etc Etc... With this system a player can only say one action at a time... Hope i am clear

[MisterK]

I don't manage action cost % like that because there are values that are managed on a per-round basis, not on a per-action basis (such as ON/DB allocation). Carry-over break the round structure, so if you want to do that, you have to tweak the system so that everything aligns with the new sequence of actions. The per-second action cost in one of the RMC did just that, but I never used it, it was too much bother for my tastes.

In RMSS, the action cost % does not carry over : if you don't have enough action % to complete the action before the end of the round, you can't perform the action, simple as that (the leftover %, if any, is usually spent for movement or situational awareness, but Adrenals can also fill in quite nicely).

[EltonJ]

MisterK is right about RMSS/RMFRP.  The action cost % does not carry over.

[Bigstef1975]

I don't manage action cost % like that because there are values that are managed on a per-round basis, not on a per-action basis (such as ON/DB allocation). Carry-over break the round structure, so if you want to do that, you have to tweak the system so that everything aligns with the new sequence of actions. The per-second action cost in one of the RMC did just that, but I never used it, it was too much bother for my tastes.

In RMSS, the action cost % does not carry over : if you don't have enough action % to complete the action before the end of the round, you can't perform the action, simple as that (the leftover %, if any, is usually spent for movement or situational awareness, but Adrenals can also fill in quite nicely).

What system did you use in your session ?

[jdale]

I would let someone carry over activity spent on reloading, since there is no maneuver roll for it. But splitting the attack action between rounds creates some unnecessary complications, I wouldn't split that.

[MisterK]

I would let someone carry over activity spent on reloading, since there is no maneuver roll for it. But splitting the attack action between rounds creates some unnecessary complications, I wouldn't split that.

The reloading activity was an explicit exception in RMSS (long-duration manoeuvers, such as lock picking, were another). I think the exception could be removed by stating that a reload action takes, say, 30% activity, and that all reloads require a certain number of reload actions (e.g. two for short bow, three for long bow, four for heavy crossbow...). Granted, you lose a bit of detail, but the action sequencing in combat becomes more straightforward.

That's what I did in my current iteration (it doesn't use action%, but uses AP with a similar economy). Reload action is 2 APs, and you need one or more to reload a missile weapon depending on the weapon.

[MisterK]

What system did you use in your session ?

When using RM2, I used the phased round system. When using RMSS, I used the RMSS action% system. Now, I am using my own RM hack which still looks like RM if you squint, are OK with using a d20 instead of a d100, with the GM never rolling, and with having a single "21+ succeeds, 20 or less fails" mechanism for *everything* (including combat) and removing attack and critical tables.

[deer_buster]

Step 3B: Resolve Long Actions: The GM now begins again from the top of the initiative order, resolving the character’s actions as they occur. The GM then repeats this cycle, allowing characters who have not used 100% of their activity to declare and resolve new actions, so long as those actions do make the character exceed 100% activity for the round. Actions such as reloading missile weapons or specific uses of skills, which take multiple rounds, are also allowed, they merely carry over from one round to the next until the percentage of activity needed is reached.

(click to show/hide)

Marc’s character Athlon has just fired his long bow at a foe. He declares his next action to consist of reloading his bow, an 80% activity action. This is more activity than Athlon has left in the round, so it carries over to the next round. In the next round, the 30% of the reloading action that was unable to be completed in the previous round is treated as a separate action requiring 30% activity. Once that 30% activity has been resolved, Athlon may then make another missile attack with his bow, a 50% action.

Actions such as spell casting, melee attacks and other actions that require less than 100% activity cannot be carried over from one round to the next.

[Majyk]

Great post to show it live, from the books, Deer Buster.

Also to note, one can take any % overage of 100%+ but less than 130% as a penalty to the shot = ie. “rushing the reload”.

So add the reload % activity to the minimum % activity to make a Missile attack.
RM2/RMC Missile/Thrown Attack = 50%
+(plus)
Sling(many use the RMSS/FRP reload speed) = 50% = 100%(no penalty to shoot)
Sling & Short Bow = 60% = 110%(-10 to OB to shoot in the same round).
Composite Bow = 70% = 120% (-20 to OB to shoot in the same round).
Etc.
NOTE: X-bows cannot be fired in 1 round for a Light(2x minimum at a -20), more for Heavy.

RMSS/RMFRP
Missile/Thrown Attack = 30-60% variable where every 1% from the max of 60% is a negative modifier to “rushing the shot”.
+(plus)

Sling = 50% = 110%(-10 to OB to shoot in the same round using full Attack Activity %).
Short Bow = 60% = 120%(-20 to OB to shoot in the same round using full Attack Activity %).
Composite Bow = 70% = 130% (-30 to OB to shoot in the same round using full Attack Activity %).

Another houserule many GMs allow is movement like Spellusers Prepping a Spell Activity % of 10% Movement(think a 5’-10’ step for most (N)PCs).  More generous GMs allow 25% akin to Casting a Spell Act. %…noting further -1 OB penalties for every 1% movement used for firing/throwing a missile weapon whereas Spell Prep/Casting is free(no negative mods) since those actions do not go over the 100% Total Activity for the round.
I include that only for completeness.