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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Corebook FAQ
There's always questions about
how things work in a roleplaying game.
Here we have collected some
questions and answers that may help clarify things.
Ability Scores
Q: When using the Heroic Feat Drama Point for a +10
on the attack roll, does the +10 apply to the attack roll AND damage,
or the attack roll OR damage?
A: The Heroic Feat text states: "Also, only one
Heroic Feat may be performed in a Turn. It can be used either for
attack, defense or damage, but not for more than one of those in one
Turn." You can apply the +10 to the attack roll OR the
damage amount. You can't apply it to both, and you can't spend
more than one Drama Point in a Turn to affect both. You must
make a choice. Sucks when folks make you do that, no?
That said, a +10 to an attack roll not only makes it
more likely that the character will hit her opponent, but it also
adds to the Success Levels when she does hit. That in turn adds to
damage. But the damage boost is a result of a better to-hit roll, not
because 10 gets added to damage. That's a different and separate use
of the Heroic Feat Drama Point.
Q: I don't see how the Ability Score for
Combat works. You include the average of all combat-oriented
skills, but what if the Adversary doesn't have any skills in a
certain area. Say I have a martial artist with Dex 6 and Kung
Fu 9, but no skill in Getting Medieval or Gun Fu.
A: The proper calculation is Dex 6, combat
skills 3 (9+0+0 divided by 3), plus 6, or 15. Not overwhelming,
but on par with a Vamp Veteran. This is the correct way of
doing things.
There is a problem here however. This Combat
Score under-represents the martial artist's hand-to-hand abilities,
and over-represents her gun and weapon skills. This nicely
points out the problem of the "summary" Ability Scores in
precisely representing characters.
One solution is that you arbitrarily set all combat
skills at some level other than zero if one is of sufficient
prowess. So your skill 9 Kung Fu martial artist would get a 3
in Getting Medieval and 2 in Gun Fu . . . just because. I would
round up and get a Dex 6, skill bonus 5 and the "roll
equivalent" of 6 for a total of 17. Not great but pretty tough.
A better solution is to create a Combat Score for Kung
Fu and defense rolls (6+9+6, or 21), and use a different Combat Score
for other weapons (6+0+6, or 12). This more precisely records
the martial artist’s abilities. That is a variation from
the rules however.
Difficulties with the calculation of Ability Scores
can also be avoided by consulting the tables on p. 203. There
we set out sample Ability Scores for certain types of
Adversaries. Look up what you want on the charts and ignore the
whole math thing.
Please remember that the Ability Scores are really
only for those Supporting Cast whose precise numbers are not
terrifically important. We probably shouldn’t have used
them for the Big Bads in Chapter Six, but they were instructive in my
view and do make it easier on the Director. If the Adversary is
important enough, stat them out fully. Otherwise, the
differences in the Combat and Brains Score due to imprecision
shouldn’t affect the storyline too greatly.
Character Types
Q: I don't feel that the Drama Point amounts
balance things out between White Hats and Heroes (particularly
Slayers). Any other solutions?
A: The bottom line is that White Hats cannot be
balanced with Heroes. That would distort “reality” as
seen on the BtVS TV show. They can get specialties that out
strip what a Hero (particularly one concentrated on combat) can
do. They can also be more profligate with their Drama Points as
they regain them faster.
The design intention behind the BtVS RPG was to make
White Hats fun to play, despite the fact that they were not balanced
against Heroes. The playtesters seemed to think we accomplished
that. If your gaming crew feels differently, I recommend that
they all play Heroes or Experienced Heroes.
Q: The Experience Hero Character Class says
it is allowed 20 Drama Points. But the Original Cast members
who are described as Experienced Heroes only have 10 Drama
Points. What gives?
A: Experienced Heroes get 20 Drama Points.
The Original Cast character sheets are completely made-up and not
based on existing Character Type limitations in any aspect, Drama
Points included.
Original Cast
Q: In 1.19 Santuary from the Angel TV show, Angel
says, "Not to go all school-yard on you, but you hit me
first. In case you've forgotten, you're a little bit stronger
than I am." Also, when Buffy starts to pick up the Troll
Hammer in 5.22 The Gift, Spike says it's way too heavy.
Shouldn't Buffy's Strenght be greater than Angel's or Spike's?
A: Well, the answer for Spike is easy. The Troll
Hammer has some conditions on wielding it that don't relate to
Strength (more on that in the Monster Smackdown). As for
the Angel comments, we'd like to present a good argument for ignoring
that statement, but we're having trouble coming up with one.
About the best we can say is that we weren't as proficient with our
Angel lore when we created the BtVS Corebook. If you want to
mirror that statement in stats, Buffy should have a Strength 9 and
Angel a Strength 8. This will impact their Life Point
calculations: Buffy's become 105 and Angel's change to 90.
Also, on the Season Adjustments, Buffy's Strength would be 7 during
Season One.
Combat
Q: Please run how defense actions work.
I'm unsure how they interact with multiple action (p. 114) and the
Full Defense option (p. 113).
One defense action is allowed per Turn without
penalties (p. 108).
Still, when faced with a number of attacks, a defender
gets a "roll" for each. The problem is that
"roll" is modified (penalized) in certain circumstance
(multi-actions), or equal to zero in others (see p. 114—"If
a character is faced with more than one attack in a Turn, but only
has one defense available (either because she is of insufficient
Dexterity, or she has used or plans to use her additional actions as
attacks), the undefended attacks land if the roll is nine or
greater. A character without defense actions resists attacks
with a zero total.")
In general, the character's one defense action allows
a "roll" without penalties. Extra defense actions
occur as a result of multi-actions, and suffer standard multi-action
penalties. Defense "rolls" that have no action
available result in zero.
The Full Defense option is then layered on top of
that. As it states on p. 113:
"Going fully defensive allows the character to
defend against two attacks at no penalty (and against others if extra
actions are available) and gives her a +3 bonus on all defensive actions."
The correct way of playing it is to apply the +3 to
all available defense actions, but also apply the standard penalties
for multiple actions. That means the +3 will be partially or
fully offset by the negative modifiers for multiple actions (when you
get past the second action per Turn). Still, the penalty is
abated somewhat and that may make the difference between getting
clobbered or not.
Q: When damage is given with a maximum (like with a
Bow) does that maxDam include modifiers for damage type? Or is
it only a maximum to the base damage?
A: The max damage indicated serves as a ceiling on the
amount of effect that high Strength has. It only applied to
base damage. Modifiers for Success Levels and damage type are
applied on top of that, and can increase damage far beyond the max
damage indicated.
Q: Slash/stab damage is doubled "against
normal humans" (see BtVS Corebook, p. 117). What's
the deal with other folks like Slayers, werewolves, vampires, and demons?
A: Most other creatures are affected by Slash/stab
damage just as normal humans are. "If you cut me, do I not
bleed?" and all that. This is particularly true for
Slayer, werewolves, and vampires. There are some variations you
can use for vamps and we discuss that a bit more in the Monster Smackdown
supplement. In general, demons are as unhappy about sharp
implements of destruction as anyone else, but it's hard to make
blanket statements about demons. That's really a call for your Director.
Q. Why does a Decapitation attack do full damage
even when it doesn't kill? Should it be treated more as a Through the
Heart attack -- it only does full multiplier damage if it kills?
A. Decapitation is meant to be a devastating attack
used by highly skilled characters, with the caveat that the high
penalty makes it relatively easy to defend against. Even on a
"miss" (head didn't come off), having a heavy sharp object
slam against one's neck at high (one might even say breakneck) speed
is not going to do anybody any good. On the other hand, against
creatures who are not ordinarily affected by Slash/stab weapons, the
Through the Heart rule should probably apply -- if the damage with
the x5 multiplier is not enough to kill, only base damage for the
weapon (Strength multiplied and Success Levels) occurs. Humans
clearly don't fit into this category, however, and are SOL against
Decapitation manuevers.
Q: We can't seem to find any description written
anywhere about how to gain more combat maneuvers. What does a
character need to do to obtain more combat maneuvers?
A: Combat maneuvers are simply short-hand descriptions
of things every person can do. They may not do them well, but
no one “possesses” a certain number or is required to do
something special to “gain” more. All characters can
always attempt all maneuvers. The section of the character
sheet for combat maneuvers is intended for notes about that character’s
“commonly used” maneuvers. An unlisted maneuver can
still be attempted or subsequently listed if the character starts
using it more often. Listing them all gets unwieldy, however.
Also, for some characters, that’s unrealistic. Cordelia is
rarely ever going to head-butt anyone—could mess up her hair,
make-up, or god forbid put an unsightly mark on her forehead.
Drama Points
Q: When using the Heroic Feat Drama Point for a +10
on the attack roll, does the +10 apply to the attack roll AND damage,
or the attack roll OR damage?
A: The Heroic Feat text states: "Also, only one
Heroic Feat may be performed in a Turn. It can be used either for
attack, defense or damage, but not for more than one of those in one
Turn." You can apply the +10 to the attack roll OR the
damage amount. You can't apply it to both, and you can't spend
more than one Drama Point in a Turn to affect both. You must
make a choice. Sucks when folks make you do that, no?
That said, a +10 to an attack roll not only makes it
more likely that the character will hit her opponent, but it also
adds to the Success Levels when she does hit. That in turn adds to
damage. But the damage boost is a result of a better to-hit roll, not
because 10 gets added to damage. That's a different and separate use
of the Heroic Feat Drama Point.
Q: I'm confused by the explanation of "I
Think I'm Okay." It says that your character heals
"half the Life Point damage (round down) . . . taken up to that
point." Then the example shows a 19 point wound going to 9
points. If you heal half (round down), shouldn't a 19 point
wound go to 10 points?
A: No, the example is correct. The text
could have been clearer. Those dang passive sentences -- Mrs.
Pennington warned us about those in high school but we were probably
daydreaming about Penny from the swim team. Anyway, when you
spend a Drama Point on "I Think I'm Okay," your
character immediately sets the Life Point damage she has taken
to half. If that number has a .5 (point five) in it, round that
off and toss it out with last year's fashions. So, if your
character was down 23 Life Points out of 75 total, a Drama Point gets
her to 11 Life Point short of 75.
Q: Since you can borrow against the
"bank" for purposes of coming back from the dead with Drama
Points (p. 128-129), and there is no limit against how many times you
can do so, how can you ever have a Cast Member go down permanently?
A: The original intent of this rule was to allow
a beloved character to return even if the players were deep into a
Season or Series, and thus Drama Points were at a premium.
Indeed, it's at this point that you really want characters to be able
to return. You have invested a lot into them by that time and
hate to see them killed.
Still, your comment is telling. A suicidal
character can abuse the system and essentially make herself
invulnerable. Still, it costs 10 Drama Points to come back in
the same Episode, or 5 in the next, even a White Hat is going to run
out of positive points quickly. Four or so deaths is going to
put her into a negative Drama Point hole that she probably cannot
recover from given normal Drama Point awards. As long as the
Director allows the player to keep accumulating negative Drama
Points, this practice can go on forever.
The simplest solution is to disallow negative Drama
Points past a certain level. We hesitate to set that at
anything specific because the demands of the story and the politics
of the gaming group will vary widely. I would say that anything
below -20 is probably abusive however.
Experience Points
Q: How many experience points does it take to add a
new quality? To improve a quality? To reduce/remove a drawback?
A: We address changing Qualities and Drawbacks on page
133 of the Corebook, but obviously we didn't make it real clear on
cost. Basically, the point cost of new or improved Qualities
remains the same after character creation. "Buying
off" Drawbacks costs the same as the point you got when you
first took the Drawback. Many have commented that this seems
too easy. That's because the true restriction on changing
Qualities and Drawbacks after character creation is the storyline.
Your character shouldn't be able to wake up one morning and gain
Situational Awareness or Photographic Memory, or not have a crippled
leg, or lose her talentlessness. We provide a list of Qualities
that might be gained using experience points but even then, there
should be a darn good reason for that happening, and it should be
something that develops over time in the story. Ultimately,
it's the Director's call whether it happens at all and is not
something that should be govened solely by experience point expenditure.
Guns
Q: As far as I can tell, under Buffy rules,
guns are more amusing toys than deadly weapons, sort of like the Feng
Shui game. I've tried every combination I can think of to
simulate Warren shooting Buffy, and every one ends with Warren a red
spot on the ground and Buffy walking away. Unless of course you
use Drama Points . . .
A. In the normal course of things, it would be
hard for Warren to put Buffy in the hospital with a pistol. My
only response is that the close of 6.19 Seeing Red is as far from the
normal course as can be. That entire scene was a scriptwriters'
creation in order to set up the last three episodes of the
season. Taking Buffy out of action, and more importantly
killing Tara, was done in a minute or two as the episode closed.
As Director, I would just announce what had happened in a narrative,
and give Buffy a couple of Drama Points as compensation (as per When
Bad Things Happen to Good People, p. 130). Not sure how you
would compensate Tara’s character tho. That just points
out why her death has been so controversial.
Outside this situation, however, bullets do a bunch of
damage to humans (remember the damage is doubled once it passes
through armor). Also, if you strike the heart, the damage is
x4. Now, it's true that you won't take out a Slayer with one
bullet (except with a very large gun), and Drama Points can take much
of the sting out of a gunshot wound. But that's the nature of
the BtVS cinematic Unisystem. We don't want Heroes taken out
with one gun shot. Where's the fun in that?.
Magic
Q: I have a question about how the telekinesis
ability works. The rules say that TK lasts for one Turn, then
you have to make a new roll to keep it up, at a minus. What I'm
wondering is whether the new roll determines a new effective Strength
for the TK (meaning that effective Strength will likely change every
round that one can keep it up) or whether it's simply a
"maintenance roll", and the effective Strength stays the
same as long as you can keep rolling a nine or better.
A: Each Turn, a new roll must be made and the Strength
of the TK ability will likely change. Aside from the standard
variation due to a different roll, the general trend is downward as
the modifiers stack up (-2 per Turn). TK is a fairly quirky
thing. You never really know what you're going to get.
Also, the power gets get weaker as it is maintained -- that was meant
to represent the character getting tired as she keeps pushing her
"brain muscles."
Now, an interesting rules addition would be sufficient
training with TK to keep the same roll (Strength) with regular
deterioration or go for a new roll, as desired by the character.
Hmmm . . . not bad, not bad . . .
Monsters
Q: It's not clear what maneuver is used for
natural weapon attacks, like claws. Is it just a Punch?
A: In general, the claw (or other natural
attack) will be specified on the monster's Quick Sheet or just use
the Combat Score. Still, we should have put in a bit more
detail there. Here's the word from the Monster Smackdown on a
similar subject:
"Delivering damage with the natural weapon
requires using a maneuver that brings it into play. So, a claw
would use Punch, a horn Head Butt, and a serrated shin Kick."
Q: It's clear from the BtVS TV Show that
werewolves are vulnerable to silver. Yet looking in the monster
section under werewolves/primals, there is no information on that
subject. What the deal there? Also, what about resistance
to non-silver weapons for werewolves.
A: After careful and reasoned consideration, I
can safely say "DOH!". We blew that one. We
have silver rules for werecreatures on p. 35 of the WitchCraft
supplement Abomination Codex. Further, 2.15 Phases clearly
shows that werewolves are vulnerable to silver.
On the other hand, there is no discussion in the TV
show or the RPG of werewolves having regeneration abilities.
Also, it's clear that non-silver weapons will hurt werewolves.
Thus, the simplest solution is to multiply the damage done by silver
weapons against werewolves. You could simply quadruple silver
slashing or bullet damage, or double silver bashing damage against
werecreatures. Alternatively, you could use a slightly modified
version of the slightly more complex Abomination Codex text:
"Silver weapons inflict double normal damage
(slashing and bullet weapons inflict triple damage). Silver
weapons are less effective than normal metal weapons, however;
subtract 3 points from any damage rolled (before the multiplying
effect), to a minimum of 1 point of damage."
Ghosts
Q: For the Poltergeist ability, page 183
reads "Treat this as the Sorcery power telekinesis (see p. 143)
but use the ghost's Brains Score -2 to determine how much weight it
can move." Does that mean that Brains - 2 is the Strength
of the telekinesis power? That makes poltergeists very strong.
A: That is not right. The Brains Score -2 is the
total telekinesis roll. So whatever Success Levels are gained
from the Brains Score -2 become the points of "Strength"
for the telekinetic effect. Weak ghosts have weak telekinetic
"Strengths;" indeed, you need a Brains Score -2 of at least
nine to have any Success Levels and thus any telekinetic strength.
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