Combat and Conflict Points

     This is a quick method for comparing two struggling characters, and should in NO WAY cast the roleplay out of the fights. Almost entirely based on the work of Rolfe Bergstrom (Conflict Points are © and ® Rolfe Bergstrom) and Doyce Testerman and Randy Trimmer. Unfortunaly, Mr Bergstrom's page is no longer available, and I don't know if he has moved elsewhere. So, all links to it are no longer valid.

What are Conflict Points ?

Yes, but what ARE Conflict Points???

OK, Let’s fake I’ve understood, how do I calculate my Conflict Points ?

Great. What do I do now?

How do I compare two characters under this system?

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     1.     What are Conflict points?

     While it is fairly easy to compare characters in the Human-Amber league, I’ve always found difficult to compare them to a Ranked Character. That is, until I discovered first the Testerman/trimmer system, and then the excellent Bergstrom system.

     They were great (especially Bergstrom’s), but something still bugged me. And I finally discovered what it was: none of these factored in the “ranks” system, so intrinsic to Amber (Benedict is not just the guy with the most points in Warfare, he is THE BEST in warfare). More so, the Amber Rank was reduced to nothing. There was no longer a “perfect” quality to it. Now, anyone with about 10 to 20 points in an attribute could push around an Amber-level character.

     So, I took the two systems, intermingled them, and made a few changes.

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2.     Yes, but what ARE Conflict Points???

     Conflict points are an easy way to determine who is the stronger in an ability, and to what degree. In my system, they are derived directly from the ranks, while in the Testerman/trimmer system or the Bergstrom system, they are based on your points in an attribute.

     You’ll tell me: "what is the difference?" Just take a look at Shadow Knight® and the Demonic Ranks. If, for example, Psyche bidings are slow while Strength is highly sought after, you may end, with four players, with something like this:



     While the points spent are different, the ranks achieved are the same. So, in my rank-based system, the resulting power would be the same.

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3.     OK, Let’s fake I’ve understood, how do I calculate my Conflict Points?

          Human Rank: 1 Conflict point

          Chaos Rank: 2 Conflict Points

          Amber rank: 4 Conflict Points

          Ranked Character: 5 Conflict, + 1 CP per rank above the Amber level. So, a character with 2 Strength ranks above Amber level would have 7 Strength CPs, regardless of the actual points this may have cost him. The exception to this is Endurance: fot exertion purposes, you must consider that you have 10 CPs per rank over the Amber level (i.e. 2 ranks equal 20 CPs, for exertion calculations only).

     In my game, I’ve established a great chart with all ranks in each attribute, which helps me to calculate the CPѕ of my PCs. This way, I can efficiently compare two characters, be them PCs or NPCs.

     Example:

     So, any character with 42 character points in this attribute will have 13 Conflicts Points, and be at the 14^th rank.
     EXCEPTION: As said before, for endurance, I calculate normal CPs for these rare times when I'll need to confront Endurance to another attribute. But for Fatigue considerations, I consider Endurance CPs for ranked characters to be of 10 points per Rank above the Amber Level.

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     4.     Great. What do I do now?

     First, you need to calculate some derived attributes. The method is always the same: the conflict points of an attribute, plus half the CPs of another one:

               -Psyche finesse (Psyche + Warfare/2) : This is used for determining success of psyche/power/spell attacks etc: any mental conflicts requiring a sense of sneaking past the target's mental defenses.

               -Brute Psyche (Psyche + Strength/2): Put that huge battery of body fitness to use! I use this as a basis for how much damage spells and other blasts of offensive energy will do to the target, as well as for tests of willpower once psychic contact is established.

               -Hand to Hand (Strength + Warfare/2): Put some oomf into arguments that high Warfare gives good hand-to-hand techniques, but still lets Gerard remain the (very) Big-Dog at the top of the heap. I see this as Power and Martial arts techniques coming from the Strength attribute (this gives some skill to Strength, asides from Brute Power), with speed and reflexes coming from Warfare.

               -Swordplay (Warfare + Strength/2): While Warfare is the prime attribute used when fencing, the Strength will affect the blows given, and thus the length of a battle. And yes, this is questionable.

               -Tactics (Warfare + Psyche/2): The reverse of Psyche Finesse: while Warfare may be useful when trying to circumvent mental defenses, one with experience of psychic battlefields may have some useful insights on a more physical conflict. This also makes Brand much more a threat to Amber, strategically speaking.

     In most cases, you will compare these sub-attributes. Of course, there will still be THE one case in which they cannot do the job You can then compare the basic four Amber attributes, as with the standard system.

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5.     How do I compare two characters under this system?

     Well, the simplest thing to do would be to go to Rolfe Bergstrom’s page, since, from this point on, there is no difference between our systems.

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