Computing the value of Edge on the character sheet, Starting without the heavy math... Options

[Spike]

One thing that has been a constant hot button topic around here is just how much impact Edge has in determining the average value of a Character. This ranges from optimization to generalists on through to even archetypes and NPCs.

How do we determine the value of Edge?

The problems are manifold: Edge refreshment and impact can depend greatly upon the GM's calls. There are literally hundreds of ways that Edge can impact an given game if one accounts for every possible skill in the book, every test, and the numbers of players and NPCs.

Super high edge makes for a powerful generalist and and occasionally INSANE specialists. But just how powerful? How Insane?

To begin with, the Edge Impact is caped at a peak value of, naturally enough, Edge. That is, at no point can you ever add more dice to a test than your Edge value. This is common sense and easily done by anyone. If two characters are compared head to head in an isolated circumstance, determing the impact of each one's edge is as simple as adding it to the roll.

SInce it is so simple there is no need to cover it in detail but to point out that the term 'peak value' applies to the maximum value of a dicepool with edge.


Now, how do we cover long term viability of Edge on a character sheet across the wide spectrum of potential rolls without exhaustive testing?

We ballpark it.

Here is the method I recommend and the reasons behind it.

Essentially you divide the value of Edge by three, with some caveats. Less than three rounds to zero. More than six rounds to nine. Thus you are provided a number of 0-3 to add to a character's potential dice pools (the Edge pool) that represents their prorated edge over an entire run.

here is the why: A character with a minimum edge (1 or 2) is unlikely to ever use their edge except in exceptional (peak) circumstances. It isn't high enough to 'divide' in any meaningful way (they either use it, or they don't) and, as they have no point invested in it, are unlikely to use it at all anyway.

You can't get 3 points of edge without spending, thus you are inclined to use it, though with a low value (3-4) you don't have many times you CAN use it, and it's prorated and peak impacts are minimally different.

Once you get to 5 edge you've committed to an edge build character no matter how you cut it. This is a character built to use edge, and they have enough to use it with some casualness. Its peak impact is high (like having a professional skill for unskilled tests). Since this character has a reasonable chance of pulling edge on any given test, their prorated value has a high impact upon the functional value of the character.

Obviously, a 7-8 value is the edge specialist, the Mr. Lucky, built entirely to take advantage of his Edge. His peak value is insane, and given the work it takes to make a max edge character he is garaunteed to use it every chance he gets. The only reason there is a prorated value at all is that the amount of dice in the pool will drop the more it is tapped, thus decreasing his value as the game progresses and his ability to provide peak values diminishes.

Another mathmatically appropriate way to express it is (Edge/2 - 1) rounding up.

Now, interestingly, as the character spends edge you can treat them functionally as the equivilent of the lower edge value. That is, even Mr. Lucky, if reduced to 2 Edge will have a prorated value of 0 until his Edge refreshes. The player will begin 'hording' their edge, just as a player with minimal edge will simply fail to remember they have it (potentially) or save it for emergencies, and the peak value is diminished to current total.

However there is no way to properly mimic this with a static value, thus we use the prorated value provided above.


How it can work: Compare two shadowrunners, one 'Lucky' one 'Unlucky'. We wish to determine their value against each other:

Phase 1: the luckless character compares his ordinary dice pools against the +3 dicepools of Mr. Lucky. If Mr. Lucky is not terribly dominant, you can then compare both characters dicepools adding in Peak values. Whichever character has the dominant dice pool (s) can be said to be 'better'.

Phase 2: Move our lucky character down one value, recompare (any lucky character could be downgraded, technically both characters should downgrade at the same pace), recompare both prorated dice pools (now +2 for Mr. Lucky) and peak dice pools (+5 or 6, depending upon the build), and determine how dominant either character is in a variety of tasks.

Phase 3: Again, downgrade each character's Edge value by one step (+1 for mr Lucky),note that the downgrades never become negative.

Phase 4: provided you are working with a Mr. Lucky concept, again compare without any luck at all.


With this you can evaluate how dominant, and for how long a character is against another (or NPC's) even accounting for what stage of the game you are at. Phase 1 represents the very beginning of the game, right after a dice pool refresh, phase 4 represents the end of a long difficult game when edge is likely to exhausted (or virtually so, most players will generally try to end with at least one point in reserve, or use their last point in what they feel is the last big fight) Phases 2 and three represent the middle game and standard end game phases typically. Remember, even if Edge is not being used, that the potential to use it is what is being accounted for. Since the idea is to allow a quick ballparking rather than a dedicated, long 'run' senario for evaluation you aren't actually testing the dicepools, only the averages.

So: Unlucky bastard vs Mr Lucky Could be evaluated like so:

Unlucky bastard shoots Mr Lucky with a dice pool of 20, Mr Lucky defends with his full defense Dicepool of 18(+3) with a peak of 26! Mr Lucky is strongly able to avoid being shot. During Phase 1.

Mr Lucky then brings his shooting dicepool of 18(+3) (peak 26 still), against Unlucky Bastard's insane full defense pool of 20 again!, Mr Lucky, in Phase one, still has an advantage against Unlucky bastard, at least in a shooting match.

Now, that you can do the straight comparison of dice pools, checking things like how many IPs and so forth, reaction tests (for going first, avoiding surprise (also+3 for phase 1 Mr Lucky), and more can all be evaluated without a long headscratching period of 'what about edge'.

EDIT::: This was a poll, but seeing as apparently I am a moron (gremlins flaw?), it somehow appears to NOT be a poll anymore. That's okay, hard questions like 'do you like it or not' only ruin the fun for forum posters anyway.