DwD Studios

Development Points

DP Analogs

» Career - Applied the character's skills only as they work within that character's chosen career path.

» Catchphrase - Use any number of catch phrases when performing actions.

» Declared Actions - Consistently declaring specific actions. (See Declared Actions.)

» Flashbacks - When characters enter a situation, the GM may have players express a character memory regarding a similar circumstance at an earlier time. The player should write details of the flashback on their character background. At the end of the session, the GM may review character backgrounds to see if flashbacks were recorded.

» Special Effects - Spell-users may choose a particular magical special effect (lightning, fire, shadow, etc.) that their character will use from then on and consistently describe spell effects using that particular special effect in order to receive a development point.

Experience Points

(Hack and Slash Variation of DP)
To turn BareBones Fantasy into a hack and slash game, provide experience points (XP) for each encounter that may be traded for DP. Here is one way of doing that:

» Combat XP - Gain 1 XP per rank for each opponent you defeat. So if the monster or NPC is rank 3, you gain 3 XP. Divide the XP among the party, giving any remaining XP to the one who performed the killing blow.

» Challenge XP - Gain 1 XP for overcoming a non-combat skill or ability challenge, or 1 XP per level of opposing skill check for success.

» Trade XP for DP - For every 10 XP you earn, gain 1 DP.

» Disallowed DP - Survival, ability, skill and victory are taken care of in combat and skill challenges so you do not gain them as DP.

» DP Pairs - You only get DP for one of a pair from the following pairs: Discovery or Innovation, Role-playing or Personal, Notoriety or Success.
 

Spend DP

» Abilities (Addendum) - Extremely high scores are more expensive. Scores at 75 or higher cost 2DP per point and scores at 100 or higher cost 4DP per point.

Threat Rank

A character’s or encounter’s threat rank helps the GM determine its overall effectiveness in combat and is used to choose appropriate challenges for a party of PC’s. Perform the following steps to achieve the threat rank. (While more detailed than most BBF mechanics, it is more accurate than Rank as printed. Some spells and other effects that normally rely on Rank may best rely on an appropriate skill level instead.)

» Step 1: Score of Best Attack - Identify the unit’s most effective average attack (from weapon, spell or special ability) and note its attack score. Count 1 point for every 10%. (Characters round down. Encounters round up.)

» Step 2: Damage of Best Attack - Divide the maximum number of damage dice for that attack from the weapon, spell or special ability by two. (If doing damage to multiple opponents, add up the total number of attack dice.)

» Step 3: Best Attack Result - Multiply the result from step 2 by the result from step 1

» Step 4: Assist Others - Add +1 if the unit has an aid spell or leader skill.

» Step 5: Number of Attacks - Calculate the number of actions the unit gets before all its attack chances of success reach “0%” and multiply it by the current total.

» Step 6: Average Damage Nullification - Identify which way the character actively resists the most amount of damage per encounter from one of the following.

A) Natural Defense. Add its STR, DEX, LOG and WIL scores above 50% together and divide by 4. It gets 1 point for every 20%. (It is assumed that scores below 50% will be abandoned in favor of attacks.) This number represents the value of its natural defensive actions.
B) Spell Action Value. Half of A +½ point if spell skill is secondary, or +1 point if primary. It also gets one of the following:
• +1 for each second level* in heal
• +1 for each second level* in dispel
• +1 for each second level* in hinder
• +1 for each level in protection, another +1 if level 3 or more with protection, and another +4 if level 5 or more with protection
• +1 for each second level* in repel
• +1 for each level in telekinesis
• +1 for level 4 or +2 for level 5 in teleport.

* Levels 2, 4 or 6.

C) Special Ability. The total average damage prevented by a special ability’s action(s) each round. (If damage dice are prevented, divide the total by 2.) This number represents the value of its special ability actions.

» Step 7: Number of Defense Chances - Calculate the number of actions the unit gets before all its defense chances of success (from step 5) reach “0%” and multiply it by step 6.

» Step 8: Damage Reduction Value - For every 2 DR, the unit gets 1 point. (Includes DR or other damage dice reductions from non-action special abilities and magical items.)

» Step 9: Damage Absorption - Add 1 for every 5 BP.

» Step 10: Final Threat Rank - Add the results of steps 5, 7, 8 and 9 and divide the total by 3. (Round down if player unit, round up if opponent.)

Example: