Revision as of 23:01, 10 December 2021

Page Updated:   2021-12-10

Introduction

The Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM) 4th Edition Extras character sheet was designed to be easy to read and navigate, and is broken down into 6 sections to focus on different aspects of the character sheet:

1. Title (i.e. Character Sheet) - this displays and provides a management layer for character information, character points, size template, and sheet options.
2. Screen - the main player interface tracking status, conditions, defenses, attack capabilities, rolls, and active attributes.
3. Stats - provides a management layer for purchasing and viewing stats.
4. Attributes - provides a management layer for purchasing, configuring, and making changes to attributes; including defects, items, power flux and power variation attributes.
5. Skills - provides a management layer for purchasing and managing skills, and performing skill rolls.
6. Trappings - provides a player interface for managing inventory and note keeping.

Game Mechanics Conversions

Every effort has been made to represent BESM 4e in Roll20 to the best of the Core and Extras rulebooks. However, not all rules or concepts translate well from BESM 4e into Roll20 (or a VTT). Where ever a rule or concept could not be represented well, or the rulebooks were too ambiguous or open ended, attributes or game mechanics were codified and made more strict to better facilitate sheet automation and game play flow. These changes will be called out throughout this documentation.

Edges and Obstacles

All rolls are subject to edges and obstacles, and so every roll will present the player with a choice so select the roll as: Normal, Minor Edge, Minor Obstacle, Major Edge, Major Obstacle. Some automation has been factored into weapon rolls where an active attribute or weapon customization or maneuver augments a roll with an edge or obstacle.

As per the Core rulebook, edges and obstacles are cumulative and can cancel each other out. This concept is baked into weapon rolls such that if an attribute, customization, or maneuver provide a minor edge and a minor obstacle, then these will cancel each other out. However, if an attribute, customization, or maneuver provides an edge or obstacle with no other edge or obstacle, then the edge or obstacle will change the context of the roll selections such that the Normal option will be the setpoint for the edge or obstacle.

Under normal conditions roll selections are configured as such:

• Normal = 2d6
• Minor Edge = 3d6kh2
• Minor Obstacle = 3d6kl2
• Major Edge = 4d6kh2
• Major Obstacle = 4d6kl2

If a minor edge is factored into a weapon roll, then the roll selections are shifted to accommodate the new base:

• Normal = 3d6kh2
• Minor Edge = 4d6kh2
• Minor Obstacle = 2d6
• Major Edge = 4d6kh2
• Major Obstacle = 3d6kl2

If a major obstacle is factored into a weapon roll, then the roll selections are shifted accordingly:

• Normal = 4d6kl2
• Minor Edge = 3d6kl2
• Minor Obstacle = 4d6kl2
• Major Edge = 2d6
• Major Obstacle = 4d6kl2

This automation was done to facilitate smoother game play. A GM may apply additional edges or obstacles to a weapon roll outside of what the weapon customizations or maneuver already have, such as environmental factors, and picking that edge or obstacle from the roll selection list is made easier since the base adjustments have already been made.

Generally, the player should always choose Normal unless the GM states they should select an edge or obstacle.

Damage

BESM offers a variety of ways to calculate for damage, and the one employed by this character sheet is "Modifying The Total Damage, Based On Attack Roll". The reason for this is to eliminate scenarios where a character may hit their opponent/target as well as they possibly can, but then roll damage as low as the dice can possibly go.

Additionally, basing the damage on how well a character can perform a maneuver also mitigates scenarios where their opponent never takes any significant damage due to the mathematics of them being superior in stats and/or attribute values. While the merits of this can be debated, in game play this ends up more detrimental to players and immersion because combat scenes will painfully protract without GM intervention.

Also, the Extras rulebook spreads damage over 5 progressive layers, but since we have machines to do the math for us this damage spectrum is spread over all 11 possibilities of the dice rolls. The end to end scale remains the same, but the actual damage output is more granular.

In summary, an attacker's potential damage is a percentage of their weapon's total damage based on the dice roll. This damage is applied to the defender if their defense roll is lesser than the attacker's attack roll. Actual damage taken by the defender is mitigated by any active protection layers, such as forcefield or armor.

Shields

BESM 4e removed the Shield attribute as was present in 3e. This character sheet has brought back the Shield Attribute for reasons of game mechanics. In BESM 4e, the intention was to express a shield as an Armor Attribute with the Potent customization. Additionally, the game mechanics behind shields apply as such:

If using a shield to parry an attack, then the benefits provided by the Potent customization would apply to the character's defense roll.

However, if the shield is being used to block an attack, then the character makes no defense roll and places the shield between them and their attacker. Thus, resulting in the shield applying its Armor Rating (AR) to the attacker's damage before applying any Armor attribute (though Forcefield AR would apply before the shield's AR).

This is quite complicated to express in code, to treat Armor as a Shield when the attributes are the same. Therefore, the simplest way to express the above rules/behavior was to bring back the Shield Attribute.

Additionally, the sheet author (me) did not like leveraging the Potent customization to express a shield's ability to parry attacks. In the real world, the benefit a shield provides to its wielder can be attributed to the size and shape of the shield, and how it is gripped or worn by the wielder. This would be better represented by augmenting the wielder's ability to parry and not merely their probability. Probability factors would be better represented by having the sun in their eyes, fighting up hill (i.e. high ground in melee combat is not an advantage!), driving on a rain slick road, etc.

Attribute and Skill Groups

These groups provide a few functions outside of organizational housekeeping for players. They facilitate:

• Items - an item in BESM is also an attribute, but an item is made up of one or more other non-item attributes. Each of these other attributes can also have their own customizations, and items can have defects. Therefore, a group can be assigned as an item, and, as per the Core rulebook, all attributes and defects assigned to an item have their costs halved.
• Power Flux and Power Variation Attributes - these attributes are unique in that they affect attributes assigned to them. The most logical way to implement Power Flux and Power Variations were as a group type. While Power Flux and Power Variation are assigned as attributes, once they are assigned to a group they change the group type respectively. Only one Power Flux or Power Variation attribute can be assigned to a group, but not both or in other combinations.

Attributes

Each attribute has three buttons to be aware of:

• A "power button" - this activates and deactivates the attribute.
• A padlock button - this locks the attribute from having any changes made to it.
• A gear button - this opens a modal for configuring, applying customizations, and assigning levels to the attribute.

An attribute can only be configured/modified when the padlock is open. This includes opening the options menu via the gear icon, naming/renaming the attribute, and selecting the type of attribute.

An attribute can only be activated when the padlock is closed. When activated, the attribute's characteristics and customizations will be applied to the character. When deceived, the attribute's characteristics and customizations will be removed from the character.

Defects

Among the list of attributes, defects appear as an option as they share the same framework as attributes. However, when a defect is selected as the attribute type, the options menu will change to accommodate the possible configurations for defects. Including the type of defect.

Skills

While skills are also an attribute, they require a different framework than other attributes do. However, skill points are still acquired by purchasing a "skill attribute". When configuring a skill attribute, each attribute level will provide 10 skill points, and a skill group must be selected in the skill attribute's options menu. When activated, the skill points purchased in the skill attribute will be configured in the corresponding skill group. Actual skill purchases are done in the skill groups.

Per the Extras rulebook, skill specializations can be purchased for the cost of 1 skill point. However, each skill receives one specialization for free. This is reflected in the character sheet through automation. In the skill options menu there is a specializations field for entering specializations in a comma separated format. The first specilization entered will not cost a skill point, but for each consecutive specialization entered (separated by a comma!) will automatically add 1 skill point to the total cost of the skill.

The reason comma separation is emphasized here is because that's what the character sheet looks for to determine the number of specializations have been configured for the skill.

Skills do not need to be activated.

Each skill is preconfigured with a default stat(s), but players (with GM permission) may change which stat(s) should apply to a skill when rolled. Next to the options gear icon, there is a bust of a person button. Press this button to reveal the available stats. Depressing a stat button will set that stat for the skill. Depressing multiple stat buttons will average those stats together.

Custom Skills

The skill system is based on a JSON formatted string. GMs with a pro subscription may pull the HTML and CSS files from the Roll20 GitHub repository to use as a custom template, and replace this JSON string with a correctly formatted JSON string of their own containing alterations or new skills. The skills list builds on the first open event of a new character sheet, so new skills or alterations cannot be introduced later in a character sheet's use. The skills system is driven by sheet workers and not the API.

Skill Groups (as per Core ruleset)

BESM Core skill groups are not natively supported by this character sheet. However, due to how the skill systems works, skill groups may be supported as custom skills by replacing the default skills JSON string with one that contains skill groups instead. Note: this will NOT change the skills framework of the character sheet. Therefore, to accurately portray the cost of skill groups per the Core ruleset, multiply skill group costs by 10 in the skills JSON string. Such that a Skill Group that costs 1 point per level should cost 10 in the custom skill JSON. Similarly, a Skill Group that costs 2 points per level should cost 20, and so on.

Other Genre Skill Costs

Skill costs default to multi-genre, but all other genres defined in the BESM Extras rulebook can be configured with a pro subscription by adjusting a variable: global_templates_game_genre. To achieve this the GM must uses the HTML and CSS character sheet files on Roll20's GitHub repository, and add them to their game as a custom template.

To change the skills cost to match your game's genre, follow the chart below to set the value of global_templates_game_genre accordingly:

• Multi-Genre = 0
• Action Adventure = 1
• Animal Adventures = 2
• Classic Horror = 3
• Detective = 4
• Loony Cartoons = 5
• Romantic Comedy = 6
• Slice of Life = 7
• Spy Thriller = 8
• Supernatural Occult = 9
• Eco Fantasy = 10
• High Fantasy = 11
• Low Fantasy = 12
• Urban Fantasy = 13
• Cyberpunk/Realitypunk = 14
• Hard SF = 15
• Mecha Drama = 16
• Post- Apocalyptic = 17
• Soft SF = 18
• Space Opera = 19
• 20th Century War = 20
• Age of Discovery = 21
• Age of Pirates = 22
• Age of Samurai = 23
• Ancient Mediterranean = 24
• Industrial Age = 25
• Middle Ages = 26
• Steampunk = 27
• Stone Age = 28
• Wild West = 29

Stats and Shortcomings

By default the character sheet uses the tri-stat system BESM is largely built upon. The tri-stats are also referred to as all aspects stats. The Shortcoming defect allows players to specify different aspects of an all aspect that are deficient, or not as good as other aspects of the all aspects stat. These are called major aspect stats. They are codified in the character sheet according to their corresponding all aspects stat (see below).

When one or more shortcoming is activated, the all aspects stats will breakout into their respective major aspect stats. Note that major aspect stats are equal to the value of their all aspect stat, minus a corresponding shortcoming. If no shortcoming is applied then the major aspect stat remains equal to its all aspect stat.

Body

• Agility - ability to move quickly and easily.
• Constitution - vitality and health.
• Dexterity - skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.
• Strength - the quality or state of being physically strong.

Mind

• Creativity - the use of the imagination or original ideas.
• Intellect - the faculty of understanding objectively, abstract, or academic matters.
• Perception - the ability to perceive something through the senses.
• Reasoning - the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way.

Soul

• Awareness - the state of being conscious of something; the ability to directly know, feel, or to be cognizant of events.
• Charisma - compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others.
• Composure - the state or feeling of being calm and in control of oneself.
• Willpower - control exerted to do something or restrain impulses.

Arming Weapons

When a weapon attribute is activated, it appears on the Screen section as being armed. All characters start with a main hand and an off-hand. The attribute Extra Arms will appear here, too, when the attribute is activated, providing more "hands" that may be armed with weapons. If a weapon attribute is assigned the enhancement No Hands, then the weapon attribute will appear armed on the Screen section without occupying a hand.

Weapons without the No Hands enhancement will occupy a single hand, by default, or two hands if the weapon attribute has been assigned the Hands limiter. Arming weapons happens automatically using the following logic:

Single Handed

1. Occupy main hand if empty
2. Occupy off-hand if empty (this will enable dual-wielding)
3. Occupy extra arm if present and empty
4. Both main hand and off-hand are occupied, force arm in main hand (this will disable the current weapon armed in the main hand and replace it)

Two-handed

1. Occupy main hand if both main hand and off-hand are empty
2. Occupy extra arm if two extra arms or more are present and empty
3. Force arm in main hand (this will disable the current weapons armed in both the main hand and off-hand and replace them)

Unarmed

If no weapon attribute is armed then the character sheet assumes an attack or defense roll is Unarmed. Any unarmed related attributes will be applied, such as Combat Technique - Brutal or Melee Attack - Unarmed.

Targeted Attacks, Defense, and Damage

When activated, any attribute that is natively targeted (i.e. Enemy Attack), or can be configured to be targeted (i.e. Massive Damage with limiter Targeted), will have a corresponding button appear on the Screen section to add or remove the attribute's bonus to the appropriate rolls. This allows the player to quickly factor in their character's targeted bonuses when acting on a targeted subject.

Maneuvers and Rolls

Attack and defense rolls build dynamically based on the weapon armed and the maneuver selected. Edges, obstacles, damage, and attribute/customizations are all calculated and included in the output of the roll.

Status Page

View known issues, roadmap, and version history: Big_Eyes_Small_Mouth_Status