Playing with ATB rules.... but a different back-story

[PalladiumBrony]

Okay.... I've got a few friends that want to get into the whole pen and paper RP game thing, and they love the mutant animal story... but they aren't all that keen on the "post-apocalyptic" angle. That's fine, what we did was say "we'll use the rules as written, but we'll place them in a world where a massive nuclear apocalypse didn't just happen". Mutant Animals still exist, and relations with humans aren't always peaceful, but their existence is put down to differences in evolution millions of years ago. My specific query here is; I want to create a character that's a hybrid of 2 different species; a bull and a labrador. He's also a cop, but I can't find any "background" options (if I recall the name correctly) that really captures what a police officer is good at. The closest is "elite Militia".... yeah, he's a cop, not a soldier, though one of his cop buddies WAS a soldier in the past. I was hoping someone could suggest a good way to stat him? I was thinking I'd make him a Labrador and then buy as many strength-buffing skills as I can afford... but as for his Background (which determines any weapon proficiencies and the number of skills he has) I'm really kinda stumped. For his was - a soldier cop friend I could just make her an Elite Militia in statistical terms, so that's not the issue.

Any help much appreciated! Also, very much hope I put this in the right place.

[Soldier of Od]

If you're playing mutant animals in the modern world as opposed to a futuristic post apocalypse, simply use the skills in Heroes Unlimited for rolling up a mutant animal. If you don't have the Heroes Unlimited book (Ninjas and Superspies might do in a pinch), then... I guess you might have to re-write the whole education thing, as it really isn't set out for modern world gaming (what with apprenticeships and stuff).

Beyond the Supernatural has the best education/skill system in Palladium, with skills based on your day job and the remaining slots used for your 'hobby' of monster hunting (I would love to see a similar set up done for Heroes Unlimited). If you have access to that, there's a cop template in it (just don't bother picking any of the 'supernatural' type lore skills).

[PalladiumBrony]

I might just consider that, actually... I've got After the Bomb, Heroes Unlimited, Palladium Fantasy and Rifts Ultimate edition, so that actually lets me make characters from all kinds of backgrounds, as well as the Monsters and Animals book, the Compendium of Contemporary Weapons and Pantheons of the Megaverse. I notice there are 2 editions of BtS, but the online store I tend to buy my PDFs from (I really don't have the money to pay postage or the room to keep loads of physical books, so I keep as many things in PDF format as I can - this site gets their PDFs from Palladium Books directly so I know they're legit) seems to only carry First Edition. Is there anything I desperately need that I can only get in 2nd Edition, or will First Edition do me right? Also, to go back to the Mutant Animal aspect (which I can do exclusively from ATB), think it would work to just stat him as a Labrador with strength-buffing skills? It's a bit of a pain that they don't present rules for combining 2 or more species, since both bulls and dogs get their own skill sets and stat bonuses (I don't recall what those are right now, but I think bulls get a pretty big Strength bonus)

[PalladiumBrony]

I already have Heroes Unlimited, just looking through that today. I'm quite interested in BtS as "the best skill and education system in Palladium", also because it SPECIFICALLY has an OCC for cops. Just not sure if I can get by with First edition or if I really need 2nd

[Soldier of Od]

I already have Heroes Unlimited, just looking through that today. I'm quite interested in BtS as "the best skill and education system in Palladium", also because it SPECIFICALLY has an OCC for cops. Just not sure if I can get by with First edition or if I really need 2nd

The skill system in BTS first edition is the old style, similar to HU, and doesn't have the career-based skill packages (including the cop one) I mentioned before. So if you just want it for the skills it won't be any use to you. You'll have to buy the second edition I'm afraid! Which is only out in hard copy. Or just make do with the skills from Heroes Unlimited. That'll do fine.

P.S. just in case I was misleading you, the skills and the way they work in BTS2 is the same as in other Palladium games; it's just the way they are packaged that is different.

[PalladiumBrony]

I already have Heroes Unlimited, just looking through that today. I'm quite interested in BtS as "the best skill and education system in Palladium", also because it SPECIFICALLY has an OCC for cops. Just not sure if I can get by with First edition or if I really need 2nd

The skill system in BTS first edition is the old style, similar to HU, and doesn't have the career-based skill packages (including the cop one) I mentioned before. So if you just want it for the skills it won't be any use to you. You'll have to buy the second edition I'm afraid! Which is only out in hard copy. Or just make do with the skills from Heroes Unlimited. That'll do fine.

P.S. just in case I was misleading you, the skills and the way they work in BTS2 is the same as in other Palladium games; it's just the way they are packaged that is different.

It also helps with the mundane setting of BTS. You can straight out strip the supernatural stuff easily out. HU its a bit more complicated and the world setting is kinda off for most peoples games.

Another note for ATB is that the level of technology/way of living can change drasticaly. There some places that are advanced modern societys while others are nomadic clans or stone age settlements.

OP is also going to have to look into Chimera for what he wants since crossbreeds dont really work.

If I can suggest though, what about placing your game Pre-Crash (What ended the world wasnt nuclear war, it was a virus created in a high school) where the modern day setting can be established along with accepted mutants and build your own mutants kits being widely availible to the public. Would explain more chimeras and accepted mutants in public.

Chimeras! That's what I meant X3 I gather that certain species are just called "chimeras" that you can roll (one particular kind of cat is a chimera for example). It's not a free-form rule that says "you can put these 2 species together and work out their 8 stats like this"

[PalladiumBrony]

I already have Heroes Unlimited, just looking through that today. I'm quite interested in BtS as "the best skill and education system in Palladium", also because it SPECIFICALLY has an OCC for cops. Just not sure if I can get by with First edition or if I really need 2nd

The skill system in BTS first edition is the old style, similar to HU, and doesn't have the career-based skill packages (including the cop one) I mentioned before. So if you just want it for the skills it won't be any use to you. You'll have to buy the second edition I'm afraid! Which is only out in hard copy. Or just make do with the skills from Heroes Unlimited. That'll do fine.

P.S. just in case I was misleading you, the skills and the way they work in BTS2 is the same as in other Palladium games; it's just the way they are packaged that is different.

It also helps with the mundane setting of BTS. You can straight out strip the supernatural stuff easily out. HU its a bit more complicated and the world setting is kinda off for most peoples games.

Another note for ATB is that the level of technology/way of living can change drasticaly. There some places that are advanced modern societys while others are nomadic clans or stone age settlements.

OP is also going to have to look into Chimera for what he wants since crossbreeds dont really work.

If I can suggest though, what about placing your game Pre-Crash (What ended the world wasnt nuclear war, it was a virus created in a high school) where the modern day setting can be established along with accepted mutants and build your own mutants kits being widely availible to the public. Would explain more chimeras and accepted mutants in public.

Chimeras! That's what I meant X3 I gather that certain species are just called "chimeras" that you can roll (one particular kind of cat is a chimera for example). It's not a free-form rule that says "you can put these 2 species together and work out their 8 stats like this"

Most animals Bio-E is close to the same. Its usualy offset by automatic partial/full human features or size level. Powers/Natural abilities can be applicable as needed.
In your case Bull/Dog I would start with stats using the higher of the two numbers for bonus and not just stacking them together. Also I would go with what ever one has the most features as your base for determining size/bio-e and then slap the others powers on as needed. You can also just use the physical description without any stat adjustments for example.

Say your guy is mostly Canine, just use the Dog tables for your base. But in descriptions say how much hes built like a bull and may/may-not have horns etc. This can be easier since alot of player can get overwhelmed with statistical details to get there characters to look a certain way when you can just have them look that way and not worry as much about statting out every single detail.

Whats your full description like anyways? Ive actualy seen a Bull/Canine hybrid played in Nightbane cept is was a were-canine upperbody with a bulls body below them in a centaur like fashion.

I went for the latter option actually. I statted him as a Labrador (so he's gonna come out as +5PS, +2MA, +3PE and +5-1 Speed (after factoring in his Size Level of 11). To look at? He's 6'3, 220 pounds and muscular (but not "roid raeg" muscular). He looks exactly like an anthropomorphic canine, with a dog's head, human body (including hands and feet, but they have dull claws instead of fingernails and toenails, and pads on the soles/palms and fingertips), as well as a short-ish tail and ears that don't get in the way, but there's NO WAY he'd pass for human even in the worst light. Also, he's got full speech but some vestigial canine behaviour (if you scratch him behind the ears he goes nuts for it ). I'm statting him (and any others I decide to make in the same vein) as Police Officers from Dead Reign - someone pointed that out to me just today and it's SCARY accurate), and I'm gonna buy him skills like wrestling and boxing to buff his PS value as much as I can reasonably do. Is there a "football" skill anywhere in the standard lists? I know there's one for cooking, which is just an awesome level of detail.

[Soldier of Od]

The athletics skill covers 'training in and enjoyment of non-professional competitive sports'. It doesn't include football (or American football ) specifically in its list of examples, but I think it is indented to be a general catch-all sport skill.