Can someone clarify multiple actions for NPC's?

[ghost whistler]

If a player can do X actions on his turn, where x=Cunning, then what do NPC's use as they don't have that attribute?

Thanks

[Eldagusto]

Great question I would limit normally to two maybe, unless its a badass then just wing it. :P

[Bunyip]

I don’t think it specifies. I’d suggest using Desperation Pool as a guide. I figure that’s a fair estimation of what the Cunning Attribute might be for each level of threat.

[Mateus Luz]

It is said they a skill or an attribute is half of the relevant pool, so, if the character is focused in perception, intuition or speed, I would use half of Primary pool, if this focus is secondary I would use half of secondary, and if no focus on this activities, half of tertiary.

[Bunyip]

It is said they a skill or an attribute is half of the relevant pool, so, if the character is focused in perception, intuition or speed, I would use half of Primary pool, if this focus is secondary I would use half of secondary, and if no focus on this activities, half of tertiary.

That’s needlessly complicated and not particularly logical. If this were a player character, Cunning would be the same no matter what skill they used to make up the rest of the dice pool. This is only looking to determine how many actions an antagonist could attempt in a mixed action, which is separate from whether they’d have sufficient dice to make success on the action a possibility.

[Mateus Luz]

That’s not what ao said.
I said Cunning is half of one of the options:
A- Primary
B- Secondary
C- Desperation

Cunning is Perception, fast thinking, things like that.
If you would use the primary pool for perception, fast thinking or similar, use half of primary for cunning.
If you would use the secondary pool for perception, fast thinking or similar, use half of the secondary pool.
Otherwise use half of desperation pool.

[Bunyip]

If this was a PC, Cunning will be the same regardless of which pool you use. It’s the skill rating that would change.

Take a Moderate Threat, as an example. Their Primary Pool is 8, Secondary 6, Desperation 4. 8 dice for something they’re good at, with a dice pool that include Cunning, would mean Cunning 4, Skill 4. That seems reasonable. If it was Secondary, something they’re okay at, that would mean Cunning 4, Skill 2. That seems reasonable. Desperation, something they’re not good at, would be Cunning 4, no Skill. That seems reasonable.

Same for Minor (Cunning 2 which means Skills 4, 2 and 0), Medium (Cunning 3, Skills 4, 2, 0), Major (Cunning 5, Skills 4, 2, 0), Colossal (Cunning 6, Skills 4, 2, 0).

Under your system, the NPC’s Cunning changes according to pool. If a Moderate threat NPC is good at shooting, under your system they could attempt 4 actions in a mixed action (half of 8) where they’re shooting. But if they’re not too bad at driving, they could attempt 3 actions when they’re driving. And only 2 actions for everything else. But regardless of whether you would want to try and take that many actions, mixed actions have the same upper limit separate to whether you’re good at something or not. I’m not expecting the Moderate threat with a Desperation Pool of 4 is going to decide to take the maximum 4 actions with that, but they might.

While I understand that you’re suggesting a system that tailors the Cunning to individual antagonists based on deciding which Pool they’re Cunning may be part of, that’s both needlessly complicated in making the SG have to devote too much consideration into the makeup of the NPC (this is just figuring out an upper limit for number of actions, not how to break down the rest of their pools), and is also not how you build dice pools in Storypath.

My proposal is quick and doesn’t require any calculation on the fly. Just look at the Desperation Pool, there’s your maximum.

[Mateus Luz]

Ok. You got my point, just chose not to use it. It’s up to you.

I prefer to differentiate the NPCs in some situations. Also, most of them will not use multiple actions very often.

Actually, even characters with Cunning 3+, will hardly ever will try to do more than 2 or 3 actions in a single round, just because their chances rapidly drop to 0 (smaller pools with too many required successes).

[ghost whistler]

I must say that the multiple actions rule in general wouldn't have been my preference as a designer, however unpicking it would probably cause more problems so I think half the Desperation pool makes sense. Thanks