It's true, Mental and Physical skills are not a World of Darkness feature. However, World of Darkness never intended the different playing systems of Vampire the Masquerade, Garou the Apocalypse, Hunters, Gifted, Mages, Changelings, etc. to be played together in a single campaign. Because of this, Dominions of Darkness needed to "balance" the field in a way that everyone could play together without overpowering one race or nerfing another.
The point systems in these games were so diverse as to be nearly unplayable together. Imagine someone who only speaks Japanese, another who only speaks Russian, and a third who only speaks ancient Greek are trying to read an instruction manual written in Olde English. Not only would they not be able to understand each other, they wouldn't comprehend the book they were trying to decipher either.
Physical and Mental Skills is the Universal Translator that allows these awesome yet varied character types to play together in the same dark Universe. This also includes balanced metrics for Race Leveling, purchasing Skills, earning Experience Points in roleplay, and a cohesive formula that merges Blood/Mana/Gnosis into a Universal Energy System.
How Physical & Mental Skills Work, and How to Use Them.Savvy Roleplayers know how to work a system to their advantage, and this is one of those devices that allow players to enhance their Character's abilities.
Every point you purchase in various abilities (such as Willpower, Initiative, Occult, Medical, etc.) gains you points in those particular abilities, AND also adds additional points that improves one or more of your character's innate Physical and/or Mental scores. Specifically, these are:
- Physical Skill
- Physical Attack
- Physical Defense
- Mental Skill
- Mental Attack
- Mental Defense
Players cannot directly purchase points using XP into Physical and Mental skills, but they can purchase points in various other skills that also enhance their Physical and Mental modifiers. This is done automatically in your HUD every time you use your XP to purchase new skills and abilities.
For example, in addition to directly improving your Character's Willpower modifiers when purchasing points into this ability, the chart below demonstrates what you also receive in associated Physical and Mental modifiers:
(NOTE: THESE MODIFERS ARE CURRENTLY BEING BALANCED AND WILL CHANGE BEFORE GAME LAUNCH. HOWEVER, THIS IS A GOOD EXPLANATION OF HOW BALANCING IS DONE USING MENTAL AND PHYSICAL SKILLS)
| Physical Atk (PA) | Mental Atk (MA) | Physical Def (PD) | Mental Def (MD) | Physical Skill | Mental Skill |
WILLPOWER 1: +5 |
|
|
|
|
| +1 |
WILLPOWER 2: +5 |
|
|
|
|
| +1 |
WILLPOWER 3: +5 |
|
|
|
|
| +1 |
WILLPOWER 4: +5 |
|
|
|
|
| +1 |
WILLPOWER 5: +5 |
|
|
|
|
| +1 |
WILLPOWER 6: +5 |
|
|
| +2 |
| +2 |
WILLPOWER 7: +5 |
| +2 |
|
|
| +2 |
WILLPOWER 8: +5 |
| +2 |
| +2 |
| +2 |
These Physical and Mental modifiers enhance your ability to fend off another player's attacks, allow you to improve your own modifiers over and above your normal Ability modifiers when rolling to attack or defend yourself, or improve your chances to use your special abilities in roleplay.
For example, below is the level 4 ability of Obfuscate. To use this power, the Player needs to roll a minimum of 70 on the 100-sided percentage dice used by the Dominions of Darkness Players' HUD.
However, the Player has the benefit of lowering the actual number he needs to roll by adding in his Character's modifiers. In this example, the Player gets to add his Mental Skill points and his Willpower Points.
◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Obfuscate 4 - Vanish (Buff)Base Roll: 70
Mod: Mental Skill, Willpower
Energy/Blood Cost: 4 pts.In this example, a Player that has purchased Level 5 Willpower will have earned +25 Modifier Points in Willpower, AND an additional +10 points in associated Mental Skill. This gives the Player a +35 overall modifier, meaning that he will only need to roll a natural 35 to succeed in using Obfuscate 4.
What Other Abilities Add to Physical and Mental Modifiers?Many of the skills and abilities will add points to your overall Physical and Mental modifiers. These are easily found on this website under a skill's abilities. For example, purchasing Celerity 6 - Split Second gives "Permanent Affects" of +5 Athletics/Reflexes and +2 Physical Defense.
◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Celerity 6 - Split Second (Buff)
Base Roll: 85
Mod: Physical Defense, Athletics/Reflexes
Energy/Blood Cost: 5 pts.
Damage: 0
Permanent Affects:
- +5 Athletics/Reflexes
- +2 Physical Defense
NOTE: Any additional questions regarding how points in Physical and Mental skills work when using skills and abilities in roleplay, just contact the DOD Admins by sending us an email through this website, or finding an Admin or Mod at a Dominions of Darkness City Sim within Second Life.