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BESM 2nd Edition System Review

• Impetus
• BESM Structure
• Preparing Before the Game
• Preparing Before Combat
• The Combat Flow Chart
• Combat Suggestions
• Disclaimer
• Things We Might Suggest
• A combat example

These are suggestions sent in by other GMs, in regards to BESM. Currently there are two sets of commentary: Dr. Bob's, followed by Dobie's. Feel free to tell them thanks if these are helpful to you!

Things We Might Suggest

Players are assigned 10 to 60 Character points to build a character with. (See p. 15 of the BESM rules book for ranges and types) These points may be spent on:

• Stats (Body, Mind, Soul)
• Attributes (Special qualities)
  Frequently, attributes modify other elements of a character in some way. They may:
  • Grant a bonus (a minus) to a Stat Check roll
  • Increase the level of other Attributes
  • Increase the level of Skills
  • Increase the value of derived value (like Combat Value or Damage)
  • Increase the number of points in a derived value (like Health Points or Skill Points)

The rules aren't always specific about how these modifiers are to be applied, but their proper use can be discerned from context. For example, the Mechanical Genius Attribute grants a "+1 to Mechanics/Electronics skill" without specifying this should be applied to the level of the skill or the skill check. Since this Attribute is something the player pays points for their character to have, my assumption is that this is an increase in the skill level not a penalty (a plus) to the skill check roll.

P. 19, Table 2-1 Stat Value Descriptions

Skills

Skills are an optional game mechanic. Players normally start with 20 Skill Points to spend on character design. Skills cost from one to six points, depending on how useful they are in the game.

When a skill is selected, a specialization must also be selected. If the skill is used in an action where the specialization is relevant, the skill check is at a bonus (a subtraction to the skill check roll). Additional specialization can be purchased with Skill Points.

Stat Checks

Stat checks are the primary determinant of the success of a character action. The player rolls 2d6, totals the amount shown on each die, modifies the total by any bonus (a minus) or penalty (a bonus), compares that amount to the value of the relevant Stat. If the total is less than or equal to the Stat, the action is a success.

The total may be based on how difficult the task is. If the total is significantly higher or lower than the Stat, the degree of success or failure may be modified.

Simplifications

The first change I would recommend would be to replace the base mechanic. The Player rolls 2d6 and adds the relevant Stat, skill (if any), and any bonuses. Penalties are subtracted from the roll. The result is announced and the GM compares it to the difficulty number to determine success. If the player's roll (with modification) exceeds this target number, the character succeeds.

The first task would be to determine what the basic Difficulty number for average tasks would be. From BESM table 2-1 we see that the adult human average (AHA) Stat is four. In the base system, the player must roll a 2, 3, or 4 on 2d6 for Stat rolls to succeed -- the three lowest possible rolls. In a system where high numbers are good, this would mean that the player would need to roll 10, 11, or 12 -- the three highest rolls.

If we are adding the character's Stat of 4 to the roll, the minimum total (roll plus Stat) that would succeed is a 14 - a roll of 10 plus a Stat of 4. This will be the base Difficulty number. Any Stat or skill roll (2d6+stat+skill) succeeds if the total is 14 or more.

The die roll modification table can be used to create a table of target numbers for common tasks.

In this system, the GM decides how difficult a task is and notes the Difficulty number. The Player rolls 2d6, adds all the modifiers, and announces the total. If the total equals or exceeds the Difficulty number, the character succeeds.

I would also suggest simplifying the qualification of Difficulty numbers. Not only are they easier to remember, but I feel these descriptions are more evocative, and are easier to use in a sentence. For example: This is a Simple (10) task.

Personally, I feel that the target numbers are set much too high. An AHA will succeed in "Average" tasks only one time in six, and has almost no hope of succeeding in any task that is Quite Difficult. I suspect these task difficulties are described in terms that apply more to "Heroic Player Characters" than in terms of what normal folks can do. I would set these difficulties to the numbers listed below, and extend it to allow for the description of more extraordinary characters. The right-hand side of the table shows the actual die roll necessary to achieve these levels of success.

Note that nothing prevents the GM from using the numbers "between" the different descriptions. When describing them in text, I would use the descriptive word from the value nearest the difficulty selected. For example: This is a Difficult (16) task.

• Impetus
• BESM Structure
• Preparing Before the Game
• Preparing Before Combat
• The Combat Flow Chart
• Combat Suggestions
• Disclaimer
• Things We Might Suggest
• A combat example