Achilles Heel

[Mister Andersen]

Would attacks possessing, say, the Bleed or the Finese or the Keen qualities be suitable for an Achilles Heel?

[Crafty_Alex]

Nope. It's too limited - a damage type is much more broad, in addition being easier to track. Achilles heel (bleed) is in no way as limiting as, say, achilles heel (electrical) or (fire)...very very few weapons have these qualities relatively.

[Mister Andersen]

What about achilles heel (Starvation & Thirst) or achilles heel (Fortitude)?

[Crafty_Alex]

When do you need to test for starvation for an NPC?

Fortitude isn't a damage type, so that won't work.

[Mister Andersen]

Well, I'm thinking also for possible Origin creation use too, and the food thing occurred to me as a means of modeling the requirements of a fast metabolism - either the period before you start starving is halved or the damage once your are is doubled or maybe both - at which point canabalism is a tempting option - especially if you already happen to have the frenzy quality...

As for the Fort thing, I was thinking "damage that forces a Fort save" - the DC of which is usually determined by the amount of damage inflicted (so that's TKD, subdual, critical injury...)

[Morgenstern]

Hideously fast metabolism could make an interesting drawback, but I don't think I'd model it with Achilles Heel. Have to think on that a little (after I recouperate from the convention - I need a vacation from my vacation ). Something more directly linked to the thirst and starvation rules. Probably a change to the rate at which you suffer rather than trying to double the damage it inflicts (which tends to give a more erratic behaviorr over time). Its the difference between doing something fitted to the need like fatal falls vs. Achilles heel (falling damage).

[Crafty_Alex]

The idea of a glass jaw can be handy for some work on a heretofore unannounced project forming up in the far future...

Glass Jaw (-3 XP): The NPC suffers an extreme susceptibility to certain stressors which leaves him vulnerable (98 lb. weakling, double agent with a broken will). Choose a save (Fort, Ref, Will). When the NPC makes this type of save, he does NOT add any bonuses from his Resilience or attribute scores, though he suffers any penalties as normal.  This quality may be chosen twice, each time choosing a different save to apply to.

[Argonnite]

The idea of a glass jaw can be handy for some work on a heretofore unannounced project forming up in the far future...

Glass Jaw (-3 XP): The NPC suffers an extreme susceptibility to certain stressors which leaves him vulnerable (98 lb. weakling, double agent with a broken will). Choose a save (Fort, Ref, Will). When the NPC makes this type of save, he does NOT add any bonuses from his Resilience or attribute scores, though he suffers any penalties as normal.  This quality may be chosen twice, each time choosing a different save to apply to.

How is this different from giving the NPC a crappy Resilience to begin with and selectively boosting Dex, Con, or Wis?

Edit:  Nevermind, it's late.

[Ezram]

Wait, why twice and not thrice? 

[Crafty_Alex]

Should be 2 more times. Shooting from the hip, you know.

[Bill Whitmore]

Should be 2 more times. Shooting from the hip, you know.

Taking it twice made sense for me.  If you take it 3 times you may as well lose the trait and set Resilience to I.

[Falkus]

How is this different from giving the NPC a crappy Resilience to begin with and selectively boosting Dex, Con, or Wis?

Those attributes affect more than just saving throws.