Easy Lifting STR determination

[unclevlad]

Granted, we commonly don't use intermediate values...or use the 1/2d6 values, which are generally listed...but it's straightforward enough.  

 

First, this simple method does NOT work for STR < 5, because the general pattern (+5 STR == 2x lift) doesn't hold.  STR 0 is 0.

Second, there's some tweaks at higher levels of STR.  For example, 40 STR is 6.4 tons, 45 STR is 12.5 rather than 12.8.  This just cleans up the doubling...12.5 -> 25 -> 50 -> 100 -> ....  Nice and clean.

 

So...look up (or compute) the full-die (multiple of 5) value closest to, but below, the STR you're looking at.  Call this L.  Then, if your STR is 1-4 points higher:

--1 point:  Lift = L * 1.15

--2 points:  Lift = L * 1.3

--3 points:  Lift = L * 1.5

--4 points:  Lift = L * 1.75

 

So, with a 24 STR, we start with 20 STR, so L = 400.  We're 4 points higher, so our Lift = 400 * 1.75 = 700.

 

Mathematically?  STR doubles every 5 points, which means the progression is based on 2 ^ (STR/5).  2 ^ (1/5) =~ 1.15;  2 ^ (2/5) =~ 1.3;  2 ^ (3/5) =~ 1.5;  2 ^ (4/5) =~ 1.75.   

 

Note that the STR below 5 is pretty much 0.15 * 50, 0.3 * 50, 0.5 * 50, and 0.75 * 50.  So it's honoring the progression as best it can.

[Lee]

I like what you've done here. Nice job. It is interesting (at least to me) that it works exactly as the steps in an Equal Tempered chromatic scale, which most Western music uses. The scale uses the 12th root of 2 since a note 1 octave above the same but lower note is exactly twice the frequency and there are 12 steps in between. For example, concert A (the note) is 440Hz. The A one octave above is 880Hz. All the notes are multiples of the 12th root of 2 and 440Hz.

 

So, another way of looking at what you've done (not better, just different), is that, since the amount of lifting power is double every 5 points of STR, the progression in this case would involve the 5th root of 2, doubling in 5 steps instead of 12. The numbers I got for the multipliers are 1.1486983549970350067986269467779, 1.3195079107728942593740019712296, 1.5157165665103980823472598013064, and 1.7411011265922482782725400349595. They are almost exactly the same as yours (with some rounding differences).

 

I just think it's really cool that two seemingly different things, like HERO Games STR progression and music can be related in such a fundamental way.

 

Anyway, thanks for conjuring up in my brain some old music theory. It was a fun trip down memory lane.

 

Lee

[unclevlad]

That's what I did, actually, but I think of exponents...2 ^ (1/5), 2^(2/5), etc.

 

And that's where my multipliers came from...just rounded because no game needs that many digits.   

 

I don't think the lifting STR progression is based on music...at its base, anyway.  GURPS says lifting STR is proportional to STR^2...which is probably better for heroic, but it simply doesn't work for supers, where lifting STR varies by a factor of 300 easily (that's 100 kilos to 30 tons).  So if for argument STR 10 is 100 kilos, as per Hero, then you'd need a 170 STR for 30 tons.  STR^3 would be a little better...if 10 STR is 100 kilos, then 60 STR would be 21 tons.  But the steps become weird.  The chromatic scale means that 21 STR can lift double what a 16 STR can lift...so in that sense, it's also much simpler.

 

So, I get the motivation.  Generally, there's no great need for very fine granularity for low STR levels.  There IS more of a need for high lifting capacity.  The downsides to the Hero scale are:

a)  it probably makes reaching the *elite* levels like Class 100 too cheap...going back to older Marvel character catalogs where that kind of thing was given.

b)  I've long felt that the damage increase rate was FAR too slow, compared to the lifting STR increase rate...but that's easily fixed.  For me, for every 5 points of STR above 20, you're justified in buying +1d6 as an HA or has martial arts DCs.  So a 45 STR starts with the 9 DCs...and in itself justifies another 5 DCs.  You don't *have* to if you don't want to, of course.