Scales
From Tel'Laerad Wiki
Scales are used comparatively, as a rough 'rating system' for content, and it should never be assumed that they are completely accurate.
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The Purpose of these Scales
These scales are meant to aid in the construction of artifacts, monsters, and NPCs, by giving readers a rough idea of just how powerful each of these are. Said scales are not required, but they may well prove useful.
The Scales
(Please note: When grading, be realistic. 'C' is generally the highest a mortal can obtain, and 'S' should be reserved for entities of absurd cosmic power.)
Physical Strength
S- is the rating given to beings of strength far surpassing 'inhuman'. Most gods do not rate this kind of power, and the musculature required for a non-magical creature to gain this would be absurd. An S-level strength indicates anything between A-level and infinity, and should not be given lightly. Remember that if the being must enhance themselves magically to do this, that does not count.
A- is the rating given to any being from B-level up, capping at the ability to actually move landmasses. A character or being with power sufficient to, say, pick up a hillock and shake it to bits fits here. A being who can rip a mountain in half does not.
B- is the designation given to beings capable of actually destroying architecture with sheer force of muscle. If you can rip a wall out of the side of a building and swat someone with it, this is you.
C- is the rating given to the strongest of musclemen. A good rule of thumb for this is that if it is possible for an unaided human (steroids do not count here) to do it, then it is C level.
D- is the rating given to those who are fairly strong. The average swordsman, who has trained long with steel and been on long journeys, probably qualifies for this rating.
E- is the rating given to those of no particular strength. A fat nobleman might earn this rank, as he is still capable of movement, even surprising bursts of force, but is largely not a factor in the world of kinetics.
F- This is the very lowest level. Invalids, those too sick to leave the bed, etc. If it moves to the point where, for some reason, said character cannot even move a sheaf of paper, it is best just to stick an 'F-' in there and call it a night.
Magical Scale
S- You're not a god. OH NO, YOU'RE FAR MORE THAN THAT. An S level character is capable of things the most powerful archmages have never dreamed of, and can sunder the heavens with a word. Anything above A level merits this. God help us if it reaches S+.
A- The spells you cast are powerful beyond reckoning- no incantation ever devised can elude you, and the geniuses of ancient times seem surpassingly dull and stupid to your vast mind. You don't even need to voice your spells- your will be DONE! Anything of this sort fits rank A.
B- You've got power in spades; if they don't call you Archmage, it's probably because you don't bother speaking to them. This is a master magician by any standard.
C- You, sir, are good. You can cast a volley of fireballs on the fly, counter a spell as your opponent speaks it, summon creatures of some note. You're not quite Gandalf good, but then, he turned out to be a freaking divine angel-thing, so I don't see how that's your fault.
D- This rank means, in effect, 'mage'. The vast majority of mages can reach this, but this is where they peak. Only masters go up from here.
E- Student mage, journeyman mage? Well, you can do magic, but it's not of legendary quality. It's just kinda... magic, I suppose.
F- You. Suck. At. Spells. Honestly, why the hell would you ever cast ANYTHING?
Attack Power
S- These are attacks which aren't considered 'unstoppable' simply because nobody has ever given any serious thought to trying to STOP them. Anything with an 'S' attack rating should be considered absurdly dangerous. To give a bit of depth here, the explosion of an entire galaxy is rank S. Galacticus felt cool, and he was S- at best.
A- This gets a bit tricky. In theory, A- is sufficient to obliterate a landmass, wherein the Death Star might proudly wear a basic 'A'. But if you can't, given a few minutes, smash a planet asunder, you're not getting the coveted A.
B- Here's where we get the fun things. Ion cannon array? Meteor the size of Kentucky? If you can do that kind of damage, you are a B student, and no mistake.
C- Bomb territory. Starting with explosive cannon shells and ending with, you guessed it, nuclear blasts. A thermonuclear warhead capable of destroying a city would be rank C+, bordering on B-.
D- The uppermost tier of rank D is populated by heavy ordinance and rocket launchers- but a handgun might well be powerful enough to merit this.
E- This is actually fairly average. If someone you meet in a bar throws a punch at you, chances are it's level E. Nothing special, but given time, it could probably do some damage.
F- No threat to anyone. This is the kind of rating that you'd give a toothless mouse, assuming it was very clean and had no chance of, say, giving you a slight cough. Anything with an attack rating this low wouldn't be a threat to a newborn.
Defensive Power
S- Immortality. We're not talking the kind of beings which CLAIM to be indestructible, but die the moment you collapse the universe into a singularity- no. If you've never taken the collective force of a thousand supernovas to the head and lived to tell about it, you probably belong in A at best.
A- At this point, you could pretty reasonably claim to be indestructible. A rank is awarded to someone who can survive at the center of a sun (assuming they can somehow breathe). A- is closer to leaping up and deflecting the Death Star's laser with your fist. A+ is just scary.
B- B- is the rating I'd give to a standard bomb shelter- to gain the rank of B+, I'd ask someone to demonstrate their ability to stand in the middle of a firing range, then have spaceships shoot massive photon cannons at them from orbit. Then glass the earth. And set the atmosphere ablaze. Hehehehe.
C- In a bit of a departure, I don't really think a human COULD get C for this. C+ would be superman, where you can walk down the street, bullets ricocheting off your amazing pecs. C is just about the kind of armored truck you'd find taking cash to a bank.
D- This is getting serious. You know those guys in martial arts movies, who can grab arrows from the air, laugh as ninjas punch them, and leap out of a car wreck? D quality.
E- Look outside. Do you see that guy walking down the street? You know, the fairly slim guy, not a lot of muscle or fat, probably works as a librarian? He's rank E. He could survive a punch, probably even get back up and throw one of his own, but I bet a well-aimed bullet would take care of that.
F- Paper. If someone were to slap you on the back, they would probably end up holding your lungs. This is the kind of rating given to things which people step on and forget about.
Blade Scale
S- Should you wield an S class blade you will hold in your hands something that in itself could tear realities asunder with a single swing. The power of an S class blade is equivilant to the capacity to rend existence on a whim, or having power to the nth degree. Bluntly, if it is powerful enough to make a deity defficate within the trousers, it's probably an S class. Generally a forbidden item reserved to a singular being or trapped away for eternity, they're hard to come by. Have fun finding one.
A- God Blades. The ability to manipulate reality like its your plaything is often held in an A class blade. Generally, if it is deserving of an astounded exasperation of furious glory from deities, it's A class. Unlike some blades, they are not capable of being wielded by the faint of heart or inexperienced. The blades can and will reject you, if not immediately then with time. Power beyond the dreams of any sorcerer lay within these hunks of metal. If the blade doesn't kill you, you've got some serious destruction to be doing with that Dynseal of yours.
B- Blades enchanted by faries, elves, formed in the fires of hells or some such can fit in this category. The cap point is the ability to dematerialize something upon contact with the blade. If you've got one of these, you're likely going to be the center of attention as you go about slaying random beasts and people...
C- Destruction? Mayhem? Totally unneeded power that I shouldn't really have as a mortal? These are descriptions that go hand in hand with C class blade. Capable of creating their own magic, low to mid class sealings, and some pretty flashy fireworks, C Class blades are the strongest thing a smith with years of experience and a 'bit' of magic could make (without a God breathing power into the blade). They cap at the ability to seal away a lower-mid class demon, and have a minimum of being able to light something akin to a castle tower aflame.
D- You see that Dragon Slayer walking by? Chances are he's got one of these. D class blades are usually well rounded and top-notch quality blades formed over a long period of time. Most smiths would culminate a life's dream to create the best blade they can into the form of something akin to a D+ class blade. They can perform as a magical focus, perform feats of physical enhancment, and are often specialized for slaying certain things. Non-descript in general, it's the best you can probably afford to pay for.
E- The local peasant militia probably has these. Incapable of magical power, and your common go-to soldier's blade, they're not that special. However they DO have sharp points and edges... now go kill your neighbor's cat already.
F- ... If you ever watch cartoons and you see those kids with wooden pirate swords, an F class blade doesn't even measure that. An example would be that paper sword you made back in 1st grade to play 'Slay the Dragon' on the playground.
Overall Scale
S- Before I begin my delightful definition of this, please take note of this warning: everyone is going to want to imagine a lot of their characters are S rank. They're not. S is a terrifying outlier, and one needs to keep in mind how difficult it is to define, given that stopping time and moving into one's own dream universe are A rank tricks. An S rated entity is terrible beyond words, and I mean that literally- if you can describe all the aspects of a being's power, they're hardly S-. At this point, power is almost irrelevant- An S- and S+ being are probably both capable of tearing causality aside and reversing the movement of the universe. The difference is that the S+ is somehow better, in a qualitative sense. If you're confused, then good. Go back to your A rating, you wimp.
A- This category is very large indeed. A- accounts for beings with the power to easily change the course of worlds. If you can steal the moon to play an idle prank, you're sitting soundly here. At the A and B levels, a lot of the primary aspects of a person, such as philosophy and rhetoric, simply do not apply. You might be the greatest speaker ever, but when Yog-Sothoth (A rating) is dicking around with your planet, oratory generally fails to improve the situation.
B- This is technically obtainable by a human, in the same way that you could technically be a powerful mutant who can control the minds of all the people of the earth from the moment you are born. It's not likely. Local gods and such often rate a B-, and even the great gods of many settings do not rate above a B+. Listen, Dagda, you can have an A if you'll stop fighting things by impaling them with antlers, and begin firing ion blasts from your eyes instead.
C- Here we have extraordinary humans. A powerful mage, a billionaire executive, a philosopher renowned throughout the ages, it doesn't matter. They're the cool kids. A C+ is sitting good for most archmages, whereas a C- accounts for those who are, say, master smiths, not to be confused with Weyland Smith, who sits at a firm C+ at the least.
D- The average human falls just about here. D means that a character is useful, but not extraordinary. They could probably beat off a goblin, or fire a bow, or perhaps they're a good driver- but let's be honest, is that really a good enough reason to include them in a party? D is for boring characters.casinos en ligne
E- If we're measuring overall success with a human as the average, you're failing. A child can attain an E rating, and an active and educated one could get E+, no sweat. This is where you might find squirrels, man. Are you seriously on par with a rodent which is forced to scamper up trees when anything the size of a cat approaches?
F- Remembering that this is an overall scale, we can pretty much deduce that you are worthless. You couldn't take a kobold, and by that I mean that you couldn't kill one, cook one, befriend one, or defeat one in the arena of political debate, even though it says nothing at all besides 'Kobold!'. I'm sorry, but you have no redeeming qualities. None. If people can find any positive aspect of a character to praise, it can go higher on the scale than this. We're talking WORTHLESS.