Laying out Physical Tolerances?

Burning Wheel First Reading
1

I’m a mite confused about the particulars of Burning a Character and plotting the PTGS levels.

Let’s say I’m creating a character with a Mortal Wound score of 10. With a Forte of 4, I have a Superficial Wound value of 3.

Here’s where I get confused, based on the statement “They may be set apart” (pg 98). With a Forte of 4, divided by 2 rounded up, I have a value of 2 with which to ‘set them apart’. Does this mean ‘add up to 2 points to Su’, giving a max Li value of 5? Or does it mean ‘leave a maximum of 2 gaps between Su and Li’, giving a value of 6?

Finicky detail, but it might make a huge difference…

2

<s>I’m fairly certain “They may be set apart” means “the number of spaces in between”.</s>

Aaaand I was wrong.

3

With a Mortal Wound of B10 and Forte of B4 you end up with the following:

Superficial = B3 (Half forte, rounded down, plus one)
Light = B5 (B3 + Half forte, rounded up)
Midi = B7 (B5 + Half forte rounded up)
Severe = B8 (It has to fit in between midi and traumatic)
Traumatic = B9 (It has to fit in between severe and mortal wound)
Mortal Wound = B10 (Average of Power and Forte, rounded down, plus six)

4

Treat it as subtraction - so 3 and 5 are “set apart by 2”.

5

After awhile, you’ll just memorize the most common ones. Until then:

http://stormsweeper.net/bw/ptgs-calc.html