Now that we have established the pip system as the range in which bonuses dwell, it should be no surprise that this will transfer to magic as well.
Before we can design spells, we have to define how magic works, or more specifically, how spellcasting works. There are two types of magical energy. Spiritual and Elemental. Spirit energy coming from life and belief. While, elemental energy comes from the magic latent in most elements. Spirit Spellcasters attempt to move the spirit energies to do their bidding, while elemental caster attempt to energize and focus the energy to the task. Spirit energies flow through the soul of the caster, while elemental energies are controlled by the mental focus of the caster.
Thus, spirit casters attempt to find the spiritual rhythm of the energy and align it to their need, while the elemental caster identifies the magic of the materials being used, energizes and manipulates the magic.
So, each caster uses their skills and bonuses to cast their spell, the spellcasting roll is compared to the resistance roll of the target. Below the target is a failure, but over the target is the amount of success the spell has. This success, depending on the spell, can be channelled to an effect. This overage is the damage of a spell meant to damage, or a time extender for spells with a timed effect, like water breathing. Some spells will give the caster the option on directing the success down different avenues.
Magic spells are usually learned from a teacher (or church), and each teacher(or church) has a repertoire of spells that a student may learn. Each culture has different spells that work in much the same way, but are cast in largely different ways. Different vocal, somantic and material components can be used to create the exact same result. Some similar spells may have very interesting differences. Bards and fire mages can cast the same spell effect, but they do it in vastly different ways.
Successfully casting a spell is not a given. There is always a chance that the target will be too high, and the spell will fail. Usually this simply means the magic never formed, but occasionally the magic will come forth in an uncontrolled way.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
To Feat or Not to Feat
As most of us who have played role-playing games before know, once the basic stats, abilities or skills are laid down, then we often get to choose a bonus power for a character. For the most part, I think this idea is cool, but I do not believe that it should be doled out in a systematic progression. Like any skills or bonuses we might achieve in real life, these advantages are part and parcel of who we are and the story of our lives.
Eagle Scouts earn their way. Black belts are earned. Invitation to join social groups such as Freemasons are often extended to those who have made efforts in society. Most colleges only accept applicants who have the proper credentials, etc.
Of course, we often find in the modern world that devoting time, money and effort will get us most of what we want. In a medieval setting, the really interesting pathways to knowledge and power were adventures in themselves. It was a different set of rules from our modern world. Might was right and it damn well took what it wanted. Knowledge was often hidden and its access very limited. Secrets were everywhere and ignorance of what lay just 10 miles distant from someone's own home was standard. Add magical power to the scales, and I believe there are many possible stories to be told.
Rules, of course, are all about defining the what, when and where. In this case, players should be given story lead options for their characters. Your character lives in dreamland provence, and the local militia offers training in these weapons, fighting styles (feats) and skills. These religions offer opportunities for their followers. These local guilds or industries (like fishing in a seaside village) offer this array of skills and feats, etc. Social organizations and familial ties could offer yet more opportunities.
Each advantage is situational. Example: Liam gets a +3 bonus for using a targe from his homeland (in addition to the targe's defensive rating, due to special training he received as a young man from the Shieldmaster Angus McLean of his village. It does not apply to other shields Liam might use. Perhaps their is a fierce clan pride bonus whenever Liam wears his tartan or the badge of his clan. Perhaps this is only triggered when the opponent insults his clan and the bonus is plus +4. The amount of the bonus would be tied to the story and the character of Liam.
As the story advances, Liam's bonus could change. Liam could have slain a wyvern that was attacking the village, making him a local hero. This could mean many different situational bonuses while Liam is in the local area, and it could also add to the ferocity of his defense of that area's honor. The bonus could grow from +4 to +6 when opponents insult his village, etc. The possibilities are endless, but they should be determined by the character's actions and work with the story.
This would also hold true for knowledge. If Liam travelled to Egypt, he would certainly start acquiring knowledge about Egyptian culture, and perhaps some skills of that culture. Exposure to new information will slowly add understanding, while determined study will foster quicker growth of knowledge or skills. As mentioned above, opportunities to gain are always there and central to the story. The Gamemaster will award special bonuses in reflection of character actions and efforts. They would not be awarded by gaining 'levels' or accumulating points.
Consider the ramifications of this type of progression. One character, Dirra, is always scouting ahead of the party. Naturally, skills associated with a scout will grow with all of Dirra's effort in that role. Concentrated effort by Dirra to study the tracks of every creature they encounter would grow a tracking skill. Detailed study of plants would foster herbalism, etc. By not just picking a skill from a list, the character who has just been though a long dungeon doesn't suddenly gain charioteering. The player directs the character's efforts toward that character's goals in the story. The gamemaster awards progress as the story unfolds.
As skills are earned this way, so are special powers. Again, these are all awarded in story based on the character's action, and never chosen from a list. It is the character who dared to pull the sword from the stone, drink from the mystical fountain, walk through the magical mirror, etc who is forever changed. Some powers are only obtained through special quest, or only after joining a certain group (Wu-tang clan does not teach outsiders).
In my mind, this opens a whole world of possibilities for discovery and is much more realistic in terms of how characters should accrue skills/powers.
Eagle Scouts earn their way. Black belts are earned. Invitation to join social groups such as Freemasons are often extended to those who have made efforts in society. Most colleges only accept applicants who have the proper credentials, etc.
Of course, we often find in the modern world that devoting time, money and effort will get us most of what we want. In a medieval setting, the really interesting pathways to knowledge and power were adventures in themselves. It was a different set of rules from our modern world. Might was right and it damn well took what it wanted. Knowledge was often hidden and its access very limited. Secrets were everywhere and ignorance of what lay just 10 miles distant from someone's own home was standard. Add magical power to the scales, and I believe there are many possible stories to be told.
Rules, of course, are all about defining the what, when and where. In this case, players should be given story lead options for their characters. Your character lives in dreamland provence, and the local militia offers training in these weapons, fighting styles (feats) and skills. These religions offer opportunities for their followers. These local guilds or industries (like fishing in a seaside village) offer this array of skills and feats, etc. Social organizations and familial ties could offer yet more opportunities.
Each advantage is situational. Example: Liam gets a +3 bonus for using a targe from his homeland (in addition to the targe's defensive rating, due to special training he received as a young man from the Shieldmaster Angus McLean of his village. It does not apply to other shields Liam might use. Perhaps their is a fierce clan pride bonus whenever Liam wears his tartan or the badge of his clan. Perhaps this is only triggered when the opponent insults his clan and the bonus is plus +4. The amount of the bonus would be tied to the story and the character of Liam.
As the story advances, Liam's bonus could change. Liam could have slain a wyvern that was attacking the village, making him a local hero. This could mean many different situational bonuses while Liam is in the local area, and it could also add to the ferocity of his defense of that area's honor. The bonus could grow from +4 to +6 when opponents insult his village, etc. The possibilities are endless, but they should be determined by the character's actions and work with the story.
This would also hold true for knowledge. If Liam travelled to Egypt, he would certainly start acquiring knowledge about Egyptian culture, and perhaps some skills of that culture. Exposure to new information will slowly add understanding, while determined study will foster quicker growth of knowledge or skills. As mentioned above, opportunities to gain are always there and central to the story. The Gamemaster will award special bonuses in reflection of character actions and efforts. They would not be awarded by gaining 'levels' or accumulating points.
Consider the ramifications of this type of progression. One character, Dirra, is always scouting ahead of the party. Naturally, skills associated with a scout will grow with all of Dirra's effort in that role. Concentrated effort by Dirra to study the tracks of every creature they encounter would grow a tracking skill. Detailed study of plants would foster herbalism, etc. By not just picking a skill from a list, the character who has just been though a long dungeon doesn't suddenly gain charioteering. The player directs the character's efforts toward that character's goals in the story. The gamemaster awards progress as the story unfolds.
As skills are earned this way, so are special powers. Again, these are all awarded in story based on the character's action, and never chosen from a list. It is the character who dared to pull the sword from the stone, drink from the mystical fountain, walk through the magical mirror, etc who is forever changed. Some powers are only obtained through special quest, or only after joining a certain group (Wu-tang clan does not teach outsiders).
In my mind, this opens a whole world of possibilities for discovery and is much more realistic in terms of how characters should accrue skills/powers.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Weapons and Armor
Given the Pip System for Skills, it follows that Weapons and Armor should have a fixed value for how much damage they can do and how much damage they can resist. First, we have to decide that weapons don't kill people, skilled warriors do. Weapons are simply tools used by creatures with widely varying levels of skill. If you give two combatants each a dagger, the more skilled (or lucky) is going to win. If you give one combatant a sword, and the other a dagger, then the sword gives an advantage, but more skill will win out.
The theory is that the possible damage of the weapon is added to the combat role. The opponent also rolls. Whoever has the higher total overcomes the other's defensive skill and the difference is the damage dealt. This damage is then reduced by the Armor Rating of that being's armor. So, if the successful attack scores 5 points of damage, but the defender has chain mail that reduces it by 6, then no damage is dealt. (in hard-core rules, the Armor takes the damage and must be repaired).
To make this terribly simple, I will use the top damage listed in the d20 equipment list as the base damage of each weapon type. There, a dagger would do 1d4 damage. Here a dagger does 4 damage. A poor quality dagger would do 3, while a well-made dagger might do 5 or more, etc. Again, the skill of the weapon user is a much higher determiner of success than the damage rating of that weapon.
Armor, on the other hand, would either have a simple rating or a flexible rating determined by its condition. For example, some fine studded leather armor has a rating of 8. It could either always be 8, or it could have 80 damage absorption points, and its armor rating could be one tenth of this point total rounded up at any given time. Example: this armor absorbs 4 points in the first combat round. 80-4=76. 76 divided by 10 is 7.6, which rounded up is 8. So, for the next round, the armor can absorb 8 more point. In the next round it absorbs 2 points, so 76-2=74 which still rounds up to 8. In the third round, it absorbs 7 points, and 74-7=67, which rounds up to 7. So, the next round it can only absorb 7 points, etc.
Armor, regardless of damage absorption point totals, can only reduce the damage so much. If the example armor, which is at 7 points was hit with 13 points in the next round, the armor would take the first 7 points, and the wearer would take the rest.
The real problem with armor is its weight. For each 50 lbs of equipment, the character subtracts a d6 from their Athletics skill die rolls.
The theory is that the possible damage of the weapon is added to the combat role. The opponent also rolls. Whoever has the higher total overcomes the other's defensive skill and the difference is the damage dealt. This damage is then reduced by the Armor Rating of that being's armor. So, if the successful attack scores 5 points of damage, but the defender has chain mail that reduces it by 6, then no damage is dealt. (in hard-core rules, the Armor takes the damage and must be repaired).
To make this terribly simple, I will use the top damage listed in the d20 equipment list as the base damage of each weapon type. There, a dagger would do 1d4 damage. Here a dagger does 4 damage. A poor quality dagger would do 3, while a well-made dagger might do 5 or more, etc. Again, the skill of the weapon user is a much higher determiner of success than the damage rating of that weapon.
Armor, on the other hand, would either have a simple rating or a flexible rating determined by its condition. For example, some fine studded leather armor has a rating of 8. It could either always be 8, or it could have 80 damage absorption points, and its armor rating could be one tenth of this point total rounded up at any given time. Example: this armor absorbs 4 points in the first combat round. 80-4=76. 76 divided by 10 is 7.6, which rounded up is 8. So, for the next round, the armor can absorb 8 more point. In the next round it absorbs 2 points, so 76-2=74 which still rounds up to 8. In the third round, it absorbs 7 points, and 74-7=67, which rounds up to 7. So, the next round it can only absorb 7 points, etc.
Armor, regardless of damage absorption point totals, can only reduce the damage so much. If the example armor, which is at 7 points was hit with 13 points in the next round, the armor would take the first 7 points, and the wearer would take the rest.
The real problem with armor is its weight. For each 50 lbs of equipment, the character subtracts a d6 from their Athletics skill die rolls.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Skills-The Pip System
My original thought was to have skills grow by 1d6 for each increment. Now, I am considering a pip system for skills. That is, the value of one's skill is a constant that is added to any skill rolls. So, Braegar has some melee attack skill with his sword (8 pts) and he takes a swing at a goblin. Braegar's Athletics is 6d6, so he rolls 6d6 getting a 21, then adds 8 for his skill. His roll is a 29. Other pips for the quality of the sword Braegar is using could also come into play.
Pips also make magic bonuses easier by giving pips instead of whole dice.
The maximum number of pips one can have in any skill is equal to the max possible in their intelligence ability (example-5d6 has a max of 30).
Of course, magic and other considerations stack.
Pips also make magic bonuses easier by giving pips instead of whole dice.
The maximum number of pips one can have in any skill is equal to the max possible in their intelligence ability (example-5d6 has a max of 30).
Of course, magic and other considerations stack.
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