Well, most of my players dropped out of the previous attempt at this game. That said, I'm trying again with some new people and some of the players who are still interested.
About the GameThe Game is something I've been working on in little chunks for nearly two months. I still don't have a name for it, but that'll come eventually. It's somewhat similar to Dungeons and Dragons, but combat is closer to Dwarf Fortress, the class system is closer to The Elder Scrolls, and experience is gained through roleplaying and skill usage in a manner somewhat like a combination of some World of Darkness game that I haven't played and TES. Magic isn't really like in any of those, except maybe Morrowind; any spell has a chance to be castable, but if you screw up slightly the spell may blow up in your face. Skills are used for combat and magic, instead of BAB and caster levels, respectively. Divine magic is practically nonexistent, and healing potions don't exist. Hit points aren't used in combat; instead, injuries cause bleeding or organ damage that can kill you. Concentration checks are needed to act while in pain, which is caused by injuries. Those are the main differences, though their are others as well.
Character Creation BasicsIf you want to play, you have to create a character. All the detailed rules are in the document on Google (the table of contents keeps everything in order), but here are the basics:
First, chose your name, race, and gender.
Humans: Because everything is based off them, they have no bonuses or penalties to attributes.
Elves: The reclusive inhabitants of the western forestland.
+1 to Agility, Dexterity, and Charisma
-1 to Fortitude, Strength, and Intelligence
+2 to Calming Presence
+2 to Agitating Presence
Dwarves: The honorable and cultured people of the mountains.
+1 to Fortitude and Strength
-1 to Agility and Charisma
+0 to Calming Presence
+2 to Agitating Presence
Zi'Ori: Proud and cruel dwellers of the southern deserts. (They look somewhat like Voldemort with horns.)
+1 to Strength, and Willpower
-1 to Intelligence, and Charisma
-4 to Calming Presence
+4 to Agitating Presence
Those +s and -s are affecting attributes, which is you get to choose after you decide on your focuses.
Focuses are your characters ability to learn in various areas. Kinesthetic sense governs your character’s physical prowess and ability to repeat and perform bodily actions. Analytical ability is the ability to learn through study and observance, and benefits your avatar’s mental faculties. Social sense is the ability to pick up on social cues and interact with different people.
Kinesthetic Sense: Determines leveling speed for physical skills.
Analytical Ability: Determines leveling speed for mental skills.
Social Sense: Determines leveling speed for inter-relational skills.
When creating a character, you must decide which will be the primary focus, secondary focus, and tertiary focus. You will get more skill points in your primary focus than your secondary or tertiary focuses, and it’s skills will increase more quickly. Also, a one-time boost of three points will be applied to the focus’ related attributes during character creation, and other bonuses will be given at intervals throughout the levels. Your focus determines the course you will set your character upon, so decide what you want your character to be best at before setting your mind on a particular choice.
Next up are attributes, which use a system that should be fairly intuitive to DnD players.
Attributes are variables that govern your character’s physical and mental abilities. The attribute’s modifier (the numeric value of the attribute, whether positive or negative) is the number you add to (or possibly take away from) any rolls made that are governed by that particular attribute. It is equal to half of the actual attribute score, rounded down if necessary.
Strength: The character’s ability to perform physically demanding tasks.
Fortitude: The character’s body’s ability to withstand injury and exhaustion.
Agility: The character’s mobility and reflexes.
Dexterity: The character’s coordination and skill with their hands.
Intelligence: The character’s ability to think logically and rapidly.
Willpower: The character’s ability to focus and continue acting under adverse conditions.
Charisma: The character’s social grace and magnetism.
Presence (Calming, Agitating): The way the character carries themselves and the countenance they show. It is split into two separate categories: Calming Presence, and Agitating Presence. Any points given toward the Presence skill during character creation may be put into either the same category or split into both categories, in a manner similar to skills with multiple categories.
During character creation, you may either spend a number of points on attributes or roll dice to determine your modifiers. A few common methods are to start with each attribute at negative two and add thirty points total to the attributes (a maximum of eight points can be added to any given attribute), or to start at negative two in each attribute and roll eight d10’s; then choose which attribute to add the results of each roll to. The exact method of determining attributes is up to the Game Master, however.
The exception to the limit of how many points may be put into an attribute is with Presence: only up to four points may be put into each category of the attribute.
In this campaign, you get to spend 30 points on attributes. They act mostly the same as in DnD; they give a bonus to all skills governed by them.
Next up are skills. Each skill has either one or two governing attributes, and you get a certain number of skill points to distribute between them. 20 points may be spent in any set of skill you want, and 6 more points can be spent in skills governed by your primary focus.
All characters are allowed to spend a set amount of points during character creation; the typical number is twenty points, though the Game Master may choose a different number to fit the power level of the campaign they plan to run. You may also give distribute another number of points (usually six) between skills governed by your primary focus. No more than four points can be placed in any individual skill.
Skill levels are advanced by performing tasks that require skill rolls to complete. After a skill has been successfully used a number of times equal to your current skill level (if a skill is at zero, use a multiplier of one instead of zero) multiplied by five, the skill advances to the next level. Each time skill levels increase, you gain a cumulative total of experience, which will be described in more detail in the section on experience. There are a few modifiers to skill increases: at the top of the list is which focus governs the skill in question. If a skill is governed by your primary focus, each use of the skill counts as 1.2 uses. For skills that fall under your secondary focus, each use counts as 1.1 uses. The tertiary focus provides no bonus, leaving each roll counting as a single use.
If a skill has a set of parenthesis after the skill name, it has multiple sub-categories. These are counted as individual skills; for example, light armor, medium armor, and heavy armor all fall under the Armor Usage skill. They would be listed as ‘Armor Usage (Light)’, ‘Armor Usage (Medium)’ and ‘Armor Usage (Heavy)’. If you put skill points into Armor Usage during character creation, you would be required to specify which category the points would go into.
Physical Skills:
--- Balance --- Agility
The Balance skill aids characters in staying standing on precarious footing and in combat when an enemy attempts to trip them.
--- Jumping --- Strength
This skill allows characters to make amazing leaps, both horizontally and vertically.
--- Acrobatics --- Agility
Any acrobatic maneuvers, such as tumbling and various free-running moves, require ranks in this skill. This skill cannot be used by untrained characters.
--- Swimming --- Strength
The Swimming skill helps characters survive and traverse aquatic environments. While an inexperienced swimmer may be capable of crossing still or slow-moving water, turbulence is all but impassible to swimmers without this skill.
--- Sneaking --- Agility
This is your skill at moving unobserved. Higher skill levels mean you make less noise and move less obtrusively.
--- Lockpicking --- Dexterity
Your ability to manipulate the inner workings of locks is governed by this skill. The greater your skill at lockpicking, the easier you can open tough locks. This skill cannot be used by untrained characters.
--- Sleight of Hand --- Dexterity
Sleight of Hand is the skill of creating the illusion of not manipulating an object while, in secret, hiding and moving it. This could include anything from secretly stealing an object to performing magic tricks.
--- Ride --- Agility
Your Ride skill dictates you ability to stay on a mount while moving and performing stunts. It also determines your control over your animal.
--- Swordfighting --- Agility / Strength
This is your skill at melee combat with one-handed swords. When making targeting rolls, use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier. When making injury rolls, use you strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- 2H Swordfighting --- Strength
This is your skill at melee combat with two-handed swords. Both targeting rolls and injury rolls use your strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Mace Fighting --- Agility / Strength
This is your skill at melee combat with one-handed maces and hammers. When making targeting rolls, use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier. When making injury rolls, use you strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- 2H Mace Fighting --- Strength
This is your skill at melee combat with two-handed maces and hammers. Both targeting rolls and injury rolls use your strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Axe Fighting --- Agility / Strength
This is your skill at melee combat with one-handed axes. When making targeting rolls, use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier. When making injury rolls, use you strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- 2H Axe Fighting --- Strength
This is your skill at melee combat with two-handed axes. Both targeting rolls and injury rolls use your strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Knife Fighting --- Agility
This is your skill at wielding knives. Both targeting rolls and injury rolls use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Hand to Hand --- Agility / Strength
This is your skill at melee combat when not wielding weapons. When making targeting rolls, use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier. When making injury rolls, use you strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Wrestling --- Agility / Strength
This is your skill at grappling and wrestling enemy combatants. Grappling checks use your agility modifier as your attribute modifier, while most wrestling moves use the character’s strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Staff Fighting --- Agility / Strength
This is your skill at melee combat with staves. When making targeting rolls, use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier. When making injury rolls, use you strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Archery --- Strength
This is your skill at ranged combat using bows and arrows. When making both targeting rolls and injury rolls, use your strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Throwing --- Agility / Strength
This is your skill at ranged combat using thrown projectiles. When making targeting rolls, use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier. When making injury rolls, use your strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Blocking --- Agility / Strength
The blocking skill measures your ability to block enemy attacks with weapons and shields. If you are blocking with a weapon, use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier. If you are blocking with a shield, use your strength modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Armor Usage (Light, Medium, Heavy) --- Agility / Strength
Your skill at moving in and protecting yourself from attacks with armor is controlled by your Armor Usage skill. For using light armor, such as leather and chain armor, you would use your agility modifier as the attribute modifier during skill checks. For medium armor, you have the choice between using either your agility modifier or your strength modifier as the attribute modifier for skill checks. With heavy armor, such as plate armor and banded mail, use your strength modifier as the attribute modifier for skill checks.
--- Dodging --- Agility
The Dodging skill governs your ability to avoid attacks completely. This skill is the unarmored equivalent of Armor Usage, and uses your agility modifier as the attribute modifier for skill checks.
Mental Skills:
--- Spell Creation --- Intelligence
This skill governs your experience and ability to design new spells.
--- Spell Casting --- Willpower
This skill governs your skill and ability to cast spells.
--- Enchanting --- Intelligence
This skill governs your experience and ability to enchant non-magical items and improve on magical items.
--- Activate Magic --- Willpower
Your ability to access the magical effects in enchanted items is controlled by this skill.
--- Concentration --- Willpower
Your ability to maintain focus while under adverse circumstances is governed by this skill. When taking actions while injured, distracted, or otherwise preoccupied, you may be required to make a concentration check.
--- Knowledge (Magic, Religion, Geography, History, Mechanics, Politics, Botany, Geology, Legends, Architecture, Art) --- Intelligence
Your Knowledge skill dictates what information you remember about a variety of subjects.
--- Observance (Sight, Smell, Hearing, Instincts) --- Intelligence
The Observance skill measures your sense’s acuity, as well as the accuracy of your gut feelings. This skill can be either passively checked by the Game Master or requested by the players for additional information.
--- Searching --- Intelligence
Your searching skill determines how thoroughly you are capable of examining places for items of value.
--- Appraising --- Intelligence
The Appraise skill dictates how knowledgeable you are at estimating prices and values of items or services.
--- Suturing --- Intelligence / Dexterity
Suturing governs your skill at closing wounds with needle and thread; for evaluating the wound, use your intelligence modifier as the attribute modifier. For sewing the injury shut, use your dexterity modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Surgery --- Intelligence / Dexterity
The Surgery skill shows your knowledge of the inner workings of the body. For evaluating the wound, use your intelligence modifier as the attribute modifier. For conducting surgery on the injury, use your dexterity modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Bone Doctoring --- Intelligence / Dexterity
This skill dictates your ability to set broken bones back into their proper positions. For evaluating the broken limb, use your intelligence modifier as the attribute modifier. For setting the bone, use your dexterity modifier as the attribute modifier.
--- Wound Dressing --- Intelligence / Dexterity
Your skill at cleaning and bandaging wounds is measured by your Wound Dressing skill. For evaluating the extent of the injury, use your intelligence modifier as the attribute modifier. For cleaning and bandaging the wound, use your dexterity modifier.
Social Skills:
Social skills are different than physical and mental skills in that they have different modifiers for skill checks; instead of a single attribute modifier, both Charisma and Presence may be applied to the same check. While Charisma is always the usual modifier, Presence may be either negative or positive. Soft skills use Calming Presence as a positive modifier and Agitating Presence as a negative modifier, while hard skills are reversed. In addition, whether or not some skills are considered hard or soft may be determined by the player at the time the check is made.
--- Persuasion --- Charisma / Presence
Soft skill; the Persuasion skill governs your persuasive abilities, and allows you to change the opinions and actions of people.
--- Command --- Charisma / Presence
Hard skill; the Command skill dictates your ability to get subordinates to fulfill actions in certain ways, as well as potentially directing the actions of other people in tense or dangerous situations.
--- Detect Purpose --- Intelligence
Your potential to determine that motives of others is shown through the detect purpose skill. When you believe someone is lying or attempting to manipulate you or someone else, your Detect Purpose check is compared to their Bluff check. Also, when a character is being manipulated, their Detect Purpose check is compared to the opposing Manipulate checks.
--- Bluff --- Charisma / Presence
Varies; your skill at lying through your teeth convincingly is governed by your Bluff skill. Most attempts to say a falsehood require Bluff checks, though small or believable lies often get large bonuses against the other character’s Detect Purpose checks.
--- Coerce --- Charisma / Presence
Hard skill; your aptitude for forcing other characters to perform actions against their will is governed by the Coerce skill. Anything you have that would aid you in forcing them (blackmail, threats, etc.) gives you a bonus dependent on the potency of the material.
---Intimidate --- Charisma / Presence
Hard skill; your ability to cow other people into submission is dictated by your Intimidate skill.
--- Manipulate --- Charisma / Presence
Soft skill; your skill at causing people to act as you desire without them noticing is governed by your Manipulate skill. Manipulate checks are opposed by both a TN and a Detect Purpose check by the other character.
--- Perform --- Charisma / Presence
Varies; your skill at playing to a crowd, whether giving a speech or doing stunts, is shown through your Perform skill. Instead of having a TN, different tiers of success and failure are used to determine the crowd’s response.
--- Haggle --- Charisma / Presence
Varies; your aptitude for getting the best price for anything is governed by your Haggle skill.
--- Disguise --- Charisma / Presence
Varies; the Disguise skill governs your ability to make yourself appear to be someone else. Whether or not this is considered a soft or hard skill is up to the Game Master’s judgement; when attempting to disguise yourself to go unnoticed, it would be considered a soft skill. When impersonating another character, it would be a soft or hard skill depending on what the character of the person being impersonated is.
Scenario-Dependent Skills:
--- Survival (Tracking, Protection, Travel) ---
Your Survival skill shows your ability to get along in the wilderness; this includes tracking, protecting yourself and others during adverse conditions, and travelling safely through dangerous terrain.
--- Vocational Skills () --- Varies
Vocational skills can govern any trade; carpentry, smithing, accounting, etc. The attribute that governs the skill would be determined by the GM.
After all of that has been done, you have to decide what flaws and gifts you want your character to have. There is a small list of them in the document, but you may want to just list your ideas for gifts and flaws. I'll convert them into game rules for you to decide if you want to use them. You can choose up to two of each, but you can't have more gifts than flaws. If they seem too munchkinny I may veto them, though.
The final part of character creation is Ideals and Weaknesses. These don't actually affect gameplay; they affect how much experience you get from roleplaying your character. When your actions are affected by these, you get experience. Synonyms that may be more explanatory would be virtues and vices. Make sure these are visible on your character sheet; I need to know what they are to give you experience for them.
The final part of character creation is your class. I haven't made the massive list of them yet, so just say what sort of class you want to play as and I'll type it up for you to yea or nay.
--- Basics ---
Name:
Class:
Level:
Experience:
--- Focuses ---
Primary Focus:
Secondary Focus:
Tertiary Focus:
--- Ability Scores ---
Strength:
Fortitude:
Agility:
Dexterity:
Intelligence:
Willpower:
Charisma:
--- Physical Skills ---
Balance:
Jumping:
Acrobatics:
Swimming:
Sneaking:
Lockpicking:
Sleight of Hand:
Ride:
Swordfighting:
2H Swordfighting:
Mace Fighting:
2H Mace Fighting:
Axe Fighting:
2H Axe Fighting:
Knife Fighting:
Hand to Hand Combat:
Wrestling:
Staff Fighting:
Archery:
Throwing:
Blocking:
Armor Usage():
Dodging:
--- Mental Skills ---
Spell Creation:
Spell Casting:
Enchanting:
Activate Magic:
Concentration:
Knowledge():
Observance():
Searching:
Appraising:
Suturing:
Surgery:
Bone Doctoring:
Wound Dressing:
--- Social Skills ---
Persuasion:
Command:
Detect Purpose:
Bluff:
Manipulate:
Perform:
Haggle:
Disguise:
--- Scenario-Dependent Skills ---
Survival:
Vocational Skills:
--- Character Traits ---
Gifts:
Flaws:
Ideals:
Weaknesses:
--- Magic ---
Spells Known:
-
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Focus Power:
Backlash Level:
--- Pain and Injury ---
Injury List:
-
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Pain Level:
Rounds Until Bleeding Out:
Wound Treatments:
-
-
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Crippled Limbs:
-
-
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--- Inventory ---
Money:
Items Owned:
-
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Maptool is a convenient program that I'm familiar with, so we'll be using that.
Version b87 is the version that we'll be using, so be sure to download that one in particular before the session (assuming you're playing).
Players-Dwarmin
-adwarf
-SeriousConcentrate
-JohnFalcon
-Gatleos
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If you're interested in joining the first ever campaign of this game, post to sign up! Even if you haven't made a character or anything, just say you're interested and I'll put you on the list.
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Topic: Unnamed Tabletop RPG: Three Spots Left (Read 5640 times)