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McDeath
2005-07-24, 06:11 AM
please post critiques and ideas for Marauder.

Falrin
2005-07-24, 10:38 AM
Normaly someone only posts comments on a given thing :), but I'm to good for this world so I'll ask for it, once posted, you'll see ppl start with there comment.

squishycube
2005-07-24, 11:30 AM
I want to hear more.
I love that word so much, I just can't get enough of it.
More, more, more, more, oooh that's so good!
♫ More, more, more, more. I want to use it all the time. More, more more, more, use it once and see it shine ♫

Also: [paste Falrins comment here].

McDeath
2005-07-25, 02:28 AM
WARNING : A LOT OF STUFF IN POST BELOW

McDeath
2005-07-25, 02:29 AM
World of Marauder
The world of Marauder is a land called Terard. In the stream of possibility which worlds are born of, Terard lies close to another world, known simply as Aether. During a period of unrest hundreds of years ago, the denizens of the world chose Terard as an outlet for their distrust and paranoia. Taking the existing kingdoms by force in a matter of days, they fought long, bloody wars over trivial matters.

Eventually the natives of the conquered land rose up against their lords, driving them back, and back, until they had no other option but to leave Terard. The few mages and sorcerers who had survived the decades of oppression cast a great spell that sealed their world from any further interference. This spell still holds, even after centuries of neglect, but it is prone to showing small weaknesses, allowing a gate to the sister-world to open…

Marauder is designed to be played with a pair of six-sided dice, as this is what many people would have lying around at home.

Preliminaries
At the start of a campaign, you have to either roll up new characters, or pick some from an old campaign. Before you ask, you cannot pick characters that died at any point in any campaign. The person running the campaign, who can be but probably shouldn’t be one of the players, will say what the maximum level characters can be is. The campaign master (CM) will be doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes work.

Rolling Up Characters
Each character has several main, fundamental stats, essential for every class. These are Agility, Strength, Wisdom, Courage, Reflexes and Channel. Basically, these mean:

Agility (A): how nimble you are, and how fast you move. Negatively affected by heavy armour and so on. Used for picking locks and determining attack order.

Strength (S): how strong you are. Used to resist poison and debilitating effects. Some weapons require a high S to wield.

Wisdom (W): how intelligent you are. Used to solve puzzles and realise things. Some spells require a high W to learn.

Courage (C): how brave you are. Used if something causes a Courage check, such as a Rotting Nightmare, or the spell Terrifying Visions.

Reflexes (R): how fast you react to things. Many ranged attacks and traps allow a Reflex save.

Channel (Ch): how much magical power you can channel at once. If you exceed this, accidentally or because you NEED to cast more spells, there are consequences. This is also used to resist some spells.

Roll two dice for each of these stats, and that is your score for that stat. Then you have 7 points to distribute among stats as you wish. With all your stats ready, you can now choose you race and class. This may add some bonuses to your stats.

Choosing Race and Class
There are several races in Terard. The playable ones are humans, gnomes, the Thrik, rockfolk and the Runebound. Each have advantages and disadvantages.

Humans are versatile, and can be good in any class. They find it easier to learn cross-class skills, and are really the average race. They have only one racial bonus, but no disadvantages.

Human: Instead of cross-class skills requiring 3 skill points to learn, they require 2. Starting Health: 18

Gnomes are small and cunning, with a culture of mind over matter. They cannot have a Strength beyond a certain point, so cannot wield some medium and most large weapons. However, they are more attuned to Terard’s magical flows than other races, which gives them an advantage in magic.

Gnomes: Maximum Strength 8; +1 to Channel. Starting Health: 15

The Thrik are a race of six-limbed forest dwellers who rarely venture out from their leafy homes. Feeling a close kinship with the earth, they have many shamans and druids among their tribes. Their hide is naturally tough and leathery, but a network of nerves only a few steps above insects means they are often slow to react to changes in their environment.

Thrik: +1 to Channel when casting Earth spells; +1 Defence; -2 Reflexes. Starting Health: 20

The rockfolk are a very curious race. Keeping mainly to their systems of caves, they are said to be dependent upon the stone for life. While many believe this to be true, there is nothing to distinguish a rockfolk from any other medium-height man at first glance. Their immunity to most poisons known to the world is not often demonstrated, as is their ability to sense vibrations in the ground.

Rockfolk: +2 to Strength when resisting poison attacks; can always sense if a creature is moving and touching the ground within 10 metres. Health: 18

The Runebound are a humanoid race that live on the fringes of civilization, only entering the rest of the world when necessary. They appear to be tale, pale humans, often wearing clothes all of one colour. More noticeable is the glowing rune carved into their head. While this rune-for all non-Runebound know, on their head at birth - gives them some protection from magic, it drains their life force and leaves them physically weak.

Runebound: +2 Ch; +2 to physical damage deal to them; +1 to Channel when casting Rune spells. Health: 17


It is time to choose a class. The classes are Warrior, Shaman, Sorcerer, Rogue, Runemage, Priest and Hunter. Warrior is a close-combat based class which relies on Agility and Strength. Druid is a medium-range spell casting and enhancing class based on Wisdom. Sorcerer is a long-range spell casting class based on Channel. Rogue is a versatile class with special attacks, based on Agility. Runemages are an eclectic class which can do many things decently, based on Channel. Priests are able to call on their gods for power, and have some excellent healing spells; they are based on Wisdom. Hunters are trackers and archers, able to fire at the enemy as they close, do some damage in combat, and then track them to their lair.

Level 1 Warrior Skills
Smash – you put all your strength into a single strike, hoping to send your opponent to their knees.
Physical – all Actions – requires 6 S
+2 combat damage. Enemy takes Strength save, and if fails are stunned. Stun – cannot do anything until passes a Courage or Strength test. Can take both every round.

Low Blow – you strike your opponent in a vulnerable spot.
Physical – 1 Action
Opponent cannot strike back for the rest of the round.

Charge – you rush towards your enemy, hoping to strike them down before they respond.
Physical – all Actions
Enemy takes Strength save, and is knocked to the ground if failed. May take a Reflex save after, if passed is only stunned, if failed takes 1d6 damage as well.

Fury – you focus your rage and direct it against one opponent.
Mental – 1 Action
You get +1 combat damage against that opponent for 3 rounds.

Analyse – you note your opponent’s attack patterns and their flaws.
Mental – 1 Action – requires 4 W
Your opponent gets –2 Defence against your combat attacks for 3 rounds, as long as they keep using the same weapon.

Fast Draw – you whip out your weapon quickly, ready for action.
Physical – 1 Action – requires 5 A
You draw a weapon of your choice (without this skill, drawing a weapon takes 2 Actions).

Vicious Strike – you cut an opponent’s hamstring or other major tendon.
Physical – 2 Actions – requires 5 A
Opponent moves half as far per round, and receives a crippling wound. Crippling wound – unless healed in 10 rounds, bearer has –2 Agility.

squishycube
2005-07-25, 04:47 AM
A lot of information, it seems ok but it means little with no explanation of the system itself. I'd be glad to comment in more detail when you could post something like that.

Everyman
2005-07-26, 01:44 PM
I would seriously recommend that you copyright your material before posting. More than one designer has been denied his rights to his own work because he announced the system in a public forum, and someone stole it. Post if you want, but don't be surprised if people start using it without your permission.
...
Of course, if you don't care about earning money for your work, just ignore my post. :)

Randomman413
2005-07-26, 02:21 PM
this
is
HOT
as the guy with the minotaur avvy said, get a copyright before you post anymore...unless you want me to get one...i could develop this...or steal it, and only give you a little bit of the profits that will ensue...and give them to you so youll keep working at it.

Adghar
2005-07-26, 09:24 PM
"Only"? Pfah. True evil villains take the idea without announcing themselves and don't give any profit to the original creator.

No I won't do that... Seriously...I'm not keen on publishing a system... Why are you guys looking at me like that? :(

The system does look very incomplete. I don't think McDeath is done yet. He still needs to explain items (if included) and the application of skills, and the battle system. And all the other skills. And probably more.

By the way he's actually a "Tauren™" from Warcraft III™ (http://blizzard.com/war3/) and World of Warcraft™ (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/) (I don't know the garblecode for the copyright sign so this is all you get for now).

McDeath
2005-07-27, 01:55 AM
Indeed, there is still a LOT of work left to do on this. I started this because I was bored on the holidays, but I started to enjoy doing it for its own sake. Thanks for the feedback, I will post more when I have it.

I will also attempt to explain to whoever the relevant person is why a teenager wants a copyright for an incomplete game system. Wish me luck!

Everyman
2005-07-27, 01:59 AM
No need to copyright it until it is finished (you'll likely not recieve it anyway until it IS finished). Just be careful what you post.

In addition, Adghar gets a cookie for figuring out what my avi "Tarkahn" was based on. Ah...Warcraft d20 system. How I miss you...

McDeath
2005-07-27, 11:45 PM
Combat System

each combatant gets x number of Actions (still trying to decide how to determine no. of actions) and goes in order of Agility. Say PC 1 has Agility 7 and 2 Actions, and enemy 1 has 6 Agility and 3 Actions. Order of actions is 1 action for PC, 1 for enemy, 1 for PC, 1 for enemy, 1 for enemy.

Hand-to-Hand
If both combatants are within range of each others weapons, it goes like this. To do one strike at an enemy takes 1 action. Combat Skill is determined each strike, and is Agility PLUS Strength MINUS 2d6. One who has higher skill wins the strike. then it's damage.

Damage is 1d6 PLUS any bonuses PLUS the amount you won Combat Skill by. then the enemy figures out their Defence and you subtract that from the total damage. If the remaining damage is more than their Strength, they are stunned.

Please tell me if you think this is too simple, or has any flaws. But please don't be insulting.

Randomman413
2005-07-28, 12:15 AM
complex...but good. pretty solid, it seems. now, wouldnt different weapons do different damage? do a greatsword and a dagger both do 1d6 damage?

McDeath
2005-07-28, 05:53 AM
I was mainly thinking of a greatsword giving +3 damage or something, and a dagger +1. But changing the amount of dice is an interesting idea...

Close Combat - Enemy can't reach you with weapon, but you can reach them.

as normal close combat, but if the enemy wins, they don't get to actually do any damage. for obvious reasons. Oh, and they get -1 Combat Skill.

Surrounded!
Warrior John Smith is surrounded by four goblins. he declares that he will engage goblin 1, and parry the attacks of the rest. He fights normally against goblin 1, but each time another goblin attacks him, he takes an Agility test. if passed (cause come on, spinning around is hard work) he can match Combat Skill with that attack, but if he wins he does not deal damage. For the first attempt to parry, John has -1 Combat Skill, for the 2nd, -2, and so on. Due to the frenetic nature of the fight, no special moves may be used if you are engaging one enemy and defending from others. If you engage one and ignore the others, you can use all the Physical skills you want before you pass out from blood loss.

Kudos to Xudo.

McDeath

Xudo
2005-07-28, 06:55 AM
What you might want to do if the character is surrounded, is have them just attack one person, but they also have the option of parrying anyone's attack that is in their Line of Sight.

So say you have a warrior or whatever, and he is surrounded by four people, like a square (one at his back, one at either side, and one directly in front) you might want to make it so he could parry Left's attack and then parry Front's attack as well, but at like a minus one, and if he has another action, he could make a parry for Right's as well with a minus 2.

McDeath
2005-07-28, 07:01 AM
That's a great idea Xudo. Post above will be edited to new system.

amanodel
2005-07-28, 08:36 AM
Nice and clean, i do like the concept of yours.

McDeath
2005-07-28, 09:34 PM
Thanks Amanodel.

Spellcasting
There are three kinds of casting: elemental, the shaman spells, which draw on the power of the earth and animals; arcane (trying to think up a different name), which is used by Runemages and Sorcerors, and divine (also trying to think up a different name), which is calling on the aid of a god. Each of them is different.

Elemental
Take a Wisdom test, with -x, if x is the Difficulty of the spell.

Arcane
Take a Channel test, with -x, with x the Difficulty.

Divine
Divine. Umm. Still trying to figure out a different and unique way to cast divine spells. Something that ties in with the flavour of "your god working through you".

McDeath
2005-08-03, 01:00 AM
Ranged Combat
2d6 + bonuses, and if that beats Difficulty then you hit, and it's time to roll damage, which is like combat damage. 1d6 + bonuses - ranged defence.

McDeath