Frozen_Feet
2010-12-30, 11:16 PM
In the case you don't know what Lamentations of the Flame Princess (http://www.lotfp.com/RPG/products/lotfp-weird-fantasy-role-playing) happens to be.
I'm considering holding a play-by-post game on Giants, and will use this thread as a place to store and brainstorm about variant rules for the system. Mostly, its to satisfy my urge for tinkering and adding some "modern" gameplay ideas to the game, while still retaining relative simplicity of the system that drew me to it in the first place. However, potential rule suggestions that'd help PbP cames in particular are welcome.
Experience
Recovering treasure:
Upon finding a valuable object and bringing it to safety, the group receives experience points equal to the object's worth in Silver Pieces. They receive these XPs regardless of whether they can actually sell the object.
When recovering coinage, the group receives XP equal to the treasure's worth in Gold Pieces.
Travel and exploration:
The group gains 10 XP for each previously untravelled mile they cross through the wilderness. If some characters have been in the area before and some have not, only those new to the area gain these XPs.
The group gains 1000 XP for each location of interest they find (such as a ruin, potential mineral vein, inhabited island etc.), provided its previously unknown to their civilization and they manage to take the knowledge to their native land.
For each new ally the group befriends, they gain d6 XP for each HD of the ally.
Ordained missions and objectives:
When embarking on a preplanned journey or adventure, or when given a specific task by NPC characters, the group can have set objectives, which grant XP if achieved.
Achieving Primary Objective of the adventure will grant the group 500 XP for each surviving member.
Achieving Secondary objectives (if any) will grant the group 100 XP for each surviving member.
An adventure can only ever have one Primary Objective. If a task is given to the PC group by NPCs, the task giver will determine the Primary Objective as well as any Secondary ones. If the PC group is setting its objectives by itself, they can at maximum have as many Secondary Objectives as they do members. No Objective can be something that would automatically succeed; the referee has right to veto any suggestions the players make. Objectives can't be changed once the adventure is underway (for example, after the group has signed a mission contract, or have left their home town).
Advancement
At every level divisible by 4, a character can raise any single ability score by one.
Base Attack Bonus for Fighters is changed thusly: fighters have BAB of +1 at level 0, and +2 at level 1. It increases by one every odd level thereafter. At even levels, Fighters get +1 bonus to damage instead.
Fighters, Dwarves and Halflings gain a Talent at 2nd level and every even level afterwards. Specialists gain a Talent at 3rd level and every level divisible by three afterward. Elves get a Talent at every level divisible by 5. (If you didn't guess already, Talents will practically be Feats. I'm trying to scrape a short list together; suggestions are welcome.)
Some talents are class specific, and can't be taken by other classes.
Talents:
Overwhelming force: a character can apply his Strength modifier to damage rolls.
Fleet of Foot: a character may add 5' per point of his Dexterity Modifier to his Combat and Running speeds while on foot, and may apply his Dexterity Modifier to Miles per Day in place of his Constitution mod.
Endurance: a character may carry two more item per point of his Constitution modifier before gaining the first point of encumberance.
Intimidating: the character's Charisma Modifier applies as a penalty to enemy morale, unless penalties dictated by the referee are greater.
Calm Defense: a character may apply Wisdom modifier to his AC. This benefit is lost in any conditions that would deny his Dexterity modifier also.
Detect Weakness: a character may apply his Intelligence modifier to attack rolls made against enemies wearing armor.
Favored Enemy: a character may choose to gain either +1 to attack rolls or +2 to damage rolls against a specific group of enemies. Examples include: humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, chaotic creatures, lawful creatures, natural animals, mythical creatures, constructs and undead. Others can be suggested and are suspect to referee approval. This Talent can be picked multiple times, and applies to a new group each time. If a creature falls under two or more Favored Enemy Talents a character has, the effects stack up to +2 to attack rolls and +4 to damage.
Piercing sight (Elves only): when searching for something detectible by sight, a character can apply his Intelligence modifier to his chances to find anything.
Keen-nosed (Dwarves and Halflings only): when searching for something detectible by stench, a character can apply his Intelligence modifier to his chances to find anything.
Fey Allure (Elves only): character's elven grace grants him +1 to rolls made for attracting retainers and determining retainer morale.
Highly Alert: a character's chance to be surprised is lowered by one. An Elf with this Talent throws two dice if his chance to be surprised would be below 1, and is only surprised on double ones.
Charmed Life: a character may once per session reroll any failed Saving Throw.
Quick Recuperation: a character heals twice as many hit-points as other characters in the same conditions, and can recover 2 points of ability score loss in a week.
Faerie Blood: if a character with this Talent is present, results of any reaction roll to see how chaotic creatures act towards him and his group are reduced by one. If a character with this trait is an Elf, they are reduced by two.
At Home in the Dark: any penalties a character might suffer due to poor visibility are reduced by one.
Confound the Big Folks (Dwarves and Halflings only): any enemy bigger than the character will suffer -1 penalty to hit him.
Natural-born Miner (Dwarves only): the rate at which a character digs up ground is doubled.
Wrestler: a character gains +1 to all rolls he makes during grappling.
Martial artist: a character does d4 points of damage with his bare hands instead of d2, and only suffers -1 penalty when using Minor Weapons against opponents with unadjusted AC over 15.
Equal Opportunity Bastard: When attacking someone from behind, a character gets additional +1 to attack rolls and damage.
Hard Marcher (Fighters and Elves only): A character is used to nomadic lifestyle and may reduce his Constitution modifier from any damage sustained from forced marching. This Talent can reduce the damage to zero.
Inspiring Travel Company: this character's group will add 75%, instead of 50%, to distance traveled during forced marching.
One with the Wind (Specialists and Elves only): A character's an expert in detecting winds and using them to his benefit. While out in the ocean in a sailing ship, the character can affect the referee's roll to determine wind conditions by one to either direction.
Expert Mariner (Specialists and Elves only): if character is directing a ship, the ship's chances of taking in water or sinking due to wind conditions are halved.
I'm considering holding a play-by-post game on Giants, and will use this thread as a place to store and brainstorm about variant rules for the system. Mostly, its to satisfy my urge for tinkering and adding some "modern" gameplay ideas to the game, while still retaining relative simplicity of the system that drew me to it in the first place. However, potential rule suggestions that'd help PbP cames in particular are welcome.
Experience
Recovering treasure:
Upon finding a valuable object and bringing it to safety, the group receives experience points equal to the object's worth in Silver Pieces. They receive these XPs regardless of whether they can actually sell the object.
When recovering coinage, the group receives XP equal to the treasure's worth in Gold Pieces.
Travel and exploration:
The group gains 10 XP for each previously untravelled mile they cross through the wilderness. If some characters have been in the area before and some have not, only those new to the area gain these XPs.
The group gains 1000 XP for each location of interest they find (such as a ruin, potential mineral vein, inhabited island etc.), provided its previously unknown to their civilization and they manage to take the knowledge to their native land.
For each new ally the group befriends, they gain d6 XP for each HD of the ally.
Ordained missions and objectives:
When embarking on a preplanned journey or adventure, or when given a specific task by NPC characters, the group can have set objectives, which grant XP if achieved.
Achieving Primary Objective of the adventure will grant the group 500 XP for each surviving member.
Achieving Secondary objectives (if any) will grant the group 100 XP for each surviving member.
An adventure can only ever have one Primary Objective. If a task is given to the PC group by NPCs, the task giver will determine the Primary Objective as well as any Secondary ones. If the PC group is setting its objectives by itself, they can at maximum have as many Secondary Objectives as they do members. No Objective can be something that would automatically succeed; the referee has right to veto any suggestions the players make. Objectives can't be changed once the adventure is underway (for example, after the group has signed a mission contract, or have left their home town).
Advancement
At every level divisible by 4, a character can raise any single ability score by one.
Base Attack Bonus for Fighters is changed thusly: fighters have BAB of +1 at level 0, and +2 at level 1. It increases by one every odd level thereafter. At even levels, Fighters get +1 bonus to damage instead.
Fighters, Dwarves and Halflings gain a Talent at 2nd level and every even level afterwards. Specialists gain a Talent at 3rd level and every level divisible by three afterward. Elves get a Talent at every level divisible by 5. (If you didn't guess already, Talents will practically be Feats. I'm trying to scrape a short list together; suggestions are welcome.)
Some talents are class specific, and can't be taken by other classes.
Talents:
Overwhelming force: a character can apply his Strength modifier to damage rolls.
Fleet of Foot: a character may add 5' per point of his Dexterity Modifier to his Combat and Running speeds while on foot, and may apply his Dexterity Modifier to Miles per Day in place of his Constitution mod.
Endurance: a character may carry two more item per point of his Constitution modifier before gaining the first point of encumberance.
Intimidating: the character's Charisma Modifier applies as a penalty to enemy morale, unless penalties dictated by the referee are greater.
Calm Defense: a character may apply Wisdom modifier to his AC. This benefit is lost in any conditions that would deny his Dexterity modifier also.
Detect Weakness: a character may apply his Intelligence modifier to attack rolls made against enemies wearing armor.
Favored Enemy: a character may choose to gain either +1 to attack rolls or +2 to damage rolls against a specific group of enemies. Examples include: humans, dwarves, elves, halflings, chaotic creatures, lawful creatures, natural animals, mythical creatures, constructs and undead. Others can be suggested and are suspect to referee approval. This Talent can be picked multiple times, and applies to a new group each time. If a creature falls under two or more Favored Enemy Talents a character has, the effects stack up to +2 to attack rolls and +4 to damage.
Piercing sight (Elves only): when searching for something detectible by sight, a character can apply his Intelligence modifier to his chances to find anything.
Keen-nosed (Dwarves and Halflings only): when searching for something detectible by stench, a character can apply his Intelligence modifier to his chances to find anything.
Fey Allure (Elves only): character's elven grace grants him +1 to rolls made for attracting retainers and determining retainer morale.
Highly Alert: a character's chance to be surprised is lowered by one. An Elf with this Talent throws two dice if his chance to be surprised would be below 1, and is only surprised on double ones.
Charmed Life: a character may once per session reroll any failed Saving Throw.
Quick Recuperation: a character heals twice as many hit-points as other characters in the same conditions, and can recover 2 points of ability score loss in a week.
Faerie Blood: if a character with this Talent is present, results of any reaction roll to see how chaotic creatures act towards him and his group are reduced by one. If a character with this trait is an Elf, they are reduced by two.
At Home in the Dark: any penalties a character might suffer due to poor visibility are reduced by one.
Confound the Big Folks (Dwarves and Halflings only): any enemy bigger than the character will suffer -1 penalty to hit him.
Natural-born Miner (Dwarves only): the rate at which a character digs up ground is doubled.
Wrestler: a character gains +1 to all rolls he makes during grappling.
Martial artist: a character does d4 points of damage with his bare hands instead of d2, and only suffers -1 penalty when using Minor Weapons against opponents with unadjusted AC over 15.
Equal Opportunity Bastard: When attacking someone from behind, a character gets additional +1 to attack rolls and damage.
Hard Marcher (Fighters and Elves only): A character is used to nomadic lifestyle and may reduce his Constitution modifier from any damage sustained from forced marching. This Talent can reduce the damage to zero.
Inspiring Travel Company: this character's group will add 75%, instead of 50%, to distance traveled during forced marching.
One with the Wind (Specialists and Elves only): A character's an expert in detecting winds and using them to his benefit. While out in the ocean in a sailing ship, the character can affect the referee's roll to determine wind conditions by one to either direction.
Expert Mariner (Specialists and Elves only): if character is directing a ship, the ship's chances of taking in water or sinking due to wind conditions are halved.