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Zelkon
2012-08-11, 12:45 PM
Just thought I'd put it out there. This is my word document containing the first few pages of the foresight player's guide. Any comments you might have about any of it, feel free to say it. I hope this appeals to 3rd ed players too, as it doesn't have all the baggage of D&D, and I'm doing my best to fix the parts you guys didn't like.


Foresight Player’s guide
Foreword
Chapter 1: Introduction
What is Foresight?
What is an RPG?
What do I Need to Play?
The Basic Rules

Chapter 2: Building the Basics
Components of a Character
Race
Class
Background
Profession
Theme
Other Elements
Leveling Up
Retraining
The Three Calibers
Adventuring
Champion
Legendary
A Look at the Character Sheet
Chapter 3: Combat
Chapter 4: Race, Background, Profession, and Theme
Profession
Theme
Race
Elevem
Dragonkin
Dwarves
Celestial
Elf
Half-man
Human
Corun
Zaron
Backround
Profession
Chapter 5: Class
Introduction
Understanding Class
Reading a Power
Calibers and Class
Champion’s Way
Legend
Immortality
Classes
Priest
Warrior
Paladin
Bard
Scoundrel
Warlock
Marshal
Mage
Druid
Multiclassing
Dabbling
Hybriding
Generic Ways
Legends
Demigod
Archmage
Exarch
Nature Spirit
Master of Shadows
Storyteller
Chapter 6: Feats and Talents

Chapter 7: Out of Combat
Charecter
Fleshing out a Character
Personality
Background
Motivation
Morality
Role-Playing
Adventures
Questing
Rewards
Other
Resting
Chapter 8: Equipment
Chapter 9: Rites
Acquiring or Getting a Rite
Using a Rite
List of Rites
Chapter 10: Setting
Appendix: Level 0 and Playing a Commoner


Welcome to Foresight!

A game of magical heroism, Foresight is a tribute to revolution. With the “back to basics” feel of some of the most popular games, it’s easy for the revolutionary games to get lost in the shuffle. Games that tout balance, story, and tactical combat were previously only niche, with the World’s Most Popular RPG and its competitors producing games filled with caster supremacy and “realistic” simulation style play. Then came the revolution, so great that even the World’s Most Popular RPG heard its roar. TO BE COMPLETED!


What is a Role-Playing Game?
For teh noobs. Coming soon, although I don't think anyone here needs it.


What is Foresight?
Foresight is a tribute to the fourth edition of Dungeons and Dragons, “the D&D that changed D&D.” It is based on the principle that everyone can contribute to the story equally using mathematical balance. Foresight takes many of the ideas, goals, and mechanics of 4th edition and publishes a streamlined and improved version that builds off of the advancements that came later in the edition under the Open Gaming License. Concepts like Themes and Backgrounds are in from the start with a fresh take, and class parity (referred to as the At-will, Encounter, Daily, and Utility system, or AEDU) is an option, not the default. In addition, not all class features are gained at first level. Several fixes to math are included: monsters have lower HP but deal higher damage, more powerful monsters can “shrug off” effects that stop them in their tracks, PCs have a more consistent hit rate, and many bonuses that caused numbers to inflate no longer stack. A variety of improvements have also been made: players are never forced to choose between combat effectiveness and flavorful options that fit who their character is in the world, powers are less similar to each other and cause more interesting effects, combat is faster, the ability system allows you to break stereotypes (like dumb and ugly fighters) and create more diverse characters, roles are more flexible, power sources matter more (if you want them to), Races are more complex and have more options, out-of-combat magic is just as “magical” as ever and even more accessible, and tactics are even more important. Our design decisions are made out in the open, meaning you can see the reasoning behind all our choices and the math behind all the numbers. Also of note is the separation of mechanics and flavor. We use clear technical language in our powers, monsters, and rules descriptions, with evocative fluff on top to provide an easy reference point in play while still making the book itself an interesting read.

What do I Need to Play?

• This book
• The Foresight Bestiary
• A set of dice (four, six, eight, ten, twelve and twenty sided), or an app or website that has a dice roller function.
• A gridded map of some sort for use in combat
• Some way to represent the characters and monsters in combat.
• A players sheet for each player
• A GM tracker for the GM
• A combat tracker
• A space to play, preferably with a table
• Two or more friends
• Imagination, awesomeness, and snacks.

The Basic Rules
Foresight runs on a couple of basic rules. There is the Core Mechanic, which is central to most aspects of the game that involve a chance of failure. Then there are the Three Universal Rules, which set some basic premises which the rules are designed under. Finally, there are the three Rules of Gameplay, which dictate how the game is actually played in practice.
The Core Mechanic
When a player tries something where success is not a guarantee, the Core Mechanic is used. It is as follows:
• Tell the GM exactly what you wish to do; he will set a target number, or will use one already specified for the task.
• Roll a d20, aiming for a high number.
• Add any relevant modifiers (once again determined by the GM or by the rules)
• Compare it to the number the GM set in the first step; if your roll matches or beats the number, you succeed.
The Three Universal Rules
These are the assumptions the rest of the game is based off of. They govern how the rules should be interpreted.
• There are exceptions to all rules. Many if not most options a character has breaks the rules in some way. The game itself has simple rules, but the complexity comes from the many exceptions.
• Specific beets general. If one rule specifies that you cannot charge and move in the same turn, but a power lets you, you can, but only when you use that power.
• Always round down. Any number that would end in a fraction simply has the fraction removed. For example, a power that deals half damage on a miss would deal 3 damage if the player rolled a 7.


The Rules of Gameplay
These three rules are incredibly important to gameplay. They set the foundation for how gameplay at the table works.
• Rule 0: The Game Master is always right. No matter what the rules say, the GM can always change it. If the GM rules that the monster can’t be drowned, or that an ooze can’t be knocked down, then that’s that. You may, of course, try to convince the GM to change the ruling, but the GM will always have final say.
• The Rule of Cool: If it’s cool, fun, and makes the game better for all, there probably shouldn’t be a chance of failure. If the warrior says “I kick down the door and charge the monsters,” don’t make him make a strength check, just have it happen. In fact, maybe the door flies back and knocks one of the monsters over. Reward the players for creative thinking. The game is built on the cinematic feel of 4e, and the Rule of Cool helps enforce that feel.
• Fun before realism. In the world of Foresight, heroes are extraordinary. Fighters get powers that they can only use once per day because that’s how powerful the attack is. It’s up to you to justify why the fighter gets these powers only once a day. Similarly, if Sneak Attacking is an attack on vital organs, than why can it be used on undead? Because it allows the rogue to be effective in combat against undead. Perhaps your justification of it is the rogue hits a vital part of the skeletal structure, or damages the focus of the energy that animates the skeleton. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. The rogue isn’t getting gimped just for fighting undead. In the same train of thought, many rules represent abstract concepts. So a Sneak Attack could be a variety of blows in key places, and a fighter daily might represent the opportune moment to strike. Hit points are abstract, too. A hit with a sword might not mean a full wound with your arm cut off, but rather just a glancing blow that slowly fatigues you and causes you to fall unconscious. It is important to remember, however, that unconsciousness isn’t necessarily a faint. Perhaps on the edge of one, and all you need is true motivation to get back up. That might be why a Marshal can bring someone back from below zero hit points, or even why he can heal in the first place. He gives you the strength to push on. When he uses the power in a different circumstance to heal you, this time out of combat, he instead might be administering your wounds. Different situations call for different narratives.







Building the Basics
A character is a unique combination of a class, a Race, abilities, personality, motivation, and more. Learn the who, what, where, when, why and how of all of the elements that come together to make a game. Are you a simple farmer turned paladin after a religious revelation? Or are you a destined hero born from the womb of a demon lord and left to rot in the abyss, only to be saved by divine favor. It all depends on how you want to play it. How does your character fit into the world?
It is suggested to read fully through this section, as it explains the basics of virtually everything you need to make a character.
This chapter includes:
• Detailed explanations of each mechanical component of a character, form class to background.
• Explanations on the various traits and abilities gained from the components of a character.
• Rules for gaining levels and a handy table to go along with it.
• Rules for trading out an option that didn’t work out the way you expected.
• Information on morality and the way you interact with the world because of it.
• Tips on background and personality.
• Rules for and information about ability scores.
• Information on the three calibers of play: Adventurer, Champion, and Legendary.
• A look at the character sheet and all its parts.


Components of a Character
A character is made, mechanically, out of many parts. The two basic parts, class and race, dictate your play style and function, while your background, and theme offer mechanical backing for how you fit into the world. These are titles, how you might introduce your character in game or how you might talk about him out-of-character. There are also many other aspects that form a character, but those are numbers and small bonuses that flesh out a character, not define it.
Class
Your class forms the meat of your character. It determines your abilities, role, and power source. Your abilities are a combination of features and powers, features being flat benefits and powers being combat maneuvers, spells, and the like. A feature gives the unique feeling to ever class, while the powers give you a way to show off your abilities in addition to whatever effects they have. Classes also determine which role feature you gain. Each class gives you a choice between two roles, and you gain the classes’ role feature based on that. For example, the warrior can be a striker and a defender. His defender role feature might be the ability to penalize enemies for ignoring him and attacking a weak party member, while his striker role feature might give him a bonus to damage rolls and attacks with a chosen weapon. Also, your role choice affects how many of your powers work. A class also determines your martial and magical prowess, which will be explained later on.

<sidebar>
Role and Character Choices
As many of you who have played 4th edition know, most classes got to choose between a select class feature at character creation that defined how they would play the class for the rest of the campaign. Roles are Foresight’s way of doing this. You’ll see this directly represented in the warlord. His Inspiring Aura allows him to be a top-notch healer and supporter, while his Commanding Presence allows him to use his allies to hit hard, thereby becoming a striker. These two used to have minor benefits, but now they change the way the class is played. In doing this, we also solve the problem of having classes rigidly straightjacketed into a role, and we provide a more broad way of customizing the class. Of course, a quick look through the classes can tell you that you can customize all the fiddly bits, too. Foresight is designed with customizability in mind.
<endsidebar>
These are the classes presented in this book:
Bard: Inspire your allies with magical songs and stories
Druid: wield the raw forces of nature and transform into the beasts of the wild to protect your homeland.
Mage: Control the fabric of the universe itself with the raw forces of arcane power.
Marshal: Lead your allies into battle for guts and glory.
Paladin: Crusade against the enemies of your god and become a champion of your god’s ideals.
Priest: Heal your allies and hinder your enemies in the name of all that is still holy.
Scoundrel: Become a master of dirty fighting and stealth.
Warrior: Have the strength of ten men and protect your allies, all without breaking a sweat.
Warlock: Master the dark powers from beyond to curse your enemies and destroy them before they know what hits them.
Race
Your race is like a real-world species. They have different genetic makeup, and therefore different creatures, but seem quite a bit like humans. Many share the same general build and coloring of humans, but have evolved differently through, at least in part, the use of magic. For example, the elves used to inhabit the Feyworld before coming to the world, and now live predominantly in the woods. Their slight build and magical grace allows them to be suburb hunters and scouts. Humans, however, have always built and expanded. They tend to be stockier and stronger than elves to better handle manual labor, and smarter and more innovative than most other races. Dwarves are on the other end of the spectrum, with divine magic and hard work leading to their large build and great wisdom, not to mention their unmatched endurance. Race gives you a multitude of features. First and foremost, they give you a racial power based on what they are known for (ex. Elves get Elven Precision to represent their accuracy), then they give you two traits, one used for roleplaying and one used for combat, and training in two skills. Then, you have two racial feature slots (one for roleplaying and one for combat again) which you fill from a small list. Some races might give other minor benefits, or might give two smaller benefits in place of a large benefit. Additionally, they provide additional power selection at utility levels.
Here is a list of races:
Celestial: Heralds from the plane above and masters of divine fortune. Related to angles.
Corun: A sort of ape-men, who look similar to regular humans, except they have long, muscular arms and a coat of dark fur. They usually walk on all fours, but have no trouble walking on two. Despite their large size, they can swing agilely from trees and have great mobility.
Dragonkin: Reptilian men with the blood of dragons running through their veins, allowing them to breathe fire.
Dwarf: Stubborn, stocky warriors and servants of the gods with the ability to stick it out till the brutal end.
Elevem: Cousins of the Elves who never left the Feyworld. They have an affinity for magic, especially charm magic.
Elf: Wild and primal, yet controlled and civilized. Masters of tracking and expert hunters.
Half-man: Caught between two worlds, the half-man is the byproduct of an elf and a human, with a powerful build and thirst for adventure mixed with unmatched grace and skill.
Human: Intelligent people with a thirst for adventure and a need to spread civilization.
Zaron: The spawn of the group of humans who attempted to steal the power of the Nine Hells for themselves. Their plan backfired, and their offspring became horribly cursed.
Background
A background in game terms is a loose representation of where you come from. It consists of a profession, a motivation, and your personal history. A background adds to your skill list and gives you a relatively minor feature.
Profession
A profession is your job in the world. It can range from blacksmith to pirate to wizard’s apprentice. It opens up additional skills and gives you a feature at level 1, 11, 21 and 30. At these levels, you are considered to have significantly risen in skill and reputation among your field, till at level 30 you transcend the bounds of mortal possibility. A blacksmith could craft magical weaponry at level 11, and perhaps at level 30 he is capable of creating artifacts of legend. A pirate might be a master navigator at 11th, and at 30th he can truly control the seas and the winds. As a note, professions fall under general categories. The pirate example here is merely a subset of the seaman. When you (the character choose a profession (in game), you (the player) choose the one that bests fits your idea. Also, keep in mind that not having a profession doesn’t mean that one can’t perform a trade. A blacksmith might be able to navigate the seas quite well, but he has no mechanics to back it up.
Theme
A theme represents what sets you apart fate- and personality-wise instead of power-wise; what makes your character unique in the world. A theme is sometimes similar to a profession, but is more of a calling or a way of life rather than a job. While you might be a blacksmith, perhaps you power your forges with elemental power you earned from being a Firelord. Or maybe you are a Magical Beast Tamer who looks toward the wild for companionship. While your profession might be pirate, your theme might be Seafaring Captain, or Watershifter. A theme is generally magical in nature, allowing you to preform magical deeds that would normally be impossible, such as shaping water or wrapping shadows around yourself.
Other Elements
Obviously, there are other elements to a character that really flesh him out. These include the powers from your class, which offer ways of many different ways of supporting playstyles. A warrior who uses Come and Get it to get enemies near him and then uses Sweeping Strike is very different from one who uses stances or chooses the Improvisation class feature. Another major part of your character is feats and talents. A feat is gained at level 1, 11, and 21, and every even level, and a talent is gained at every level where you don’t gain a feat. A feat has a direct combat bonus which is noticeable usually in every combat, or thereabouts. Talents allow for out-of-combat customization. They are one of the only core bits of the game that commonly takes Game Master interpretation. Some might grant a bonus to skills, while others grant you bonuses during certain interactions.
Leveling Up
Leveling up is a near-universal system used for character progression in class-based games. It represents a significant increase in character progression. A common amount of time between level ups is about ten encounters, with the amount varying depending on a number of factors, such as completing a quest, facing an extra hard or extra easy battle, or meeting an important milestone. Leveling up grants you either a feat or a talent, and a power or feature (or two), at its core. Leveling up usually happens during downtime, or perhaps before a climactic battle when the PCs have to go all out and realize they have powers they never could use before. Going from one Caliber to the next is a much steeper transition, and usually involves the completion or significant advancement of a plot arc which, in some way, grants the PCs access to great new powers. Alternatively, it could be represented by a cleric’s god elevating him to the next level after a significant achievement in the name of the god, a wizard’s breakthrough in arcane science that results in his new power, a high-stakes bargain with your patron, or a cataclysmic event that mutates the characters into greater beings if they survive.
Retraining
When you level up, you may trade any one feat, power, skill training, or talent you have for any other that you qualify for. Some DMs might rule that you can retrain more than one component a level. A DM is allowed to reject a choice on the grounds that it was obviously done for optimization purposes (if that’s discouraged; quite a few groups are fine with Min/Maxing). You can only trade powers and feats you gain from power progression, not from class features. You can’t retrain anything that would cause you to no longer qualify for any other game element. You can replace lower level feats and talents with higher level ones, but you can’t do this with powers. If a skill is a class feature, you can’t retrain it.
The Three Calibers
Foresight is divided into three “calibers” of play, each of which represent a different dynamic. These changes in dynamic can be summed up as such: Save the kingdom, save the world, save the universe. Adventurer caliber heroes, or “save the kingdom”-type play, is represented by levels 1-10, Champion caliber heroes, or “save the world” gaming, is represented by levels 11-20. Finally, you progress into “save the universe” gameplay, or the Legendary caliber, which is levels 21-30. However, level 30 is different. It represents the pinnacle of heroics, where your abilities progress beyond understanding, and you become legends. You fulfill the legend associated with your Legendary Path, which ranges from becoming a god to going down in history as the face of a rebellion that changed the world to becoming a part of music itself. Level 30 represents a power increase similar to that of a caliber change, but in unique, less mechanical ways, where fighting in the traditional sense doesn’t work. In fact, special monsters are designed specifically for this purpose, to challenge you beyond just hit points and damage. Level 30 usually involves the wrapping up of all major plotlines and perhaps an epic battle with the main villain(s) of the campaign. And pizza, of course.
Adventurer Caliber
You are a hero, set above the common man by luck and ability. Every city you save brings you closer to your hinted destiny. You travel from town to town by horseback, driving off kobolds and earning wealth and status. Monsters come in hordes at you, but you manage to fend them off. Adventurer caliber heroes save villages, cities, and even kingdoms from destruction. These heroes are making a name for themselves.
Champion Caliber
The stakes are raised in the Champion Caliber. Monsters might still swarm you, but they are now just mere annoyances. The real threat lies with the great dragons, crime bosses, and threats from other planes. At Champion Caliber, you gain a Way, which is a focus of your ability to become even more powerful, and a step towards your destiny. The masses look up to you; you are exemplars of heroism. You might lead great armies into battle, or make deals with the gods themselves. Travel is trivial; you rely on flight and teleportation to get you where you need to go. You go where no man has before. A great threat has been posed to the world, and you’re the ones to stop it.
Legendary Caliber
At Legendary Caliber, the heroes fly and teleport around the battlefield while their blades clash with dragons and their spells roll off their fingertips. Truly epic power is attainable. Warriors split mountains, mages alter reality, and priests make miracles. You can teleport great distances in the blink of an eye, and you might become rulers of kingdoms, leaders of rebellions, or champions of light. You fight fledging gods, demon lords, and monsters from the great beyond. Your destiny becomes apparent, and you begin your path towards immortality.
Level 30 and Immortality
At the very end of Legendary caliber, you attain your destiny. You become a god, or weave your soul into the Great Song. This level is spent on final battles which involve fighting the main villain(s) of the campaign and the like. Combat as previously balanced degrades, and a whole new system for final battles is put in place. After you defeat the villain, save the world, or otherwise complete the campaign, you put your affairs in order before truly fulfilling your destiny and gaining immortality. Immortality is not always literal. The Master of Shadows instead goes down in history (after an extended lifetime born from the god’s respect for what he has done) as the greatest infiltrator ever, using stealth instead of great force to bring down evil. The Storyteller creates a legend at 30th level and literally becomes part of it. The Archmage dissolves into the arcane, becoming a source of power for wizards and perhaps a patron for warlocks. Exarch, Demigod, and Primal Spirit involve literal immortality as a divine being.


Character Sheet
Coming soon!(ish)

Combat

A skirmish between a band of goblins and a few explorers out to make some quick money. A three-way battle between a powerful demon, a group of seasoned adventurers, and two iron golems protecting an artifact of power. An all-out battle pitting a party of legendary heroes against a corrupted archmage about to bring destruction upon the world. These are all examples of combat. Combat happens when you encounter a significant and aggressive threat. This chapter details rules for combat, including:

• The Combat Round: The order of operations in combat.
• Action Economy: Types of actions, and how often and in what situations you can use them.
• Attacking and Defending: The basics of killing and not dying.
• Tactical Movement: Information of the various movement modes, and tips on how to use them.
• Actions in Combat: A summary of all the game-related actions you can take outside of powers, class features, etc.
• Life and Death: All about hit points and dying.

Races
Elevem
“I see you have attempted to wound me. Believe me, that will not work. One second I am here, the next I am not.
<statblock>
Racial Traits
Skills: Arcana, History, Acrobatics
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Elven
Skills: Arcana, History
Majesty: Wounded creatures take Combat Disadvantage against you, and you gain Offensive Advantage.
Elevem Talent: You may master teleportation rituals and gain Advantage on all rolls relating to those rituals. You gain a bonus skill training in a knowledge skill.
Trance: You do not have to sleep. Instead, you enter a trance in which you can detect moving objects around you but cannot tell what they are. You must only trace for 4 hours to gain the benefit of a 6 hour rest.
Choose one of the following:
Fey Passage: Your Fey Travel now has the True keyword. You do not have to make a saving throw to escape any hold.
Farther Travel: Fey Travel now teleports you an additional square per caliber.
Choose one of the following:
Noble: You gain advantage on diplomacy checks and intimidate checks. You are treated favorably by those who respect or fear the fey.
Fey Journeyman: You may master any teleportation ritual. You may use Fey Travel as a 1st level ritual that teleports you and up to four allies 10 miles per caliber, but only if you end up in a wilderness environment.
Power:
Fey Travel
Move * Encounter
Effect: You teleport your speed
<endstatblock>

Dragonkin
“Don’t think ‘honorable’ will get you any pity, demon.”
<statblock>
Racial Traits
Skills: History, Intimidate, Heal
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Draconic
Dragon’s Frenzy: You gain Combat Advantage when you are wounded.
Respected: You gain a friendly relationship with anyone who would otherwise be considered neutral.
Choose one of the following:
Draconic Vitality: You add your Secondary to your Healing Surge Value (working title).
Burning Breath: Your Dragon Breath deals 3/5/10 per tier in ongoing damage.
Greater Breath: Your breath weapon is a close blast 5 instead of 3.
Choose one of the following:
Honor: You gain advantage on diplomacy and intimidate as long as you have not failed a bluff check against any of the creatures you are using the skill on.
Minor Fire Breathing: You may use a minor version of your breath weapon to light fires, corrode small amounts of organic material, lightly poison a drink (5min after drinking, save or take 5 damage, non-lethal), or other insignificant effects related to the types of damage your breath weapon can deal.
Power:
Dragon Breath
Minor * Encounter
Target: Blast 3
Attack: vs Reflex
Hit: 1d6+Primary.
Special: This attack deals Fire, Cold, Acid, Poison, or Lightning damage, chosen when you gain the power.
<endstatblock>

Dwarf
“Hold the line! Our brethren, kings, and history depend on us.”
<statblock>
Skills: History, Athletics, Endurance
Speed: 5 squares
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Dwarven
Steadfast: You gain a saving throw to avoid falling prone if an effect would make you. You may move one less square of involuntary movement whenever an effect causes you to.
Cast-Iron Stomach: You gain advantage on endurance checks. You never become intoxicated. You may use endurance instead of acrobatics to lower falling damage.
Choose one of the Following:
Ignore Encumbrance: You take no check penalty or speed penalty from armor.
Dwarven Resurgence: You may use Recover as a minor action.
Choose one of the following:
Forgeborn: You may craft at 1/3 the normal cost of an item. When making magic items, you gain advantage on the crafting roll.
From the Stone: You gain a +2 bonus on dungeoneering checks. You can always tell how far you are underground and determine the stability of a stone structure. You gain tremorsense 1 when on stone.
Power:
Rock Solid
Minor*Encounter
Effect: You gain resist 5/caliber to all damage until EONT.

pasko77
2012-08-11, 01:44 PM
A few lame questions:
- is there a reason for changing "tier" into "caliber"? Is it just change for change's sake?
- by the introduction of the first "caliber", you imply that PCs are superior to normal people right from the start. So the question is the same that I would pose to a 4th ed DM. Can you simulate a "lucky scoundrel" approach, in which, as in the first edition, there was no guarantee your PC is a special snowflake?
- Why all the different dice sizes? I'd like to point you to WHFRpg, which, from first to second edition, changed from "all dice" to "only d10" to stremline mechanics.
Is there a reason to keep all of these different randomizers?

I'll follow your thread, and make more questions in the following.

Zelkon
2012-08-11, 02:56 PM
A few lame questions:
- is there a reason for changing "tier" into "caliber"? Is it just change for change's sake?
- by the introduction of the first "caliber", you imply that PCs are superior to normal people right from the start. So the question is the same that I would pose to a 4th ed DM. Can you simulate a "lucky scoundrel" approach, in which, as in the first edition, there was no guarantee your PC is a special snowflake?
- Why all the different dice sizes? I'd like to point you to WHFRpg, which, from first to second edition, changed from "all dice" to "only d10" to stremline mechanics.
Is there a reason to keep all of these different randomizers?

I'll follow your thread, and make more questions in the following.

Thanks for starting the conversation.
-Not necessarily, but I really don't want a lawsuit. Caliber seems more "in-life" than tier, but I don't have any special connection. If you have a better word, I'd love to hear it; I was a tad reluctant about caliber in the first place.
-Note the Appendix. It's not part of the regular game because of the spirit of 4e, which implies that the characters are BIG DAMN HEROES.
-Well, that's quite a diversion from the source material. Plus, I think that having different random values is a good balancing mechanic. You could deal 1d6 and daze, or 2d6 and nothing. Just a single dice gets a bit static in a game such as D&D. Plus, the majority of the rolls will be d20. So I don't really think it's a problem.

Zelkon
2012-08-18, 10:32 AM
Added a few races to the OP.
Races:Races
Elevem
“I see you have attempted to wound me. Believe me, that will not work. One second I am here, the next I am not.
<statblock>
Racial Traits
Skills: Arcana, History, Acrobatics
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Elven
Skills: Arcana, History
Majesty: Wounded creatures take Combat Disadvantage against you, and you gain Offensive Advantage.
Elevem Talent: You may master teleportation rituals and gain Advantage on all rolls relating to those rituals. You gain a bonus skill training in a knowledge skill.
Trance: You do not have to sleep. Instead, you enter a trance in which you can detect moving objects around you but cannot tell what they are. You must only trace for 4 hours to gain the benefit of a 6 hour rest.
Choose one of the following:
Fey Passage: Your Fey Travel now has the True keyword. You do not have to make a saving throw to escape any hold.
Farther Travel: Fey Travel now teleports you an additional square per caliber.
Choose one of the following:
Noble: You gain advantage on diplomacy checks and intimidate checks. You are treated favorably by those who respect or fear the fey.
Fey Journeyman: You may master any teleportation ritual. You may use Fey Travel as a 1st level ritual that teleports you and up to four allies 10 miles per caliber, but only if you end up in a wilderness environment.
Power:
Fey Travel
Move * Encounter
Effect: You teleport your speed
<endstatblock>























Dragonkin
“Don’t think ‘honorable’ will get you any pity, demon.”
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Racial Traits
Skills: History, Intimidate, Heal
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal
Languages: Draconic
Dragon’s Frenzy: You gain Combat Advantage when you are wounded.
Respected: You gain a friendly relationship with anyone who would otherwise be considered neutral.
Choose one of the following:
Draconic Vitality: You add your Secondary to your Healing Surge Value (working title).
Burning Breath: Your Dragon Breath deals 3/5/10 per tier in ongoing damage.
Greater Breath: Your breath weapon is a close blast 5 instead of 3.
Choose one of the following:
Honor: You gain advantage on diplomacy and intimidate as long as you have not failed a bluff check against any of the creatures you are using the skill on.
Minor Fire Breathing: You may use a minor version of your breath weapon to light fires, corrode small amounts of organic material, lightly poison a drink (5min after drinking, save or take 5 damage, non-lethal), or other insignificant effects related to the types of damage your breath weapon can deal.
Power:
Dragon Breath
Minor * Encounter
Target: Blast 3
Attack: vs Reflex
Hit: 1d6+Primary.
Special: This attack deals Fire, Cold, Acid, Poison, or Lightning damage, chosen when you gain the power.
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Dwarf
“Hold the line! Our brethren, kings, and history depend on us.”
<statblock>
Skills: History, Athletics, Endurance
Speed: 5 squares
Vision: Low-Light
Languages: Dwarven
Steadfast: You gain a saving throw to avoid falling prone if an effect would make you. You may move one less square of involuntary movement whenever an effect causes you to.
Cast-Iron Stomach: You gain advantage on endurance checks. You never become intoxicated. You may use endurance instead of acrobatics to lower falling damage.
Choose one of the Following:
Ignore Encumbrance: You take no check penalty or speed penalty from armor.
Dwarven Resurgence: You may use Recover as a minor action.
Choose one of the following:
Forgeborn: You may craft at 1/3 the normal cost of an item. When making magic items, you gain advantage on the crafting roll.
From the Stone: You gain a +2 bonus on dungeoneering checks. You can always tell how far you are underground and determine the stability of a stone structure. You gain tremorsense 1 when on stone.
Power:
Rock Solid
Minor*Encounter
Effect: You gain resist 5/caliber to all damage until EONT.

erikun
2012-08-18, 11:42 PM
I do find it odd that you mention the D&D4 Open Gaming License, but don't seem to have read it or are using it. You can find it here, (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/welcome) and one big thing to note is that it's called the Game System License.

On the other hand, if you're not planning on using it, then you probably shouldn't mention it.

Zelkon
2012-08-19, 07:59 AM
I do find it odd that you mention the D&D4 Open Gaming License, but don't seem to have read it or are using it. You can find it here, (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/welcome) and one big thing to note is that it's called the Game System License.

On the other hand, if you're not planning on using it, then you probably shouldn't mention it.

Actualy, the only thing the 4e license is good for is power names. I'm using the 3.5 OGL for things like HP, stats, pretty much names for everything. Usually a legal discussion breaks out, but it's pretty much been confirmed that doing it under the OGL is possible.
Edit: think of it like a retro clone. Those guys use the OGL, and so can this. It's actualy quite interesting how similar the games are before you add in classes.

charcoalninja
2012-08-21, 02:13 PM
One thing to note that if you're using the 4e GSL, its references and names take priority over the OGL. Thus if you use the word elf, or eladrin, or pit fiend, while linking your product to the GSL, it is the 4e definition of the term that applies, and the GSL restrictions that come with it, not the OGL mechanics.

At least that's my understanding.