Step One: Changing Ability Score to Elemental Affinities

[Philemonite]

I'm starting my big project. I'm taking D&D, changing everything about it, and making my own system. So, I'm starting with the ability score.

There are 8 elemental affinities:Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Holy, Shadow, Ice, Lightning.

STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS and CHA no longer exist.

Every ability you can use(a spell, weapon techniques, skills...) has it's own elemental and property(I will probably change this to something else, when I think of a a better name).

There are 3 properties:Physical(Body), Mental(Mind) and Energy(Soul)

This will be removed, instead every ability is Elemental, Physical, Energy or Mental. Making every ability elemental is almost impossible.

Physical/Mental/Energy Power/Resistance is based on your elemental affinities.
This means that 3 elemental affinities are used for defense, 3 are used for power, and 2 are used just for their own elemental.

Here's an example:
You are targeted by a Flame Arrow, and that is a Fire/Physical attack.
You add your Fire Affinity bonus to your defense, as well as Affinity that is connected to your Physical defense (and that is class depended).

Ability-Any action you can perform in combat other them movement is called Ability. Abilities are divided in Techniques(weapon based), Magic and Skills(everything else).

Affinity-Every person has affinity for the 8 elementals. This represents how well they channel that particular elemental. They also affect your Physical, Mental and Energy Power/Defense. This are represented with numerical values, and they can be bonuses (positive) or penalties (negative)

Power-Power affects every ability you can use. It is divided in Physical, Mental, Energy and Elemental(each elemental individually). It is derived from your elemental affinities as well as any trait that modifies power.

Defense-Defense affects every negative ability you are targeted by. It can reduce the damage you receive or reduce the time of a status effect. It is divided in Physical, Mental, Energy and Elemental(each elemental individually). It is derived from your elemental affinities as well as any trait that modifies defense.

[Yitzi]

The system seems interesting, though I hope you realize that you pretty much have to use a setting where everyone uses mystical abilities; without mystical abilities it doesn't make sense for your attack and defense to depend more on elemental affinities than on physical strength/durability.

Also, when something so fundamental is class-dependent, you'd better decide early on whether you're going to allow multiclassing, and if so how it'll work in terms of determining which affinity affects which properties.

[Philemonite]

The setting will be very elemental focused, so even warriors will have elemental slashes and similar moves. Elementals will not be just magical.
Your class is determined by combining your techniques(weapon abilities), magic(mystical abilities) and skills(everything else). Every class will actually be a multiclass.
Ranger can be a combination of Archery techniques, Rough tricks and Primal magic.
But that will come later.

[Yitzi]

The setting will be very elemental focused, so even warriors will have elemental slashes and similar moves. Elementals will not be just magical.

Something that's that elementally focused pretty much has to be mystical. It doesn't have to be magical per se (the D&D monk isn't really "magical", but can work with that), but it will have to have a mystical feel.

Warriors having elemental slashes isn't enough; they have to have only elemental-powered abilities (even their basic physical attacks have to be somewhat elemental in nature), as there's no STR or CON for anything else to be based on. That implies something at least as mystical as the D&D monk...which is probably where you were heading anyway. But there's not going to be room for the "hit the other guy with my sword without involving anything that doesn't exist in the real world" archetype.


Your class is determined by combining your techniques(weapon abilities), magic(mystical abilities) and skills(everything else). Every class will actually be a multiclass.

Ah, modular classes. Sounds fun. But in that case, which one will affect which element adds to your physical attack and defense? (And similarly for magic and energy)? In particular, what's to prevent the use of a combination that's close to SAD?

[Philemonite]

Something that's that elementally focused pretty much has to be mystical. It doesn't have to be magical per se (the D&D monk isn't really "magical", but can work with that), but it will have to have a mystical feel.

Warriors having elemental slashes isn't enough; they have to have only elemental-powered abilities (even their basic physical attacks have to be somewhat elemental in nature), as there's no STR or CON for anything else to be based on. That implies something at least as mystical as the D&D monk...which is probably where you were heading anyway. But there's not going to be room for the "hit the other guy with my sword without involving anything that doesn't exist in the real world" archetype.

There will be no standard attack, instead you will have basic abilities that are like at-will abilities from 4e and higher level abilities that need to be charged.


Ah, modular classes. Sounds fun. But in that case, which one will affect which element adds to your physical attack and defense? (And similarly for magic and energy)? In particular, what's to prevent the use of a combination that's close to SAD?

Actually, your class is a combination of three archetypes, and archetypes do not affect your "elemental redistribution", just the class does.

Edit:

Using the Ranger example he can have something like this:

Physical Power-Wind
Mental Power-Fire
Energy Power-Ice

Physical Defense-Earth
Mental Defense-Water
Energy Defense-Lightning

[Yitzi]

There will be no standard attack, instead you will have basic abilities that are like at-will abilities from 4e and higher level abilities that need to be charged.

Ok...this is looking interesting, though far less flexible in flavor than D&D is (especially with homebrew).


Actually, your class is a combination of three archetypes, and archetypes do not affect your "elemental redistribution", just the class does.

Wait...if you can put any three archetypes together, how do you use that to get the "elemental redistribution" if not from the archetypes themselves?

[Philemonite]

Ok...this is looking interesting, though far less flexible in flavor than D&D is (especially with homebrew).



Wait...if you can put any three archetypes together, how do you use that to get the "elemental redistribution" if not from the archetypes themselves?

It will be like removing martial power source from 4e, every other power source can fit into my system.
You can't pick any three, I will start with a small number of classes that will define the most common combinations, and add more to it. There will also be alternate variations of some(all?) classes that use different archetypes(Dual Blade instead of Archery for Ranger).

[Yitzi]

Ok, as long as you've realized that you won't be able to include martial as a power source and are ok with that.

[Philemonite]

Ok, as long as you've realized that you won't be able to include martial as a power source and are ok with that.

I'm not a big fan of martial power source.:smallbiggrin:

Any class can use weapon technique, some better then others. (a Paladin is better front liner then a Druid). It shouldn't be a trouble to make a fighter-type, he will just have some more options.

I think I can start making the archetypes, but I still welcome any comment about this.

[Yitzi]

I'm not a big fan of martial power source.:smallbiggrin:

Any class can use weapon technique, some better then others.

It can't just be a plain weapon technique, though; it has to use his power source somehow or else it wouldn't be affected by his class's "physical offense" elemental affinity. (If I pick up a stick and use it to hit someone, I'm not using any elemental affinities.)

[Nightraiderx]

Just because you have elemental attributes does not explicitly mean
that there is no room for "non-elemental" abilities, because the elements also
convey personality ideas and so forth.

Fire - Brave, Encouraging, Wrath, Strength
Wind - Swift, Agile, Accurate
Earth -Stoic Solid
Water - Fluid, Adaptive
Holy - Gentle, Invigorating
Shadow -Sly, Deceptive, Manipulating
Ice - Cold, Calculating
Lightning - Fast, Erratic

For an example, changing a barbarian to use
Physical - Lightning
Mental -Earth
Energy - Fire

Lightning, physical represents the barbarians swift, but erratic swings and recklessness.

Mental being Earth, represents the barbarians stubbornness and aversion to change

Energy being Fire which fuels his rage, bolstering his other abilities and also intimidating and fear.

A monk may be mystical, but it doesn't mean that the elements are explicit to only doing elemental attacks but also emulating a personality or fighting style.


And for the example of just picking up the stick and hitting someone?
Blunt, simple straightfoward, Earth physical attribute.

[Philemonite]

Just because you have elemental attributes does not explicitly mean
that there is no room for "non-elemental" abilities, because the elements also
convey personality ideas and so forth.

Fire - Brave, Encouraging, Wrath, Strength
Wind - Swift, Agile, Accurate
Earth -Stoic Solid
Water - Fluid, Adaptive
Holy - Gentle, Invigorating
Shadow -Sly, Deceptive, Manipulating
Ice - Cold, Calculating
Lightning - Fast, Erratic

For an example, changing a barbarian to use
Physical - Lightning
Mental -Earth
Energy - Fire

Lightning, physical represents the barbarians swift, but erratic swings and recklessness.

Mental being Earth, represents the barbarians stubbornness and aversion to change

Energy being Fire which fuels his rage, bolstering his other abilities and also intimidating and fear.

A monk may be mystical, but it doesn't mean that the elements are explicit to only doing elemental attacks but also emulating a personality or fighting style.


And for the example of just picking up the stick and hitting someone?
Blunt, simple straightfoward, Earth physical attribute.

That is what I was thinking with elemental distribution, elementals have different meaning to different classes.
Every ability being elemental avoids dump stats, even the elementals that are not used for power/defense are important, and you at least want to avoid penalties.

[Nightraiderx]

That's what I felt you meant when you created it. I do have some questions though, will some defenses count twice? Like lets say I use a fire element fireball against someone who has fire element as a mental ability, does his natural resistance (since it is fire) and his defensive ability (which is also fire due to his class designation). count twice against it?

Will there be a weakness/strength cycle based on the attributes?
Fire weak against Water
Water weak against Lightning
Lightning weak against Ground
Ground weak against Wind
Wind weak against Ice
Ice Weak against Fire

Holy weak against Shadow (when holy defends against shadow)
Shadow weak against Holy (when holy attacks against shadow )

[Philemonite]

That's what I felt you meant when you created it. I do have some questions though, will some defenses count twice? Like lets say I use a fire element fireball against someone who has fire element as a mental ability, does his natural resistance (since it is fire) and his defensive ability (which is also fire due to his class designation). count twice against it?

Will there be a weakness/strength cycle based on the attributes?
Fire weak against Water
Water weak against Lightning
Lightning weak against Ground
Ground weak against Wind
Wind weak against Ice
Ice Weak against Fire

Holy weak against Shadow (when holy defends against shadow)
Shadow weak against Holy (when holy attacks against shadow )

Yes to both questions.
If you have high fire affinity and fire as Mental Defense, you will be almost immune to fireball.
I was thinking of the same elemental wheel, with Shadow and Holy in the middle.
So, if someone casts fireball at you and you have Ice as your Mental Defense part of your Ice affinity will be ignored.

[Nightraiderx]

Are you going to use the standard modifier formula (Score-10)/2 rounded down formula? or something a bit different?

[Philemonite]

Are you going to use the standard modifier formula (Score-10)/2 rounded down formula? or something a bit different?

No minus, no round down, just the affinity bonus or penalty, like in true 20.

[Kedyn's Crow]

Ice and Water as separate elements? Electricity seems like an odd element, too.

Some other options: Wood, Metal (although this one might just be part of earth), Magic, Life, Spirit

This may just be personal preference, but logically, the idea of Water and Ice as separate elements would probably bother me to the point that I couldn't play the game. It also seems like it really weakens Water to take Ice away from it.

[Philemonite]

It is very common in JRPGs. Water represents kindness and adaptability while Ice represents emotional detachment and precision. It's a standard set of elementals in JRPGs and I like the elemental wheel.:smallwink:

Life can fit into Holy and Spirit into Energy(Soul).

Thanks for your comment.:smallbiggrin: