Leush
2006-12-14, 09:53 AM
An even more generic class system...
Here is something which doesn't really belong, in rigid, inflexible, broken D&D, but I thought, 'Hey, lets give it a try.' It is more of a little 'project' and I would welcome anyone who is interested in playing around with the idea and refining it, that and constructive criticism. I don't need to hear how stupid and unnecessary this is; i have brain enough to know just how much so this is.
So I've been toying around with the idea of making our good, old generic classes even more generic than before. After looking at Unearthed Arcana's generic system I found it to be lacking of a few features, noteably:
-Hit dice other than d4, d6 and d10.
-Badic Music and Lore.
-Prepared Spellcasting, no matter how 'unbalanced' it is.
-Rogue & Ranger skill progression.
In other words, the system is good, and allows for some things that normal core games do not allow, but on the other hand disallows some of the normally allowed features, which really bugged me.
Now what I had in mind is a kind of point buy system which will allow for more or less balanced[ish] classes. The idea is that when a character levels up, they get several 'character points' and these can be used to buy class features, including spellcasting, feats, improved BAB and save progressions and so forth and so on.
At level 1 the character would gain roughly 4 times as many points.
So here is how it would break down.
-----------------------------------------------------
At level 1 character automatically acquires;
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BaB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- A feat,
- 4*2 skill points (And 6 class skills) +4*Int Bonus.
- 30 or so character points, which can be carried to the further levels if need be.
When a character makes a level, they automatically acquire;
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BAB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- 2 Skillpoints (And 6 Class Skills) +Int Bonus, (Skill Cap. applies)
- 7 or 8 character points, depending on the power level of the game. These can be carried forewards to further levels if need be.
In addition they get the usual,
-1 Feat per three levels and an ability boost every four levels.
'Character points can, as stated above, be used to 'buy' improved class features:
- [ONCE PER SAVE] New Good Save (+1/3 -> 2 +2/3): 3Pt
- Good Save (+1/3 -> +2/3): 1Pt
- 0.5 -> +3/4 BAB: 1Pt
- 0.5 -> +1BAB: 2Pt
- +2 Skill points (and +6 Class skills) (to a max of 8?): 1Pt (Skill Cap. applies)- note cost quadruples at lvl 1.
- Swap out a class skill: 1Pt
- d4 -> d6: 1Pt
- d4 -> d8: 2Pt
- d4 -> d10: 3Pt
- d4 -> d12: 4Pt
- Bonus Feat or Special Ability (eg Bardic Music, Wildshape, Trapfinding, hide in Plan sight): 3Pt
- Spell level (Batteries not included): 6Pt (Level 0 costs 3Pt) -Note: the highest level of spell one can cast is equal to his level, plus one, halved. You must have all lower spell levels before investing in a new one.
- Spell Slot: 1Pt -Note: You cannot have more spell slots of a higher level spell than of alower level spell.
- 2 Cantrips: 1Pt
- Spell: 1Pt -Note: If you are a spontaneous caster, you cannot have more spells of a higher level than of a lower level.
----------------------------------------------------
Example: So you have Farmer McPloughy, a level 0 commoner, who having had a traumatic experience involving one too many man eating potatoes, decides to go forth and adventure, becoming a level one character1 He is an average joe with stats of 13, 10, 14, 8, 8, 12, which sucks, but hey! Life is life!
As a level one character he gets:
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BaB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- A feat (Skill Focus: Knowledge Nature)
- 2*4 skill points (and 6 shiney class skills) +4*Int Bonus.
- 30 or so character points, which can be carried to the further levels if need be.
He decides to buy:
- d4 -> d10: 3Pt
- A good Fort Save and Will Save (+1/3 -> 2 +2/3): 3Pt +3Pt
- Good BAB: 2Pt
- Light Armor, Simple & Martial Weapon proficencies: (3+3+3) Pt
- Favoured Enemy (Plant): 3Pt
- +2*4 Skillpoints (and 6 more shiney class skills): 4*1 Pt
-Track: 3Pt
Note: This is very rangerish.
Now he goes forth and adventures for a while slaying the leader of the eil potatoes, and makes a level, getting:
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BAB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- 2 Skillpoints (And 6 Class Skills) +Int Bonus, (Skill Cap. applies)
- 7 or 8 character points, depending on the power level of the game. These can be carried forewards to further levels if need be.
Now he wants to become a spellcaster, like uncle Roger, but still remain sturdy, so, he does this with his 8 Points:
- d4 -> d10: 3Pt
-Continues Good Will Save and BAB: 3Pt
-Leaves Skillpoints and saves 2Pt for later.
He then goes on to track down andkill the cultist behind the evil potatoes and makes another level; level 3; he now has 10 Points (8 +2 from level 2)
So he does this:
-d4 -> d10: 3Pt
-Continues Good Will Save and Medium BAb: 2Pt
-Takes Spell Level 0: 3Pt
-Takes 2 Cantrips: 1 Pt
-Takes a Lvl 0 Spell Slot: 1 Pt
----
Now this may not be a good build as it is off the top of my head, but it is an example of how it can work for Farmer McPloughy
-------------------------------------------------------------
A note on spellcasting: Spellcasting can be either preparatory as a wizard's or spontaneous as a sorcerer's.
The point thingy needs a little work I think, but it seems to give similar values for core classes, although not the same values, which is to be expected, since, well, they're not exactly a paragon of balance and I haven't done any statistics to try and work out how balanced D&D is, because, well, despite being a geek, I don't have eternity.
I have a four three major problems with this system:
- Special Abilities have to be converted into feats, which is partially done by Unearthed Arcana, but needs to be worked on
- Spell Like abilities, and I don't mean things like bardic music or wildshape- I haven't worked them in but am thinking of something like 2 Pt per ability, and 1Pt per use of said ability and the same restrictions as spell levels applying and something like expending a kazillion points to get a SPA at will...
-There seems to be an imbalance towards non-magic types in level one, although this is hardly a problem, since they're supposedly weaker anyway.
-Mommy I'm scared! They're going to pick this to pieces with their stupid logic and rational thought. Waaa!
A question for the audience: Does anyone have experience with the seed based spellcasting system and how it could be incorporated into this?
Anyway: Comment!
Here is something which doesn't really belong, in rigid, inflexible, broken D&D, but I thought, 'Hey, lets give it a try.' It is more of a little 'project' and I would welcome anyone who is interested in playing around with the idea and refining it, that and constructive criticism. I don't need to hear how stupid and unnecessary this is; i have brain enough to know just how much so this is.
So I've been toying around with the idea of making our good, old generic classes even more generic than before. After looking at Unearthed Arcana's generic system I found it to be lacking of a few features, noteably:
-Hit dice other than d4, d6 and d10.
-Badic Music and Lore.
-Prepared Spellcasting, no matter how 'unbalanced' it is.
-Rogue & Ranger skill progression.
In other words, the system is good, and allows for some things that normal core games do not allow, but on the other hand disallows some of the normally allowed features, which really bugged me.
Now what I had in mind is a kind of point buy system which will allow for more or less balanced[ish] classes. The idea is that when a character levels up, they get several 'character points' and these can be used to buy class features, including spellcasting, feats, improved BAB and save progressions and so forth and so on.
At level 1 the character would gain roughly 4 times as many points.
So here is how it would break down.
-----------------------------------------------------
At level 1 character automatically acquires;
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BaB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- A feat,
- 4*2 skill points (And 6 class skills) +4*Int Bonus.
- 30 or so character points, which can be carried to the further levels if need be.
When a character makes a level, they automatically acquire;
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BAB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- 2 Skillpoints (And 6 Class Skills) +Int Bonus, (Skill Cap. applies)
- 7 or 8 character points, depending on the power level of the game. These can be carried forewards to further levels if need be.
In addition they get the usual,
-1 Feat per three levels and an ability boost every four levels.
'Character points can, as stated above, be used to 'buy' improved class features:
- [ONCE PER SAVE] New Good Save (+1/3 -> 2 +2/3): 3Pt
- Good Save (+1/3 -> +2/3): 1Pt
- 0.5 -> +3/4 BAB: 1Pt
- 0.5 -> +1BAB: 2Pt
- +2 Skill points (and +6 Class skills) (to a max of 8?): 1Pt (Skill Cap. applies)- note cost quadruples at lvl 1.
- Swap out a class skill: 1Pt
- d4 -> d6: 1Pt
- d4 -> d8: 2Pt
- d4 -> d10: 3Pt
- d4 -> d12: 4Pt
- Bonus Feat or Special Ability (eg Bardic Music, Wildshape, Trapfinding, hide in Plan sight): 3Pt
- Spell level (Batteries not included): 6Pt (Level 0 costs 3Pt) -Note: the highest level of spell one can cast is equal to his level, plus one, halved. You must have all lower spell levels before investing in a new one.
- Spell Slot: 1Pt -Note: You cannot have more spell slots of a higher level spell than of alower level spell.
- 2 Cantrips: 1Pt
- Spell: 1Pt -Note: If you are a spontaneous caster, you cannot have more spells of a higher level than of a lower level.
----------------------------------------------------
Example: So you have Farmer McPloughy, a level 0 commoner, who having had a traumatic experience involving one too many man eating potatoes, decides to go forth and adventure, becoming a level one character1 He is an average joe with stats of 13, 10, 14, 8, 8, 12, which sucks, but hey! Life is life!
As a level one character he gets:
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BaB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- A feat (Skill Focus: Knowledge Nature)
- 2*4 skill points (and 6 shiney class skills) +4*Int Bonus.
- 30 or so character points, which can be carried to the further levels if need be.
He decides to buy:
- d4 -> d10: 3Pt
- A good Fort Save and Will Save (+1/3 -> 2 +2/3): 3Pt +3Pt
- Good BAB: 2Pt
- Light Armor, Simple & Martial Weapon proficencies: (3+3+3) Pt
- Favoured Enemy (Plant): 3Pt
- +2*4 Skillpoints (and 6 more shiney class skills): 4*1 Pt
-Track: 3Pt
Note: This is very rangerish.
Now he goes forth and adventures for a while slaying the leader of the eil potatoes, and makes a level, getting:
- a d4 HD,
- +0.5 to BAB,
- +1/3 to each saving throw,
- 2 Skillpoints (And 6 Class Skills) +Int Bonus, (Skill Cap. applies)
- 7 or 8 character points, depending on the power level of the game. These can be carried forewards to further levels if need be.
Now he wants to become a spellcaster, like uncle Roger, but still remain sturdy, so, he does this with his 8 Points:
- d4 -> d10: 3Pt
-Continues Good Will Save and BAB: 3Pt
-Leaves Skillpoints and saves 2Pt for later.
He then goes on to track down andkill the cultist behind the evil potatoes and makes another level; level 3; he now has 10 Points (8 +2 from level 2)
So he does this:
-d4 -> d10: 3Pt
-Continues Good Will Save and Medium BAb: 2Pt
-Takes Spell Level 0: 3Pt
-Takes 2 Cantrips: 1 Pt
-Takes a Lvl 0 Spell Slot: 1 Pt
----
Now this may not be a good build as it is off the top of my head, but it is an example of how it can work for Farmer McPloughy
-------------------------------------------------------------
A note on spellcasting: Spellcasting can be either preparatory as a wizard's or spontaneous as a sorcerer's.
The point thingy needs a little work I think, but it seems to give similar values for core classes, although not the same values, which is to be expected, since, well, they're not exactly a paragon of balance and I haven't done any statistics to try and work out how balanced D&D is, because, well, despite being a geek, I don't have eternity.
I have a four three major problems with this system:
- Special Abilities have to be converted into feats, which is partially done by Unearthed Arcana, but needs to be worked on
- Spell Like abilities, and I don't mean things like bardic music or wildshape- I haven't worked them in but am thinking of something like 2 Pt per ability, and 1Pt per use of said ability and the same restrictions as spell levels applying and something like expending a kazillion points to get a SPA at will...
-There seems to be an imbalance towards non-magic types in level one, although this is hardly a problem, since they're supposedly weaker anyway.
-Mommy I'm scared! They're going to pick this to pieces with their stupid logic and rational thought. Waaa!
A question for the audience: Does anyone have experience with the seed based spellcasting system and how it could be incorporated into this?
Anyway: Comment!