Greywander
2021-07-19, 09:54 PM
Progression is a part of almost every RPG, but each RPG does it differently. Games like Dungeons and Dragons use a fairly rigid class system, where you choose a class when you create your character and gain specific new abilities in a certain order. I don't know this for certain, but I'd hazard a guess that this is due to D&D's origin of being adapted from war games, where instead of controlling an army each player controls a singular soldier. Strategy games (including war games) often organize soldiers or groups of soldiers into different units, with each unit having its own stats and abilities, and when this was adapted into D&D this idea carried over in the form of classes. D&D does give you some room in which to customize your character, but the class-based approach is still very restrictive.
Other systems, like GURPS or Fate, use a skill-based system. Instead of having a preset selection of abilities that are doled out in a specific order all wrapped up nicely into a class, every ability is purchased individually using XP (or the system equivalent). Want to learn to throw fireballs? There's a skill for that. Want to learn to pick locks? There's a skill for that, too. Want to learn how to repair toilets? Yep, there's probably a skill for that. And if there isn't, you can probably make one and add it to the game. Skill-based systems are very open, with little or no restrictions on which abilities you can purchase, and when. All that's required is that you have the XP for it, and that it's an ability that is permitted for the type of creature you are (if you are a race that specifically has no psionic ability, you probably won't be allowed to purhase any psionic traits... unless your GM rules otherwise).
I do think the skill-based approach is better suited to roleplaying games, and is my preference as well. In fact, there's actually a lot I dislike about D&D, and yet I keep finding myself drawn back to D&D 5e. Maybe it's because it's a system I've become familiar with, and learning a new system is hard. But I don't think that's the whole story. Because I think there's actually something about the class-based structure that appeals to, and it's not something I can get from a skill-based system. I think what draws me back to D&D is build optimization; it's not just about making a strong character, it's about finding interesting combinations or synergies, even underpowered or impractical ones, and is a bit like solving a puzzle.
Build optimization isn't really a thing in skill-based systems. If an ability is strong, you just take it. Nothing is stopping you. If two abilities synergize, just pick them both up. Again, there's not really any restrictions beyond "the type of creature you are is literally incapable of having that trait". But in a class-based system like D&D, the restrictions are what create the puzzle. A level put in one class necessarily means you can't put a level in a different class. It's not possible to build a character who is both an 11th level fighter with three attacks and also an 11th level paladin who adds 1d8 radiant to each attack, because you'd need to be 22nd level, and 20th level is the max (although with homebrew...). When you can get literally everything with enough XP, there's not really a challenge to building an optimized character; just get everything.
So what I'm wondering is if I can have my cake and eat it, too. Can I get a system that is primarily skill-based, but has some aspects of a class-based system that allows for creating interesting builds? One thought I had was to perhaps use some kind of talent tree system, where you have your skills that bonuses to basic rolls while your talents give more unique and interesting bonuses. A system like Fudge might work well here; Fudge makes a distinction between "traits", which are essentially skills that add a bonus to a roll and can be ranked up, and "gifts", which usually don't influence rolls and can't be ranked up. In Fudge, a swordfighting skill is a trait, while the ability to regenerate would be a gift. So perhaps gifts could be arranged into trees where you need to buy the lower level gifts to access the stronger ones, and these trees could serve as an analogue to classes. So anyone can purchase swordfighting skill, but you might need to buy some gifts in the Fighter tree before you can access the gift that allows you to attack twice on your turn instead of once. We could also keep track of the total XP earned, and when you cross certain thresholds you would gain a level, and instead of spending XP on talents you would get a talent point for each level.
I suppose my worry would be that any method of implementing such a thing would inevitably either turn the system into a class-based system in disguise, or else not fulfill it's purpose.
Other systems, like GURPS or Fate, use a skill-based system. Instead of having a preset selection of abilities that are doled out in a specific order all wrapped up nicely into a class, every ability is purchased individually using XP (or the system equivalent). Want to learn to throw fireballs? There's a skill for that. Want to learn to pick locks? There's a skill for that, too. Want to learn how to repair toilets? Yep, there's probably a skill for that. And if there isn't, you can probably make one and add it to the game. Skill-based systems are very open, with little or no restrictions on which abilities you can purchase, and when. All that's required is that you have the XP for it, and that it's an ability that is permitted for the type of creature you are (if you are a race that specifically has no psionic ability, you probably won't be allowed to purhase any psionic traits... unless your GM rules otherwise).
I do think the skill-based approach is better suited to roleplaying games, and is my preference as well. In fact, there's actually a lot I dislike about D&D, and yet I keep finding myself drawn back to D&D 5e. Maybe it's because it's a system I've become familiar with, and learning a new system is hard. But I don't think that's the whole story. Because I think there's actually something about the class-based structure that appeals to, and it's not something I can get from a skill-based system. I think what draws me back to D&D is build optimization; it's not just about making a strong character, it's about finding interesting combinations or synergies, even underpowered or impractical ones, and is a bit like solving a puzzle.
Build optimization isn't really a thing in skill-based systems. If an ability is strong, you just take it. Nothing is stopping you. If two abilities synergize, just pick them both up. Again, there's not really any restrictions beyond "the type of creature you are is literally incapable of having that trait". But in a class-based system like D&D, the restrictions are what create the puzzle. A level put in one class necessarily means you can't put a level in a different class. It's not possible to build a character who is both an 11th level fighter with three attacks and also an 11th level paladin who adds 1d8 radiant to each attack, because you'd need to be 22nd level, and 20th level is the max (although with homebrew...). When you can get literally everything with enough XP, there's not really a challenge to building an optimized character; just get everything.
So what I'm wondering is if I can have my cake and eat it, too. Can I get a system that is primarily skill-based, but has some aspects of a class-based system that allows for creating interesting builds? One thought I had was to perhaps use some kind of talent tree system, where you have your skills that bonuses to basic rolls while your talents give more unique and interesting bonuses. A system like Fudge might work well here; Fudge makes a distinction between "traits", which are essentially skills that add a bonus to a roll and can be ranked up, and "gifts", which usually don't influence rolls and can't be ranked up. In Fudge, a swordfighting skill is a trait, while the ability to regenerate would be a gift. So perhaps gifts could be arranged into trees where you need to buy the lower level gifts to access the stronger ones, and these trees could serve as an analogue to classes. So anyone can purchase swordfighting skill, but you might need to buy some gifts in the Fighter tree before you can access the gift that allows you to attack twice on your turn instead of once. We could also keep track of the total XP earned, and when you cross certain thresholds you would gain a level, and instead of spending XP on talents you would get a talent point for each level.
I suppose my worry would be that any method of implementing such a thing would inevitably either turn the system into a class-based system in disguise, or else not fulfill it's purpose.