Asmotherion's System (For lack of a better name so far)

[Asmotherion]

I am currently constructing a system, and would love a bit of feedback.

The basic premices of the system:

A) Only 4 stats instead of 6. Those are Physical, Dexterity, Mental and Will. Physical includes Str and Con. Dexterity is the same as D&D. Mental is Intelligence and a bit of Wisdom, Will is Wisdom and Charisma as 1 stat.

B) Magic is expressed as self buffs with a duration. Once I figure the numbers I'll update. Basically, you do a ritual and gain the ability to perform an action as described by the spell. You can also "save" the ritual in a spell scroll to activate at a latter time within 24 hours.

C) Martials are no longer given the beatstick role. Instead, they have their own pseudo-spellcasting "system" with stances and maneuvers (deeply inspired by ToB to be honest here).

D) My initial thought is for the system to be leveless and classless. Instead, "leveling up" will include upgrading your skills, which are directly combat related. I'm not sure if this will work out though (the leveless part at least). The system is looselly based on the d20 system.

E) The action ecconomy consists of 3 actions that costs energy, a resource that is meant to simulate fatigue. You can recover energy as 1 action, and you spent an amount of energy per action depending on it's energy cost. If you go bellow half energy, it is your maximum until you rest. If your energy drops to 0 you faint. Taking damage is calculated in energy loss instead of HP (plus a wound system).

I'd love to hear a few impressions on this so far, before I update with the basic system.

[Anonymouswizard]

Okay, a lot of this means little in a vacuum, but for what you've said:

A) Number of stats is neaningless without more to go on. That said, this exact four stat spread is probably the third most common way to do them, after the Six Scores (STR, DEX, CON, IN, WIS, CHA) and the Three Scores (STR, DEX, INT). If I'm using attributes I defaulto to Physique, Grace, Intellect, and Will; Unknown Armies 1e and 2e used Body, Speed, Mind, and Soul; and d00 Lite uses Strength, Dexterit, Logic, and Will (mostly). It's clearly a well travelled road, but that doesn't mean that the four stats are balanced in this particular instance (not that Strength tends to be devalued in most systems with firearms even if it dies provide HP, as just one example).

B) Eh, can't really say anything on a mnagic system without seeing it in action. But this is really vague and I'm not even sure what it's supposed to do.

3) Vagueness vagueness. Oh, it can probably work, but still hard to comment on so little.

D) Point buy is the industry standard, althoughI have seen some classless levelled games. Both work fine. How advancement works is pretty much jusy designer preference.

E) This is sounding complicated. So I have energy and three actions of three tiers. I can spend a certain amount of energy to take an action, or give up that action to regain an undefined amount of energy. But that energy is also my health, which means any action that fails is a net loss even without taking enemy actions into account. Which to me suggests building towards actions with a 100% success rate so I don't spend my hp every turn for no benefit.

[Maat Mons]

For 4-stat schemes, I'm partial to the names Strength, Finesse, Wits, and Magic. Though I keep trying to come up with a good set of synonyms that form the acronym BANG. (Brains, Arcana, Nimbleness, Grit? Brawn, Acumen, Numen, Grace? Brains, Athletics, Nimbleness, Gnosis? Nothing seems quite right.)

Are there any offensive spells? How would they be worked as self-buffs?

Having a level to act as a cap on max ranks in a single ability could help keep people for investing all their points into one single thing. Though I've also considered percent-based limits.

Spending HP to fuel your abilities feels like a berserker thing, not something all character types should be based around.

[Asmotherion]

Okay, a lot of this means little in a vacuum, but for what you've said:

A) Number of stats is neaningless without more to go on. That said, this exact four stat spread is probably the third most common way to do them, after the Six Scores (STR, DEX, CON, IN, WIS, CHA) and the Three Scores (STR, DEX, INT). If I'm using attributes I defaulto to Physique, Grace, Intellect, and Will; Unknown Armies 1e and 2e used Body, Speed, Mind, and Soul; and d00 Lite uses Strength, Dexterit, Logic, and Will (mostly). It's clearly a well travelled road, but that doesn't mean that the four stats are balanced in this particular instance (not that Strength tends to be devalued in most systems with firearms even if it dies provide HP, as just one example).

B) Eh, can't really say anything on a mnagic system without seeing it in action. But this is really vague and I'm not even sure what it's supposed to do.

3) Vagueness vagueness. Oh, it can probably work, but still hard to comment on so little.

D) Point buy is the industry standard, althoughI have seen some classless levelled games. Both work fine. How advancement works is pretty much jusy designer preference.

E) This is sounding complicated. So I have energy and three actions of three tiers. I can spend a certain amount of energy to take an action, or give up that action to regain an undefined amount of energy. But that energy is also my health, which means any action that fails is a net loss even without taking enemy actions into account. Which to me suggests building towards actions with a 100% success rate so I don't spend my hp every turn for no benefit.
I've been thinking about scraping the idea of corelating energy with HP. I however need a resource managment for using skills. Thanks for the feedback.

For 4-stat schemes, I'm partial to the names Strength, Finesse, Wits, and Magic. Though I keep trying to come up with a good set of synonyms that form the acronym BANG. (Brains, Arcana, Nimbleness, Grit? Brawn, Acumen, Numen, Grace? Brains, Athletics, Nimbleness, Gnosis? Nothing seems quite right.)

Are there any offensive spells? How would they be worked as self-buffs?

Having a level to act as a cap on max ranks in a single ability could help keep people for investing all their points into one single thing. Though I've also considered percent-based limits.

Spending HP to fuel your abilities feels like a berserker thing, not something all character types should be based around.
There are offensive spells. They are just expressed as self-buffs. For example of an offensive spell would be a basic energy bolt that gives the caster the ability to use up some of his energy to perform a basic ranged attack as an action for the duration of the spell. Thank you for the feedback.

*Update*

Here are some basic notes on the spellcasting system so far. Those are the 2.0 notes. There are a lot of other notes that need to be updated.

System 2.0
All spells are self buffs. They have a duration according to their level.


LV0: 24 hours
LV1: 1 hour
LV2: 10 minutes
Lv3: 1 minute
Lv4: 1 round
Lv5: Instantaneous


Energy cost:
Lv0: 1
Lv1: 2
Lv2: 4
Lv3: 6
Lv4: 8
Lv5: 10


Arcanum Cost
Lv0: 0
Lv1: 1
Lv2: 2
Lv3: 3
Lv4: 4
Lv5: 5


Spells other than Lv0 are typically cast on scrolls in order to be activated at a later time. This is done with a ritual that takes 1 minute per spell level (1 minute for Lv0 spells) and spending the Arcanum cost at that time.Level 0 rituals still take 1 minute to cast.


A caster can have a maximum of his Will number of active spells at the same time. If they cast an other spell in the meanwhile, they choose which spell to dispel as a free Action.


Arcanum: Arcanum is a magic essance used in scroll creation. A spell costs Arcanum equal to spell level (No arcanum for Lv 0 spells). A caster regenerates Arcanum at a rate of 1 per hour, to a maximum of his Will score.


Ability: A spell grants the caster an ability they can use by spending an amount of energy as a number of actions. For example Energy Bolt gives to the caster the ability to conjures a bolt of energy and propel it as a single action that costs 1 energy.


Example spells:


Lv0 Energy Bolt [keywards: Energy, Attack]:
Duration: 24 Hours
Actions: 1
Energy: 1
Range: 60 feet
Description: For the duration, the caster can conjure an energy bolt made of an energy type they are atuned to and propell it within range as 1 action that costs 1 Energy.


Lv 0 Elemental Atunement: [keywards: Energy]:
Duration: 24 Hours
Actions: -
Energy: -
Range: Self
Description: You become attuned to an elemental Plane and it's Energy. This affects Energy spells. You can be atuned to a single elemental Plane at a time, and can change the elemental plane you are attuned to through this spell.

[Anonymouswizard]

Having a level to act as a cap on max ranks in a single ability could help keep people for investing all their points into one single thing. Though I've also considered percent-based limits.

Is this really a problem? I mean, even in games without hard limits I've never seen a player sink all their points into one thing while ignoring basic competency in other areas. Even if a player does hyperspecialise they tend to leave glaring weaknesses elsewhere.

That said a cap isn't inherently bad, even if it's 'you can only put one point per level into any individual skill'.


As to the magic system, it's modular abilities? So you have slots equal to your Will, and when your do a ritual you can slot the ability in now or create a 'chip' that you can slot in later?

It'll work. Will it be balanced or fun? I can't tell. I do however have no problem with the need to pre-cast spells, so I'm sure it'll work. (My favourite systems are those where you have to charge spells to individual items, because it gives a soft cap on how many spells a career can have on them while letting them have a stock to refill from of desired.)

[Asmotherion]

Update:

Some notes on abilities.

Arcane:

-Energy Bolt *: Touch and ranged. Deals Basic Damage + Energy type rider effect.
-Transmute **: Buffed Prestidigitation
-Telekinesis **: Mage Hand + Telekinetic Projectile
-Detect Magic *: Feel Magic and spend a second action to determine Location and School
-Telepathy **: Telepathy + Daze as second action.
-Force Barrier ***: The Dome has 5 per level HP and DR equal to your Level and provides Cover. It lasts for 1 Minute and intercepts attacks. You can only have 1 Force Barrier at a time.

Martial:

-Razor Wind **: You slice with a weapon, and send a slicing wind as a cone 15 that deals basic damage..
-Flurry **: You speed up your body to the limit. You attack once per 2 levels you have (min 2) with no attack penalty.
-Haste *: You speed up your body. All your speeds are increased by 10 feet. You gain an extra action for 2 rounds.
-Rage *: You buff your Physical and Dexterity by 1/2 your level (min 1) for 1 minute.
-Block *: You buff your defence and by 1/2 your level (min 1) and DR by you level for 1 round.
-Power Attack *: You favor power over accuracy on your attack. You take a -3 on your attack roll to add +6 to the damage you deal.

Shadow:

-Shadow Meld ***: You become invisible via shadow magic. It lasts until you attack or are in bright light.
-Shadow Attack ***: You attack from being invisible or undetected. You Deal 3 times your Base Damage.
-Shadow Poison**: You use shadow magic to infuse your blade with arcane poison that replicates a poison you can craft.
-Shadow Bomb *: You conjure a smoke bomb out of Shadow Magic, and use it to hide. It provides concealment for 1 turn. You can see into this darkness.
-Shadow Trap ***: You conjure a magical Trap within range, even on occupied space. It replicates a trap you can craft.
-Shadow Step ***: You teleport from where you stand to an empty space you can see. You don’t provoke opportunity attacks.


General:
-Attack *: You perform an accuracy check against your opponent’s AC. If you hit, you deal Basic Damage. Every extra attack you make on the same turn takes a -3 penalty.
-Parry **: You focus on parrying incoming attacks. Your AC is considered 5 higher.
-Interact *: You interact with an object you are holding, or within melee range from you.
-Move *: You move up to your speed.

Base Damage: Level + Relevant Ability Modifier.
Each character has 3 actions per turn. Number of * is number of actions.