Steven K
2022-02-08, 05:55 AM
So, I got my hands on the new Level Up system last week. One thing that particularly stood out to me was the rule relating a character's Int score with bonus knowledge - eg. skills, tool proficiencies of all kinds, languages. I liked that a lot, and basically on the way to and from work each day (I take the bus) I've been throwing together a system for character creation that kind of works the same way. And here it is:
Your character has seven ability scores, each of which governs some aspect of their Interactions within the game. Each ability score will have a numerical value equal to -1 or higher, determined by rolling 1d6, re-rolling any results of 6, and subtracting 2 from the total for each ability.
(1d6 (re-roll 6) -2).
You can roll to determine your ability scores sequentially and take whatever numbers you get for each ability, or roll seven times and assign the results to stats as you see fit.
An ability score with a value of -1 gives your character a flaw related to that ability, as shown in the following list. Choose any one from the available options for each ability.
Con
Low tolerance for alcohol
Frail
Low tolerance for pain
Low endurance
Dex
Lame (-5 walking speed)
Clumsy
Str
Unathletic
Weak
Wis
Gullible
Superstitious
Oblivious
Oafish
Cha
Fearful
Timid
Socially Awkward
Bad at lying
Int
Slow learner
Inflexible
Dull
Predictable
Mag
Easily charmed, deceived, or otherwise affected by magical effects
Once you have rolled your ability scores, you get an ability score increase of three points, which can be applied as follows:
Only one point can be added to an ability with a score of 3.
Up to two points can be added to an ability with a score of 2.
Up to three points can be added to an ability with a score of 1 or lower.
You can add points to any combination of abilities you choose.
If you use one or more points to increase an ability with a score of -1, you do not gain a flaw as mentioned above. In addition, the following considerations apply when assigning points:
For each point you put into Con, your Vitality increases, and various physical attributes improve.
For each point you put into Dex, your Avoidance increases, as do your climb and swim speeds.
For each point you put into Str, your jump distance, base strength, carrying capacity, and the weight you can push, drag, or lift increases.
For each point you put into Wis, your passive perception and your general awareness of yourself and the world around you increases.
For each point you put into Cha, your number of available NPC contacts increases.
For each point you put into Int, you gain additional knowledge or specialised training.
For each point you put into Mag, your innate magical abilities increase.
When one of your abilities has a positive score, you gain access to certain benefits, as outlined above. The following explains in more detail for each ability what those benefits are:
Con
Vitality is determined by rolling your chosen species' hit die and adding both the total and your Con score to a base value of 10. The new total is your vitality, from which you will subtract hit points whenever your character takes damage throughout the game.
If your Con score is equal to or higher than 3, the following additional considerations apply to determining your vitality:
o 3: Re-roll any results of 1
o 4: Re-roll any results of 2 or lower
o 5: Re-roll any results of 3 or lower
Whenever you reach a new character level, roll again on the same die, re-rolling results if applicable. Add the total and your current Con score to the value previously obtained.
In addition, for each point by which your Con score exceeds zero you can choose one gift from the following list:
o Higher alcohol tolerance
o Good endurance
o Particularly healthy
o Larger build
o Considered to be attractive
o Strong metabolism
When you choose your gifts at character creation, and you still have gifts left to choose, you can instead improve the degree of a gift you have already chosen rather than choosing another gift.
If your Con score increases at any point after character creation, you do not gain additional gifts.
Dex
Avoidance is determined by adding your Dex score to a base value of 10. When a creature or object makes an attack roll against you, if the results of that roll do not meet or exceed your Avoidance value the attack misses. If your Dex score increases or decreases at any point after character creation, re-calculate your Avoidance total accordingly.
In addition, the following movement types depend on your Dex score, unless you have a feature that grants you a movement speed for that type of movement:
o The distance you can climb in a single round, normally one third of your normal movement speed, increases by 2 ft for each point by which your Dex score exceeds zero.
o The distance you can swim in a single round, normally one third of your normal movement speed, increases by 3 ft for each point by which your Dex score exceeds zero.
Str
Each of the following are affected by your Str score:
o Jump distances
o Base strength
o Carrying capacity
o The weight you can push, drag, and lift
If your Str score increases or decreases at any point after character creation, re-calculate all of these values accordingly.
Your standing vertical jump distance is equal to half of the total of 3 ft + (your strength score + 1). If you take a running start of at least 10 ft before making the jump, you can use the total without halving it. While jumping, you can extend your arms half your height above yourself, to reach a distance equal to the height of your jump plus 1.5 times your height.
Your standing horizontal jump distance is equal to half of the total of (your Str score + 2) multiplied by 3 ft. If you take a running start of at least 10 ft before making the jump, you can use the total without halving it.
Your base strength is a value equal to 8 plus your Str score. You automatically succeed on any Str check with a DC lower than or equal to your base strength. When you make a Str check against a DC higher than your base strength, you can choose to use your base strength value in place of any roll lower than that value.
Your carrying capacity is the weight in kilograms that you can comfortably carry on your person. Exceeding your carrying capacity will result in penalties to your speed and movement options. Your carrying capacity is calculated by multiplying a base value of (n) kilograms by your Str score + 1. If your Str score + 1 is equal to 0, halve the base value instead. The base value for which your strength score is a multiplier depends on the size category of your character:
o Tiny: 10 kg
o Small: 20 kg
o Medium: 30 kg
o Medium, powerful build: 40 kg
o Medium, powerful build+: 50kg
If you chose the Con ability's gift of larger build, add 1/10th of the base value for your size category to the base value, and add it again for each improvement to the degree of that gift. Multiply the total by your Str score +1 as normal.
The maximum weight you can push, drag, or lift is a direct multiple of your carrying capacity. When your carrying capacity changes, so too does this value. Specifically, your maximum weight limit is double your carrying capacity. When you attempt to push or drag an amount of weight greater than your carrying capacity but less than your maximum weight limit, your speed is reduced by 1 ft per kilogram of excess weight, to a minimum of 5 ft.
Wis
Your passive perception is a value equal to 10 plus your Wis score. You automatically succeed on any Perception check with a DC lower than or equal to your passive perception. When you make a Perception check against a DC higher than your passive perception, you can choose to use your passive perception value in place of any roll lower than that value.
In addition, if your Wis score exceeds +2 you can choose one talent from the following list:
o Observant
o Alert
o Keen senses
(these aren't the full feats/features, obviously, but they should be similar in some respects)
Cha
If your Cha score is positive, you gain one NPC contact per two points by which your Cha score exceeds zero. These contacts are in addition to any gained through your background. Alternatively, if you would be eligible for two NPC contacts, you can instead gain one NPC follower.
Int
For each point by which your Int score exceeds zero, you gain one of the following:
o Proficiency with an artisans tool, gaming kit, musical instrument or vehicle of your choice.
o Proficiency with a lore skill (Arcana, Culture, Engineering, History, Nature, Religion), or a skill specialty of any of those skills in which you are already proficient.
o An additional language of your choice
Mag
If your Mag score is not positive, you cannot cast spells or otherwise use magic, even if a feature from your background, class, or another source would normally allow you to. You can, however, still use magic items, provided the item you are trying to use is not directly activated by the users magical abilities.
For each point by which your Mag score exceeds zero, you can replace one of your proficient weapons with a damaging cantrip, or one of your tool proficiencies with a utility cantrip.
For each point by which your Mag score exceeds +2, you gain a 1st level spell and one spell slot, or two sorcery points.
This is a first draft. Basically, I want to know what people think of the idea in general, and whether there are any specific criticisms / improvements that could be suggested. I more or less expect this character creation to work in the context of the established 5e game, with Class, Race, Background, and such assumed. I've changed some established names for various things, but the intended meaning should be readily apparent regardless. There are also a few non-standard things I've sort of assumed the reader is familiar with, like species hit die (I was calling it racial hit die not too long ago, if that helps explain what I'm getting at), and weapon proficiencies being something you choose (I'm thinking any three from the simple weapon list, rather than just 'simple weapons', with the option to meet (x) criteria to get martial weapons, or (y) criteria to get cantrips, or (z) criteria to get... whatever). Those are more peripheral concerns, but feel free to comment on any of those as well.
Oh, and I did the units in metric, not imperial, except of course for ft because there isn't a handy equivalent that gamifies easily - sometimes you just don't need a full metre to describe something.
So, what do y'all think?
Your character has seven ability scores, each of which governs some aspect of their Interactions within the game. Each ability score will have a numerical value equal to -1 or higher, determined by rolling 1d6, re-rolling any results of 6, and subtracting 2 from the total for each ability.
(1d6 (re-roll 6) -2).
You can roll to determine your ability scores sequentially and take whatever numbers you get for each ability, or roll seven times and assign the results to stats as you see fit.
An ability score with a value of -1 gives your character a flaw related to that ability, as shown in the following list. Choose any one from the available options for each ability.
Con
Low tolerance for alcohol
Frail
Low tolerance for pain
Low endurance
Dex
Lame (-5 walking speed)
Clumsy
Str
Unathletic
Weak
Wis
Gullible
Superstitious
Oblivious
Oafish
Cha
Fearful
Timid
Socially Awkward
Bad at lying
Int
Slow learner
Inflexible
Dull
Predictable
Mag
Easily charmed, deceived, or otherwise affected by magical effects
Once you have rolled your ability scores, you get an ability score increase of three points, which can be applied as follows:
Only one point can be added to an ability with a score of 3.
Up to two points can be added to an ability with a score of 2.
Up to three points can be added to an ability with a score of 1 or lower.
You can add points to any combination of abilities you choose.
If you use one or more points to increase an ability with a score of -1, you do not gain a flaw as mentioned above. In addition, the following considerations apply when assigning points:
For each point you put into Con, your Vitality increases, and various physical attributes improve.
For each point you put into Dex, your Avoidance increases, as do your climb and swim speeds.
For each point you put into Str, your jump distance, base strength, carrying capacity, and the weight you can push, drag, or lift increases.
For each point you put into Wis, your passive perception and your general awareness of yourself and the world around you increases.
For each point you put into Cha, your number of available NPC contacts increases.
For each point you put into Int, you gain additional knowledge or specialised training.
For each point you put into Mag, your innate magical abilities increase.
When one of your abilities has a positive score, you gain access to certain benefits, as outlined above. The following explains in more detail for each ability what those benefits are:
Con
Vitality is determined by rolling your chosen species' hit die and adding both the total and your Con score to a base value of 10. The new total is your vitality, from which you will subtract hit points whenever your character takes damage throughout the game.
If your Con score is equal to or higher than 3, the following additional considerations apply to determining your vitality:
o 3: Re-roll any results of 1
o 4: Re-roll any results of 2 or lower
o 5: Re-roll any results of 3 or lower
Whenever you reach a new character level, roll again on the same die, re-rolling results if applicable. Add the total and your current Con score to the value previously obtained.
In addition, for each point by which your Con score exceeds zero you can choose one gift from the following list:
o Higher alcohol tolerance
o Good endurance
o Particularly healthy
o Larger build
o Considered to be attractive
o Strong metabolism
When you choose your gifts at character creation, and you still have gifts left to choose, you can instead improve the degree of a gift you have already chosen rather than choosing another gift.
If your Con score increases at any point after character creation, you do not gain additional gifts.
Dex
Avoidance is determined by adding your Dex score to a base value of 10. When a creature or object makes an attack roll against you, if the results of that roll do not meet or exceed your Avoidance value the attack misses. If your Dex score increases or decreases at any point after character creation, re-calculate your Avoidance total accordingly.
In addition, the following movement types depend on your Dex score, unless you have a feature that grants you a movement speed for that type of movement:
o The distance you can climb in a single round, normally one third of your normal movement speed, increases by 2 ft for each point by which your Dex score exceeds zero.
o The distance you can swim in a single round, normally one third of your normal movement speed, increases by 3 ft for each point by which your Dex score exceeds zero.
Str
Each of the following are affected by your Str score:
o Jump distances
o Base strength
o Carrying capacity
o The weight you can push, drag, and lift
If your Str score increases or decreases at any point after character creation, re-calculate all of these values accordingly.
Your standing vertical jump distance is equal to half of the total of 3 ft + (your strength score + 1). If you take a running start of at least 10 ft before making the jump, you can use the total without halving it. While jumping, you can extend your arms half your height above yourself, to reach a distance equal to the height of your jump plus 1.5 times your height.
Your standing horizontal jump distance is equal to half of the total of (your Str score + 2) multiplied by 3 ft. If you take a running start of at least 10 ft before making the jump, you can use the total without halving it.
Your base strength is a value equal to 8 plus your Str score. You automatically succeed on any Str check with a DC lower than or equal to your base strength. When you make a Str check against a DC higher than your base strength, you can choose to use your base strength value in place of any roll lower than that value.
Your carrying capacity is the weight in kilograms that you can comfortably carry on your person. Exceeding your carrying capacity will result in penalties to your speed and movement options. Your carrying capacity is calculated by multiplying a base value of (n) kilograms by your Str score + 1. If your Str score + 1 is equal to 0, halve the base value instead. The base value for which your strength score is a multiplier depends on the size category of your character:
o Tiny: 10 kg
o Small: 20 kg
o Medium: 30 kg
o Medium, powerful build: 40 kg
o Medium, powerful build+: 50kg
If you chose the Con ability's gift of larger build, add 1/10th of the base value for your size category to the base value, and add it again for each improvement to the degree of that gift. Multiply the total by your Str score +1 as normal.
The maximum weight you can push, drag, or lift is a direct multiple of your carrying capacity. When your carrying capacity changes, so too does this value. Specifically, your maximum weight limit is double your carrying capacity. When you attempt to push or drag an amount of weight greater than your carrying capacity but less than your maximum weight limit, your speed is reduced by 1 ft per kilogram of excess weight, to a minimum of 5 ft.
Wis
Your passive perception is a value equal to 10 plus your Wis score. You automatically succeed on any Perception check with a DC lower than or equal to your passive perception. When you make a Perception check against a DC higher than your passive perception, you can choose to use your passive perception value in place of any roll lower than that value.
In addition, if your Wis score exceeds +2 you can choose one talent from the following list:
o Observant
o Alert
o Keen senses
(these aren't the full feats/features, obviously, but they should be similar in some respects)
Cha
If your Cha score is positive, you gain one NPC contact per two points by which your Cha score exceeds zero. These contacts are in addition to any gained through your background. Alternatively, if you would be eligible for two NPC contacts, you can instead gain one NPC follower.
Int
For each point by which your Int score exceeds zero, you gain one of the following:
o Proficiency with an artisans tool, gaming kit, musical instrument or vehicle of your choice.
o Proficiency with a lore skill (Arcana, Culture, Engineering, History, Nature, Religion), or a skill specialty of any of those skills in which you are already proficient.
o An additional language of your choice
Mag
If your Mag score is not positive, you cannot cast spells or otherwise use magic, even if a feature from your background, class, or another source would normally allow you to. You can, however, still use magic items, provided the item you are trying to use is not directly activated by the users magical abilities.
For each point by which your Mag score exceeds zero, you can replace one of your proficient weapons with a damaging cantrip, or one of your tool proficiencies with a utility cantrip.
For each point by which your Mag score exceeds +2, you gain a 1st level spell and one spell slot, or two sorcery points.
This is a first draft. Basically, I want to know what people think of the idea in general, and whether there are any specific criticisms / improvements that could be suggested. I more or less expect this character creation to work in the context of the established 5e game, with Class, Race, Background, and such assumed. I've changed some established names for various things, but the intended meaning should be readily apparent regardless. There are also a few non-standard things I've sort of assumed the reader is familiar with, like species hit die (I was calling it racial hit die not too long ago, if that helps explain what I'm getting at), and weapon proficiencies being something you choose (I'm thinking any three from the simple weapon list, rather than just 'simple weapons', with the option to meet (x) criteria to get martial weapons, or (y) criteria to get cantrips, or (z) criteria to get... whatever). Those are more peripheral concerns, but feel free to comment on any of those as well.
Oh, and I did the units in metric, not imperial, except of course for ft because there isn't a handy equivalent that gamifies easily - sometimes you just don't need a full metre to describe something.
So, what do y'all think?