Here We Go Again

[Draz74]

I'm considering jumping into The Design-Your-Own-System pool again. Compared to my previous work, my design goals are a little different this time around:


I want aggressive (but controlled) scaling by level, where one high-level character can decimate armies. My previous system work focused on having Bounded Accuracy of a sort, i.e. your main stats never get THAT much higher, so that a high-level character is still in danger from 20 goblin archers. Now I'm trying to do more of what the 3.5e CR model was supposed to do: characters increase in overall power by about 1.4x each time they level up.
Simpler overall, so that a dedicated website or spreadsheet is less crucial for character building.

I'm willing to abstract more of the game's reality away, making for less verisimilitude. More gamist. More in keeping with a zany campaign setting instead of a serious one.
I'm probably going to have Classes or at least Tracks of abilities, rather than build-your-own-character-as-you-go long menus of Kits/Feats/Talents.


ToC
Elf (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700328&postcount=26), Human (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699760&postcount=14)
Scholar (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699860&postcount=15), Scout (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700335&postcount=27)
Fighter (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25701051&postcount=30), Wizard (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699759&postcount=13)
Crossbow (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700077&postcount=22), Daggers (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700077&postcount=22), Full Shield (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700368&postcount=29), Heavy Armor (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700352&postcount=28), Medium Sword (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700368&postcount=29), Shortbow (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700368&postcount=29), Tome of Rituals (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699979&postcount=20), Torches (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699984&postcount=21)
Abjurer (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23), Conjurer (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23), Diviner (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23), Enchanter (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23), Evoker (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23), Guardian (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700352&postcount=28), Illusionist (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23), Necromancer (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23), Transmuter (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700078&postcount=23)
Alarm (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700090&postcount=25), Comprehension (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700090&postcount=25)
Shield (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699976&postcount=17), Sleep (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699977&postcount=18), Zap (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699978&postcount=19)
Arrow Dance (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25701055&postcount=31), Duelist's Pose (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25701055&postcount=31), Thicket of Blades (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25701055&postcount=31)
Conscious Stealth (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700335&postcount=27), Hearty Health (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700085&postcount=24), Junk - Scholarly (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699860&postcount=15), Junk - Wilderness Survival (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700335&postcount=27), Keen Senses (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700328&postcount=26), Lore - Academic (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699860&postcount=15), Lore - Forest (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700335&postcount=27), Lore - Magic (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25699860&postcount=15), Nature Knack (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25700335&postcount=27)

[Draz74]

Dice System

The first thing I should probably decide on is a Dice System. I'm considering two:


3d12 take the median, add your modifier, compare to a Target Number
a dice pool where you roll NdX, where N is your skill, and you need one die to reach the TN to succeed. Probably with exploding dice, so that TNs greater than X are possible.

Please discuss advantages and disadvantages between these options. I have a lot of thoughts about both, but I'll wait until at least after lunch to expound.

[aimlessPolymath]

The first thing I should probably decide on is a Dice System. I'm considering two:

3d12 take the median, add your modifier, compare to a Target Number
a dice pool where you roll NdX, where N is your skill, and you need one die to reach the TN to succeed. Probably with exploding dice, so that TNs greater than X are possible.

I rather like the first one (https://anydice.com/program/20e4f)- it's got an interestingly round distribution, with single +1's being worth quite a bit in the middle. It also lets you encode extra information into rolls- you could have effects that simultaneously care about the Max, Mid, and Min of a single roll, letting you also do thresholds of success.

Dice pools are an interesting option. Difficulty will increase very rapidly with TN- it may be difficult to have a clear level relationship (i.e. one level higher/lower having a consistent meaning). On the other hand, it's fun to throw buckets of dice.

[Draz74]

I rather like the first one (https://anydice.com/program/20e4f)- it's got an interestingly round distribution, with single +1's being worth quite a bit in the middle. It also lets you encode extra information into rolls- you could have effects that simultaneously care about the Max, Mid, and Min of a single roll, letting you also do thresholds of success.

Dice pools are an interesting option. Difficulty will increase very rapidly with TN- it may be difficult to have a clear level relationship (i.e. one level higher/lower having a consistent meaning). On the other hand, it's fun to throw buckets of dice.

Yeah the first option is definitely easier to grok for the designer playing with probabilities, and it's familiar to me as it's what I mainly use in my other system. I hadn't thought about using the max and min dice for thresholds of success, and in fact I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. Could you give an example?

The Dice Pool idea is definitely wonkier, and as I've been playing with it I've realized specific oddities like X+1 having the same effective difficulty to hit as X. The benefit to going with a Dice Pool system would be getting experience with Dice Pool systems, which ... isn't a high priority if what I'm mainly looking for is getting a system actually playable.

[Draz74]

Ability Scores - Or Not?

I'm very picky about Ability Score arrays, so much that in my other system I finally scrapped their very existence in favor using just Skills with no attached Ability Modifiers. So I may do the same here. My list of Skills in that system is:

Athletics
Brawn
Charisma
Dexterity
Gadgetry
Glibness
Insight
Knowledge
Nature
Perception
Stealth



But for this system I'm still considering whether I can simplify down to having 4-5 Ability Scores that can combine in interesting ways to represent various Skills and types of Saving Throws.

Something like Brawn, Coordination, Heart, Intuition, and Wit.

Then for doing various tasks that involve more than one of these, you'd generally roll the worst applicable ability -- with Talents available that let you roll the better, in many cases.

For resisting a typical poison, you'd use the worse of Brawn and Heart.

For resisting a mind control spell, you'd use the worse of Heart and Intuiton ... unless you have a Slippery Mind talent that lets you use Wit.

For climbing a wall, you'd use the worse of Brawn and Coordination, unless you have a Trained Climber talent that requires a bit of Brawn as a prereq, but then lets you just use Coordination.

For fast-talking your way through a con, you'd use the worse of Heart and Wit.

For getting a wild animal to calm down, you'd just use a generic "not very good" stat unless you have a Talent that lets you use Intuition instead.

How is this sounding?

[aimlessPolymath]

Yeah the first option is definitely easier to grok for the designer playing with probabilities, and it's familiar to me as it's what I mainly use in my other system. I hadn't thought about using the max and min dice for thresholds of success, and in fact I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. Could you give an example?

The Dice Pool idea is definitely wonkier, and as I've been playing with it I've realized specific oddities like X+1 having the same effective difficulty to hit as X. The benefit to going with a Dice Pool system would be getting experience with Dice Pool systems, which ... isn't a high priority if what I'm mainly looking for is getting a system actually playable.

Max and min:
Take a TN of 10, and a modifier of +6. You rolled 3 d12s, and got 4, 6, and 9.

The Min die here is 4, the Mid die is 6, and the Max die is 9.
Applying your modifier to each die, you have 10, 12, and 15. If all three dice succeed, you might have a critical success- two (i.e. the med die is the lowest that succeeds) would be a regular success, and if only the Max die succeeds, you have a failure, possibly a mitigated one. If none succeed, it's a critical failure.

Exploding dice can be kinda silly, yeah.




Then for doing various tasks that involve more than one of these, you'd generally roll the worst applicable ability -- with Talents available that let you roll the better, in many cases.

How is this sounding?

This is a very very interesting.

There's an interesting disparity between 'having a talent' and 'not having a talent' as characters advance. Assuming there's a model of character advancement where both talents and stats can be gained, take the hypothetical situation where you have two tasks: Cow-Wrestling (talented) and Egg-juggling (not talented), both of which use the two stats Animal (currently a 2) and Circusability (currently a 4).

If you wanted to get better at Cow-Wrestling, you would increase your Circusability, since that's your higher stat. However, if you wanted to increase your Egg-juggling, you'd need to improve your Animal stat, since it's lower. The more talents you have that are associated with a stat, the more you want to increase that stat and gain talents associated with it- a specialist in that stat would end up having a variety of tasks related to it that they're skilled with, but might have major holes where they don't have a talent.

Without a talent, it's also notably difficult to bring up capabilities you have two low stats in, since you need to bump up two stats to get an effective +1.

I wonder if it's better to avoid dumping a stat, spreading out your non-focus advancement broadly, or ignore a stat and let your talents cover it?

It'd be interesting to model 'naive' character advancement using a computer model- take 5-6 stats, 10-30 skills, one or two based on each possible combinations of various stats, and 'advance' stats and talents progressively using whatever choice results in the largest immediate bonus to Total Bonuses.

[Draz74]

Max and min:
Take a TN of 10, and a modifier of +6. You rolled 3 d12s, and got 4, 6, and 9.

The Min die here is 4, the Mid die is 6, and the Max die is 9.
Applying your modifier to each die, you have 10, 12, and 15. If all three dice succeed, you might have a critical success- two (i.e. the med die is the lowest that succeeds) would be a regular success, and if only the Max die succeeds, you have a failure, possibly a mitigated one. If none succeed, it's a critical failure.
Interesting. I might use this mechanic sparingly, but in most cases I like leaving it up to the GM how successful a success is, or what are the consequences for a failure.

More often I might represent circumstance modifiers by having you look at the lowest or highest die.


This is a very very interesting.

There's an interesting disparity between 'having a talent' and 'not having a talent' as characters advance. Assuming there's a model of character advancement where both talents and stats can be gained, take the hypothetical situation where you have two tasks: Cow-Wrestling (talented) and Egg-juggling (not talented), both of which use the two stats Animal (currently a 2) and Circusability (currently a 4).

If you wanted to get better at Cow-Wrestling, you would increase your Circusability, since that's your higher stat. However, if you wanted to increase your Egg-juggling, you'd need to improve your Animal stat, since it's lower. The more talents you have that are associated with a stat, the more you want to increase that stat and gain talents associated with it- a specialist in that stat would end up having a variety of tasks related to it that they're skilled with, but might have major holes where they don't have a talent.

Without a talent, it's also notably difficult to bring up capabilities you have two low stats in, since you need to bump up two stats to get an effective +1.

I wonder if it's better to avoid dumping a stat, spreading out your non-focus advancement broadly, or ignore a stat and let your talents cover it?

It'd be interesting to model 'naive' character advancement using a computer model- take 5-6 stats, 10-30 skills, one or two based on each possible combinations of various stats, and 'advance' stats and talents progressively using whatever choice results in the largest immediate bonus to Total Bonuses.

All of this sounds in line with what I had in mind. Thanks for providing a second opinion :smallsmile:

I was thinking of having the five Ability Scores add up to about 13 at Level 1, with a range from -1 to 4. Then, at each level, your ability score maximum goes up by 1, and you gain 3 points to distribute to your ability scores. No diminishing returns for specializing in a high ability score.

[Draz74]

Character Stats

Whenever you roll the dice, you add one of eight stats: your five Ability scores (abbreviated <B>, <C>, <H>, <I>, <W>), which range from -1 to (level +3), or one of the following "generic stats":

<L>imited, which equals half your level (rounded down);
<P>roficient, which equals your level +1 and is used relatively sparingly;
<S>superior, which equals your level +5.

If you have a TN as part of your stats (which you do: the Accuracy of your attacks and your Armor Value threshold), it equals 7 + one of the preceding 8 stats.

Then, you have four Pools of points:

Vitality Points <VP>, which act as a buffer for your Wound Points but also can be spent to do taxing things.
Wound Points <WP>, which act as a buffer between taking damage and getting Dropped in combat.
Stamina Points <SP>, which count how many times you can recover with a Short Rest before you need an Extended Rest.
Karma Points <KP>, which let you use limited abilities or affect the narrative in limited ways. Only PCs have <KP>. You gain a <KP> when the GM invokes one of your character's Liabilities to give you a hard time, or when an NPC uses an ability that would normally require spending a <KP>.

<VP> Max = (Level * number of VP provided by Class) + <H>.
<WP> Max = 6 + <B> + <H>.
<SP> Max = 4.
<KP> Max = 2.

[Draz74]

PC Classes

I'm leaning towards a PF2e-like model, where there's no true Multiclassing. You're stuck forever with the class you choose at first level, barring a major narrative event or a long session of downtime that sees you rebuild your character completely.

(This does mean I need to come up with progressions for each PC Class up to the maximum level I expect PCs to play at, maybe 16, instead of forcing PCs to Multiclass after I run out of ideas for Class features.)

Classes will grant you Kits at points during their progression. Kits can help you specialize into a subclass, or cherry-pick features from another class in a form of Multiclassing, or fill the role of Prestige Classes.

There will be a large number of Base Classes in the system, since I intend to have monsters built according to the same rules as PCs. But for traditional Classes that regular old Humanoids can take, the list will look pretty familiar:

Artificer
Bard
Druid
Fighter
Monk
Oracle
Pactbinder
Rogue
Sorcerer
Wizard

[aimlessPolymath]

All of this sounds in line with what I had in mind. Thanks for providing a second opinion :)

I was thinking of having the five Ability Scores add up to about 13 at Level 1, with a range from -1 to 4. Then, at each level, your ability score maximum goes up by 1, and you gain 3 points to distribute to your ability scores. No diminishing returns for specializing in a high ability score.

A quick update- I rigged up a simple python script to model this. Rather than applying an overall stat cap (which is in the works), I fixed the level-up to distribute one point to each of three stats.

Using a starting array of 4, 3, 3, 2, 1 and three random talents, and assuming that someone takes a skill-affecting talent every two levels, a sample final array was [14., 5., 10., 9., 5.] Talents were primarily invested in the four skills that corresponded to the various [14, 5]/[5, 14] skills.

A second round produced [ 8., 13., 13., 4., 5.] Similarly, talent choices were concentrated in bridging skills that involve high stats and low stats.

I was somewhat surprised to see the model increasing low stats- I'm guessing that's because I was giving out relatively few talents.

Going to fiddle around with the model further- this is an interesting optimization problem.

[Draz74]

My first sample Character Sheet (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lanSwRnoJVAaJiNBEzhcHrYC7bctblJkPtBHjIqHWuQ/edit?usp=sharing). Telkinn the Level 2 Wizard.

A lot of ideas that I haven't written up on this Thread yet that are hinted at in the Character Sheet's formatting.

[Draz74]

Each player (including the GM) will have a Deck of 10 Cards, which represent combat options that are too good to be available constantly.

Each player will have a number (4 through 7) that represents how many of those cards will be available to them at once. Spending a <KP> allows drawing a new menu of Cards from your Deck. If you don't have enough Cards left in your Deck to draw a full new set, shuffle the Cards you've already gone through back into your Deck before drawing the new set.

Here are a few examples (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KzA0ATXJA9zt2d97xJKKaz1g4kpCEsYXGdimG4kEnG0/edit?usp=sharing) of Cards that are available to any player regardless of their character.

[Draz74]

Pieces of Telkinn's Build:
Class: Wizard
<VP> per Level: 6


Level
Spells Known
Features


1
2
Ancestry; Heritage; Background; Wizard Spellcasting; Scholarly Spellcraft; Wizard Will; Deep Arcana; Ritualist


2
3
Kit with the [Subclass] tag


3
4
(2nd-Tier Spells)


4
5
Kit


5
6
(3rd-Tier Spells)


6
7
Attunement Echelon: 1


7
8
(4th-Tier Spells)


8
9
Kit


9
10
(5th-Tier Spells)


10
11
Attunement Echelon: 2


11
12
(6th-Tier Spells)


12
13
Kit


13
14
(7th-Tier Spells)


14
15
Attunement Echelon: 3


15
16
(8th-Tier Spells)


16
17
Kit


17
18
(9th-Tier Spells)


18
19
Attunement Echelon: 4


19
20
Kit


20
21
Supreme Arcana



Feature: Wizard Spellcasting
The Wizard can Cast Spells, with a Degree Limit equal to her Level. She can learn spells with the [Wizard] Tag; her number of spells known is equal to her Level + 1, and her highest-Tier Spells available to learn are equal to half her Level (rounded up, max 9). She can use <P> for Spellcraft Checks. Her Accuracy with Spell Attacks is 7+<P>.

Card: Scholarly Spellcraft
Deck Limit: 2
Effect: Use <W> for a Spellcraft Check, or 7+<W> for the Accuracy of a Spell Attack.

Talent: Wizard Will
The Wizard can use <P> for Willpower Checks.

Feature: Deep Arcana
The Wizard can “Coast” Knowledge Checks dealing with the workings of magic.

Feature: Ritualist
The Wizard can keep a Tome of Rituals with the [Arcane] Tag and perform them.

Feature: Supreme Arcana
I haven't got a clue yet what this capstone ability, reserved for godlike beings, will do.

[Draz74]

Non-Monstrous Ancestry: Human
{Average} Size
Languages: Common, your choice of 1 other.

Feature: Human Drive
You gain 1 <KP> at the end of each Extended Rest.

Human-Specific Heritage: Versatile-Human
Gain a Talent with the [General] Tag.

[Draz74]

Background: Scholar
Gain the "Lore - Academia" Talent, the "Junk - Scholarly" Talent, and another "Lore" Talent of your choice; you can "Coast" Knowledge Checks dealing with this "Lore" Talent of your choice.

Talent: Junk - Scholarly
You can use <W> to retroactively have items like paper, ink, a quill, sealing wax, etc.

Talent: Lore - Academic
You can use <W> to know things about academia.

Talent: Lore - Magic
Tags: General.
You can use <W> to know things about magic.

[Draz74]

Spell Lists


1st: Shield


1st: Feather Fall, Sleep, True Strike


1st: Sleep


1st: Arcane Bolts, Feather Fall, Mage Armor, Ray of Frost, Scorching Ray, Sleep, True Strike, Zap

[Draz74]

Spell: Shield (Tier 1, Degree 1)
Tags: Abjurer.
Base Effect: Spend <↪R> to gain {Resistance} to {Force} Damage until the start of your next turn and use your Spellcraft Check or (with a "Counter") <S> in place of one Defense Check.
Augment:

(Degree +1, cumulative) Add one to the number of Defense Checks before the start of your next turn that you can replace with Spellcraft (or <S>).

[Draz74]

Spell: Sleep (Tier 1, Degree 1)
Tags: Bard, Fey Patron, Wizard.
Base Effect: Spend <2A> to target a 3-m-radius Burst within 10 m. Make a Spell Attack vs. Willpower Checks: Impact <P> vs. Fate Threshold; no actual Damage (except Attrition), but a Rider of inflicting {Unconscious} on up to 3 Levels total of targets. Roll targets’ Saves starting from the lowest-Level targets to the highest-Level targets. Creatures {Unconscious} to this effect can be awakened by taking any damage or by an adjacent creature spending <1A> as [Interact].
Augment:

(Degree +1, cumulative) An additional total Level of targets can be inflicted {Unconscious}.

[Draz74]

Spell: Zap (Tier 1, Degree 1)
Tags: Electric, Wizard.
Base Effect: Spend <2A> to target one creature: Reach 1 (do not provoke an Opportunity Attack), or Thrown 5/20 m. Make a Spell Attack vs. a Defense Check: Impact <L> {Lightning} Damage vs. Armor Threshold.
Augment:

(Degree +1, cumulative) Extend the ranged targeting limit by 5/20 m.
(Degree +4) Improve Impact to <P>.
(Degree +8) Improve Impact to <S>.

[Draz74]

Equipment: Tome of Rituals
Bulk: 1
Price: 11
Description: A well-bound, compact, efficient, travel-friendly book that can contain up to 50 Pages of Ritual instructions inscribed in it.

[Draz74]

Equipment: Torches
Bulk: 1
Price: 5
Description: When lit, sheds Illumination. Can also be used as a weapon.
Illumination: Bright 4 m; Dim 8 m.


Grade
Heft
Category
Ranges
Impact
Special


Improvised
Light
Misc.
Reach 2
<L> {Heat}

[Draz74]

Equipment: Crossbow
Bulk: 2
Price: 12
Description: Weapon.


Grade
Heft
Category
Ranges
Impact
Special


Simple
2-H
Crossbows
Projectile 10/40 m
<P> {Piercing}
Load <1A>.



Equipment: Daggers
Bulk: 1
Price: 7
Description: Weapon (and survival tool).


Grade
Heft
Category
Ranges
Impact
Special


Simple
Light
Blades
Reach 1 or Thrown 3/12 m
<L> {Piercing} or {Slashing}
Rider: Bleed 1 <HP>.

[Draz74]

Kit: Abjurer
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Abjurer] Spells.

Kit: Conjurer
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Conjurer] Spells.

Kit: Diviner
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Diviner] Spells.

Kit: Enchanter
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Enchanter] Spells.

Kit: Evoker
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Evoker] Spells.

Kit: Illusionist
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Illusionist] Spells.

Kit: Necromancer
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Necromancer] Spells.

Kit: Transmuter
Tags: Arcane Specialist, Subclass, Wizard.
Prereqs: (Wizard Class or Wizard Dedication Kit); no other [Arcane Specialist] Kits.
Benefit: When you learn new Spells, you can choose from [Transmuter] Spells.

[Draz74]

Talent: Hearty Health
Tags: General.
Prereqs: (none).
Benefit: You can use <H> for Fortitude Checks.

[Draz74]

Ritual: Alarm
Tags: Arcane, Divination, Primal.
Casting Time 10 minutes; Pages: 1
Components: Bulk 0, Price 8.
Effect: Target a 6-m-radius Burst Area, initially centered around yourself, until the end of your next Extended Rest. You can use <S> for Perception Checks to detect creatures entering the area, even if you are asleep.

Ritual: Comprehension
Tags: Arcane, Divination, Spiritual, Truespeak.
Casting Time 1 minute; Pages: 1
Components: Bulk 0, Price 8.
Effect: For 1 hour, you can touch a creature or a text and understand any mundane language that creature speaks in or that text is written in.

[Draz74]

Non-Monstrous Ancestry: Elf
{Average} Size
Languages: Elvish, Common.
<C> ceiling +1.
<B> ceiling -1.
<KP> maximum +1 if you have a "Training" Talent to use a Martial-Grade Blade or Bow weapon.
Gain the "Keen Senses" Talent.

Feature: Magical Knack
Spend 1 <KP> to use <P> for a Spellcraft Check.

Elf-Specific Heritage: Forest-Elf
You can "Coast" Athletics Checks to climb forest terrain such as trees and vines. You can Take Cover in forest foliage that would be insufficiently dense to provide Cover normally.

Talent: Keen Senses
Use <P> for Perception Checks.

[Draz74]

Background: Scout
Gain the "Conscious Stealth" Talent, the "Junk - Wilderness Survival" Talent, the "Nature Knack" Talent, and a "Lore" Talent relating to one type of terrain (e.g. Forests, Arctic, Underground).

Talent: Conscious Stealth
You can use <C> for Stealth Checks.

Talent: Junk - Wilderness Survival
You can use <I> to retroactively have items used for wilderness survival like rope, daggers (but not other hunting weapons), a tinderbox, etc.

Talent: Lore - Forest
You can use <W> to know things about forests.

Talent: Nature Knack
You can use <I> for Nature Checks.

[Draz74]

Kit: Guardian
Tags: Fighter, Subclass.
Prereqs: (Fighter Class or Fighter Dedication Kit).
Benefits:

Ignore the Drawbacks of wearing Heavy Armor.
When you roll Impact for an Opportunity Attack (provoked by a foe's movement within your threatened area), with a "Counter," use <S> for that Impact.

Equipment: Heavy Armor
Bulk: 2 (worn); 4 (carried)
Price: 15
Description: Armor.
Benefit: Use 7+<B> for Armor Threshold.
Drawbacks: Your Speed Checks are "Dragged." Take 2 {Attrition} Damage when you use an Athletics, Speed, or Stealth Check (without "Coasting"), or make an Attack.

[Draz74]

Equipment: Full Shield
Bulk: 2
Price: 8
Description: Shield, wielded in one hand.
Benefit: Use <P> for Defense Checks.
Drawback: Your Athletics, Dexterity, Spellcraft, and Stealth Checks are "Dragged". Your Spell Accuracy can’t be better than 7+<L>.


Grade
Heft
Category
Ranges
Impact
Special


Improvised
1-H
Shield Bash
Reach 2
Worse of <B>/<P> {Bludgeoning}




Equipment: Medium Sword
Bulk: 2
Price: 10
Description: Weapon.


Grade
Heft
Category
Ranges
Impact
Special


Martial
Versatile
Blades
Reach 3
Worse of <B>/<P> {Slashing}
Rider: Bleed 1 <HP>.



Equipment: Shortbow
Bulk: 2
Price: 8
Description: Weapon.


Grade
Heft
Category
Ranges
Impact
Special


Martial
2-H
Bows
Projectile 10/40 m
Worse of <B>/<P> {Piercing}
Load <1A>.

[Draz74]

This is a rough draft that will undoubtedly evolve a lot going forward. Probably with more Features relating to the Card/Deck system.
Class: Fighter
<VP> per Level: 10


Level
Stances Known
Maneuvers Known
Max. Tier
Features


1
0
0
n/a
Ancestry; Heritage; Background; Training - Light Armor & Shield; Training - Martial Weaponry; Kit


2
2
0
1st
Weapon Focus


3
2
1
2nd
Mettle


4
2
1
2nd
Kit


5
3
1
3rd



6
3
1
3rd
Attunement Echelon: 1


7
3
2
4th



8
3
2
4th
Kit


9
4
2
5th



10
4
2
5th
Attunement Echelon: 2


11
4
3
6th



12
4
3
6th
Kit


13
4
3
7th
Mixed Stance


14
4
3
7th
Attunement Echelon: 3


15
4
4
8th



16
4
4
8th
Kit


17
4
5
9th



18
4
5
9th
Attunement Echelon: 4


19
5
5
9th
Kit


20
5
5
9th
Weapon Supremacy



Feature: Training - Light Armor & Shield
The Fighter ignores the Drawbacks of wearing Light Armor and wielding a Buckler or Full Shield.

Feature: Training - Martial Weaponry
The Fighter can use 7+<P> as his Weapon Accuracy for Martial-Grade Weapons.

Feature: Weapon Focus
At Level 2, the Fighter selects one Category of Weapons. When a foe attacks him with a Rider of Disarming him of a weapon of this Category, he can use <S> for his Defense Check against that attack.

Feature: Mettle
At Level 3, when the Fighter is attacked by an Attack and is defending with a Fortitude Check or a Willpower Check, he can (if the Attack has the [Fear] Tag, or with a "Counter") Resist the Attack's effects (i.e. his Threshold for the attack is 7+<S>).

Feature: Mixed Stance
At Level 13, the Fighter can use two Stances simultaneously. When he spends <1A> to activate or change his active Stance, he can activate or change both.

Feature: Weapon Supremacy
I haven't got a clue yet what this capstone ability, reserved for godlike beings, will do.

[Draz74]

Stance: Arrow Dance (Tier 1)
Prereqs: <C> 5.
Benefit: While in this Stance, you can Load a Bow-Category Weapon by spending <↪F>.

Stance: Duelist's Pose (Tier 1)
Prereqs: <C> 5; <I> 2.
Benefit: While in this Stance, when you are attacked with a Melee Attack, if you are not in the threatened area of any foe other than the attacking foe, you can use <P> (or, with a "Counter," <S>) for your Defense Check.

Stance: Thicket of Blades (Tier 1)
Prereqs: <C> 3; <H> 3.
Benefit: While you are in this Stance, at the end of your turn, gain an extra <↪R> action that you can use by the start of your next turn. It can only be used to make an Opportunity Attack.

[aimlessPolymath]

A quick update- I rigged up a simple python script to model this. Rather than applying an overall stat cap (which is in the works), I fixed the level-up to distribute one point to each of three stats.

Using a starting array of 4, 3, 3, 2, 1 and three random talents, and assuming that someone takes a skill-affecting talent every two levels, a sample final array was [14., 5., 10., 9., 5.] Talents were primarily invested in the four skills that corresponded to the various [14, 5]/[5, 14] skills.

A second round produced [ 8., 13., 13., 4., 5.] Similarly, talent choices were concentrated in bridging skills that involve high stats and low stats.

I was somewhat surprised to see the model increasing low stats- I'm guessing that's because I was giving out relatively few talents.

Going to fiddle around with the model further- this is an interesting optimization problem.

Update: I had an array index backwards :/ An update that correctly made use of a stat cap resulted in the model spreading out investment at very low levels, until (presumably) it hit some tipping point with regard to talents, and primarily invested in one or two stats until they reached the stat cap- non-prioritized stats received roughly equal investment.

One odd result of the 'naive' model and my starting array (containing exactly one 1, with average value >2.5) was that in several cases, the 'lowest stat' received the most talents to 'fix' it,and subsequently became the most-invested-in stat.


Edit:

Whenever you roll the dice, you add one of eight stats: your five Ability scores (abbreviated <B>, <C>, <H>, <I>, <W>), which range from -1 to (level +3), or one of the following "generic stats":

<L>imited, which equals half your level (rounded down);
<P>roficient, which equals your level +1 and is used relatively sparingly;
<S>superior, which equals your level +5.


This is interesting. Assuming limited talents and 'generic stats' that don't increase frequently, these stats initially act as limited 'stat caps' for characters. For example, for tasks where you're Proficient and using the lesser of Proficient and a stat, you're effectively 'capped' at your level+1, i.e. 2 points below your actual stat cap from level. From my initial models, I'd expect that the Limited cap is most applicable at very low levels, as non-prioritized stats would have an average investment rate of roughly about 1/3- 1/2 a point per level- it effectively acts as a soft 'enforcer' for those low stats.

Interestingly, based on the rough rates of stat gain laid out so far, I'd expect going from Limited to Proficient to represent about a 2 point boost to a skill, assuming the associated stat has equal investment (i.e. at level 10, your average 'low stats' are about 6-7 each, but your 'Limited' stat is 5). This mirrors the relationship between a 'capped' stat and Proficient, where going to Superior and/or gaining a talent upgrade to 'take the better' each representing an immediate 2 point bump.

Edit: Edit:
Based on the dice distribution (https://anydice.com/program/20e4f) measured earlier, that +2 bonus is approximately a 20% boost to odds of success. If you have a 50% chance of success by default (going by the threshold of 7+stat vs. a roll involving a stat), you'll have either a 75% or a 26% chance of success, based on whether you're 'higher' or 'lower' tier than your foe. Interacts somewhat interestingly with level-scaling- you can beat or tie someone up to 2 levels higher than you if you're 'more skilled' by whatever metric.

Edit: Edit: Edit:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lanSwRnoJVAaJiNBEzhcHrYC7bctblJkPtBHjIqHWuQ/edit
Taking an actual read through this.
Notably, only about half the skills use two stats (which is a major downgrade over using one), and exactly one (Threaten) combines a proficiency and a stat together, which is contrary to what I had expected. There doesn't appear to be a rhyme or reason to what determines whether a task uses one stat, the worse of two stats, a proficiency, or the worse of a stat or proficiency, which is a source of confusion.

[Draz74]

Taking an actual read through this.
Notably, only about half the skills use two stats (which is a major downgrade over using one), and exactly one (Threaten) combines a proficiency and a stat together, which is contrary to what I had expected. There doesn't appear to be a rhyme or reason to what determines whether a task uses one stat, the worse of two stats, a proficiency, or the worse of a stat or proficiency, which is a source of confusion.

Yeah, things are more based on what seemed to make sense than what would be balanced mechanically so far. Maybe I should make things more Gamist. But nothing in my intentions says that all Tasks should be equal.

Telkinn's stats as listed are also modified by his Talents, so some of the Tasks would be weaker without those. I should post the default list for discussion.

[aimlessPolymath]

Yeah, things are more based on what seemed to make sense than what would be balanced mechanically so far. Maybe I should make things more Gamist. But nothing in my intentions says that all Tasks should be equal.

To be clear, I'm not bothered by the lack of equality- I'm bothered that it seems arbitrary whether tasks are based on two non-generic stats, just a generic stat, just a non-generic stat, or a generic stat and a non-generic stat, and I think it's a source of confusion. The structure initially established (stuff is based on the lower of two stats, and talents upgrade you to using the higher of two stats), which seemed reasonable and could hypothetically extend to use generic stats as a basis, appears to be immediately discarded.

For example, one change I would like (depending on what the 'full list' looks like, obviously- open to alteration) to see is that something along the lines of the following happens:
-Threaten becomes based on one stat, so either just <P> or just <H>. Alternatively, it becomes based on the lower of two non-generic stats. No more tasks based on the combination of a generic and non-generic stat.
OR
-Everything currently based on a single stat (Perception, Fortitude, Defense, Gadgetry) become based on the lower of a generic stat and the proficiency stat, in line with Threaten. Maybe talents consistently upgrade this to the better of a generic stat and the proficiency stat?- for example, Fortitude goes from [lower of H and L] to [higher of H and L] with Hearty Health?
OR
-Maybe something along the lines of 'limited' having a defined role as capping 'unskilled' tasks, and talents removing this limit?

Some sort of structural consistency, essentially.

I actually feel like there might be come collateral damage, wording-wise, from having generic stats with no defined relationship, and talents worded things the way you have been- Currently, there's no good wording to 'upgrade' generic stats, because talents operate by redefining what stats you use entirely.
For example, if X task worked off the worse of <H> and <L> by default, and I took a talent that said 'Use the worse of <H> and <P> for X' I would be, RAW, unable to benefit from talents that said something like 'Use the better of <H> and <L> for X'- it wouldn't combine smoothly into 'Use the better of <H> and <P> for X', because neither talent allows that.
Right now, stuff that works off the lower of X and L is essentially just working off L- it takes specific effort to have a stat that's lower than half your level.

If you're replacing the structure of 'talents upgrading 'take the lower of X and Y' -> 'take the higher of X and Y'' with 'talents upgrade 'take the lower of X or Y' -> 'take X'', that's also valid- as long as that's a consistent decision.

Edit: I think the math also works decently well if you use P as the only true generic stat, able to be used in combination with other stats- 'lower of L and <stat>' can be replaced with an 'untrained' special value, giving three or four basic types of task bonuses:
-Superior (level + 4), or Higher of X and Y +2; analogous to 'higher of S and X'
-Higher of X and Y - analogous to 'higher of X and Y, lower of X and S', and, in some cases, just X
-Lower of X and Y - analogous to 'lower of X and Y'
-Untrained (bonus equal to your lowest stat, whatever it is- lowest of all your stats, essentially)- analogous to 'lower of L and X'