Sword Fury RPG

[Ursus Spelaeus]

Howdy!

When I saw that people on these forums were designing there own 4E clone, I thought it might be a good opportunity to share my own 4E hack in progress and get some opinions.
My game is tentatively called 四 or Sword Fury. It's based primary on 4E D&D and Gamma World with elements inspired by FEAR games like Alshard, Night Wizards, and Log Horizon, and features a doom point mechanic.

The GM's half of the book is a work in progress. I still need to work on monster creation, treasure, and exploration rules. I also need to solidify the classes and their skill lists.

Please take a look, and let me know how I can improve upon this.

http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=...17119473422502

Thank you kindly! ^^

*edit*
2/29 update:
http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=...21357458773696
*edit*

Google Doc link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5l...ew?usp=sharing

*edit*
3/04 version
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5l...ew?usp=sharing

New version coming soon!

[Shimeran]

Things are finally clearing up enough that I've had time to finish perusing this. The thing that stands out most is the classes have some nice flavor. Admittedly, I was a bit confused by the description on the Psychopomp, as I believe that title is used for someone who guides the spirits of the dead to the afterlife. It's got abilities that lean that way, but the bit about giants was harder to see.

Speaking abilities, any particular reason beyond familiarity you went with ability scores as the name of the classic six? I ask because I'd been thinking over those names and find myself wanting to call them attributes and free up "ability" for things you can do. That being said, I caught myself referring to strength and such as "raw ability", so maybe the names fitting enough.

Along similar lines, one thing I found odd is that "skills" cover so much territory. You've got skills as things everyone can do, skills as special abilities, and skills as bonuses to other skills. I think maybe some sub-categorization is in order. I know they're some typing in place, but using different names for the sub-types might make them easier to differentiate. That being said, I like that you encapsulated a lot of what characters can do into easily readable blocks like that. That's the find of idea I'd be inclined to copy.

I do think the organization could use some work. We dive right into basic rules easy enough, but then dive into more GM oriented stuff, then classes, then character creation, then combat.. It seems like the sections could be linked together into a more natural flow.

On a final note, why is it called Sword Fury? That and the symbol brought wuxia to mind, but the feel I get from the classes is more a horror feel.

[Ursus Spelaeus]

Thank you, Shimeran!

Sword Fury is a tentative name... I chose Fury because it kind of sounds like 4E. I was going to call it Dragon Fury, but then I checked that name on google and found it was already used.
Most likely going to change the name, but I still haven't settled on a good one yet.

The Psychopomp is a class I am still a bit torn on. I like the flavor, but I'm not 100% sure where to go with the mechanics. If I keep it, it's going to go through a lot of changes.

I went with the name 'ability' for the six attributes just because it is familiar. This game is a dialogue with Dungeons & Dragons. I definitely want to deviate in some areas, but not in all areas.

The answer to skills is that I'm also drawing a lot of inspiration from Japanese roleplaying games like Alshard and Night Wizards. Skills in those games cover a lot of territory.

And yeah, the organization can use a lot of work...

Also! There's a more recent version of the rules that I'll link in the first post. I'm getting ready for a massive rewrite though.

[Ursus Spelaeus]

Update!

Changed the name to [Dragon Forest], among a number of things.

Still unfinished, but here's an update.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5l...ew?usp=sharing

*edit*
Prototype form-fillable character sheet:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5l...ew?usp=sharing

[Amechra]

Some notes on the classes:

• Angels seem really strong to me - I think its the uncapped bonus from spending Songs. Combo them with anything that lets you spend them faster, and you've got something degenerate going.

• The Animist seems fun, but it practically forces you to play with a grid.

• The Automaton is weird - I'm not entirely sure what you're supposed to do with it. Are you supposed to fill them up with Winds before a fight, so that they can alpha-strike? Also, [Spring-Loaded] is a waste of an action at 1st level.

• The Oracle feels schizophrenic to me - when I started reading it, I thought it was going to be themed around identifying and detecting. Instead, their Skills, while they have a basic psychic "theme", just don't cohere very well. I mean, some of them are really good at what they do, it's just that the class doesn't really pull together.

• The Pankrator is... interesting. [Theme Song] feels like it should be a General Skill, if that makes sense - they don't have anything else related to showboating.

• The Puppeteer feels pretty niche. I would like to see a little more in terms of Skills that give your Marionette (one r) extra Traits.

• The Psychopomp's [Name on the List] seems really, really strong to me. Heck, once you get skills involved, the Psychopomp looks like it's one of the better (if not best) classes.

• The Sentinel is a solid Defender. It mixes well with a lot of the other classes, though the Pankrator is the most obvious (for Interception; spend your Reaction, give your opponent a -4 to their attack, grab them, then get an opportunity attack.)

[Ursus Spelaeus]

Some notes on the classes:

Thanks, Amechra!

• Angels seem really strong to me - I think its the uncapped bonus from spending Songs. Combo them with anything that lets you spend them faster, and you've got something degenerate going.

I could cap the bonus at level, and limit it to songs spent only within that scene. If I go that route, I should add the bonus to both the attack roll and to damage.

• The Animist seems fun, but it practically forces you to play with a grid.

Yeah, but the grid is fun!

• The Automaton is weird - I'm not entirely sure what you're supposed to do with it. Are you supposed to fill them up with Winds before a fight, so that they can alpha-strike? Also, [Spring-Loaded] is a waste of an action at 1st level.

The idea with Automatons is that allies are supposed to spend their minor actions to give you additional attack rolls and combat buffs. I should specify that winds expire at the end of the scene, but add a skill that lets them wind up as a setup action.

• The Oracle feels schizophrenic to me - when I started reading it, I thought it was going to be themed around identifying and detecting. Instead, their Skills, while they have a basic psychic "theme", just don't cohere very well. I mean, some of them are really good at what they do, it's just that the class doesn't really pull together.

All the classes are really schizophrenic at this point. I'm working on it though.

• The Pankrator is... interesting. [Theme Song] feels like it should be a General Skill, if that makes sense - they don't have anything else related to showboating.

Yeah, the class doesn't pull together as well as it should. I should take out Theme Song along with Delayed Damage Pool and focus more on attacks that lock down single targets.

• The Puppeteer feels pretty niche. I would like to see a little more in terms of Skills that give your Marionette (one r) extra Traits.

Puppeteer was supposed to focus on single target ranged lockdown with a summoned buddy to help control more area. Will add more skills that buff Marionette.

• The Psychopomp's [Name on the List] seems really, really strong to me. Heck, once you get skills involved, the Psychopomp looks like it's one of the better (if not best) classes.

Will see how it works in playtest.

• The Sentinel is a solid Defender. It mixes well with a lot of the other classes, though the Pankrator is the most obvious (for Interception; spend your Reaction, give your opponent a -4 to their attack, grab them, then get an opportunity attack.)

That's the idea! ^^

I want to add four more classes, but I'm still working out where to go with them.

For purposes of symmetry I would like to add:

>STR/WIS physical attacker
Conceptually, I'd like to add a Veteran class with buffing effects.

>STR/INT magic attacker
Conceptually, I'd like to add a 'Demiurge' sorcerous blacksmith class with buffing effects

>CON/CHA magic attacker
Not sure where to go with this yet.

>CON/WIS magic attacker
Not sure where to go with this yet.