[Feng Shui] FS Lite for fantasy (Redux)

[Kiero]

I had a little rethink about my last attempt at Feng Shui Lite for fantasy, and I didn't really feel I did a good job with either set of archetypes. The AD&D-inspired ones felt a little contrived, and the supposed "four corners" one didn't really work either to my mind. Now I've had a good old look at True20, it's given me the inspiration for how it should look (though in fairness people did actually say so in the other thread...:o ).

Basic Rules

So first up, it's Feng Shui Lite as usual.


Same changes apply as in the original FS Lite.

• D6s are replaced wholesale for D10s.
• Fu is gone in it's entirety (attribute and schticks both). Too crunchy, too much resource management in tracking your level of Chi/Fu from round-to-round. Plus most of the effects are mechanics-heavy too.
• Arcanotech and it's schticks are gone too. I've always disliked them, they weren't going to remain in any case.
• Tranimal schticks are gone too, again many of them are pretty crunchy, like the Fu schticks.
• Added to Gun schticks are Weapon schticks. Gun Schticks become Ranged, Weapon are Melee.
• Creature Powers become Arcane Abilities, which are both non-human stuff like Infravision (a reworked Friend of Darkness) and also magic items. Anyone can add the Arcane Abilties skill at chargen, and switch up to two of their schticks for Arcane Abilities.
• I'm not actually going to post re-workings of all the schticks, I'll leave that up to people to work out for themselves on a case-by-case basis.

All the original archetypes go, replaced by ones built along the following lines:

• 6 Primary + 6 Secondary attribute points
• 30 Skill points - cap for any of the main skills is 14
• 5 schticks
• Default Wealth level is Working Stiff. Poor gives an extra schtick, Rich costs one. Should I ditch Wealth altogether?
• 1 Primary attribute = 3 Secondary attributes = 1 Schtick = 5 Skill points.

The new skill list is as follows:

Agility
Athletics (Martial Arts)
Intrusion
Melee* (Martial Arts)

Charisma
Deceit (includes Seduction)
Intimidation
Leadership

Intelligence
Info
Medicine
Survival

Magic
Sorcery*

Manual Dexterity
Ranged* (Guns)
Riding (Driving)

Perception
Craft (Mr Fixit and Sabotage)
Investigation (Detective and Police)

Willpower
Arcane Abilities (Creature Powers)

You'll note that there have been some skills merged, and Martial Arts has been split out into two parts: Athletics (for all the agility-related stuff) and Melee (for the combat skills). This is deliberate; while it's in genre for Hong Kong action movies to use them interchangeably, it doesn't fit quite so well in fantasy.

The Archetypes

I'm going to steal the names from True20, they work.

Adept

Attributes

Bod 4
Chi 0 (Mag 7)
Mnd 6
Ref 5

Add 5 points to Primary attributes and 2 points to Secondary attributes.

Skills:

Deceit +3 (9)
Info/Magical Theory +4 (10)
Info/[Your choice] +3 (9)
Info/[Your choice] +2 (8)
Medicine +3 (9)
Sorcery +7 (=14)

Add 8 points to Skills.

Schticks: Any 5 Sorcery schticks.

Weapons: One simple weapon of your choice.

Quick Schtick Pick:

Wealth Level: Working Stiff


Expert

Attributes

Bod 5
Chi 0 (For 3)
Mnd 5
Ref 6

Add 5 points to Primary attributes and 3 points to Secondary attributes.

Skills:

Athletics +4 (10)
Deceit +5 (10)
Info/[Your choice] +1 (6)
Intrusion +8 (=14)
Melee +3 (8) [Max 12]
Ranged +7 (=13)

Add 12 points to Skills.

Schticks: Any 3 Melee or Ranged schticks.

Weapons: Three weapons of your choice.

Quick Schtick Pick:

Wealth Level: Working Stiff[/QUOTE]


Warrior

Attributes

Bod 7
Chi 0 [Max 3]
Mnd 5
Ref 5

Add 5 points to Primary attributes and 3 points to Secondary attributes.

Skills:

Athletics +5 (10) [Max 12]
Intimidation +3 (8) or Leadership +3 (8)
Melee +9 (=14)
Ranged +7 (=12)

Add 6 points to Skills. Switch bonuses and caps for Melee and Ranged if desired.

Schticks: Any 5 Melee or Ranged schticks.

Weapons: Four weapons of your choice.

Quick Schtick Pick:

Wealth Level: Working Stiff


Adept-Expert

Attributes

Bod 5
Chi 2 (Mag 5)
Mnd 6
Ref 6

Add 3 points to Primary attributes.

Skills:

Athletics +4 (9)
Deceit +4 (10)
Info/[Magic-related] +2 (8)
Intrusion +3 (9) [Max 13]
Melee +4 (10) [Max 12] or Ranged +4 (10) [Max 12]
Sorcery +8 (=13)

Add 10 points to Skills. Switch bonuses and caps for Melee and Sorcery if desired.

Schticks: Any 4 Melee or Sorcery schticks, minimum one of each.

Weapons: Two weapons of your choice.

Quick Schtick Pick:

Wealth Level: Working Stiff


Adept-Warrior

Attributes

Bod 6
Chi 0 (Mag 5)
Mnd 6
Ref 5

Add 3 points to Primary attributes and 4 points to Secondary attributes.

Skills:

Athletics +3 (9)
Deceit +4 (10) or Leadership +4 (10)
Info/[Magic-related] +2 (8)
Melee +5 (10) [Max 12]
Sorcery +8 (=13)

Add 6 points to Skills. Switch bonuses and caps for Melee and Sorcery if desired.

Schticks: Any 5 Melee or Sorcery schticks, minimum one of each.

Weapons: Two weapons of your choice.

Quick Schtick Pick:

Wealth Level: Working Stiff


Expert-Warrior

Attributes

Bod 6
Chi 0 (For 3)
Mnd 5
Ref 6

Add 3 points to Primary attributes and 3 points to Secondary attributes.

Skills:

Athletics +4 (10)
Deceit +4 (9) or Intimidation +4 (9)
Intrusion +4 (10) [Max 13]
Melee +6 (=12)
Ranged +7 (=13)

Add 10 points to Skills. Switch bonuses and caps for Melee and Ranged if desired.

Schticks: Any 4 Melee or Ranged schticks.

Weapons: Two weapons of your choice.

Quick Schtick Pick:

Wealth Level: Working Stiff

[Ceres]

Oooh, cool. I'm currently creating a system based loosely on Feng Shui (as well ad FUDGE, GURPS and some D&D), though I'm going the realism route rather than the simplicity route. Are you planning on adding any more rules to this system? It could probably help me in the development of my own system. Bookmarking the thread for now

[Kiero]

One of my rules of thumb is that I never add rules, only remove them. In the above the only addition is using Weapon schticks, but in a way that's just doubling up Gun schticks.

Most of what I did was culling away the more complicated bits, and reducing the level of mechanical variety in general. Thus three of the schtick types (and the more complicated of them) I dropped. All done with a view to making the game simpler and smoother.

So I won't be able to help much there.

Something you might consider, though I don't know how much of Feng Shui you're using, is lethal damage. Namely when someone is using bullets or blades, only deduct half a PC/Named Character's Toughness from the damage.

Another one might be dividing up some of the skills. Martial Arts, for example encapsulated acrobatic ability, unarmed combat and melee combat all in one package (aside from the knowledge and contacts bits).

[Kiero]

Looks like I'll be getting to use this soon, after discussion with a player, they prefer this over Wushu to begin with. Helps introduce a lot of the same concepts (particularly description and the mook/non-mook split) too.

[Kiero]

Some pregens:

Saint of Justice (Adept-Warrior)
Attributes: Bod 7, Chi 0 (Mag 5), Mnd 7 (Cha 8), Ref 7
Skills:

Athletics 11
Info/Heaven's Mandate 10
Leadership 12
Melee 13
Sorcery 12
Riding 12

Schticks

Weapon: Signature Weapon
Sorcery: Divination, Healing, Influence, Summoning

Wealth Level: Working stiff
Weapons: Blade of Righteous Vengeance (14), mace (10)
Other gear: Mail (+2 Toughness, -2 Agility), Shield


Dwarf Stalwart (Warrior)
Attributes: Bod 12, Chi 0 (For 1), Mnd 5 (Wil 7), Ref 5
Skills:

Athletics 10
Intimidation 10
Melee 14
Ranged 12
Info/Mining and Stonework 8
Riding 6

Schticks:

Demi-human: Darkvision (Friend of Darkness)
Constitution: Ich Bin Ein Bruiser
Weapon: Razor-keen Reflexes, Fast Draw II

Wealth level: Working Stiff
Weapons: Greataxe (17), Shortsword (15),
Other gear: Plate (+3 toughness, -3 Agility)


Elven Thief (Expert)
Attributes: Bod 5, Chi 0 (For 3), Mnd 6 (Cha 8), Ref 10 (Agl 11)
Skills:

Athletics 14
Deceit 14
Info/Underworld Politics 9
Info/Gems and Jewelry 9
Info/Fine Art 9
Info/Antiques 9
Intrusion 14
Investigation 12
Melee 12
Ranged 13
Riding 12

Schticks:

Agility: Catlike Balance
Demihuman: Infravision (Friend of Darkness)
Ranged: Eagle Eye, Shoot Weapon

Wealth Level: Working Stiff
Weapons: Bow (7), pair of daggers (7)
Other Gear: Thieves tools


Forester (Warrior-Expert)
Attributes: Bod 8, Chi 0 (For 3), Mnd 5 (Per 7), Ref 7 (Agl 8)
Skills:

Athletics 12
Crafts 11
Info/Monsters 8
Intimidation 9
Intrusion 13
Melee 13
Ranged 12
Survival 12

Schticks:

Weapon: Symphony of Slaughter II
Ranged: Carnival of Carnage II

Wealth level: Working Stiff
Weapons: Bow (10), Sword (12)
Other gear: Leather armour (+1 Toughness, -1 Agility)


Dabbler (Adept-Expert)
Attributes: Bod 5, Chi 2 (Mag 5), Mnd 7, Ref 8
Skills:

Athletics 12
Deceit 12
Info/Arcane Secrets 9
Intrusion 12
Investigation 10
Leadership 10
Medicine 10
Melee 12
Sorcery 13

Schticks:

Weapon: Fast Draw, Disarm (Shoot Weapon)
Sorcery: Divination, Influence

Wealth Level: Working Stiff
Weapons: Sword (9), Dagger (7)
Other gear:


Sorceror (Adept)
Attributes: Bod 5, Chi 0 (Mag 7), Mnd 9 (Int 10, Wil 10), Ref 6
Skills:

Deceit 12
Info/Magical Theory 14
Info/Demonology 13
Info/Eldritch Secrets 12
Investigation 12
Medicine 13
Riding 11
Sorcery 14

Schticks: Blast (Ice), Divination, Movement, Summoning, Weather
Wealth Level: Working Stiff
Weapons: Staff (8)
Other gear: