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    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    scarmiglionne4's Avatar

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    Default D&D 3.5 Alternative Experience System A La Riddle of Steel PEACH

    CHARACTER PATHS
    To further define a character’s driving forces and moral compass each character must choose at least three Character Paths but no more than five.
    Once chosen they roll 1d6+2 and distribute points among their character paths. The more points, the better the bonus granted when the attributes of the path come into play. Character Paths can be no higher than 5, so bonuses granted from Character Paths are +1 to +5
    It costs 2000xp to raise a character path to 2, 4000xp to raise it to 3, 8000xp to raise it to 4, and 16000xp to raise it to 5. This XP must all be in the character path to be raised or a NEW character path starting at 1 if the old one becomes obsolete, which costs 1000xp.
    During play the DM will keep track of character paths and will assign bonuses to die rolls whenever applicable. Players will be rewarded or penalized based on there actions and role-playing with respect to their character paths with role-playing XP being about 100 XP per character level per session awarded.
    Very rarely the reward will be a straight bonus point to a character path. Most of the time it will be XP allotted to whichever character path came into play for the reward.
    XP will still be awarded for encounters and completion of quests but at ¼ the normal amount. This XP goes into a general XP pool. It can be spent on anything XP can be used for except additional character path points.
    Example: A party of five adventurers defeat a Dark Knight who was CR 4. 1200xp would be awarded. 1200 divided by 5 is 240. ¼ of 240 is 60. Each party member would get 60xp added to their general XP. If the creature defeated was the dark knight that murdered a party member’s brother, that party member would get 240XP in his Drive: To slay his brother’s murderer Character Path, assuming he had chosen such a character path.
    XP can be taken from either Character Path or General XP pools to gain levels, purchase abilities from training, or use abilities that require XP use. When a level is gained this XP is “spent.” If you are level 3 you have 3,000 XP in addition to whatever XP is actually showing in General XP and under the Character Paths. This amount does not need to be written down once the XP is spent to gain a level; it simply gets subtracted from the totals.
    Enhancements do not subtract XP because they are not purchased. A player only gets them if they are willing to set XP in reserve to gain their next level when the enhancements would become available.

    THE PATHS
    Conscience
    Conscience refers to one’s desire to “do the right thing,” be it compassion, heroism, or any other manifestation of “right and wrong”.
    Conscience comes into play whenever the character does the right thing in situations where there are alternatives that might be more profitable, might make more sense, be less dangerous, or simply be more fun.
    Conscience is the only Character Path that does not need to be further clarified, characters simply have a conscience, or they don’t. Whenever a character acts within his conscience as described above, he gets to add his Conscience score in any relevant d20 roll making the task he is attempting a little easier.
    Conscience may actually be penalized and reduced if the character repeatedly ignores it and continues to do whatever he wishes to regardless of what might be “right”. Characters may only take Conscience once.

    Destiny
    Destiny signifies a higher calling – perhaps to become king by your own hand, or to bring down a nation, or restore peace throughout a troubled land. Most characters will not be aware of their destiny (but the players are, and they are encouraged to use as many opportunities as possible to help the Destiny come to pass for their characters). A character can only have one Destiny at a time.
    Destiny points may be added to any d20 roll whenever important events in the character’s Destiny come to pass. These events are rare and short-lived, but very important and should be the main time that a character stands to gain XP with Destiny. Instead, the DM will determine when pivotal moments that lead to the Destiny apply, and during those (rare) moments, the character gains his full Destiny bonus on all d20 rolls (and sometimes damage rolls) related to it until the DM deems the moment has passed.

    Anti-Destinies
    An Anti-Destiny is any kind of destiny that the character probably wouldn’t want to see happen. Examples range from a destiny to die at the hands of a specific person or at a specific time, or maybe as simple as a destiny “to fail at the moment of greatest triumph” or “to see all my loved ones die at my own hand”.
    An Anti-Destiny is taken as a Flaw so it grants a bonus feat. Anti-Destinies, like Destinies, kick in at pivotal moments in a character’s career that help bring the destiny to pass or simply herald it. When the final moment of the destiny finally arrives however, the Flaw kicks in and instead of the character gaining a bonus to d20 rolls, his opponent (or whatever is opposing him to make the Anti-Destiny come to pass) gains +5 to all actions and damage.

    Drive
    Drive defines an extra level of determination and a powerful sense of purpose. Someone with a drive has a worthy cause that they would die for and perhaps kill for because they believe it to be extremely important. Examples of people with great drives include William
    Wallace, Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun.
    The Drive Character Path must be further defined with the object of the Drive, and a character may not have more than one Drive at any one time.
    Characters get to add their Drive value to any d20 roll or damage roll that furthers or defends the cause it is associated with; this applies as often as the DM agrees that it should, and after such a roll the character may gain XP in the drive. On some occasions, unspent XP or points in the drive may actually decrease if the character repeatedly ignores opportunities to fulfill and/or defend it.

    Faith
    Faith reflects the bond between a person and his or her god. This does not pre-suppose that the god necessarily exists, as it is the belief in the god and His ideals and strictures that drives the character further and harder and allows him to achieve great things. The Faith Character Path must be further defined with the actual faith/belief or Deity worshipped. As long as a true and deep belief exists, any Faith Character Path is allowable (at the DM’s discretion) so even Faith: Atheism is possible, but only if the character were strongly and truly atheist, as opposed to just not believing in god. Generally, characters may only have one Faith Character Path at a time, although in certain circumstances the DM may make an exception.
    Faith may be added to any die roll that significantly furthers or defends the belief or religion involved, or to any roll that defends or protects the truly faithful.
    After applicable rolls, the DM may award bonus points and/or XP in the Faith Character Path , and should certainly remove points whenever the character actively works against or repeatedly ignores his Faith.

    Oath
    An Oath is a binding agreement with a person, group or organization to do (or not to do) a specific thing or task. It’s not necessary to love or even like a person or group that you are Oathbound to, the important factor is the character’s personal honor and commitment to do what he has sworn to do regardless of personal cost or other factors.
    A character could just as easily have an Oath to do something that he knows is wrong but he feels bound to do it anyway (or he’s being paid to do it, or someone is going to kill his wife if he doesn’t do it, etc.)
    Oath points may be added to any roll that significantly furthers or defends the character’s Oath, and after such rolls the character may receive XP or a bonus point in the Oath. Similarly, attempting to get around the Oath or work against it may lose unspent CP or a point, and if the character actively and irrevocably breaks the Oath then he should immediately lose all points in Oath (and be encouraged to choose a new one to replace it unless there’s a possible way to salvage it). Characters may swear multiple
    Oaths and as such may have more than one Oath Character Path. They may even contradict each other!

    Passion
    Passion entails a specific love, hatred, or loyalty to a single person or entity that occupies your character’s thoughts and actions entirely.
    Passion points may be added to any roll that directly affects the object of the Passion, such as defending a loved one or slaying a sworn enemy. After such rolls, the may may award XP or bonus points in Passion, or he may remove points if the character repeatedly ignores opportunities to engage in the passion. Characters may take multiple Passion Character Paths.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Halfling in the Playground
     
    Sherishade's Avatar

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    Default Re: D&D 3.5 Alternative Experience System A La Riddle of Steel PEACH

    I kinda like this but I can kinda see how it could be easily abused couldn't a campaign thats centered in the groups home country have almost every action receive a bonus against an invading army. Or maybe get multiple bonuses like do these stack? maybe i missed that part.

    Also alot of your examples are specific but if a specific goal was completed like (Drive: to avenge my lover's death) wouldn't it be completely useless after you did the avenging and now any experience is wasted in it. While (Passion: mastering necromancy and its secrets) would be great but possibly over powering with gaining that bonus to all things necromantic.

    I love the concept but there would be alot of DM smack downs on to broad ideas with more specific ones becoming useless down the road.

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    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    scarmiglionne4's Avatar

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    Default Re: D&D 3.5 Alternative Experience System A La Riddle of Steel PEACH

    Quote Originally Posted by scarmiglionne4 View Post
    CHARACTER PATHS
    To further define a character’s driving forces and moral compass each character must choose at least three Character Paths but no more than five.
    It costs 2000xp to raise a character path to 2, 4000xp to raise it to 3, 8000xp to raise it to 4, and 16000xp to raise it to 5. This XP must all be in the character path to be raised or a NEW character path starting at 1 if the old one becomes obsolete, which costs 1000xp.
    Also you can move XP from a character path to general for use in leveling up, earning enhancements, and training.

    It is really open to interpretation as to bonuses stacking. If two paths somehow overlapped and the player was roleplaying appropriately, I could see my way to stacking them. I honestly don't care if the players are roleplaying. If a good story comes out of their alleged abuse I don't see a problem with it. Heroes do amazing things.
    Last edited by scarmiglionne4; 2012-12-11 at 03:07 PM.

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    Pixie in the Playground
     
    chocobo86z's Avatar

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    Default Re: D&D 3.5 Alternative Experience System A La Riddle of Steel PEACH

    Quote Originally Posted by scarmiglionne4 View Post
    Also you can move XP from a character path to general for use in leveling up, earning enhancements, and training.

    It is really open to interpretation as to bonuses stacking. If two paths somehow overlapped and the player was roleplaying appropriately, I could see my way to stacking them. I honestly don't care if the players are roleplaying. If a good story comes out of their alleged abuse I don't see a problem with it. Heroes do amazing things.
    I think that as long as they are roleplaying properly that bonus stacking shouldn't be a problem if that makes them more kicka** then so be it. Some times having over powered characters is fun.

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    DracoDei's Avatar

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    Default Re: D&D 3.5 Alternative Experience System A La Riddle of Steel PEACH

    1d6+2 seems very variable. Huge power-level variations. Plus if you have 5 paths, and roll a 1 or a 2, you can't put the implied minimum of 1 in each path.

    I would suggest a static 5.
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    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    scarmiglionne4's Avatar

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    Default Re: D&D 3.5 Alternative Experience System A La Riddle of Steel PEACH

    Quote Originally Posted by DracoDei View Post
    1d6+2 seems very variable. Huge power-level variations. Plus if you have 5 paths, and roll a 1 or a 2, you can't put the implied minimum of 1 in each path.

    I would suggest a static 5.
    I think you're right. Though I may just let them have 8.

  7. - Top - End - #7
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    Default Re: D&D 3.5 Alternative Experience System A La Riddle of Steel PEACH

    Quote Originally Posted by scarmiglionne4 View Post
    I think you're right. Though I may just let them have 8.
    I only suggested 5 as the rounded down average of 1d6+2. I can't really comment on if it the right number from a game design POV.
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