Harperfan7
2010-06-05, 02:13 AM
Using experience points as level-up currency. (you may have to read the whole post before it makes much sense)
Each ability score increase costs exponentially more exp.
(so 10 to 11 costs 50, 11 to 12 costs 100, 12 to 13 costs 200 or whatever)
The same goes for bab, skill ranks, save increases, hit die increases (d4s cost X, d6 cost 1.5 X, etc.), buying class abilities (which now have prerequisites, such as evasion requiring a min dex score and min base reflex save, or rage requiring you to be chaotic). Spellcasting costs exp per level of casting, so the base number of spells a 2nd level wizard caster has costs X amount of exp (the actual number of spells also depends on intelligence and items, as usual). You choose which kind of spellcasting to get when you buy a new level (whether cleric, sorcerer, wizard and so on). So its cheaper to be a wiz 5/sor 2 than a wiz 7, but your overall caster level would either be only 5 or 2 depending on which spells you were casting.
Spellcasting is very expensive, thus a powerful spellcaster (one whose spellcasting is powerful in relation to total exp points) will have as few hit die, save increases, bab, and so on and as many spells, as many spell levels, and as high spell related ability scores as possible.
Each caster level should have a cost, each spell slot or spell known should have a cost, with higher level slots costing more. There are different caster levels (wiz caster levels, sorc caster levels, bard caster levels and so on). They cost exponentially more for each progressive level, but the price is not affected by how many caster levels from other types of casting you have. So your 10th wizard casting level wouldn’t cost more if you also had a level of sorcerer casting than if you didn’t. Wizard spells are still based on intelligence and gain bonus spells from higher intelligence, and the same goes for each type of casting (cha for sorc, etc.).
Each spell requires you to have one spell of the next lowest level of the same school first (this means prepared at the start of the day or just known in general).
Feats should have set costs (which are expensive compared to everything else), but they should differ in cost (skill focus should cost less than power attack). It may be cheaper at higher exp totals to buy lightning reflexes than it is to increase your base reflex of +11 to +12, but improved evasion may still require a base of +12.
You are given a budget of exp points to spend on character creation, but where you spend them is up to you. Only spells, class abilities, and certain feats have prerequisites.
What the actual costs are is undetermined and the above are example costs. I don’t know how to factor in intelligence and skill point totals (I considered making each skill point cost a fraction less for each int mod increase, but this favors wizard spellcasting over other types). I do know that humans would pay less for each skill point and for each feat (but not how much).
In this system, a creature is worth an X amount of exp regardless of character level (and so on for traps and what not). WBL and CR is determined by total exp.
This way you can create whatever kind of character you want who is not bound by classes or even levels, only by total exp gained, and a “1st level” character might have a 2nd level spell, more than 1 hit die, higher than +2 base saves, more than 4 skill ranks, more than 1 feat, and so on, as long as it is paid for.
Thoughts?
Each ability score increase costs exponentially more exp.
(so 10 to 11 costs 50, 11 to 12 costs 100, 12 to 13 costs 200 or whatever)
The same goes for bab, skill ranks, save increases, hit die increases (d4s cost X, d6 cost 1.5 X, etc.), buying class abilities (which now have prerequisites, such as evasion requiring a min dex score and min base reflex save, or rage requiring you to be chaotic). Spellcasting costs exp per level of casting, so the base number of spells a 2nd level wizard caster has costs X amount of exp (the actual number of spells also depends on intelligence and items, as usual). You choose which kind of spellcasting to get when you buy a new level (whether cleric, sorcerer, wizard and so on). So its cheaper to be a wiz 5/sor 2 than a wiz 7, but your overall caster level would either be only 5 or 2 depending on which spells you were casting.
Spellcasting is very expensive, thus a powerful spellcaster (one whose spellcasting is powerful in relation to total exp points) will have as few hit die, save increases, bab, and so on and as many spells, as many spell levels, and as high spell related ability scores as possible.
Each caster level should have a cost, each spell slot or spell known should have a cost, with higher level slots costing more. There are different caster levels (wiz caster levels, sorc caster levels, bard caster levels and so on). They cost exponentially more for each progressive level, but the price is not affected by how many caster levels from other types of casting you have. So your 10th wizard casting level wouldn’t cost more if you also had a level of sorcerer casting than if you didn’t. Wizard spells are still based on intelligence and gain bonus spells from higher intelligence, and the same goes for each type of casting (cha for sorc, etc.).
Each spell requires you to have one spell of the next lowest level of the same school first (this means prepared at the start of the day or just known in general).
Feats should have set costs (which are expensive compared to everything else), but they should differ in cost (skill focus should cost less than power attack). It may be cheaper at higher exp totals to buy lightning reflexes than it is to increase your base reflex of +11 to +12, but improved evasion may still require a base of +12.
You are given a budget of exp points to spend on character creation, but where you spend them is up to you. Only spells, class abilities, and certain feats have prerequisites.
What the actual costs are is undetermined and the above are example costs. I don’t know how to factor in intelligence and skill point totals (I considered making each skill point cost a fraction less for each int mod increase, but this favors wizard spellcasting over other types). I do know that humans would pay less for each skill point and for each feat (but not how much).
In this system, a creature is worth an X amount of exp regardless of character level (and so on for traps and what not). WBL and CR is determined by total exp.
This way you can create whatever kind of character you want who is not bound by classes or even levels, only by total exp gained, and a “1st level” character might have a 2nd level spell, more than 1 hit die, higher than +2 base saves, more than 4 skill ranks, more than 1 feat, and so on, as long as it is paid for.
Thoughts?