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Azoth
2013-04-30, 07:46 PM
Hello all, a few friends and I are taking on a side project to try and create a new D20 based game. I had a few ideas for some system mechanics/ideas and I wanted to get some feedback on them from the playground to the affect of viability. I am also interested in getting some suggestions for other already established systems to draw ideas from.

The first idea was to model spellcasting similar to D&D 3.5 psionics instead of a slot based system. In our system the reserve will only refill once per 24hrs to discourage the 5 minute work day. The fluff for magic in our system is that every person has an organ inside of them that generates enery necessary for magic and using it depletes your internal stores.

We also intend for a focused state to allow you to expend it to apply an additional effect to your spells. So no mage in our setting could drop the D&D equivelant of the Twinned Maximized Empowered Repeating Fell Drained Orb of X.

We are considering using the traditional 9 schools of magic (including universal) but limiting any caster that uses magic by virtue of education in the art to 2 schools + universal. The spells themselves will be rigidly defined by group (I.E. no blasting without using evocation, no duplicating schools you didn't learn with spells from another school.)

SoD's will be designed to take multiple rounds to kill a target of appropriate level to face them. (Medusa could one round petrify a commoner but a seasoned adventurer would take a few rounds of failed saves to kill.)

SoS's would offer a save each round to nullify its effects on a target. That way it is again not a one save shut down/win button for casters.

All martial classes would gain access to their choice of several combat disciplines. Instead of prepping a special maneuver they would run off of an Endurance pool. It would refill with an hour or two of rest, and be smaller than a caster's magic reserves.

Magic items would be rare in the system and offer more options for abilities instead of just flat +X to Y. Alchemical items would be more prevelant as would special materials with which to craft items.

We also are looking to employ armors solely as DR instead of boosting AC.

Possibly making things like spring attack + whirlwind attack both normal combat options as full round abilities. Making full attacking a single action normally useable only once per round.

We are a bit stuck on the skill system. We want skills to allow the epic things like running up a wall and back flipping off to stab a giant in the face. To allow someone to dance across the battle field like a god dodging blows until they get to their target. To climb a flat wall bare handed. To jump over a charging horse unhamed.

Foxwarrior
2013-04-30, 07:49 PM
In our system the reserve will only refill once per 24hrs to discourage the 5 minute work day.

That is exactly how you encourage the 5 minute work day.

Azoth
2013-04-30, 09:54 PM
We haven't hammered out spells yet, but things like teleport will not be something easy to pull off. So time is still a consideration in our system.

For us the decision on a once a day recharge is that, while some spells will be powerful, we do not wish to give casters an all day endurance. We may include some items that can recharge them a little bit, but quite frankly to us as a whole magical aptitude should not have the same endurance that the human body is capable of.

Overall, we do hope to create a balanced system of magic and mundane in both power and versatility. The drop in magical endurance, however, is due mostly to our own feeling and influences.

I think another note that I forgot to make in the OP is that alot of staple spells of classic systems like D&D will not be present. So a high level mage is not capable of throwing up time stop, polymorphing into a pyrohydra, or in general being more god like than a greater diety. We aim for the high end mages to have their show stoppers be along the lines of D&D 3.5 level 6 spells without the ability to metamagic them to prolific proportions. So at high levels mage's are finally able to use a teleport, or make the entire party capable of flying after the enemy, ect.

eftexar
2013-04-30, 10:03 PM
No arguments with most of your changes, but the once a day thing still promotes the 5 minute work day. I would say that they need some abilities to be at will or at least per encounter. Sort of like a less modifiable eldritch blast.

Yitzi
2013-04-30, 10:40 PM
The first idea was to model spellcasting similar to D&D 3.5 psionics instead of a slot based system. In our system the reserve will only refill once per 24hrs to discourage the 5 minute work day.

As Foxwarrior said, this will encourage a 5 minute work day; while you won't get 3 5-minute work-sessions in a day, it'll still encourage going home after spending your daily reserve.

However, if you're using a psionics-sort system anyway, you might want to consider making it more gradual: Instead of refilling once every 24 hours, maybe it refills 1/24 of its capacity every hour.
It won't completely solve the "5 minute work day" phenomenon (for that, what you really need is a dynamic world that won't wait for the characters to fight one encounter a day), but it'll help.


The fluff for magic in our system is that every person has an organ inside of them that generates enery necessary for magic and using it depletes your internal stores.

If it's an actual organ, that means that people in that world have a (slightly) different body layout than in the real world. You sure you want that? It might be easier just to have it be a metaphysical "magical reserve" with no physical organ associated with it.


We also intend for a focused state to allow you to expend it to apply an additional effect to your spells. So no mage in our setting could drop the D&D equivelant of the Twinned Maximized Empowered Repeating Fell Drained Orb of X.

Coming straight from psionics, this should work ok.


We are considering using the traditional 9 schools of magic (including universal) but limiting any caster that uses magic by virtue of education in the art to 2 schools + universal. The spells themselves will be rigidly defined by group (I.E. no blasting without using evocation, no duplicating schools you didn't learn with spells from another school.)

Sounds good. However, keep in mind that a few effects might still be causable by more than one school. For example, you can cause fire damage to something by throwing a fireball at it (evocation), creating alchemist's fire and throwing that at it (conjuration), or simply using magic to heat it directly (transmutation). Of course, each would have its strengths and weaknesses so that they don't really step on each others' toes.


SoD's will be designed to take multiple rounds to kill a target of appropriate level to face them. (Medusa could one round petrify a commoner but a seasoned adventurer would take a few rounds of failed saves to kill.)

Looks good.


SoS's would offer a save each round to nullify its effects on a target. That way it is again not a one save shut down/win button for casters.

Seems ok.


All martial classes would gain access to their choice of several combat disciplines. Instead of prepping a special maneuver they would run off of an Endurance pool. It would refill with an hour or two of rest, and be smaller than a caster's magic reserves.

You really should have something more to distinguish them from spells. Perhaps use (to use TOB terminology) a lot of stances but very few maneuvers?


Magic items would be rare in the system and offer more options for abilities instead of just flat +X to Y. Alchemical items would be more prevelant as would special materials with which to craft items.

Looks good. Idea: Potions could be alchemical rather than magical.


We also are looking to employ armors solely as DR instead of boosting AC.

A good idea, but weapon-finesse sort characters should have some way to ignore that DR at a cost to their attack roll.


We are a bit stuck on the skill system. We want skills to allow the epic things like running up a wall and back flipping off to stab a giant in the face. To allow someone to dance across the battle field like a god dodging blows until they get to their target. To climb a flat wall bare handed. To jump over a charging horse unhamed.

Consider the idea of skill tricks, but instead of costing skill points, you get them for free at particular thresholds of skill ranks.


For us the decision on a once a day recharge is that, while some spells will be powerful, we do not wish to give casters an all day endurance. We may include some items that can recharge them a little bit, but quite frankly to us as a whole magical aptitude should not have the same endurance that the human body is capable of.

Spreading it out should solve both; instead of running out once per day and then that's it for the day, they run out more often but recover quicker as well.

Azoth
2013-05-01, 06:07 PM
I was wondering for classes that would have a similar feel to Rangers or Paladins if they should be purely martial or a partial caster? I just wonder if perhaps having two pools to keep track of would be too much book keeping?

Also, would allowing people to grab a few low level spells or maneuvers via feats/talents would be a good idea. Similar to the feats in MOI or TOB that let you gain a small amount of power but no where near what actual levels would grant you.

Yitzi
2013-05-01, 06:27 PM
I was wondering for classes that would have a similar feel to Rangers or Paladins if they should be purely martial or a partial caster?

I would say a paladin should have partial casting as at least an optional class feature; rangers can do without casting, but probably should have a more rogue-like feel if you're changing it.


Also, would allowing people to grab a few low level spells or maneuvers via feats/talents would be a good idea. Similar to the feats in MOI or TOB that let you gain a small amount of power but no where near what actual levels would grant you.

If you use backgrounds, that can be an alternative way to get them.

Just to Browse
2013-05-01, 06:43 PM
Except for the 24hr thing, everything here is fine. You should write the game.