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AstralFire
2008-09-07, 05:26 PM
ONCE AGAIN in Tasty, Non-Fat PDF Format!
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Table of Contents

Introduction
System Overview
Combat
Attack List
Advancement Trees I
Acrobatics
Endurance
Kinetics
Geomancy
Interpersonal Skills
Life and Spirit
Marksmanship
Advancement Trees II
Martial Skill
Mind and Soul
Reality Alteration
Resources
Scouting
Shapeshifting
Technology
Anteheroics
Faeries and Magic
Government
Adventuring
Changelog


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There is a world that is very much like ours; in fact, let us pretend that this world is ours. In this world, magic has existed for a long time. Always has. Always will. However, it has become more diminished over time. Like any other resource on this planet, there has always been a finite source of magic, but an infinitely growing number of people. Those born with genetic magic - essential, simple, strong - have become relatively rare, and relatively weak. Many pretend that they don't even exist anymore, if they ever did. Magicians, inheritors of the versatile but subtle learned magic tradition, have been long persecuted. Those who publicly bear the title are little more than grand liars - skillful, for sure, but not magical.

Magic took to the shadows, where many other things have as well. Faeries still walk among us, and they're rarely six-inch-tall blond bombshells in an evening dress that are willing to die for you. They lurk in the dark corners and alleys. Most mean no harm, but it only takes one invisible axe-murderer to kill you

And though we use technology every day - in our appliances, in our cars, in our hospitals, in our schools and of course our jobs - its bleeding edge has been guarded carefully by powerful corporations and governments. The same corporate world and governments that only pick the most physically fit, most intellectually gifted people to train and set loose to do their bidding in the shadows.

Most people know better than to lurk in these shadows... but how about you?




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Role-Playing Games
The Anteheroes System is a unique and overall simple tabletop role-playing game, designed for use by both role-playing veterans and newcomers to the concept. It is based on the body of fiction by yours truly that I collectively call 'The Anteverse.' If you're familiar with how role-playing games in general work, skip ahead to the System Overview section.

Rest of you still here? Great! Let's start.

What is a Role-Playing Game?

You may well be familiar with the term, as it is used in a variety of ways outside of this hobby. For that same reason, a lot of people aren't quite clear on what one really is. According to Wikipedia, "A role-playing game (RPG; often roleplaying game) is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players can improvise freely; their choices shape the direction... of the games."

Choice and control over your make-believe, while using a set of rules to provide challenge and structure. The former is what differentiates a role-playing game from the many video games which have tried (and succeeded or failed, to varying degrees) to emulate the concept. The latter is what keeps our fantasy counterparts from impulsively killing thousands of innocents without retribution or damage. (Usually, anyway. There are some game systems for those of you who want to live our your inner Godzilla.)

The only goals in a role-playing game are those that you set for yourself. Because it takes several people to play a game, these are generally decided as a team to maximize fun for all involved. Often, the goal is simply to get away from real life for two hours a week - whether it's being Tim in accounting who has to fill out over nine thousand TPS reports a day, or Susan, CEO of her upstart and thriving (but very time-intensive) company. However, your characters may be in a campaign to save the world, take it over, or just stop bank robberies while getting to be a witty jerk to the same four losers who somehow keep breaking out of jail only to immediately fail on their next heist.

As you continue to play a role-playing game, your characters will generally advance in skill and power, and this is often a key source of enjoyment for many - simply designing a 'person' from scratch and getting to see them grow. They may die, too, but that doesn't have to be the end. Death is (usually, but) not always permanent, and you always have the option of creating another character to leap right back in where your last left off.

You may have heard of DMs (Dungeon Masters), STs (Storytellers), or GMs (Game Masters) from other role-playing games. Often jokingly referred to as 'God', 'the Boss', or other terms, she is really a referee for the rules and the lead storyteller. The engine of the game.

It is a necessary position in most role-playing games, including this one. The GM runs every minor and antagonistic role in the game and decides situation, scenario and setting. Being a living person, the GM can react to a much wider variety of choices from players than a computer. Being a GM is more demanding than being a player, to be sure, but the position is equally more rewarding as well, because of the increased importance of any individual choice on the GM's part. Many groups switch the position off regularly, allowing multiple players to share their storytelling ideas and the mental fatigue both.

What makes The Anteheroes System different from other role-playing games?

There are two things that differentiate roleplaying games from one another: the types of stories they encourage, and their ruleset.

Obviously, this system is based around a take on the modern world with magic and robots lurking around the corner, just beyond the average citizen's reach. Many other systems emphasize going back to an era of plate armor and no guns, with elves and dwarves and dragon-headed people. By default, it's mostly humans here, though it wouldn't be that hard to put elves and dragon-people in if you really really wanted to.

The other key, distinguishing feature about The Anteheroes System is that it really emphasizes simplicity. If you know what you want to create, making a new character should not take you more than a half-hour after you've familiarized yourself with the rules. The rules themselves are intended to be read and understood well enough for you to play in twenty minutes. And combat, something that can notoriously take hours in other systems, will be almost as lightning fast as (though significantly less ill-advised to participate in than) the gunfights the system models.

There is a time and a place for complexity, but sometimes you just want to run and gun. Faster combat means time for more combats (if that's your thing) or more time for peaceful talking or sneaking around (if it's not.) There's more to life, even a fictional life, than destroying robots for a half-minute. There might even be more robots to destroy around the next corner.

System Engine
The system is built around a very simple, basic mechanic that supplies all of the random numbers in the entire game. The following steps describe its use:

1. Roll a six-sided dice. Need one? That old game of Monopoly in your closet probably won't get used for the next two hours.
2. Notice the number on the dice. Check the table to see if a special effect occurs on the rolled number.
3. Add all modifiers and compare to a target number (if there is one). If there is a target number and you meet or exceed that value, you succeed. For a comparative roll, after all modifiers are added or subtracted, your value can never be less than one.
- or -
3. Add all positive modifiers. Multiply any factors. Subtract any penalties as necessary. For a non-comparative roll, after all modifiers are added or subtracted, your value can never be less than zero.

There is also one guiding principle that I'd like you to keep in mind when playing this game.

Mechanical Effect Trumps Visual Effect
Visually and thematically, a man shooting a fireball from his fingertips and a grizzled soldier hurling a high-tech grenade she just ripped off of her belt are very different. Mechanically, however, they both just blew up a small area. They both have the Kinetics ability "Kinetic Attack." I have tried to keep the system's mechanical side as separate from its thematic side as possible in order to facilitate an easy-to-use system that inherently supports a wide variety of character ideas. Try to use your imagination to add flavor wherever and however you wish in order to keep things lively.

You should try to determine which actions you are taking mechanically, as well as what an appropriate role-playing interpretation for both success and failure, prior to rolling any dice or telling the Game Master what your decision is. This allows you to avoid situations in which you expend all of your most creative wordplay on mundane hits and misses, leaving dramatic moments anticlimactic or tired. This doesn't mean that you should avoid role-playing failure and misses, however, as drama comes from all conflict - not just success.

Character Statistics
There are only a few mechanical components to any given Anteheroes character; these should be listed on your character sheet for easy reference.

Threat Level: Your approximate danger rating on the scale used by government officials. Threat levels are determined by the amount of advancement points you have access to.

Life: It keeps you alive. By default, you have a maximum of 10 points of life. The first attack that takes you to 0 life or below makes you fall helpless but you are still alive. Subsequent damage at that point kills you. Without medical care, you have a life regeneration of one point a week. You cannot regenerate life while you are being attacked or otherwise not allowed to rest.

Spirit: What allows you to act, it represents the natural energy in a living creature's body, or the electricity in a robotic creature's body. By default, a player character has a maximum of 10 points of spirit. At 5 spirit or less you become tired. When you reach 0 spirit, you are very tired. Without medical care, you have a spirit regeneration of one point every ten minutes. You cannot regenerate spirit while you are being attacked or otherwise not allowed to rest.

Composure: Your ability to control yourself. By default, a player character has a maximum of 10 points of composure. When you reach 5 composure or less, you become perturbed, which has a number of related subconditions based on what has been reducing your composure. When you are out of composure, you are very perturbed, which is also a variable effect. You have a composure regeneration of one point every ten minutes.

Evasion: How well you dodge an attack. Most conventional weaponry targets your evasion. Player characters have a basic evasion of 6, but non-player characters may have lower.

Resolve: Your sheer willpower is all that protects you against biting remarks, mind control, and unavoidable attacks that try to overwhelm you with pain. Player characters have a basic resolve of 6, but non-player characters may have lower.

Sprint: Your combat movement distance. By default, it's 10 spaces. You might be able to run faster out of combat, but this value represents your ability to safely dodge bullets, make quick turns and aim weaponry while still moving swiftly.

Reaction: How quickly you can respond. Differences in reaction time can be a matter of milliseconds, but that's enough to save a life... or end one. All characters have a base reaction of 6. Each phase, the character with the highest reaction moves first, then the next-highest, and so on, all the way down to the lowest reaction. In the event of a tie, characters act simultaneously; attacks made against a sprinting character with a tied reaction target the character's final space for that phase.

Abilities that require an action or spirit to increase or decrease reaction only do so for the duration of the combat. The minimum reaction a character can have at a given time is 0.

Arsenal: The abilities you have available to you at the moment, and a description of what they do. You typically have a limit of 3 abilities in your arsenal besides your unarmed attacks and your pressure attack. All weapons use up an arsenal slot, and many attacks and abilities gained from advancement trees do as well. The ability description will indicate if it uses up an arsenal slot.

Advancement Trees: Here, you list your abilities in a given path as well as the origin of those abilities: Magical, Mundane, Technological, or Tool. (A tool is a handheld item almost anyone can use, regardless of magical or technological aptitude). This generally does not have a direct mechanical impact, but it may in a few special cases.

Threat Levels
Characters begin play with a certain number of advancement points to place in advancement trees as determined by their threat level.


YAR THAR WILL BE A TABLE, BUT FIRST I MUST DECIDE WHAT THE VALUES'LL BE. YAR.

To use advancement points, you spend them on advancement trees. There are six ranks of abilities in each, and higher ranks require more points to take. You may take as many abilities in a rank as you like (provided you have the points to spend), but you must have at least 1 ability of a given rank before you can take an ability from the next rank. You could have a hundred Rank I abilities, but you would not be able to purchase a Rank III ability until you had first bought a Rank II ability.


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You may save advancement points as your GM awards them in order to buy more expensive abilities.

It is important to note that advancement points are not experience points, a common advancement method in many role-playing games. Though they serve a similar purpose in describing a character's personal improvement, some things are much harder to learn than others. It's a lot harder to figure out how to kill someone with your brain than it is to run faster, but they both cost a similar amount of points.

Also, advancement points come and go situationally. Illnesses can dampen trained abilities. Equipment of all types can be stolen. Magic can be hampered. Implants can be tampered with. The Game Master should take care not to be capricious with advancement points, but players should be aware of their impermanence.

Character Sheet:
YAR THAR'LL BE EXAMPLES HERE LATER

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 05:28 PM
System Overview

For the experienced game player who wants to leap right into the system.

Accuracy: This value determines how well a shot, swing, or blow can be placed. An attack only has accuracy or penetration - no one attack has both. Accuracy is opposed by evasion. Roll the die and add all modifiers to see if you meet or beat defense, and also compare the accuracy roll against the attack's effect list to see if a secondary effect occurs.

Each attack has its own bonus, penalty (or lack thereof) to accuracy, and you may have bonuses from certain advancement trees. Special conditions can also cause you to lose or gain accuracy.

Actions: You get one sprint, one primary action, and one secondary action a round. A secondary action requires little time to perform and can be done in either of a round's two phases. You may only perform a sprint or a primary action in any given phase. Most attacks are primary actions. There is also a full action which requires two phases to complete and can be split across rounds. In order to use a full action, you must give up a primary action and a sprint action, two primary actions, or two sprint actions. Most full actions do not take effect until they are completed.

Advancement: You spend advancement points to improve in a specific area. There are six ranks in all advancement paths, and higher ranks require more points to take. The number increases according to the Fibonacci Sequence.


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Arsenal: The abilities you have available to you at the moment, and a description of what they do. You typically have a limit of 3 abilities in your arsenal besides your unarmed attacks and your pressure attack. All weapons use up an arsenal slot, and many attacks and abilities gained from advancement trees do as well. The ability description will indicate if it uses up an arsenal slot.

Attack Keywords: Listed in the header next to the attack name, keywords label important features of the attack that are often relevant to customization paths.
Area: An attack that covers more than one space simultaneously.
Heavy: A heavy weapon is unusually large and strong, but more unwieldy. It requires two hands to use. It is too large to use on an adjacent target, but if it is a melee weapon, it strikes opponents two spaces away. Heavy weapons cannot be used in close-quarters combat and are dropped if they were being wielded.
Light: A light weapon requires only one hand to use, and gains a +3 positional accuracy bonus when used in close-quarters combat.
Melee: An attack with a one or two-space range.
Mental: An attack with no physical components and a variable range.
Psychological: An attack that is aimed at the target's composure and belief. A psychological attack can be firing a gun an inch away from someone's eyes, telling an audacious lie to a cynic, seducing a spy for a rival nation, or something similar. Psychological attacks have no set range and may be able to affect multiple targets at once.
Ranged: An attack with a variable range up to a certain distance.
Standard: Standard weapons are of average size and balance. They are best used with two hands, but you can use them in one hand by taking a -1 penalty to your accuracy rolls with the weapon. You may also use a standard weapon in close-quarters combat by taking a -1 penalty to your positional accuracy rolls with the weapon; this stacks with the former penalty if applicable.

Close-Quarters Combat: If you make a successful light melee attack, you may immediately initiate close-quarters combat. Heavy weapons cannot be used in close-quarters combat and are dropped or disabled; standard weapons take a -1 penalty to their accuracy. Close-quarters combat ends when the participants are at least 2 spaces away from each other.

Composure: Your ability to control yourself. By default, a player character has a maximum of 10 points of composure. When you reach 5 composure or less, you become perturbed, which has a number of related subconditions based on what has been reducing your composure. When you are out of composure, you are very perturbed, which is also a variable effect. You have a composure regeneration of one point every ten minutes.

Cube #: An attack area, indicating a cube with a width in squares equal to the listed number.

Detection: A character more easily notices things in a Cube 5 (or small room) centered on their location; they are more apt to see hidden objects and creatures in this range, though better hidden objects and creatures may require more time. Characters by default have a detection of 0; every consecutive turn that the character uses a primary action to stay alert increases their effective detection by 1, to a maximum of +3 over their normal value. Moving or acting immediately removes this bonus.

Seeing a creature or object in your detection range requires having a detection value better than the hidden creature or object's hide value. Detecting something is passive and requires no time expenditure.

Anyone who finishes a phase within Cube 2 of a hiding creature (or if the hiding creature ends a phase in this range) and has clear line of sight to the creature automatically sees it, regardless of hide or detection. This area is referred to as the 'immediate detection range'.

Someone can attempt to pickpocket something off of you at times. If their pickpocket value beats your detection, they will succeed; if not, you catch them in the act and you know what they were doing.

Effect: Several special effects may occur on some types of attacks, corresponding to how well you roll on accuracy or penetration. Each attack has its own list of effects, if any. Unless otherwise stated, effects occur only if you successfully deal damage.

Evasion: How well you dodge an attack. Most conventional weaponry targets your evasion. Player characters have a basic evasion of 6, but non-player characters may have lower.

Execution: An attack performed on a helpless target always hits and, at your option, deals up to an additional 5 damage.

Hiding: A character who moves no more than a fifth of their sprint distance and performs no other actions is, at their option, considered to be hiding, provided there is something for them to hide in - shadows, a crowd, trees. Observers that do not already know their precise location are unable to see you with casual observance.

Characters by default have a hide of 0; every consecutive turn that the character uses a primary action to stay alert increases their effective hide by 1, to a maximum of +3 over their normal value. Moving or acting immediately removes this bonus. Hiding successfully requires having a hide value that meets or beats a person's detection value.

Anyone who finishes a phase within Cube 2 of a hiding creature (or if the hiding creature ends a phase in this range) and has clear line of sight to the creature automatically sees it, regardless of hide or detection. This area is referred to as the 'immediate detection range'. Hiding is passive and requires no time expenditure.

Jumping: Once per round, you may jump as part of your sprint. You can jump as high as a fifth of your sprint distance (by default, 2 meters) at any point during your sprint, or as long as your total sprint distance. If you leap near the end of your movement, you may end the turn in mid-air.

Life: It keeps you alive. By default, you have a maximum of 10 points of life. The first attack that takes you to 0 life or below makes you fall helpless but you are still alive. Subsequent damage at that point kills you. Without medical care, you have a life regeneration of one point a week. You cannot regenerate life while you are being attacked or otherwise not allowed to rest.

Line of Sight: With little exception, most attacks and abilities targeting a creature must have line of sight, an unobstructed path between you and the subject.

Penetration: This value determines how well a mindflay, verbal jab, or teleport can overcome willpower. An attack only has accuracy or penetration - no one attack has both. Penetration is opposed by resolve. Roll the die and add all modifiers to see if you meet or beat defense, and also compare the penetration roll against the attack's effect list to see if a secondary effect occurs.

Each attack has its own bonus, penalty (or lack thereof) to penetration, and you may have bonuses from certain advancement trees. Special conditions can also cause you to lose or gain penetration.

Phase: A 'sub-round'. A round is broken into two sequential turn phases. You may perform your secondary action in either phase, but you can only perform a sprint or primary action in each phase.

Pickpocket: As a primary action, you can attempt to pickpocket something off of someone. If their detection value meets or beats your pickpocket, you fail; if not, you lift a single handheld, loosely attached item from their person without them immediately noticing.

Range: The number of spaces an attack can reach.

Reaction: How quickly you can respond. Differences in reaction time can be a matter of milliseconds, but that's enough to save a life... or end one. All characters have a base reaction of 6. Each phase, the character with the highest reaction moves first, then the next-highest, and so on, all the way down to the lowest reaction. In the event of a tie, characters act simultaneously; attacks made against a sprinting character with a tied reaction target the character's final space for that phase.

Abilities that require an action or spirit to increase or decrease reaction only do so for the duration of the combat. The minimum reaction a character can have at a given time is 0.

Resolve: Your sheer willpower is all that protects you against biting remarks, mind control, and unavoidable attacks that try to overwhelm you with pain. Player characters have a basic resolve of 6, but non-player characters may have lower.

Round: A round lasts five seconds. You have time to move and perform one sprint, one primary action, and one secondary action a round.

Special Conditions:
Bleeding: Most physical damage attacks cause you to bleed significantly. When bleeding, you take one life and spirit damage every minute.
Blind: You are deprived of your primary sense. You take a -3 penalty to your accuracy and detection, and must rely on other cues to determine a target's position, targeting grid squares rather than creatures. All attacks against you are surprise attacks.
Hamstring: You sprint at half speed (round down) until treated.
Helpless: You lose the ability to act until this condition ends and are subject to Execution. A sleeping creature is helpless.
Perturbed: At 5 Composure or less, you become perturbed, which has one of the following effects:
Angered: If you have no good reason to be one of the other categories, you're getting angry and take a -1 penalty to penetration and evasion.
Faltering: You're starting to lose hope, taking a -1 penalty to penetration and resolve. You're hesitant to do much.
Scared: You've become shaky; you take a -1 penalty to accuracy and evasion, and are hesitant to near or fight the source of your distress unless pressed.
Wavering: You begin to consider the words and actions laid before you, with a bit of guilt.
Stun: You cannot act for a full round.
Tired: You are tired and worn. -1 penalty to accuracy, evasion and reaction.
Very Perturbed: As 'Perturbed', but a -2 penalty. (Except in the case of Wavering, which becomes Seduced. If you had an inner urge you were suppressing, you go along with it gleefully (or perhaps guiltily).)
Very Tired: You are exhausted. You take an additional -1 penalty from tired.

Spaces: One square meter segment on the tactical movement grid. Synonymous with 'Squares'.

Spirit: What allows you to act, it represents the natural energy and magic in a living creature's body, or the circuitry and electricity in a robotic creature's body. By default, a player character has a maximum of 10 points of spirit. At 5 spirit or less you become tired. When you reach 0 spirit, you are very tired. When you are out of spirit, abilities that drain spirit will drain your life instead.

Sprint: Your combat movement distance. By default, it's 10 spaces. You might be able to run faster out of combat, but this value represents your ability to safely dodge bullets, make quick turns and aim weaponry while still moving swiftly.

Surprise Attack: An attack made on an unsuspecting or unaware target. Surprise attacks gain a +3 bonus to their accuracy or penetration.

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 05:29 PM
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Aeolus didn't notice Iris grabbing the assault rifle until it was almost too late. A rush of wind sent the bullets flying scant inches from his head. Enraged and exhausted, she charged. He pulled a hand back and smirked.

"Stupid move, th- ohcrud." The wind didn't even breeze. He was out of energy. Maybe one or two more small bursts. He grunted and ducked behind a stack of crates as Iris wildly fired another salvo. Shards of metal shot off, slashing Aeolus' cheek open.

"Jesus, woman, how many magazines do you have?"

"Die!"

"That is a verb, not a number- goddamn!" A bullet shot straight through the crates and nailed Aeolus in the cheek, splintering his jawbone.
<hr>

The Rules

Combat Rounds and Actions
The Anteheroes System uses a turn-based combat resolution mechanic, and this is key to how it all works.

After at least one character has decided that she or he wants to fight, actions are resolved as cyclical rounds and phases - a round lasts 5 seconds, and is made up of two phases that are approximately 2.5 seconds long each.

You get one sprint, one primary action, and one secondary action a round. A secondary action requires little time to perform and can be done in either of a round's two phases. You may only perform a sprint or a primary action in any given phase. Most attacks are primary actions.

There is also a full action which requires two phases to complete and can be split across rounds. In order to use a full action, you must give up a primary action and a sprint action, two primary actions, or two sprint actions. Most full actions do not take effect until they are completed.

Combat uses the following sequence:

1. The character with the highest reaction acts first, beginning Phase 1. He may use a secondary action if he so desires, and either a primary or a sprint action.
2. If there is a tie for a reaction value, the characters act at the same time. Attacks made against a character with a tied reaction target the character's final space for that phase.
3. The character with the next highest reaction goes next, repeating steps 1 and 2.
4. When all characters have completed this sequence, Phase 2 begins. Phase 2 is exactly like Phase 1, except that players may not use any actions they used in Phase 1.
5. When all characters have completed that sequence, Round 2-Phase 1 begins. Repeat until combat ends.

Reaction
All player characters have a base reaction of 6. Each phase, the character with the highest reaction moves first, then the next-highest, and so on, all the way down to the lowest reaction. Reaction has a minimum value of 0.

A character may voluntarily lower themselves in the reaction hierarchy, declaring they'll wait - they need not declare what they're waiting for. Whenever they've decided they've waited long enough, even right before someone else performs an action, they can take their turn. Upon doing so, the character's reaction value shifts to match that of the person they just interrupted or acted before.

Some abilities may increase or decrease your reaction. If the change requires an action or point expenditure of some kind on your part, it is not a permanent boost to your reaction, and the benefits reset at the end of a combat.

Attacks

There are a variety of offensive actions one can make in a given round. These are collectively called attacks. Attacks are made up of a variety of shared features:

Readied: Many attacks (and some non-attack abilities) use up a slot in your arsenal, discussed later. Some attacks do not use up slots, however. If an attack is not both in your arsenal at the time and readied, you cannot use it.

Line of Sight: With rare exception, most attacks made must have line of sight; an unobstructed path between the attack's originating source and the target.

Action: Almost all attacks require the use of a primary action.

Cost: Many attacks require the use of a point of spirit (or occasionally, life). The advancement tree that gave you access to the weapon will state if this is the case or not.

Attack Keywords: Listed in the header next to the attack name, keywords label important features of the attack that are often relevant to customization paths.
Area: An attack that covers more than one space simultaneously.
Heavy: A heavy weapon is unusually large and strong, but more unwieldy. It requires two hands to use. It is too large to use on an adjacent target, but if it is a melee weapon, it strikes opponents two spaces away. Heavy weapons cannot be used in close-quarters combat and are dropped if they were being wielded.
Light: A light weapon requires only one hand to use, and gains a +3 positional accuracy bonus when used in close-quarters combat.
Melee: An attack with a one or two-space range.
Mental: An attack with no physical components and a variable range.
Psychological: An attack that is aimed at the target's composure and belief. A psychological attack can be firing a gun an inch away from someone's eyes, telling an audacious lie to a cynic, seducing a spy for a rival nation, or something similar. Psychological attacks have no set range and may be able to affect multiple targets at once.
Ranged: An attack with a variable range up to a certain distance.
Standard: Standard weapons are of average size and balance. They are best used with two hands, but you can use them in one hand by taking a -1 penalty to your accuracy rolls with the weapon. You may also use a standard weapon in close-quarters combat by taking a -1 penalty to your positional accuracy rolls with the weapon; this stacks with the former penalty if applicable.

Accuracy and Penetration: There are two ways to determine how well an attack hit: Accuracy, which determines how well you can place a shot, and Penetration, which determines how well you can overcome someone's physical and mental toughness. Any given attack uses one (but not both) of these two accuracy measures to determine its chance of success.

Each attack has its own bonus, penalty (or lack thereof) to this value, and you may have bonuses from certain customization paths. Special conditions can also cause you to lose or gain accuracy. Roll the die and add all modifiers to see if you meet or beat the defending value - evasion if you're using accuracy, resolve if you're using penetration. If you succeed, you may determine damage and use any other effects of the attack.

Damage: Most attacks deal damage on a successful accuracy or penetration check. To find out the damage, use the listed value, add any modifiers, and multiply any values if necessary. After that, subtract any damage absorption the target may have.

Effects: Several special effects may occur on some types of attacks. Some effects always occur on a successful hit, others correspond to the number which you rolled on your accuracy or penetration die. Each attack has its own list of effects, if any. Effects occur only if you successfully deal damage; if your attack hits but the damage was somehow negated, the listed effects do not occur.

Range: Ranged attacks have a range; they can attack any square within the listed distance.

Area: Some attacks attack multiple squares at once. Area describes which squares they get to attack. A common attack area is Cube #, indicating a cube with a width in squares equal to the listed number.

Special: There may be something unique about the attack that is not covered in the other categories.

The Arsenal and Wielding Weapons
The arsenal encompasses what abilities you have available to you at the moment. You typically have a limit of 3 abilities in your arsenal besides your unarmed attacks and your pressure attack. All weapons use up an arsenal slot, and many attacks and abilities gained from advancement trees do as well. The ability description will indicate if it uses up an arsenal slot.

You can ready any ability in your arsenal as a primary action; by default, all of your arsenal abilities are already readied, though you may be required to holster your pistol at a formal gala, for example. Some advanced attacks can disable or disarm you of these abilities, however.

You can change attacks in your arsenal whenever your GM rules you have sufficient time to switch out, load and arm a new gun, mentally prepare yourself, etc. Usually half a minute is sufficient.

Surprise Attacks
If you catch an opponent unawares with an attack, it is a surprise attack. Surprise attacks gain a +3 bonus to their accuracy or penetration. To catch an opponent unaware, she or he must be unaware of your position – such as when they are blind, if you have been hiding, or if you teleported behind a character who has never seen a teleport before – or unaware of your intent to harm them, such as if you betray an ally or attack a random man on the street.

If you use a surprise attack to begin a combat, you and your aware allies may act the first round, while your victims may not. On the second round, combat progresses as normal.

Executions
If you attack a helpless character, you have the option of executing them. Executions always hit, and deal up to 5 additional points of damage. You cannot execute with a psychological attack.

Close-Quarters Combat
If you make a successful light melee attack, you may immediately initiate close-quarters combat. Heavy weapons cannot be used in close-quarters combat and are dropped if they were being wielded; standard weapons take a -1 penalty to their accuracy. Close-quarters combat ends when the participants are at least 2 spaces away from each other.

Movement
By default, a player character can sprint up to 10 spaces in one turn. You can perform a primary action immediately following a sprint action phase, but at a -3 accuracy penalty to that other action (if it has an accuracy.) The primary action can be performed at any point during the sprint. This is the distance at which you can combat sprint, avoiding obstacles, fire, etc. Your character may (or may not) be able to run faster out of combat.

Obstacles or difficult ground may reduce the distance you can move, usually counting as two squares for each one square crossed.

Once per round, you may jump as part of your sprint. You can jump as high as a fourth of your sprint distance (round down to the nearest full meter; by default, 2 meters) at any point during your sprint, or as long as your total sprint distance. If you leap near the end of your movement, you may end the turn in mid-air.

You can swim or climb up a fourth of your sprint distance (round down to the nearest full meter; by default, 2 meters) in combat.

Detection, Picking Pockets and Stealth
A character more easily notices things in a Cube 5 (or small room) centered on their location; they are more apt to see hidden objects and creatures in this range, though better hidden objects and creatures may require more time. Characters by default have a detection of 0; every consecutive turn that the character uses a primary action to stay alert increases their effective detection by 1, to a maximum of +3 over their normal value. Moving or acting immediately removes this bonus.

Seeing a creature or object in your detection range requires having a detection value better than the hidden creature or object's hide value. Detecting something is passive and requires no time expenditure.

Anyone who finishes a phase within Cube 2 of a hiding creature (or if the hiding creature ends a phase in this range) and has clear line of sight to the creature automatically sees it, regardless of hide or detection. This area is referred to as the 'immediate detection range'.

As a primary action, a creature can attempt to pickpocket something off of someone. If their detection value meets or beats the pickpocket value, the pickpocket fails; if not, they lift a single handheld, loosely attached item from the victim without them immediately noticing.

A character who moves no more than a fifth of their sprint distance and performs no other actions is, at their option, considered to be hiding, provided there is something for them to hide in - shadows, a crowd, trees. Observers that do not already know their precise location are unable to see you with casual observance.

Characters by default have a hide of 0; every consecutive turn that the character uses a primary action to stay alert increases their effective hide by 1, to a maximum of +3 over their normal value. Moving or acting immediately removes this bonus. Hiding successfully requires having a hide value that meets or beats a person's detection value.

Taking Aim
Sometimes, you just need to land one good shot. As a full action, you can take aim with your weapon. If you do not take damage and neither you nor your target move before your next attack, you gain a +3 bonus to your accuracy next round.

Taking Cover
Hiding behind a wall obviously protects you from most attacks from the other side of the wall, since it breaks line of sight on those attacks. The Game Master should use common sense judgment to determine which angles of attack are defended against; a cubby hole would protect from a very wide angle compared to a newspaper stand. This is considered complete cover.

While it's possible to just cower behind your cover if it's big enough, it's not always big enough - say a lamp post or a riot shield (attacking from underwater to above water, and vice-versa, is another good example due to refraction) - and sometimes it's just not convenient to be a sitting duck.

If you wish to attack while gaining the benefit of your cover, you take a -1 penalty to melee accuracy in return for a +1 bonus to your positional defense. This is considered to be partial cover. The Game Master may deem different values as appropriate to an extraordinary situation; firing through safety slits on an armored personnel carrier would grant a very large bonus to defense, though you'd have a limited field of attack.

Status Effects
Bleeding: Most physical damage attacks cause you to bleed significantly. When bleeding, you take one life and spirit damage every minute.

Blind: You are deprived of your primary sense. You take a -3 penalty to your accuracy and detection, and must rely on other cues to determine a target's position, targeting grid squares rather than creatures. All attacks against you are surprise attacks.

Hamstring: You sprint at half speed (round down) until treated.

Helpless: You lose the ability to act until this condition ends and are subject to Execution. A sleeping creature is helpless.

Perturbed: At 5 Composure or less, you become perturbed, which has one of the following effects:
Angered: If you have no good reason to be one of the other categories, you're getting angry and take a -1 penalty to penetration and evasion.
Faltering: You're starting to lose hope, taking a -1 penalty to penetration and resolve. You're hesitant to do much.
Scared: You've become shaky; you take a -1 penalty to accuracy and evasion, and are hesitant to near or fight the source of your distress unless pressed.
Wavering: You begin to consider the words and actions laid before you, with a bit of guilt.

Stun: You cannot act for a full round.

Tired: You are tired and worn. -1 penalty to accuracy, evasion and reaction.

Very Perturbed: As 'Perturbed', but a -2 penalty. (Except in the case of Wavering, which becomes Seduced. If you had an inner urge you were suppressing, you go along with it gleefully (or perhaps guiltily).)

Very Tired: You are exhausted. You take an additional -1 penalty from tired.

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 05:34 PM
Attack List
Universal Access:

Unarmed (Light, Melee)
Accuracy: +3
Damage: 2 Physical
Effects: None
Special: This ability does not count against your limit of attacks in the arsenal.

Unarmed (Heavy, Melee)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 4 Physical
Effects: None
Special: This ability does not count against your limit of attacks in the arsenal.

Melee Weapon (Light, Melee)
Accuracy: +4
Damage: 2 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.

Melee Weapon (Standard, Melee)
Accuracy: +2
Damage: 3 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.

Melee Weapon (Heavy, Melee)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 5 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5 Hamstring, 6 Stun.

Ranged Weapon (Light, Ranged)
Accuracy: +2
Damage: 3 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Hamstring.
Range: 15

Ranged Weapon (Standard, Ranged)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 6 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.
Range: 30

Ranged Weapon (Heavy, Ranged)
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 7 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5-6 Stun.
Range: 50

Explosive (Light, Ranged, Area)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 6 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5-6 Stun.
Range: 10
Area: Cube 3

Pressure (Psychological)
Penetration: +1
Damage: 2 Composure
Effects: None
Range: Variable
Special: Targets only living creatures. This ability does not count against your limit of attacks in the arsenal.

Restricted Access:

Energy Flash (Standard, Ranged, Area)
Penetration: +2
Damage: None
Effects: Blind (2 rounds).
Range: 10
Area: Cube 3

Energy Wave (Standard, Ranged, Area)
Penetration: +3
Damage: 2 Energy
Effects: None
Range: 5
Area: Line 5

Displace (Mental, Ranged)
Penetration: +2
Damage: None
Effects: Teleports subject. Ignores Line of Sight.
Range: 6

Override (Mental, Ranged)
Penetration: +2
Damage: 4
Effects: Scramble the target's signals.
Range: 20

Parasitic Touch (Light, Melee)
Penetration: +2
Damage: 1 Physical, 1 Spirit
Effects: Heals 1 life for each target damaged.

Purify (Mental, Melee)
Penetration: +2
Damage: 2 per Effect removed.
Effects: Purify can immediately end any active Telepathy effects on the target, dealing 2 damage for each effect removed in this way. Effects created by someone with more ranks in Mind and Soul than you cannot be removed, nor can Possession.

Telepathy (Mental, Ranged)
Penetration: +2
Damage: None
Effects: Read the target's surface thoughts and emotions and transmit your own.
Range: 10

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 05:47 PM
To use advancement points, you spend them on advancement trees. There are six ranks of abilities in each, and higher ranks require more points to take. You may take as many abilities in a rank as you like (provided you have the points to spend), but you must have at least 1 ability of a given rank before you can take an ability from the next rank. You could have a hundred Rank I abilities, but you would not be able to purchase a Rank III ability until you had first bought a Rank II ability.


http://theanteheroes.com/TheAnteheroesSystem/WebTableCust.png

You may save advancement points as your GM awards them in order to buy more expensive abilities.

It is important to note that advancement points are not experience points, a common advancement method in many role-playing games. Though they serve a similar purpose in describing a character's personal improvement, some things are much harder to learn than others. It's a lot harder to figure out how to kill someone with your brain than it is to run faster, but they both cost a similar amount of points.

Also, advancement points come and go situationally. Illnesses can dampen trained abilities. Equipment of all types can be stolen. Magic can be hampered. Implants can be tampered with. The Game Master should take care not to be capricious with advancement points, but players should be aware of their impermanence.

Advancement Trees

Acrobatics:
Rank I:
Daredevil: You don't take damage from a fall.

Reactionary: As a secondary action, you may improve your reaction by 1.

Sprinter: Your sprint increases by 1.

Rank II:
Artful Dodger: As a secondary action, you can increase your evasion for a full round by 1.

Charging Thunder: You can charge and melee attack in the same deft movement. As a full action, you may move up to your sprint distance and then make a melee attack at any point during the sprint (including at the end of the sprint). Unlike most full actions, this ability triggers in the phase that you use it, not in the next phase. Using Charging Thunder reduces your reaction to 0. You do not take a penalty to accuracy when using Charging Thunder.

In a Single Bound: You may vertically jump your full sprint distance.

Quick-Witted: You can act in a hostile surprise round.

Rank III:
Fast Thinker: Your reaction permanently increases by 1.

Fleet of Foot: Your sprint increases by 3. Requires Sprinter.

Roll With It: When you use Artful Dodger, your reaction increases by 1. Requires Reactionary and Artful Dodger.

Rank IV:
Double Time: As a primary action, you can sprint 5 spaces.

Evasive: Your evasion increases by 1.

Expect the Unexpected: Your opponents do not get a bonus to accuracy for surprise attacking you. When you act in a hostile surprise round, your attacks are surprise attacks. Requires Quick-Witted.

Wildfire: When you use Charging Thunder, you may use 2 points of spirit to declare the attack a Wildfire attack and increase the bonus to accuracy to +3. Additionally, you may sprint both before and after your attack, provided that your total distance moved does not exceed your normal sprint. After using Wildfire, your reaction does not drop to 0. Requires Charging Thunder.

Rank V:
Speed Demon: Your sprint increases by 7. Requires Fleet of Foot.

Speed of Thought: As a primary action, you can increase your evasion by 3 for a full round. Speed of Thought requires 1 spirit to use.

Rank VI:
Aerial Leap: When you leap upwards, you may use a point of spirit to remain suspended in air instead of falling this round. Additionally, you may jump in mid-air.




Endurance:
Rank I:
Catch My Breath: As a full action, you can recover 1 spirit. You may only perform this ability once an hour.

Surprising Fortitude: You shrug off diseases and most poisons with ease. You have a chance of surviving the most deadly and lethal toxins in reasonable amounts.

Tough Guy: You can use a secondary action to ready yourself for a blow. For the next full round, 1 damage you take is delivered to spirit instead of life. This ability doesn't function if you have a spirit of 0.

Vigorous: Your maximum spirit increases to 11.

Rank II:
Healthy: Your maximum life increases to 11.

Hemophobia: You stop bleeding after you've taken damage from it three times.

Just Getting Started: You do not become tired until your spirit reaches 3 or below.

Resilient: You ignore the first 1 physical damage you take each round.

Weight Watcher: As far as anyone can tell, you don't need to eat food. You may occasionally need to drink water.

Rank III:
Energetic: Your maximum spirit increases to 14. Requires Vigorous.

Feed Your Rage: After you've defeated someone who has damaged you within the last minute, you gain a point of spirit. This effect can only occur once a minute.

Punching Bag: You can use a secondary action to ready yourself for a blow. For the next full round, 2 damage you take is delivered to spirit instead of life. This ability doesn't function if you have a spirit of 0. Requires Tough Guy.

Rank IV:
Constant Commotion: You do not become tired. You can still become very tired, however. Requires Just Getting Started.

Fast Regeneration: You heal 1 point of life every day instead of every week. (Robotic creatures that previously did not regenerate still gain this benefit.) You regain 1 point of spirit every minute instead of every ten.

Tough Skin: You ignore the first 2 physical damage you take each round.

Toughness: Your maximum life increases to 14. Requires Healthy.

Rank V:
Inch of Life: You can use a secondary action to ready yourself for a blow. For the next full round, 3 damage you take is delivered to spirit instead of life. This ability doesn't function if you have a spirit of 0. Requires Punching Bag.

No Time to Bleed: You can use a point of spirit to instantly cease bleeding and become immune to bleed effects for the next minute. Requires Hemophobia.

Spirited: Your maximum spirit increases to 17. Requires Energetic.

Rank VI:
Sanguine: Your maximum life increases to 17. Requires Toughness.

Second Chance: If you are at 2 life or above, an attack that would bring you down to 0 life brings you to 1 life instead.



Kinetics:
This tree is meant to equally represent those who shoot a variety of attacks or those who specialize in one type of matter or energy control.
Rank I:
Barrier: You can add the Barrier ability to your arsenal. As a primary action, you can make a Barrier of energy or loose matter to defend yourself for one round. This barrier deals 1 energy damage to anyone who comes adjacent to you this round. Using Barrier requires 1 point of spirit.

Kinetic Attacks: You gain access to Kinetic versions of any universal attack; these attacks deal an additional 1 energy damage. Kinetic Attacks are considered and selected as separate abilities in your arsenal from their mundane counterparts (even unarmed attacks), and require 1 point of spirit to use.

Energy Healing: When placed near a plentiful but non-lethal source of your chosen energy or matter (such as pure water in a calm lake, or near a bonfire) you regain 1 additional point of life a day and one additional point of spirit every minute.

Rank II:
Absorb: As a secondary action, you can ready yourself to negate 1 point of energy damage per attack for the next full round. If you do absorb such an attack, you gain spirit equal to the damage negated. Absorb requires 1 point of spirit to use. Using this ability lowers your reaction by 1.

Kinetic Barrier: Your Barrier ability grants cover, giving a +1 bonus to evasion but a -1 penalty to accuracy. This ability requires Barrier.

Projected Barrier: You can target your Barrier on a square within 10 spaces. The barrier is 2 squares high and 1 square wide, and does not harm a creature inside that fits, but does hurt anyone that passes through the square. This ability requires Barrier.

Retaliatory Barrier: At your option, your Barrier ability deals damage to anyone who makes a melee or ranged attack at or through its occupants. A Retaliatory Barrier does not deal damage to merely adjacent targets, or to someone on the inside attacking the outside. This ability requires Barrier.

Shove: When you successfully damage someone with energy, you may shove them up to two spaces in one direction of your choice.

Rank III:
Energy Blast: You gain access to Energy versions of any universal attack; these attacks deal an additional 2 damage, and all damage done is energy. Energy Attacks are considered and selected as separate abilities in your arsenal from their mundane counterparts (even unarmed attacks), and require 2 points of spirit to use.

Energy Wave: You can add the Energy Wave attack to your arsenal. Energy Wave requires 2 points of spirit to use.

Kinetic Shove: When you successfully damage someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to shove them up to ten spaces in one direction of your choice. If shoved upwards, they do not fall this round, but on the next round. This ability requires Shove.

Kinetic Stop: When you successfully damage someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to hold them in place; they cannot sprint, fall or be shoved for the next full round. Other abilities that can be performed as a sprint action can still be used. This ability requires Energy Shove.

Multi Barrier: As a secondary action, you may create one additional barrier this round. You may use points of spirit on a 1 for 1 basis to control more. This ability requires Barrier and Projected Barrier.

Solid Barrier: As a secondary action that costs 2 points of spirit, you may make your barrier of solid energy or packed matter. It is an impregnable wall for one full round and does not deal damage. A solid barrier cannot be placed in an area already being occupied unless at least one of the occupants is you. This ability requires Barrier.

Wide Barrier: As a secondary action, you may increase the size of your barrier this round to Cube 2. You may use points of spirit on a 1 for 1 basis to enlarge the cube. This ability requires Barrier.

Rank IV:
Consume: Your Absorb ability can negate 3 points of damage per attack. Requires Absorb.

Fast Healing: When placed near a plentiful but non-lethal source of your chosen energy or matter (such as pure water in a calm lake, or near a bonfire) you regain 1 additional point of life an hour. Requires Energy Healing.

Kinetic Suspension: Your Kinetic Shove and Kinetic Stop abilities do not need to damage their subject to work, just successfully hit; you may suppress the damage freely. You may target yourself with these abilities as a sprint action that requires 1 point of spirit. Kinetic Suspension requires Kinetic Shove or Kinetic Stop.

Lingering Barrier: You may use a point of spirit to make your Barriers last longer; lingering barriers last every round after the first that you use a secondary action to maintain the barrier, up to one minute. This ability requires Barrier.

Lingering Strike: You deal an additional 1 energy damage to a target the round after you successfully damage them with an energy attack.

Rank V:
Deadly Barrier: Your Barrier deals an additional 1 damage to anyone who comes in contact with it. This ability requires Barrier.

Deflect: As a primary action, you can prepare to ricochet the first ranged attack fired at you for the next full round. If the attack would ordinarily hit, you can instead redirect it at another target within range as though you were the attack's originator. Deflect requires 2 spirit to use.

Energy Flash: You can add the Energy Flash attack to your arsenal. Energy Flash requires 2 points of spirit to use.

Mixed Barrier: You may use any two of the following abilities at once, provided that you already know them: Multi Barrier, Solid Barrier, Wide Barrier.

Rank VI:
Conservation: Your Kinetics abilities take 1 less spirit to use.

Overdrive: You can drastically overpower a Kinetics attack in your arsenal by focusing on it for the next minute. When the attack is fired, a targeted attack completely destroys 1 cube of matter in its targeted square, plus another adjacent cube per point of damage. An area attack completely destroys all cubes of matter in its area. Anyone in the destroyed cubes is killed, utterly, unless they are somehow immune to damage. Using Overdrive requires 5 points of spirit in addition to the attack's normal cost.



Geomancy:
This tree is most closely tied to the druidic and wizardly traditions.
Rank I:
Glyph: You can add the Glyph to your arsenal. A Glyph is a mark of arcane power that can be placed as a full action on something within 10 spaces. When placed on a creature or object, the subject is marked as magical, and can thus be located more easily. At your option, the Glyph may be visible to those who cannot detect magic. A Glyph lasts for a week ordinarily. Using Glyph requires 1 point of spirit.

Additionally, you gain the ability to remove adjacent Glyphs placed by someone with equal or lower ranks in Geomancy. Erasing a Glyph takes a full action.

You may not have any of your Glyphs within 5 spaces of each other. Should this happen for any reason, all of the Glyphs within range simultaneously disappear.

Gust: As a secondary action, you can create a gust of wind that shoves the target 1 space in any direction. Your subject must be within 10 spaces.

Light and Sound: As a primary action, you can amplify or muffle ambient light and sound by a factor of 1000. This is enough to create bright light from starlight, daylight from lamp light, or shift a sound about 100 decibels. You cannot actually create or destroy either, however.

See Magic: As a secondary action, you are immediately aware of all sources of magic - including fey - within 10 spaces. If you spend a point of spirit, you can identify each magic source uniquely. Exceptionally powerful magic may be detected well beyond that range.

Tricks of the Trade: You can spontaneously produce small animals and handkerchiefs from your person.

Rank II:
Gloom: Living creatures become extremely uncomfortable and anxious within the presence of your glyphs (at your option.) As long as they are adjacent to a Gloom Glyph, they take a -1 penalty to resolve. Requires Glyph. A Glyph can only have one word attached to it at a time.

Locate: By concentrating for a minute, you may immediately become aware of the precise location of one of the active Glyphs you have laid. Using Locate Glyph requires a point of spirit. Requires Glyph. A Glyph can only have one word attached to it at a time.

Seal: When your Glyph is placed upon a door, window, or other portal you may opt to bar fey from entry; no fey can enter a Sealed door. Requires Glyph. A Glyph can only have one word attached to it at a time.

Tremor: As a primary action, you can greatly amplify local seismic activity, creating a minor localized earthquake. All creatures within 5 spaces of you (except yourself) are shoved 1 space in a random direction and lose 1 reaction. You can only use Tremor if you are standing on the ground. Using Tremor requires 1 point of spirit.

Walk on Water: By using a secondary action, this round you can walk on water as easily as you do land.

Rank III:
Defend: Your Glyph reactively burns those with hostile intent against either you or the subject of the Glyph, dealing 1 damage to the first adjacent hostile creature it senses before fading away. Requires Glyph. A Glyph can only have one word attached to it at a time.

Entangle: As a primary action, you can summon local plant matter or loose debris to cover up to 8 squares within 10 spaces. The squares become difficult to cross, requiring two spaces of movement, and make excellent handholds for climbing.

Fast Glyph: You can place a Glyph as a primary action. Requires Glyph.

Gravity: As a primary action, you can greatly amplify local gravity on a subject within 10 spaces for the next minute. If you target a creature or object, all creatures within 10 spaces of the object are shoved 1 space towards the object every round. If you target the earth itself, no one is able to leap, fly or hover within the given area.

Open Minded: You may add a fourth ability to your arsenal. This ability must be mundane or magical in origin. If you already have a fourth ability slot in your arsenal, you do not gain a fifth.

Summon Object: You can summon a handheld personal effect to your hand as a primary action. If the distance summoned is greater than 10 squares, the item can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to arrive - but it will come as long as you are not barricaded by an impenetrable or unavoidable barrier, or more than 50,000 kilometers away.

Weather: By concentrating for an hour, you can change the weather within a 10 km radius. The weather cannot be a violent change - rain to shine is possible, but tropical storm to heat wave is not.

Rank IV:
Resonance: When you attack someone, you may opt to delay the damage from the attack up to 3 rounds. The attack increases in damage by 1 point for every round that you delay the damage. This ability only applies to attack damage, not damage from any other source.

Subtle Magic: If you expend an additional point of spirit whenever you use a magic ability, the magic becomes undetectable to anyone with fewer ranks in Geomancy than you.

Wind Force: As a secondary action, you can create a gust of wind that shoves the target 5 spaces in any direction. Your subject must be within 10 spaces. Requires Gust.

Rank V:
Divination: As an hour-long ritual, once per week you can peer into the murky mists of the ley and see what they predict. You get a vague and unclear vision of the future. You can try to specify what the vision should be of, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to direct the vision, and trying too hard may result in your divination failing.

Focus Magic: As a primary action, you can hone the magic in your body. The next magical ability you use within a minute requires 2 less spirit. This has no effect on abilities with a mundane or technological origin.

Rapid Glyph: You can place a Glyph as a secondary action. Requires Fast Glyph.

Reflect Magic: As a primary action, you can ready yourself to cancel the next magical ability used within a full round within 10 spaces of you. This has no effect on abilities with a mundane or technological origin.

Rank VI:
Violence of Nature: As a full action, you call upon the fury of nature to strike a specific square (not person, but square) within 10 spaces of you. Targeting is done at the beginning of your full action, but the ability is not fired until the end. It becomes extremely obvious that you are doing something dangerous upon initiating the action; you glow, winds start to blow, etc.

The exact nature of this ability depends on the local area; in Southern California it may be a sudden stalagmite, on a Pacific Isle a magma flow or tidal wave, in Britain a lightning strike. The ability always deals 10 physical or energy damage, stuns the target, and cannot be evaded or resisted. If you are damaged before your full action completes, you are stunned. Using Violence of Nature requires 7 points of spirit.



Interpersonal Skills:
Rank I:
Cool Cat: You automatically are considered 1 step higher on the attitude step chart (see below) with strangers and casual acquaintances. This has no effect on people who know and are familiar with you, though a long time of separation may reduce them to the level of 'casual acquaintance.' You have charm and poise, and the good looking waiter in the corner wants your number.
Attitude Steps:
Obsessed
Delighted
Cordial
Accepting
Neutral
Disapproving
Hostile
Fanatically Hateful

Cool Customer: You spend 1 less composure to make a sincere statement. (See below):
There is little difference between truth or lie in this system by default, as what matters most is how convincingly you can say something, an act that costs a listed amount of composure. A lie will be one step harder to pass off in most cases, however. Also note that outrageous statements are completely impossible to pass in most situations - maintaining composure while talking only helps your credibility, it does not certify it.

If you are unable to make the composure cost to pass a statement, it becomes extremely likely that you are disbelieved - but again, it's not an absolute.


{table=head]Difficulty|Cost
Minor|0
Medium|1
Major|2
Supreme|4
Outrageous|8[/table]

Examples:
Minor Lie: Faking it. ...Yeah, 'it'. This is a family-friendly system resource document. 'It' is just... cookies. Yes. Cookies.
Minor Truth or Medium Lie: "I don't know where your cookies went." "You look good in that dress."
Medium Truth or Major Lie: "Read my lips: No new taxes," "I did not have relations with that woman," "Don't bet on Horse 8, it's a sure wi- loser," "You have to believe me, I may have a criminal record but I don't want to go back! I didn't do it!"
Major Truth or Supreme Lie: Admitting before a jury at a televised court case that you did beat your wife regularly and approximately 3 minutes before her estimated time of death, but you would never kill her.
Supreme Truth or Outrageous Lie: "The President just kicked a guy out of the cargo door of his jumbo jet!"
Outrageous Truth: "The people really did hop out of the comic book and come to life!"

Demoralized & Determined: As a secondary action, you may spend 1 spirit to regain 1 composure.

Flame Warrior: You may wager 1 composure when you use your Pressure attack. If the attack hits, it deals an extra 2 damage; if it misses, you lose 1 composure.

Rank II:
Composed: Your maximum composure increases to 11.

Rapier Wit: Your Pressure attack increases penetration by 1.

Rock Steady: You do not get perturbed until your composure drops to 3 or below.

Sweating 'Em Out: At your option, you increase the difficulty of speaking sincerely to you by 1 step. This can be due to noticing and pointing out nervous twitches, or being generally intimidating, among other reasons.

Rank III:
Cooler Customer: You spend 2 less composure to make a sincere statement. Requires and overlaps Cool Customer.

Just Politics: If making a statement of sincerity would cause you to drop to 0 Composure, you may ask the GM or the player if the character would believe you. If not, you can modify your behavior appropriately and take half the damage as spirit damage instead. If you have a spirit of 0, this ability does not function.

Life of the Party: As Cool Cat, but 2 steps. Requires Cool Cat.

Tongue-Lasher: Your Pressure attack deals 1 more damage.

Rank IV:
Imperturbable: You do not get perturbed, though you can still be very perturbed. Requires Rock Steady.

Resolute: You gain a +1 bonus to Resolve.

Serene: Your maximum composure increases to 14. Requires Composed.

The Last Word: Your Pressure attack gains an additional +1 penetration if you have dealt the target composure damage within the last minute.

Rank V:
Critical Words: On a result of 6, a successful hit with Pressure deals double damage. Requires Flame Warrior.

Ice Man: You spend 3 less composure to make a sincere statement. Additionally, you can say lies with the same ease as you do truths.

Verbal Veteran: Once per round, when attacked by an effect that would reduce your composure, you may instead use 1 point of spirit to ignore the effect. Requires Demoralized & Determined.

Rank VI:
Tranquility: Your maximum composure increases to 17, and you regain 1 composure a minute (rather than 1 every ten). Requires Serene.



Life and Spirit:
Rank I:
Dead Tired: As a secondary action, you may use up a number of your life points to gain an equal number of spirit points.

Life Touch: As a primary action, you can stop bleeding and cure hamstring on yourself or an adjacent living creature.

Parasitic Touch: You can add the Parasitic Touch attack to your arsenal. Parasitic Touch requires 1 point of spirit to use.

Rank II:
Shield: You can add the Shield ability to your arsenal. As a secondary action, you can negate the first point of damage a creature within 10 spaces (including yourself) takes this round. Shield requires 1 point of spirit to use.

Soul Mark: You can add the Soul Mark ability to your arsenal. As a primary action, target a living creature within 10 spaces. That creature takes a -1 penalty to its resolve for the next minute. If the creature dies before the Soul Mark ends, you regain all spirit. You can only have one target Soul Marked at a time. Soul Mark requires 1 point of spirit to use.

Spirit Channel: As a secondary action, you can transfer 3 points of your spirit to a living creature within 10 spaces.

Rank III:
Blood of Sloth: As a secondary action, the subject of your Soul Mark becomes infested with a vile poison that eats away at its life force. It loses 1 reaction a round while infected with the Soul Mark. Your Soul Mark can only be infused with one type of Blood at a time. Requires Soul Mark.

Blood of The Many: As a secondary action, the subject of your Soul Mark becomes infected with a rapid contagion. If it is bleeding, all creatures adjacent to the original subject are effectively under the effect of the Soul Mark. Your Soul Mark can only be infused with one type of Blood at a time. Requires Soul Mark.

Life Funnel: You can designate a living creature within 10 spaces of you to gain the benefit of your regeneration and you the brunt of his pain. Any time you would regain a point of life, the target instead regains that life. Similarly, any time he would take life damage, you take that life damage instead. If trying to let a recipient benefit from your normal life regeneration, they must be linked directly to you for at least a third of the regeneration period.

Life Funnel can be activated or deactivated as a primary action.

Reach of the Parasite: Your Parasitic Touch attack can be used as a light ranged attack with a range of 5 instead of a light melee attack. Requires Parasitic Touch.

Second Wind: As a secondary action, you may use up a number of your life points to gain twice that number of spirit points. Requires Dead Tired.

Status Shield: The subject of your Shield cannot be hamstrung or blinded this round. If he is already hamstrung or blinded, this ability does not remove those conditions.

Rank IV:
Acid Blood: As a secondary action, the subject of your Soul Mark has their blood turn to a painful corrosive. They take 1 energy damage every round until they bleed. Your Soul Mark can only be infused with one type of Blood at a time. Requires Soul Mark.

Big Shield: As a primary action, you alter your already active Shield to guard against 3 points of damage this round, as well as the Stun effect. Big Shield requires 2 points of spirit. Requires Shield and Status Shield.

Blood Shield: The target of your Soul Mark takes 1 damage every time he strikes someone protected by your shields. This effect can only trigger once per attack. Requires Shield and Soul Mark.

Bubble Shield: As a primary action, you alter your already active Shield to affect up to 5 allied living creatures (including yourself) within 10 spaces. Bubble Shield requires 2 points of spirit. Requires Shield.

Lifeforce Sense: As a secondary action, you are aware of all living creatures within 5 spaces of you. If you spend a point of spirit, you can identify each living creature uniquely.

Life Link: Your Life Funnel has improved. Whenever you or the target of your Life Funnel gains a point of life, you both do; however, whenever you or the target takes damage, you both do. Requires Life Funnel.

Rank V:
Aura of Life: All living creatures within 10 spaces of you immediately cease bleeding. You can suppress or unsuppress this aura as a primary action.

Distant Parasite: Your Parasitic Touch ranged attack increases range to 15. Requires Reach of the Parasite.

Greater Parasite: Your Parasitic Touch attack deals +1 life and spirit damage and restores an additional point of life. Requires Parasitic Touch.

Life Channel: As a secondary action, you can channel 3 points of your life to a living creature within 10 spaces of you. Requires Life Funnel.

Rank VI:
Rebirth: You can resurrect a living creature that has died within the last day. Resurrection requires an hour of concentration next to the deceased's mostly intact corpse. Internal foreign objects that caused the creature to die, such as traces of cyanide or cancer, are not cured. If the target of your Rebirth is already alive, then you can restore any missing limbs or faculties to the creature.

Spirit Fountain: As a primary action, you can fill yourself with spirit; your spirit immediately becomes infinite for the next minute. At the end of this minute (12 rounds), your spirit drops to 0. Spirit Fountain requires 2 life to use.



Marksmanship:
Rank I:
Steady Grip: You take no penalty when using your ranged attack from partial cover. You still cannot use your ranged attack through complete cover.

Snapshot: Your ranged attacks gain +1 accuracy if you an attack an opponent on the same round they enter your line of sight.

Rank II:
Pinion Shot: You may declare your next standard ranged attack to be a Pinion Shot. Pinion Shots deal 2 less damage but always Hamstring the target until they get care.

Rain of Fire: You can use your heavy ranged attack to shoot a Cube 2 area within range. Rain of Fire attacks have 2 more accuracy and deal half damage. Using Rain of Fire requires a point of spirit.

Trick Shot: You may declare your next light ranged attack to be a Trick Shot. Trick Shots deal 1 less damage and cannot have a secondary effect, but ignore anything but complete cover.

Rank III:
Double Shot: You can use your standard ranged attack twice as a full action. However, the Double Shot does not gain benefit from Take Aim, deals 2 less damage per attack, and cannot have a secondary effect besides bleed. Double Shot requires a point of spirit.

Faster Aim: You can Take Aim as a primary action, rather than a full action. You still lose your aim if you are damaged before you can take the attack.

Shot-Fu: After making a successful melee attack, you may use a point of spirit to make a light ranged attack as a secondary action.

Rank IV:
Fan of Death: You can use your light ranged attack on four people within Range 5. Fan of Death attacks have 1 less accuracy and require a point of spirit.

Persistent Aim: Your Take Aim action does not fail when an opponent moves, or you move. Taking damage still ends the effect, however. Requires Faster Aim.

Suppression Fire: You may use a secondary action to make your next standard or heavy ranged attack very effective against anyone without cover. Suppression Fire gains +2 bonus accuracy against targets without cover, but automatically misses any target who does have cover.

Rank V:
Far Reach: Your standard and heavy ranged attacks (and special attacks, like Rain of Fire) have double their usual range.

Point Blank: Your light ranged attacks deal an extra 2 damage to targets within 3 squares of you.

Hammer Tactics: You may use your heavy ranged attack to target an enemy's cover directly. The attack does no physical damage, but deals 3 composure damage to the enemies taking cover, pushing them towards the scared and horrified conditions. Requires Suppression Fire.

Rank VI:
Sniper Shot: When you Take Aim with a ranged weapon, you may forego the accuracy increase; instead, if the attack hits, it deals triple damage. Using this ability lowers your reaction by 1.

Running Shot: You can charge and make ranged attack in the same deft movement. As a full action, you may move up to your sprint distance and then make a light or standard ranged attack at any point during the sprint (including at the end of the sprint).
Unlike most full actions, this ability triggers in the phase that you use it, not in the next phase. Using Running Shot decreases your accuracy by 1, but increases your evasion for a full round by 2.

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 05:49 PM
Martial Skill:
Rank I:
Distracting Presence: Your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against someone who has attacked someone other than you within the last full round.

Threatening Presence: Your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against someone who has used a ranged attack within the last full round.

Unarmed Combatant: Your unarmed attacks stun on results of 6.

Rank II:
Impale: You can use your heavy melee attack (including unarmed) to attack everyone in a Line 3 extending from you. Impale attacks have 1 less accuracy and shove all targets two squares away from you. Using Impale requires a point of spirit.

Whirl: You can use your light or standard melee attack (including unarmed) to attack everyone in a square either horizontally or vertically (pick one) adjacent to you. Whirl attacks have 1 less accuracy and shove all targets one square away from you. Using Whirl requires a point of spirit.

Rank III:
Balanced Warrior: When wielding a standard melee weapon and someone misses you with an attack, that weapon gains +1 damage against that target for a full round. You also gain +1 accuracy with your standard melee weapons.

Close-Quarters Warrior: Someone you've injured in Close-Quarters Combat is considered to be wrestling with you, and cannot sprint for the next full round. Other abilities that can be performed as a sprint action can still be used.

Nimble Warrior: When you damage someone with a light melee weapon, as a secondary action you can reduce damage by 1 and cause them to bleed profusely. Profuse bleeding happens once a round rather than once a minute. You also gain +1 accuracy with your light melee weapons.

Reach Warrior: When wielding a heavy melee weapon, you may immediately make an attack with that weapon against someone about to enter a space adjacent to you, even if you have used your primary action for the round. This requires a secondary action to use. You may use this ability even if you have already acted this phase to make a sprint, or if it is not your turn. Using this ability lowers your reaction by 1 and halts the target's movement on successful damage. You also gain +1 accuracy with your heavy melee weapons.

Unarmed Warrior: Your unarmed attacks stun on results of 5. You also gain +1 accuracy with your unarmed melee attacks. This ability requires Unarmed Combatant.

Rank IV:
Death Strike: Before you make your heavy melee attack (including unarmed), you may give up 1 accuracy. If you do, then you deal an extra 2 points of damage. Using Death Strike requires a point of spirit.

Disarming Strike: Before you make your light or standard melee attack (including unarmed), you may give up damage from a successful hit. If you do, you disarm or disable the target of one mundane or tool ability of your choice from their arsenal (even unarmed weapons). Using Disarming Strike requires a point of spirit.

Revenge Strike: If you have been struck by an opponent in the last full round, your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against that target.

Rank V:
Lethality: You may use a secondary action to increase your melee attack accuracy and damage by +2.

Versatility: You may use a secondary action to consider your melee attack (including unarmed) as one category heavier or lighter than it usually is this round. Abilities that apply to either its normal size or its versatile size will both function this round.

Rank VI:
Deadly Blow: You may declare your next melee attack to be a Deadly Blow. The attack will deal double damage if it hits. Using Deadly Blow requires 3 points of spirit.

Stunning Blow: You may declare your next melee attack to be a Stunning Blow. The attack will always stun if it hits. Using Stunning Blow requires 2 points of spirit.



Mind and Soul:
Rank I:
Fey Sight: You can see and hear fey, spirit, and reduced reality individuals.

Lore: You can reactively detect the presence of strong psychic signatures left in the immediate area - signatures are left by strong emotions. If you use a point of spirit, especially strong impressions might allow you to relive events of recent history.

Purify: You can add the Purify attack to your arsenal. Purify can immediately end any active Telepathy effects on the target, dealing 2 damage for each effect removed in this way. Effects created by someone with more ranks in Mind and Soul than you cannot be removed; neither can you remove Possession effects. Purify requires 1 spirit to use.

Telepath: You can add the Telepathy attack to your arsenal. Telepathy requires a primary action to use and can be targeted at any living creature.

Rank II:
Gentle Strength: For every 2 additional points of spirit you use, you can increase the penetration of your Purify ability by 1. Requires Purify.

Hypnotic Homeostasis: As a primary action, you can use your Telepathy attack on yourself or an ally, granting a +2 bonus to resolve for a full round. Hypnotic Homeostasis requires a point of spirit to use. Requires Telepath.

Mental Bond: By concentrating on your Telepathy ability for a full minute, performing minimal actions otherwise, you can create a mental bond between yourself and the target (provided your attack is successful). Until the effect is cancelled (a minute of concentration on your part) the bond allows you to constantly hear each other's surface thoughts and emotions, no matter the distance. Requires Telepath.

Mind Sense: As a full action, you are aware of all living creatures, fey, and spirits within 3 spaces of you. Mind Sense requires 1 point of spirit to use; spending additional points of spirit increases the range by 3 for each point of spirit used.

Suggestion: By concentrating on your Telepathy ability for a full minute, performing minimal actions otherwise, you can cause implant a suggestion in the target (provided your attack is successful).

For the next day, the creature will act in small ways not counter to its most essential goals that further the end of the suggestion. If you send a suggestion to be more hungry to an average person, they will eat more for the next day; to most anorexics, however, the command will likely fail, though attempts to persuade them to eat may be somewhat more effective.

A creature that has very strong reason to suspect it is under the effects of a suggestion ends the suggestion immediately. Long-term suggestions can eventually become ingrained in a person to become second nature, allowing for brainwashing over an extended period of time. Requires Telepath.

Rank III:
Distance: You can make a Telepathy attack a Distance attack. A Distance attack can target any individual that you know to exist on Earth. Distance requires at least 1 point of spirit to use; exceptional circumstances such as a dimensional rift may require a higher point expenditure as ruled by the GM. You may only have one modifier on a Telepathy attack at a time. Requires Telepath.

Feedback: You do not have to damage a subject of your Purify ability; instead, you can damage the casters of the effects (2 damage per effect they each created). If the casters have more ranks in Mind and Soul than you, then you take damage instead. Requires Purify.

Mind Hound: As a secondary action, for a full round you can see psychic 'scents' left by individuals. Scents are left on matter - travel through air or water leaves a very rapidly disappearing trail, and precipitation or harsh sunlight can age the trail artificially. Requires Lore.

Mind Stop: You can make a Telepathy attack a Mind Stop attack. The subject of your Mind Stop attack is stunned for one round and loses 1 reaction. Mind Stop requires 1 point of spirit to use. You may only have one modifier on a Telepathy attack at a time. Requires Telepath.

Paralysis: You can make a Telepathy attack a Paralysis attack - you can only target helpless, very tired, or perturbed creatures with Paralysis. The subject of your Paralysis attack falls helpless for the next hour, either conscious or unconscious at your option. Paralysis requires 2 points of spirit to use. You may only have one modifier on a Telepathy attack at a time. Requires Telepath.

Rank IV:
Fey Channel: You may add Channel to your arsenal. As a full action, you fill yourself with a nearby spirit willing (or at least pretending) to aid you. The spirit's personality becomes your own - the GM should determine what that personality is. Until you expel the spirit (a primary action) it grants you its boon, typically an additional power in one tree of Ranks 1-3 (one power at each level) as appropriate to the spirit's personality and domains. You also are able to use one magical, technological, or mundane ability in the spirit's arsenal as appropriate.

While the spirit is possessing you, you are immune to Telepathy attacks, cannot perform any Mind and Soul abilities, and lose 1 life every hour. A spirit may have goals contrary to your own, and refuse to relinquish control - you may commit a forced expulsion, but doing so stuns you and requires 1 life. Using Fey Channel requires 1 life and 1 spirit to use.

Penetration: Your Mind and Soul attacks gain a +1 bonus to Penetration.

Rapid Homeostasis: You may use Hypnotic Homeostasis as a secondary action. Requires Hypnotic Homeostasis.

Rapid Suggestion: You may make a Suggestion as a primary action. Requires Suggestion.

Sanctified Weapons: After you have made a successful melee or ranged attack, you may (as a secondary action which requires 1 spirit in addition to the normal cost) immediately attempt a Purify attack on the target. Requires Purify.

Touch the Soul: You can physically interact with fey, spirits, and reduced reality individuals.

Rank V:
Crucible: You can remove Possession and damage fey with a Purify attack, dealing 6 damage to the spirit. Your Purify attacks can also break Life and Spirit effects active upon the target at your option, dealing 2 damage per each effect removed in this way. Using Crucible requires 3 points of spirit in addition to the normal Purify cost. Requires Touch the Soul and Purify.

Mind Burn: You can make a Telepathy attack a Mind Burn attack. The subject of your Mind Burn attack takes 4 damage. Mind Burn requires 1 point of spirit to use. You may only have one modifier on a Telepathy attack at a time. Requires Telepath.

Possession: You can make a Telepathy attack a Possession attack - you can only target helpless, very tired, or perturbed creatures with Possession. The subject of your Possession attack becomes your body for the next hour (or until you dismiss the possession) - you trade any mundane, tool, or technological abilities, but retain your magic abilities. Your original body falls limp and helpless for the duration of the possession. If either body is killed while you are possessing a target, both you and your victim die.

Repeated Possession over an extended period of time may allow for a permanent body switch, in which case you are not subject to the previous limitation.

Possession requires 3 points of spirit to use in addition to the normal cost. You may only have one modifier on a Telepathy attack at a time. Requires Telepath.

Power Channel: As Fey Channel, but you also gain a Rank 4 ability in the same tree. If you use Fey Channel instead, the drain is slowed to 1 life a minute. Requires Fey Channel.

Rank VI:
Channel the River of Souls: As Power Channel, but you also gain two Rank 5 abilities from the same tree. If you use Fey Channel instead, the drain is slowed to 1 life a day. Power Channel's drain is slowed to 1 life an hour.

You may also use an active Rank VI ability from the same tree by expending 2 life in addition to the normal cost. Requires Power Channel.

Soul Eater: You can make a Telepathy or Purify attack a Soul Eater attack - you can only target helpless, very tired, or perturbed creatures with Soul Eater (Telepathy) or fey with Soul Eater (Purify). You gain all of the subject's collected knowledge and their composure drops to 0; until they regain full composure, the creature suffers from amnesia - they remember how to do everything as before, but specific events, people and places are forgotten. Upon recovery of their composure, you lose all specifics of their knowledge, unless you wrote something down or made special note of it. You do retain a general familiarity of what they knew, though.

Soul Eater requires 1 point of spirit to use in addition to the normal cost. You may only have one modifier on a Telepathy attack at a time.

Wake the Dead: By concentrating for an hour, you can control a recently dead creature for one day, animating it and reading its thoughts. Unlike a normal possession, your mind is not removed from your body; you may have as many living dead creatures controlled at once as you want (with a practical limit of 23). The creatures must still have a mostly intact brain. Deceased creatures can only use mundane or tool abilities, and do not regenerate life, or have resolve, spirit or composure. Portions of attacks that target these abilities fail.

The only thoughts that can be gleaned from their minds are ones from within an hour of their death. If brought to 0 Life, attacked by a Purify ability, or their brain rots beyond usage, they die permanently.

The creatures can be given simple, basic commands with a telepathy attack. Requires Telepath.



Reality Alteration:
Rank I:
Displace: You can add the Displace attack to your arsenal. You can teleport small handheld objects and creatures within 6 spaces to any other location within 6 spaces as a full action. If you are damaged before your full action is completed, the ability fails. Using Displace requires 2 points of spirit. Teleported subjects placed in mid-air do not begin falling until the next round. You may only Displace objects that you know to exist and approximately where; if you know someone has a gun in their pocket, the gun is a suitable object for teleportation, but if you only think that someone has a gun on their person, you cannot.

The inside of a living creature's body is protected by the creature's soul field, and objects cannot be teleported in or out of their body without their consent.

Decrease Reality: You can add the Decrease Reality ability to your arsenal. As a full action, you can reduce your density or the density of another object or creature within 6 spaces. If you are damaged before your full action is completed, the ability ceases to function. For the next full round, the subject takes 1 less damage from all sources and deals 1 less damage with all attacks that originate from her. You may maintain a decreased reality with subsequent full actions that require no spirit. Using Decrease Reality requires 2 points of spirit.

Increase Reality: You can add the Increase Reality ability to your arsenal. As a full action, you can create a convincing illusion of a person or person-sized object (up to 2 cubic meters) that you are very familiar with for a full round. This illusion must be placed in an unoccupied square within 6 spaces, and immediately fades if it is physically interacted with. You may maintain an illusion's existence with subsequent full actions that require no spirit. Using Increase Reality requires 2 points of spirit.

Rank II:
Compress Reality: You can slightly condense time. You and everyone within 100 spaces of you moves at 90% of local time. This means that for every 12 rounds you take, 13 rounds pass outside; for every 10 minutes, 11. Every minute that you have Compress Reality active drains 1 spirit from you. You may activate or deactivate this ability as a full action.

Each additional user of Compress Reality in an area increases the radius by 50 spaces and slows time by 5%, to a minimum of 50%. Each use of Stretch Reality in an area counters one user of Compress Reality.

Rapid Alteration: Your Displace, Decrease and Increase Reality abilities can be performed and maintained as a primary action.

Reality Reach: Your Reality Alteration abilities increase range by half; either from 6 spaces to 9 spaces or from 80 spaces to 120.

Stretch Reality: You can slightly stretch time. You and everyone within 100 spaces of you moves at 110% of local time. This means that for every 13 rounds you take, only 12 rounds pass outside; for every 11 minutes, only 10. Every minute that you have Stretch Reality active drains 1 spirit from you. You may activate or deactivate this ability as a full action.

Each additional user of Stretch Reality in an area increases the radius by 50 spaces and speeds time by 10%, to a maximum of 200%. Each use of Compress Reality in an area counters one user of Stretch Reality.

Rank III:
Large Displace: Your Displace ability can affect objects up to a person (2 cubic meters) in size. Requires Displace.

Sharp Decrease: When you Decrease Reality, the subject takes and deals 3 less damage from all sources. They may have to use a point of spirit and extra time to interact normally with objects, and sometimes may pass through spaces too small for them (such as a window half their size, or jail bars, though not a solid steel wall). Requires Decrease Reality.

Sharp Increase: When you Increase Reality, the illusion can be physically interacted with, though if it takes more than 3 points of damage it disappears. If you use a point of spirit, the illusion can act on its own and use any attack in your arsenal, drawing on your spirit pool. If the illusion ever moves out of range, however, it immediately fades. This does not count as a separate ability for the purposes of Conservation. Requires Increase Reality.

Rank IV:
Concentration: Your Reality Alteration effects are no longer canceled if you take damage.

Long Displace: You may focus upon your Displace ability for a minute, performing minimal actions otherwise. If you are not damaged in this time period, you may consider the range of the ability to be a hundred times normal. Requires Displace.

Long Decrease: You may focus upon your Decrease Reality ability for a minute, performing minimal actions otherwise. If you are not damaged in this time period, the subject is erased from reality, turned into a spirit or spirit-object that can only exist as long as people remember them. Someone with Long Increase can undo the erasure only if they can identify the location that it took place in. Requires Decrease Reality.

Long Increase: You may focus upon your Increase Reality ability for a minute, performing minimal actions otherwise. If you are not damaged in this time period, you may create an object that you mechanically understand. A gunsmith could make a gun, a professional counterfeiter could make money. You are also able to undo erasures in reality or force fey to manifest. Requires Increase Reality.

Rapid Displace: You may use Large Displace on yourself as a sprint action. Rapid Displace requires 1 point of spirit to use. Requires Large Displace.

Rapid Decrease: You may use Sharp Decrease on yourself as a sprint action. Rapid Decrease requires 1 point of spirit to use. Requires Sharp Decrease.

Rapid Increase: You may use the basic Sharp Increase as a sprint action. Rapid Increase requires 1 point of spirit to use. Requires Sharp Increase.

Rippling Reach: Your Reality Alteration abilities double their original range - from 6 spaces to 12, or 80 to 160. Requires and overlaps Reality Reach.

Rank V:
Complete Decrease: When you Decrease Reality, the subject can neither deal damage nor take damage, becoming completely intangible. Using Complete Decrease requires an extra point of spirit and it does not count as a separate ability for the purposes of Conservation. Requires Sharp Decrease.

Complete Increase: When you Increase Reality, the illusion can take as much damage as its original counterpart before it is destroyed. Using Complete Increase requires an extra point of spirit and it does not count as a separate ability for the purposes of Conservation. Requires Sharp Increase.

Huge Displace: Your Displace ability can affect a subject or multiple subjects up to 16 cubic meters in size, like a car. Requires Large Displace.

Rank VI:
Conservation: Your Reality Alteration abilities take 1 less spirit to use.

Time Warp: As a secondary action, you may move forwards or backwards an hour in time; if you already exist in the time you are moving to, your body and soul merges with the 'you' of that time period. Using Time Warp requires 3 points of life, drains all of your remaining spirit, and makes you bleed.




Resources:
Rank I:
Little Fish: Pick a general category of organization from below. You gain monthly access to free goods and services worth about a hundred dollars or six hours of easy work from them at little or no expense to you.

Resources are meant to indicate what you can get from people that you do not know well at a personal level. Even Family really refers to things like "Friend of a Friend" and "Father in Law". The money listed in services refers to disposable income beyond things like bills and taxes and food.

Example Categories and Ranks (1-6)
Business: Gofer, Bureaucrat, Aide, Manager, Supervisor, CEO
Crime: Thug, Gang Enforcer, Gang Leader, Lieutenant, Boss, Crime Lord
Family: Acquaintance, Family Friend, Nepotist, Inner Circle, Aristocrat, True Aristocrat

Other possibilities: Faerie-Human Relations, Information Broker, Unions, and more.

Be aware that the titles are meant to be evocative more than actually descriptive. You can be a CEO of a small business and be considered no more than Middle Management or Your Own Person, or you can be 'merely' the White House Chief of Staff and be considered King of the Hill. Similarly, if someone has a large inheritance but they don't use their funds except to live a comfortable, no job life, they may not have any ranks in this path.

You may take any rank in this tree multiple times. Each additional source you gain at this rank adds half as much value as the previous did - the more you are tied to, the less committed you can be (and the less value you can get in return) to any one.

Like someone without any ranks in resources, you can gain help beyond the listed value, but it'll generally cost you or require knowing a single powerful individual. However, you'll be required to work less for it than someone without your resource ties.

Rank II:
Helping Hand: Pick a general category of organization you chose in Little Fish. The basic value increases to three hundred dollars or eighteen manhours (one day) of skilled labor.

Rank III:
Middle Management: Pick a general category of organization you chose in Helping Hand. The basic value increases to a thousand dollars or three manhour-days of skilled labor. You will have increasing responsibilities that may take a notable amount of time, though never anything personally dangerous.

Rank IV:
Your Own Person: Pick a general category of organization you chose in Your Own Person. The basic value increases to five thousand dollars, two manhour-weeks of skilled labor, or a few days of very dangerous work. You may be occasionally compelled to place your own assets or health on the line, though not to a fatal level.

Rank V:
Rising Star: Pick a general category of organization you chose in Your Own Person. The basic value increases to sixteen thousand dollars, more than a month of skilled labor, insider and classified information, or deadly jobs. You are often compelled to place your own assets or health on the line, though not to a fatal level.

Rank VI:
King of the Hill: Pick a general category of organization you chose in Rising Star. You can gain access to almost anything you need that your organization has ties to, within reason. You may occasionally be required to undergo potentially fatal trials and tribulations for your organization to maintain its successful standing.




Scouting:
Rank I:
Long Range: Your detection range increases by 1.

Move Silently: You can move up to a third of your sprint distance in a turn and remain in hiding.

The Second Sense: Your penalties for being blind reduce by 1.

Sleight of Hand: Your pickpocket increases by 1.

Rank II:
Fast Eyes: If someone is in your detection range when making a surprise attack against you, you gain a +2 bonus to your evasion against them this round.

Quiet Shoes: Your stealth increases by 1.

Sharp Sight: Your detection increases by 1.

Rank III:
Damn Tourists: Your pickpocket increases by 1. Requires Sleight of Hand.

Echolocation: Your penalties for being blind reduce by 1. Requires The Second Sense.

Patient Watcher: Your detection range increases by 2 squares in all directions. If you only move half or less of your sprint distance in a turn, you do not lose any detection bonuses gained for staying in one place (though you do not gain any, either.) Requires Long Range.

Scouter: By studying a creature in your detection range for a minute, you can determine if their threat level is over a value you specify. You may only use Scouter on a target once a day.

Silent Stalker: You can move up to half of your sprint distance in a turn and remain in hiding. If you only move half or less of your sprint distance in a turn, you do not lose any hide bonuses gained for staying in one place (though you do not gain any, either.) Requires Move Silently.

Rank IV:
Catburglar: Your stealth increases by 1. Requires Quiet Shoes.

Exacting Eye: Your detection increases by 1. Requires Sharp Sight.

Refuge in Audacity: You can pickpocket someone as a secondary action during a sprint. Even if you succeed, they know you took something from them.

Sniper Scope: When you take aim, your ranged weapon's next attack gains a 50% bonus to its range.

Rank V:
Assassin: You can move up to your sprint distance in a turn and remain in hiding. You can attack with a light or mental weapon and remain in hiding as well. You still do not gain a bonus to hide when moving or attacking this round, however. You are still caught if you come within 2 spaces of someone. Requires Silent Stalker.

Coin in Your Ear: Your pickpocket improves by 2. Requires Damn Tourists.

Hawkeye: You can 'project' your detection range, centering it on another square up to 20 spaces away.

Master of Detection: Your detection increases by 2. Requires Exacting Eye.

Master of Hiding: Your stealth increases by 2. Requires Catburglar.

Sudden Scout: You may use Scouter on a target as a primary action. Requires Scouter.

Rank VI:
Blind as a Bat: A secondary sense improves as part of your training. When blinded, you can use your secondary sense to 'see' within your detection range, allowing you to continue fighting safely.

As long as you have your secondary sense available, you are not subject to surprise attacks simply for being blinded, and the accuracy penalty for fighting while you are blinded is removed. Creatures within your detection range can be targeted by you with pinpoint accuracy, though those outside require guesswork on your part. The penalty to your detection magnitude remains, however. Requires Echolocation.

Silent Death: Targets that you hit with a surprise attack from hiding are stunned. This ability does not work with area attacks. You can remain undetected while in someone's immediate detection range, though attacking or taking damage ruins the effect. Requires Assassin.

Shapeshifting

Rank I:
Beast Shift: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the form of a beast of your choice. In this form, you think like a beast; as a result, you gain an extra 1 Evasion, but lose 1 Resolve. Changing back requires ten minutes of preparation.

Your shapeshifted forms have an independent arsenal of their own, with one slot. The ability in your shapeshift arsenal does not have to be one pulled from your normal arsenal. You decide what is in your shapeshift arsenal upon assuming the form (as well as any Greatshift abilities, if you possess them), and cannot change it without shifting forms.

Elemental Shift: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the form of an elemental of your choice. Elementals take 1 less physical damage from all sources, but take 1 extra energy damage from all sources of energy damage. While shapeshifted, you can't use your usual abilities in your arsenal, aside from those which do not use a slot (such as unarmed or psychological attacks). Changing back requires ten minutes of preparation.

Your shapeshifted forms have an independent arsenal of their own, with one slot. The ability in your shapeshift arsenal does not have to be one pulled from your normal arsenal. You decide what is in your shapeshift arsenal (as well as any Greatshift abilities, if you possess them) upon assuming the form.

Hollywood: With an hour of preparation, you can alter yourself to not look like you. You cannot make yourself look like a specific individual unless they already closely resemble you in face, build, and height. Taking damage ruins the effect, and you can cancel it at any time.

Mockingbird: You have a talent for voice, and can mimic someone's voice perfectly for the next hour after hearing it. For longer spans of time, you retain the ability to make a voice that sounds similar to theirs, but people who know them well will recognize it as an ape.

Rank II:
Chameleon: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the appearance of a specific individual who has a dissimilar face or height. Taking damage ruins the effect, and you can cancel it at any time. Requires Hollywood.

Copycat: As Mockingbird, but within the last day. Requires Mockingbird.

Prehensile: Your alternate forms can use parts of their body well enough to manipulate and use tools, or anything else humans can use.

Talkative: You can speak in your alternate forms.

Wild Speaker: You can talk to animals and see fey in your alternate forms. Animals do not think or talk like humans do.

Rank III:
Changeling Attack: You gain a second shapeshift arsenal slot. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Changeling Senses: Your Detection and Stealth increase by 1 in your alternate forms.

Changeling Speed: Your Sprint increases by 5 in your alternate forms.

Fast Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms and disguises (and come back, if canceling them required time) with a minute of work.

Muscle Control: Your disguises allow you to take the form of anything relatively human-like and sized. Requires Chameleon.

Permanent Disguise: Your disguises are not ruined by damage. Requires Chameleon.

Swimmer: Your alternate forms can breathe and swim through the water freely, sprinting at half speed (rather than a fifth).

Rank IV:
Changeling Grace: In your alternate forms, as a primary action, you can increase your evasion for a full round by 2. Every time you do this, your reaction improves by 1.

Greatshift - Durability: Your maximum and current life increase by 5 while in your alternate form; these benefits go away when you return to basic form. However, you have a weakness - attacks with an origin of your choice (Magical, Mundane, Technological, or Tool) end your shapeshift upon damaging you.

If your health is below 5 when you return to your original form, you are only reduced to 0 life. This ability isn't regenerating you, so it does not work with the Life Funnel ability.

A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - Flight: You can turn into a flying version of your shifting form. In that form, you can sprint in any direction, including up, without using spirit. If you already had the ability to fly outside of your alternate form, when flying you gain +1 Evasion. A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - Land: You can sprint through solid, earthen objects at will. Your ability to detect objects and creatures is not hindered by solid earth, as you can sense their vibrations directly. A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - War: Your damaging physical melee attacks gain an additional +1 accuracy and damage, and always hamstring upon damage. A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Rapid Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms and disguises (and come back, if canceling them required time) as a primary action. Using Rapid Shifter requires 1 point of spirit. Requires Fast Shifter.

Rank V:
Greatshift - Ascendant: Your damaging energy attacks deal an extra 50% energy damage (round up) and shove the target backwards up to 2 squares (stacking with any other abilities you have), but use up 2 spirit with each attack (in addition to any other costs). A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - Regeneration: Upon assuming your form, you may use up an additional 4 spirit to regain 1 point of life. You regain 1 point of life every hour while shifted. Whenever you heal life by any means, you immediately end all negative effects on you.

Quick Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms and disguises (and come back, if canceling them required time) as a secondary action. Using Quick Shifter requires 3 points of spirit. Requires Rapid Shifter.

Rank VI:
Chimera: You may have two Greatshift abilities functioning at once.

Technology:
Rank I:
Computer Kid: You gain the ability to use brute force coding to bypass basic computer security, install basic encryption as well as similar techniques.

Repair Guy: You can pick open most simple locks, repair cars and work unusual but basic mechanisms that you have only just encountered.

Rank II:
Crumple Zone: By working for an hour, you can attach, program, rewire protective equipment to a creature or object. The equipment absorbs the first point of damage taken by the creature and is then destroyed.

Jump Start: As a primary action, you can increase an adjacent robotic creature's spirit by 3. A creature can only be Jump Started once an hour.

Juryrig: As a primary action, you can stop bleeding and cure hamstring on yourself or an adjacent robotic creature.

Override: You can add the Override attack to your arsenal. Override requires a primary action to use, and can only be targeted on a robotic creature or machinery.

Rank III:
Firewall: As a primary action, you can use your Override attack on yourself (if a robot) or a robotic ally, granting a +2 bonus to resolve for a full round. Firewall requires a point of spirit to use. Requires Override.

Mechanical Genius: You can create new mechanisms and improvisations on the fly, repair items that you've never seen before, and patent a lot of things. Requires Repair Guy.

Tech Sense: You are automatically aware of the presence of all circuitry and robotic creatures within 10 spaces of you. This may manifest itself as flaming code vision if you wear a trenchcoat.

Technical Wizard: You can design viral worms, large-scale computer attacks and security measures at a national government and corporate level. Requires Computer Kid.

Utility Belt: You may add a fourth ability to your arsenal. This ability must be tool or technological in origin. If you already have a fourth ability slot in your arsenal, you do not gain a fifth.

Rank IV:
Combat Shields: By working for an hour, you can attach, program, rewire protective equipment to a creature or object. The equipment absorbs the first 2 points of damage taken by the creature and is then destroyed. Requires Crumple Zone.

Pulse: By using 2 points of spirit, your Override attack affects all valid targets in a Cube 3 area. Using this ability lowers your reaction by 1. Requires Override.

Repair: By working for eight hours, you can restore 1 life to a robotic creature. Requires Juryrig.

Syntax Error: By using 2 points of spirit, your successful Override attack stuns one robotic target, or disables one technological ability in a living creature's arsenal for the next minute.

Viral: You may target a robotic creature's composure rather than their life with Override. If you bring their composure down to 0, you take control of the creature for the next hour. You can order the creature around with simple commands via the Override ability. Requires Override.

Rank V:
Flash Fire: You can use a Firewall as a secondary action. Requires Firewall.

Geek God: Any lock? You can break it. Any system? You can infiltrate it. Dead robot? You can make it function. It's all just a question of time - usually a few days. Requires Mechanical Genius and Tech Wizard.

Overwire: You can restore 2 life to an adjacent robotic creature (including yourself) as a primary action; however, an hour later the creature takes 3 damage. Requires Juryrig.

Worm: As a primary action, you may declare your next Override attack to be a Worm attack. If the attack succeeds, any robotic creatures who come adjacent to the victim for the next hour are attacked as though by the original Override attack. A given creature can only be attacked once by the worm. Using Worm requires 2 points of spirit. Requires Viral.

Rank VI:
Quick Study: If you spend at least ten minutes studying a robotic creature, your Override attack deals an additional 2 damage to it and has an additional +1 penetration. Requires Geek God.

Tech Ascendant: You can grant an adjacent robotic creature (including yourself) an overwhelming amount of power; for the next minute, the creature takes 2 less damage from all sources, has +1 accuracy and resolve with all technological abilities, and has unending spirit. However, at the end of the minute, the creature takes 5 damage and is rendered helpless until it recovers at least 1 point of life. Requires Overwire.

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 05:55 PM
http://theanteheroes.com/TheAnteheroesSystem/AnteheroicsWeb.jpg

She drives us around town for a bit; I check behind every so often for the Rose. Things are quiet. Firsthand encounter with the killer and... we ran. One half-hearted purity spell, and we ran. No one can rightly blame us for it, but...

"We have to find out what that thing is. Your mom's going to be in Korea for another three weeks. We can't wait that long."

She looks at me for a second. In the darkness, I can only imagine the look in her eyes. What worth self-security against morality?

Michelle turns back to the road. "There's gotta be something in the library. And we're going to have a talk with Kagmanitou. She'll open up this time. She has to."

"If she even knows what to open up about. Red light."

"Oh. Crud. Too late." She doesn't even try to stop the car.

"Eh. Empty intersection anyway. But yeah... something tells me this isn't typical. Kaggy might not have the answers."

"If she can't figure out a lead from what we've seen today, I'm really going to have to question how she manages to lead a Fey Court."

"Politics."

"Part of politics is staying alive, hon. It's not like Faeries get the Secret Service or anything. It's a bit more vicious than running for the mayor. And what you don't know can definitely kill you around these parts."

[hr]

The World

For most of their lives, many people of the world assumed that all they saw was all that there was to reality. Recent events, however, have shaken up the status quo – much to the government's displeasure.

Williamton, Delaware

Forming a twin-city with the state capital of Wilmington, Williamton is an urban center on par with Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington. In the summer of 2007, a large number of unexplained events rocked in the city and its metropolitan area. People would be found in their homes, alive but in a coma, with virtually no brain activity – many of whom died within a few days of their discovery. There seemed to be no common link among the victims.

Approximately six weeks after the Dead Sleep began, Officer Ellen Smith and two self-professed psychics broke onto the set of the Channel 5 Evening Broadcast, where anchorwoman Virginia Waugh had begun experiencing an epileptic fit, screaming in an unidentified language. Extensive collateral damage spontaneously occurred through the set, as the two psychics – locals Michelle Black and Alexis Decker – seemed to struggle against an invisible force.

Decker himself would later comment that a spirit known as Helena Rhodonike had possessed Wahu to slowly feed on and consume her soul, as she had the rest of her victims, who he claimed had all been involved in sealing the spirit away fifty years ago, or were the nearest living relative of someone who had. While the veracity of Decker's statement is under doubt, all of the still-living victims of the Dead Sleep awoke within three days of the event.


YAR THAR'LL BE NPC STAT BLOCKS HERE ONCE I'VE WORKED OUT THE STATS AND SHEET

Northern Idaho

Early in the spring of 2008, a number of disturbances occurred in the rural regions of Northern Idaho. A rash of robberies occurred without warning, often targeting many homes in the same night, and the criminal – becoming known as the panhandle bandit – was never found.

However, in May, a few miles outside of Post Falls, some local observers claim to have seen flashing lights and three-way gunfire between a short mulatto man, a bounty hunter, and a redheaded woman. Ghosts seemed to have infested the entire area, and the locals quickly ran back to a safe distance to call the police.

The Post Falls police deny any reports of a call coming in that night with that description. However, there were no further reports of the bandit this year.

The bounty hunter reputed to be involved, Belle Argent, was found at her home by curious reporters, uninjured and dressed down for the evening.


YAR THAR'LL BE NPC STAT BLOCKS HERE ONCE I'VE WORKED OUT THE STATS AND SHEET

Los Angeles

Earlier in the summer of 2008, a new face burst onto the human trafficking scene in California: James Strauss. With a strong talent for capturing forgotten people from both the domestic streets and international rural regions, Strauss started out merely capturing people, but his success has led to him extending his reach over all aspects of the business in the Southeast Asian, Polynesian, and Western US spheres.

Strauss' existence isn't well-known to the average member of the public, but anyone at the higher levels of law enforcement and up has become familiar with his name. He's seemingly untouchable; officials sent to deal with him are lucky to come back, but they've never been found dead either. Their comrades fear the worst. It has become apparent that Strauss makes 'friends' in high places and the rumors about what he can do are spreading like wildfire among police.


YAR THAR'LL BE NPC STAT BLOCKS HERE ONCE I'VE WORKED OUT THE STATS AND SHEET

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 06:04 PM
Faeries

Cities are not dead, and fairies are real. Don't look at me like that. I can't see you, but I don't have to; yours is a stock expression, made especially popular with the introduction of the comedic straight man: one eyebrow raised, mouth twisted in musement. Whether it's a-musement or be-musement, well, that does vary individual to individual. So, yeah. Point the first: cities are not dead, screw you hippies. Humans are a part of nature, you cannot escape that reality. Nature is ugly or beautiful on a case-by-case basis, and the truly enamored can see beauty everywhere inside of it.

Point the second: Fairies are real. They're also totally badass. Some of them are, anyway. It really depends on what they are the fairy of, to be honest. But I can assure you that the Fey folk are a good deal more varied than a bunch of diaphanous-winged midget supermodels with giggle-Tourette's and the attention span of a goldfish. Seeing them, of course, would be believing. But seeing them is not so simple as looking, nor as complicated as believing. Which is funny... because believing is why they even exist.

[hr]

Just beyond the reach of the average person exists another world entirely, where the fey folk still live. Creatures of belief, as long as humanity has emotion, spirituality, and superstition, they will survive. As people and animals in an area identify a concept that has touched their lives a kernel of spiritual energy clusters in the Fey world, just waiting for a spirit to collide with it. When spirit and belief combine, one becomes able to influence the other, and the more people that believe in a concept, the stronger its associated fey becomes.

The fey that remain among animals and rural populations oftentimes retain their shapes of old. Fey of death and famine, birth and feast, day and night populate these regions, with a savage and capricious nature. Times have changed, though, and the fey that stayed with the humans as they slowly advanced have been indescribably altered themselves. Spirits of famine become spirits of firearms. A forge faerie becomes a spirit of rockets. Erotic souls become romantics and extroverts who just want a friend. Overall, moralities set in, both good and evil.

Faeries are not monogamous with concepts – multiple faeries can (and often do) represent the same concept, and most primarily influence a single geographic region.

Traditionally, faeries that exist within a single region generally organize themselves into a pantheon, or court, with the most powerful spirit – designated by whatever humans in the region most care about – presiding over the court. Civilization-influenced faeries often have elections, where a spirit's relative power and wisdom are both taken into consideration. The purpose of the pantheon is to protect the fey of a region from those humans and animals who might seek to cause harm, especially those with innate magic. Occasionally, however, fey themselves war with each other.

Even though faeries are all around and ignore direct human interaction, most courts recognize the need for gifted humans to be able to speak with them privately. Therefore, they usually convene in areas like a sacred knoll, an abandoned factory, or a cave.

Generally, a faerie can only directly interact with mundane humans and reality where its concepts are at least tangentially related. A spirit of death can appear to any human to warn them of impending doom (because that could cause death), while a spirit of fire could affect a car's radiator (because heat is related to fire.)

Some faeries wander from region to region; this is often the case with undesirables, like a malevolent faerie of disease, or self-assured loners. The most powerful fey are not limited to existing in a single geographical location at a time, and represent broad concepts. If they interact with a lesser faerie sharing the same concept, usually the lesser faerie will be deferential; it is possible for greater fey to completely swallow up a lesser one sharing the same domain, so angering the elder spirit is considered unwise.

The Williamton Fey Court

Queen: Kagmanitou. A porcupine and trickster spirit, Kagmanitou is one of the few remaining Amerindian faeries to hold a position of prominence against the European fey. She has come to represent the concept of corporations in a city filled with large businesses and beltway bandits.

Consort: Kagmanitou has elected to take no consort for several years now, after the previous one, a spirit of war, attempted to usurp her position.

Notable Members: Serena, spirit of parenthood. Shaddup, spirit of public transportation. Biblios, spirit of education. Radu, spirit of foreign fast food. Luke, spirit of rockets. Hennessee, spirit of employment.

Magic

What is magic? The Avalon Council's Codex Principia Magicae defines it as "a fundamental alteration of reality powered by an apeironic source; typically a ley line."

The apeiron is believed by scholars of magic to be a relic of the creation of the universe, and those which study multiple fields have blamed the accelerating expansion of the universe on residual apeironic energies. Whatever it is, it can act upon standard energy and matter without being acted upon in return, except in a few very rare cases. This essentially allows magic to break traditional conservation of mass and energy as it is usually understood.

Generally, there are two types of magic available to a person: innate magic, and learned magic.

Those with access to innate magic – fey, as well as a rare few humans and animals known as arcanists – have a direct inner connection to a source of apeiron energy, and can train themselves to control the flux of power. However, because this connection is severed within minutes of someone being deceased, the exact nature of the connection is unknown. Some scholars have conducted unanesthetized vivisections in pursuit of this knowledge, but the practice is considered extremely cruel, and all magical organizations officially frown on the practice. Many self-regulate members on this point.

The other path, one which anyone can follow if they only have a teacher, is learned magic. A variety of human institutions over the ages have picked up the path, calling themselves Wizards, psychics, mediums, magicians, sorcerers, tantrists, mystics, enchanters, and various and sundry other things depending on the exact nature of their teachings. Learned magic operates on the principle of manipulating environmental magic (usually ley lines) to produce desired effects. Inner connections to magic produce magic of too unrefined and unpredictable nature to develop a unified system of casting around.

Innate magic tends to be more directly powerful than learned, often conjuring matter or effects, but is considerably more limited. A pyrokinetic arcanist can be extremely clever in the application of their fire, but they are still limited to fire. By contrast, learned magic is often subtle, working with what is already present.

There are three foremost societies dedicated solely to the study of magic; all three have been operating continuously for more than a millenia, and represent the three major extant learned traditions: the Wizard, the Medium, and the Tantrist. They are:

Britain's ancient Avalon Council, headed by High Lord Theophilus (Ted) Pendragon.

Wizard magic is typically concerned with the direct but subtle manipulation of the outside – weather magic and magic wards are perennial favorites. Wizards need a focusing symbol to use their powers – typically an extremely complicated and precisely detailed shape. The most advanced wizards can use simple shapes, such as the circle of their iris or even the line of their shadow as a focal point.

Wizard magic often includes a verbal component; traditionally, complicated and archaic Latin, Arabic or Greek phrases were favored, but more recent wizards have begun to use trigger phrases in their own languages for simplicity. It is easier to abbreviate or alter the verbal component when you are fluent in the language.

The Society of the Patient Bear, formerly of North Korea, relocated to Delaware. Headed by the Kumiho, songshim Seojin Black.

A Medium's magic is unusual compared to the other traditions – a medium takes in a benevolent spirit and channels their power to produce effects on the outside world. Though channeling isn't unknown to the other major traditions, it has generally been viewed as highly unstable and dangerous, and only the Korean tradition has been able to master its use in relative safety. Medium magic is often focused around energy projection or altering mind and spirit.

The two major schools of thought involve the merits of mastering one spirit's use at a time or quick rotation of many spirits as is immediately necessary. Older mediums prefer the former; the latter is less directly powerful as you can never fully acclimate to the needs and quirks of a spirit, but offers the medium more control, and is inspired by studies of Wizard magic.

The Himalayan Alliance of Sages, between Tibet, Nepal and India. The tulku Lobsang Gampo heads the Alliance.

Tantric magic, contrary to Wizard magic, is directly focused upon the inward, opening up apertures to the apeiron through both ignoring and reveling in the illusion of reality. Advanced tantrists often appear and disappear at random, or fly at will. Through extreme effort and concentration, they can ignore pain, cease bleeding, and even alter their internal configuration of organs to turn the most lethal attacks into a mere hindrance.

Tantric magic completely lacks a verbal component, but like Wizard magic, requires a precise shape to focus upon. Unlike Wizard magic, this shape is not a choice of the wielder, and it must be a form of their body. The individual shape necessary is dependent upon the exact spell being used.

Many successful modern magicians have acknowledged the importance of other traditions, studying eclectically. Pendragon, Black, and Gampo in particular are all masters in all three major types of spellcasting, and have studied a number of alternative minor styles around the world.


YAR THAR'LL BE NPC STAT BLOCKS HERE ONCE I'VE WORKED OUT THE STATS AND SHEET

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 06:07 PM
The Government

There are three things you should understand:
Some people have always been in the know, as far back as time immemorial.
Knowledge is power.
All power can be used for war.

All that considered, it is little surprise that the United States federal government has been involved in trying to harness the supernatural for years and years. It all began back in the 1860's, with the Confederate Army, actually. After Grant had assumed command of the Union, the Confederate Army found itself dealing with cleverer, more veteran, and hardened Union Army - one with infinitely more resources than the Confederates could hope to command. As the Confederate strategy switched to one of harassment, hoping to make the war unpopular and costly, its government looked for other ways out.

By 1863, British sympathizers clued them in to the secret - wizardry was still alive. Though the government's reaction was mixed, Jefferson Davis was not able to hold back his advisors - they wanted every edge they could get. Within a year, the wizards had located and begun training a dozen men they had identified as arcanists, those with innate power. These arcanists were meant to tilt the war back in the Confederates' favor. But it was not meant to be; Lee's surrender at Appomatox signaled the effective end of the Confederate resistance, and no guerilla war could be won by twelve men with limited methods of communication.

Six of the men returned back to their old lives, seeking only to retire. The other six sought to win something that wasn't theirs, and in 1865, formed the Ku Klux Klan, terrorizing the countryside with their arcane powers and making efforts to begin an American center of wizardry like their patron's. Their efforts were quickly routed, and by 1871, the first Klan was no more - but the men taken into custody by Grant's government were valuable indeed...

By 1890, the government's secret training had resulted in a small corps of arcanists and a handful of fledgling wizards. "Like unto gods," one congressman had said upon seeing a demonstration. "When men can fly, they are truly like unto gods." Finding the sentiment accurate, the corps gained a name: Project Olympus.

As years passed, an entire Cabinet-level department arose around Olympus, called simply the 'Arcanum Division,' a department devoted to extremely unorthodox and highly arcane methods of solving... problems.

Today, Project Olympus numbers approximately a hundred field agents, all arcanists; wizards have returned to their seclusion for the most part, though the Arcanum maintains diplomatic relations with most major civilian magic organizations, having the status of the foremost government agency involved in the shadow world of magic. The United States' closest allies - including the former British Empire and Israel - have also invested their clandestine resources into the Arcanum, though they maintain pressure and control on its board of directors.

Three other projects have formed from the Arcanum as well:
Project Hathor, the technological wing, invested in both more typical black ops technology and supersoldier experiments.
Project Valhalla, a battalion of the best special forces agents the Arcanum could collect, meant to deal with sensitive threats that number too many for Olympus.
Project Canaan, a recent development that seeks to find peacetime uses for the advances pioneered by Hathor and Olympus.

The highest ranking field agents of each group are referred to primarily in code name, and have little casual contact with the outside world; upon induction into the Arcanum, their immediate families must either resign to seeing their loved one a few times a year, or move into the family quarters at the Arcanum's primary base and resign to seeing the rest of their extended family a few times a year.

The main compound of the Arcanum is located in one of the remote regions of the Idaho panhandle, off of a nearly forgotten stretch of highway. Family quarters are above ground, and most have no idea of exactly what they are here for. You see, the Arcanum stretches into the earth for nearly a quarter of a mile in a byzantine labyrinth of tunnels, bunkers and underground facilities. Here lay testing chambers, proving grounds, conference rooms... and few are allowed access to everything there.

Leadership

The Arcanum is currently led by 4 Directors - one for each Project - and an Executive Director who reports directly to the President. Each of the projects themselves bears their own command structure, roughly modeling the officer rankings of the United States Military.

YARR MORE'LL BE DETAILED HERE LATER

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 06:14 PM
Reserved...

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 06:34 PM
Changelog

06/16/09
- Some minor balance fixes scattered throughout, improving Acrobatics and Martial Skill and nerfing a broken Shapeshifting combination.
- Added Shapeshifting to the forum documentation. Had forgotten to do that before. Whoops!

10/02/08
- Welcome to Version 2.0! (1045 Hours FREE for 45 Days!) Almost the entire document has been overhauled, but the largest source of change has been the switch of Customization Paths to Advancement Trees. Social Combat has been altered by quite a bit as a result, there's the addition of something called an 'arsenal' that limits the amount of attacks you can have at once, an initiative system has been added...

A brief guide to the new trees:
Acrobatics encompasses Quickness, Swiftness, Flight, and some new stuff.
Endurance contains Spirited, Invulnerability, and Constitution.
Kinetics ate Matter Control, Energy Control, a little bit of flight, Energy Absorption.
Geomancy is a completely redone magecraft.
Interpersonal Skills kicked Composed and Sly to the freaking curb.
Life and Spirit... were Life and Spirit Control. Oh yeah, healing's a lot harder than in any previous version.
Marksmanship is the same as ever, though a frickton better thanks to Khane.
Martial Skill ate Fighting and took its stuff and made it better.
Mind and Soul is Mind Control with elements of Magecraft and a lot of new cool stuff.
Reality Alteration contains teleportation and a lot of new stuff.
Resources is basically Contacts for a new generation.
Scouting has Stealth, Perception, and some new pickpocketing abilities.
Technology is Techcraft on 'roids.

9/26/08
- Fighting gets a new, more powerful Rank 6 at some urging. Melee attacks toned down across the board, however, generally in the effect category. (Energy Melee lost some damage and accuracy, Light Melee lost damage and accuracy but got a permanent blind, other melee altered - heavy improved slightly.) Blind durations specified on all attacks. Invulnerability loses energy resistance, but gains immunity to secondary effects.
Mind Control gets two alternate Rank VIs - one to make zombies, one to extend the duration of Mind Slave. Life Control restructured to make Bio mandatory - IIIa and IIIb folded together. Ib and the new VIb create auras of death, allowing you to quickly finish an encounter with damaged people (if you're willing to hurt your own). VIa only provides shielding against toxic instead of an immunity. Vb now allows for delaying an incubation period.
- Most of the energy attacks are gone, and some ranged attacks were renamed. Energy Control is now much more streamlined than the extremely branching mess it was becoming, with some cool new tricks. Life Control's offensive version cleaned up much more (auras gone, replaced with targeted abilities that use your own life) - emphasis on vampiric abilities. Defensive LCVI gets a nice benefit besides rezzing. Unarmed melee is better for stunning, weapon melee is better for hamstringing/damage.
Magecraft emerges as the '4th defense', allowing the easiest access to +Resolve; Matter Control has stronger defenses, but require more turtling tactics. Matter Control's effective control volume greatly shrunk, and you need spirit to use the stronger versions. Invulnerability moved into something resembling its classic form, along with a new "delayed damage" trick to replace the +Resolve.

9/24/08
- Some more balance tinkering to make the Rank 6s more attractive. Marksmanship gets some restructuring (nothing uses spirit except IIa now) and a new Rank 6 ability to aid it in denying terrain to melee (which is very powerful when it gets too close.) Fighting 6 no longer needs spirit. Energy 5 and 6 get swapped and the new 6 is more powerful, but requires spirit. Energy Absorption and Quickness both increased in power at Rank 6. Quickness no longer has the option to increase accuracy instead of defense. Teleportation has its size capacity greatly increased, allowing for self-teleportation at Rank 1. Flight has a secondary path now that allows for early hovering rather than early mid-air propulsion.
- Quickness tinkered with again. It now does not drain the spirit for normal benefits, but has improved benefits beginning at Rank IV.
- New Character Sheets added. These took ridiculously long to put together on this slow computer.

9/23/08
- Yet another long day, sportsfans. About a third of the customization paths have been altered to allow for branching (and received some significant rebalancing along the way). Magic rituals are now officially part of the SRD.

9/22/08
- Exhaustive (and I do mean EXHAUSTIVE) upgrade today. Several style errors fixed, Composure system officially added (Calm has been dropped), Mind Control and corresponding attacks altered to work on a Perturbed (0 Composure) target, Techcraft III allows you to attack non-sentient robotic Composure. Rules for cover added. Rules for taking aim added. Marksmanship II loses the hamstring effect, gains the ability to take aim as a secondary action + spirit expenditure, greatly increasing the accuracy of guns (and melee if anyone really thinks melee needs the bonus accuracy.)

9/8/08
- Finished 'The World'. Beginning work on 'The Fey Courts'.
- Faeries done.
- Magic done. That was long.

Kizara
2008-09-07, 06:41 PM
Why aren't you using d20? Just curious.

The setting is interesting if not terribly original.

AstralFire
2008-09-07, 07:05 PM
Why aren't you using d20? Just curious.

The setting is interesting if not terribly original.

Heh, I believe in good execution more than originality. Under the sun, there is nothing new.

I'm a big fan of d20, but it gets mired quickly in rules unless everyone is very familiar with all of them. It also doesn't handle simultaneous combat well at all, the interrupt action that got made popular in ToB/4E is the closest it's come. And character creation can take a lot of time. So I wanted to try something different.

The dice used is d6 because everyone has a d6 somewhere. I want this to be very pick up and play. Maybe 10-20 minutes and you have a character and concept.

AstralFire
2008-09-08, 08:00 AM
Alright, added the fluff in Northern Idaho and Los Angeles. That should be enough about the 'real world' settings to give hooks to people who really need ideas. The Fey Courts/Fey, Wizards, and the Government are the next three sections.

AstralFire
2008-09-08, 12:59 PM
The fey world is now mostly explained. There's a bit of Pratchett-influence there, I'm sure some of you may notice.

AstralFire
2008-09-08, 06:59 PM
Magic is now done. That took exhaustingly long to write, but I hope you guys find it as cool as I do.

black dragoon
2008-09-08, 07:03 PM
Awesome Work on the vulpix!:smallbiggrin:
I'm impressed I didn't realize you were doing this as well...I almost feel bad about asking you...:smallfrown:

AstralFire
2008-09-09, 05:51 AM
Awesome Work on the vulpix!:smallbiggrin:
I'm impressed I didn't realize you were doing this as well...I almost feel bad about asking you...:smallfrown:

I also have a ~66 page d20 homebrew project I'm constructing and editing with help on another forum. So yeah, this is why I didn't promise to do anything.

Alright, so my big question here, relating to magic is: how much of a need is there to go detailed on what learned magic can do? I provide some general examples of what the odd stages of Magecraft can do, but 'wards' and 'alchemical potions' might be a little too vague to be useful. On the other hand, the long list of detailed mechanical examples is one of those things from the DMG that I don't really want to emulate. :roy:

Zuki
2008-09-09, 01:51 PM
Magic looks spiffy indeed. Loosely put, we have an external school, an internal school, and a spirit-focused school. Mediumship will immediately bring Vodoun and it's more traditional African precedents to mind, and there's a lot of fun imagery and character ideas to play with there. While younger and thus possibly not quite as sophisticated, voodoo is a lot better known to the public at large than Korean shamanism and mediumship. However, I find it plausible that the Korean school of thought is the one that has best survived to the modern day, and is thus what receives mention.

Likewise, the tantric tradition provides a pretty clear origin for all the other bastardized schools of quasi-supernatural martial arts or meditational traditions that spawn the ninja a setting like this will inevitably play host to. Some tibetan sages may well be in exile or hiding, considering the country's political tradition. Some potentially less benevolent members of this tradition may be working with the Chinese government as turncoats, even hunting down other sages. Here's some story fodder and fun character background juice to play with.

There's also the Islamic world to consider. Between tales of hashshashin, and the general melting pot between west and east that was the Middle East, there are probably some long-standing magical traditions that originated here as well. Mediumship doesn't make too much sense, but the other two school seem like fair fits.

I've got a little bit more I want to say or edit here, but I've got to run for work. I'll try and get back to edit this evening.

AstralFire
2008-09-09, 02:42 PM
I haven't really sketched out the full details from this, but I think Britain's Wizardry tradition is a combination of Anglican Druidism that got refined with the introduction of Arabian ideas during the Mediæval period. Japanese traditions largely are similar to the British, but weren't as robust. Australian and some African (including Vodoun) magic are definitely types of spirit-controlling traditions.

Tempest Fennac
2008-09-10, 09:14 AM
I'd say that the magic system should be really detailed (if it isn't the fact that different people have different ideas about how powerful it should be could become a problem).

Hyooz
2008-09-10, 04:26 PM
Interesting.

Having actually read your book, I'm going to have to read into this more fully.

Chronos
2008-09-10, 04:44 PM
Incidentally, why is it called anteheroes? Is there some sense that the protagonists precede the heroes, somehow?

AstralFire
2008-09-10, 05:05 PM
I'll address the other stuff in a bit, my computer is currently dead and writing up Walls o' Text for both the SRD itself and in response here is... unappealing. (Incredibly low resolution, this compy.)


Incidentally, why is it called anteheroes? Is there some sense that the protagonists precede the heroes, somehow?

The book that the system is based on was called "Agent Aeolus and the Anteheroes." The word arose from the fact that the protagonists were in a liminal period; coming from an age where magic stood in the shadows, people like Alexis Decker were starting to push it into the age of 'super' heroes (though I don't want to explore the age of superheroes itself). So the books' protagonists themselves are the Anteheroes.

Overall, the series is supposed to study the evolution of the entire world as it reacts to the events brought on by the protagonists and antagonists, which is why the fluff focuses on this liminal period. Most of the books (both finished and planned) drastically change the world in some way that will be immediately noticeable in sequels. I've never cared for the standard comic book setting where Captain America and the Flash have been around for decades and the world is somehow the same in every significant way as our own.

Also, Agent Aeolus (the second major protagonist of the universe) is a complete jerk-ass, so it's a pun on anti-hero.

I may change the game's name to be more appropriate or obvious if something suitable and catchy occurs to me.

AstralFire
2008-09-10, 07:34 PM
Don't scrutinize the wording please, I have a headache and this isn't the final version. (Though suggestions are always great.) Some thoughts would be el awesomeo.

Magic Rituals:
These are only examples; they are provided for reference, but a player should not feel as though these are the only options available to them.
Rank I:
Detection: When you use a primary action to focus on your third eye, you can 'see' the presence of normal magic being used within 30 spaces. Extremely powerful magical beings that make no effort to hide themselves may be detected. Extremely powerful effects may be detected at a longer range, or passively.

Summon Small Animal: If you tucked a hand-sized animal or object elsewhere within 1 space of you, you can pull it out of your hat as a primary action.

Spirit Sense: You can see fey of all kinds.

Light: As a primary action, you can create a small orb of light in the palm of your hand that illuminates the area like a flashlight.

Sound: You can amplify, muffle, or create sounds up to 105 decibels as a primary action. The quality of the sound depends on how intimately familiar you are with it; a musician could play their part in a symphony, but a casual fan could not.

Rank III:
Subtle Magic: You can disguise your magic to be undetectable to most. If the magic ability normally uses a primary action, you must also spend a secondary action that round (and vice-versa). If it has a longer casting time, double it. If you do so, then the spell becomes undetectable to people with fewer ranks in Magecraft than you, and harder to detect for those with equal or more ranks.

Climate Change: You can affect the future weather in minor ways. If you spend two hours a day in the same place for four weeks engaging in magic rituals, you can affect the weather in a 20-km radius for four weeks exactly one year in the future. (Measure time from the beginning of the ritual casting.) The temperature may rise or fall by 5 degrees, you can add or subtract an inch of precipitation per day, or determine if the days will be cloudy, windy, or clear.

Enough magi engaging in synchronized rituals can even avert major hurricanes or other natural disasters. A category 5 hurricane generally requires at least two dozen magi to avert.

Summon Object: You can summon a handheld personal effect to your hand as a primary action. If the distance summoned is greater than 10 squares, the item can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to arrive - but it will come as long as you are not barricaded by an impenetrable or unavoidable barrier, or more than 50,000 kilometers away.

Arcane Wards: You can place an arcane ward on an adjacent object or creature with a minute of focusing. Anyone not specifically intended by you (either by name, or by a broad general category such as 'those wishing to harm me' or 'idiots who didn't solve the puzzle here and say the solution aloud') to come into contact with the ward takes 1 point of energy damage every turn they do so. If you personally force the ward into contact with a person designated as anathema to the ward, the ward is destroyed. You cannot place more than one ward of your own make within a space of each other, or all of your wards within 10 spaces will spontaneously explode, dealing 2 points of energy damage to everyone adjacent to a ward. You also take 2 points of energy damage if you are within 10 spaces of the reaction.

Sealing a lock or orifice with the ward essentially prevents anyone from tampering with it effectively, though you can still remove the entire lock mechanism safely in many cases.

You can dismantle a ward placed by a lesser magus if you take a primary action to touch it. If they have an equal number of ranks in Magecraft as you, dismantling the ward requires an hour of study. A ward made by magus with more ranks in Magecraft than you requires at least a day of study to dismantle, if it can be dismantled at all.

Alchemy: You can brew a variety of alchemical potions. Each alchemical potion requires at least a week to brew successfully; more time may be required for very potent potions. The traditional love potion, an instant curative that restores one life within a half-hour of ingestion, water-breathing elixirs, and very complex and deadly poisons are popular favorites.

Finding: As an hour long ritual, you can cast a finding spell which leads you to the nearest creature or object within 20 km that matches your specifications. A more powerful magus or magic-inhibiting materials such as veritaurorum can stop your finding attempt.

Rank V:
Ward Projection: You can place a Ward on two different unoccupied squares within ten spaces of you as a primary action. (But note the resonance effect as mentioned in Rank III.) Wards placed as a primary action count as being made by a magus 2 ranks lesser.

Instant Weather: You can affect the present weather in significant ways. If you spend an hour engaging in an elaborate magical ritual, you can change the weather for the next eight hours in a 5-km radius significantly. You can banish clouds, bring rain on a sunny day, amplify already present rain, create lightning during a blizzard, etc. Bizarre changes - like snow on a hot day, or rain in the middle of a drought - are generally impossible for a single wizard, but multiple acting in tandem may be able to perform something.

Divination: As an hour-long ritual, once per week you can peer into the murky mists of the ley and see what they predict. You get a vague and unclear vision of the future. You can try to specify what the vision should be of, but there is no guarantee that you will be able to direct the vision, and trying too hard may result in your divination failing.

Erase Magic: As a primary action, you can undo the effect of the most recently placed, currently active magic effect on an adjacent target (such as Quickness VI, Mental Static, or Mind Slave). This has no effect on abilities with a mundane or technological origin.

Tempest Fennac
2008-09-11, 12:35 AM
Thanks for posting the examples. I'm guessing that healing magic isn't an option due to that ability existing in a different form, right?

AstralFire
2008-09-11, 07:05 AM
Thanks for posting the examples. I'm guessing that healing magic isn't an option due to that ability existing in a different form, right?

Right. A mage who can heal already has points in Life Control. Magecraft is to handle things that require technical proficiency in magic and not just talent.

I meant to put in some more stuff, a Finding spell, more permanent illusions, magic dispel... Trying to figure out ranks and stuff. Someone else suggested minor divination, that I am not sure of yet.

AstralFire
2008-09-11, 04:29 PM
Updated the Magecraft list a little. More feedback would be nice. Tomorrow I'll clean it up and put it in the SRD, though the PDF won't be updated... for the foreseeable future, due to my main computer, Eduardo, being broked.

I should probably give a similar list for Techcraft, but it's not as essential, since not as much of its power lies in vagueness and we have more rules for what Tech can do. Still, expect one either later tonight or tomorrow sometime.

I'd also like to provide some examples of combining ranks in different paths to create different effects. I kind of hint at it with Illusion from Matter + Energy Control, and some others occur to me, like Teleportation + Magecraft (Summoning!), Spirit Control + Life Control (For those of you who want faster, in-combat healing), Techcraft + Magecraft + Spirit or Life (Allowing you to treat robotic creatures as living ones), etc. Ideas would be nifty. I want to encourage creativity here, so these won't be the only combos available, but guidelines are good.

AstralFire
2008-09-11, 08:37 PM
Potential Combination List:
Purpose of this list is to identify combinations that make sense thematically, but do not have strong mechanical synergy, and give DMs guidelines for synergizing them. Swiftness + Flight, for example, are mechanically synergized.

Energy Absorption I + Life Control VI:
Whenever you would gain a point of spirit from an energy attack, you instead gain a point of life.

Energy Absorption I + Magecraft I:
When you would ordinarily grant an ally a +2 bonus to resolve defense, you also can give them the benefit of your Energy Absorption for the round. While this is in effect, you cannot absorb energy.

Energy Absorption I + Spirit Control I:
When you gain a point of spirit from an energy attack, you can use a secondary action to distribute that point of spirit to an ally within 10 squares instead.

Energy Absorption I + Spirit Control VI:
When you would ordinarily grant an ally infinite spirit, you also can give them the benefit of your Energy Absorption for the duration. While this is in effect, you cannot absorb energy.

Energy Control II + Matter Control I:
You can create transient illusions using your chosen matter. You can fire your energy weapons from these illusions, though they do not gain the benefit of any bonuses you have to accuracy from other paths. These illusions cannot be targeted by positional attacks and have a resolve defense of 4. Any attack that hits destroys them as long as it would do damage.

Energy Control IV + Techcraft IV:
By expending an additional point of spirit, your energy weapons deal 2 less damage, but also deal damage to robotic creatures' spirit.

Life Control All + Techcraft IV:
You can use your Life Control abilities on robotic creatures.

Matter Control II + Teleportation III:
You can render affected chosen matter intangible as a primary action. While intangible, creatures are immune to positional attacks, but take a -2 penalty to resolve defense, and take double damage from all attacks that hit. You cannot affect the world in any way while intangible.

Spirit Control IV + Techcraft IV:
You can use your Spirit Control abilities on robotic creatures.

AstralFire
2008-09-11, 08:55 PM
Some other notes:
- Unless there's request for elaboration on Techcraft, I don't think it's necessary. People have a much better idea of what should be allowed with those guidelines, given that the Western Civilization is inundated with tech and fictions that are only slightly unrealistic about it.
- I am a little concerned about the amount of freedom given to Magecraft currently, because versatility is a very strong advantage in a system not based around constant balance like D&D. (Heck, it's already a massive advantage there, though magic dominates for other reasons in addition to that.)
- That said, I think there's enough here to begin playtesting with. I haven't the inclination for finishing the flavor on the government, and that's not really necessary (just nice) for a playtest. So, AIM playtest, Sunday night, 7:00 PM EST. 20 points. I'll figure out a premise in a bit.

I swear no one actually reads this but I'm going to keep developing this system with the bloody-mindedness of a foaming badger if I have to.

Zeta Kai
2008-09-11, 09:59 PM
I swear no one actually reads this but I'm going to keep developing this system with the bloody-mindedness of a foaming badger if I have to.

Don't swear; it's against the forum rules. :smallwink:

AstralFire
2008-09-12, 04:05 PM
Don't swear; it's against the forum rules. :smallwink:

Hey, All 4 One did it, I can do it.

AstralFire
2008-09-14, 06:26 AM
First playtest is tonight, could use 2-3 more people still.

AstralFire
2008-09-15, 12:06 PM
Due to my mother being -exceptionally- ill last night (and continuing today) and my father being too much of a TV addict to let me do stuff for an hour or two besides sitting next to her bed and watching her, yesterday's playtest didn't occur. Will keep posted for when I have free time to do this.

Neon Knight
2008-09-16, 11:51 AM
*applause*

Its so rare that projects like this bear actual fruit. I salute your dedication. Plus, the result doesn't look half-bad. I can't wait to hear about that play test.

AstralFire
2008-09-19, 05:28 PM
*applause*

Its so rare that projects like this bear actual fruit. I salute your dedication. Plus, the result doesn't look half-bad. I can't wait to hear about that play test.

Should be this weekend. I was too busy to work on this system during weekdays after I got hired, but now that I've promptly been fired by an arbitrary, histrionic woman going through menopause, that's no longer an issue! :D

AstralFire
2008-09-20, 03:41 PM
Okay, this is all hypothetical. Want some feedback.

ANTESOCIAL COMBAT

Composure: A third 10 point track like Life and Spirit. When Composure hits 0, damage is dealt to spirit instead. This damage does not carry over to life once spirit hits 0, since the original target was not the spirit bar. When Composure hits 0, the target is usually swayed to your side, afraid of you, etc as appropriate.

Composure returns with your Calm. Calm recovers 1 point of Composure every ten minutes.

Social attacks universally use the Resolve Defense; I realize this might be baffling to some of you, since Invulnerability increases Resolve. This is intentional; the mind is not separate from the body, and increased physical hardiness is a big compensating factor (if not the only one) for being able to hold debate.

A social attack, like all other attacks, requires a primary action to use; however, you can only use a social attack once per minute (to adequately represent the length of debate and that screaming "YOU'RE A MORON" 12 times in a minute really does little more than seem highly ironic.) They can be targeted at multiple people at once, but the GM must rule that the statement is equally applicable to all of them.

Wild Cut [Social]
+0 Resolve
Composure Damage: +4
Effects: Stun
Special: A failed Wild Cut deals 4 damage to its user's Composure instead.

A Wild Cut is a revelation of some damning flaw in the opponent's argument, a statement taking refuge in audacity, scaring someone into staining their pants or an unexpected ad hominem. A successfully rolled Wild Cut always presents one of these; one that misses its mark usually does not, or exploits a false opening that is quickly deflected. A Wild Cut, like all attacks (particularly social ones), should be rolled before it is described. It cannot be used if the character does not have anything new or at least sufficiently well-timed to slam the opponent with.

Precise Jab [Social]
+1 Resolve
Composure Damage: -1

A Precise Jab needles the target on a known and relevant point of attack, or uses a believable (if unlikely) statement to a disbelieving target. It is predicted, but not blockable, or it may be a weakly delivered Wild Cut which uses platitudes and conditional statements - making it harder to refute, but also less volatile of an attack.

Bludgeoning Words [Social]
+4 Resolve
Composure Damage: 1 (Not +1, just 1)

Bludgeoning words are the safest and slowest way to debate, involving an awful lot of saying little-or-nothing in very stressful, condescending, or angry manners. Repetition in truth-telling (or lie-telling, as the case may be) is a Bludgeoning Words tactic.

This system I'm thinking about adapting as well for Cyberspace and Telepathic duels, since it's still pretty abstract.

AstralFire
2008-09-20, 06:58 PM
Comments:
- The system should only be used when two characters are at odds. Something incredibly plausible is not to be questioned.
- Draining someone to 0 Composure is not a sure victory the way diplomancy is. The character's reaction upon reaching 0 is based solely on the DM or the player controlling him. It could be changing sides, it could be infuriation, it could be shutting up, etc, as appropriate. Whatever happens, it should reflect losing composure more than losing the argument, directly. Infuriation, for example, should result in the character acting a lot more aggressively than usual, making mistakes in placement and attack.

Concerns:
- Should this be tied to the Spirit bar? I wanted a way to represent demoralization, but I'm not sure if I like the implication that twenty minutes of talking can make someone tired. Then again, being tired is something easily remedied in this system; it's 50 minutes at most to clear your head and rest, and often as little as 15 minutes or less.
- The unpredictability that results from taking someone to 0 Composure could be seen to make this system largely irrelevant from a practical point of view, especially when coupled with the long time to use. I feel this is counterbalanced by the fact that you upset no legal authorities by using this (usually) and it doesn't actually require knowing where the person is as long as they can converse with you.

AstralFire
2008-09-21, 07:34 AM
Splitting into two Customization Paths. Composure no longer directly links to spirit, and I'm going to suggest that social paths advance separately.

If a Wild Cut hits, it is always a stun. This is no different from before, just restating.

Wild Cut beats Precise Jab beats Blunt Words beats Wild Cut.

Using a social attack on someone whose most recent social attack within the past minute was immediately higher on the triangle than you gives you a -1 penalty to your accuracy. Using one on someone immediately lower on the triangle gives you a +1 bonus. (A wild attack cuts through a brittle set-up before it is complete; the parry easily slides through a simple punch; vehement denial and putting up a strong front can cause a volatile point to get dismissed.)

COMPOSED
Rank 1: You double your calm rate. As a secondary action, you can restore 1 composure to yourself by expending 1 spirit.
Rank 2: Your maximum composure increases by one. You ignore the first point of composure damage you take every hour.
Rank 3: As a secondary action, you can restore 2 composure to yourself by expending 1 spirit.
Rank 4: Your maximum composure increases by two. You ignore the first point of composure damage you take every minute.
Rank 5: As a secondary action, you can restore 4 composure to yourself by expending 1 spirit.
Rank 6: Your maximum composure increases by four. You ignore the first point of composure damage you take every round.

CHARISMATIC
Rank 1: When you make your social attack, you may opt to increase or decrease your damage with any given social attack based on the social triangle rather than your accuracy.
Rank 2: Your Social attacks gain +1 accuracy.
Rank 3: When you make your social attack, you may use a point of spirit to double the effect of the social triangle on any given social attack made by or against you in the next minute.
Rank 4: Your Social attacks gain +2 accuracy.
Rank 5: When you make your social attack, you may use a point of spirit to double or triple the effect of the social triangle on any given social attack made by or against you in the next minute.
Rank 6: Your Social attacks gain +4 accuracy.

AstralFire
2008-09-21, 08:26 AM
A character brought to 0 Composure can have one of two resultant states; the exact result should be appropriate to the nature of the social conflict, as determined by the attacking and defending players.

- Demoralized. A demoralized character is afraid of, sympathetic to, believing of or otherwise would prefer not to hurt the people who just lowered his composure. Until he has at least 4 points of composure, he makes no attempts to attack or harass them and may try to help them. If forced to fight, he takes a -1 penalty to accuracy and damage rolls.
- Infuriated. An infuriated character seeks to actively harass or damage the source of her anger until she has at least 4 points of composure again. Distractions are dismissed entirely unless it is very obviously impossible to further the goal of revenge that round. Infuriated characters are considered to be very tired.

Bringing someone to 0 Composure is no assurance that they will be permanently convinced, and generally, effective methods of quickly reducing composure - wild bluffs, ad hominems, surprise evidence - are good ways to cause someone to not want to believe you in the future. More subtle and slow methods of persuasion are not well-modeled by this system.

phoenixcire
2008-09-21, 09:15 AM
Wild Cut [Social]
+0 Resolve
Composure Damage: +4
Effects: Stun
Special: A failed Wild Cut deals 4 damage to its user's Composure instead.

A Wild Cut is a revelation of some damning flaw in the opponent's argument, a statement taking refuge in audacity, scaring someone into staining their pants or an unexpected ad hominem. A successfully rolled Wild Cut always presents one of these; one that misses its mark usually does not, or exploits a false opening that is quickly deflected. A Wild Cut, like all attacks (particularly social ones), should be rolled before it is described. It cannot be used if the character does not have anything new or at least sufficiently well-timed to slam the opponent with.



I think the describing should come before the roll. It makes for better roleplay and seems more logical.


It cannot be used if the character does not have anything new or at least sufficiently well-timed to slam the opponent with.

The actuality of this should be left to the GM. The player should feel that what they are going to do would work, then try and do it, then roll to see if they succeed.

Kyace
2008-09-21, 10:13 AM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if two people, untrained in firearms, each grab a pistol, walk 10 paces, turn and fire, it would be unlikely for either one to hit the other. Both have Positional Accuracy of -1 and Positional Defense of 6. Is this meant to be a more defensive game system?

AstralFire
2008-09-21, 04:12 PM
I think the describing should come before the roll. It makes for better roleplay and seems more logical.

Is it? I mean, if you describe first, it's a lot like saying "I fire my pistol into his chest and it hits" and then rolling for accuracy. An argument based on an unavoidable fact that has failed is often a tough proposition to swallow, and forms much of the basis for the "he talked better/worse than he rolled so I ignored the roll" trend among 3.x DMs with regard to diplomacy and bluff that can often render them pointless skills.


The actuality of this should be left to the GM. The player should feel that what they are going to do would work, then try and do it, then roll to see if they succeed.

I meant to add a line about how the GM and other players should assist in coming up with lines of dialogue to attack with if necessary.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but if two people, untrained in firearms, each grab a pistol, walk 10 paces, turn and fire, it would be unlikely for either one to hit the other. Both have Positional Accuracy of -1 and Positional Defense of 6. Is this meant to be a more defensive game system?

It's impossible to hit in a combat situation, yes. They have approximately a 50% chance to hit if one catches the other by surprise, though, and Rank 1 Marks is one of the easiest +Accs, to represent easy but still necessary training. Most people should probably run around with at least Rank 3. My biggest concern is how Quickness fits in with that and that will be part of tonight's playtest, since Quickness really makes gun use offensively hard.

Not meant to be defensive so much as volatile, really. You're encouraged to try and take terrain advantage, etc.

AstralFire
2008-09-22, 06:13 AM
Due to some bungles on my part and just some bad luck, I'm setting up the next playtest date now rather than later. Friday night, 8 PM EST/5 PM Pacific, AIM. We'll go with 40 points.

phoenixcire
2008-09-22, 08:14 AM
Is it? I mean, if you describe first, it's a lot like saying "I fire my pistol into his chest and it hits" and then rolling for accuracy. An argument based on an unavoidable fact that has failed is often a tough proposition to swallow, and forms much of the basis for the "he talked better/worse than he rolled so I ignored the roll" trend among 3.x DMs with regard to diplomacy and bluff that can often render them pointless skills.

In completely social combat where words are the weapon and character is your defense, strong roleplaying should be required. Players should be encouraged to rp the scenario instead of rolling every round until they hit, and then come up with something boring to say. With making them rp it, they will have to learn to be more inventive and confident and get in tune with their characters more.

Just my thoughts on it. Could be that I only make sense to myself.

AstralFire
2008-09-22, 11:01 AM
In completely social combat where words are the weapon and character is your defense, strong roleplaying should be required. Players should be encouraged to rp the scenario instead of rolling every round until they hit, and then come up with something boring to say. With making them rp it, they will have to learn to be more inventive and confident and get in tune with their characters more.

Just my thoughts on it. Could be that I only make sense to myself.

Right, but you would need to have something to say even on a failure. The point of the rules is to keep from leaving out the people who just can't think on their feet to argue, either generally or in this specific situation. Strong roleplaying (or a good effort towards attempting) should be required generally for the game, but inability to do it shouldn't be penalized.

If you RP first and use your really awesome, logically infallible and only point to attack his argument, and it misses, you're left holding a bag going "...so, uh, what can I say next time?" With that order, it's very easy to end up with a bunch of verbal 'attacks' that really don't match up with the results.

And then next time when it hits, that's when you've gone through enough rounds that you are now resorting to phrases like "you jerk I will punch your face in" because you don't have any other really strong lines. The accuracy and damage die in this case represent the ability for your mind to sort out a good point and then deliver it well. Roleplaying first is exactly like saying how clean your shot was and then finding out you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.

A simple trick I've found for getting roleplaying is, after every action gets rolled, I say "RP it." Eventually, people get into the habit of doing it. It's a gentle reminder, since most people I don't think intentionally skip it (if they forget in the first place.)

AstralFire
2008-09-22, 03:32 PM
9/22/08
- Exhaustive (and I do mean EXHAUSTIVE) upgrade today. Several style errors fixed, Composure system officially added (Calm has been dropped), Mind Control and corresponding attacks altered to work on a Perturbed (0 Composure) target, Techcraft III allows you to attack non-sentient robotic Composure. Rules for cover added. Rules for taking aim added. Marksmanship II loses the hamstring effect, gains the ability to take aim as a secondary action + spirit expenditure, greatly increasing the accuracy of guns (and melee if anyone really thinks melee needs the bonus accuracy.)

The ritual examples will get cleaned up and merged into the SRD tomorrow.

AstralFire
2008-09-23, 02:57 PM
Yet another long day, sportsfans. About a third of the customization paths have been altered to allow for branching (and received some significant rebalancing along the way). Magic rituals are now officially part of the SRD.

Zeta Kai
2008-09-23, 04:32 PM
Wow, this project is really coming along. It looks really good so far. i don't have any specific comments, but please, keep up the great work.

AstralFire
2008-09-24, 12:35 AM
Wow, this project is really coming along. It looks really good so far. i don't have any specific comments, but please, keep up the great work.

Hopefully I can do that. :D The Composure mechanic definitely brought us into a new state of things and now I am examining the paths very closely for comparative usefulness and emulation of field.

Some more balance tinkering to make the Rank 6s more attractive. Marksmanship gets some restructuring (nothing uses spirit except IIa now) and a new Rank 6 ability to aid it in denying terrain to melee (which is very powerful when it gets too close.) Fighting 6 no longer needs spirit. Energy 5 and 6 get swapped and the new 6 is more powerful, but requires spirit. Energy Absorption and Quickness both increased in power at Rank 6. Quickness no longer has the option to increase accuracy instead of defense. Teleportation has its size capacity greatly increased, allowing for self-teleportation at Rank 1. Flight has a secondary path now that allows for early hovering rather than early mid-air propulsion.

phoenixcire
2008-09-24, 09:21 AM
Some interesting revisions. A couple thoughts though:

Matter Control Ia and Ib are still the same except that Ib can't affect a creature like Ia can. So I think that they either a) need to be reintegrated or b) have the description changed to where Ia cannot affect items.

Flight, with the inclusion of Hover in Ib, I think rank VI should no longer get the accuracy penalty when fighting in midair. Logically, a character who can hover at rank I should learn to overcome the acc penalty by the time they master it at rank VI. Isn't rank VI supposed to make it seem as if the character feel as much at home in the air as on the ground?

Also, are the branching paths the same price in points? For example: To get Teleportation VIa and VIb would it be 16 points?

On a side note, Teleportation is now my favorite ability.

AstralFire
2008-09-24, 09:42 AM
Some interesting revisions. A couple thoughts though:

Matter Control Ia and Ib are still the same except that Ib can't affect a creature like Ia can. So I think that they either a) need to be reintegrated or b) have the description changed to where Ia cannot affect items.

Actually, 1b is supposed to affect creatures too.

The difference is subtle - 1a requires use of your chosen matter and no spirit. 1b is general telekinesis or an element that is very omnipresent (like your shadow) and does require spirit. I'll have to highlight that more.


Flight, with the inclusion of Hover in Ib, I think rank VI should no longer get the accuracy penalty when fighting in midair. Logically, a character who can hover at rank I should learn to overcome the acc penalty by the time they master it at rank VI. Isn't rank VI supposed to make it seem as if the character feel as much at home in the air as on the ground?

It's a balance issue, since otherwise a ranged character would have no problems just sitting in the air all day against a group of melee (now they need at least 4 in Swiftness to be mostly comfortable with it) and a melee character who has invested in Swiftness VI actually has an advantage.


Also, are the branching paths the same price in points? For example: To get Teleportation VIa and VIb would it be 16 points?

On a side note, Teleportation is now my favorite ability.

You can't get both a and b of the same rank, they're mutually exclusive. I'm looking into allowing it, but I need to make sure that it won't cause any major issues.

Glad to hear teleportation is cool now. Making it, Marks, Energy A and Matter Control cool were big priorities of the last two days.

AKA_Bait
2008-09-24, 10:35 AM
There's no hope for the update of the PDF? I'd like to give this a serious look over but I tend to be able to do that better with a printed copy I can mark up.

AstralFire
2008-09-24, 10:38 AM
There's no hope for the update of the PDF? I'd like to give this a serious look over but I tend to be able to do that better with a printed copy I can mark up.

The PDF can be updated within a week or two (when I get my new computer! yay paychecks!) This computer neither has the .odt file that's the PDF's source, nor a SATA drive hook-up to put my old HDD in. Even if it did, it doesn't have the RAM to handle the PDF exporting process without errors.

AstralFire
2008-09-24, 08:23 PM
- Quickness tinkered with again. It now does not drain the spirit for normal benefits, but has improved benefits beginning at Rank IV.
- New Character Sheets added. These took ridiculously long to put together on this slow computer.

AstralFire
2008-09-25, 06:00 PM
We have a playtest going tomorrow night, if anyone's interested in joining. 8 PM EST/5 Pacific, Blue/Low Threat Level. (40 Points under the new system.)

I'll have to update all of the old example character sheets since they're running on an outdated paradigm.

Stormthorn
2008-09-25, 11:22 PM
This is interesting. Is it at all possible to use energy in congunction with physical attacks?

I need a system that can let me play the vision in my head of a warlock with a demonicly-charged crowbar as a weapon.

AstralFire
2008-09-26, 05:21 AM
This is interesting. Is it at all possible to use energy in congunction with physical attacks?

I need a system that can let me play the vision in my head of a warlock with a demonicly-charged crowbar as a weapon.

Two energy attacks are melee and are subject to the Fighting tree's bonuses. They hit very hard, though they don't gain the full range of effects that that tree does. Although the Energy attacks probably need some rebalancing...

One of the main characters of the universe wears rocket boots and kicks people with them (...him doing this predates the Dr. McNinja strip about it, which I think is part of me getting motivated to dredge this system's skeleton out of the deepest files in my archives) so the system was designed to model short range energy attacks.

AstralFire
2008-09-26, 07:38 AM
9/26/08
- Fighting gets a new, more powerful Rank 6 at some urging. Melee attacks toned down across the board, however, generally in the effect category. (Energy Melee lost some damage and accuracy, Light Melee lost damage and accuracy but got a permanent blind, other melee altered - heavy improved slightly.) Blind durations specified on all attacks. Invulnerability loses energy resistance, but gains immunity to secondary effects.
Mind Control gets two alternate Rank VIs - one to make zombies, one to extend the duration of Mind Slave. Life Control restructured to make Bio mandatory - IIIa and IIIb folded together. Ib and the new VIb create auras of death, allowing you to quickly finish an encounter with damaged people (if you're willing to hurt your own). VIa only provides shielding against toxic instead of an immunity. Vb now allows for delaying an incubation period.

Lappy9000
2008-09-26, 07:56 AM
Huh, finally managed to get the file to boot up.

I'm impressed; most people don't go through with creating a whole new base system. Kudos to you! :smallcool:

AstralFire
2008-09-26, 07:59 AM
Huh, finally managed to get the file to boot up.

I'm impressed; most people don't go through with creating a whole new base system. Kudos to you! :smallcool:

Well, as mentioned, the PDF's pretty badly out of date right now, so take care using it as a reference.

Thank you, though. :D

AstralFire
2008-09-26, 03:48 PM
Most of the energy attacks are gone, and some ranged attacks were renamed. Energy Control is now much more streamlined than the extremely branching mess it was becoming, with some cool new tricks. Life Control's offensive version cleaned up much more (auras gone, replaced with targeted abilities that use your own life) - emphasis on vampiric abilities. Defensive LCVI gets a nice benefit besides rezzing. Unarmed melee is better for stunning, weapon melee is better for hamstringing/damage.
Magecraft emerges as the '4th defense', allowing the easiest access to +Resolve; Matter Control has stronger defenses, but require more turtling tactics. Matter Control's effective control volume greatly shrunk, and you need spirit to use the stronger versions. Invulnerability moved into something resembling its classic form, along with a new "delayed damage" trick to replace the +Resolve.

streakster
2008-09-26, 05:25 PM
Hmm - I like this! It's interesting, and looks like quite a simple, versatile system.


Good work! I'll post more after I've read through more thoroughly.

AstralFire
2008-09-26, 10:35 PM
Hmm - I like this! It's interesting, and looks like quite a simple, versatile system.


Good work! I'll post more after I've read through more thoroughly.

Thanks, I'd be glad to hear more when you get a chance!

Playtest Session 1 has finally been completed, which is a mercy. For a while, it seemed like playtesting would be impossible.

Playtesting notes:
- Combat is very fluid and yes, volatile. Once targets are acquired, if you're not packing one or maybe two defenses, you are dead.
- The Psychological Combat system is almost definitely going to lose the effect triangle and I'm going to try to come up with another limiter. My current thought is that you have to use composure to do it.
- Simultaneous combat (completely simultaneous) was a gamble I was playing with in order to allow attacking during movement, not just before and after. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work too well. I will probably be using a system of letting lowest initiative go first, and then going up. If the highest initiative does things that negate what the lowers do, tough. That's the point. Integrating the initiative system will probably be tomorrow's goal.
Thinking, thinking... Initiative system would allow for a "follow X" sprint action so lower ones aren't left behind, but a primary action could be done to try and mislead lower init people following? I dunno, need to toss around ideas for what init system works best. I want something that preserves the feel of simultaneous combat well.
- Very easy to run as a DM, about equal to run as a player. Combat rounds did go impressively fast.
- All in all, everyone had fun, but the game still needs work. That's no surprise, given that it's all been laboratory up 'til this point. We've got something to work with, though, and that's good.

AstralFire
2008-09-27, 08:19 AM
A round is now broken down into two phases:
Phase 1: Perform either a sprint action or a primary action.
Phase 2: Perform the other of sprint and primary action.

As with all of the major additions to the system so far, this isn't going in the SRD just yet. Here's the proposal for the new initiative system - or as I like to call it,

"Reaction Magnitude."

Characters with the lowest Reaction Magnitudes declare their acts first in each phase. These acts can be defined very specifically - I shoot at square I3 - or they can be defined more broadly - I follow the crook (even if the crook has a higher reaction magnitude.)

Then you go up in increasing number. The higher magnitude characters can declare things like "I'll take cover behind that wall there, so the lower Mag copper cannot shoot me." And if the copper has already declared what his act will be for that phase, tough beans, the higher Mag crook is now shielded. Thus, the descriptive segment of the combat round is only really doable at the end of each phase.

No dice rolling here. If you have a lower RM, you will never be able to beat someone with a higher RM. Tied characters act at the same time, and for purposes of attacks are considered to be in the space they started the phase at.

All characters have a base Reaction Magnitude of 6. (Tired, but not perturbed, will lower reaction magnitude now.) Surprise attacks will add +3 to the magnitude.
- Quickness will no longer confer a benefit against Surprise Attacks; instead, you'll gain +1 bonuses to RM. Probably a max of +3 with the ability to spend spirit to increase the number to maybe +5.
- Invuln's delay ability will lower your RM now. Probably other quirky changes will result. A lot of abilities that lasted for a round will have to be reworded to last until your next turn.
- You can give up your primary action in a round to increase your RM by 1.

"Psychological Attacks."

The Dramatic, Stress, Precise Effect triangle is going away, as are those attacks and the once a minute limitation. Here's the replacement, theoretically:

PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTACK (Psychological)
Resolve Accuracy: +2
Composure Damage: 1 (No roll, just 1)
Special: For every 2 points of Composure you wager, you may increase Damage by 1 point. If the attack misses, you lose this composure.

Sly III would then allow you to wager only 1 point of Composure for the same effect and Sly V would allow you to wager 1 point to increase damage by 2. Ranks II, IV and VI would allow you to make an attack against 2 people at once, 4 people at once, and 8 people at once. In those cases, you lose Composure if at least half the group is not affected.

streakster
2008-09-27, 06:18 PM
You know what?

I really like this.

It's a quick, easy to understand system. It's wonderfully versatile as well - I can make a Martial Artist, a sniper, a medic, Superman, Harry Dresden - all with little work.

Combat seems both easy to grasp, and strategic. There is a minor concern - as you referenced - that there will need to be a heavy reliance on defense over offense. Life control seems like the only overpowered path, to me - I don't see how a group could go long without a Life Controller, with such a low rate of life regeneration. Other forms of healing might be a good idea.
Unless, of course, the mooks aren't supposed to deal damage often. Is that the case?

The setting is flavorful - urban fantasy is always fun. The system is wonderfully low-fluff, so the mechanics could be transplanted into any setting with little work.

It feels like an urban fantasy version of X-Com, sort of. Anyway, I quite like it. I can see playing it as a pick-up game with friends. The decision to rely on one die was inspired.

Good work, keep it up!

AstralFire
2008-09-27, 06:50 PM
You know what?

I really like this.

It's a quick, easy to understand system. It's wonderfully versatile as well - I can make a Martial Artist, a sniper, a medic, Superman, Harry Dresden - all with little work.

Combat seems both easy to grasp, and strategic. There is a minor concern - as you referenced - that there will need to be a heavy reliance on defense over offense. Life control seems like the only overpowered path, to me - I don't see how a group could go long without a Life Controller, with such a low rate of life regeneration. Other forms of healing might be a good idea.
Unless, of course, the mooks aren't supposed to deal damage often. Is that the case?

First off, let me say thanks for taking the time to read it - that means a lot to me. Also, it's very gratifying to hear positive commentary. :D

But I'm also very grateful for the criticism, the playtest last night reminded me of how much there is left to do!

Yeah, originally healing was harder. I caved on that point finally, but that's going to get... undone. Life Control will probably be losing its ability to in-combat heal. One of the playtesters went health battery immediately, which is good for me to see what the system does, but it's really not what I want a Life Controller to be. The beneficial side of Life Control is probably going to start looking like the few beneficial elements in Mind Control.


The setting is flavorful - urban fantasy is always fun. The system is wonderfully low-fluff, so the mechanics could be transplanted into any setting with little work.

It feels like an urban fantasy version of X-Com, sort of. Anyway, I quite like it. I can see playing it as a pick-up game with friends. The decision to rely on one die was inspired.

Good work, keep it up!

Amusingly enough, one of the playtesters last night commented on the X-Com similarity himself. One day, I'll have to look into that game myself.

Thanks a ton, again!
---------------------------------------------
On further discussion, Reaction Magnitude with the reverse init system is probably overpowered in a system so dependent on cover, so I think that's getting scrubbed and replaced with a normal order initiative system.

Moving and attacking will go down to a mere -1 accuracy penalty since you can no longer attack at any point during your movement, and swiftness will probably allow you to do it anyway.

I'll be adopting the d20 "Surprise Round" mechanic; it's a good one for modeling someone's advantage. The Stealth and Perception trees probably need to get looked at.

I like the general concept of wagering composure, it seems to make more sense. However, a more generic damage bonus in the Sly tree probably is more useful than some of the weirder and esoteric stuff I proposed up there.

Have some ideas for in-combat usages of teleportation.

The path paradigm I think is gonna get shaken up some. Quickness is much more specific than it should be for the only source of positional defense, and a more free system I think would do a better job handling the burgeoning linings of stuff like Mind Control and Life Control. Magecraft is also probably too powerful currently, adding a strong defense along with a variety of utility.

Talent trees, a la SW/d20 Modern is probably a good place to start.

Additionally, I think I am going to impose an 'inventory' - not a very complicated one, but there needs to be a limit on the number of attacks you have available to you at any one time. Energy Control is just too out of control otherwise. Something like 3 attacks + unarmed, maybe...?
--------
Cust Paths are definitely undergoing a major change; next time you see them, they will be Advancement Trees.

There will be less of a Pos. D/Pos. A arms race in this version, and Energy/Matter Control (Energy Projection and Kinetic Control, respectively) are going to work better together. Fighting and Marks are going to get heavily reassembled - more tactics, less damage and accuracy.

AstralFire
2008-09-28, 09:15 AM
Okay, a lot of paradigms being shifted right here. Energy C and Matter C have been folded into one ability, and Fighting is a lot more interesting. P. Accuracy is being renamed 'Accuracy'; R. Accuracy is being renamed 'Penetration', P. Defense is 'Evasion', and R. Defense is 'Resolve'.

I anticipate Swiftness and Flight getting folded into one tree called 'Movement', the addition of a Reality Alteration tree (Illusion and Tangibility getting to be part of it), Life C and Spirit C folded into Life and Spirit, etc.

The 'Arsenal' is something I'm playing with right now where you only have access to three attacks + unarmed attacks at any given time, though you can shift what's in your arsenal. Several of the more specific attacks like Whirl and Double Shot will be changed into modifications of existing abilities so that you're not screwed out of space too fast.

Attacks will just about never be rolling damage now. Less dice are good, and the damage amount is either too variant in the positives or too... meh if it had a negative modifier (1d6-3, for example, is 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3. SO FUN.) Damage effects now key off of the accuracy or penetration roll.

Energy and Matter
Rank I:
Energy Attacks: You gain access to Energy versions of any Melee or Ranged attacks you possess; these attacks deal an additional 1 energy damage. Energy Attacks are considered and selected as separate abilities in your arsenal from their mundane counterparts (even unarmed attacks), and require 1 point of spirit to use.

Barrier: You can add the Barrier ability to your arsenal. As a primary action, you can make a Barrier of energy or loose matter to defend yourself for one round. This barrier deals 1 energy damage to anyone who comes adjacent to you this round.

Rank II:
Energy Shove: When you successfully damage someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to shove them up to two spaces in one direction of your choice.

Projected Barrier: You can target your Barrier on a square within 10 spaces. The barrier is 2 squares high and 1 square wide, and does not harm a creature inside that fits, but does hurt anyone that passes through the square. This ability requires Barrier.

Kinetic Barrier: Your Barrier ability grants cover, giving a +1 bonus to evasion but a -1 penalty to accuracy. This ability requires Barrier.

Rank III:
Energy Wave: You can add the Energy Wave attack to your arsenal. Energy Wave requires 2 points of spirit to use.

Energy Blast: You gain access to Pure Energy versions of any Melee or Ranged attacks you posses; these attacks deal an additional 2 damage, and all damage done is energy. Pure Energy Attacks are considered and selected as separate abilities in your arsenal from their mundane counterparts (even unarmed attacks), and require 2 points of spirit to use.

Kinetic Shove: When you successfully attack someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to shove them up to ten spaces in one direction of your choice. You do not need to deal damage to them in order to use this ability. This ability requires Energy Shove.

Kinetic Stop: When you successfully damage someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to hold them in place; they cannot sprint or fall for the next full round. Other abilities that can be performed as a sprint action can still be used. This ability requires Energy Shove.

Wide Barrier: As a secondary action, you may increase the size of your barrier this round to Cube 2. You may use points of spirit on a 1 for 1 basis to enlarge the cube. This ability requires Barrier.

Multi Barrier: As a secondary action, you may create one additional barrier this round. You may use points of spirit on a 1 for 1 basis to control more. This ability requires Barrier and Projected Barrier.

Solid Barrier: As a secondary action that costs 2 points of spirit, you may make your barrier of solid energy or packed matter. It is an impregnable wall for one full round. This ability requires Barrier.

Rank IV:
Lingering Strike: You deal an additional 1 energy damage to a target the round after you successfully damage them with an energy attack.

Mixed Barrier: You may use any two of the following abilities at once, provided that you already know them: Wide Barrier, Multi Barrier, Solid Barrier.

Lingering Barrier: You may use a point of spirit to make your Barriers last longer; lingering barriers last every round after the first that you use a secondary action to maintain the barrier.

Rank V:
Energy Flash: You can add the Energy Flash attack to your arsenal. Energy Flash requires 2 points of spirit to use.

True Barrier: You may use Wide, Multi and Solid Barrier at once. This ability requires Wide, Multi and Solid Barrier.

Rank VI:
Conservation: Your Energy and Matter abilities take 1 less spirit to use.

Martial Skill
Rank I:
Distracting Presence: Your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against someone who has attacked someone other than you within the last full round.

Threatening Presence: Your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against someone who has used a ranged attack within the last full round.

Unarmed Combatant: Your unarmed attacks stun on results of 6.

Rank II:
Whirl: You can use your light or standard melee attack (including unarmed) to attack everyone in a square either horizontally or vertically (pick one) adjacent to you. Whirl attacks have 1 less accuracy and shove all targets one square away from you. Using Whirl requires a point of spirit.

Impale: You can use your heavy melee attack (including unarmed) to attack everyone in a Line 3 extending from you. Impale attacks have 1 less accuracy and shove all targets one square away from you. Using Impale requires a point of spirit.

Rank III:
Close-Quarters Warrior: Someone you've injured in Close-Quarters Combat is considered to be wrestling with you, and cannot sprint for the next full round. Other abilities that can be performed as a sprint action can still be used.

Nimble Warrior: When you damage someone with a light melee weapon, as a secondary action you can reduce damage by 1 and cause them to bleed profusely. Profuse bleeding happens once a round rather than once a minute. You also gain +1 accuracy with your light melee weapons.

Reach Warrior: When wielding a heavy melee weapon, you may immediately make an attack with that weapon against someone about to enter a space adjacent to you. This uses both a primary and secondary action and cannot be done if you have used those actions this round. You may use this ability even if you have already acted this phase to make a sprint, or if it is not your turn. You also gain +1 accuracy with your heavy melee weapons.

Balanced Warrior: When wielding a standard melee weapon and someone misses you with an attack, that weapon gains +1 damage against that target until their next attack. You also gain +1 accuracy with your standard melee weapons.

Unarmed Warrior: Your unarmed attacks stun on results of 5. You also gain +1 accuracy with your unarmed melee attacks. This ability requires Unarmed Combatant.

Rank IV:
Disarming Strike: Before you make your light or standard melee attack (including unarmed), you may give up damage from a successful hit. If you do, you disarm the target of one weapon of your choice. Using Disarming Strike requires a point of spirit.

Death Strike: Before you make your heavy melee attack (including unarmed), you may give up 1 accuracy. If you do, then you deal an extra 2 points of damage. Using Death Strike requires a point of spirit.

Revenge Strike: If you have been struck by an opponent in the last full round, your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against that target.

Rank V:
Versatility: You may use a secondary action to consider your melee attack (including unarmed) as one category heavier or lighter than it usually is this round. Abilities that apply to either its normal size or its versatile size will both function this round.

Lethality: You may use a secondary action to increase your melee attack accuracy and damage by +2.

Rank VI:
Stunning Blow: You may declare your next melee attack to be a Stunning Blow. The attack will always stun if it hits. Using Stunning Blow requires 3 points of spirit.

Beta Attack List:
Attack List
Universal Access:

Unarmed (Light, Melee)
Accuracy: +3
Damage: 2 Physical
Effects: None

Unarmed (Heavy, Melee)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 4 Physical
Effects: None

Melee Weapon (Light, Melee)
Accuracy: +4
Damage: 2 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.

Melee Weapon (Standard, Melee)
Accuracy: +2
Damage: 3 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.

Melee Weapon (Heavy, Melee)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 5 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5 Hamstring, 6 Stun.

Ranged Weapon (Light, Ranged)
Accuracy: +2
Damage: 3 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Hamstring.
Range: 10

Ranged Weapon (Standard, Ranged)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 6 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.
Range: 15

Ranged Weapon (Heavy, Ranged)
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 7 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5-6 Stun.
Range: 50

Explosive (Light, Ranged, Area)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 6 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5-6 Stun.
Range: 10
Area: Cube 3

phoenixcire
2008-09-28, 10:22 AM
Okay, a lot of paradigms being shifted right here. Energy C and Matter C have been folded into one ability, and Fighting is a lot more interesting. P. Accuracy is being renamed 'Accuracy'; R. Accuracy is being renamed 'Penetration', P. Defense is 'Evasion', and R. Defense is 'Resolve'.

I anticipate Swiftness and Flight getting folded into one tree called 'Movement', the addition of a Reality Alteration tree (Illusion and Tangibility getting to be part of it), Life C and Spirit C folded into Life and Spirit, etc.

The 'Arsenal' is something I'm playing with right now where you only have access to three attacks + unarmed attacks at any given time, though you can shift what's in your arsenal. Several of the more specific attacks like Whirl and Double Shot will be changed into modifications of existing abilities so that you're not screwed out of space too fast.

Attacks will just about never be rolling damage now. Less dice are good, and the damage amount is either too variant in the positives or too... meh if it had a negative modifier (1d6-3, for example, is 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3. SO FUN.) Damage effects now key off of the accuracy or penetration roll.

Energy and Matter
Rank I:
Energy Attacks: You gain access to Energy versions of any Melee or Ranged attacks you possess; these attacks deal an additional 1 energy damage. Energy Attacks are considered and selected as separate abilities in your arsenal from their mundane counterparts (even unarmed attacks), and require 1 point of spirit to use.

Barrier: You can add the Barrier ability to your arsenal. As a primary action, you can make a Barrier of energy or loose matter to defend yourself for one round. This barrier deals 1 energy damage to anyone who comes adjacent to you this round.

Rank II:
Energy Shove: When you successfully damage someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to shove them up to two spaces in one direction of your choice.

Projected Barrier: You can target your Barrier on a square within 10 spaces. The barrier is 2 squares high and 1 square wide, and does not harm a creature inside that fits, but does hurt anyone that passes through the square. This ability requires Barrier.

Kinetic Barrier: Your Barrier ability grants cover, giving a +1 bonus to evasion but a -1 penalty to accuracy. This ability requires Barrier.

Rank III:
Energy Wave: You can add the Energy Wave attack to your arsenal. Energy Wave requires 2 points of spirit to use.

Energy Blast: You gain access to Pure Energy versions of any Melee or Ranged attacks you posses; these attacks deal an additional 2 damage, and all damage done is energy. Pure Energy Attacks are considered and selected as separate abilities in your arsenal from their mundane counterparts (even unarmed attacks), and require 2 points of spirit to use.

Kinetic Shove: When you successfully attack someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to shove them up to ten spaces in one direction of your choice. You do not need to deal damage to them in order to use this ability. This ability requires Energy Shove.

Kinetic Stop: When you successfully damage someone with energy, you may use a point of spirit to hold them in place; they cannot sprint or fall for the next full round. Other abilities that can be performed as a sprint action can still be used. This ability requires Energy Shove.

Wide Barrier: As a secondary action, you may increase the size of your barrier this round to Cube 2. You may use points of spirit on a 1 for 1 basis to enlarge the cube. This ability requires Barrier.

Multi Barrier: As a secondary action, you may create one additional barrier this round. You may use points of spirit on a 1 for 1 basis to control more. This ability requires Barrier and Projected Barrier.

Solid Barrier: As a secondary action that costs 2 points of spirit, you may make your barrier of solid energy or packed matter. It is an impregnable wall for one full round. This ability requires Barrier.

Rank IV:
Lingering Strike: You deal an additional 1 energy damage to a target the round after you successfully damage them with an energy attack.

Mixed Barrier: You may use any two of the following abilities at once, provided that you already know them: Wide Barrier, Multi Barrier, Solid Barrier.

Lingering Barrier: You may use a point of spirit to make your Barriers last longer; lingering barriers last every round after the first that you use a secondary action to maintain the barrier.

Rank V:
Energy Flash: You can add the Energy Flash attack to your arsenal. Energy Flash requires 2 points of spirit to use.

True Barrier: You may use Wide, Multi and Solid Barrier at once. This ability requires Wide, Multi and Solid Barrier.

Rank VI:
Conservation: Your Energy and Matter abilities take 1 less spirit to use.

Martial Skill
Rank I:
Distracting Presence: Your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against someone who has attacked someone other than you within the last full round.

Threatening Presence: Your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against someone who has used a ranged attack within the last full round.

Unarmed Combatant: Your unarmed attacks stun on results of 6.

Rank II:
Whirl: You can use your light or standard melee attack (including unarmed) to attack everyone in a square either horizontally or vertically (pick one) adjacent to you. Whirl attacks have 1 less accuracy and shove all targets one square away from you. Using Whirl requires a point of spirit.

Impale: You can use your heavy melee attack (including unarmed) to attack everyone in a Line 3 extending from you. Impale attacks have 1 less accuracy and shove all targets one square away from you. Using Impale requires a point of spirit.

Rank III:
Close-Quarters Warrior: Someone you've injured in Close-Quarters Combat is considered to be wrestling with you, and cannot sprint for the next full round. Other abilities that can be performed as a sprint action can still be used.

Nimble Warrior: When you damage someone with a light melee weapon, as a secondary action you can reduce damage by 1 and cause them to bleed profusely. Profuse bleeding happens once a round rather than once a minute. You also gain +1 accuracy with your light melee weapons.

Reach Warrior: When wielding a heavy melee weapon, you may immediately make an attack with that weapon against someone about to enter a space adjacent to you. This uses both a primary and secondary action and cannot be done if you have used those actions this round. You may use this ability even if you have already acted this phase to make a sprint, or if it is not your turn. You also gain +1 accuracy with your heavy melee weapons.

Balanced Warrior: When wielding a standard melee weapon and someone misses you with an attack, that weapon gains +1 damage against that target until their next attack. You also gain +1 accuracy with your standard melee weapons.

Unarmed Warrior: Your unarmed attacks stun on results of 5. You also gain +1 accuracy with your unarmed melee attacks. This ability requires Unarmed Combatant.

Rank IV:
Disarming Strike: Before you make your light or standard melee attack (including unarmed), you may give up damage from a successful hit. If you do, you disarm the target of one weapon of your choice. Using Disarming Strike requires a point of spirit.

Death Strike: Before you make your heavy melee attack (including unarmed), you may give up 1 accuracy. If you do, then you deal an extra 2 points of damage. Using Death Strike requires a point of spirit.

Revenge Strike: If you have been struck by an opponent in the last full round, your melee attacks (including unarmed) gain +1 accuracy against that target.

Rank V:
Versatility: You may use a secondary action to consider your melee attack (including unarmed) as one category heavier or lighter than it usually is this round. Abilities that apply to either its normal size or its versatile size will both function this round.

Lethality: You may use a secondary action to increase your melee attack accuracy and damage by +2.

Rank VI:
Stunning Blow: You may declare your next melee attack to be a Stunning Blow. The attack will always stun if it hits. Using Stunning Blow requires 3 points of spirit.

Beta Attack List:
Attack List
Universal Access:

Unarmed (Light, Melee)
Accuracy: +3
Damage: 2 Physical
Effects: None

Unarmed (Heavy, Melee)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 4 Physical
Effects: None

Melee Weapon (Light, Melee)
Accuracy: +4
Damage: 2 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.

Melee Weapon (Standard, Melee)
Accuracy: +2
Damage: 3 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.

Melee Weapon (Heavy, Melee)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 5 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5 Hamstring, 6 Stun.

Ranged Weapon (Light, Ranged)
Accuracy: +2
Damage: 3 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Hamstring.
Range: 10

Ranged Weapon (Standard, Ranged)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 6 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 6 Stun.
Range: 15

Ranged Weapon (Heavy, Ranged)
Accuracy: +0
Damage: 7 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5-6 Stun.
Range: 50

Explosive (Light, Ranged, Area)
Accuracy: +1
Damage: 6 Physical
Effects: Bleed. 5-6 Stun.
Range: 10
Area: Cube 3


I don't know, Swiftness and Flight being melded doesn't sound altogether right. They are different forms of movement so I am not sure they should be under the same path. Maybe melding Swiftness and Quickness and calling it Agility or Celerity. And then melding Teleportation and Flight, since both are magical versions of movement.

I am a little confused about the Arsenal system. Does it limit attacks per round, variety of attacks or both? Also, how long does it take to change your arsenal? Sorry that I'm not getting it but the way it reads(to me) reminds me of 3.5 Wizards, where they had to plan spells in advance and hope that the situations they get in are in accordance to their plans.

Sorry, I missed the playtest. I was looking forward to it but had a family emergency. Glad to hear(read) that it went well.

AstralFire
2008-09-28, 11:52 AM
I don't know, Swiftness and Flight being melded doesn't sound altogether right. They are different forms of movement so I am not sure they should be under the same path. Maybe melding Swiftness and Quickness and calling it Agility or Celerity. And then melding Teleportation and Flight, since both are magical versions of movement.

Flight currently encompasses leaping, and swiftness also increases leaping indirectly.

Teleportation will probably be following under reality alteration.


I am a little confused about the Arsenal system. Does it limit attacks per round, variety of attacks or both? Also, how long does it take to change your arsenal? Sorry that I'm not getting it but the way it reads(to me) reminds me of 3.5 Wizards, where they had to plan spells in advance and hope that the situations they get in are in accordance to their plans.

Variety of attacks.

The arsenal would be changeable basically whenever is appropriate - stopping back in your car to drop the rifle and grab the pistol, downtime to focus your mind... so much as a minute would be sufficient. You can switch between attacks in your arsenal as a primary action.

The analogy would be picking your spells for the day but you can cast those as often as you like (within spirit limits).


Sorry, I missed the playtest. I was looking forward to it but had a family emergency. Glad to hear(read) that it went well.

Ick, sorry to hear that. Everything okay?

phoenixcire
2008-09-28, 12:10 PM
Flight currently encompasses leaping, and swiftness also increases leaping indirectly.

Teleportation will probably be following under reality alteration.


So this is going to be a bigger change than I realized. Can you gain access to different abilities within the same path? Like getting Energy Shove and Kinetic Barrier from Energy and Matter Rank II. How do you plan on working that?

AstralFire
2008-09-28, 12:27 PM
So this is going to be a bigger change than I realized. Can you gain access to different abilities within the same path? Like getting Energy Shove and Kinetic Barrier from Energy and Matter Rank II. How do you plan on working that?

Yeah, you can. That's part of why the abilities get names now instead of just being IIIa or b - easier reference.

However, you still need at least 1 ability in each of the previous ranks before you can go to the next rank, so you could have 8 Rank 3 abilities, but you still need to get 1 Rank 4 ability before you can get Rank 5.

phoenixcire
2008-09-28, 12:31 PM
However, you still need at least 1 ability in each of the previous ranks before you can go to the next rank, so you could have 8 Rank 3 abilities, but you still need to get 1 Rank 4 ability before you can get Rank 5.

I figured as much. I also noticed that some abilities have prerequisite abilities. I like this, it makes sense.

AstralFire
2008-09-28, 01:08 PM
Indeed. I'm going to refrain from posting further updates on the Beta system in this thread, since things are only going to get messy. Just a sec and I'll post a link to a temporary beta thread to keep everything clean.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5006327#post5006327

AstralFire
2008-10-02, 09:13 PM
Welcome to Version 2.0! (1045 Hours FREE for 45 Days!)

Wow, big step for us there! Only a month and we're on our second edition. Mama said I shouldn't move too fast... but I can't help it. :smallamused:

Almost the entire document has been overhauled, but the largest source of change has been the switch of Customization Paths to Advancement Trees. Social Combat has been altered by quite a bit as a result, there's the addition of something called an 'arsenal' that limits the amount of attacks you can have at once, an initiative system has been added...

A brief guide to the new trees:
Acrobatics encompasses Quickness, Swiftness, Flight, and some new stuff.
Endurance contains Spirited, Invulnerability, and Constitution.
Kinetics ate Matter Control, Energy Control, a little bit of flight, Energy Absorption.
Geomancy is a completely redone magecraft.
Interpersonal Skills kicked Composed and Sly to the freaking curb.
Life and Spirit... were Life and Spirit Control. Oh yeah, healing's a lot harder than in any previous version.
Marksmanship is the same as ever, though a frickton better thanks to Khane.
Martial Skill ate Fighting and took its stuff and made it better.
Mind and Soul is Mind Control with elements of Magecraft and a lot of new cool stuff.
Reality Alteration contains teleportation and a lot of new stuff.
Resources is basically Contacts for a new generation.
Scouting has Stealth, Perception, and some new pickpocketing abilities.
Technology is Techcraft on 'roids.

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 01:07 PM
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5038954#post5038954

Currently opening slots for a PbP campaign.

erikun
2008-10-03, 03:09 PM
If I may make a few comments:

You're still using the term "positional accuracy" in the Close Quarters Combat blocks, found in the #2 (System Overview) and #3 (Combat) posts.

What is "Close Quarters Combat" supposed to be exactly, that it forces a drop of heavy weapons, and imposes a penality on stardard ones? Is it a grapple, or simply a close punching match (like you'd see on Boxing)?

What is an example of a "heavy melee weapon" that you'd need to drop in CQC?

You've talked about Phases in the Combat section, but didn't mention how you determine when you take them. I mean, I see that your "initiative order" is equal to your Reaction, and that you take up to three actions (sprint, primary, secondary) on your turn. Where does the "Phases" concept come into play? Do you just get two phases on your turn, allowing you to take your Sprint + Primary action? Is there something that would deny you one Phase?

More questions as I think of them.

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 03:15 PM
Gladly. I figured I missed stuff, sitting for four hours in front of a screen is not the best way to ensure coherency. :D

CQC can represent either, it's not particularly specific.

Heavy melee weapons would include things like a zweihander, longspear, naginata, etc. Most of the classic reach weapons in 3.x D&D would be a good example.

I see I need to explain phases better... mmm, basically, a phase works exactly like a round in D&D. Everyone goes around, does their thing, that's the end of phase 1. Then you go in order again at phase 2. The round itself is mostly used to prevent people from getting two primaries or two sprints back to back, and could probably be simplified to just say "you cannot use those back to back" and I may just do that, actually.

erikun
2008-10-03, 03:20 PM
So each round has two phases. Everyone takes one action on the first phase, and then a (usually different) action on the second?

I didn't think that a double-move/double-primary was possible in one round, at least not the way you had written it down. Well, I'll see how it works.

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 03:27 PM
So each round has two phases. Everyone takes one action on the first phase, and then a (usually different) action on the second?

Correct.


I didn't think that a double-move/double-primary was possible in one round, at least not the way you had written it down. Well, I'll see how it works.

It's not, and that's the only reason the round mechanic is used. I think it might be simpler to just stick to phases and say "You can't use a sprint or a primary action twice consecutively."

Khane
2008-10-03, 06:47 PM
Correct.



It's not, and that's the only reason the round mechanic is used. I think it might be simpler to just stick to phases and say "You can't use a sprint or a primary action twice consecutively."

The problem with that is that it then allows 2 secondary actions for what was once a full "round". I think just making the system we have now more clear is better.

AstralFire
2008-10-03, 09:08 PM
Yeah, I realized that in the middle of eating dinner. I put up a clearer explanation, or at least I think I did. How's that?

Khane
2008-10-03, 11:42 PM
Yeah, I realized that in the middle of eating dinner. I put up a clearer explanation, or at least I think I did. How's that?

It looks fine to me now, but I could be biased. I'd ask someone who's new to the system if it's OK.

AstralFire
2008-10-04, 11:03 PM
Minor nerf/revision - Resilient and Tough Skin are back to 1/round, not 1/attack. While being bored out of my mind watching people in orange jerseys chase a ball, I was thinking about balance and I think 1/attack is just far too much.

Khane
2008-10-05, 12:37 AM
Minor nerf/revision - Resilient and Tough Skin are back to 1/round, not 1/attack. While being bored out of my mind watching people in orange jerseys chase a ball, I was thinking about balance and I think 1/attack is just far too much.

In that case, consider making the tough-guy line of skills into 1/attack? 1/round is fine for the resilient and tough skin, but it makes tough-guy, punching bag, and inch of life just useless in comparison. Not only do you need to spend a secondary action for no extra benefit, but they cost spirit? Say it ain't so!

phoenixcire
2008-10-05, 02:24 AM
In that case, consider making the tough-guy line of skills into 1/attack? 1/round is fine for the resilient and tough skin, but it makes tough-guy, punching bag, and inch of life just useless in comparison. Not only do you need to spend a secondary action for no extra benefit, but they cost spirit? Say it ain't so!

The only problem with that is that you could end up drained of spirit within a single round. Say inch of life gets used and that character gets attacked three times. That's a possible 9 spirit drained away. Unless you also used Spirit Fountain/are Spirited, you'd at least be tired, if not very tired. You would then have to use up life just to regain spirit. Which makes the sacrifice kind of pointless.

AstralFire
2008-10-05, 10:20 AM
Tough Guy currently has the added benefit of applying against energy damage and non-typed damage, like that from channeling.

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 12:02 PM
I have been toying with the idea of a shapeshifting tree.

Points For:
- I can better model Agent Eridanus and the Werewolves

Points Against:
- Added complexity. The Wild Shape problem. (How do you give someone lots of flexibility on the fly and have it remain balanced?)

Thoughts?

Zuki
2008-10-06, 04:48 PM
As a sudden thought off the top of my head, it seems that a Shapeshifting tree would probably be modeled as something that would take maybe a primary activation to activate, and would cost some number of spirit points. Possibly the points wouldn't actually be 'spent', but rather held in reserve and unavailable until deshifted.

Seems like it might grant some similar abilities to various other tiers, but possibly at a discounted rank for the added difficulty in activating and lack of permanent availability. What were you toying with?

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 05:24 PM
A couple questions:

1. How would a bo staff be categorized? Standard or heavy? Would it be included in attacks such as Impale or would I need Versatility to make it work for that?

2. Shove and Kinetic Shove have the line "When you successfully damage someone with energy" tacked on to them. It seems as if it's "If you do energy damage you can spend an additional point of spirit to do this." Is there a way to use those abilities without having to do energy damage first? Is that the entire purpose of Kinetic Suspension, besides flight of course.

I know that's about 5 in two categories but, meh.

Thank you in advance.

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 06:09 PM
Government is now somewhat detailed. A lot more to come.


A couple questions:

1. How would a bo staff be categorized? Standard or heavy? Would it be included in attacks such as Impale or would I need Versatility to make it work for that?

I would say it'd be Heavy, since it's two-handed, so Impale would work. Versatility exists specifically to handle issues like that.


2. Shove and Kinetic Shove have the line "When you successfully damage someone with energy" tacked on to them. It seems as if it's "If you do energy damage you can spend an additional point of spirit to do this." Is there a way to use those abilities without having to do energy damage first? Is that the entire purpose of Kinetic Suspension, besides flight of course.

That's the entire purpose of Kinetic Suspension, yes.

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 06:28 PM
Then, wouldn't some of the Kinetic abilities become a little overpowered or am I misunderstanding something about the system?

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 06:30 PM
Then, wouldn't some of the Kinetic abilities become a little overpowered or am I misunderstanding something about the system?

You still have to hit with the attack, so the only benefit to foregoing damage is the ability to not hurt allies.

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 07:44 PM
Does this mean that you can turn Energy Wave into Group Fly?

AstralFire
2008-10-06, 07:53 PM
Does this mean that you can turn Energy Wave into Group Fly?

Yes, though Kinetic Explosion would be a better choice since, after Conservation, it's free.

phoenixcire
2008-10-06, 08:15 PM
Yes, though Kinetic Explosion would be a better choice since, after Conservation, it's free.

Maybe if I play my character until he advances a bit more. I figure that kind of power should wait a little. Though I like the idea of a Kinetic Explosion, I'm not sure how I'd give that to my character. Hmmm, food for thought, thank you.

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 09:21 AM
As with all large additions, this isn't going in the SRD yet.

Shapeshifting
Rank I:
Elemental Affinity: You gain an affinity for a pure, elemental substance. Your definition of element can vary widely: mythological, modern, anything 'pure'. You are able to turn parts of your body into this element at will, though not your whole body at once. You may take this ability multiple times, each time choosing a new element.

Hollywood: With an hour of preparation, you can alter yourself to not look like you. You cannot make yourself look like a specific individual unless they already closely resemble you in face, build, and height. Taking damage ruins the effect, and you can cancel it at any time.

Mockingbird: You have a talent for voice, and can mimic someone's voice perfectly for the next hour after hearing it. For longer spans of time, you retain the ability to make a voice that sounds similar to theirs, but people who know them well will recognize it as an ape.

Mythic Beast Affinity: You gain an affinity for spirit creatures of various kinds, and are able to assume some of their traits; you may become more hairy, perhaps more graceful, perhaps better sighted. You may take this ability multiple times, each time choosing a new animal.

Rank II:
Chameleon: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the appearance of a specific individual who has a dissimilar face or height. Taking damage ruins the effect, and you can cancel it at any time. Requires Hollywood.

Copycat: As Mockingbird, but within the last day. Requires Mockingbird.

Beast Shift: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the form of the beast you chose earlier. In this form, you think like a beast; as a result, you gain an extra 1 Evasion, but lose 1 Resolve. Changing back requires ten minutes of preparation. While shapeshifted, you can't use your usual abilities in your arsenal, aside from those which do not use a slot (such as unarmed or psychological attacks). Requires Mythic Beast Affinity. You may only have three Changeling abilities applied to a form at a time, and changing these abilities requires changing your form.

Elemental Shift: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the form of an elemental. Elementals take 1 less physical damage from all sources, but take 1 extra energy damage from all sources. While shapeshifted, you can't use your usual abilities in your arsenal, aside from those which do not use a slot (such as unarmed or psychological attacks). Changing back requires ten minutes of preparation. Requires Elemental Affinity. You may only have three Changeling abilities applied to a form at a time, and changing these abilities requires changing your form.

Rank III:
Changeling Attack: In your alternate forms, you gain access to a single ability in your arsenal, as well as any abilities that improve it. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift. You may take this ability multiple times, each time gaining access to another arsenal slot. Each is counted separately against your limit on Changeling abilities.

Changeling Speed: Your Sprint increases by 5 in your Beast or Elemental Forms. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Changeling Strength: Your alternate forms deal 1 more damage with all attacks. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Muscle Control: Your disguises allow you to take the form of anything relatively human-like. Requires Chameleon.

Permanent Disguise: Your disguises are not ruined by damage. Requires Chameleon.

Fast Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms (and come back, if cancelling them required time) with a minute of work.

Rank IV:
Changeling Absorption: You ignore the first 2 points of energy damage you take each round in your alternate forms, except that you have a weakness - pick one out of 'mundane', 'magical', 'tool', or 'technological'. Attacks with the chosen origin bypass this ability. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Changeling Flight: You may leap in mid-air, and you can vertically leap your full distance. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Changeling Grace: In your alternate forms, as a primary action, you can increase your evasion for a full round by 2. Every time you do this, your reaction improves by 1. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Changeling Toughness: You ignore the first 3 points of physical damage you take each round in your alternate forms, except that you have a weakness - pick one out of 'mundane', 'magical', 'tool', or 'technological'. Attacks with the chosen origin bypass this ability. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Rapid Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms (and come back, if cancelling them required time) as a primary action. Using Rapid Shifter requires 1 point of spirit. Requires Fast Shifter.

Rank V:
Changeling Health: Your maximum and current life increase by 3 while in your alternate form; these benefits go away when you return to basic form. If you shift back to your basic form while at 2 life or below, you drop to 0 life and are helpless. This does not count as a regeneration effect for purposes of abilities like Life Funnel.

Changeling Power: You deal 1 more damage and have 1 more accuracy and penetration with all attacks in your alternate forms, but use up 1 spirit with each attack (in addition to any other costs). Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Quick Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms (and come back, if cancelling them required time) as a secondary action. Using Quick Shifter requires 3 points of spirit. Requires Rapid Shifter.

Rank VI:
Adaptibility: You may have five Changeling abilities active on a form at a time.

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 09:42 AM
Elemental Affinity: You gain an affinity for a pure, elemental substance. Your definition of element can vary widely: mythological, modern, anything 'pure'. You are able to turn parts of your body into this element at will, though not your whole body at once. You may take this ability multiple times, each time choosing a new element.

I think you should have defined elements. It makes it simpler, especially for a system built around simplicity. Might I suggest earth, air, fire, water, light, darkness, metal and wood.

I add light and darkness because in many stories they represent spirit.

Metal and wood get in there because I've read many things that include one or the other as part of "the elements."

If this actually does make it into the SRD then I already have a character based around this ability that I can make.

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 09:51 AM
What would the benefit be of defining elements, since there aren't elemental damage types?

(And if I did, I would likely go with Fire, Earth, Wood, Metal, Water (the Sino-Korea-Japan system) plus Aether (from Greek.))

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 09:58 AM
I have a question inspired by the Rogue Agent thread. What would be the standard buy in for a game? To clarify, if someone were to buy the Anteheroes game to play with a group of friends, what would be the recommended starting buy-in for character creation?

Also, I've been thinking that there should be better rules in the SRD about Advancement points being taken away. You have

Also, advancement points come and go situationally. Illnesses can dampen trained abilities. Equipment of all types can be stolen. Magic can be hampered. Implants can be tampered with. The Game Master should take care not to be capricious with advancement points, but players should be aware of their impermanence.
I feel that if you take away points well earned, players will get all butt-hurt. Instead, maybe you could implement a suppression system on abilities. The players keep the points, they just lack the means to utilize them until they solve the problem(getting another gun, getting over the illness, having implants fixed or whatever the case may be).

Just a thought.

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 10:01 AM
Well, that is the intention, but I'll spell it out better, you're right. Some DMs would take that as a license to screw with the players.


I have a question inspired by the Rogue Agent thread. What would be the standard buy in for a game? To clarify, if someone were to buy the Anteheroes game to play with a group of friends, what would be the recommended starting buy-in for character creation?

That I do not know, and part of the idea behind playtesting is to determine these issues. I would say 20-ish, though. At a rough guess the system is boring before 10 points and becomes crazy around 180.

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 10:02 AM
What would the benefit be of defining elements, since there aren't elemental damage types?

You do have energy damage. Elemental damage is energy damage just better defined. But I see your point. If you were to add elemental descriptors, that'd add more rules and complexity.

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 04:12 PM
Updated Shapeshifting a bit. Presently the idea behind the tree is that it makes you better at anything you can already do, but at the cost of versatility in that form. Still, if you're willing to spend a lot of points in the tree, a lot of higher level abilities are only a shift away.

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 05:28 PM
Question, would being in Elemental form have any effect on the various energy abilities in Kinetics? Also, would your Unarmed Attack automatically be considered an Energy Attack?

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 06:06 PM
Question, would being in Elemental form have any effect on the various energy abilities in Kinetics?

Nope, though it's a natural combination, especially with Changeling Power.


Also, would your Unarmed Attack automatically be considered an Energy Attack?

No, I couldn't find a clean way to express that as it doesn't work for an elemental made out of, say, rock.

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 06:35 PM
No, I couldn't find a clean way to express that as it doesn't work for an elemental made out of, say, rock.

True, very true.

'K, question about mythic beasts, Is it possible to have some form of the change always on? Like, could I choose a winged beast and always have wings...in both forms?

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 06:37 PM
True, very true.

'K, question about mythic beasts, Is it possible to have some form of the change always on? Like, could I choose a winged beast and always have wings...in both forms?

Sure, I'd say that'd fall under Rank I. They'd be useless unless you learned how to fly outside of beast form, though.

phoenixcire
2008-10-07, 06:45 PM
Obviously, I just wanted to have wings for looks. Although, I do plan on making that character fly so...bully for me!

Actually, I think Imma make him just to see how he turns out.

AstralFire
2008-10-07, 09:30 PM
Okay... just did some major fat-trimming on acrobatics, that was a very, very thick tree point-wise for relatively little benefit - like, kinetics-thick only not as powerful.

It lost roughly a third of its points. It still has all the same capabilities as before, it's just across the board cheaper with less redundancy in power. Check your character sheets to see if you got a refund.

Zeta Kai
2008-10-07, 10:34 PM
I haven't heard anything about how the playtests actually went. You obviously have learned a lot, but I'm looking for how the play sessions progressed. Did they run smoothly? Were there significant snags with the rules? Were the players confused by anything? Please elaborate on those playtests.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 07:35 AM
I haven't heard anything about how the playtests actually went. You obviously have learned a lot, but I'm looking for how the play sessions progressed. Did they run smoothly? Were there significant snags with the rules? Were the players confused by anything? Please elaborate on those playtests.

So far, only one playtest has been completed - I have some bad luck getting everyone I need in one place - and the rest of the work so far is theorycrafting on my part. A PbP playtest is under way, and several people have mentioned trying to get this done IRL on their own, but little else on that front. Once the PbP's set up, I'm going to go back to trying to get together more real time sessions.

The playtest which WAS completed was what sparked the edition change. The biggest confusions arose from the earlier version of social combat with some of its arbitrary restrictions and how combat worked without being turn-based, or well... any rules at all for hierarchy, really. A fair amount of the combat remains simultaneous, but I've put up rules for attacking while someone else is moving.

The players seemed to appreciate the system's smoothness, though. No time was wasted doing dice rolls and adding lots of modifiers to determine someone's stealth, making it generally the smoothest game of tabletop cat & mouse that I've ever seen. Character creation has also gone by for both the PbP and the RT playtest with very little confusion, so it does seem to be a fast pick-up.

Is there anything more specific you wished to know?

phoenixcire
2008-10-08, 08:52 AM
Do Changeling Power and Changeling Strength stack? It seems like they would but I want to make sure. And can you take Changeling Attack multiple times choosing a different attack from your Arsenal?

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 08:57 AM
Yes and yes. I accidentally removed the line allowing it to be taken multiple times, it seemed.

phoenixcire
2008-10-08, 09:10 AM
Does having multiple Changeling Attacks still count as one changeling ability or are they counted seperately?

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 09:14 AM
Each is counted separately against your limit on Changeling abilities.

phoenixcire
2008-10-08, 09:45 AM
Question and idea.

First off, How exactly does Retaliatory Barrier work? I'm thinking, you activate barrier and whenever an attack gets thrown my way, hit or miss, I can make it damage the attacker for 1 energy damage.

I was thinking, a good high level ability would be to increase actions. Like at ranks VIII and IX characters can get another secondary action and another primary action.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 09:47 AM
That is actually a very good idea. I'm going to wait to discuss 7-9 seriously until after we've gotten more playtesting done on what we've got, though. Helena's got a while before she's up for statting. Feel free to throw more ideas around, I just don't want to get too far over my head by diverging focus.

And yes, that is precisely how Retaliatory Barrier works.

Also note that I increased Rank VI Shapeshifting to allow 5 abilities.

Khane
2008-10-08, 01:57 PM
Shape shifting seems somewhat weak. Specific problems are...
Disguise abilities only go up to rank 3. What if I want to play Decoy octopus?

The whole idea of having variable shift abilities is cool, but I think that restricting access to the change itself so harshly in earlier ranks is kind of a pain. Those points should be spent on more cool abilities to add to the form, not just making it usable.

Also, changeling specialist will wind up with much lower numbers in both defense and offense if they try to specialize in shapeshifting rather than just picking martial skill, marksman, or some other offensive tree. I mean, look at changeling power! I could just take kinetics 1 (Kinetic Attacks) and get the same benefit by applying changeling attack (You did take changeling attack, right?), and come out ahead on points cost.

Speaking of which, restricting access to the player's arsenal (That is, things they've ALREADY invested points) and making them pay more points just to use what they already have seems sort of like a bad deal.

Instead of the current model, why not make the changed form a constant spirit drain (Say, 1 spirit damage every 2 rounds? After that is could do life damage?) and just let the player switch in and out with a primary action. Then give them various abilities to put on their changed form that resemble similarly ranked skills from other trees? The number of abilities that you can stack onto the form is fine, it's the abilities themselves and how much they cost that are really weak.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 02:12 PM
Shape shifting seems somewhat weak. Specific problems are...
Disguise abilities only go up to rank 3. What if I want to play Decoy octopus?

The idea of being able to assume a form that not-human and keep all of your human capabilities only makes little sense to me...


Also, changeling specialist will wind up with much lower numbers in both defense and offense if they try to specialize in shapeshifting rather than just picking martial skill, marksman, or some other offensive tree. I mean, look at changeling power! I could just take kinetics 1 (Kinetic Attacks) and get the same benefit by applying changeling attack (You did take changeling attack, right?), and come out ahead on points cost.

Changeling Power's significantly stronger; it boosts your accuracy and penetration as well. The only other comparable ability, lethality, takes an action.


Speaking of which, restricting access to the player's arsenal (That is, things they've ALREADY invested points) and making them pay more points just to use what they already have seems sort of like a bad deal.

I can see your point. What about allowing one arsenal ability by default? I do want the form to restrict what you can do at any given time to some degree.


Instead of the current model, why not make the changed form a constant spirit drain (Say, 1 spirit damage every 2 rounds? After that is could do life damage?) and just let the player switch in and out with a primary action.

Then it resembles too much of a supermode, which isn't the feel that's trying to be achieved - just an alternate mode which offers some advantages and some disadvantages.

Khane
2008-10-08, 02:29 PM
The idea of being able to assume a form that not-human and keep all of your human capabilities only makes little sense to me...

But not all the arsenal slots are "human capabilities". It would prevent the use of displace, increase/decrease reality, parasitic touch, and other path accessed abilities. I don't have a problem with losing the ability to shoot a gun or swing a sword, but that's not all that goes into an arsenal.





Changeling Power's significantly stronger; it boosts your accuracy and penetration as well. The only other comparable ability, lethality, takes an action.

Ah, I misread it.




I can see your point. What about allowing one arsenal ability by default? I do want the form to restrict what you can do at any given time to some degree.

That's fine.





Then it resembles too much of a supermode, which isn't the feel that's trying to be achieved - just an alternate mode which offers some advantages and some disadvantages.
I don't see why I'd invest in the tree when I can get most of the benefits and none of the penalties by just investing in other trees focusing on what I want to get out of the shape-changing tree.

The tree is a good idea, but I don't see much reason to invest in it when I can get anything it does through good RPing and point investment, without most of it's downsides.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 02:35 PM
But not all the arsenal slots are "human capabilities". It would prevent the use of displace, increase/decrease reality, parasitic touch, and other path accessed abilities. I don't have a problem with losing the ability to shoot a gun or swing a sword, but that's not all that goes into an arsenal.

I was referring to disguise there. If you can disguise yourself as an octopus, but not actually pick up anything that an octopus should be able to do, well...


I don't see why I'd invest in the tree when I can get most of the benefits and none of the penalties by just investing in other trees focusing on what I want to get out of the shape-changing tree.

The tree is a good idea, but I don't see much reason to invest in it when I can get anything it does through good RPing and point investment, without most of it's downsides.

It's cheaper for most of the same abilities, often better. +5 sprint without acrobatics, sky high evasion, really good physical damage protection - elementals can absorb 6 points of physical damage a round, and an extra 1 per each attack, with the right trees - easy spiritless flight, free point of damage, higher health cap...

I'll adjust the actual shapeshifting so that the Rank Is aren't useless anymore and come up with some more abilities, but the basic conceit works, I think.

The Rose Dragon
2008-10-08, 02:41 PM
I was referring to disguise there. If you can disguise yourself as an octopus, but not actually pick up anything that an octopus should be able to do, well...

Decoy Octopus is from Metal Gear Solid, and his name refers to the camouflage abilities of octopi. He is simply the world's greatest mimic artist, going so far as to switch his blood with other people's and shave off his nose and other facial features to make disguise easier.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 02:42 PM
Decoy Octopus is from Metal Gear Solid, and his name refers to the camouflage abilities of octopi. He is simply the world's greatest mimic artist, going so far as to switch his blood with other people's and shave off his nose and other facial features to make disguise easier.

Oh, I see, thanks. I only recognize the famous ones like Revolver Ocelot.

...

You can become anything vaguely human with Rank III. What's the issue?

phoenixcire
2008-10-08, 02:50 PM
Disguise abilities only go up to rank 3.

Disguise doesn't need to advance further. By then you can completely copy someone elses form and voice, and you aren't revealed by taking damage. Is there anything else you'd like from a disguise?

Also, do the Shifter abilities apply to disguises as well?

Khane
2008-10-08, 03:18 PM
It's cheaper for most of the same abilities, often better. +5 sprint without acrobatics, sky high evasion, really good physical damage protection - elementals can absorb 6 points of physical damage a round, and an extra 1 per each attack, with the right trees - easy spiritless flight, free point of damage, higher health cap...

I'll adjust the actual shapeshifting so that the Rank Is aren't useless anymore and come up with some more abilities, but the basic conceit works, I think.

My complaint is more about the offensive potential of the tree. You have a total of +2 damage, +1 accuracy, between the two abilities. Keep in mind the tree also limits the use of your arsenal, and to switch out of it reasonably quickly requires another heavy investment in points for rapid shifter.

Along with that comes the fact that the investments you make to get the defensive abilities in the tree, you could of also picked up the nice perks from the tree you would of gotten instead. For example, acrobatics would make your evasion higher than if you didn't invest in tree, as the +2 evasion ability in the tree requires a primary action. I can get the same benefit from just having artful dodger and evasion, while also gaining the benefits of quick witted, sprinter, or some other similair ability. Endurance also has a more direct line for it's damage reduction, and is more flexible with tough-guy and health improvements.







You can become anything vaguely human with Rank III. What's the issue?

More that the abilities stop at rank 3, and if I want to be a master of disguise there's nothing past it in the tree. I know I have all the power I want to with it, but at rank 3 suddenly...Where's the second half of my tree? It feels like it should go higher. Why not have skills for battlefield disguise changes, ways to fake genetic identification, skills at forging documents?

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 04:04 PM
Next crack at it:

Shapeshifting
Rank I:
Beast Shift: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the form of a beast of your choice. In this form, you think like a beast; as a result, you gain an extra 1 Evasion, but lose 1 Resolve. Changing back requires ten minutes of preparation.

Your shapeshifted forms have an independent arsenal of their own, with one slot. The ability in your shapeshift arsenal does not have to be one pulled from your normal arsenal. You decide what is in your shapeshift arsenal upon assuming the form (as well as any Greatshift abilities, if you possess them), and cannot change it without shifting forms.

Elemental Shift: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the form of an elemental of your choice. Elementals take 1 less physical damage from all sources, but take 1 extra energy damage from all sources of energy damage. While shapeshifted, you can't use your usual abilities in your arsenal, aside from those which do not use a slot (such as unarmed or psychological attacks). Changing back requires ten minutes of preparation.

Your shapeshifted forms have an independent arsenal of their own, with one slot. The ability in your shapeshift arsenal does not have to be one pulled from your normal arsenal. You decide what is in your shapeshift arsenal (as well as any Greatshift abilities, if you possess them) upon assuming the form.

Hollywood: With an hour of preparation, you can alter yourself to not look like you. You cannot make yourself look like a specific individual unless they already closely resemble you in face, build, and height. Taking damage ruins the effect, and you can cancel it at any time.

Mockingbird: You have a talent for voice, and can mimic someone's voice perfectly for the next hour after hearing it. For longer spans of time, you retain the ability to make a voice that sounds similar to theirs, but people who know them well will recognize it as an ape.

Rank II:
Chameleon: With ten minutes of preparation, you can assume the appearance of a specific individual who has a dissimilar face or height. Taking damage ruins the effect, and you can cancel it at any time. Requires Hollywood.

Copycat: As Mockingbird, but within the last day. Requires Mockingbird.

Prehensile: Your alternate forms can you parts of their body well enough to manipulate and use tools, or anything else humans can use.

Talkative: You can speak in your alternate forms.

Wild Speaker: You can talk to animals and see fey in your alternate forms. Animals do not think or talk like humans do.

Rank III:
Changeling Attack: You gain a second shapeshift arsenal slot. Requires Beast Shift or Elemental Shift.

Changeling Senses: Your Detection and Stealth increase by 1 in your alternate forms.

Changeling Speed: Your Sprint increases by 5 in your alternate forms.

Fast Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms and disguises (and come back, if cancelling them required time) with a minute of work.

Muscle Control: Your disguises allow you to take the form of anything relatively human-like and sized. Requires Chameleon.

Permanent Disguise: Your disguises are not ruined by damage. Requires Chameleon.

Swimmer: Your alternate forms can breathe and swim through the water freely, sprinting at half speed (rather than a fifth).

Rank IV:
Changeling Grace: In your alternate forms, as a primary action, you can increase your evasion for a full round by 2. Every time you do this, your reaction improves by 1.

Greatshift - Durability: Your maximum and current life increase by 5 while in your alternate form; these benefits go away when you return to basic form. However, you have a weakness - attacks with an origin of your choice (Magical, Mundane, Technological, or Tool) end your shapeshift upon damaging you.

If your health is below 5 when you return to your original form, you are only reduced to 0 life. This ability isn't regenerating you, so it does not work with the Life Funnel ability.

A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - Flight: You can turn into a flying version of your shifting form. In that form, you can sprint in any direction, including up, without using spirit. If you already had the ability to fly outside of your alternate form, when flying you gain +1 Evasion. A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - Land: You can sprint through solid, earthen objects at will. Your ability to detect objects and creatures is not hindered by solid earth, as you can sense their vibrations directly. A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - War: Your damaging physical melee attacks gain an additional +1 accuracy and damage, and always hamstring upon damage. A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Rapid Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms and disguises (and come back, if cancelling them required time) as a primary action. Using Rapid Shifter requires 1 point of spirit. Requires Fast Shifter.

Rank V:
Greatshift - Ascendant: Your damaging energy attacks deal an extra 50% energy damage (round up) and shove the target backwards up to 2 squares (stacking with any other abilities you have), but use up 2 spirit with each attack (in addition to any other costs). A form may only have one Greatshift ability at a time.

Greatshift - Regeneration: You may use up 5 spirit to regain 1 point of life in your alternate form. Whenever you heal life by any means, you immediately end all negative effects on you.

Quick Shifter: You can assume your alternate forms and disguises (and come back, if cancelling them required time) as a secondary action. Using Quick Shifter requires 3 points of spirit. Requires Rapid Shifter.

Rank VI:
Chimera: You may have two Greatshift abilities functioning at once.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 04:05 PM
More that the abilities stop at rank 3, and if I want to be a master of disguise there's nothing past it in the tree. I know I have all the power I want to with it, but at rank 3 suddenly...Where's the second half of my tree? It feels like it should go higher. Why not have skills for battlefield disguise changes, ways to fake genetic identification, skills at forging documents?

The speed shifting abilities apply to disguises as well. I've made that more clear.

Skills at genetics and forging documents would go under technology in some ways, and be handwaved in others.

Username
2008-10-08, 05:37 PM
Shapeshifting all the way up to rank 6, grabbing war greatshift and ascendant greatshift. Martial up to lethality. It'll eat up pretty much all of 40 points, but using a heavy unarmed attack (+4 accuracy with lethality! And you'll have probably grabbed the unarmed powers along the way for at least +5) with lethality will have you doing 7 physical damage and 4 energy damage and throwing your opponent back 2 squares at the cost of a secondary action and 1 spirit.

I leave it to you to determine what to make of it, it is pretty limited since it eats up a whole lot of advancement points. I do find the image of it killing someone and then flinging their corpse amusing though.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 05:46 PM
I should change that to specify "on an attack that already deals energy damage" for starters...

Username
2008-10-08, 05:56 PM
ah, that changes things. Lethality + war greatshift is still gold though simply for the reliable accuracy and damage.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 05:58 PM
ah, that changes things. Lethality + war greatshift is still gold though simply for the reliable accuracy and damage.

*nod* That is intentional. After all, you lose flexibility of attack and lots of points to do it, not to mention you can get hammered on Resolve or with Energy damage.

You can do your original trick nastier with Energy Attacks on an Unarmed attack, but that requires more points and spirit to do.

Khane
2008-10-08, 06:11 PM
Can you use rapid-shift to switch from beast-form to beast-form, or do you need to use it to go back to human form and then turn into an animal again while in human form?

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 06:18 PM
Can you use rapid-shift to switch from beast-form to beast-form, or do you need to use it to go back to human form and then turn into an animal again while in human form?

You have to go back to your basic form.

String
2008-10-08, 09:59 PM
Hey, I havent looked through all of this, but I've skimmed alot and read most of the fluff, and I really like it. Especially the Reassuring Pirate, as I call him in my head. I'll look through it in more detail soon. I figure: you looked at my crap, so I'll look at your game.

Khane
2008-10-08, 11:06 PM
So, is the shape-shifting tree going to be valid for the PbP or not? Zuki might want to restat her character if it is, since it seems like the sort of tree she'd like.

AstralFire
2008-10-08, 11:39 PM
Hey, I havent looked through all of this, but I've skimmed alot and read most of the fluff, and I really like it. Especially the Reassuring Pirate, as I call him in my head. I'll look through it in more detail soon. I figure: you looked at my crap, so I'll look at your game.

:D Thanks, I appreciate it. And it took me a minute to realize what you meant by Reassuring Pirate... I'd almost forgotten about that. Best type of placeholder, eh?


So, is the shape-shifting tree going to be valid for the PbP or not? Zuki might want to restat her character if it is, since it seems like the sort of tree she'd like.

If you (and anyone else who cares to comment) thinks the current tree is decent enough to give a whirl, yes.

phoenixcire
2008-10-09, 10:39 AM
Does Fast Healing supersede Energy Healing? Does it stack with Fast Regeneration?

We've ruled that my weapon, staff, is considered Heavy because it is wielded using two hands. But since it is neither slow moving or heavy in weight, I was wondering if I could take a point off of its damage to put a point into its accuracy.

Finally, how long does Kinetic Suspension last before I have to use another point of spirit?

AstralFire
2008-10-09, 11:31 AM
Does Fast Healing supersede Energy Healing? Does it stack with Fast Regeneration?

We've ruled that my weapon, staff, is considered Heavy because it is wielded using two hands. But since it is neither slow moving or heavy in weight, I was wondering if I could take a point off of its damage to put a point into its accuracy.

Finally, how long does Kinetic Suspension last before I have to use another point of spirit?

Heavy is more an issue of balance, and I have to say that my stave is a lot harder to quickly reposition than a club. I just double-checked using the ones in my room.

They all stack.

Kinetic Suspension lasts for the round. I believe the text for the shoves say people don't fall the first round they are shoved, but rather the second, so you can move safely.

AstralFire
2008-10-11, 10:38 AM
No more thoughts on Shapeshifting?

So far I'm looking at the following Ascendant Path ideas:
- Celerity, allowing for an additional secondary, one-action full actions, and eventually an additional primary.
- Guardian, for life, resolve, and evasion.
- Inner Force, boosting Spirit, Penetration and Composure.
- Warmonger would raise accuracy, reaction, and damage.

phoenixcire
2008-10-11, 01:02 PM
No more thoughts on Shapeshifting?

So far I'm looking at the following Ascendant Path ideas:
- Celerity, allowing for an additional secondary, one-action full actions, and eventually an additional primary.
- Guardian, for life, resolve, and evasion.
- Inner Force, boosting Spirit, Penetration and Composure.
- Warmonger would raise accuracy, reaction, and penetration.

I like the Ascendant Path ideas.

For Warmonger, wouldn't damage be better than penetration?

AstralFire
2008-10-11, 01:13 PM
I like the Ascendant Path ideas.

For Warmonger, wouldn't damage be better than penetration?

Celerity gives plenty of damage with two attacks a round. I didn't want to allow things like up per-attack damage reduction or up damage per attack, which would tilt things decidedly towards big, inaccurate attacks or small, steady attacks. If acc/pen and eva/res go up around the same rates...

EDIT: Didn't realize I put Pen in two places. For now we'll say damage.

AstralFire
2008-10-11, 04:43 PM
Celeration (Mental, Ranged)
Penetration: +4
Damage: None
Effects: Decrease or increase the target's reaction by 1.
Range: 6

Hypothetical New Additions to Reality Alteration

Rank I:
Celeration: You can add the Celeration attack to your arsenal. The target of your attack increases or decreases their reaction by 1; you are a valid subject for this attack. As with all reaction increases or decreases, these effects only last for the duration of a combat encounter. Using Celeration requires 2 points of spirit.

Rank II:
Active Celeration: Your Celeration attack can grant or deny the target one secondary action instead of its normal effect. Requires Celeration.

Rank III:
Sharp Celeration: Your Celeration attack can increase or reduce the target's reaction by 3. Requires Celeration.

Rank IV:
Long Celeration: You may focus upon your Celeration ability for a minute, performing minimal actions otherwise. If you are not damaged in this time period, the subject of your attack adds or removes up to ten years to their natural lifespan. If you are not careful, it is possible to kill or unmake a person or object with this ability.

Rapid Celeration: You may use Sharp Celeration on yourself as a sprint action. Requires Sharp Celeration.

Rank V:
True Celerity: Your Celeration attack can grant or deny the target one primary action instead of its normal effect. Requires Active Celeration.

Rank VI:
Distortion Wave: By expending an additional 5 spirit, you may simultaneously target all creatures and objects of proper size that are in range with your Displace or Reduce attack (pick one). You are excluded from this ability; no other subjects may be selectively ignored.

Echoes: By expending an additional 5 spirit, up to 4 squares are affected by your Increase attack. This lasts until you cease maintenance. Only one of your illusions may attack per round, though they may all give the impression that they are attacking. Requires Sharp Increase.

Errata is Bolded:
Time Warp: As a secondary action, you may move forwards or backwards an hour in time; if you already exist in the time you are moving to, your body and soul merges with the 'you' of that time period. You may appear in either body's location at your option; you must choose which when you use this ability. Using Time Warp requires 3 points of life, drains all of your remaining spirit, and makes you bleed.

phoenixcire
2008-10-11, 05:49 PM
If a character is under the effects of Kinetic Stop and True Celerity(removal of primary action) are they considered helpless?

AstralFire
2008-10-11, 05:50 PM
If a character is under the effects of Kinetic Stop and True Celerity(removal of primary action) are they considered helpless?

No. [Message too short]

phoenixcire
2008-10-11, 06:04 PM
Is it possible to make someone become helpless? Like Kinetic Stop(no sprint) with two doses of Celerity(one for primary and one for secondary loss)? Or with a mind power(I don't really know what's in that path)?

AstralFire
2008-10-11, 06:06 PM
Only Paralysis in Mind and Soul can do it.

phoenixcire
2008-10-11, 06:13 PM
Well that's kind of weak. I think that my scenario should work, someone devoid of all actions should be considered helpless. But alas...

For some reason your Avatar and the Anteheroes logo aren't loading for me...everything else is though.

AstralFire
2008-10-11, 06:15 PM
Well that's kind of weak. I think that my scenario should work, someone devoid of all actions should be considered helpless. But alas...

For some reason your Avatar and the Anteheroes logo aren't loading for me...everything else is though.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=93555

Username
2008-10-12, 01:55 PM
I like the chronokinesis/chronomancy of course, seeing as how big a fan I am of time related powers. All in all I think it's balanced. It maintains the net balance of actions taken but allows for versatility due to shifting them around. A solid support tree that will help out any team.

AstralFire
2008-10-14, 08:53 PM
NEW COMPUTER GOT!

PDF overhaul in a few days.

AstralFire
2008-10-15, 08:19 PM
ONCE AGAIN in Tasty, Non-Fat PDF Format!
Lo-Res (http://www.theanteheroes.com/TheAnteheroesSystem/SRD2-Lowres.pdf) (814 kb)
Hi-Res (http://www.theanteheroes.com/TheAnteheroesSystem/SRD2-HiRes.pdf) (3,958 kb)

Doc Roc
2009-06-16, 08:32 AM
Read the blurb, thought shadowrun, walked off to go play shadowrun. I hate myself for this.
I will come re-read it in a couple days, please hassle me to do so. It does look really good, I'm just bitter this morning.
Would be happy to talk to you about mechanics at length. Wonder if that would be helpful?

AstralFire
2009-06-16, 08:40 AM
It would, it would. If nothing else, I appreciate the bump. I'm glad someone was interested enough to click the link. :)

Doc Roc
2009-06-16, 08:40 AM
I'm always curious about things. I'll sit down and talk with you over aim or something at some point this week.

The Rose Dragon
2009-06-16, 08:42 AM
Actually, I downloaded the latest edition at the time a month or so ago. I am still waiting for the promised expansions to the system.

But guys... eight months is a long time for a thread to be brought back from the dead. Let the dead rest in peace. You can always give birth to new threads.

Doc Roc
2009-06-16, 08:46 AM
Simply put, No.
This was someone's baby. I do not support baby killin'

The Rose Dragon
2009-06-16, 08:48 AM
It was already dead, you know.

Now, I'm not sure if there could be an exception in this case or not, but usually, you don't bump threads older than three months.

Doc Roc
2009-06-16, 09:00 AM
Eh, didn't check the age before I posted. Whoops.

Zeta Kai
2009-06-16, 09:24 AM
Ah, don't worry about it. He needs a push to get this cool project finished. I'd love to see more work done on this.


Go, AstralFire, Go!!!

afroakuma
2009-06-16, 09:25 AM
Meh; homebrew has slightly different rules about necromancy.

You might say we have... homebrew rules for necromancy. :smallbiggrin:

AstralFire
2009-06-16, 09:48 AM
Actually, I downloaded the latest edition at the time a month or so ago. I am still waiting for the promised expansions to the system.

But guys... eight months is a long time for a thread to be brought back from the dead. Let the dead rest in peace. You can always give birth to new threads.

Sorry. I ran out of time for playtesting, I need to get back to that - as it is, I've already noticed a source of OPness using Shapeshifting with Reality Alteration and Life and Spirit that needs to be fixed.

AstralFire
2009-06-16, 12:08 PM
06/16/09
- Some minor balance fixes scattered throughout, improving Acrobatics and Martial Skill and nerfing a broken Shapeshifting combination.
- Added Shapeshifting to the forum documentation. Had forgotten to do that before. Whoops!

Roland St. Jude
2009-06-16, 02:28 PM
Meh; homebrew has slightly different rules about necromancy.

You might say we have... homebrew rules for necromancy. :smallbiggrin:

We really don't. Don't bring back a thread older than six weeks and page three. If you want to revive an old thread of your own, please PM a mod for permission to revive the thread. If you want to revive someone else's old thread, PM them and ask if they are interested in that.

It worked out okay here because the OP was still here and interested in feedback, but in general the usual rules still apply.

In this thread, carry on, I guess.

afroakuma
2009-06-16, 02:31 PM
We really don't.

Yeah, I know... it was just too good to pass up. :smallredface:

In actuality, I was referring to:


If you want to revive an old thread of your own, please PM a mod for permission to revive the thread.

GreatWyrmGold
2009-08-06, 08:32 PM
Unless I missed something, there are no character creation rules. Character advancement ones? Yes. But none for making starters.
Another suggestion: Pre-statted monsters.
Assuming you ever fet around to getting more rules out.

AstralFire
2009-08-06, 08:44 PM
Ideally, you would have been able to create characters at any level, with any array of abilities. At the moment, this is stewing in the background for a major revision; I'm trying to find ways to up the complexity of the system without majorly increasing its bulk, which is not easy. Thank you for your input! Pre-statted things do make things much easier on GMs.