Magic Sword: Fourth Edition Reborn

[Dark Elf Bard]

I think the last one should actually be around 2 or 3.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I think the last one should actually be around 2 or 3.

And why is this?

[Dark Elf Bard]

'cause from my experience, a gold coin is about 2$.

A five would be maybe eight dollars for a house.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

'cause from my experience, a gold coin is about 2$.

A five would be maybe eight dollars for a house.

What are you talking about? In D&D, a gold piece is generally around $50.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Huh. In every D&D 4e game I've ever played, a meal costs 5 gold.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Huh. In every D&D 4e game I've ever played, a meal costs 5 gold.

Huh? Its never been like that in any game I've played.

I meal costs maybe 3 silver. A sword costs 15 gold. A drink costs about 1 silver.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Huh... drinks have always costed 5-20 gold for me, depending on the class of the bar.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Huh... drinks have always costed 5-20 gold for me, depending on the class of the bar.

How can a drink cost more than a good sword? Shouldn't swords cost as much as guns do in our world?

[Dark Elf Bard]

Non-magical swords costed about 50 gold.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Non-magical swords costed about 50 gold.

They are supposed to cost 15. Longswords, that is.

Also, $100 for a sword? Do you have any idea how hard those things are to make. A spear maybe, but a sword should be AT LEAST $750.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Hm... guess my DM didn't see that page.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I like the way 4e does it. 1 sp ($5) for a drink. 15 gp ($750) for a sword, 2 cp ($1) for an apple, 85 gp ($4,250) for a suit of plate, 3 sp ($15 for a meal).

Gold used to be worth even more in the olden days, by which I mean the 80s.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Sounds good.

Will the amount of gold a party receives be altered?

[Zelkon]

Actually, there is no accurate way to convert the coinage. If you make a silver piece $2, $5, or any amount, you'll always find some loophole in the system. Also, we must remember that supply and demand were different then, and in the D&D world, swords are in high demand, meaning you might be able to get one for $150, or about the cost of a really cheep gun (swords are used more commonly in the D&D world, which lowers their value). Also, while the ratio of swords to people is higher than guns to people (not counting those who have multiple of either), the general population is much smaller, meaning a village blacksmith who cranks out two a day does just fine. The cost of living is also different, with many people building their own shelter and growing their own food. The economy is inherently different, so there's no use trying to compare it.

[Gligarman2]

(stands on a soapbox) May I please suggest a low gods and magic universe, limiting Deus Ex Machina and keeping storytelling supreme, while promoting characters solving there problems and keeping the world believable? Perhaps a 3 or 4? Gods always were a pet peeve of mine. (Unless they were previous players)

[Zelkon]

I love gods who screw around with the PCs because they know they are destined for greatness.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Crazy idea: introduce bounded accuracy to the skill system.

Characters don't add half their level to their skill modifiers. Instead, they always act as if they are level 1. Skill Focus feats can improve them, but level does not, and DCs don't scale with level. This means that characters will notice a tangible increase in their success rate when one of their skills improves.

DC 10 = Simple. The character will most likely succeed, but there is still a risk of failure.

DC 15 = Challenging. An untrained character will succeed with a bit of luck, and a trained character will have no probolem.

DC 20 = Tricky. An untrained will be daunted, and a trained character will be
challenged.

DC 25 = Terrifying. Will turn the stomachs of even the most skilled heroes.

DC 30 = Epic. Only a fool would think about giving it a shot.

[Dark Elf Bard]

I like it!

Perfect, actually!

[Gligarman2]

Not to sound like Simmons from RvB, but that idea is amazing. Great job, sir!

[Dark Elf Bard]

What's RvB?

[Gligarman2]

The popular online webseries Red vs. Blue of course!

[Dark Elf Bard]

Never heard of it. Is it a comic or what?

[Gligarman2]

It's a previously comedy machinima that branched into a storyline better than the Halo games. Watch the first three minutes (no more) of this: http://roosterteeth.com/archive/?id=1527

Ps: Can Chainsaw please save and inform me of my work, with possible revisions?

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I'm just about to buckle down and do more writing.

Gligarman2, can you please upload your drawings as google docs and share them with me? It would be a hell of a lot easier.

[Gligarman2]

Can you explain how to do so? If so, I think it's a good idea, and I wish I thought of it.

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Can you explain how to do so? If so, I think it's a good idea, and I wish I thought of it.

Do you have a Gmail account?

By the way, you might be interested in This Other Project I'm Working On, if you're a fan of Conan.

[Zelkon]

Ehh... Then you have anyone with a plus 10 bonus, presumably attainable relatively early, donning the same things as gods... A minor scaling bonus may be good...

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

Ehh... Then you have anyone with a plus 10 bonus, presumably attainable relatively early, donning the same things as gods... A minor scaling bonus may be good...

Character's ability scores go up as they level, which has an effect on their skills. Also, they gain new feats, which can be spent on improving skills. Sometimes they will gain skill-affecting items. A 30th level character will have higher skill bonuses than a 1st level character, but the gap won't be nearly as wide.

A very skilled 1st level character might have a skill bonus of +10. A very skilled 30th level character might have a skill bonus of +15.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Huh.

I would think that it wold raise by +1 every 2-5 levels.

And sorry for the lateness. I'll scan in the ravenpriest tomorrow.

*yawn*

[Chainsaw Hobbit]

I've proposed a lot of small changes. Maybe too many. Some are there for legal reasons, and others are there to create a more refined experience. I'm worried that these may be amounting to too much, causing Magic Sword to stray too far from its spiritual predecessor.

Because of this, I have compiled a list of the aspects of Fourth Edition that I think define it. I believe that these aspects should be preserved at all costs.

• Encounters are where you "play the game". They are what consumes resources and takes up most of the adventure.
• All characters have three types of powers. Ones that can be used at any time, ones that recharge after a short rest, and ones that recharge after a good night's sleep.
• Characters must cooperate in order to survive. Classes are divided into four roles, all of which complement eachother in unique ways.
• Everything is streamlined to keep things moving. Any mechanical detail that is not necessary is stripped out.
• The game is divided into three "tiers". Characters, as they gain experience and tap further into their full potential, move up through these tiers. In the first, they are strong, but still mortal and earthbound. In the second, they are the true pinnacle of mortal ability. In the third, they ascend from mortality and become godlike.
• Monsters are divided into roles and subroles. Roles determine what they do in combat. Subroles determine how much "space" they take up.
• Fluff is separated from crunch, and crunch can be easily adapted to represent something entirely different.
• Balance is important. More so than in any other edition of D&D. However, if absolute mathematical balance hampers fun, the rules can be bent.
• Fun is at the core of everything. If something isn't fun, it is not included.

If you disagree with any of this, or think something needs to be added, please tell me. I would be happy to hear what you have to say.