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Thread: My System Remake: Main Thread
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2012-10-11, 08:43 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2009
My System Remake: Main Thread
Ok, I've finally got enough of my system remake to post the table of contents. (I still don't have a good name for it though, unfortunately.)
First, an unofficial introduction:
Why am I making a system remake? Well, in short because 3.5 is great, and it's horrible. It's great in that:
-It allows for heavy customization of characters.
-It is quite versatile. It can handle a combat-based game, or a more interaction-based game, or a wilderness survival game, or a dungeon-exploring game, or any combination of those. Not as well as a game specialized in those areas, but pretty well.
-It gives the DM enough leeway to make an interesting game, while still providing enough rule structure that he doesn't have to make too many judgement calls.
It's horrible in that:
-The balance is completely broken if the players are trying to make an effective character without restraint.
-The balance is severely broken if the players are simply not trying to avoid unbalanced characters.
-The balance is pretty broken even if the players are trying to avoid unbalancing the game but don't really know what they're doing in that regard.
-The combat system favors purely offensive builds, leading to a "rocket tag" effect.
-Magic items...I'll let Grod The Giant comment on this issue. (I won't go as extreme as his fix does in removing them, though.)
-Some classes, most notably the fighter, are bland.
-Some classes have features that make no thematic sense.
-The alignments are unclear, and the Law/Chaos one in particular isn't really a major ideological split (more a difference of approach).
-The experience system, and often the mechanics themselves, favor a "charge in and kill everything" approach, unless the DM takes steps to prevent that.
-High-level characters are powerful enough that it's often difficult to explain why they can't just do whatever they want with the world.
Pathfinder fixed some of the issues, but left many unaffected.
So rather than try to fix each issue individually, and then patch the problems those fixes cause, and keep patching until there are (hopefully) no new problems, I'm simply remaking the whole system (or at least very large pieces of it.)
Hopefully this system will solve these problems, and be not only playable, but a richer play experience than any of the other systems out there.
Finally, a few notes regarding the table of contents: The table of contents is divided into three sections: The Player's Manual, the Game Master's Advisory, and the Bestiary. In addition, because there is a substantial overlap with 3.5, I will be using formatting to indicate places that make use of material from there:
-A topic in italics is one in which this system has the same rules as 3.5, so I won't even write it up. If there's material in the online SRD it's linked.
-A topic in bold (but not underlined as well) is one for which there is (possibly in addition to material posted or linked) important information (often of a roleplaying or game-running nature) that is found in the books but not in the SRD. I am not posting them (because that would be a copyright violation), and they can't be found online, but I do highly suggest using that material if you have the books. So essentially a bold topic is one where I'm warning you that there's stuff other than what's available online.Last edited by Yitzi; 2012-12-02 at 02:36 PM.
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2012-10-11, 08:44 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
Table of Contents
Player's Manual
Introduction
Character Creation Summary
Chapter 1: Races and Background
Choosing a Race
Racial Characteristics
HumansBackground Overview
Dwarves
Elves
Gnomes
Half-Elves
Half-Orcs
Halflings
Background Descriptions
Chapter 2: Classes
The Classes
Class- and Level-Dependent Benefits
Primary Class
Gaining levels: Experience and Training
Multiclass Characters
Class Descriptions
Cleric
Druid
Fighter
Monk
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Wizard
The Paladin Template
Chapter 3: Abilities and Feats
Character Points
Gaining Character PointsAbility Descriptions
Selling Abilities and Feats
Feat Descriptions
Changing Ability Scores
Chapter 4: Combat Styles
Combat Styles Overview
Countering Combat Styles
Combat Style Descriptions
Chapter 5: Skills and Traps
Skills Overview
Acquiring Skill Ranks
Using Skills
Skill Descriptions
Traps
Elements of a Trap
Designing a Trap
Sample Traps
Chapter 6: Magic
Schools of Magic
Spells Overview
Designing SpellsTypes of Spells
Casting Spells
Counterspelling
Arcane SpellsSpell Seed Descriptions
RitualsDivine Spells
Wizardry
Chapter 7: Description
Chapter 8: Equipment
Equipping a Character
Wealth and Money
Weapons
Armor
Goods and Services
Potions
Poisons
Magic Items
Artifacts
Chapter 9: Combat
The Battle Grid
How Combat Works
Combat Statistics
Combat Quick Reference
Initiative and Reflexes
Attacks of Opportunity
Actions in Combat
Injury and Death
Movement, Position, and Distance
Combat Modifiers
Special Attacks
Special Initiative Actions
More Movement Rules
Chapter 10: Adventuring
Chapter 11: Glossary
Special Abilities--------------------------------------------
Special PowersCondition Summary
Beneficial Conditions
Detrimental Conditions
Game Master's Advisory
Chapter 1: Running the Game
What is a GM?
Style of Play
Additional Guidelines
Running a Game Session
Chapter 2: Using the Rules
Modifier Types
Combat
Line of SightSkill and Ability Checks
Starting an Encounter
New Combatants
Keeping Things Moving
Combat Actions
Big and Little Creatures in Combat
Saving Throws and Reflex Checks
Adjudicating Magic
Describing Spell EffectsRewards
Handling Divinations
Adding New Seeds
Experience AwardsCharacter Death
Mixed-Level Parties and ExperienceTreasure (PHB pp.167-168)
Other Rewards
Making a New Character
Resurrection Quests
Chapter 3: Adventures
Motivation
Structure
Site-Based Adventures
Event-Based Adventures
The End (?)
Encounters
Tailored or Status QuoTreasure
Challenge Ratings and Encounter Levels
Difficulty
Tougher Monsters
Location
Rewards and Behavior
Bringing Adventures Together
Between Adventures
The Dungeon
Dungeon Terrain
Walls
Doors
Rooms
Corridors
Miscellaneous Features
Cave-Ins and Collapses
IlluminationDungeon Ecology
Dungeon AnimalsStatistics Blocks
Wandering Monsters
Wilderness Adventures
Getting LostUrban Adventures
Forest Terrain
Marsh Terrain
Hills Terrain
Mountain Terrain
Desert Terrain
Plains Terrain
Aquatic Terrain
Underwater Combat
Weapon and Spell Restrictions
Urban Features
Urban Encounters
Chapter 4: Nonplayer Characters
Everyone in the World
NPC Classes
CivilianCalling On NPC Assistance
Warrior
Nonmartial versions of PC classes
NPC Attitudes
Fleshing Out NPCs
Chapter 5: Campaigns
Establishing a Campaign
Maintaining a Campaign
Characters and the World Around Them
War and Other Calamities
Other Campaign Issues
Chapter 6: World-Building
General notes
Settled Areas
Frontier Areas
Deep Wilderness
Generating Communities
]Adventurers
Demographics and consequences
Deities
Building a Different World
Other Planes
Plane Descriptions
Creating a Cosmology
Chapter 7: Characters
Randomly Generated Characters--------------------------------------------
Customizing Characters
Races
Subraces
Modifying a Common Race
Changes through Addition and SubtractionClasses
Class/Race/Background Restrictions
New Races
Monsters as Races
Creating New Races[/I]
Modifying Character ClassesCreating PCs above 1st Level
Creating New Classes
Prestige Classes
PCs beyond 20th level
Bestiary (to come later)Last edited by Yitzi; 2013-01-07 at 08:21 PM.
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2012-10-11, 08:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2009
Introduction
Of the many forms of games available, pen-and-paper role-playing games are one of the most versatile. By using a game-master to supplement a fixed set of rules with on-the-spot adjudication and challenge creation, a far more complex game is possible than in most other forms of gaming. While there are many different systems, the system covered in the Open Game License occupies a particular niche due to being fairly flexible in both the challenge types it can handle and in character creation, while still having enough structure to aid in decision-making and suggest certain archetypes.
Despite its advantages, the Open Game System does have balance issues, as well as areas in which it could be improved with regard to flexibility and worldbuilding aids. For that purpose, I am writing this game system, which is closely based on the Open Game System but is meant to address its flaws and improve on its weak spots. It's my hope that you enjoy it.Last edited by Yitzi; 2012-11-09 at 04:08 PM.
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2012-10-11, 08:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2009
Re: My System Remake: Main Thread
Reserved for open game license
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2012-10-11, 08:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
Character Creation Summary
The following is a guide to the procedure for generating a new character; each step lists the chapter related to that step. While the order given is often the most convenient for generating the character, it is ok to do the steps in a different order, so long as each step that depends on other steps is done after them.
1. Choose your character's race (chapter 1).
2. Choose your character's background (chapter 1). If the campaign setting has race/background limitations, they must be followed.
3. Choose your character's class (chapter 2). If creating a character above first level, choose a class for each level.
4. Choose your character's primary class (chapter 2). This will usually be a class chosen in step 3, but need not be.
5. Assign character points to ability scores and feats (chapter 3).
6. Choose combat styles (chapter 4), skills (chapter 5), and any other class-specific decisions (listed under the appropriate class entry in chapter 2), as appropriate.
7. Record your character's alignment descriptors, religion (if any), weight, height, age, appearance, and personality, a more detailed background for the character, and the character's goals that lead him/her to adventure (chapter 7).
8. Choose your character's starting equipment (chapter 8).Last edited by Yitzi; 2012-12-02 at 02:25 PM.
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2012-10-11, 08:50 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Sep 2009
Re: My System Remake: Main Thread
One more just in case