Homebrew DesignRoll up your sleeves and get working: there's lots of homebrewin' to be done! Post your custom creation for critiques or review those of your peers.
So, something I've mentioned in a few places is that one of my classes this semester requires me to write up an entire functioning role-playing system that is original and fully-functional (complete with the trimmings).
I decided on the topic before I even signed up for the class though. Pirates vs. Ninjas. There was a brief attempt to make something of it on the homebrew boards a while back, but nothing came of it. I decided well before this class that I was going to actually do the project that time forgot.
Why? Because quite frankly there aren't enough humorous systems out there, and my inner Risus GM demands the clichéness.
Besides, who hasn't wanted to be a swashbuckling rogue or a stealthy assassin at some point. Pirates and Ninjas are so heavily ingrained in the pop culture psyche that they've managed to evolve well past their original concept. This game is about those extremes taken to their most ridiculous level in a world that takes it entirely serious.
This has been in the "conceptual/note-taking stage" for a while, but I thought it was finally time to write some things down, and get some input. I've already gotten various opinions here and there, but I always thought a lot of the people on the homebrew boards around here had some really insightful opinions.
Content coming in the next few hours as I type it.
Enjoy!
UPDATES:
November 5, 2009- Added Evadinja abilities and information. Also, added a potential new faction to the Ninjas.
November 6, 2009- Slight change to "Fakinja" name. Finished Arrcrobat Faction. Changed Body's Natural Damage Reduction to Half Body Score. Added skill check rules. Fixed a typo in character creation. You start with 16 attribute points. Uploaded the Craftsmen faction.
November 7, 2009- Added 4 new factions to the list (1 ninja/pirate, 2 wanderer). Summaries pending. Fixed a few typos. Some of the general Pirate, Ninja, Wanderer skills may need rebalancing compared to the flavorful faction abilities. Next factions will be a Ninja one, followed by a Pirate one, followed by a Wanderer one. I will continue this process throughout the project.
November 9th, 2009-Added a new Level 1 Evadinja ability. Changed name of Incoming Medical Ninja faction to "Dr. Inja". Finished up Hitinja for now. Abilities will need balancing and they will need more level 1 techniques.
November 25th, 2009- Finally got around to writing down the Charrismatic Lords. Not entirely satisfied with them (Although, they do have the most expensive ability in the game). Adjusted costs on a few abilities for other things. Will probably be replacing Five-Fold Crippling Palm Strike soon as it should belong under Dr. Inja. Changed Mad Scientists to Alchemists at suggestion of teacher to fit theme more. Added a section for clarifying the rules on buffs and debuffs stacking. Removed United We Are Awesome! from Charrismatic Lords when I realized it's more of a "Luckies" ability. Clarified some stuff in the skills section. Added the Luckies faction.
December 2nd, 2009- HUGE UPDATE today. Added a first pass of six new factions (two of each side). The Rokinja, Shoninja, Charreographers, Gunnars, Wandering Minstrels, and Alchemists. Also added a section on Items with some basic item abilities. Monster section added. How to make them and 6 monsters themselves (Zombie, Fire Imp, Bear, Lightning Oni, T-rex, The Kraken). A rather big balancing and tweaking wave is coming up to adjust a few moves (specifically life cost which is coming out a bit high for most characters). Attributes changed to 10 exp per level (had that one for a while, but forgot to post the fix).
December 5th, 2009- Balancing changes, changed abilities cost for learning. Added sample characters. Added a point about ties in the dice section.
December 7th, 2009- Added new sample character, Clockwork Brew (an alchemist). Probably will add some new abilities to the existing factions later today. New skills for Shoninja, Rokinja, and Gunnars.
December 8th, 2009- Change to awesome points roll bonus. Added 3 new Charreographer abilities. 2 more coming later.
December 10th, 2009- Finished up the new abilities for all the factions. Will probably need a little more rebalancing. However, some of them are really fun. Dr. Inja are next and likely to be followed by Drunkarrds and Drunken Masters (We needed more Body based factions anyway). Charrismatic Lord gained some new abilities that are pretty powerful and fun. One gives the Charrismatic Lord a lot more solo power as well. Removed Five-Fold Crippling Palm from generic Ninja skills (It's a Dr. Inja skill now) and added a new one that actually gives the Ninjas a reason to sneak. Added a section on natural healing rate to clarify how Life regain works. Finished up Dr. Inja. Minstrels now have a theme song ability. Changed a slight thing in combat. Attacks are written before reaction rolls.
December 11th, 2009- Finished up Drunkards. Yeah, they can't hit very well, and they can't dodge very well, and they're very susceptible to will checks, but you really shouldn't screw with anyone that can throw a house at you and get over 25 damage reduction without going out of their own factions abilities.
December 19th, 2009- Drunken Masters Added. A LOT of small adjustments made to abilities over the weekend.
January 12th, 2010- HUGE moves and rules adjustment coming. Rule of 10 slightly changed/made clearer. Attacks do 1 damage minimum now. Ebb and Flow (Evadinja 5) now has no limit to the number of times it can be used a turn. Stamp on the Ground (Arrcrobat 2) negates dodge bonuses when it hits now. One with the materials (Craftsmen 3) is declared after it hits and Made for Me (Craftsmen 5) only adds a +2 to damage or damage reduction to all attacks with the item. Small adjustments to hitinja life costs. Huge buff to Ellipsis Swing (it auto counts for the requirement to crit for awesome points). Not to be trifled with (Charrismatic Lord 4) now doesn't count as damage reduction and reduces will based attacks' damage. Chance for a Big Reversal (Lucky 4) can be used 1 turn later now and Turn of Luck (Lucky 5) now cost a mere 1 awesome point, but now specifically only last until the end of the Lucky's next attack action. Minor changes to Shoninja life cost. Slight life change and rewording on Rokinja skills. A severe reduction in the cost of some Gunnar skills. Minor tweaks to Charreographer costs. Slight change to That's the Stuff (Alchemist 1). Life tweaks to a few Minstrel skills and removed awesome point cost from Nightengale Requiem and boosted the auto-damage to 1/5th the sacrificed Life. Thunder Oni lost precision and some Life (had WAY too much for an encounter tier monster) and 3 DR. Identify the Faults (Dr. Inja 1) now takes 1 turn. Slight verification on Unlocking Potential (Dr. Inja 2). Stumbling Punch (Drunkarrd 2) taken down to a +1 to hit. The True Mead (Drunkarrd 4) no longer gives bonus Life. Drunken Satori (Drunken Master 4) doesn't give extra Life either. *Hic* to the Future (Drunken Master 5) works with Read the Foe now and can be used to avoid reaction interruption. Raw damage of guns changed to half of precision. Agile Rejuvenation (Evadinja 2) buffed to 2 life per dodge. Severe changes to the cost on a few level 5 skills. Added Big Zombie Monster.
February 14th- Added ability to use Cannons to Gunnars (including firing their own allies out of cannons). Craftsmen (true to their name) can now craft items and a couple of other new abilities.
February 17th- The Evadinja got a HUGE buff in their ability to do damage.
February 28th- Arrcrobats, Luckies, and Hitinja got a few new useful abilities.
May 3rd- Been doing minor tweaks over the last couple of months. Added a new gambler and added a huge mass of new content today.
May 4th- Added some new NPCs. Adjusted projectile shots down to precision or will range (the distance was actually longer than most non level 5 ranged attacks on average).
May 5th- New Charrreographer skill. Pose and Explode. 2 new Drunkarrds skills. Quite the Kick! and Molasses Strawman. Changed up Looking for Me, slightly.
May 7th- Was hoping to finish up Carpentarrs for final presentation for today, but had a stomach ache. Did get Feykinja done, though.
May 18th- Added Internet Yatagarasu and Joke monster tier.
May 19th- Carpentarrs finally up. Time to work on fixing up Wandering Minstrels and a couple of other factions.
July 6th- Why Am I still updating this part? I should either remove the older entries or just stop entirely. Wandering Minstrels and Rokinja got a bunch of new abilities.
September 15th- Lot of stuff has happened. New abilities, 2 new factions. Lots of fun stuff. Check it out.
Legal Information:By making use of this Work (tentatively titled but not limited to protection under the name "Pirates v. Ninjas), You agree to use the Work only in a non-commercial capacity and to attribute ownership to the author of the work according to the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Deed as listed here
II. Setting -Ninja Factions
-Ninja Culture
-Pirate Culture
-Pirate Factions
-Wanderer Culture
-Wanderer Factions
-The Three Legendary Heroes:
The Great Ninja Hero, Ellipsis:
The Dreaded Pirate, Two-Eyed Pete:
The Eternal Wanderer, The Raven:
III. The System -Attributes
-The Dice
-Awesome Points
-The Rule of 10
-The Kurosawa Corollary
-Death
-Abilities
-Combat
-Skill Checks
-Creation and Advancing the Character
-On Buffs and Debuffs
-Non-Factioned Abilities:
Ninja Abilities
Pirate Abilities
Wanderer Abilities
World Backstory:
Every universe has that one rule.
That's not to say that there's more than one rule (It's almost certainly guaranteed), but every universe that ever has and ever will exist has one rule that defines it and defines how it runs.
For some universes, that rule is that good and evil are in constant opposition. Other universes could care less about moral philosophy and are merely based around the unbiased eye of science. Universes based around imagination. Universe based around rigid numbers and logic. Universes based on multiple religious beliefs. There's even Universes that base themselves around the rule that men in purple pointy hats and pajamas wielding a stick are the most powerful form of evolution. Undoubtedly, these universes would make little to no sense to each other if they ever met. But every universe takes its one rule seriously.
For one universe, that even the Gods dare not speak of, that rule is simply as follows: "Pirates and Ninjas were born to fight".
No one knows exactly what it is that draws Ninjas and Pirates to fight each other, but they have fought harshly since the dawn of time. Some believe that it's because of cultural difference in opinions. While Ninjas are cold, logical, and live by codes, Pirates live a life of wild abandon, freedom, and impulsiveness. Others believe that it's because the first two beings to exist in the universe were the first pirate and ninja and one merely told an insult so harsh that it led to an eternal blood feud.
Historically, the world was a blood bath. The two sides fought eternally, taking no prisoners. No one was safe from the violent and ferocious wave of war.
Eventually, people grew tired of the constant fighting and began forsaking the way of the pirate and the ninja. These people, believing in a middle path or no path at all, called themselves the Wanderers. By growing large enough, the Pirates and Ninjas were forced to form peace treaties and cease fires or threaten being overwhelmed by the Wanderers.
And so, civil society knew a shaky peace for over 1,000 years. However, all peaces are temporary and this was no exception.
Just 30 years ago, an Artifact was discovered. An artifact that was believed to be a piece of the Gods themselves. This artifact was simply known as "The Takara". The Ninjas believed that touching the Takara would lead to ultimate enlightenment. The Pirates believed that touching the Takara would lead to one hell of a buzz. Fighting was inevitable.
A great Wanderer, known only as the Raven, came up with a quick solution. A fighting tournament would be held to determine which side was more worthy of the Takara.
The tournament went on for days.
In the end, only a pirate named Two-eyed Pete, and a ninja named Ellipsis remained. These were two people of such immeasurable power that all modern Pirate and Ninja techniques descend from their fighting styles.
Their fight was supposed to be the determining factor on which side would control the Takara, but something unusual happened. Neither opponent showed up for the fight.
A quick search of the premises revealed that the Takara was nowhere to be found. Neither was Two-Eyed Pete, Ellipsis, or the Raven. The Pirates blamed Ellipsis. The Ninjas blamed Two-Eyed Pete. The Wanderers blamed the failure on The Raven.
The full-scale war between the Pirates and the Ninjas resumed. Nations were torn apart and people were forced to ally with one side or the other.
Ever since then, neither of the three has been seen, except for some obscure rumors. Various theories on what happened have been presented, but none of these have stopped the fighting. Did one of the three members steal the Takara? Did a different party take the Takara and cause the disappearance of 3 powerful warriors? Were The Raven, Ellipsis, and Two-Eyed Pete all working together?
Who knows?
WHO CARES!?
While some individuals still seek out the Takara and the Legendary Three Warriors, a good number of people have decided to use the situation to their advantage. With a world in chaos, the opportunity for adventure and profit is great. For a young adventurer, there are monsters to fight, treasure to find, fame to gain, and ultimate power to be found.
There are three factions in Pirates vs. Ninjas. Which one your character belongs to will generally determine which stance your character takes on life. Ninja Society values honor, order, laws, and tradition while Pirates value freedom and fun over anything else. The Wanderers seek to either find a balance between these two cultures, or just flat out don't care.
Some people may mistake this as a choice that other systems call "alignment". Despite general leanings towards tradition and freedom, both Pirates and Ninja society generally support the war and have their fair share of both good and evil heroes. There are even wicked Wanderers who seek to use the fighting between the Pirates and Ninjas for profit, and seek to prolong the war.
One might also assume that Pirates, Ninjas, and Wanderers cannot be in the same party. This is simply not true.
While the entire world is at war, there are still those that are not taking part. With so many people at war, the jobs of digging up hidden treasures and finding hidden techniques have gone without notice. Despite their differences, no Pirate or Ninjas is entirely immune to the draw of treasure and more power.
A good number of Pirates and Ninjas have realized the advantage of having members of opposing factions on their teams. There are certain places and things that both sides can go to and do that the other side cannot. They're just too handy not to have around. There are still arguments over methods, but a lot of these arguments merely amount to nothing more than friendly rivalry when long-time comrades are concerned.
So, for the most part, the majority of people generally do not care about the war. They grew up in peacetime, and they're not going to let some artifact they never had a chance of getting get in the way of long time relationships.
Just don't show your "comrades" or the techniques he taught you to your buddies within your faction. They might not take to it as kindly.
Even barring that, the Wanderers have no problems hiring Ninjas AND Pirates. Even the most hardened Ninjas and Pirates tend to honor their contracts, no matter who they have to work with. Ninja society tells you to never let emotions get to far in the way of the job. Pirate society is too greedy to let some "stick up butt" ninja to get in the way of a quick buck.
So, there is very little keeping the average ninja from working with the average pirate. Only the biggest extremists would rather die, and those extremists that are generally strong enough to live long enough to get to any position of power are generally powerful enough to not need friends.
Ninja Culture:
Spoiler
Naming Conventions: While Ninjas have normal names like Hiro, Daisuke, and Bethany, Ninjas prefer to give themselves professional names based on their skills and killing methods. This can lead to very cool sounding or very stupid sounding code names. For every "Invisible Dart" or "Acrobatic Drop", there's a "Flypaper Pornography" or "Surprise Necksnap".
Attitudes:Ninjas are raised at a young age to idealize tradition and honor. Ninjas also tend to focus on the perfection of the mind and body and take great pride in difficult and sometimes deadly training. They tend to dislike Pirate's slack attitudes and a general willingness to fight dirty.
Progression in Ninja society is usually based on Mission success and accomplishments that help the whole. Ninjas are also frequently promoted based on the number of techniques they know. An optimal ruler should be flexible in battle.
A Ninja will usually favor precision over damage in combat and prefers to reserve his endurance efficiently. If they can't outsmart their opponent, they have failed as a ninja. They also prefer to avoid damage entirely than to absorb it. Because of this, Ninjas tend to train more heavily in the Precision and Agility stats then Body and Will.
Territories: Ninja controlled cities are generally very organized in nature. This goes along with their ethos of tradition, honor, and law. While Ninjas have their own personalities. There is a reverence for the establishment and a general idea of the group over the individual. Ninja cities are ruthlessly efficient, but also have some of the strictest laws.
Ninja Factions:
Spoiler
Evadinja: A more traditional sort of Ninja, the Evadinja prefer moving quickly and dodging blows to hurting their foes. Their teachings center around increased mobility and stealth. Evadinja tend to be arrogant of their skill. If you can't be hit, it doesn't matter how little damage you deal. You will eventually win. Of course, the average Evandinja has the stamina of asthmatic toddler, but none of them would ever admit that. Still, being the school that invented the ability to run on water (a technique that most ninjas feel is a powerful weapon against pirates), they have garnered some respect from their peers.
Rokinja: An incredibly new school of Ninja that focused on the usage of musical instruments as a device for assassination. While a lot of young ninja have joined this school for the opportunity to blow someone's head off with a guitar solo, the actual masters of this school put up a very calm appearance. While not heavily respected, the Rokinja have gotten a little bit of reputation from a few notable assassins. With a style where you literally can't see the attacks, it becomes difficult for people to dodge and who doesn't enjoy a good facemelter?
Shoninja: The Shoninja are the school the other ninja just refuse to talk about. Proving themselves to be everything a Ninja generally isn't, Shoninja are closer to pirates than Ninjas. They're loud, boorish, and rely on inner-strength and power over stealth and tactics. Still, they've gained a reputation for a certain amount of blunt efficiency. Their power and ability to damage their foes is greater than most pirate schools of combat and may even be a match for the strongest ones. Combined with their school's secret ninja techniques (each of which is quite powerful), nothing can stop them once in full force. If only they wouldn't stop screwing up the other Ninjas' stealth checks.
Hitinja: Another old school of ninja combat, the Hitinja focus on brutal accuracy. While not as dodgey as their brothers the Evadinja, the Hitinja rarely, if ever, miss their target. An experienced Hitinja can disarm an opponent and slit his throat in a matter of seconds. The Hitinja also have a number of brutal techniques that can penetrate even the strongest pirate defenses and even knock out a foe in one hit. Not a group to be trifled with.
Feykinja: The Feykinja are a rather mysterious group of Ninjas who focus on Illusions and perceptions. What they lack in power, agility, or precision, they more than make up for in control. Due to a pretty heavy lack of damaging moves, Feykinja are more likely than others to spread out into other schools. This gives them a reputation of being wayward vagabonds among the ninjas, but every young ninja would be lying if he said he didn't envy some of their more powerful techniques.
Shadinja: One of the few surviving Ninja school that existed before Ellipsis, the Shadinja are an ancient order that focus on the usage of shadows to their advantage. They were once a feared and powerful group. That was until some stupid pirate discovered that you could use an eyepatch to see in the dark and negate a good 90% of their skills. Forced to restructure how they fought, the Shadinja are back and ready to show the world what they can really do.
Dr. inja: Medical Ninjas that use their advanced knowledge of the body to help heal it or harm it.
Pirate Culture:
Spoiler
Naming Conventions: Pirates prefer to pick nicknames based on outstanding physical attributes or accomplishments. This is usually a way of bragging to other pirates, but nicknames can also be chosen by fellow crewmates and be derogatory in extreme circumstances. "Iron Leg Johnson", "Swift Hands Phil", and "Runaway Jim" are all possible pirate names. Due to the commonness of the attribute, there are nearly hundreds of "Peg-legged ____" or "One-eyed _____". It's not recommended if a pirate wants respect.
Attitudes:Pirates are free spirits at nature. They enjoy partying, the breeze on their face, treasure, adventure, and everything that comes with it. Of course, this leads to a clash with Ninja society, which is very orderly and structured.
Pirates prefer small groups to large organizations. Pirate rankings are almost always determined by the Leader's ability to either inspire trust or fear in his crew. Whether it's because he can beat up everyone on his ship, or because he's actually competent is often a big debate. Despite their more smaller groups, Pirates are not without organization. A well-trained crew knows their parts in and out and with more intimacy, and (although, high-ranking Ninjas are remiss to admit it) with a lot better understanding than most ninjas in high positions. A close-knit crew is a terrifying thing to behold.
Pirates prefer to fight with Panache and Flare. They take hits and they deal them out with explosive results. A battle is won with a man's spirit and the fire of his heart, and with nothing else. A smart pirate is not entirely uncommon, but it's far better to be brave. Pirates generally favor the Body and Will stats over Precision and Agility.
Territories:Pirates are nomadic by nature and don't like to stay in one place. Their territory is wherever they call home that week or the open seas. The Pirate controlled cities that do exist are mostly dens of thieves. Very little organization. The strongest guy in town usually rules with an iron fist. Laws are thrown out with reckless abandon. If someone manages to run a respectable business in a pirate town and actually get customers to pay, he is a fearsome man to be reckoned with.
Pirate Factions:
Spoiler
Arrcrobats: When people talk about agile and daring swashbucklers, they're talking about Arrcrobats. Arrcrobats love to use their surroundings to their advantage and can turn any terrain or item into a deadly weapon. Arrcrobats value flexibility and momentum above everything else in combat. In most pirate crews, Arrcrobats find themselves being the second in command or even the leader. Although,they're not against job where their sizeable agility is in demand.
The Charrismatic Lord: The Charrismatic Lords are the natural leaders of the Pirate factions. They focus their talents on commanding groups of people effectively. Legend even has it that some Lords can negate the Kurosawa Corollary. Great liars and leaders, Charrismatic Lords almost always find themselves as captains. Don't let the fact that they spend most of their time organizing their crew fool you though. Charrismatic Lords are accomplished swordsmen that use their rapier wit to help sharpen the edge of their actual rapier. Insult Sword-fighting Anyone?
Gunnars: When most people think of the Gunnars, they think of accuracy and precision mixed with speed. Gunnars know their projectile weapons like the back of their hand, and many fighters fear them for their ability to keep their distance. What people often forget is that Gunnars are also accomplished mechanics and will often be the one keeping the engine running on a pirate ship. They LOVE tinkering and inventing. As a matter of fact, the majority of the members of G&W (the head Engineering Guild) are Gunnars themselves. It's a true shame to the style if a Gunnar didn't make his own gun.
Drunkarrds: Drunkards are a rather unusual group of Pirate. Unlike the Drunken Masters of the wanderers, Drunkarrds prefer to use their love of the brew in a more direct way. A true Drunkarrd has a near infinite tolerance for pain and super human strength. They make excellent workers on a ship. Sure. They're not the brightest burning lamps in the shed, but who's going to argue when they can lift a cannon over their head?
Charreographers: A group that formed in order to counter the deadly arts of the Rokinja, the Charreographers are a group of pirates that have learned to use dance as a weapon against their foes. They have been affectionately named "Fops" by their peers, but apart from the Charristmatic Lords, no one can organize a crew better. Besides, the jokes usually stop when two Charreographers take down a foe in perfect symmetry.
Carpentarrs: Not much here. Summary coming. They're way different from Craftsmen in the sense that they're the Pirate equivalent of supernatural doctors. Yes. They make peg legs.
Wanderer Culture:
Spoiler
Naming Conventions: Wanderers mostly have normal names like "John". This is because Wanderers, more than anyone else, are likely to take up traditional jobs that are required for a stable town and economy. This doesn't mean they aren't extraordinary. Due to the laws of the universe, EVERYONE is extraordinary at something. This goes without saying. There's no need for John the shopkeep to have a nickname. Everyone already knows John makes the best chairs in town that stay intact when the rest of the tavern burns down. He doesn't need a nickname. Everyone knows which John you're talking about.
The Wanderers that do decide to go out and travel are still prone to nicknames though. There's no real rhyme or reason on their names though. It just whatever they feel like calling themselves. The Raven got his nickname for his general cleverness and his constant moving from town to town. It's just something that stuck.
Attitudes:Wanderer attitudes come in 2 flavors. Balance and Apathy. Some Wanderers want to change the laws of the world. They see truth in both the paths of the Ninjas and the Pirates and even go so far as to see similarities. They may be onto something. As free as Pirates are, they still like to stick to the idea of "honor amongst thieves" and can be unshakably loyal to their companions. On the other hand, Ninjas with all their law and tradition, love the thrill of a job and the acquirement of a new treasure or technique. These Wanderers want to see the war between the two sides end, or even want to ascend to that impossible concept, the Ninja-Pirate.
Other Wanderers just don't give a crap. This isn't so much Apathy as necessity. Society doesn't run well in extremes and middle of the road average Joes are necessary for the world to run. As mentioned before, everyone in this universe is extraordinary at something, but not everyone feels the need to apply it to war or adventure. These people are content with having kids, owning stores, or just wandering the world taking in its beauty without having to worry about anything complex.
Of course, people in this last group can often be incredibly powerful to survive the harsh atmosphere of the world and find themselves frequently caught up in conflicts as Wandering strangers. Sometimes they'll end up helping Pirates. Sometimes they'll end up helping Ninjas. It all really depends on the circumstances and who gives the Wanderer some food and a bed (or who has the more attractive people).
Territories: The Wanderers originally did just that. Wander. However, a good majority of them live in what most people would call normal cities. Pirates and Ninjas are allowed to come and go through the city as they please, but very frequently choose not to settle down in these cities for a lack of satisfaction for their own principles. They're too organic for Ninjas' liking, and they're too quiet for Pirates' liking. These range from trade outposts to full-blown kingdoms.
Although, oddly, a lot of farmboys in these towns seem to take up the mantle of "adventurer". It's a weird phenomena that no one can really explain.
Wanderer Factions:
Spoiler
Drunken Masters: A bit different from the Drunkarrds, Drunken Masters prefer to use their love of alcohol to increase their agility, flexibility, and unpredictability. They've mastered the entire thing into a fighting art that is as ridiculous as it is deadly. Ninjas desire their arts for their potency and grace, but are often unwilling to put up with the ridiculous techniques and training to learn it while Drunkarrds just are too drunk to care.
Wandering Minstrels: A good portion of Ninja know of the Rokinja, but what the majority of them don't know is that the style was inspired by the Wandering Minstrels of the Wanderers. The Wandering Minstrels are powerful foes that use their soothing voice to weave tales, control minds, and bolster allies. While some people find them silly, their arts can be quite deadly in application. Needless to say, large-scale fights between Rokinja, Charreographers, and Wandering Minstrels are as epic as they are musical.
Craftsmen: A common school studied by peasants and commoners. The Craftsmen are a united group that believe in doing one thing and doing it well. They craft. While not a very combat-oriented group, the Craftsmen are well-respected by almost everyone. Those that don't respect them quickly learn to do so the hard way. A vast majority of goods are made by Craftsmen. Piss one off, and you may find yourself in a leaky boat. On top of that, older Craftsmen seem to have the supernatural power to become powerful when in their store or tavern.
Luckies: Not particularly talented or smart, no one can really tell if someone is a Lucky or just an idiot until it's too late. Luckies don't so much as train as choose to relax and enjoy themselves. Some believe this puts the Luckies in tune with the true nature of the universe, but the Luckies think that's too complicated to bother with. Whether it's intentional or not, Luckies are incredibly powerful and have the ability to turn the tide of probability itself. Fate demands that they survive.
Gamblers: Well-loved friends of pirates and enemies of their pocket books. Gamblers have a soft-spot for games and love to challenge opponents to them whenever they can. Some may think that this would make them lousy combatants, but their loves of games of chance has given them a rare insight into combat. Masters of hidden and thrown weapons and risky gambits, gamblers are one of the most unusual things anyone could hope to fight. God help you if he's a Lucky and a Gambler.
Cowboys: No summary yet, but you knew they were coming.
Alchemists: Men of Science beyond the mechanical realm of Gunnars seekers of immortality and great powers. They use potions and salves to cure any ailment and give their friends or themselves fantastic powers. Alchemists are well known for their ability to hit opponents with all sorts of elemental attacks.
The Three Legendary Heroes:
The Raven, Ellipsis, and Two-Eyed Pete are legends and should be treated as such. It's unlikely any of your players will ever meet these VERY formidable foes. Still, players and GMs being like they are, the temptation will be there. If the temptation proves too great, the following should be used as a baseline for their stats.
-Body, Will, Precision, and Agility are all at an 11 (yes, they go to 11 even though the stats are capped at 10).
-Since they founded all modern styles, they will inevitably know every technique in their group except custom techniques for the players
This is just a baseline though, and does not represent their full power. Each of the these people is powerful enough to turn a war on their own. A group of rookie adventurers should be little challenge for them, and the only way they should be seeing a victory against them is if one of them is going easy on the party.
Ye have been warned.
The Great Ninja Hero, Ellipsis:
Spoiler
There is rarely an argument to Ellipsis' skill, and those that dared found themselves quickly silenced. In the time that Ellipsis was active, he founded over 100 schools for training Ninjas. Each of them with a different style. Ellipsis is considered to be a grandmaster of them all.
As previously mentioned, Ninjas gain their professional name based on how they kill their foes or their technique. Both of these are accurate for Ellipsis, who is famous for two things. First, no one has ever heard Ellipsis speak and lived to tell the tale. Secondly, Ellipsis' victims never get to utter a word or hear a sound before they are dead. Thus, Ellipsis's name became "..." to represent a silence so quiet it could not even have a sound to name it. Of course, this was a pain for young ninja to pronounce. So, everyone started pronouncing it Ellipsis.
As can be expected, there isn't much known about Ellipsis. He never let down his guard, never spoke, and never opened up to anyone. Anyone that Ellipsis may have given this information to is either loyal enough to not talk or dead. All that's known is that Ellipsis never failed a job in his time as a professional and that he was a warrior with no peer in skill except maybe the other two heroes.
This doesn't keep the rumors from coming though. Some people believe Ellipsis is a mute. Others believe his tongue was cut out at a young age by a Pirate and he picked up the life of a Ninja to vow revenge. Others still believe that Ellipsis isn't actually a human but a raw manifestation of the Universe's ninja energies.
Perhaps the most interesting rumor, though, is that Ellipsis was not a he at all, but rather a she.
There's no real way to substantiate the claim, but small whispers have spread that Ellipsis was really a woman, and chose to conceal her identity.
Ninja society is far from sexist, but it can be a little too traditional at times. While there have been plenty of accomplished Female ninja throughout history, their roles have been less violent and physical then men. These great women of Ninja history are respected for their accomplishments, but some Kunoichi (female ninja) feel that traditions can be constraining. Some villages even go as far to not teach proper assassination techniques to female members. While this tradition is incredibly uncommon nowadays, it still exists, and certainly would've been more popular when Ellipsis was born.
Ellipsis' parents might have chosen to conceal her identity in an attempt to avoid such detection in the village she was brought up in. It was literally a choice of meeting her destiny as the ultimate ninja or showing her identity. Like all truly destined heroes, she made her choice to follow a path to greatness. If true, this rumor would explain Ellipsis' permanent silence and refusal to open up. Either of these would've revealed her identity as a woman at some point and might have change her destiny if the wrong people found out.
Regardless of what's true, Ellipsis hasn't shown up since the disappearance of the Takara, and it's doubtful he/she will show up again. So, his/her full story will have to remain a mystery.
The Dreaded Pirate, Two-Eyed Pete:
Spoiler
Two-eye Pete is everything every pirate wants to be. He's charming, he's talented, he's athletic, he's clever, and he can outdrink an entire tavern. His very will shakes the foundation of the Earth.
His rather unusual nickname is one of great respect and a rather big insight into his psyche. Two-eyed Pete does indeed have both of his eyes intact. However, most people wouldn't know this from meeting him. Most of the time when Two-Eyed Pete shows up in public, he is seen wearing an eyepatch. For the longest time in his career, people thought this was because he had lost that eye. The truth came out when he fought an opponent that looked like he might defeat Two-eyed Pete (known then as just Hard Luck Pete). It looked certain that Pete had been defeated when he removed the eyepatch to reveal a healthy eye. Pete had only been wearing the eyepatch as a handicap to his foe. Without depth perception, he was significantly handicapped. His foe, a man named "Swift Hands Mackenzie", had proven himself worthy of a true fight. He was quickly and soundly defeated by Two-eyed Pete, who gained his new nickname at the same time.
Two-eyed Pete continued this style of fighting up until his disappearance. Some people have even provided as little of a challenge that Pete felt it necessary to wear a blindfold.
While not as thoughtful or clever as the other two great heroes, Two-Eyed Pete is still surprisingly clever and quite the inventor. While he is responsible for some of the more obnoxious and boorish techniques out there, a lot of people forget that Pete also founded G&W (Goggles and Wrench. The guild responsible for the invention of steam hydraulics).
Eternally attractive, Two-eyed Pete found himself with no shortage of potential lovers of both sexes, but there is no record of Pete having any significant other. Baffled as to why, some Pirate's believe that behind such a great man, there may have been an even greater woman or even man. Others just choose to believe that romance got in the way of his spirit of adventure. Others still believe that Pete had his heart broken as a young boy and swore never to love again. Regardless, his face is still used as an advertising symbol for many.
G&W has continued to run fine even after the disappearance of their leader. Some say that some of the older members of the Guild even known of Two-eyed Pete's whereabouts. If they do. No one's telling.
The Eternal Wanderer, The Raven:
Spoiler
Of the Legendary three heroes, The Raven commands the least and most respect simultaneously. This is mostly because of his absolute refusal to interfere in matters of politics or war.
A true symbol of what made the Wanderers get their name in the first place, The Raven was a simple man who liked simple pleasures and preferred to not stay too long in one place. He showed the most public face of the three, but had an aura about him of normalcy that meant that most people did not know they had even met the Raven. He wasn't one to flaunt his identity.
As a matter of fact, the majority of the Raven's fights have been against people who have mistaken him for a dull and powerless vagabond. Even now, some people believe that the Raven that suggested the idea of the tournament for the Takara was not the real one, and that somewhere, the real Raven is flying from town to town enjoying himself.
The few times The Raven has interfered in what he called "smaller affairs" have been momentous victories. From taking out a Crime Boss to taking down an army with a force consisting of poorly armed peasants, the Raven is the very essence of a master tactician, while still a competent enough warrior to take an army on by himself. Amazingly enough, despite his importance in these events few people still know what he looks like.
This, of course, made it a shock when The Raven showed up and suggested the tournament that would cause the second great Ninja/Pirate war. If anyone else had suggested it though, it's likely no one would have listened. Considering his reputation, some even believed that he planned this war and still has even greater plans for the world at large. Sinister plans to take over the world.
...Or he could be enjoying a beer at a local tavern in a small Hamlet. You never know.
There are four base attributes and 2 derived attributes in Pirates vs. Ninjas. These numbers affect numerous abilities, your life total, your ability to hit, your ability to dodge, your ability to take a hit, etc. They are the very basis of your character and what he/she can do. They are as follows:
Physical Attributes: Body- This is your stat that effects how healthy and well-built you are. It helps to determine your Life total and how well you do physical tasks that require strength or resistance. Players also reduce all damage taken from attacks by their body score divided in half (rounded down) and do damage on basic 0 cost attacks equal to half their body (rounded up).
Agility- Your character's physical agility. This determines how well you preform acrobatic and fine motor tests. This stat is also used to determine your reaction, and is used the vast majority of the time to dodge attacks.
Mental Attributes: Precision- This stat represents your ability to perceive the world around you and to act accurately on it. This attribute represents your ability to notice things, piece facts together, your general intelligence that is not gained through abilities or experience, and your ability to hit your foes. It also helps to determine your reaction attribute. Half of this stat rounded up is also the character's raw damage with guns.
Will- Your force of your personality. Your soul. That extra bit that can't quite be explained. This is your will. Your will represents your social capability and charm, your ability to resist certain mental effects, and your ability to keep it together when every other one of your attributes fails. This stat is the very forcefulness of your soul. It is also used to help determine your life total.
Derived Attributes: Life- Your life total is equal to your (body + will) * 10. This represents your total energy. It's not only your health points, but what you use to charge your special attacks as well. The more life you have, the more often you can use bigger and flashier attacks.
Reaction- This stat is the average of your agility and precision (rounded up). This is rolled every turn to determine what order players act in, in the round.
All attributes except Life are CAPPED at 10. The only exceptions to this are extreme (Gods, the Three Legendary Heroes, Aspects of the universe itself), and should not effect the average player.
The Dice:
Spoiler
All dice rolls in Ninjas vs. Pirates are handled by 2 six-sided dice. There are no automatic successes, automatic failures, or critical hits (except in the case of Awesome Points).
Since stats and bonuses are capped at 10, this does mean that there is ALWAYS a chance for a character with a minimum 1 bonus to defeat an opponent with a capped 10 bonus. However, the chances of a one person rolling a 2 on 2d6 and the other rolling a 12 on 2d6 is roughly 1 in 1000.
Ties should be rerolled.
Damage is handled automatically by abilities.
Awesome Points:
Spoiler
Every character has a fate or a destiny. Sometimes, this path can shine through anything and causes the character to become more than the sum of their scores. These points allow the character to do very amazing things in the face of adversity.
Awesome Points allow a character to:
-Add a +2 bonus per point spent to a roll that can break a total 10 modifier. Assume a minimum +1 modifier on a roll BEFORE adding this bonus (So, the minimum roll for 1 awesome point is at a +3 total). Capped at a +6 (3 Awesome points).
-Declare an automatic success on a roll for 5 Awesome Points (this will be the minimum success if the player could not achieve it otherwise). If an automatic to hit and defense are declared, the defense wins.
-Turn a roll of 12 or an Automatic Success on an attack roll into a critical hit that does double damage for 1 Awesome Point
-Power some high level abilities.
-Allow a player to edit a scene in some minor way. (ie. Claim they have an old contact in town, make the chandelier above them loose so it can drop on people, etc).
-Go first in a turn.
-Gain the usage of a known non-passive untrained ability on an item without the Life penalty for 1 combat.
-Increase an attribute score by 1 until next action per point spent. Maximum +3. This count towards the maximum +6 bonus if combined with the +2 bonus.
-Gain 10 Life instantly.
-Do 10 extra damage on an attack.
-Interpose for an ally within reasonable distance.
These can be earned one of two ways. Great failure or great success.
Great failure means that a player voluntarily takes a set-back when it is inconvenient. At any time, a player can declare that they automatically fail on a roll. This MUST be declared before the roll is made, unless the player succeeded otherwise and still chooses to fail. The GM may choose to give the player an extra awesome point if the situation merits it.
The player then gains a number of Awesome points that are dictated by Karma to balance the act out. These rolls should ALWAYS be for the benefit of making the story more interesting and increasing the enjoyment of the game. Screwing over your fellow players intentionally should not gain awesome points. The number of points rewarded are up to the GM, but the general guidelines for handing them out should be as follows.
1 point- The player suffers a moderate set-back (intentionally takes a decent hit they could have easily dodged, fails a check they should have made that would've helped them significantly, etc.). This usually makes the character look like a fool, sets up for a bit of comedy, but doesn't have a lasting impact past the scene. Example: A player fumbles his awesome super attack against a mundane mook that he can normally 1-shot and suffers a decent Life drain from the attack's requirement.
2 points- The players suffers a major set-back. This is the same as the 1-point version, but to a larger extreme. This represents more long term problems. This includes intentionally taking a hit that equals at least 50% of their max hp, failing a crucial roll, or letting a villain pull off his major attack that cripples the character in some way. Example: A character lets a villain put him under the effects of an illusion.
3 points- The players suffers a severe set-back. The results of this should be long term for a player. The results of this intentional failure should put a character effectively out of a combat, force them to lose a contact, get banished from a city, get captured by the villains. Example: A player botches a stealth roll and gets caught by the entire town guard and becomes a wanted man.
4 points- The player suffers a CATASTROPHIC set-back. This is the absolute limit. Nothing short of putting the character's very existence on the line should get this award. This includes failing a roll that knocks a character down to 0 life in one hit in a death duel, failing to sense that the villain is lying about what he wants the magical mcguffin for and giving it to him, and anything else that puts that character in absolute mortal danger but advances the plot.
If a player tries to abuse this method to gain too many awesome points, he or she should feel free to award less or stop rewarding them entirely until the player spends some of them. The point is not to hoard 20 of them and 1 shot the boss.
The second Method of gaining Awesome points is to do something awesome. This should include the player using abilities together in some way that drops everyone else's jaws at the table. The player should still roll for it, but if they pull it off, they should get a number of awesome points to compensate for the risk.
Gm's should determine what to give their players on an individual basis, but the general rule of thumb should be.
1 point- Kinda cool. It breaks from the boredom, but it's not particularly too amazing. Minor stunts like back-flips off of trees into diving attacks.
2 points- Cool stunt. This should be something fairly new and original and really set or make a scene. A cool speech, a super acrobatic stunt that defies this universe's very small grasp on gravity, something that all the players enjoy.
3 points- Absolutely amazing. This should be jaw-droppingly cool, get the entire table laughing or watching. The kind of move that steals the entire scene. A shining moment of awesomeness. Something that players will talk about all session.
4 points- Mind-blowing. This is the absolute pinnacle. It should be something the players have never done before and will likely never do again. This is the kind of moment that players talk about even in different campaigns and never forget. These are those once in a campaign amazing super moments. Use this reward sparingly.
The Rule of 10:
Spoiler
As said before. All stats and bonuses are capped at 10 (without the inclusion of Awesome points to enhance the roll). With some accurate attacks and abilities, it's possible to get a roll's effective modifier or attribute score above 10. Instead of dropping the score down, there's a way to give the player a bonus for their efforts.
In the case of a roll to hit with or dodge an attack, just use the effective modifier as long as the difference between the scores is less than 10.
Should the difference between the two rolls be more than 10, set the difference at 10 and take the extra bonuses left over and multiply it by 5. If it's a to-hit roll, the attack gains this much extra damage. If it's a dodge roll, the attack is reduced in damage by twice that number if it should hit.
In the case of a roll to give or resist a special effect like an illusion, any extra bonuses are applied as follows. If the attacker has the bonus, he gets to apply the effect to an extra target for each point over 10. If the defender has the bonus, he gives the effect of his roll to an extra target for each point over 10. This isn't too useful in resisting an initial effect, but if the entire party is under an effect, this can pull them out by his own pure force of will.
Outside of combat, a player may get a bonus on a certain skill roll from abilities that sets him over 10. At this point, it is up to the GM what happens, but the effect should either extend to extra targets equal to the number (in the case of something like a Jump check), give extra information (in the case of knowledge checks), or give an extra unintended positive side-effect all based on how far the check went over 10.
For abilities that use a stat as a determining factor to damage or number of hits or some other effect (like Bullet Dance or Torrential Hurricane Strike or Royal Flush), cap the stat at 10 unless awesome points are used to raise it above 10.
If Body or Will is taken over 10 with abilities, the user still gains life from the attribute increase unless otherwise specified.
The Kurosawa Corollary:
Spoiler
It's one of the basic rules of the universe. When a large number of enemies outnumber a force severely, the smaller force will become more powerful. This has allowed 1 pirate to beat a hoard of 100 ninja, and vice-versa. Needless to say, most people prefer to send a small number of skilled assassins to fight skilled foes, rather than a large gank squad. Some people are still dumb enough to try it, but most people learn their lesson after the first attempt.
To simulate this powerful effect, there is one simple rule.
For every time a force outnumbers a smaller force by a factor of 2, that force takes an external -1 penalty to ALL ROLLS.
So, if a force is outnumbered 2 to 1. The larger force is at a -1 to all rolls. If they are instead outnumbered 4 to 1, the larger force is at a -2 to all rolls. 8 times their size, and their at a -3. Always round up to the next penalty for this effect. So, a pirate surrounded by 100 ninjas is giving a total -7 to all of the surrounding ninjas' rolls down to a minimum of 1. If he's anywhere near their skill level, he should be able to take down the majority of them before getting tired.
It should also be noted that when a force outnumbers another force 16 to 1 or greater, the foes in that force will fall in 1 hit to the enemy forces' blows, the force rolls 1 roll at the LOWEST score in the group for dodge or hit, the number of targets the opponent can target per attack is increased by their highest primary attribute. This is doubled for every time the force is doubled after that. So, 1000 to 1 force may find themselves more than decimated by 1 mildly talented ninja.
This, of course, does include the players. They are not exceptions to this rule. If 4 players outnumber 1 boss of skill equal to theirs, all the players are at a -2 to all rolls. Something to think about before getting a bunch of allies to gank 1 ninja.
There are ways to negate the Corollary. A few abilities allow characters to offset the effect temporarily. Also, a player can choose to challenge a foe to a 1 on 1 match. If the opponent accepts and the player's allies honor it, the corollary is broken unless someone breaks the challenge's rules. This is regardless of whether the allies are fighting anything in the background.
Death:
Spoiler
Death is shockingly uncommon in Pirates vs. Ninjas. Both Pirates and Ninjas prefer a live hostage to a dead one. They're just more fun to mess with, and dead men don't give away military secrets. So, there's some kind of unspoken pact. You don't kill a person unless they asked for it.
Of course, monsters in the outlying areas don't honor this pact, but you at least know the super powerful ninja that defeats your entire party won't stab you while you're unconscious. Just take you prisoner.
Of course, Death still happens. Some people hate each other too much to live. When a Pirate and a Ninja hate each other very much and it's dramatically appropriate, something beautiful happens. It's called a Death Duel.
The word duel is misleading. This can happen between 2 opponents or 2 opposing armies or even an army vs. 1 man. The only condition is that both sides agree to it ahead of time with the other side's life as the stake.
At this point, combat becomes deadly. If a character is knocked down, an opponent merely needs to go over to the fallen foe and finish the job with one last attack that automatically hits. Of course, an opponent doesn't HAVE to kill at this point, but there's little reason to declare a Death Duel if you do not want the opponent dead.
Wounds in a Death Duel are more severe then ones in a regular duel. These are intended to kill a victim and hurt him in the worst way possible with a precision that wandering monsters don't have. If an opponent is knocked out and doesn't get medical attention (even if the opponent left him or her alive) they will surely die if not attended to in minutes. Even if they survive after this, the wounds heals at a tenth their normal rate, and most healing abilities cannot speed up this process.
Maybe you'll think twice before you REALLY want to kill that rival.
Abilities:
Spoiler
Abilities are the base unit of character progression in Pirates vs. Ninjas. These cover passive bonuses and special attacks alike. They literally ARE your character.
Characters will receive experience at the end of each session. This is used to eventually train in abilities or to increase their attribute scores when they have the time to focus (in other words, not in the middle of a dungeon or a government official's house).
Abilities are given levels. These represent the difficulty of learning the ability and its general power-level. They level from 1-6.
Level 1 abilities are simple little exercises that are on instruction manuals anywhere and anyone can learn.
Level 2 abilities are abilities that require a little bit of physical training, but anyone that knows the ability can teach it to you.
Level 3 abilities are similar to level 2 abilities, but level 3 ninja abilities require the insight of a full-blown teacher and not just some smuck.
Level 4 abilities are difficult abilities that absolutely require a master of the style to learn. They are also the pinnacle that a member of an opposing side can learn. So, pirates can only learn up to level 4 Ninja and Wanderer abilities, but only a Pirate can learn a level 5 or 6 pirate ability.
Level 5 The ultimate attack that defines a style of fighting. These are usually named after the people that invented it and are only known by a handful of people. These make excellent quest rewards.
Level 6 A frightening technique that can shake nations. Only the most powerful of individuals can learn these. These are generally reserved for powerful bosses, powerful monsters, or the three legendary heroes. Players will generally never get one of these, and if they do, you can be sure they went on a LONG quest to learn it.
Abilities are formatted as such. Ability Name (The name of the ability)
Ability Level (The level and side it belongs to. Ie. Ninja 2)
Life Cost: (The amount of Life this ability takes to use. Some abilities are passive and take none)
Description: (What the ability does.)
So, an example ability would be. Water Walking
Ninja 1
Life Cost: 1/turn
Description: When this ability to active, the user can walk and run on water at their normal speed as if it were solid ground.
Combat:
Spoiler
Combat is fairly simple in Ninjas vs. Pirates. Once combat has been declared, players quickly write down the attack they will be using in the first round on a sheet of paper. Once this has been written, it cannot be changed. all people involved roll their reaction. The person with the highest reaction goes first that turn. If there is a tie. Use the LOWER overall reaction score for the purposes of determining who goes first.
Players then are given one action for moving and one action for attacking or doing something of similar complexity. Much like other systems, this extra action can be used to move farther. Characters can move a number of squares equal to the higher of their agility or body times 2. So, a character with a 2 agility and 4 body would move 8 squares in an action.
A player with a higher reaction can hold their turn. At any point during someone else's turn, they can interrupt that turn and take their FULL turn. The other player then finishes his or her turn. This often means that faster opponents can hit their opponent before they can even attack and then move out of the way of the attack before it even hits. If the opponent does not have a ranged attack prepared, they may have wasted their turn. If multiple people interrupt, the person with the highest reaction goes first.
Attacking is resolved (unless otherwise noted) by rolling precision vs. agility. If the attack hits, the opponent take the damage from the attack minus their damage reduction (usually half their body, rounded down). An attack cannot do less than 1 damage. If the attacker has no attack abilities, treat the attack as a 0 life cost ability that does half of their body score (round up) in damage unless it is with a gun (then use half of precision rounded up).
Players can use as many abilities as they want in a turn as long as they can pay for them. The only exception is attack abilities. Players only can use one at a time. However, there are abilities that can supplement attacks. So, they can use an ability to walk on water, run straight up a wall, hit their opponent with an attack, increase their damage on the attack, and absorb the counterattack. It might cost more Life than it's worth though.
If a player spends more Life than they have left on their attack action, they do not go below 0. Instead, the turn goes through as normal and then the player falls unconscious. This is often a great way to get one last super powerful attack off.
Repeat the process each turn by writing down the attack for the round and then rolling reaction.
Combat ends when either everyone on one side goes unconscious, one side runs away, or the sides don't want to attack each other any more. Unconscious characters will remain so until they are awoken by being given some medical or healing attention or given 1 hour rest.
Skill Checks:
Spoiler
Pirates vs. Ninjas has no skill checks. Some abilities give a bonus on certain skill checks, but they usually won't cover everything. People that wish to accomplish a task simply roll the most appropriate attribute score for the task at hand. So:
Body- Resisting harsh weather, holding your liquor, lifting a cheapskate by his collar, etc.
Agility- Acrobatic stunts, slipping between bars, dodging, cheating at cards, etc.
Precision- Playing darts, lock-picking, fixing devices, spotting enemies, etc.
Will- Convincing others to join your causes, resisting mental effects, resisting temptation, etc.
Skill checks are either done versus other players or NPCs or against a target number. In the case of a roll-off between players, highest number wins. Ties are ties and should either be called ties or rolled again, depending on the scenario.
Target numbers are numbers players have to hit on a skill. GMs should determine the DCs based on the difficulty of the task. A general rule of thumb is:
3-Impossible to fail
6-Easy. Even a child can do it
9-Average joe makes it about half the time.
12- A decent challenge for a professional
15- A decent challenge for a master
18- A severe challenge for a master
21- Impossible for a Master. Nearly impossible for someone with a 10. A decent challenge for the 3 legendary heroes.
Keep in mind, for physical challenges, this is a universe where most people can jump at least 10 feet up in the air from a standing jump. Players with decent physical stats should frequently be performing amazing stunts. Lower the physical target numbers from your universe accordingly. When in doubt, let the players do something cool.
Pirates vs. Ninjas doesn't typically cover character intelligence. Intelligence is a complicated thing that can't be expressed in a number. Even Two-Eyed Pete was a genius in his own boorish way. He was just smart in a way that was VERY different from Ellipsis and the Raven.
For knowledge checks, players should use their own in-character knowledge. If it makes sense for a character to know something from their background, he should feel free to tell them. This should cover most things, but for those cases where the players want to see if they know anything about an obscure legend or want to try to figure out complex math they've never studied, the GM should use Precision as the general intelligence stat.
Keep in mind that abilities that give bonuses to skill checks do not stack. A pirate who has abilities for sailing and tactics can use one or the other in a naval battle.
For the record, stealth checks happen with agility. Attacking out of stealth gives the opponent a -2 to dodge, and can give surprise rounds if they're taken off-guard.
Creation and Advancing the Character:
Spoiler
Characters start with 16 attribute points and 40 experience points. Distribute the attribute points among the attribute (remembering to put at least 1 point in each score). This should cause all attributes to average out to a score of 4 (above average). Spend the rest of the experience points on raising attributes or learning abilities. Character will be able to learn more abilities and raise their attributes after character creation with experience points.
Characters should gain anywhere from 1-3 experience points after each session depending on the difficulty of the challenges presented. 1 being a cakewalk, 2 being moderately challenging, and 3 being a huge undertaking. GM's should also feel free to give an extra experience point for good role-playing, being entertaining, coming up with a clever idea, or meeting a major character goal. So, the most exp a character should expect to get is around 5 (difficult session, major goal met, and a GM reward for good roleplaying or otherwise). Characters can then either spend these experience points on raising their Attributes, Learning new abilities, or Mastering Artifacts.
In order to raise an attribute score, a character must have a significant period to train or have a good reason they've been working on that score. It costs 10 experience points to raise an attribute.
Ability costs are based on which philosophy your character prescribes to.
Pirates and Ninjas can learn abilities from their side and Wanderer abilities at a cost of 2 experience points per level. Add 1 point per level to opposing factions (ie. Ninjas learn level 2 pirate skills at 6 points).
Wanderers also learn their skills at 2 experience points per level and learn either pirate or ninja skills at .5 points per level (round down). (So, a level 3 pirate ability costs 7 and a Level 4 costs 10)
Finally, Ninjas vs. Pirates tends to obscure money and ownership. Mundane items don't need rules for who owns them or bought them. Some pirate will probably just steal it in a session anyway. However, major artifacts of power that the characters may find or get rewarded as a job well-done are a different matter.
Artifact items give characters access to abilities that they normally would have to train for. They do this at twice the Life cost that they would normally have. If there's a passive ability on the weapon, it cannot be used without training. Abilities on artifacts are trained for at half the cost it would take to learn them. At this point, the passive abilities can be used and abilities with Life costs will use normal life cost. If an artifact contains a level 5 or higher skill from a side other than your own, you can still train for it. This is the only time a Pirate can use a high level Ninja skill and vice-versa. The trade-off is that Artifacts can be stolen, disarmed, or temporarily lost. GM's should not permenantly take away artifacts a character has invested in without reimbursing the experience points spent. If a character already knows a skill on an artifact, he or she uses it freely with no bonus or penalty.
Remember. Before a character can learn a new ability, they will need to find an appropriate way of learning the ability and the time to train in it. This may mean a pirate finding a sympathetic Ninja master to teach him.
On Buffs and Debuffs:
Spoiler
As a rule of thumb, Buffs and Debuffs all stack. However, one target can only take a buff or debuff from a specific ability once unless the ability states otherwise. So, a target can ONLY lose 2 Body and 2 Agility from Five-Fold Crippling Palm in a given combat. However, if a Charrismatic Lord uses a Moment of Weakness to give the opponent a further -1 to agility for the turn, the opponent is at a -3 to agility from his or her natural attribute score.
Same thing with Buffs. An Evadinja can't use Ninjas Don't Get Hit more than once to stack more than a +2 to dodge. However, an Evadinja CAN use Ninjas Don't Get Hit AND Infinite Reflexes to get a cumulative +6. However, if there's an attack coming that Evadinja feels is worth 10 Life points AND a turn to add that +6 to dodge to, Then he or she likely angered the wrong Pirate.
So, if someone really wished to debuff a foe into oblivion or boost an ally to Godliness, then it will require multiple allies working in tandem. So, you'll need to ask yourself whether it's worth 5 turns worth of moves and a whole boatload of Life to hit with that one attack.
It should also be noted that when an ability buffs the damage of an attack, it only does this for the first hit in multiple hit attacks like Tap Storm, Bullet Dance, or 1,000 Tiny Needles. If the player wishes to do extra damage on extra hits, they should pay the cost for the ability on each hit. If the ability is a passive damage buff, it can only be applied once per ability but applies if the character gains an extra attack action.
Natural Healing:
Spoiler
While there are ways to actively heal characters in Pirates vs. Ninjas, it's far less important than in other systems. Characters start each day at full life. They heal back to full at the beginning of each scene.
This essentially means that any time that the characters can get around 10 minutes of rest (that means no active skill checks or movement), they heal back to full again. For the most part, unless the group is constantly under attack, they can heal between each battle and challenge. However, if a character finds him or herself in a situation of constant and extended danger, they would be wise to conserve their energy as efficiently as possible.
Movement:
Spoiler
As stated before, a character's move speed is expressed as 2 times the higher of their body and agility in squares for a turn. This assumes that the player has a hex or square map for use. The unit of squares can be used for either military scale battles or personal ones. If the city is a battlefield, then each square can be upwards of a mile.
However, for the most part, squares are represented as 1 meter in length each and a turn is represented as around 2 seconds. Yes. This does mean that Pirates and Ninjas with either a 10 agility or body are running approximately 10 meters a second in combat. Movement can't go past 20 squares a round without abilities.
Outside of combat, the character's run speed is doubled. So, characters in Pirates vs. Ninjas can sprint up to 20 m/s (22 in the case of the legendary heroes).
If a character wishes to jump, they may jump vertically a number of meters equal to a quarter of his move speed and horizontally a number of feet equal to half his move speed. Double this on a running jump (consecutive horizontal jumps are running jumps).
A character may also climb or swim at a quarter of their move speed.
So, a Pirate with 4 body and agility can move 8 meters in a round, jump vertically 2 meters (4 on a running jump), jump horizontally 4 squares (8 on a running jump), and swim and climb at 2 meters.
Do I Need a Weapon?:
Spoiler
Characters in Pirates vs. Ninjas are all about their skills and not their weapons. Still, some abilities require a weapon in the Pirate or Ninja's hand to work. If a character is completely disarmed, these abilities become impossible to use without an ability that compensates. For the most part, techniques just call for A weapon.
In order to tell if a technique needs a weapon, read the description. If a weapon or necessary item is mentioned in the description, then it needs a weapon. Logically, almost every ability from the Rokinja and Gunnars requires a musical instrument and a gun respectively.
Anything else is left up to the judgement of the GM.
Non-Factioned Abilities:
The following are some of the basic Ninja, Pirate, and Wanderer abilities that belong to no style. They are merely here to illustrate generally how abilities work until I start fleshing out the factions.
Ninja Abilities:
Spoiler
Like the Wind
Ninja 1
Cost: Passive
Like the Wind is the phrase that all Ninjas use to describe their uncanny ability to sneak. When rolling Agility for a Stealth check, the Ninja is at a +2 to the roll. People wishing to see or hear the ninja will have to roll a Precision roll higher than their check. The Ninja is also considered trained in all forms of stealth.
The Forbidden Pouch
Ninja 2
Cost: Passive
All Ninjas know of at least one place to hide a weapon on their person that no one will bother looking. Ninjas that have this ability are always considered to have a conceal kunai (a small throwing knife) on their person, even when searched for all weapons. This gives the ninja the ability to use melee abilities when completely disarmed or most throwing abilities at least once. If they lose this weapon after revealing it though, they are out of secret weapons. There's only one Forbidden Pouch.
Shuriken Split
Ninja 3
Cost: 3 per target
Ninjas are master throwers and have learned to hit multiple targets with their deadly weapon, the Shuriken. This attack can hit any visible opponent within 20 squares as long as there is a straight line to hit the opponent in. The Ninja can throw, in one swift motion, a Shuriken at a number of targets equal to up to half of his or her agility score (round up). So, a ninja with a 6 agility can hit up to 3 characters as long as they are within 10 squares of his character. This attack does 10 damage.
Cold-Blooded Assassin
Ninja 4
Cost: 15
This is one of the most common Ninja abilities, but also one of the most difficult. The Ninja that uses this ability can only use it when attack an enemy that is unaware of his presence (either via stealth check or both blindness and deafness). The opponent still gets an agility roll (at any minuses for stealth), but this attack does more damage than most attacks. This attack does 30 damage.
Strike Like Lightning
Ninja 5
Cost: 20
Invented by the Ninja of the same name, Strike Like Lightning is one of the Ninja's most deadly and risky techniques and has become a staple amongst Ninja everywhere. Invoking the skill of this technique, a Ninja moves with such stupendous speed that He or She gets 2 Attack actions that round (which can be 2 different attacks). Used too much, this attack holds a great risk of wearing the Ninja out before they can finish an opponent off. Used with proper timing and with the right techniques, this can turn the tides of a difficult battle.
Pirate Abilities:
Spoiler
Sail the Seas
Pirate 1
Cost: Passive
All Pirates are master Sailors. It's rare to see a Pirate who can't handle himself on a boat. Pirates with this technique gain a +2 on all attribute check to Sail a Boat or having any knowledge pertaining to Sailing. Pirates without this check might be able to figure out the basic, but definitely won't be experienced enough to run a bigger boat like a Galleon or Navigate.
The Secret of The Patch
Pirate 2
Cost: Passive
Unknown to most Ninjas, Pirates know that Ninjas love the dark and have come up with a clever counter for it. This counter is The Secret of The Patch. Wearing an Eyepatch is terrible for depth perception. However, the eye that remains under the eyepatch gains AMAZING nightvision. Pirates who start an encounter with an Eyepatch on and this ability take a -1 to precision while the eyepatch is on. However, if anything causes the pirate to lose visibility because of low-light or absolute darkness, he can take the eyepatch off and remove all penalties for seeing in the dark. Wearing an eyepatch without this ability gives no darkvision and a -2 to perception.
Lock, Stock, and Stab
Pirate 3
Cost: 4
A fun little pirate attack where the Pirate takes his love of firepower and his love of stabbing and combines them into one fierce attack. The Pirate makes an attack at a -2 to precision, to stab the target Ninja right through. If he connects, the Ninja is stuck helpless on his sword while he shoots the Ninja at point blank range. Resolve this attack with 1 attack roll. If it hits, the Target Ninja takes two attacks at 10 damage each.
Watch Ye Flank
Pirate 4
Cost: 6
Pirates are excellent back-stabbers. When a Pirate and his Allies stand across from each other while facing an enemy, they can pull off a team-attack against their opponent. Both Pirates must hold actions for the same turn and act at the same reaction time. At this point, they act simultaneously, and the Ninja, unable to cover his back takes massive damage. Both Pirates gain 15 damage on whatever attack they use against that opponent.
Salty Peter's Hidden Arsenal
Pirate 5
Cost: 10
A legendary attack invented by Salty Peter (an explosive toting mad-man). A potent technique, but one that most Pirates tend to avoid for its ridiculous side-effect. This attack does 30 fire damage to everyone within 8 squares of the attacker as he blows up an entire explosive arsenal he has hidden under his coat. Roll Precision at a +2. However, the attacker also takes half of the damage automatically. Not to be used within range of allies.
Wanderer Abilities:
Spoiler
Well-Traveled Man
Wanderer 1
Cost: Passive
Wanderers are just that. Men and Women who Wander from town to town. Those that do this their entire lives pick up little bits of local history here and there. Wanderers with this ability gain a +2 on any Precision rolls to recognize hidden Lores, Local Histories, Rumors, or Legends.
Just a Guy
Wanderer 2
Cost: Passive
Some Wanderers just look way too average for their own good. Wanderers with this advantage gain a +2 on Will rolls to avoid being spotted if they are recognizable. This is great for avoiding detection by local authorities when you're a wanted man. Furthermore, in combat with monsters, Monsters will only attack this Wanderer if he's the most obvious target. If a target of equal or similar threat presents itself, the monster will just ignore the Wanderer.
The True Middle
Wanderer 3
Cost: 3/turn
The Wanderer of the middle path has realized that the boundary between Pirate and Ninja is paper thin and learns to bend between that boundary at will. By activating this ability, the Wanderer takes 5 less damage from all Pirate and Ninja attacks until his next turn.
Aura of Significance
Wanderer 4
Cost: 16 per turn
Some Wanderers have a mystifying presence about them. Something about them gives off a great and powerful aura of importance. By sacrificing their attack AND move action for the turn, everyone grows afraid of the Wanderer. As a supernatural ability, no one will be able to attack the Wanderer directly (AOEs can still hit if the wanderer is not the direct target) and takes a -2 on all attack rolls to hit his or her allies for that turn.
Pirate-Ninja Form
Wanderer 5
Cost: 35 Life and 1 Awesome Point
An absolutely terrifying attack invented by The Raven, himself. Some consider this attack to even be blasphemy against the Universe itself. One of the most devastating attacks that ANY Wanderer can learn, but it comes with a severe risk. This attack touches into the impossible for just a moment and transforms the user into a Ninja-Pirate. Activated as a regular power after an attack action. The Wanderer disappears for 2 whole turns entirely. He or she then reappears the next turn anywhere that his or her character can see. From here, the Pirate-Ninja launches an assault of firepower and shurikens on one target within 100 squares that annihilate the target. This attack is resolved at a +4 to the attack and does 50 damage of ANY type to the opponent. Combined with other abilities that inflict extra damage, this can be a guaranteed 1-hit KO wonder move. If this attack should somehow miss though, the universe backfires on the target and knocks them out immediately at 0 Life and the user will not be able to wake up for a day regardless of any method used.
__________________
Avatar by Assassin89
I started my first campaign around a campfire, having pancakes. They were blueberry.
My homebrew(updated 6/17):
A good portion of the combat has been updated. Should be enough to start commenting on and getting an idea of how the system works.
Edit: Finished up the first few factions and some of the universal Pirate/Ninja/Wanderer Abilities. They will need some severe balancing, but they're out there for now. And yes, I know that Pirate-Ninja Form is a stupidly powerful and inefficient nuke attack compared to the other Level 5's. I just needed to show off an attack that uses Awesome points, and this one will seem a little less awesome when you see some of the defensive abilities, and then awesome again when you see some of the supplemental ones.
I bring you the first Full faction and it's abilities. Note: These will need some balancing in the long run, but I wanted to get them down. Any comments on general usage are appreciated.
Note to self: These trees probably need a couple more fun "flavor abilities" like Arrcrobats and Craftsmen.
The Evadinja: Summary: The Evadinja Style is one of the earliest schools founded by Ellipsis. Students of this discipline focus on their agility and dodge their foes with lightning reflexes.While not as aggressive as other Ninja schools, the Evadinja still hold their share of offensive arts and focus on the counterattack techniques for hurting their foes.
High level Evadinja are known for their ability to dodge anything, move on anything, and even, in some cases, teleport.
History: Ellipsis founded the Evadinja 50 years ago in order to answer the age old question: "Can a ninja evade his own shadow?" While few people know if Ellipsis ever found his answer, the school was quite successful and continues to be prosper to the this day as one of the most influential schools of Ninja.
The current Grand Master of the Evadinja is Ebbin Flow. Like most Grand Masters, his name is a symbol of his fighting power. In combat, Ebbin is known primarily for his ability to avoid even the most impossible to dodge hits. His signature move takes attacks thrown at him and turns them into deadly weapons against his foes. Not one to land the first punch, Ebbin is a very calm and patient master and will smile to anyone he meets.
Unless that person is a Pirate.
Ebbin is one of the most staunch anti-Pirate Ninjas around and will do everything in his power to make sure that no Pirates enter his Dojo or learn any of the Ninja's secret attacks. He hates the cheap scrolls on the market and tutors that have allowed Pirates to learn the Evadinja's most famous move, the Water Walk.
Attribute Scores: Dedicated Evadinja focus their attributes into Agility. The vast majority of their skills rely on it.
Abilities: Level 1:
Spoiler
Mountain Goat Stride
Ninja 1
Cost: Passive
Evadinja are masters of movement. They've learned to keep their speed, even in the roughest terrain. Mud, Sand, Rocky Cliffs. Nothing stops the Evadinja from his or her target. Evadinja gain a +2 on agility checks for climbing and moving through terrain that would slow them down.
Water Walk
Ninja 1
Cost: 1/turn
When this ability is active, the user can walk and run on water at their normal speed as if it were solid ground. The water is treated as a flat plain in terms of terrain unless the water is severely disturbed.
Quickstep
Ninja 1
Cost: 1
Even the most basic Evadinja has mastered the ability to move quicker than other Ninjas and uses his great agility to give himself momentum while dodging. This technique is used by Evadinja to get a little bit extra movement. Whenever an Evadinja is attacked and dodges, the Evadinja may spend 1 life point to move 1 square in whatever direction he desires. There is no limit to the number of times he may do this as long as he keeps dodging attacks.
Winding Arc Punch
Ninja 1
Cost: 2
A very basic and weak technique that allows the Ninja to throw his momentum into a single arcing punch. This attack does 5 damage or the Ninja's agility score. Whichever is higher.
Level 2:
Spoiler
Agile Rejuvination
Ninja 2
Cost: Passive
It's no secret that the Evadinja lack the stamina of other fighters. However, a good Evadinja makes up for this by using his constant momentum to get his adrenaline pumping and to keep him up for just a little bit longer. For every attack the Evadinja dodges, he gains back 2 life points.
Up the Walls
Ninja 2
Cost: 1/turn
The well-trained Evadinja has learned that Gravity is merely a theory and not to be paid too much attention to. Evadinja with this ability can run up any solid surface up to a 90 degree angle. The Evadinja can keep doing this over multiple turns, but must move his FULL movement to keep the bonus over multiple rounds. Otherwise, the Evadinja will lose momentum and fall.
Rubber Sole
Ninja 2
Cost: 1/turn
The Evadinja has learned to jump great distances both vertically and horizontally in order to reach places that others dare not go. When active, the Rubber Sole doubles the Evadinja's jump distance. This does not up move speed, merely jumping speed.
Read the Foe
Ninja 2
Cost: Passive
Whenver an Evadinja writes down his attack action at the beginning of the round, he can choose to also write down the name of a target and the attack he thinks that target will use. When the target attacks, if the Evadinja was right, the Evadinja gets a +2 to hit and to dodge against the target for the turn. If the Evadinja was wrong, he instead takes a -1 to hit and dodge against that target.
Ninjas Don't Get Hit!
Ninja 2
Cost: 6
A common chant for Ninja teachers to yell at young ninja students when they complain an attack just cannot be dodged. By reminding himself of the horrible trauma of his teacher hitting him before yelling this chant, the Evadinja focuses more on the battle and gains a +2 to all dodges until the end of turn.
Counter Blow
Ninja 2
Cost: 3
The Evadinja are masters of counters. This attack can only be used against an opponent that has attacked the Evadinja this turn. Whether they hit the Evadinja or not, the Evadinja swings around with a melee attack and counters the foe for 15 damage.
Level 3:
Spoiler
Winding Arc Kick
Ninja 3
Cost: 3
A logical extension of the Winding Arc Punch. The Winding Arc kick is a much more powerful attack with a nasty surprise for its foes. If the attack should miss, the Evadinja can use the momentum of the attack to keep his body moving. This attack does 10 damage. If the attack misses, the Evadinja gains a +1 to his agility for the remainder of the turn.
Blossom Elevator
Ninja 3
Cost: 3/turn
The Evadinja learned through their constant training how to shift their weight to become almost weightless. Whenever an Evadinja uses this ability, he can stand on and jump off of anything as long as the object is physical and can be seen by the naked eye and he will be treated as having no weight by the object. This means that an Evadinja using the Blossom Elevator can run on falling leaves, wall jump off of a flipping coin in the air, or even jump off the back of a bird.
Rub Some Cheetah's Blood On It
Ninja 3
Cost: 2/turn
The Evadinja have learned to go incredibly fast. Faster than the eye can sometimes follow. Evadinja that use this ability will double ALL of their movements until the end of the turn (including ones from other Abilities).
Level 4:
Spoiler
Storm of Counters
Ninja 4
Cost: 8
The Evadinja have learned to counter any attack known to man and do so with ruthless efficiency. This ability is activated as the Evadinja's attack action. Anytime, until the Evadinja's next attack action, an attack misses the Evadinja, the Evadinja can make an immediate counterattack at the same range using their Precision as the to hit. If this attack hits. It does 10 damage. There is no limit to the number of extra hits this attack can provide.
Infinite Reflexes
Ninja 4
Cost: 4
The Evadinja have learned the art of timing and know that sometimes, you just have to dodge that omega death attack. The Evadinja can choose to take their attack action and use this ability. Until the end of turn, the Evadinja is at a +4 to all dodges.
Torrential Hurricane Strike
Ninja 4
Cost: 10
Even the Evadinja realize that sometimes there is a need for damage. The Torrential Hurricane Strike is the experienced Evadinja's way of dealing with tough foes. By using all of their built up speed and momentum, the Evadinja focuses all of their speed into one knockout blow. This melee attack does 5 damage for every effective point in agility the Evadinja has, but the Evadinja's Agility is effectively a 1 until their next action if the attack lands.
The Cork in the River
Ninja 4
Cost: 10
The Evadinja has come to learn that force is as much of a weapon for one's opponent as it is for oneself. By turning an opponent's force into a weapon against the opponent, the Evadinja can inflict massive damage. This attack starts out doing 10 damage. For every buff the opponent has been effected by since his last action (defined as any ability that gives beneficial effects to attributes, hit, damage, damage reduction, or dodge, but not Life), this attack does an additional 5 damage. Battle-long buffs such as the Drunkards Mead abilities and the Gunnar's Eagle Eye ability always count as being on.
Level 5:
Spoiler
Dimensional Tango
Ninja 5
Cost: 10
Named after a great Evadinja who was believed to be able to literally dance through dimensions. This was his ultimate technique. While very simple in concept, it is ruthlessly efficient in nature. The Dimensional Tango allows an Evadinja to Teleport instantaneously to anywhere he could theorhetically move in one action if gravity or solid matter weren't an issue. This does NOT take up the Evadinja's move action for the turn. Furthermore, this movement is instantaneous, silent, and gives no visible clue. So, a hiding Ninja can use this to sneak right past a place where it would be difficult to remain hidden. Furthermore, targets attacked at the end of a teleport are at a -2 to their dodge because of surprise. It is important to note, however, that Dimensional Tango lost his life by teleporting right into the middle of a wall that he was sure was a room. If an Evadinja teleports into solid matter, he will take an amount of damage at the discretion of the GM.
Ebb and Flow
Ninja 5
Cost: 15
Ebbin Flow's ultimate technique. By becoming one with his motions and truly becoming like the Ebb and Flow of water, he has become able to take any attack without injury and launch it back at his foe with greater force. Ebb and Flow takes a character's attack action for the round, but activates at the beginning of the round. As soon as anyone attacks this character and misses, the player can choose to use his stored up action and turn the attack back on the attacker. The attack hits using precision but does twice the damage that the original attack would've done. Quite the nasty result. If the player is attacked multiple times in a round, this attack can be activated multiple times, evoking the Life cost each time it is used.
Master of Small Techniques
Ninja 5
Cost: 2 Awesome Points
The constant metaphor of the Evadinja is the calm stream. The greatest mountain is eventually worn down from even the calmest stream. To reflect this, the Evadinja have mastered the simplest techniques to brutal perfection. When an Evadinja activates this ability, he or she focuses on the philosophy of the calm river and doubles the raw damage of all level 1 and 2 abilities for the remainder of the scene. Any supplemental damage is not doubled, but these abilities can still critically hit.
This would be great to do with my friends. I think it's awesome and you should get a grade of >9000
Two of my friends would be perfect drunkards and getting pissed at me "wasting the booze" to use as efficient fuel source for my tanks and robotic gatling guns. (Cause I love the engineer of TF2, and that's so the gunnar pirate..)
And some of our friends don't like eachother, cause my girlfriend's a ninja girl. (Albeit a Hitinja, or "Narutard" I was going to call it..)
But then the gunnar would make an excellent addition to any ninja group as he comes up with new and exciting biological terrorism. What better way to leave your rival ninja clan shamed then to slip a whole lot of "Corporate M's special OJ" into their normal juice? A grand mixture of large amounts of citric acid mixed with pottasium benzoate, pre-heated at 300 degrees, and the net result is so much Carcinogen (a product found in GAMMA RADIATION!) that they end up glowing like light brights and can never be stealthy again!!
The Arrcrobats: Summary: The Arrcrobats are a very agile group of pirates that use their surroundings to their complete advantage. They believe in a very improvisational style of fighting that allows them to catch their opponents off-guard.
High Level Arrcrobats can use their wacky antics to inflict extra damage, tumble through the air, and catch their opponents off-guard.
History: The Arrcrobats actually come from an argument about Two-Eyed Pete. When people tried to discover the secret of his unbeatable fighting style, two popular theories arose. One side believed that it came from Two-Eyed Pete's love for acrobatic feats. The other believed it came from his Rapier shart wit. The first group became the Arrcrobats, the later group became the Charrismatic Lords.
The current leader, and founder of the Arrcrobat style is Rollin' Flynn, known for his quick tumbles and mid-air antics. Flynn is a bit of a show-off and never passes up a chance to show his stuff (especially in front of ladies he finds particularly attractive). He's also best friends with the founder of the Charrismatic Lords, One-Word Jack. Despite being prone to random bouts of arguments that have led to many towns crumbling to the ground, there's no doubt in the minds of any Arrcrobat or Charrismatic Lord that the two would come to each other's aid if there were ever a dire need.
...And no, it has not occurred to any of the Great Pirate Lords that the Arrcrobats are incredibly similar to ninjas in some very obvious aspects.
Attribute Scores: Arrcrobats are agile by nature and will logically want Agility to be a high score. Arrcrobats also use Precision primarily for their crazy attacks.
Level 1:
Spoiler
Daredevil Spirit
Pirate 1
Cost: Passive
Even the most basic Arrcrobat knows that a spirit of adventure and fun is key to victory. Where most men see a rope, Arrcrobats see an opportunity for greatness. Arrcrobats with this Ability get a +2 to their agility for the purposes of acrobatic stunts and death-defying acts.
Slippery Frame
Pirate 1
Cost: Passive
Arrcrobats are masters at avoiding capture, but should they find themselves tied up or held hostage, there's no need to fear. The Arrcrobat will use his thin frame and flexibility to get out. The Arrcrobat with this Ability gains a +2 to escape his capture. Whether it's being tied up by rope, held down by a group of guards, or shoved in a prison. As long as there is SOME opening, the Arrcrobat gets this bonus (no bonus if he's locked in a CLOSED safe).
Wind in Yer Sails
Pirate 1
Cost: 2
An incredibly swift strike that Arrcrobats can do in the blink of an eye even if they started out doing a different attack. The Wind in Yer Sails has two extraordinary abilities. First, the Arrcrobat can do this attack so fast that he can do it without planning. This attack may ALWAYS be substituted for the attack ability the Arrcrobat chose that round. Second, if the Arrcrobat is interrupted by someone with a higher initiative, he can interrupt their turn as soon as they declare their move action and hit them with this attack. This attack does 5 damage.
Watch Yer' Step
Pirate 1
Cost: 2
Arrcrobats use their unpredictable style to catch their opponents off guard in ANY situation. This attack lands at a -2 to precision and does 5 damage, but if it hits, it also puts the opponent at a -1 agility until his next action.
Level 2:
Spoiler
Stamp On the Ground
Pirate 2
Cost: 6
There's always a flaw in the terrain. Whether it's a loose board, a tangling vine, or a small hole in the ground. The Arrcrobat knows how to abuse the terrain to his advantage. By spending his attack action, the Arrcrobat can shuffle his foot and roll precision at a -6 to hit. If he manages to hit, the opponent trips and loses his or her entire next turn. Any active buffs to rolls to dodge are negated until the next turn as well.
Tumblin' Fool
Pirate 2
Cost: Passive
Arrcrobats are master tumblers and can move past even the most impenetrable defense. The Master Arrcrobat spins and turns through even the thickest crowd. Arrcrobats that have mastered this ability can move through non-ally squares as if they were unoccupied. Normally, opponents must move around their enemy's squares. This ability also allows Arrcrobats to move through crowds at normal speed.
Improvised Master
Pirate 2
Cost: Passive
Arrcrobats are NEVER unarmed. If an ability calls for a weapon of some kind, the Arrcrobat can quickly fashion one out of a nearby object. As long as the object used fulfills the basic function of the weapon in question, the Arrcrobat can use it without penalty.
Off the Walls
Pirate 2
Cost: 1
A rather quick and potent attack. Whenever the Arrcrobat is next to a physical wall, he can use the wall to bound off for a moderately powerful strike. This attack does 10 damage.
Egg Em' On
Pirate 2
Cost: Passive
Arrcrobats are masters of taunting and egging on their foes. When an opponent tries to hit an Arrcrobat, they have to put extra effort into it. Sometimes, this can tire the foe out all the faster. Whenever any attack misses an Arrcrobat, the opponent loses an additional point of life from the attack.
Level 3:
Spoiler
Whoopsie!
Pirate 3
Cost: 8
Arrcrobats are masters of misdirection and can often appear to be where they are not. With a quick side-step, an enemy can be brought to hit a target he did not expect. Whenever the Arrcrobat is attacked and missed, he may use this Ability instead to switch places with an adjacent person. He can also use this ability automatically on willing allied units without the need to dodge. The attack instead attacks the replaced unit.
Run and Gun
Pirate 3
Cost: 2
Arrcrobats are always on the move and can be bother to stop to attack. Arrcrobats that use this ability can focus to attack in the middle of a move action and continue the rest of their move action as if they had not attacked.
The Chandelier Trick
Pirate 3
Cost: 6
The most circumstantial move in the entire Arrcrobat's arsenal, and yet, almost none of them can resist learning it. As everyone knows, if there's a weighted object on the end of a rope or string. All an Arrcrobat needs is to cut the rope and use the object to propell him upwards while the object comes crashing down. This ability can only be used when there is an object of at least 50 pounds suspended by a rope or string. When used, this attack will hit anyone directly under the object at a -2 to their dodge. The Arrcrobat will also go sky-rocketing towards the original location of the object. This attack does 25 damage.
Do-see-do!
Pirate 3
Cost: 6
Arrcrobats can use ANYTHING as a weapon. This includes their allies. Whenever an adjacent ally attacks with a melee attack, the Arrcrobat can use his delayed turn to grab the ally by the ankles and swing them at the opponent. This causes the ally's attack to go off at a +2 to hit and a +10 to damage. Arrcrobats can also just use an ally as a weapon without the attack. This attack only does 10 damage and has no bonus to damage, but it's hilarious. The Arrcrobats Body score must be at least HALF of the Body score of the person he is trying to swing.
Use What You Have!
Pirate 3
Cost: 7
A common mantra among Arrcrobats. The Arrcrobats love to use their surroundings and anything on hand to cause mayhem. When an Arrcrobat uses this ability, they pick up a random item in the scene and break it against their foes. This attack does 15 damage and can have a range of up to twice the Arrcrobat's body score.
Level 4:
Spoiler
Feint and Switch
Pirate 4
Cost: 8
An Arrcrobat favorite, the Feint and Switch revolves around quick hands and trickery. When ever the Arrcrobat attacks, he can apply this trick to his attack. By pretending to aim at one target and switching to another target in range, he manages to catch two opponents off guard. The Arrcrobat gets a +2 bonus to his attack, while the opponent that was feinted (ie. Not attacked) staggers a bit and suffers a -2 to his dodge from every other attack until the end of the round.
The High Ground +1
Pirate 4
Cost: Passive
The Arrcrobat can balance on anything. There's no terrain that's difficult for him to move on. Anytime an Arrcrobat ends up on difficult terrain that he can physically stand on (ie. Not water or lava), he suffers no effects from the terrain. Furthermore, the Arrcrobat has a +1 on all combat rolls against someone on such terrain.
Backflip Back Kick
Pirate 4
Cost: 10
The Arrcrobat has master a tricky little attack where he flips over an opponent in Melee and hits them on their exposed backside. When using this attack, the Arrcrobat moves through the opponent and 20 damage with agility used as the roll to hit.
Give it Another Shot!
Pirate 4
Cost: 10
Arrcrobats are masters at goading their foes and irritating them to the point of bad decisions. The Arrcrobat with this move can, at any time they have not attacked that round and have been missed by an attack, spend their attack action to immediately force the opponent that missed them to use the same attack again against them. If the attack comes with an awesome point cost that the user cannot pay, the user attempts to pay for the attack as best as they can and the attack fails to go off. Unconscious people can not be goaded into attacking again.
Level 5:
Spoiler
Rollin' Thunder
Pirate 5
Cost: 15
A very potent and potentially dangerous attack. The Arrcrobat uses his momentum and death defying stunts to channel damage directly into his attack. This attack can be activated when the Arrcrobat makes some kind of death defying feat where he moves at least 10 feet (Whether it's swinging on a rope, being shot out of a cannon, or diving from 100 feet up). This damage does 5 damage for every 2 squares the Arrcrobat moves in that round. The Arrcrobat can only apply this up to his move speed. So, a 10 agility Arrcrobat can move 20 squares in a turn, or do 50 damage with this attack if he moves the full distance. This attack need not be a straight line, but there should be some kind of continuous motion that keeps the Arrcrobat at full speed (swinging on a rope or running across walls work. Jumping directly off a wall and switching directions doesn't work). If this attack misses, the Arrcrobat takes half the damage he would have dealt (round down). The raw damage of Rolling Thunder is capped at 100 damage.
Fleetfoot Barrage
Pirate 5
Cost: 20
Invented by the infamous Jonas Fleetfoot, this is an attack that rivals the Rolling Thunder in damage output. By applying this attack, the Arrcrobat can let forth a barrage of quick acrobatic assaults. This ability allows an Arrcrobat to make a number of attacks up to his Agility score. For every 2 attacks he takes after the first, the Arrcrobat suffers a -1 to accuracy on all the attacks (up to a -4 at 9 attacks). Roll Precision to hit. Roll for every attack and, for every attack that hits, the Arrcrobat does 10 damage. Any abilities that augment an attack have to be spent on every extra attack they want to augment.
Man of Awesome
Pirate 5
Cost: Passive
A favorite of Two-Eyed Pete himself. This isn't so much an attack as a philosophy. Dare to be Daring. Dare to be stupid. Those that risk it all are rewarded. Every time the Arrcrobat gets an Awesome point from an amazing stunt done during an attack, the Arrcrobat does 5 extra damage on the attack for each Awesome point he earned (so up to 20 extra damage).
One Man Double Team
Cost: 20
Pirate 5
The Arrcrobat has learned to move at such blinding speeds that he can appear to be in more than one place at once. When attacking an opponent with this attack, the Arrcrobat appears on both sides of an opponent and does 30 damage using his agility as the roll to hit. For the purposes of this attack and any additional abilities, the Arrcrobat is considered to be 2 people and flanking, but does not count as an extra person towards the Kurosawa corollary. This attack can not be interrupted by a higher reaction.
I forgot to put this above, but part of my research for this system is to ask people what they'd like to be able to do as a Ninja, Pirate, or Wanderer. There's
a lot of wonderful little jokes and references I can make with these, and the more abilities I add in, the better. But I'm only human. People often have ideas that I don't think of or forgot.
The Secret of the Eye Patch Ability is actually a recommendation of one of my professors, and he also contributed the inspiration from one of the more interesting Gunnar skills (Let's you go always go first on the first turn of combat).
So, any fighting styles, abilities, monsters, techniques, etc you'd like to be able to do if you ever played this game?
This one might need some more fleshing out later, but they have some hilariously powerful passive and active abilities... If you can get one to teach you. Bet you'll never mess with NPCs again.
The Craftsmen: Summary: Craftsmen are the shopkeeps and artisans of Ninjas vs. Pirates. While their ability trees are not forbidden from being taken by PCs, they are primarily designed to be an NPC class. Still, as has already been mentioned, everyone is amazing at something in Pirates vs. Ninjas, and the beloved artisans are no exceptions.
High Level Artisans can craft goods of mythical calibur. Even the most mundane items can become indestructible in the hands of a Craftsman. Craftsmen also hold the near supernatural ability to become combat monstrosities in their own store/forge/workshop.
History: An ancient order of artisans that have been around since the beginning of the Wanderers and some say even longer. The Craftsmen hold a considerable amount of clout and respect with Pirates, Ninjas, and Wanderers alike. This might have something to do with the fact that 90% of the world's manufactured goods are made by the Craftsmen. Without them, the economy (and the world, by extension) would just crash.
So, there's an obvious ceasefire on Craftsmen. Not that there needed to be one. Annoying one Craftsmen annoys them all. They are a tight knit group and don't take attacks on their ilk lightly. Anyone who steals from a Craftsmen shopkeep will very likely find themselves without any way of purchasing goods for the next 100 years.
There is no current leader of the Craftsmen. Their structure is much more similar to some secret societies that try to control the world, and some even believe that that's what they are. Regardless, every Craftsman and woman is a welcome member to a benevolent brotherhood.
Craftsmen do keep apprentices to teach their craft to. Whatever secrets the Craftsmen know about the world, they don't teach to their apprentices until they become full-blown masters though. So, no use bribing them for market secrets.
All Craftsmen, apprentices and masters, keep the Craftsmen emblem embossed on some article of clothing or item that identifies them. This isn't so much for bragging as a warning to anyone that wishes to trifle with the Craftsmen.
Attribute Scores: Precision is an absolute must for a Craftsmen. The process of crafting is a very delicate endeavor, and a slight mistake can destroy a project that has taken weeks to craft. Craftsmen also enjoy a fair share on the Body stat. Being able to lift and move workshop items is handy. Although, there are always assistants for that. Will is also common for the ability to barter for a fair price.
Level 1:
Spoiler
Trade Secret
Wanderer 1
Cost: Passive
Every Craftsmen knows a trade and knows its secrets. It's necessary for making an excellent product. Any Craftsmen that takes Trade Secret has a specific trade they focus in. Woodwork, Metallurgy, Armor-smithing, Weapon-smithing, etc. The Craftsman picks one and takes a +2 to all checks involving that trade. If a Craftsman wants more than one trade, he will need to take this Ability multiple times.
Jury Rig
Wanderer 1
Cost: Passive
Craftsmen aren't just crafters, they're crafty. Even with the minimal required objects, a craftsmen can make a functioning item. While it is mundane in nature, it should still do the job. Items made this way will inevitably fall apart and need to be replaced. Items will still need some kind of rationale on how they're made (it doesn't matter if McGuyver could do it, you'll need to tell me how you made a sword out of a plastic cup and a rubber band).
Appraiser's Eye
Wanderer 1
Cost: Passive
Craftsmen have an eye for quality and admire a fellow Craftsman's handiwork. They cannot be fooled by some smart mouth thief looking to make a quick buck. Craftsmen gain a +2 on all checks to identity the overall quality and worth of any idea they can admire up close for at least a minute. This bonus increases by an extra +1 if the object has the Craftsmen's seal on it, since they've undoubtedly seen the technique before.
The Debt Collector
Wanderer 1
Cost: 2
The Wanderers take their debts seriously and do not take it lightly when someone does not pay them. When the Craftsmen is attacking a person who specifically has a bounty on his head from the Craftsmen guild for oustanding debts unpaid, the Craftsmen can punch this person in the head for 15 damage.
Level 2:
Spoiler
Indestructible Quality
Wanderer 2
Cost: Passive
Craftsmen can make objects that just won't be destroyed. When a Craftsmen with this ability makes an object within his trade and is given at least a decent version of a workshop, the object becomes indestructible to anything but artifact weaponry. This includes anything an artisan would make. A carpenter can literally make a house that won't catch fire with chairs that won't break.
Firm Handshake
Wander 2
Cost: Passive
No matter who you are, you would be a fool to double-cross a Craftsman. They know how to enforce their deals. Whenever anyone makes a deal with a Craftsman with this ability and shakes on it, that deal becomes a fact. The Craftsman WILL deliver on his end, and the other end better be damned sure it delivers on its end. If anyone breaks such an agreement with a Craftsman, the Craftsman uses his network of Craftsmen to track someone down. As long as they are in a civilized region, the Craftsman can and will find them. Travel time is the only expense. Furthermore, characters that willing break this deal will be abandoned by the fates themselves and be at a cumulative -1 to all rolls against anyone that respects the Craftsmen. Finally, a Craftsmen with the Level 5 skill Infinite Sword Jobs treats any location where the deal-breaker can be found as his home location. This drops if the Craftsmen gets his end of the bargain or drops the grudge.
Fatal Flaw
Wanderer 2
Cost: Passive
Some Craftsmen make weapons of incredible power. In order to ensure that these weapons don't fall in the wrong hands, they leave intentional flaws in their work that can destroy their work if it needs to. Craftsmen with this ability can destroy any item they created with a simple touch.
Calloused Hands
Wanderer 2
Cost: Passive
Wanderers are tough artisans that have to get their hands constantly dirty. Their hands tell the tale of a life of hard work. Their hands are tough. Because of this, Craftsmen with this ability do 1 extra damage on all attacks that use the Craftsmen's bare hands. Also, if somehow an opponent chooses to attack a Craftsmen's hands, then their hands also have 1 extra DR for the purpose of the attack.
Level 3:
Spoiler
The Commonwealth
Wanderer 3
Cost: Passive
Craftsmen take care of their friends and fellow Craftsmen. Craftsmen with this ability have spent their time with their fellow Craftsmen and earned their trust. This ability ensures that a Craftsmen will never go poor or out of business except in extreme cases. Should a Craftsmen find himself without any money or resources, the guild will keep him on his feet. Effectively, characters with this ability, will never go poor, without drinks, or find themselves without a bed to sleep in. It may not be the best quality, but the Craftsmen also don't also skimp on what's necessary. The caveat is, of course, that Craftsmen with this ability will be expected to pay the Guild back someday in someway (but this usually means quests with loot for PCs), or to even help another Craftsmen in a time of need.
Hammer Meet Nail
Wanderer 3
Cost: 6
Much like Craftsmen know how to make an object well, they also know how to destroy it. Craftsmen with this ability make a hit at -2 to precision against items held by an enemy or Target Number 10 for stationary objects. If the object has not been made Indestructible by Indestructible Quality, it will be instantly destroyed in a manner of the Craftsmen's desire (ie. Fracture how he wishes). If it is Indestructible in Quality. It can still be destroyed, but it takes 3 successful hits at -2 to precision or a target number 15 for stationary objects. Artifacts cannot be destroyed in this manner.
Blue Collar Edge
Wanderer 3
Cost: 9
Beneath even the gentlest Craftsmen's demeanor lies the fangs of a cobra, read to strike. Craftsmen with this ability craft even their non-weapon items with hidden edges and points that can be used to harm a foe. When the Craftsmen attacks with ANY item they have created, they roll at a -2 to hit and do 20 damage. If the item is designed to be a weapon, remove the penalty to hit, but only do 15 damage. This attack can also be thrown up to twice the Craftsmen's body score (provided he or she can physically lift it and throw it). Needless to say, the Craftsmen will need to pick up the object before using it again.
Level 4:
Spoiler
Find The Seam
Wanderer 4
Cost: 8
Everything has a flaw. Even the best Craftsmen items. Craftsmen are excellent at finding flaws in anything. When a craftsmen uses this ability with another attack, this ability negates ANY and ALL reduction of damage that player currently has. This includes personal abilities, Natural damage reduction from armor and gadgets, and anything else that might reduce the potency of the blow.
One with the Materials
Wanderer 4
Cost: 3
Every Craftsman has a favorite material. Whether it is wood, iron, or fancy meteorite metal that only shows up once in a thousand years. The Craftsmen that takes this ability picks such a material, and has such an intimate understanding of it that he can push it beyond its limits. As long as the Craftsmen is wielding a weapon made of this material, he can activate this ability on any attack to increase its damage by 5. If he is instead wearing an object made of the material, he can use this ability to reduce the damage by 5 on an attack. He makes this decision AFTER the attack hits.
Armor Shattering Blow
Wanderer 4
Cost: 8
Craftsmen have realized one truly horrific truth. Armor can only save you from those that don't know its secrets. When a craftsmen with this ability hits a foe with armor on (defined as anything that gives any damage reduction that does not use the target's own natural physical form to give it) the Craftsmen crumples the armor and the force causes the attack to do extra damage. Treat as a melee attack that does 30 damage. This attack does not damage those without armor.
Level 5:
Spoiler
Infinite Sword Jobs
Wanderer 5
Cost: 20
Craftsmen are NOT to be trifled with in their store or forge. Many Pirates and Ninjas have learned this lesson the hard way thanks to Infinite Sword Jobs. This ability takes an attack action and does nothing on the turn it is activated. However, on the next turn, the effects of this ability activate and last until the end of battle. A Craftsmen's forge is his home turf. He has mastered it. This ability gives +4 to all combat skill checks and a permanent 5 Damage reduction for the Craftsmen for the entire battle. Finally, no one can escape the Forge by any means while the Craftsmen has this ability up unless he wishes to let them. Only an artifact of great power can break this rule. This ability will only go down before the end of the battle if the Craftsmen is knocked unconscious or decides to let it drop.
Made for Me
Wanderer 5
Cost: Passive
This isn't so much an ability as a pact between a man and his master work. When a Craftsmen takes this ability, he has created an object specifically for his own hand. This object is perfect for him, and gives a permanent +2 to appropriate rolls as long as he wields it. It does not give the bonus to anyone else. If it is a weapon, it gives +2 to hit to attacks that use that specific weapon. If it is clothing, it gives a +2 to dodge. If it is a chair, it gives a +2 to comfiness and beating drunken jackasses within an inch of their life. A GM might also approve a extraordinary special ability in the case of special items that don't work. A suit of armor might give 2 permanent Damage reduction, a gem of power might give a permenant +2 to damage on a weapon it's embedded in, or a pair of shoes might give the user 50% more move speed. Objects with this ability applied to it are also treated as having the "Indestructible Quality" ability on them.
Godcraft
Wanderer 5
Cost: Passive
While no one knows where all artifacts come from a good portion of them can be traced to the Craftsmen guild. The most talented and trained craftsmen are capable of making artifacts of great power. However, this is a VERY time consuming effort. When a Craftsmen takes this ability, he gains 1 craft point a week. He or she also gains 1 craft point after every game session. A Craftsmen can then create artifacts out of the item abilities listed in the item abilities section. Calculate the cost of the item as twice the total levels of the item abilities involved. If the item is consumable and gives the abilities permenantly, it costs 4 times the total levels instead. GMs may choose to restrict higher level abilities or force the Craftsmen to find rare ingredients to make the item.
Artifact Shattering Blow
Wanderer 5
Cost: 20
The Craftsmen can create, and the Craftsmen can destroy. The Craftsmen with this ability destroys an item in a violent attack of pure destruction. This can destroy all but the most powerful artifacts. Take the total level of the abilities on the item. This attack does 10 damage for each level of ability. If the attack hits, the item is destroyed, otherwise, the item stay intact. If an item does not have abilities, this attack cannot be used. The Craftsmen must be wielding or using the item to destroy it (he or she cannot use this attack on the weapon the opponent is wielding without stealing it first).
It's difficult to give feedback without having the question and the marking criteria.
(if you have posted them then ).
I kinda have. I more want general feedback on the system in general. While I haven't gotten everything up yet, there should be a general idea of how the system runs. Also, I love ideas for new abilities. So, to reiterate it in the form of two sets of questions:
1. How do you like the system? Is it easy to understand? Are there enough options, too many, too little? Do the abilities feel mostly balanced (some will look better when I introduce other ones like the Craftmen's ability to break Damage Reduction, but whether they look balanced is still insightful)? Are the abilities interesting? Is there enough role-playing fluff to the setting to get you interested and excited about it?
2. What would you want to be able to do as a Ninja, Pirate, or Wanderer? What would you want to fight? What kind of themes would you like to see (cliches of the respective genres)?
I want to make this pretty expansive, and I haven't written out the entire world and it's factions yet. So now's a good way to get ideas in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chiasaur11
Looks good, but I have to ask:
How would you stat out Dr. McNinja in this system?
Well, he's hardly an amateur. So, you wouldn't be getting a full McNinja at the beginning. You'd want to focus in Precision and Will since his strong suits seem to be mental over physical. Although, all of his attribute are far from bad. So, he'd probably come out EVENTUALLY (ie. By the end of a long campaign) at something like a:
Body: 5
Agility: 5
Precision: 7
Will: 6
As for abilities. He'd probably split between the Hitinja abilities and the abilities for Medical ninja (which I haven't thought of a name or a faction summary for, but they're the next in planning and have some cool abilities I've planned that are right up the Doc's alley). The rest is role-playing, getting a Wanderer Cowboy sidekick, taming a Gorilla as a secretary, hiring a colorist, and riding the first dinosaur you see.
Although, thanks for indirectly reminding me to include Cowboys.
Oh, and Shamrock Shurikens would have to be a custom technique invented by the player.
Edit: This does also show me that I might need to lower the cost on raising attributes a bit. While the lower end scores aren't too bad, the higher end ones takes too long. Assuming you started with the 6 and 7 from your starting points, it would take 76 experience points to raise the stats to what they're required. With those kinds of points, you could buy all the techniques of most factions. So, I either need to lower costs a bit or rethink how many points you should get a session.
I more want general feedback on the system in general.
It'd be close to impossible to give useful feedback without knowing anything about the course. Is it game design? Creative writing? Something else? Do you have to write a pen-and-paper RPG? Any game? Any non-computer game? Are the people who mark it going to be familiar with RPGs and the 'pirates vs ninjas' meme?
Last edited by Jolly Steve : 11-07-2009 at 06:09 AM.
Just suggesting an ability here for your drunkard. Since he would have a lot of rum on him (probably anyway) some sort of area affect fire damage as he pours the rum on himself and lights himself up and punches ninjas. Everyone knows ninjas can't get you if your on fire!
It'd be close to impossible to give useful feedback without knowing anything about the course. Is it game design? Creative writing? Something else? Do you have to write a pen-and-paper RPG? Any game? Any non-computer game? Are the people who mark it going to be familiar with RPGs and the 'pirates vs ninjas' meme?
I was actually more going with the fact that you should forget that I'm doing this for a grade. My studies are actually in interactive design and game theory. The class is on the history of role-playing games and their evolution. So, yes. This is exactly the assignment. Make a fully functional tabletop RPG that's at least 20 pages long (but I'm a grad student. So, the expectation are a bit longer for me), and this thing's probably going to be WAY longer when its finished.
Even if it weren't, I'd still be doing this though. I've been planning it for a while. This way, I just have a bit of a deadline to get some of it done. This might even be something I release to the public someday, or use as the basis for something I will release to the public. I've got a friend in intellectual property law, and I know generally what I need to do for that kind of release. I've even already got minor expansions in mind for the system.
So, the questions I'm asking literally are the merits of the system itself. The questions I listed are what I'd generally like to be answered. I want to know what you thing of the system as an RPG on the whole and what kind of abilities you'd like to have or places you'd like to go in a world like this one.
I'm just asking for some minor ideas really. I've started working on entire factions because of 1 sentence someone told me before. So, I really do get a lot of input out of even minor statements like "I want a peg leg" or "I want to kill a giant crab with a musical number".
Short version: Ignore the fact that this is technically a school assignment. He expects me to do a little beta-testing. Let me worry about things on the school end. I already have enough written down to ace this assignment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mangles
Just suggesting an ability here for your drunkard. Since he would have a lot of rum on him (probably anyway) some sort of area affect fire damage as he pours the rum on himself and lights himself up and punches ninjas. Everyone knows ninjas can't get you if your on fire!
Just wondering, its supposed to be nigh impossible to have a 10 in an ability. Or at least in RP terms, right? But you have 16 points to distribute amongst your ability scores in the beginning allowing for people to have an array that looks like this:
Body: 1
Agility: 10
Precision: 4
Will: 1
So you could start out with 10 in one and have either average in all your other stats or above average in one. Seems a little bit wrong there. Maybe you could make higher ability score buys more expensive? Or even make a starting cap as well (6 seems like a good number). Or you could just lower the amount of starting points, 12 could be good in this respect, because as long as you have to have at least one, the highest you could get in any score is nine. Although, in RP terms, this is kind of awkward and you could end up with all of your players doing that.
Just wondering, its supposed to be nigh impossible to have a 10 in an ability. Or at least in RP terms, right? But you have 16 points to distribute amongst your ability scores in the beginning allowing for people to have an array that looks like this:
Body: 1
Agility: 10
Precision: 4
Will: 1
So you could start out with 10 in one and have either average in all your other stats or above average in one. Seems a little bit wrong there. Maybe you could make higher ability score buys more expensive? Or even make a starting cap as well (6 seems like a good number). Or you could just lower the amount of starting points, 12 could be good in this respect, because as long as you have to have at least one, the highest you could get in any score is nine. Although, in RP terms, this is kind of awkward and you could end up with all of your players doing that.
That build would also have 20 Life points and a mere average +4 to hit. Furthermore, using most attacks for a few turns would literally knock you unconscious. Switch the 4 over to a body score, and you'd have 50 hp, but you'd almost never hit anything. Yes, it's entirely intentional that you can start with a 10 in a stat. It's generally a really bad idea. Sure, you can spend your first oh... 24 experience points to raise your other scores to average, but that's 24 also leaves you with a nice 6 points left over to actually buy abilities. So... Enjoy your 1 level 3 ability.
Anyone with any mildly accurate ability to is going to hit you after a few tries and knock you out in one blow.
Compare to someone who chose to take a mere 8 in their favorite ability. With an 8, 4, 2, 2.
That character has double the Life points of the previous one and double the staying power. The statistics for them to dodge also go down, but not by 50%.
Also, as mentioned, a 2 is below average. It's not average. So, the character you proposed blacks out from drinking apple juice and couldn't convince the average peasant that the sky is blue.
I'd also like to point out that there are abilities that use your will score as the attack stat and defense. So, your dodgey ninja still gets 1 shot by just about ANY Feykinja.
There might need to be tweaking to the cost for attribute gains (since it is pretty cheap to raise low one but expensive to raise high ones), but having a 10 in something at the beginning is not a Gift from God and nowhere near optimum.
The Hitinja: Summary: One of the few remaining schools before the advent of the many schools of Ellipsis. The Hitinja are master assassins with perfect perception and precision. While they lack some of the flashy moves of other schools, the Hitinja make up for it with pure skill. If a Hitinja can't hit it, it can't be hit.
High Level Hitinja can hit objects with absolutely brutal accuracy at insane ranges.
History: The Hitinja are one of the oldest schools in the Ninja arts. Some even whisper of rumors that the Hitinja have existed since the dawn of time. Despite not being one of the schools founded by him, Ellipsis spent a considerable amount of time at the school's head branch and with the current Grand Master, Blade of the Infinitesimal. Some even say that Blade has heard the voice of Ellipsis. Although, if it were true, he'd never admit to it.
The Hitinja, being as old as they are, hold on tightly to their code of honor as Ninjas. While they still kill public figures in their sleep for money like all Ninjas, the Hitinja believe heavily in honoring jobs they've been hired to do even in the face of certain death. Hitinjas will also avoid attacking lesser opponents if they can avoid it. Finally, Hitinjas avoid involving innocent bystanders in their jobs.
While most ninja vaguely try to follow these rules as guidelines, the Hitinja take it to heart. While they prefer not to, a true Hitinja would rather work with an honest pirate, than a corrupt Ninja.
Hitinja are not stupid though. Being some of the most perceptive ninjas, Hitinja are also some of the smartest. Without massively damaging abilities or the ability to dodge as well as the Evadinja, the Hitinja need it.
Attribute Scores: Hitinja require a high precision score. Everything they do relies on their ability to hit things as precisely as possible. Everything else is fair game for the Hitinja. Although, like a lot of ninja, they prefer agility over body and will.
Level 1:
Spoiler
Keenest Eye
Ninja 1
Cost: Passive
Hitinja are immensely perceptive by nature. In order to hit something, they must know every detail about it. Hitinja with this ability get a +2 to Precision to notice small details. Hidden doors, slight defects in the surface of a coin, painting forgeries, or even mundane disguises. This doesn't help them spot enemy stealth checks.
Precise Cut
Ninja 1
Cost: 2
Hitinja are accurate. Even their most basic swings of their swords help them eviscerate their foes. This basic attack does 5 damage and hits at a +2 to precision.
Deadly Slice
Ninja 1
Cost: 2
Hitinja sometimes have to sacrifice accuracy for power to cut through their foes armor with their sword. This attack hits at a -4 to hit but hits for 15 damage.
Level 2:
Spoiler
Delaying Fall
Ninja 2
Cost: 4
A clever trick the Hitinja like to use. Hitinja can hit objects with such razor sharp attacks that the universe does not realize the object has taken damage yet. The Hitinja can delay the effect of an attack as long as he or she can perceive the target in some manner. For opponents, this means a delay of damage. For objects like trees, this means a delay before they fall.
Thread the Needle
Ninja 2
Cost: Passive
Hitinja are masters at throwing. A tiny hole is like a giant gaping chasm to them. As long as the projectile can fit through the hole the Hitinja is trying to throw it through, the Hitinja can throw any object through as size hole as if it weren't even there.
Nowhere to Run
Ninja 2
Cost: Passive
Hitinja can see for much farther than their other ninja brethren and keep their accuracy at insane distances. Hitinja with this ability double the range of any thrown or ranged attacks.
Nowhere to Hide
Ninja 2
Cost: Passive
Hitinja can find a way to get around cover. Even if it requires ludicrous arcs of attacks that require complex trigonometry. Normally, if an opponent is covered by another object, you cannot hit that opponent without firing through the object or getting a different angle. As long as there is some angle that the Hitinja could see the opponent with a clear line of sight from (ie. Not in a concealed box), the Hitinja ignores any such effects of cover.
Vital Distraction
Ninja 2
Cost: 3
Hitinja are masters at exposing weakspots, but forcing their foes to block their attacks, the Hitinja leaves an opening for his or her allies. The Hitinja attempts to distract at opponent at a -2 to precision. If they hit, all attacks against that target until his or her next action will do 5 extra damage.
Eight Slain In One Stroke
Ninja 2
Cost: 7
The Hitinja are Deadly assassins that can destroy multiple foes at once. In one lightning swing the Hitinja hits all enemies surrounding him at a -2 to hit for 10 damage. Furthermore, the quickness of this attack causes a brief moment of blurred vision in the victims and gives a -1 to precision until the end of turn to all targets it hits.
Level 3:
Spoiler
Pierce the Veil
Ninja 3
Cost: 3/turn
Hitinja have sharp eyes and can see through even the darkest night. By focusing their energies, nothing can darken their vision. This technique allows Hitinja to see through ALL darkness. While less efficient than the Pirate's technique Secret of the Patch, this has the advantage of not causing an external -1 precision penalty.
Horizon Throw
Ninja 3
Cost: 8
While the art of throwing a knife or kunai is nothing magical, the Hitinja has taken it to impossible perfection and beauty and can throw it farther and with more accuracy than anyone else. This attack does 15 damage and has a range of 50 squares with no penalty to accuracy for distance.
Point Blank Measures
Ninja 3
Cost: Passive
Hitinja are masters of accuracy. Anyone dumb enough to get close to a Hitinja soon learns their true prowess. Hitinja with this ability have a +1 to precision rolls to hit opponents with ranged attacks as long as they are within 3 squares.
Breathe and Focus
Ninja 3
Cost: 8
Hitinjas can take their time to aim to become even more accurate than they already are. By standing completely still and taking a -2 to dodge for the remainder of the turn, a Hitinja can gain a +4 to precision for his attacks during the round.
Level 4:
Spoiler
Fate-bending Slice
Ninja 4
Cost: 8
One of the more deadly attacks in the Hitinja's arsenal. This attack hits all but the most dodgy foes. This melee attack rolls to hit at a +4 to accuracy and does 10 damage.
100 Tiny Needles
Ninja 4
Cost: 8
The Hitinja knows the bodies of his opponent and knows where to hit for the most damage, even with the smallest object. The Hitinja throws a barrage of poisonous needles equal to double his Precision score as one attack. The needles can be split amongst any number of viable targets in range. Each needle does 1 damage that cannot be reduced by ANY damage reduction. This attack has a range of 10 squares.
1,000 Tiny Needles
Ninja 4
Cost: 10
As per the ability 100 Tiny Needles, but it hits every enemy in the 10 square attack range for half of the maximum number of needles (round up). This does not include allies.
Lord of Parries
Ninja 4
Cost: 8
The Hitinja often aren't the fastest ninja and just can't move their feet fast enough to dodge. So, to compensate, the Hitinja developed a technique of perfect parrying that would allow them to overcome this deficiency. When a Hitinja activates this abilities, he uses his effective precision score -2 instead of his agility to dodge. While this isn't exactly effective for small attacks, this ability is greatly effective at surviving one big attack or numerous little ones.
Level 5:
Spoiler
1,000,000 Tiny Needles
Ninja 5
Cost: 20
Named after the Hitinja master, Tiny Needles. As per the 1,000 Tiny Needles ability, but it does a number of needles equal to double their precision score, and hits every enemy within 30 squares of the attacker.
Infinitesimal Blade
Ninja 5
Cost: 2 Awesome Points and 30 Life
The technique invented by Blade of the Infinitesimal, and a technique that ALL who know of it fear greatly. The Hitinja that learns this attack becomes so accurate as to know how to take down ANY foe in 1 hit regardless of size or power. It's even said that when Master Blade does this technique, he can cut between the atoms that make up the individual he is attacking. This attack resolves at a -6 to precision to hit. If this attack hits, the opponent gets to make a body check equal to the precision roll to not instantaneously fall down to 0 Life (or die in a Death Duel). If Awesome points are used to make this instantly hit, treat the roll as if the player had rolled a 12 on the dice for the sake of the Body check.
The Cost of Power
Ninja 5
Cost: 2 Life per 5 damage per attack
This isn't so much a technique as an extension of the Hitinja's natural ability. By focusing his accuracy into the power of his swing, the Hitinja can hit his opponent for even more damage by aiming for his vital points. For every -1 to precision the Hitinja voluntarily takes on a damaging attack that require precision to hit he adds 5 damage to the attack. This can take an attack down to a 1 to hit minimum. When applied to multiple hit attacks like 100 tiny needles the -1 only adds the damage to one attack but applies to all of them. This cannot be used on auto hits like awesome point expenditure or the Ellipsis Swing.
The Ellipsis Swing
Ninja 5
Cost: 2 Awesome Points and 20 Life
A very potent technique that emulates the attacking style of Ellipsis himself. Only taught to Blade of the Infinitesimal and a few worthy students. While not as powerful as the actual attack by Ellipsis himself, this attack NEVER misses. Do not roll to hit with this attack. Assume it hits. You can spend an awesome point to make this a critical hit. This attack does 10 Damage.
Two things that might be interesting to incorporate...
Samurai: they're the sworn enemies of ninjas, and they are probably on not-too-great terms with pirates either. It would be fun to see abilities that key against both of them.
Monks: or some sort of martial-arts master, maybe exiled ninjas or reformed pirates could come into this group.
RSS Feeds: 
Pirates vs. Ninjas
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