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.
Only five stats: Body, Spirit, Technology, Diplomacy, Intelligence.
Two damage categories: Energy and Physical. Each is separated into four types: Heat, Cold, Electricity, and Force for Energy; Slashing, Concussive, Blunt, Piercing for Physical.
Though the same stat ranges will be used as DnD 3.5, characters with too much Spirit suffer drawbacks (more on this later).
Racial bonuses to stats are not straight additions to the stats. They instead get to add a dice to every roll with the associated stat, or get a bonus stat for only certain things.
For those of you wondering, the intended class for Samus was Warrior. Her signature Power Suit is a type of Spirit Armor. One of the effects of which is to increase the wearers limit on maximum Spirit.
Attack rolls with basic weapons are done using Body. Vehicular weapons are done with Tech. Spirit attacks (akin to spells) are obviously done with spirit. Certain more advanced weapons, such as mortars or other trajectory weapons--things with advanced aiming systems--would be done with either Intelligence or Tech (haven't decided).
The classes are intended to be based off of certain stats. There are five intended 'pure' classes, and five mixed classes. I wanted the mixed classes to have about 70/30 stat reliance. Soldier is the 'pure' class for Body, Warrior is the Body based mixed stat, relying slightly on Spirit.
Three skills for each stat. This isn't something I have any real reason for other than OCD.
Obviously, if I'm making Space Pirates a race that can theoretically function alongside Chozo, this cannot take place in the present Metroid time and/or active space. I have not decided how to address that yet.
Phazon. It causes some significant boosts to Body and Spirit. This would be a purely positive thing if it weren't for the drawbacks for high Spirit.
Since I hit sort of a dead end, I was wondering if maybe the Playground wanted to take a whack at it.
Things I think should come next:
Skill usages and common DCs. In fact, addressing the whole skill system.
Class abilities, BAB.
List of Spirit Powers. Warrior, Mystic, and Weaver should all have access to them. Warrior approximates to a 4 level caster, Mystic to a 9, and Weaver to a weak 9 or 6 level caster.
More feats. A lot more feats.
Equipment. Weapons, Armor, and Transports of all varieties. Categories are already offered.
Damage reduction vs. AC. I would favor some variant where equipped armor gives damage reduction (different against different types, depending on the armor). Where should AC as avoidance come from in this case?
Saves. Should I keep saves in place from standard d20?
Universe. How does space travel work? Why can Space Pirates be player characters alongside extinct or near extinct races like the Chozo?
If anyone is interested, open up discussion here. If you want to dive right in, go ahead. If you want to object to what I've outlined, do so. If you don't have anything other than suggestions, let's hear them. For that matter, if you just want to express a liking for Metroid and d20, go for it.
I'm currently playing through Metroid Prime 2 right now, so I'm in a pretty Metroid mood. Maybe it would help if you defined what spirit does, and what kind of skills you're looking for. It's also difficult to see how this could be a multiplayer RPG, when Metroid games are by their nature single player. With a little more info about what you are shooting for, maybe some more people might chip in.
I'm currently playing through Metroid Prime 2 right now, so I'm in a pretty Metroid mood. Maybe it would help if you defined what spirit does, and what kind of skills you're looking for. It's also difficult to see how this could be a multiplayer RPG, when Metroid games are by their nature single player. With a little more info about what you are shooting for, maybe some more people might chip in.
Spirit controls the 'magic' stuff that the Chozo, Luminoth, and Bryonnians (before the whole crazy thing in their backstory) are known for.
The games are single player because of the nature of Samus, not the nature of the universe. Obviously, nobody would be playing Samus. Also, if you've ever played Prime 3 (excellent game, and the source of the Bryonnians), Samus does work with other bounty hunters.
Skills, I'm looking for definitions to the ones I've already made, or if people think other things are necessary or these ones are unnecessary. I posted a link in my first post to a Googledoc of my notes thus far.
Edit: I've made the formatting a little easier to pick through in my notes document. I use a mind-mapping program to keep track of this stuff, and the way it exports has always been hard for me to read.
Space Pirate would seem to be a profession, not a race. Thus they could have existed as far back as necessary to co-exist with the Chozo I would think. Then again I know very little about the games.
Space Pirate would seem to be a profession, not a race. Thus they could have existed as far back as necessary to co-exist with the Chozo I would think. Then again I know very little about the games.
Not really. Senses is supposed to be the equivalent of Spot, Listen, Search (think Pathfinder's perception check). Nimbleness is anything which would be dexterity based; if dexterity were a separate stat. Conditioning is things like long distance running, speed, ability to hold breath, the like. Anything that a professional athlete would condition train for.
Saving throws, if incorporated would be either Body saves or Spirit saves. I can't really see the other ones being relevant. However, I'd rather the system use a saves as avoidance version; such that the caster/attacker is the one making the rolls.
Not really. Senses is supposed to be the equivalent of Spot, Listen, Search (think Pathfinder's perception check).
Ah. That makes sense.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoleMage
Nimbleness is anything which would be dexterity based; if dexterity were a separate stat.
That seems really vague. Sleight of hand? Move silently? Balance? Escape artist? Use rope? Those seem kind of like different areas of expertise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoleMage
Conditioning is things like long distance running, speed, ability to hold breath, the like. Anything that a professional athlete would condition train for.
Doesn't a powersuit come with life support? As in, holding your breath is unnecessary? On a serious note, this looks pretty good if you are setting it up like Elder Scrolls IV where everything is based on skills.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoleMage
Saving throws, if incorporated would be either Body saves or Spirit saves. I can't really see the other ones being relevant. However, I'd rather the system use a saves as avoidance version; such that the caster/attacker is the one making the rolls.
Having thought about it, don't mess with saving throws; just use skills.
Force is energy, not physical. So... like Samus's Power Beam.
Concussive is explosions and the like. Y'know, fishing with dynamite. Samus's bombs and missiles do mixture of this and force/fire respectively.
Blunt is I smack you with this giant heavy object.
Maybe Nimbleness could be changed to Acrobatics and it could be assumed that you've got sufficient dexterity for anything else?
Wow, I almost forgot I posted this. How about this: name a class you'd like made into an example and I'll see what I can do in my bored time in the next week or so. First five votes if there's a clear-cut winner, or the first class to take the lead after five if not.
So no light dark or sonic energy types (from the Prime 2 beams)?
Owrtho
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Sonic would be concussive most likely. I hesitate to include the dark and light as standard energy types since they functioned basically as ice beam and plasma beam from the other games respectively.
However, adding more energy types is easy enough: just say that there's a new energy type.
I remember finding a d20 Metroid system once with its own website. It was pretty cool, mostly based on D&D and with classes for different kinds of Power Suits. The only monster was a CR 18 Metroid (the justification being that "Samus must be around level 44").
Sadly, I can't find it any more.
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Well I'm not sure exactly what your looking for but here is a pathfinder version of a metroid.
Juvanile Metroid
This creature resembles a jelly fish with three nuclei pulsing in the mitts of its translucency. Its toothy maw twitches hungrily as it dashes towards you. Juvanile Metroid CR 7
XP
N Medium Vermin Init +2; Senses Dark vision 60' Life sense 60'; Perception +7
Defense
AC 21, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (+2 Dex, +0 size, +9 natural)
hp 49 (7d8+21 )
Fort +8, Ref +4, Will +4 SD Immune to immunity to all mind affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). All resistances 15 Dr 15/- Weaknesses Icy Paralysis
Offense
Speed Fly 30 ft. (Perfect) Melee Bite +7 (2d6+2 + Energy vampire. ), Space 5 ft.; Reach 5ft. SA Attach, Energy vampire.
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 10 Base Atk +5; CMB 0; CMD 0 ( 0 vs. trip) Feats 4 Skills Perception +5 SQ Asexual Reproduction Ecology Environment Cavernous Organization solitary or clutch 2-6 Treasure none
Icy Paralysis (ex): Whenever a Metroid takes ice damage it must roll a fortitude save (dc 10 + damage done) or become paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. While thusly frozen Its energy resistances and Damage reduction are negated.
Attach (Ex) When a Metroid hits with a touch attack, its barbed teeth latch onto the target, anchoring it in place. An attached Metroid is effectively grappling its prey. The Metroid loses its Dexterity bonus to AC and has an AC of 19, but holds on with great tenacity. A Metroid has a +8 racial bonus to maintain its grapple on a foe once it is attached. An attached Metroid can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself—if its prey manages to win a grapple check or Escape Artist check against it, the Metroid is removed.
Energy Vampipre (Ex) A Metroid drains energy at the end of its turn if it is attached to a foe, Draining 2d6 points of damage which is transferred to the Metroid in the form or healing or temporary hit points. If its victim dies from this damage she is reduced to a fine inert powder, effectively disintegrated.
Energy Transfer (ex): Instead of Draining an enemy from an attached creature a Metroid can instead transfer this energy to a creature healing it up 2d6 points of damage. This ability costs the Metroid the same amount of hit points.
I think it's great that you are ignoring the pre-existing Metroid D20 suggestions and are going to make your very own version. I will support you with the best of my ability and look forward to playtesting a completed version.
Oh yes, since this is still new, does that mean we get to create our own alien races if we don't find existing races sufficient? And don't forget to add all the new hunter alien races shown in Hunters and Corruption. Anyway, off to read your doc.
If you want to make a new race, go ahead and post it here. I didn't include the ones from Hunters or Corruption because they struck me more as individuals; notably the magma guy, Kanden, Weavel, and Ghor are unique individuals, either from being the last survivor of their race or because they were created as such (lab experiment, cyborg, uber-cyborg). Magma guy's and the ice people could be entire races though, especially if we're fudging the setting enough to have (mostly) peaceful co-existence between the Space Pirates and...everyone else.
Spirit
The maximum spirit of a Kriken is 14. Passing beyond that limit causes a Kriken to enter a state of tireless rage, seeking to defeat all within its path, friend or foe, regardless of relative prowess. They lose their Intelligence skills but retain their Technology related skills.
Stealth
Kriken are able to turn invisible when immobile for at least 1 round. Kriken can still use weapons, but their invisibility will disappear when attacking, revealing themselves to enemies.
Frail
The Body of a Kriken cannot exceed 14. If they do, they lose their natural Stealth capability.
Spirit
The maximum spirit of a Kriken is (< 14). Passing beyond that limit causes a Kriken to enter a state of tireless rage, seeking to defeat all within its path, friend or foe, regardless of relative prowess. They lose their Intelligence skills but retain their Technology related skills.
Stealth
Kriken are able to turn invisible when immobile for [1 round?]. Kriken can still use weapons, but their invisibility will disappear when attacking, revealing themselves to enemies.
Frail
The Body of a Kriken cannot exceed (< 14, 10-12?). If they do, they lose their natural Stealth capability.
I didn't add Triskelion, because I was not sure whether it would work as an racial ability because canonically only the warrior Kriken have it.
Triskelion isn't an innate trait of the Kriken, it's biotechnology. Probably goes under the header of equipment. This looks good, fits the theme, their spirit effect makes sense. Frail I think would be okay at 14. Invisibility shouldn't be as much of a big deal in such a sci-fi setting where thermal imaging and such is readily available.
Spirit
The maximum spirit of a Vhozon is 18. A Vhozon that exceeds this limit enters a zealot-like state of mind. They will seek to bring justice to everyone they deem beneath them. Since they already perceive almost everyone as beneath them, they will slaughter everyone around them under the pretense of saving them.
Insulation
Vhozon are naturally protected from the harsh sub-zero environment of their homeworld, and thus other forms of cold. Vhozon have resistance cold/10.
Vhoscythe
The Vhozon have adapted the ability to tuck themselves into a top-shaped figure as a move action and spin to move around. While in this form, their Insulation increases to resistance cold/15 and they are able to attack using a long scythe-like appendage.
I leave it up to you to determine how combat and damage works.
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Metroid system, d20 based.
On a serious note, this looks pretty good if you are setting it up like Elder Scrolls IV where everything is based on skills.
