 December 2, 2007 - 11:15pm | A couple of thoughts on Character Gen: * Fixed Ability Totals (aka, point buy) for attributes? (as per optional rules in the Digitally Remastered docs) Keeps everyone on the same page in terms of general character attributes, and attributes are even more important in Basic than in advanced... (see below for text from Digitally Remastered) * As the primary intent seems to be streamlined play, add in some 'advanced' character gen options such as splitting attribute pair values? (move from one to the other?) Add a little more variety without complicating game play.... From the Digitally Remastered Alpha Dawn Optional Rules: " Fixed Ability Total This is another option, for those players tired of rolling crappy while the person to their left gets a hand full of 65’s. This option balances one character against the others, makes sure no one person gets so lucky that his abilities cause him to dominate play. Simply allot 180 points among all four ability score pairs. You can still personalize the scores after, making sure not to shift more than 10 points from one ability to its matched pair. Remember that no ability can start higher than 70 before applying racial adjustments. Referees can change this total to have more or less heroic player characters, referring to the following table.
" |
 December 3, 2007 - 2:52am | That can always be an optional/secondary method. I recall from my D&D days we had multiple methods for creation, such as roll 3d6 7 times and toss out the lowest, roll 3d6 6 times and repeat for three sets and keep the most desirable set of six, start with all 10s and add 12 more points as desired/distributed between each ability, etc... Like D&D, I've always allowed for the "hopeless character" clause, where the character with all below-average traits can be scrapped and redone. I also have no issue with trading up to 10 points from one side of a pair to the other. |
 December 3, 2007 - 1:50pm | I think all of the character archetypes from the first six issues of the StarFrontiersman used the 200-point method. Seemed to make fairly playable characters. I don't see how it's simpler in Basic not to divide up your scores. Seems pretty obvious they're separate when you look at the character sheet. So yeah - I'm on board with the 10-point shift. Also - races are fairly boring in the basic game. The only thing that makes a Vrusk different than a Human in the basic game is some ability score points being shuffled around (oh, and a +1 "Space" to walking and running speeds). I'm sure the game can still have a simplistic look and feel with at least one small ability or something for each race, right? 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
December 3, 2007 - 8:22pm | I think all of the character archetypes from the first six issues of the StarFrontiersman used the 200-point method. Seemed to make fairly playable characters. 200 sounds good to me -- average of all 50's, adjust as desired. And we all play to be 'hero's of some sort, right? ;-) And makes it easier to create a character to fit the role, as opposed to the character fitting the roll's.... ;-) ;-) (although I know some purists don't like what is, in effect, 'Point buy', and can lead to min-maxing (I assume still keep max 70, min of 35.) Also - races are fairly boring in the basic game. The only thing that makes a Vrusk different than a Human in the basic game is some ability score points being shuffled around (oh, and a +1 "Space" to walking and running speeds). I'm sure the game can still have a simplistic look and feel with at least one small ability or something for each race, right? Just need to keep simple to GM without being overpowering.... For example, ambidexterity adds the whole two handed shooting rules, penalties, and bonus'.... |
December 3, 2007 - 11:10pm | True, jag... we don't want to open a whole can of worms. Shack has been gracious in the Basically Speaking game and allowing me to use two gyrojet pistols at the same time :P 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
 December 4, 2007 - 11:21pm | Don't forget that the point to the Basic game is that there is no Referee. |
December 5, 2007 - 2:01am | Also - races are fairly boring in the basic game. I'm all for defining the races/species better in basic. A vrusk's ambidexterity, a yazirian's night vision/gliding, a dral's elasticity (and #limbs=DEX/10). Perhaps throw in the Battle Rage/Comprehension/Lie Detection at a ½ or ¼ ability roll? Like say a Yaz can go into battle rage at ½STA, a vrusk can comprehend at ½LOG and a dralasite can detect lies at ½INT? Of course by doing so we have to oblige the humans and do the +5 thing too. Shack has been gracious in the Basically Speaking game and allowing me to use two gyrojet pistols at the same time The way I see it, firing two pistols (with the 3/6d10 pistol/rifle rule) is the same as firing one rifle assuming both shots hit. It's just harder to fire two pistols than one rifle, but the option should be available. Firing two rifles isn't likely to happen, as that's much more difficult than two pistols with the extra off balance weight of the rifle at one hand each. Don't forget that the point to the Basic game is that there is no Referee. Good point. The original Basic calls for a Reader rather than a Referee, it's almost the same thing. Although the point of this project is also to open up the playing field so it isn't a predetermined choose your own adventure game either. Still, the overall rules need to be simple and easy to remember so that everyone's not constantly checking tables and charts for every resolution etc. |
December 5, 2007 - 2:53pm | So we should decide now - is this version of the Basic rules to have a Reader or a Referee? 3. We wear sungoggles during the day. Not because the sun affects our
vision, but when you're cool like us the sun shines all the time. |
December 5, 2007 - 5:17pm | I say referee. Reader implies eveything must be prewritten/ordained as a choose your own adventure format. It's much easier to whip up an adventure in an outline format, jotting notes/plots/NPCs down on a piece of paper (or PC document) than it is to wirte up a bunch of if/then scenarios. It also allows for random events, making it more real. Every successful RPG depends on a referee, game master, dungeon master, etc to create the setting. To drift away from that premise mandates the likes of converting the Villains of Volturnus book into a basic game adventure. That is the premise of my expanded rules Port Loren Raiders game. The raiders don't have to split up, they can all hop in the skimmer or board the monorail together. The party doesn't have pick only one group to pursue if they do split up, thus letting the other group go (re: monorail or skimmer pursuit in the Basic game). The raiders can all slplit up and go four seperate directions...random acts that can truly enhance the game. That's what I feel is missing from the Basic Game by having it as "reader" format. |
December 5, 2007 - 6:28pm | FWIW, I like the update to the home page of this project, and I like the premise that you've defined -- simpler ruleset for various scenarios, with the main current usage being online games where you want things to run as quickly & smoothly as possible. |
December 5, 2007 - 6:35pm | PS Racial abilities sound fine to me. Firing two weapons -- so, the Advanced rules? -10% both hands, plus -10% for the off hand? |
December 5, 2007 - 10:22pm | Another thought: starting max ability of less than 70? Open up a little more room for improvements if maybe top out initially at 65 or ??? |
December 13, 2007 - 9:28am | I'm all for defining the races/species better in basic. A vrusk's ambidexterity, a yazirian's night vision/gliding, a dral's elasticity (and #limbs=DEX/10). Perhaps throw in the Battle Rage/Comprehension/Lie Detection at a ½ or ¼ ability roll? Like say a Yaz can go into battle rage at ½STA, a vrusk can comprehend at ½LOG and a dralasite can detect lies at ½INT? Of course by doing so we have to oblige the humans and do the +5 thing too. Humans need a special ability. Perhaps make a list of abilities the Player can choose from. Lie Detection Ambidextrous + in Melee combat + programming robots... you see where I'm going? Humans don't need to be so boring. |
December 13, 2007 - 10:27am | What's wrong with Boring? It's called "adaptable", you know? ;-) ;-) ;-) I think a +5 with no minus is fine. |
