Okay so for a while I have been working on my game, my game has multiple KEY stats(as in D&D type stats, intelligence, strength, etc.) each giving the using character their own form of advantage (ie the faster characters can get in hit and get out before anyone notices, the more adept characters hit more often, the stronger characters deal more damage with their axe, the more durable characters shrug off and even ignore more damage, while the more magically attuned character can...well be more magical, haha. Even characters that split multiple ways keep within equal boundaries of the others (as in not better but not woefully worse) at least for most of the levels, with class choices pretty much evening out things. However I also have a few “Unique” stats that certain classes and races give access to, that give a few other uses, but they don’t necessarily strengthen the character (so far I only have ones that add to the role playing element, such as charm and luck)
my game features only 3 base classes (the fighter, the mage, and the expert) with a plethora of advanced classes and a few mastery classes. naturally advanced classes make characters improved upon the base classes, some advanced classes can be taken by multiple base classes (such as the bard, who can be taken by any of the 3, with the best bonuses coming from the expert(expert as in good at what he doesn’t, not necessarily assassin or thief, even a smith would fall into this catagory))
all characters use magic (I know it would seem like a game breaker, but so far I like how it works so far without undermining the mage.) I use a special magic leveling system, basically your caster level is based off your class+race(certain races increase or decrease your caster level) , you can only cast spells that fall within your caster level, spells and caster levels use a decimal system to further complicate casting a spell. A level 1 fighter based character with a caster level of .6 could not cast any spell above level .6, meaning any .1, .2, .3, etc. spell he could but a level 1.5 he could not.
Spells can be made by players ( I have a VERY elaborate spell crafting system that I am NOT going to get into here, let’s just say it’s fair and it works for now.) there are of course premade spells, but the idea of spellcrafting (called spell weaving) is…well to craft spells duh! So obviously my premade spells will not be top of the line…or I hope they aren’t.
Spells also come in a few varieties, not all spells are combat spells. What worried me here was with a leveling spell system, and the fact that no matter how role play oriented the dm will be, battle spells will inevitably out level other spells, so using the people from this site, I fixed that problem before it started, BWAHAHAHA! Oh…wrong laugh…
But anyways, the reason I give you information on spells, is that, although only slightly, they have something to do with my problems.
but I’ve run on a couple of problems
1 I don’t want to use "feats" like in DnD, and while my game has a vast amount of possibility of customization, I don’t want to give 100% free customization like in BESM, and MnM feels to…Idk, weak? Limited? And while I’ve already input a plethora of unique attributes to my game, (okay so a plethora perhaps is exaggerated, at least a little) I really don’t want to simply copy DnD with feats, even giving them a different title. (I did however use them as a different effect, as In DnD I don’t believe every feat qualified for the definition of the word feat, instead of giving you any variation in an ability, they give you more…effect? Instead of a cause they are an effect…best explanation I can give I guess…)
However I was okay with doing this with skills, I simply changed what ones there were to ones that fit the game and titled them “talents” instead of skills, KeKeKe.
2. This is what is really biting at me: I have a stat called skill, it increases your skills “meter” max, as you fight in combat you this meter, that starts at zero, rises up to this max. There are abilities, also called skills, that alter how you fight essentially, from countering to special knockdowns, and even altering magic(similar to metamagic…only cooler!BWAHAHAHA).
Well I started thinking about it, but while this skills system somewhat limits people from countering everything, and knocking everyone down, throwing everyone into the air, or overpowering every spell, there are other options, (basically I like the strategic working of it.)
Like DnD a role play style system, a player announces what hes doing and it doesn’t really detract from their actual actions, meta-magic is apart of the spell, knocking down becomes part of the attack, countering uses a free action, blah blah blah.
But one thing, attacking in my game, along with blocking and dodging have their own variation of effects.
Each one uses a type of “tiring” system, you can attack as much as you want, but your chances of hitting decrease every attack, more dexterious characters attack more often with more hits.
Dodging chances decrease every dodge, and blocking chances decrease with every block, but neither as greatly affected as attacking. (these decreases aren’t permanent for the whole round, if character a attacks character b, and b dodges or blocks, then his dodge or blocks decrease, but when character a is done, character b’s block and dodge reset, when character c attacks, than the only benefit from character a that affect character c is if character a did enough damage that character c can do enough to kill b.)
I just want to know what people really think I should do, getting rid of the skills system wont get rid of the stat, (like I said earlier, my game has more than just the basic stats, and this would just move skill to one of the “other” unique stats, making it less required but still useful…actually I think skill also affects archery..hmm.(better than dex or speed)
Basically my game has dozens of trade offs that a player has to make sure he understands at creation. It may seem complicated to someone looking at the mechanics, and that is because it is, and that is how I enjoy it.
I would like to conclude my questions with a reason to why I make my game! YAY! I knew you would enjoy it, besides if you read everything I typed, you deserve a cookie ^_^ seriously, go bake yourself some cookies.
I started this project when I tried to make characters from my book I am writing in DnD…didn’t work, so I tried BESM, still didn’t feel right…I started searching through thousands of other mechanics…none worked. So I decided to do what I do best…create, and I have…and its going wonderfully!
(also the clumped together stats felt limited, I like to compare things to real life, and being me, I compare them to the plethora of friends I have, a body builder isn’t always as fast as a runner, a thief isn’t always an archer(or gunsman), just because you can shoot a gun doesn’t make you dexterious, I myself have a plethora of physical skills that I compared to games (I am clumsy and unlucky, yet my karma defeats my luck…my luck that is so bad it loops around back into good…its really that bad,(things literally break and fall around me…)I am fast, strong, smart and wise(imo), yet I have other qualities in the same area that affect each of those negatively.(ie memory?horrible…chances are ill forget to check here for a week hahaha)
yeah sorry, I guess I got so wrapped up in my explanation I forgot to clarify the questions exactly.
Yes on both, but for the second question it's also more of, should it be the used system or would something else stand as the better?
and yes the skill meter goes back to 0 after combat, and it is limiting the available abilities of a player.
Each player may start with an amount of skills based on their stat points in skill, such as a warrior may decide to have just enough of a skill meter to be able to counter attack once. while an expert might wish a wider range of skills and a larger skill meter.
and now that I think about it, if I keep the skill meter,
1. should skills be able to combo together, thus increasing the point of having a higher skill meter than to just have enough points to use a skill, (and as is the amount of skill gained is based on your max skill and what action you are taking)
2. should mage class characters even have skills for the skill meter that directly affect their spells? spell casting is already diverse, and the sorcerer class (wich is open to all three base classes) is the only class able to "defy" the actual rules of spellcasting (ie, they can cast spell "effects" without actually knowing a spell, but not to the max of their spellcasting ability)
and yes, im actually getting ready to force...er coerce...er ask some of my friends to playtest it!