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Post by Kristian on Feb 10, 2017 15:49:38 GMT
Not a rant ...but as you might have noticed, I'm not all that fond of what some might call ' new-school or hippy' games (though I've heard far more derogatory terms) - i.e. games that are a bit hand-wavy, or diceless, or that rely entirely on 'how much you can blag from/manipulate the GM, or ones that have a 'shout first/loudest' kind of thing going on (as these kind of games can sometimes favour the more outgoing/improvisational type of players, at the expense of some of the others). I can't help it (I blame my engineering background ), but I do prefer things to be locked down a little more tightly. So, like Steve, I think I would prefer to have an acceptable list of 'spheres' to choose from - so that everyone starts out on a reasonably even footing. But if that goes against everything that you're aiming for (as you've obviously got a better idea of how things will pan out in the long run), then ignore what I just said So, as things stand I could go with something like: SPHERE: Elemental / Rank 5 SPHERE: Death / Rank 5 MANA: 38 RECOVERY: 30 But straight away, I'd see 'Elemental' being more powerful than just taking 'Fire' or 'Air' or whatever. And there is nothing more annoying than specialising your character in one area (say 'Fire'), only to have them constantly overshadowed by someone who can do everything you can do AND MORE ...just because they have worked/played the system. So, that's me throwing in my two coppers ...feel free to throw them right back at me
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 18:21:26 GMT
I agree to an extent with Kris, if you let people make it up entirely it'll also favour people who are better at this stuff, or have read the right sort of books/watched the right films. We want all the characters to have relatively equal (but different) levels of hypothetical ability.
Also we need to make sure in the games of one at a time etc, like Chris says, because some people are more chatty than others and that can lead to us talking over others or them being left in the background. x --
How about we make it that people choose from X amount of spheres, but they can also make their own stuff up if they want? We would just have to make sure the made up stuff has an operational level equal to the ready made stuff, which must be enforced by the GM, who says 'no you can't do that with your level 5' etc. --
Did you decide what system to use? Was it the D20 one? x
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2017 22:50:13 GMT
My favourite power- the power to completely 'refresh' after each session, so I don't have to (fail to) keep track of how many X's I've got left either that or I need a notebook, like James
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 12:41:36 GMT
Kris: don't worry - I'm not sure I would allow "elemental" as a college - it is WAY too broad and indefinite. The same way I would not allow "nullify" as a sphere to give you the teleport ability by "nullifying" space, you know?
Rest assured you will NOT get additional stuff by blagging - it's all about a well defined sphere: in that spehere you are very powerful - but it is tightly defined.
If balance is an issue for you then be assured - it will be rigorously applied!
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 12:44:27 GMT
And Kath: the refresh you talk about is your mana refresh rate you buy at character creation...
And as for making stuff up - that's why I am suggesting you pick a sphere and then make up effects within it.
Consider force as a sphere- you could push someone over, or hit them with a club - or tighten the focus and hit them with an infinitely thin force blade... You could also pick up a rock and hurl it, or use a sword at a distance. You could put up a force field around yourself to avoid damage, and in a pinch pick yourself up and get the feck out of there - in effect flying.
And I don't want to prescribe an acceptable list of spheres... But I will in advance rule what is possible as I am aware people will test the limits such as the use of nullify to teleport as mentioned above, or picking "elements" and claiming to be able to manipulate all 4 which is Not Going To Happen... The most I would allow is yes - you can manipulate all 4, but at an effective -4 power level to all of them.
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gilbo
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Post by gilbo on Feb 11, 2017 13:17:08 GMT
Had a look at D20 Modern and it is pretty much D&D 3.5 so I am guessing that the effects of our magic will need to be translated into game terms. Therefore, for example if you cast a fire attack at level 3 we will need to translate that into dice. So will it be like a fireball and do 1d6 per level or something?
You will also need to decide how the rules for saving throws, etc work. The D20 modern system has rules for spells in already, and also psionic abilities, but I am guessing that you won't want to use this as it is not free-form enough.
I am going for transmutation and summoning type powers by the way.
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 13:32:33 GMT
Not quite - I am grafting the magic system on top of the base rules: see the power descriptions detailed earlier in the thread. Basically if you call up a sphere at level 6 you can kill a troll (if memory serves correctly) per turn... This is not a low level system: having a sphere at level 6 is NOT trivial - you've used up 6 of your daily mana pool to bring it up, so,while it is in effect you are a master of that sphere ready to rain down righteous retribution on the ungodly hordes before you...
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 13:37:46 GMT
Also: transmutation? - nice, tight and easily defineable - transmuting living flesh into metal or stone? Piece of piss! Transmuting a lump,of stone into a golem that paffs goblins to the horizon? Like a boss! Transmuting stone into a meal? Bring it on!
Summoning? Perhaps a bit more detail: summoning a creature to fight for you? Bam! - done it! Summoning a useful (generic) item? Done! Summoning a specific item.. Well - have you ever touched it? Have a bonus. Know of it but never seen it? Have a minus...
Make sense? Seems like a bit of overlap to me - but also some very nice synergies if both were called to mind at max level for utility stuff.
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gilbo
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Post by gilbo on Feb 11, 2017 13:54:47 GMT
Yes, transmutation I would want to be able to change my own shape and that of others and of other things. Now I come to think of it, do i need summoning? I could just transmute a rock into a dragon to fight for me, or a speck of dust into a rocket launcher.
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 13:56:24 GMT
Exactly! That's why I thought there was a bit of overlap. And transmuting yourself? I like your lateral thinking!
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Post by Kristian on Feb 11, 2017 13:56:34 GMT
I understand what you are saying - and I guess I just need to have more faith in you reining folks in. Otherwise Steve's 'Transmutation' sphere, when put into D&D terms, could include anything from Air Walk and Rusting Grasp, to Polymorph and Control Weather (much like 'Evocation' could be anything from Fireball and Ice Storm, to Earthquake and Sound Burst ...i.e. pretty much the same as the 'Elemental Sphere' example). But like I say, that's just comparing it to D&D (as that's what I'm prone to do ).
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 14:00:10 GMT
I suppose I am asking for a bit of trust here, so bear with me and remember my adherence to Rule Zero: it's supposed to be FUN!
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gilbo
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Post by gilbo on Feb 11, 2017 14:05:46 GMT
Or I could turn into a microbe, or a death star, and turn all the nearby oxygen molecules into bullets, and then turn all the other characters into cheesy wotsits, and then myself into Cthulhu, and.... I guess what I'm saying here is do you know what you've let yourself in for?
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 14:28:53 GMT
I know what you mean... - but there WILL be limits... - changing your own size? - easy: changing your size AND shape? - not so easy - but doable at level 6: changing your size, shape AND composition? (so becoming 10 foot tall, 6 armed AND made of metal? - not possible in a single turn... - however - if you took 2 turns to do it, then go for it! - you ARE in actual truth an Arch Mage level of power at level 6 in a college / sphere of magic.
Converting oxygen into bullets? - yes... - at the rate of one per turn... - however - where is the motive force to propel them going to come from?
Turning a PC into a cheesy wotsit.. - well; they will definitely feel your transmutation sphere powering up, and so will get at least 1 turn to resist - as I am sure you would want if they used their power against you.
In summary: killing or damaging stuff with your level 6 sphere is EASY - see the table below. It is more a question of "how do you want to kill it?" than "roll for damage". What I want to see is how you deal with more tricky issues - a horde, or an enemy mage or shaman, or a phalanx of ice-giants with elephant sized felwolves with a goblin shaman atop each one, or environmental challenges, or political ones, or long term survival in (oh, I don't know - let's pick a random example) a supernatural ice-winter of the gods....
Magic level - Typical damage / level of power 1 - Trivial: no damage: cantrips only 2 - Minor - kill a cat 3 - Small - kill a dog / 5 cats 4 - Average - kill a human / 5 dogs 5 - Large - kill a bear / 5 humans 6 - Significant - kill a troll / 5 bears 7 - Major - kill a giant / 5 trolls 8 - Massive - kill a dragon / 5 giants 9 - Insane 10 - Godlike
And I definitely want to go for high magic levels here: individual spells being of lesser importance than the mastery of your sphere.
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Post by brumguvnor on Feb 11, 2017 14:37:41 GMT
New idea: if you call your sphere to mind, you can have (level in sphere)/2 major effects in operation... - so for level 6 forces, you could: 1 - fly 2 - raise a forcefield 3 - smight the heathens
All as long as each aspect of your sphere is called up one at a time at the rate of 1 per turn.
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