Jimmy swill didn't spend his skillpts well
Okay, I made some guys. They're in the email. Check 'em out.
After going through all that...
1) Fighters are absolutely kick ass. But there's no reason for a fighter to have a high STR, there's really nothing to be gained that a few skillpts won't solve. On the other hand, AGIL is critical. END is also really, really good to have so high that you get bonus pts. I didn't take advantage of these things outside the straight fighter, but maybe I should have.
Anyway, we need to make STR more important somehow.
2) Buying dodge and health. I almost never did it. I did a little, but because I felt I 'ought' to. Always better things to do with the skillpoints. It's 100% better to start with low STR and high END and AGIL, and use the skillpts to buy extra attacks and weapon mast. Just get a +1 bonus from END, that's a free 6 ability points each level. END 20 gives 18 free ability points, essentially. Roger Bacon fucking rocks. He's 6th level and can take yer damn Power Word Kill.
Buying a couple points of health at high levels just seems like a waste... when fighters are dolling out tons of damage, does it matter if I have 14 instead of 12 hp? Nope.
3) Ambidex is the most useless ability. It's expensive, and has nothing to do with AGIL. Low AGIL characters won't be fighting anyway, and high AGIL characters already have mild penalties to 2-weap fighting. No reason not to put those skillpts towards Multi-Attack, which is a melee guy's most important ability, bar none. Or for a few skillpts more, you might as well by magic potential or something.
Uh, why did Jimmy Swill even buy it? He spent 20 precious skillpts to get a +2 to hit with a small off-hand weapon you can only swing w/ once per round, and a +1 with his on-hand. For 12 skillpts, he could've bought Weap Mast II, which would give +1 to hit with both, plus allow him to do more dmg, and be well on his way (8/14 pts) to Weap Mast III.
(Speaking of, by my count, Jimmy has 8 prof pts too many, which might not seem like a lot, but is a big help at low level.)
Multi-attack makes everything better. Disarm, Critical Hit, Counterattack- always buy up Multiattack.
4) Casters need to buy up spellcircles as soon as they can, since spell slot accrual begins when you buy the circle. That's another mechanic biased towards powergaming... there's just too much good stuff that happens when you buy a circle. It was great to get John Applegate's Ritual Magic V at 6th level, and to start with 2nd circle. I honestly don't think that's broken, especially when you compare to the high-END fighter beast.
5) Another problem is costs of some things. Maybe combine the Climb and Falling profs? And god almighty, why are all the skills 2 for 3? Gives me a damn headache. Make most of them 1 for 1 or 1 for 2. It doesn't matter. Art ability 1 for 2, slight of hand 1 for 2, falling 1 for 2. Do it please.
6) Languages and literacy. In my games, lang skills are essential. But here they're just so costly to buy. With 5 pts you can do so much else. Just, damn it, make languages cost 4 pts.
7) Maybe 15 starting prof points, just to give thief types an easier run of it. The problem with Jimmy Swill/Hung type guys is that, since ability scores cap prof scores, they're going to be jack of all trades. Have a bunch of skills at 10-14, which is fine for mid levels, but becomes silly at high levels, because these guys can't succeed at big penalty, high risk skillchecks. I like the mechanic though. Just not sure how to make this one more workable. Or make more skills 'general'?
8) Feint seems like it kicks ass. Everyone should max it out as soon as they can.
9) Running, oh god! So cheap and so good. This is a game breaker. Increased char speed makes or breaks critical fights.
10) Shit, I should've bought Last Stand for Roger Bacon. Just to increase his tankedness. Next level. 6 skillpts for 10 more hp essentially. Combined with Running, and this guy won't ever die.
After going through all that...
1) Fighters are absolutely kick ass. But there's no reason for a fighter to have a high STR, there's really nothing to be gained that a few skillpts won't solve. On the other hand, AGIL is critical. END is also really, really good to have so high that you get bonus pts. I didn't take advantage of these things outside the straight fighter, but maybe I should have.
Anyway, we need to make STR more important somehow.
2) Buying dodge and health. I almost never did it. I did a little, but because I felt I 'ought' to. Always better things to do with the skillpoints. It's 100% better to start with low STR and high END and AGIL, and use the skillpts to buy extra attacks and weapon mast. Just get a +1 bonus from END, that's a free 6 ability points each level. END 20 gives 18 free ability points, essentially. Roger Bacon fucking rocks. He's 6th level and can take yer damn Power Word Kill.
Buying a couple points of health at high levels just seems like a waste... when fighters are dolling out tons of damage, does it matter if I have 14 instead of 12 hp? Nope.
3) Ambidex is the most useless ability. It's expensive, and has nothing to do with AGIL. Low AGIL characters won't be fighting anyway, and high AGIL characters already have mild penalties to 2-weap fighting. No reason not to put those skillpts towards Multi-Attack, which is a melee guy's most important ability, bar none. Or for a few skillpts more, you might as well by magic potential or something.
Uh, why did Jimmy Swill even buy it? He spent 20 precious skillpts to get a +2 to hit with a small off-hand weapon you can only swing w/ once per round, and a +1 with his on-hand. For 12 skillpts, he could've bought Weap Mast II, which would give +1 to hit with both, plus allow him to do more dmg, and be well on his way (8/14 pts) to Weap Mast III.
(Speaking of, by my count, Jimmy has 8 prof pts too many, which might not seem like a lot, but is a big help at low level.)
Multi-attack makes everything better. Disarm, Critical Hit, Counterattack- always buy up Multiattack.
4) Casters need to buy up spellcircles as soon as they can, since spell slot accrual begins when you buy the circle. That's another mechanic biased towards powergaming... there's just too much good stuff that happens when you buy a circle. It was great to get John Applegate's Ritual Magic V at 6th level, and to start with 2nd circle. I honestly don't think that's broken, especially when you compare to the high-END fighter beast.
5) Another problem is costs of some things. Maybe combine the Climb and Falling profs? And god almighty, why are all the skills 2 for 3? Gives me a damn headache. Make most of them 1 for 1 or 1 for 2. It doesn't matter. Art ability 1 for 2, slight of hand 1 for 2, falling 1 for 2. Do it please.
6) Languages and literacy. In my games, lang skills are essential. But here they're just so costly to buy. With 5 pts you can do so much else. Just, damn it, make languages cost 4 pts.
7) Maybe 15 starting prof points, just to give thief types an easier run of it. The problem with Jimmy Swill/Hung type guys is that, since ability scores cap prof scores, they're going to be jack of all trades. Have a bunch of skills at 10-14, which is fine for mid levels, but becomes silly at high levels, because these guys can't succeed at big penalty, high risk skillchecks. I like the mechanic though. Just not sure how to make this one more workable. Or make more skills 'general'?
8) Feint seems like it kicks ass. Everyone should max it out as soon as they can.
9) Running, oh god! So cheap and so good. This is a game breaker. Increased char speed makes or breaks critical fights.
10) Shit, I should've bought Last Stand for Roger Bacon. Just to increase his tankedness. Next level. 6 skillpts for 10 more hp essentially. Combined with Running, and this guy won't ever die.
posted by Rob @ 10:10 PM
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