Spellcraft
More suggestions. Haven't looked at 5.0 yet.
EDIT: Didn't read your reply below when I made this, I know you want Math-lite, but here's some suggestions for how to incorporate spellmaking history into spellcraft.
Formatting of text. Very important.
You'll want page breaks for chapter sections. 1: Introduction, 2: Char Creation, 3: Equipment, 4: Spell Lists, etc. Break down into subsections... 2.1 Stats, 2.2 Races, 2.3 Abilities, 2.4 Profs, 2.5 Starting Funds, etc.
You'll want headers or footers on each page saying 'Hermetic Spells' or 'Proficiencies' or something.
You'll want an Index at the back. Of course, wait to add real page numbers until the absolute, final end.
...
Lots of examples. Example characters and skillpoint spending. Example prof and ability usage.
...
Spellcraft.
Okay, how's this.
For spell creation, you 'pre-game', by rolling up to three different non-Spellcraft skills. Arcane Knowledge and Contacts are the first two, and the third is by GM approval (Engineering, Herbalism, etc... not Magic Acuity in most cases).
The base cost of a Hermetic Magic spell is:
(circle^2) * 100 silver in cash, and
(circle ^2) + 5 in days.
The base cost of a Hedge Magic spell is 25% of the cash and 50% of the time of the same circle Hermetic spell.
For example, to make a 3rd circle Hermetic spell is 900 silver and 14 days, while a 3rd Circle Hedge spell is 225 silver and 7 days.
Cash is all spent in advance. Spellcraft check made at very end of time.
Here's where it gets more interesting.
1) You can trade days for money and vice-versa, down to 50% of cash and time, at a 2:1 exchange rate. In other words, if you want to make that 3rd circle Hermetic spell for cheap, you can pay 450 silver and take 28 days to do it instead (base 14, plus 50% which = 7, but with 2:1 exchange is 2*7 = +14 total). Or any amount in-between 900-45o silver.
Alternatively, if you're in a rush, you can make it in 7 days minimum, but pay 1800 (base 900, plus 50% which = 450, but at 2:1 exchange is +900 total).
2) Every failed attempt at making the same spell gives you a cumulative +3 bonus to the next attempt. (I don't know what this number should be, but failing to make the spell is super harsh.)
3) The check is at a -1 penalty per circle, as in the current system. This is super harsh, so, this is why the initial costs seem so low...
4) For each +10% to both cost and time, you get a +1 bonus to the check, maximum of +5. (Maybe that should be +20% to costs?)
5) And, each successful pre-game check (up to three) gives you +1 bonus to this current check or 10% off the monetary cost, PCs choice.
6) Every spell you know of the same School gives you a discount of (circle of known spell - circle to make + 2)% to cost (minimum 0% per spell of course). For example, if I'm making a 4th circle Summoning spell, and I know a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th circle Summoning already, I get a bonus of 0% from the first, 0% from the 2nd, 1% from the 3rd, 2% from the 4th, and 3% from the 5th for a total of 6%. Max discount from known spells of 20%.
Example:
So, Greg Vrill tries to make a 3rd circle Hedge spell. It's 225 silver and 7 days, at a -3 penalty to his check. His skill is 7 (say), so he needs to roll a 1-4 on a d20 to make it. All the time and money is spent in any case. That sucks.
He rolls Herbalism, Arcane, and Contacts, and makes two outta three, and take +2 to his check (now he needs a 1-6). He'll also bump costs by 50% to get a full +5 (1-11 on a d20, or 55% chance), but costs are now (let's say +20%/+1) 450 silver and 14 days. That's a lot of money, so he'll trade off time for cost, to pay 225 silver and 28 days to have a 55% chance of making the spell. He fails.
Another 225 silver and 28 days, for a total of 2 months and 45 gold to have a 70% chance of making it, assuming he makes two checks again. That's pretty fair I think.
The *time* adds up, as does the cash, which will keep mages in check and prevent them from making all but one spell each time they're in town.
This could be offset by an optional rule for the 'GM's handbook': training time for profs and abilities. One day per skillpoint spent is training time (you could add fees too if you wanted).
...
I just made those numbers up: the 50% limit and 2:1 exchange rate. There definitely should be some limited swap mechanism, but I dunno if those numbers are perfect.
I also just made up the initial cost. Definitely, cost should be a quadratic function of spell circle. But the constants in the equations (times 2 and plus 5) are arbitrary. Flavor to taste.
The key thing is really the ability to customize spellcraft to the particular game a GM's running: is time or cash more valuable? Plus, to make it cumulatively easier on the PC.
...
EDIT: REPLY TO BELOW.
Also, humans get 5 extra ability points in part because they don't have initial attribute modifiers. -Letting them buy up shafts nonhumans a little bit.
So, the thing about human bonus is that these 5 skillpoints are enough only to raise up your LOW stats, not your prime HIGH stats (e.g., CHA for priest, IQ for mage), whereas if you're a non-human, chances are your race will boost your prime stats. Playing a non-human is a mild form of min-maxing, if you think about it... "I'm a fighter, so I'm an orc, so my CHA is lower and my STR is higher" (or whatever).
Both yes, but skill with the sword is most about striking your opponent. I did add a new grade however. Weapon mastery is cheap too.
What about something more simple:
Weapon Mastery I: +1 to hit, +0 to damage
Weapon Mastery II: +2 to hit, +1 to damage
Weapon Mastery III: +3 to hit, +1 to damage
Weapon Mastery IV: +4 to hit, +2 to damage
Weapon Mastery V: +5 to hit, +2 to damage
Weapon Mastery VI: +6 to hit, +3 to damage
That level VI is pricey but maybe worth it?
Ed and I talked about this. I was thinking about half. However as Ed said, a dagger doesn't hurt much more when thrown by a stronger guy. Also, spears are thrown with arc, and soon lose any momentum but the weight of the shaft. Bows are debatable, not too much difference, unless it's a big bow. Full damage doesn't make sense. Half is ok, but then you must round up or down, and separate your STR bonuses from weapon mastery, magic etc. -No, lets keep it simple.
But a handaxe thrown by a really weak guy won't do any damage at all. STR matters, *especially* for archery. Check the damn internet on that one too.
On movement. The big problem here is initiative. I win init, so I spend my whole movement running up to some guy, but I moved full, so I can't attack. Then it's his init, and there I am, so he gets to attack me. How do you systematize this fairly? Charge attacks? Mounted combat?
Other things, like untrained healing, okay. I'd add somewhere in the GM's guide, to encourage GMs to give out the occasional free prof point here and there, to make it easier for PCs to buy those profs.
EDIT: Didn't read your reply below when I made this, I know you want Math-lite, but here's some suggestions for how to incorporate spellmaking history into spellcraft.
Formatting of text. Very important.
You'll want page breaks for chapter sections. 1: Introduction, 2: Char Creation, 3: Equipment, 4: Spell Lists, etc. Break down into subsections... 2.1 Stats, 2.2 Races, 2.3 Abilities, 2.4 Profs, 2.5 Starting Funds, etc.
You'll want headers or footers on each page saying 'Hermetic Spells' or 'Proficiencies' or something.
You'll want an Index at the back. Of course, wait to add real page numbers until the absolute, final end.
...
Lots of examples. Example characters and skillpoint spending. Example prof and ability usage.
...
Spellcraft.
Okay, how's this.
For spell creation, you 'pre-game', by rolling up to three different non-Spellcraft skills. Arcane Knowledge and Contacts are the first two, and the third is by GM approval (Engineering, Herbalism, etc... not Magic Acuity in most cases).
The base cost of a Hermetic Magic spell is:
(circle^2) * 100 silver in cash, and
(circle ^2) + 5 in days.
The base cost of a Hedge Magic spell is 25% of the cash and 50% of the time of the same circle Hermetic spell.
For example, to make a 3rd circle Hermetic spell is 900 silver and 14 days, while a 3rd Circle Hedge spell is 225 silver and 7 days.
Cash is all spent in advance. Spellcraft check made at very end of time.
Here's where it gets more interesting.
1) You can trade days for money and vice-versa, down to 50% of cash and time, at a 2:1 exchange rate. In other words, if you want to make that 3rd circle Hermetic spell for cheap, you can pay 450 silver and take 28 days to do it instead (base 14, plus 50% which = 7, but with 2:1 exchange is 2*7 = +14 total). Or any amount in-between 900-45o silver.
Alternatively, if you're in a rush, you can make it in 7 days minimum, but pay 1800 (base 900, plus 50% which = 450, but at 2:1 exchange is +900 total).
2) Every failed attempt at making the same spell gives you a cumulative +3 bonus to the next attempt. (I don't know what this number should be, but failing to make the spell is super harsh.)
3) The check is at a -1 penalty per circle, as in the current system. This is super harsh, so, this is why the initial costs seem so low...
4) For each +10% to both cost and time, you get a +1 bonus to the check, maximum of +5. (Maybe that should be +20% to costs?)
5) And, each successful pre-game check (up to three) gives you +1 bonus to this current check or 10% off the monetary cost, PCs choice.
6) Every spell you know of the same School gives you a discount of (circle of known spell - circle to make + 2)% to cost (minimum 0% per spell of course). For example, if I'm making a 4th circle Summoning spell, and I know a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th circle Summoning already, I get a bonus of 0% from the first, 0% from the 2nd, 1% from the 3rd, 2% from the 4th, and 3% from the 5th for a total of 6%. Max discount from known spells of 20%.
Example:
So, Greg Vrill tries to make a 3rd circle Hedge spell. It's 225 silver and 7 days, at a -3 penalty to his check. His skill is 7 (say), so he needs to roll a 1-4 on a d20 to make it. All the time and money is spent in any case. That sucks.
He rolls Herbalism, Arcane, and Contacts, and makes two outta three, and take +2 to his check (now he needs a 1-6). He'll also bump costs by 50% to get a full +5 (1-11 on a d20, or 55% chance), but costs are now (let's say +20%/+1) 450 silver and 14 days. That's a lot of money, so he'll trade off time for cost, to pay 225 silver and 28 days to have a 55% chance of making the spell. He fails.
Another 225 silver and 28 days, for a total of 2 months and 45 gold to have a 70% chance of making it, assuming he makes two checks again. That's pretty fair I think.
The *time* adds up, as does the cash, which will keep mages in check and prevent them from making all but one spell each time they're in town.
This could be offset by an optional rule for the 'GM's handbook': training time for profs and abilities. One day per skillpoint spent is training time (you could add fees too if you wanted).
...
I just made those numbers up: the 50% limit and 2:1 exchange rate. There definitely should be some limited swap mechanism, but I dunno if those numbers are perfect.
I also just made up the initial cost. Definitely, cost should be a quadratic function of spell circle. But the constants in the equations (times 2 and plus 5) are arbitrary. Flavor to taste.
The key thing is really the ability to customize spellcraft to the particular game a GM's running: is time or cash more valuable? Plus, to make it cumulatively easier on the PC.
...
EDIT: REPLY TO BELOW.
Also, humans get 5 extra ability points in part because they don't have initial attribute modifiers. -Letting them buy up shafts nonhumans a little bit.
So, the thing about human bonus is that these 5 skillpoints are enough only to raise up your LOW stats, not your prime HIGH stats (e.g., CHA for priest, IQ for mage), whereas if you're a non-human, chances are your race will boost your prime stats. Playing a non-human is a mild form of min-maxing, if you think about it... "I'm a fighter, so I'm an orc, so my CHA is lower and my STR is higher" (or whatever).
Both yes, but skill with the sword is most about striking your opponent. I did add a new grade however. Weapon mastery is cheap too.
What about something more simple:
Weapon Mastery I: +1 to hit, +0 to damage
Weapon Mastery II: +2 to hit, +1 to damage
Weapon Mastery III: +3 to hit, +1 to damage
Weapon Mastery IV: +4 to hit, +2 to damage
Weapon Mastery V: +5 to hit, +2 to damage
Weapon Mastery VI: +6 to hit, +3 to damage
That level VI is pricey but maybe worth it?
Ed and I talked about this. I was thinking about half. However as Ed said, a dagger doesn't hurt much more when thrown by a stronger guy. Also, spears are thrown with arc, and soon lose any momentum but the weight of the shaft. Bows are debatable, not too much difference, unless it's a big bow. Full damage doesn't make sense. Half is ok, but then you must round up or down, and separate your STR bonuses from weapon mastery, magic etc. -No, lets keep it simple.
But a handaxe thrown by a really weak guy won't do any damage at all. STR matters, *especially* for archery. Check the damn internet on that one too.
On movement. The big problem here is initiative. I win init, so I spend my whole movement running up to some guy, but I moved full, so I can't attack. Then it's his init, and there I am, so he gets to attack me. How do you systematize this fairly? Charge attacks? Mounted combat?
Other things, like untrained healing, okay. I'd add somewhere in the GM's guide, to encourage GMs to give out the occasional free prof point here and there, to make it easier for PCs to buy those profs.
Labels: math time
posted by Rob @ 7:43 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home