The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: Soban_KiithSaI personally fail to see the point in playing WoW.  You pay money to get the game software, and then pay more money every month to keep playing.  And I get this horrible feeling that this is the new trend in gaming, and that Starcraft II and Diablo III are going to follow this pattern.

I personally object to monthly fees on a philosophical basis... but I can see why they are there.

But then again, 15 bucks a month is chump change. I'm a poor college student making 6000 a year and I don't even notice 15 bucks a month.

Also, DC-based skill checks sound like a good idea to me. Make the whole magic system somewhat equivalent to Epic-level spellcasting.

BTW. Anyone ever play Titan Quest? That game has a very good take on the whole "tech tree" concept.

Are you sure you don't think a "Spirit" type stat is a good idea? Otherwise you'll have warriors and mages displaying equivalent physical characteristics.

Well not to say that there is no market for an RPG like this, but unless the new RPG carves out a unique niche, it will just be like "GURPS - but different!" and the average player will just say "Why not just stick with GURPS then?

Well I still should point out that by altering d20 to the extent that you are altering it, it becomes entirely a new game, and thus not very accessible, since most non-hardcore RPGers would prefer not to learn a new system if they can do something similar with d20. The Buy the Numbers suppliment already contains rules for making d20 characters with points instead of classes, but what is this system that is being created on this thread going to offer to make up for the extra learning curve tossed at our would-be players? The advantages should be clear-cut and significant. Asking a player to learn a whole new system to accomplish something that has a merely "different" and not neccessarily better feel to it is a losing proposition.

I'm working on a list of all concepts of characters I can think of, to make sure that there is some combination of classes/feats/prestige classes that allows you to make that sort of character.

With a caveat: Any arcane caster that is also skilled with weaponry can be included under the general concept of mageblade. I don't particularly like having nine different classes that are all basically mageblades but with a slight deviation.


Barbarian
Bard
Commander - Leader-type (inspiration and such)
Expert - skillful individual
Fighter - duh...
Druid
Cleric
Mage - Arcane Magic user
Mageblade
Marksman
Monk
Ninja - sneak attacks and stuff
Paladin
Psionicist
Ranger
Scout
Swashbuckler
Totem Warrior
Arcane Archer
Artificer
Assassin
Necromancer
Tempest
Weapon Master

Any more you can think of would be helpful!

The problem with a class-less or level-less system is two-fold. We're looking at it from the perspective of people who spend a lot of time thinking about this kind of thing and want to create character concepts to their fullest.

But there are two more types of people we have to take into account when creating anything. First, there are munchkins. The system has to be "break-proof" otherwise it will be broken. When creating a point-based system, you automatically lend yourself to munchkinism. (if you don't believe me, watch the video of the guy beating morrowind in 5 minutes flat)

The other kind of player you have to worry about is the idiot. Someone who doesn't really understand the rules as deeply as we do could very easily make a crappy character. Then they play and they don't realize that they aren't having fun cause they made a crappy character, they just know they aren't having fun.

Removed

A concept I was working on, that seems like it may be what you all are kinda dancing around is a conversion of d20 Modern to fantasy gaming.

Bear with me.

So you've got your six basic classes that are each focused on the six ability scores (this may be adjusted if you decide that you don't want the six standard ability scores). Make people like the smart hero and the devoted hero have access to spellcasting in their bonus feat list, but make spellcasting in general a feat that can be purchased. So people will mix and match the six basic classes for a while, getting a level of smart hero for some extra skill points, a level of tough for some hit points and a level of fast for some defense. All the while they can be investing in spellcasting feats with their standard feats or with the bonus feat from the smart hero, or both. Make each class have a spellcasting progression, ie: "+1 for smart and devoted, +3/4 for charismatic and tough, +1/2 for fast and strong".

The fractional bonuses can be very easily represented on character sheet by four dots underneath your BAB or BSB. You fill in 3 dots per level if you have a 3/4 progression, ignore the dots and just add 1 per level to the BAB/BSB if you have +1, and fill in 2 dots per level with 1/2. Whenever you get all four dots filled in, add 1 to the score and erase the dots.

So this system would allow you the customization you want from a point buy system, but with the controlled CRs and such you get from a level-based system. No penalties for multi-classing helps a lot too.

I have created the following to give an outline of alignments as I percieve them to be, complete with examples from literature, movies and TV. Mostly Star Trek and Lost.

LG
â,¬Â¢   Lawful good characters believe in honesty, integrity, honor and following the law. They feel that abiding by the law is the best way to achieve peace and happiness for all people. However, they act in â,¬Å"the spirit of the lawâ,¬Â in the sense that they are willing to go against a law that they see as unjust. Their true commitment is to whatever code they personally believe is best for the general populace, almost always including a commitment to honesty and honor.
â,¬Â¢   Worf, Captain Sisko

NG
â,¬Â¢   A Neutral Good character is an altruist. He helps others and tries to achieve the greatest good possible. He wouldnâ,¬,,¢t hesitate to tell a lie to accomplish something good, but is aware that lies are usually not the way to go. He does not commit himself to any particular code, rather taking things on a case by case basis, always looking for the greatest good.
â,¬Â¢   Julian Bashir, Jack from Lost, Will Turner

CG
â,¬Â¢   A Chaotic Good character believes that everyone, when given the proper opportunity will choose good over evil. He believes in freedom of thought, action and expression, with only enough law to prevent actual evil from taking place. He believes that any restrictions placed on people are inherently bad. He does the right thing in all situations as he sees it, with little regard for the opinions and ideals of other people or organizations.
â,¬Â¢   Locke from FFIII, Locke from Lost, Major Kira

LN
â,¬Â¢   A Lawful Neutral character is completely committed to duty. He has his honor and his duty and he does what is required of him with little regard for the consequences. He is methodical and cautious, not going out of his way to help others, but also avoiding unnecessary harm. He would not hurt an innocent person unless that person was a direct threat to carrying out his duty or purpose as he sees it. He wouldnâ,¬,,¢t have a problem with helping others, as long as it doesnâ,¬,,¢t conflict with his own personal goals.
â,¬Â¢   Marius from Vampire Chronicles, Commadore Norrington

N
â,¬Â¢   A True Neutral character is committed to something other than law, chaos, good or evil. Generally these people are very single-minded, obsessed even. The other possibility for True Neutral characters are the apathetic. The apathetic do not do anything risky. They avoid becoming attached to any sort of ideal or greater purpose. They seek their own personal goals, like survival while trying to avoid getting sucked into anything outside themselves. They are not cruel and donâ,¬,,¢t harm others, but consider helping others to be a waste of time. They will follow laws most of the time, but not hesitate to break them if it isnâ,¬,,¢t too risky.
â,¬Â¢   Sawyer from Lost (on the island), Quark, Shadow from FFVI, Magus from Chrono Trigger

CN
â,¬Â¢   Chaotic Neutral characters are very unpredictable. They have their own personal goals, but have a very unplanned approach. They go one direction and switch directions without apparent reason. They are usually prone to do things randomly that suit their fancy at that particular moment, but generally this does not include good or evil actions. They are rarely cruel, but may torture a hated enemy. They are hardly benevolent, but will most likely help their friends. They are very self-centered with no real regard for the world outside themselves and their immediate contacts. Their commitment to law and society is simply to avoid getting in trouble. If they want to do something illegal they will likely find a way to do it without getting caught.
â,¬Â¢   Jack Sparrow, Q, Garak

LE
â,¬Â¢   A Lawful Evil person uses authority and structure to his own benefit. This is a sort of tyrannical approach, using methodical and logical approaches to accomplish goals, without any worry as to who is harmed in the process. They are true to their word and their duty, but seek to rule over others. They are not capricious or pointlessly cruel, but will not hesitate to hurt someone if they are in the way or to kill a servant that failed them. Usually servants of evil who serve faithfully are also Lawful Evil, even if they have no ambitions of their own.
â,¬Â¢   Emperor Ghestal, Darth Vader, Voldemort, Weyoun, Davy Jones, Arthas

NE
â,¬Â¢   Neutral Evil people are out for personal satisfaction. They try to avoid betraying others unless it is necessary, but will do it if they have to. They try to avoid relying on others as much as possible, and seek their own goals over all other concerns. They do evil whenever it is convenient and are out for personal gain and power.
â,¬Â¢   Lucius Malfoy, Gul Dukat, Senator Palpatine, Kefka (Early game), Sawyer from Lost (before the island)

CE
â,¬Â¢   Chaotic Evil people are probably the most fearsome of the evil alignments, simply because they are so unpredictable. They do whatever they can get away with, with no real regard for future consequences. Usually they delight in cruelty and destruction, but not necessarily. It is entirely possible that they simply do evil when it is convenient and have no real compunctions about far-reaching consequences. They are usually very hedonistic, seeking the pleasure of the moment over all other concerns. Their concern for law only extends to the immediate concern of not being caught or punished. They are prone to excess, and usually have very little restraint. Unlike a neutral evil or lawful evil person, they would not hesitate to murder someone for angering them if they could get away with it. May be cautious enough to accomplish their goals, but will do anything necessary to achieve them.
â,¬Â¢   Sephiroth, Kefka (World of Ruin), Fenris Greyback in Harry Potter, Bellatrix Lestrange, Attila the Hun, Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Drusilla from Buffy, Faith (before the coma)

Obviously lots of choices for interesting characters within alignments, but alignments give you a general idea of what a person is like.

Well I can't figure out how to replace the image I already posted, so just assume an inch = 100 miles.

Oh good call

Just asking you all to look over the names and see if they sound bad or have been used before. (I tried to avoid using anything I'd heard before, but who knows where your subconscious gets this stuff) Also looking for feedback on whether it's readable and easy to understand and such. I'm also posting it to brag a little cause it took a long time to make! :D

This is a method I read in some article on DMing a year or so ago. Basically, you take any point in your world's history as a starting point and list off the major powers of that period. Then list all the relationships between them.

So let's say I have the Empire, the Free City, and the Rebellion as the major powers at a certain time.

I list
Empire
Free City
Rebellion

then
Empire - Rebellion
Empire - Free City
Free City - Rebellion

For each power and each relationship, roll a 1d100. This will give you a relative sense of how well a power is doing or how good a relationship lies between the two powers. If you know that you want the Empire to be exceptionally powerful at this time in your history, you can arbitrarily give it a score, like 94. Once you have the scores, you explain them the best you can.

So
Empire - 94
Free City - 17
Rebellion - 42

As you can see from this situation, the Free City is having serious troubles, and the Rebellion is not doing terribly well either.

For the relationships
Free City - Empire - 74
Free City - Rebellion - 27
Empire - Rebellion - 92

The first two are easy enough to explain. The Free City perhaps has entered a treaty with the Empire which has Imperial troops on the streets, making it safe from the hated Rebels. This is resulting in secret arrests and essentially mass witch hunts in the Free City.

The last one would usually be very hard to explain as the two are supposed to be enemies. But perhaps the Rebels are being led by someone who is secretly an Imperial. While he pretends to hate the empire, he actually spends most of his time campaigning against the complacent Free City. This gives the Empire an excuse to occupy the city and though the Rebels are able to steal enough food and supplies to keep things growing, they are obviously not accomplishing their goal of overthrowing the Empire, and thus, membership is becoming unstable. While that doesn't put the rebellion on the same low level as the Free City, it certainly explains it's slightly lower than 50 score.

Hey, I'm new here, about to go post my campaign outline on the homebrew forum. My world is called Idyllica, and the "focus" nation is called Althenia.

Been world building for a long time, but in the end I always end up scrapping everything, taking the aspects I like and reimagining it all. At this moment, I'm just after the scrapping aspect, a few days into the reimagining it all part.