The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: LlumFirst off for your point buy system, I'm a little confused at the costs, do class levels cost 5*(x) where x is the level your buying? Or does it double every time I purchase a new level? Same goes for stats/skils being 1*(x) or doubling. Race seems to cost 3*(x), but what are the pluses for purchasing multiple race levels? Also, why are you forced to purchase race (1) to start? Is there no base race?

For the health system I gather that your Health = how many major wounds you can sustain without dying? Or are wounds just something that have negative effects on your character and health is only how much damage you can take?
[/quote]How will players get up and on their feet if they have to come up with their abilities, classes, skills, etc on the fly. Are you going to have templates to help with this?[/quote]

Yes. Templates were in mind before the possible nixxing of classes... I'm a bit busy today so start on the templates won't happen, if I work on this it will be clarifying things, and making it look better.

All you get regular badges, though I think someone might get golden badges in here... got to go though...

Hex, significantly more options.

Pie or cake? One of life's difficult decisions...

Attempting to add badges here...

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[th]Introduction[/th]
[td]Goals:
   I want a fast, fun, and flexible PbeM/PBM/PBP/Play By Text Message/Play by answering machine/play by streamer behind airplane system. However there is nothing saying you couldn't use this same system on a tabletop for equally fast and efficient results. This is currently version 1.0, and may need to be changed as play testing warrants.
Notes:
   I have taken some of the good things that I like from many systems, and put it into one system to keep it quick and easy for PBEM and to encourage roleplaying versus the crunching of rollplaying. Inspired by classic rpgs, free rpgs, and the need to allow anyone to be anything without having to flesh out all the minuscule details of balance and worrying if something going to be overpowered or not. In this system, if a mage wants to call down an asteroid onto a fighter, he can, but that fighter will be equally powerful by simply stabbing the mage. It's all about the roleplay...
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[th]Character Creation[/th]
[td]Point buy system:
   Every stat costs a certain Amount of Character Points. Character points are awarded for completing adventures, good roleplaying, or whatever your DM feels you deserve CP's for. You will get to start with 15 CP's, and below is a chart showing you how much it costs to advance the various stats. Players can either roll for a starting set of stats, or use the point buy at the DM's discretion.

Race costs 2 CP for Race (1), 4 CP for Race (2), 6 CP for Race (3), etc.

Class costs 5 CP for Class (1), 10 CP for Class (2), etc.

Skills Cost 1 CP for Skill (1), 2 CP for Skill (2), etc.

Stats Cost 1 CP for Stat (1), 2 CP for Stat (2), etc.

You must be Race (1) before you can advance to Race (2), So if you wanted to be Race (2) starting from Race (0), it would cost you 3 CP.

Character Race:
   Pick a race to be Race 1, e.g. Elf 1. After that describe the benefits of being that race and negatives, discuss with your GM. Some sample things that should be determined:

Any Stat Modifiers

Speed

Any Racial Abilities

Character Class(es):
   Pick a class, and then determine how high you want to be. For example Warrior 1, or Warrior 2. It depends on how many points you wish to spend. You will also need to define what the class can do with the GM. Some sample things that can be determined:
   

Pick 2 skills of combat to specialize in for your first rank, and two more for each additional each point you put into the class. You will only be able to use one type of skill when in combat at a time and can't mix.

In addition, when you rank up, your previous skills raise by one, becoming more powerful with more practice.

Also, be sure to define your combat skills as you would a character skill. See below.

All Necessary equipment.

Character Skills:
   Pick a skill to specialize in, whether it be sneaking, or climbing, anything that generally wouldn't be used in combat.
   Sample things to define:
      

What the skill can do.

Any limitations.

Any requirements.

Character Stats:
   When initially creating a character, a dm can decide if he wants you to roll for stats, or to use the point buy system was used, add 78 to players starting CP. Else; determine by rolling 2d6 six times. Assign them to these stats:
      

Strength '" How strong you are. Helps with melee damage. Some skills.

Dexterity '" How agile you are. Helps with avoiding damage. Some skills.

Constitution '" How healthy you are. Raises hp and helps resist negative effects.

Wisdom '" How wise you are, and observant. Helps with skills and some spells.

Intelligence '" How smart you are. Heps withs kills and some spells.

Charisma '" How well people look upon you. Helps with skills.

   These stats can be used to help influence combat, general actions, or skills that your character isn't specialized in, but generally anybody can do. For example, you could be untrained at jumping and be able to use your strength to add to your jump roll. See combat explained later on for an example.
        These may be your most important stats as they can be used in very general situations versus very specific like your classes.
Merits and Faults:
   Things that describe your character whether they are good or bad. For example, Courageous, and arachnophobia. For every Good thing you should have something negative as well. Being courageous means you'll get a bonus when you have to do something scary, but the Arachnophobia will give a negative if you're near spiders. You can never have two opposites be your merits and faults. Brave and cowardly for example. These can effect how you roll on certain challenges.
Inventory:
   Your character should have all necessary equipment to do his or her job, if they do not, or lose their gear, or what have you, they can still preform using their class, but only at half power. So a Fighter 4 suddenly will become a Fighter 2 without his sword. The GM will tell  you how much gold you have, or what gear you get to start out with. You should have anything your class needs to do it's job here, and in general anything to help with your quest.
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[th]Combat[/th]
[td]Physical Combat
   Anything combat related can go here, whether it be shooting fireballs at warriors, or warriors slashing at mages, the concept is the same. You declare your attack, and decide what skills, racials, class skill you wish to use that's appropriate for the situation. Then you total it up and roll a 2d12. Your opponent defends with his stats of choice appropriate to the situation. If the attacker got higher keep note of how much higher, this is important for damage is handled: see Damage.
   Sample: A warrior deems his Str 12 + Warrior (1) + Snake Stance (1) to be appropriate stats, the defending wizard decides that his Dex 12 + Blur (1) to be appropriate defense abilities. The warrior rolls to determine how much damage he did.
Magic Combat
   There are three types of magic, and they effect game play. You should ask your DM before choosing a character that can do magic damage. The three types effect how often you can cast spells, how fast you regenerate magic points, and how powerful you as a magic user will be in the game.
   

Low Magic games. You can cast a number of spells per day equal to your Class that can cast spells, plus the number of an appropriate stat. Divide this total by two. So a Wizard 1, with an Int of 10, can cast 5 spells per day. Always round down. You Regen MP at 1/32 your total per hour of rest, 1/16 per hour of sleep. This is because magic isn't as powerful here.

Regulated Magic games. Use the formula as above, but do not divide the total by two. You Regen MP at 1/16 your total per hour of rest, 1/8 per hour of sleep.

Unregulated Magic games. Magic users will be slightly more powerful than Meleers. They can cast at will with no restrictions.

   
Dealing damage with magic is as simple as physical, however, in most cases there is no way to reduce the damage with armor, likewise there is no minimum damage in most cases. It's up to the DM and player to decide if a spell warrants the ability to be blocked by armor, or magical armor, or have a minimum damage.

Sample: Wizard (1) + Fireball (1) + Int 12 vs. the fighters Dex 12.  The wizard rolls to see how much higher he got.

   
Combat effects are listed as: sleep, paralysis, daze, or anything else that you can think of that would hinder an opponent. These can be resisted every turn however. The person effected rolls to beat whatever the Wizards attack roll was. So if a wizard rolled a 18, the warrior would have to get an 18 or more in a round to overcome the sickness.  A warrior might roll Warrior + Int to get out of most of these sicknesses. Each roll subtracts from whatever the wizards total was. Making it easier to wake up each round.

For healing spells, you must choose the appropriate stats, then you must roll against the difficulty of what you wish to heal. The more wounded a character is, the harder it is for you to heal them. A sample would be:

Cleric (1) + Heal (1) + Wisdom (6) vs. Character with 8 wounds.

Skill Combat
   Anything that is a skill challenge goes here, whether it be jumping across a gorge, or picking a lock. Even trying to fool an opponent into think you are not really you. Skill combat goes here. Determining how well you do is the same as physical combat: total the appropriate stats and roll a 2d12 For these a DM should have a set number for you to beat.
Everyday Challenges
   Anything mundane and pointless tasks, a DM should just let happen. No one needs to roll to open a door... that would be silly and tedious and far too much work for all involved. Try and keep things simple.
Health
   How much health you have is equal to your Constitution + your class(es).

There are two types of wounds, Minor and Major. Minor wounds are things like scrapes, scratches, and bruises. These will heal rather rapidly. Major wounds are things like cuts, broken bones, loss of limb. These will take significantly longer. A dm should announce what kind of damage he is dealing to you, and you should keep note of how much minor and major damage you have taken.

   For healing outside of combat, determine how realistic you wish the game to be:
   

Unrealistic: After every encounter everything is back to full, allows the game to constantly continue without any break periods.

Realer: Minor wounds can heal within one hour of rest, major wounds heal at the rate of 1/8 per hour of sleep.

Realistic: Minor wounds can heal within one day of rest at a rate of 1/16 per hour of rest, and major wounds within 1/7 per day of sleep and rest.

Weapons and Damage
A minimum damage is done with certain weapons, if you won an attack and have a weapon, it will always do the minimum... but sometimes it can do more. To determine how much damage, you must see how much you beat your opponent by, beating them by 10 means you deal 10 damage... etc.

Damage Rating: 0 - Fist, Knives, Daggers, Staves.

Damage Rating: 1 - Swords, axe, pistol.

Damage Rating: 2 - shotguns, bastard swords.

Damage Rating: 3 - Rifles, machine guns, two handed weapons

Damage Rating: 4 - Explosives, Grenades,

Armor
Armor can reduce your opponents minimum damage. Your armor gets a rating which subtracts from your opponents minimum damage. Some samples include:

Armor Rating: 0 '" A t-shirt, no shirt, a piece of cardboard

Armor Rating: 1 '" Leather Armor, Police Vest

Armor Rating: 2 '" Scale Armor, Flak Jacket

Armor Rating: 3 '" Chain mail, Dragon scale Flak

Armor Rating: 4 '" Plate, Bomb Suit

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[th]Leveling Up[/th]
[td]A DM should hand out CP at the end of every adventure. A simple award system is shown here:
   

1 CP for each easy encounter.

3 CP for each moderate encounter.

5 CP for each hard encounter.

0-5 CP for how well you think a player RP'd. Or players if you want it to be a team effort. This bonus CP could be used to hand out as well for if players decided to stay alive and run away from an encounter they were doomed to die at.

   They can spend this CP just like they did when creating a character.
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[th]Credits[/th]
[td]
Playtesters: ... This could be you! ...
Badge Receivers:
Golden Badge Receivers:
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This is a work in progress, and I'm trying to keep it easily readable. If you notice something please point it out. :-).
There are two awards...

The plain PLAIN badge
and the golden PLAIN badge.

The golden is handed to those who go much further than a plain PLAIN badge.

That's not a bad starting setup. A 1d4 damage, move and then shoot spell would cost 2 mp every time... though for effects, there are some that you might want to last longer without eating up the points... such as:

A ranged fireball that I sit there for a round and cast would cost 1 mp for 25 yards. It would seem that everything balances out neatly.
    [table=More effects][tr][td]
Poison. This poison effects a player's stats, endurance, power, etc. Maybe make poisons that last a day take 1 point per day. And for each -1 to a stat cost an additional point. However poison that does immediate damage should just be treated like the regular "amount."

Sleep. Target falls asleep for X rounds if fails to resist. [/td][/tr][/table]  
I'm trying to think of any other damage spells, because the other things I'm thinking of such as buffs are more utility than anything else.

I agree with Elemental_Elf's point that raising the points for effects, maybe doubling them will work, 2 per round and then add the resistance mechanics. It's something you'd have to play with. Sleep can be extremely powerful, put the enemy to sleep means you can instakill him with a sword in his sleep.

Resolution: Victory, defeat, or something else causes combat to end. Tally up experience (note that even losing a battle will earn some experience provided they survive it; if the party loses a battle give them a quarter of the experience they would have earned had they won).

I like how you reward defeat as well, it's a good way to say, "Hey, if you know your screwed... RUN! You'll still advance... and you'll live to fight another day."

Spells:

I think you should maybe make a formula for this, even if it is something simple as... allthough this list could become quite extensive...

Instant spells add +1 to cost
1 turn spells add 0 to cost.
2 turn spells subtract 1 to cost.
For every 1d6 damage a spell does, add 1 to it's cost...

Also, for the spell Ice Dart, you are likely to deal 1 damage 80% of the time, I don't know if you intended for it to deal this low amount of damage or not?

With combat against spells being basically Resistance + Mobility vs. Int, an attacking wizard is at a disadvantage in more situations... I might be wrong though. If someone goes for just Power and Resistance for a tank neglecting mobility and int to form a tank at level one, as far as armor is concerned their resistance and mobility modifiers will cancel out each other. But then again if you're the "tank" you don't need Strength. I'm not sure on a solution for it... I just know that at higher levels the gap will get worse and worse...

Right now that's all I can really see with your system. I'd say it would help if you got a PBP and told players, "Tell me what YOU want to be." If they want to be ninja's, pirates, mages, you're going to have to sit down and flesh some basic "classes" or at least the Abilities/Skills to allow players to do what they want. Maybe add a section under the skills/spells, "Recommended for people who want to be a Mage, Battlemage, Warrior, Thief, etc." You've got a pretty good foundation here.