The Campaign Builder's Guild

@snakefing: *shrugs* I'll write a sales pitch.
@cymro: Until I write my pitch, let's discuss "action point" combat (see above).
@cat: Glad you see somewhat of my point. Maybe this'll be the start of my pitch.

Suggestion: Develop all possibilities *fully*, each with a sep'rate thread. Whaddaya say?

Quote from: SilvercatMoonpaw

Quote from: CYMRODamage spells.  Simple enough, you pay for a basic lightning spell and you get dX damage, limited range, one use per round.  Want extra damage, you pay for the upgrade.  Want more range, ditto.
Ditto for any metamagic type effects.

How do you "pay"?

Quote from: CYMROHealing spells.  Either as above, or tied to a character's VP.  Those with healing powers can heal their VP worth of damage per day.  You can buy upgrades.

I don't thinkt he amount of healing should be based on how much one has remaining at the moment themselves.  I'm all for trying to make people avoid battle, but I don't understand how you can only heal up to their max VP?  And we are trying to cut out "per day".

Quote from: CYMROOther magic can fall into categories like Charms, Incantations, Rituals, etcetera that each have, depending on the individual "spell", a different # of uses per day.

Again, no "per day" stuff.  Having recharge groups based on spell type might work.

I think beejaz has finally said his position in a way I can understand: a caster only has so many groups of magic, each one having it's own recharge time and not based on the individual spell, and you can either go fewer groups for less recharge time on lower-level spells or branch out for versitility but your recharge times and number of things to keep track of goes up.  That does sound better than mana points, since all one has to do is lower a low X or less numbers on their sheet in combat.

1. You pay when you buy the base spell.  Like buying a weapon prof.  You pay again to amp it up in a variety of ways.

2.Not based on what is remaining, but based on what your score is.  Bobo has a WP score of 100, he can heal, without any augmentations to the "spell", 100 points of damage, WP or VP, even if his current WP has been reduced to 2.  Of course, he should, at that point spend a little to heal himself, but that is neither here nore there. ;)

3.  Some spells/rituals, like Wish, scream for a per day limit, no matter how much Mana or Points you have.  That limit should represent a vast expenditure of time and effort, not to be reproduced until a good night's sleep and more sacrificial virgins are got.

Quote from: SilvercatMoonpaw

Quote from: snakefingMechanically I think it is sound, I just don't much like the flavor. But even on that I could be persuaded if someone could explain to me why different schools get separate countdowns.

We could separate magic spells along sources of power.  Death, Divine, Elemental, etc. so that there would be a flavor.  Each time you use up power from a source you have to wait some time before you can access power from that source again.  We don't really need to stick with schools, we just need a certain number of groups (preferably few).

Probably the last thing I'm going to say before moving along. Flavor says source... but balance says use.

For example, "fear" "charm" "illusion" "death" "undeath" "rebirth" and so on...
Flavor has limitless potential after we make sure to cover (and balance) the basics.

Just a thought.

also, there's a site where you can publish PDFs and sell them. free for you... money for every download. good stuff. System published on Lulu (to maintain site, etc.) Settings and supplements for free (maybe CBGUIDE?)

@CYMRO: Wish (or equivalent) for teh ritual?

Quote from: CYMROI say each one of us do a  write-up of our magic system, and we table this discussion until Sunday when we will present each one.  We should detail the basic concept, have some spells detailed, maybe an example caster, etc.

That way we can continue hammering away at the basics(stats, etc.) while the magic systems percolate.

This is a good idea.

Actually, we should probably have a whole separate forum with different threads to hammer on different topics.

Quote from: snakefing

Quote from: CYMROI say each one of us do a  write-up of our magic system, and we table this discussion until Sunday when we will present each one.  We should detail the basic concept, have some spells detailed, maybe an example caster, etc.

That way we can continue hammering away at the basics(stats, etc.) while the magic systems percolate.

This is a good idea.

Actually, we should probably have a whole separate forum with different threads to hammer on different topics.

Like I said, a thread for every system.
As long as we all agree to help each other out.
None of this'll go anywheres without feedback.

QuoteBasics still to be hammered:
Whether we have Spirit stat (no one seems to be objecting to my proposed stats)
Pure bonus vs. score
How points are costed (do we stick with large amounts of XP, or do we have fewer points that apply 1-to-1 basis on things?)

I like the FOUR stats, period.  I do not see the need for a spirit stat.

I prefer the XP approach, that allows plenty of variance in the cost of things.
For example, a feat might cost 1000xp, but a skill rank only 500, a 1st level spell 750, a weapon prof 700.  

QuotePure bonus vs. score

Explain please...

Quote@cymro: Until I write my pitch, let's discuss "action point" combat (see above).

Where did it go?

Quotealso, there's a site where you can publish PDFs and sell them. free for you... money for every download. good stuff. System published on Lulu (to maintain site, etc.) Settings and supplements for free (maybe CBGUIDE?)

I have a lulu account.  I love it.  They convert docs to pdfs, free!  

QuoteA points system I could go for is an action points in combat thing. Rather than have move actions, standard actions, etc. Every action costs a certain number of points... And you get a fixed number of points every round. None of this recharge or rates, you don't even have to keep track of what you "have left"... so long as the total actions in a round add up to x

A refresher.

Quote from: beejazz

QuoteA points system I could go for is an action points in combat thing. Rather than have move actions, standard actions, etc. Every action costs a certain number of points... And you get a fixed number of points every round. None of this recharge or rates, you don't even have to keep track of what you "have left"... so long as the total actions in a round add up to x

So a basic character gets, for example, 3 action points a round.  A melee attack takes up 2 points, so he can do anything else that costs a single point?

KOOL BEANS!

I was thinking more like five points. An "attack" would cost three. A "move" would cost two. Certain things might cost one (drawing a weapon), four (a charge), or five (a spell)

Quote from: beejazzI was thinking more like five points. An "attack" would cost three. A "move" would cost two. Certain things might cost one (drawing a weapon), four (a charge), or five (a spell)

Whatever the number, the theory is sound.
Would there be a tree of feats to increase this Action Base?

Action points pay for moves in the round: Sweeeeeeeet.

However: Generally means you can only perform the same number of actions as core: 1 attack + 1 move, 2 moves + ???, 1 charge + ??? (I think core lets you make one attack at the end of charge).  I need more definition on what this does that core doesn't.

For pure bonus vs. score:
How it is in core d20: Score = XX (modifier that one applies to die rolls and such is equal to XX/2 - 5)
Pure bonus: just the modifier
The only downside I see to this is if we do Wound Points, and even then all we need say is that Wound points = ability bonus times 2.

@cymro: Perhaps. More likely we could discount individual actions. Like drawing a weapon. Or reloading.

Quote from: SilvercatMoonpawFor pure bonus vs. score:
How it is in core d20: Score = XX (modifier that one applies to die rolls and such is equal to XX/2 - 5)
Pure bonus: just the modifier
The only downside I see to this is if we do Wound Points, and even then all we need say is that Wound points = ability bonus times 2.

I like scores.
As far as WP/VP, WP equals TOU score, VP equal WP*(TOU mod + REA mod).  Or something similar.  Maybe the luck feat would add a mod to VP.

Quote from: beejazz@cymro: Perhaps. More likely we could discount individual actions. Like drawing a weapon. Or reloading.

I see this as the perfect way to fold BAB/multiple attacks/actions/etc. into a single mechanic.

Let's start with 10 points per round.
Movement for the one square per point spent.
Sound like a fair start?