The Campaign Builder's Guild

I've had some ideas for a new system - a modified D20 system, almost like Iron Heroes but on a much bigger scale - for a long time now. It's classless (but has levels) and still works on the XP system, but combat is rather different...

Post 1 : Statistics

Post 2 : Levels

Post 3 : Abilities

Post 4 : Skills

Post 5 : Combat

Post 6 : Races, Monsters, and NPCs

Post 7 : Out of Combat

Post 8 : Ability/Skill lists

Post 1 : Statistics

There are seven vital stats in the Golem system - Speed, Dexterity, Power, Toughness, Will, Concentration, Intelligence. The first four are Physical stats, the last three Mental stats. You begin with 10 points in each, and have 20 points to spread between them at character creation (for more information, see Post 2). Their influences are stated below.
Ability checks are made with a D20 against a DC (difficulty class), just as in the D20 system. You add your ABILITY MODIFIER - that is, the amount of ranks you have in the ability above 10 - to your roll.

Speed

Speed governs the amount of attacks you can make in a round, the distance you can move, and to a lesser extent your defensive ability. You can apply a character's Speed Modifier to:

* The roll for attacks at the beginning of each round. This decides how many attacks you can make, and thus you can apply your speed modifier to gain more attacks.
* Your movement speed (whilst running or swimming).
* Your initiative roll.

Dexterity

Dexterity governs your accuracy with ranged and melee weapons. It also helps in defence and, in some cases, damage.

You can apply your dexterity modifier to:

* Attack rolls. Any attempt to hit an opponent with a ranged or melee weapon, and some spells (see spell descriptions for details)
* Any attempt to dodge a melee or ranged attack (you can apply EITHER dexterity OR speed to the latter)
* Some melee abilities (see ability descriptions for details).

Power

Power is your strength: your ability to damage enemies, break objects and lift things. It governs damage rolls and lifting strength, as well as some other techniques and abilities which are more specific.

You can apply your Power modifier to:

* Damage rolls with melee weapons.
* Damage rolls with bows and some other ranged weapons (see the weapon descriptions for details).
* Lifting strength.

Toughness

Toughness governs your constitution - your ability to resist blows and physical ailments as well as your ability to keep moving when others slow down, tired. It helps the character resist diseases and poison, decides how many hit points he has, and allows him to resist some spells.

You can apply your toughness modifier to:

* The amount of hit points you gain per level.
* Attempts to resist some spells (see descriptions) and most poisons and diseases.

Will

Your Will, or Willpower, is your strength of personality and mind. It helps you charm and persuade others, resist mental spells, and governs your mana capacity.

You can add your Willpower modifier to:

* Attempts to resist mental spells.
* Your mana capacity (works only if you've taken either one of the Mana Attack abilities or learnt any spell).

Concentration  

Concentration governs your ability to stay focused on the task at hand, to ignore mental effects such as Stunned and Confused, and your ability to score Critical Hits.

You can add your concentration modifier to:

* Attempts to resist mental effects such as Stunned, Confused, and Blinded.
* Damage on a Critical Hit.
* Attempts to stay focused when damaged during an action (such as spellcasting or using some special abilities)

Intelligence

Intelligence governs your knowledge and analytical ability as well as your spellcasting ability.  

You can apply your intelligence modifier to:

* Many variables within spells (DC, damage, lifting strength etc)
* The amount of Mana you can generate from various sources (see the Abilities and Combat sections for details).

Post 2 : Levels and Character Creation

As a character gains experience from fighting enemies, he gains levels and thus new abilities and stat increases. Generally characters can go up to level 30, but it's possible to go beyond that. The amounts of experience required to gain a level are identical to that in standard D20 (table forthcoming). At each level, you gain +1 point in each vital statistic, and another point which you can put into any statistic you wish. You also gain 15 Ability Points, and 4 + Int Modifier skill points.

Ability points can be used to purchase abilities - a wide category ranging from precision strikes to magic spells. Each ability costs a certain amount of ability points to learn. Some require more than 15 points - meaning that you have to save up for them. Any ability points you don't spend carry over to the next level.

Skill Points can be used to purchase skills. A skill has a maximum rank equal to your character's level, and they have various different areas of influence (see Skills for more details).

 Character Creation

At character creation, you begin with 25 ability points, 20 statistic points, a base value of 10 in each statistic and 4 + Int Modifier worth of skill points. You can put a maximum of 4 ranks into any one statistic, and a maximum of 1 rank into each skill. You can buy abilities with an ability point cost of 5 or below.

Post 3 : Abilities and their Uses

Abilities are, mostly, the special attacks a character can use in combat, ranging from powerful magic spells to deadly-accurate bowshots to creating an impenetrable defence. They can be broadly split into four categories : Spells (or those powered by Mana), Attacks (or those powered by action points), Powers (or those powered by both) and Passive Conditions (mostly immunities or bonuses that require no cost).

However, most abilities can't be used indefinitely. You have a number of Action Points which automatically regenerate, and these are used to power Attack abilities.

You begin a battle with a number of action points equal to your character level x3, and they regenerate at a rate of 1 per turn. Every time you use an ability that requires action points, you use up the cost of that ability (see the ability descriptions) in action points.
You can regenerate two action points a turn by Passing (a full-round action).

For Spell abilities you must use Mana. Your mana point reserve (the amount you can hold at any one time) is equal to your character level + your Willpower modifier. Unlike action points, Mana Points do not automatically regenerate and neither do you gain them at the beginning of a battle. Most Mana is one of two kinds: Aligned or Neutral. Aligned Mana is bound to one of the four elements - Fire, Water, Earth and Air - and can thus be used to fuel spells of that type. Neutral Mana can be used to fuel any spell, but costs more.

Gaining Mana can be accomplished in several different ways:

Attacking: The simplest form of Mana acquirement, attacking grants you, in general, 1/2 of a mana point per attack action (no matter how many attacks you use). As long as at least one attack hits, you gain mana this way. Certain items (and weapons) drain extra mana this way. If you have an aligned weapon (fire, earth, water, or air) the attack grants you that form of Mana. If you don't have an aligned weapon, then you are granted neutral Mana. Attacking yourself does not grant you Mana (unless you take the Mana from Life ability).

Drain Mana: All characters who buy an ability with the (Spell) descriptor have this option available to them. It allows them to attempt to drain all an enemy's (or a friend's) mana from them and grant it to the character. This provokes a Mental Save (willpower roll) with a DC of 1/2 the drainer's level + his willpower score. If the target fails on his roll, all the Mana in his Mana reserve is transferred to the drainer's Mana reserve. This is a full-round action.

Other ways of gaining Mana can be bought as abilities.

Powers tend to use skill points and mana, or one of the two depending on the user's choice. Most are to do with weapon attacks - imbuing a weapon with special properties for a short while.

Passive Conditions cost nothing, and usually have a permanent effect (such as the ability to see in the dark or immunity to stunning).

Post 4 : Skills

Post 5 : Combat

Post 6 : Races, Monsters, and NPCs

Post 7 : Out of Combat

Post 8 : Ability/Skill lists.

Post 9 : Items and equipment.

(Updates posted... not just reserved posts now ;)

So it looks like you aim for hybrid fighter/casters or just fighters, with your mana from attack system.

Although, I would think it seems by giving that automatically you are indeed looking for all characters to be fighter/caster hybrids?

Concerns: One is pretty basic, combats might not last long enough for people to actually get to use their mana-powered abilities in a single combat. This means you have to make combats able to be dealt with without mana-powered abilities. This means players will be encouraged to horde their mana until "the boss fight" and then dump it all on their (I presume) more powerful, mana-powered, abilities. This is assuming that the mana-powered abilities are combat abilities, and that your combats are as short as most D20 combats tend to be, and, obviously, is based on assumptions as to the cost of these mana-powered abilities.
So, yea, this feedback is probably baseless.

Next, I take it you meant to abolish Charisma. Thereby basing social interaction resolution on skills alone? Will there be any way to represent a naturally charismatic or attractive character? Can my level 1 character, Daelthren the Second Prince of House Thurizahd and heir to the Barlos Holdfast be any better at social interaction (however the skills are organized) than Throrg the Skyfist who decided to take a point in whatever skill determines this? Although, from the looks of the number of skill points, it seems every point is a serious investment.

Anyway, looks interesting.

Quote from: Fatal ErrorAlthough, I would think it seems by giving that automatically you are indeed looking for all characters to be fighter/caster hybrids?

Next, I take it you meant to abolish Charisma. Thereby basing social interaction resolution on skills alone? Will there be any way to represent a naturally charismatic or attractive character? Can my level 1 character, Daelthren the Second Prince of House Thurizahd and heir to the Barlos Holdfast be any better at social interaction (however the skills are organized) than Throrg the Skyfist who decided to take a point in whatever skill determines this? Although, from the looks of the number of skill points, it seems every point is a serious investment.[/quote]

Willpower is a replacement for charisma to some extent, so yes.