Does this system seem familiar to anyone else?

[XXsiriusXX]

Does this system seem familiar to anyone else?
if so, where is it from?

A role playing system that instead of having classes or levels you simply use the xp that you earn to buy abilities that you want your character to have. Like spending 500 xp to buy a spell, or 1000 xp to be able to deflect arrows.  

[Wensleydale]

A system which the CBG were going to develop a while back.

Luminous' system (in a way).

My system.

A game called Gladius.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

Also, see "Buy the Numbers" a d20 product you can order online.

Most non-d20 game systems are not level-based, so you might see something similar in them.

[Ravenspath]

I was thinking about reviewing "By the Numbers" for an upcoming issues of the Guide.

[beejazz]

True 20, Perfect 20, GURPS, Tristat, F20, Mutants and Masterminds (I think)...

about a billion systems use point-buy nowadays

Whatever happened to totally random character generation?

[SDragon]

True 20, Perfect 20, GURPS, Tristat, F20, Mutants and Masterminds (I think)...

about a billion systems use point-buy nowadays

Whatever happened to totally random character generation?

Can't really talk about the rest, not knowing, but GURPS isn't quite like that. The magic system for GURPS fits fairly well, but that's only because it's based on the skill system. Awhile back, though, I did post a GURPS advantage that would make GURPS fit the description perfectly.


For those of you who have it, would you give Buy the Numbers a general thumbs-up or a general thumbs-down?

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I'd give Buy the Numbers a general thumbs-up, with the reservation that it might not be ideal for all games or all gamers (and the reservation it's still d20, which is not my favorite kind of system).  On a related note, because you can pick-and-choose abilities to buy, it can promote over-specialization or minmaxing.  If these are problems in your games, be careful before allowing it.

[LordVreeg]

We (Celtricia is we) use a skill based system where the exp is spent direcly into the skill used, and the level of each skill is determined by how many adjusted exp is spent in it.  Similar to what you are describing, if perhaps a little less random.

[beejazz]

I think it might be possible to take SW SAGA to its logical extreme making things like saves, Bab, and defense progression into slightly more expensive skills and making all ability trees available to the one class you'd be left with at a fixed rate

Levels without classes. Scary thought.

[Hibou]

Maybe you're thinking of the LotR console games?

A friend of mine showed me a system his dad made way back when that used XP like that. Was really cool, even though it had some kinks in it...

[beejazz]

I've seen a system like it... called Perfect20, IIRC. You build a class, but it isn't based on have-it-or-not skills or whatever.

It's free, though.. and somewhat less work.