Skill and Talent Based Rules System: TALENTS

[Xeviat]

So you're saying that if someone doesn't try to make their character as good as possible stat wise that they're being elitist? What about people who enjoy roleplay the most and purposefully give their characters minor penalties to help flesh them out? Not all non-level maxers are "suicidal quadriplegics". More like slightly gimped characters with a background behind why they're like that.

No, I'm saying that people who rail on people who make their character as good as possible (within that character's skill set) are being elitist. If someone's character wants to be the best mage in the world, then said mage should be somewhere on the road to best mage in the world. Future best mage in the world probably has a few hobbies, and maybe he even knows how to handle a sword just for fun, but future best mage in the world surely doesn't have an 8 Int (unless there is some mechanic in the game to drastically boost an ability score).

Minor penalties are one thing: they can add depth to a character. But other things, especially non-statistical things can add depth to a character as well.

And now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

To the OP: being able to cast as often as you want is fine as long as the effect of said spell is within the same power scale as what non-casters can do. This is why 4E's casters are more balanced than earlier D&D casters are: Wizards don't have 10d6 fireballs while fighter's are stuck with 2 1d8+10 sword attacks (35 average damage with a chance of 17 vs. 30 average damage if both hit with a chance of 0). If you are going for realism, I'd love to see a fatigue system that works for both casters and non-casters.

[Nomadic]

So you're saying that if someone doesn't try to make their character as good as possible stat wise that they're being elitist? What about people who enjoy roleplay the most and purposefully give their characters minor penalties to help flesh them out? Not all non-level maxers are "suicidal quadriplegics". More like slightly gimped characters with a background behind why they're like that.

No, I'm saying that people who rail on people who make their character as good as possible (within that character's skill set) are being elitist. If someone's character wants to be the best mage in the world, then said mage should be somewhere on the road to best mage in the world. Future best mage in the world probably has a few hobbies, and maybe he even knows how to handle a sword just for fun, but future best mage in the world surely doesn't have an 8 Int (unless there is some mechanic in the game to drastically boost an ability score).

Minor penalties are one thing: they can add depth to a character. But other things, especially non-statistical things can add depth to a character as well.

Fair enough though I think I see our divergent path here. I tend to draw my character concept out of what I happen to get stat-wise (and race wise/etc if the game also rolls those). Unless I am mistaken you seem to prefer thinking up a character concept and then trying to craft its likeness during the character creation phase. Neither way is more correct of course, it just sort of clarifies our feelings.

[Drizztrocks]

As to that argument, I find both an interesting way to create a character. But when you're at a loss of what to create, rolling stat helps to give you some ideas.

[Xeviat]

Yeah, I haven't played with rolled stats for years, ever since my first D&D game that I ran and all the rolled games I played in. Heck, I play M&M mostly now so there's no rolling to be had; it's all about building to your concept.

[Drizztrocks]

Ok, right now I want to come up with a basic concept for each Talent, and flesh it out a little. After that i'll work on basic for skills, Base Abilities, and other systems like combat and adventuring. Once i'm done all the basics, i'll start putting detail into all of them in my finished draft. But i'm going to split this up into two different threads: this one Talents and another one skills.

   So right now, I need help deciding what talents to keep and how to flesh them out, along with ideas for abilities that keep non-magic Talents just as fun and interesting.

[Drizztrocks]

These are just some ideas for combat the combat training talent. It is is  no way as complete or solid as the Magery talent.

Combat Training
 The combat training talent gives you the ability to use armor, weapons and martial arts much better then the common person. They can specialize in any kind of combat they want, whether it be archery, quick thrusts and swashbuckling, or heavy swings of a huge axe.

 Skills
Somebody who takes the combat training talent gets three combat skill for free. For example, they can take Bow, Dagger and Axe for free. They then receive two free levels in these three skills.

Somebody who takes the combat training talent also gets one armor skill for free. They always get a +1 bonus to armor class when wearing this type of armor.


 Abilities

Power Attack
XP: 15
Description: You are able to add a +2 to damage for any attack, but take a -2 penalty on your attack roll.

Accurate Attack
XP: 25
Description: You are able to add a +4 bonus to your attack and damage roll, but it takes two actions to use this ability instead of one.

Brawler
XP: 15
Description: You do +1 damage with all improvised weapons, and +1 damage to all damage you do punching or kicking.

Strong Armed
XP: 30
Description: You can use a two handed weapon with one hand, but still cannot duel wield two handed weapons.

Defensive Stance
XP:30  
Description: You take a -5 penalty to attack rolls and damage rolls, and a -4 penalty to speed, but you gain +4 armor class, and if you're using a sheild you get a +6 to armor class.        

Sheild Push
XP: 25
Description: After an enemy misses an attack against you, you can push him backwards one square. This ability only works on enemies your size or smaller.

Spear Thrust
XP: 35
Description: When using a spear, you can do double damage, but your next turn you can only use a minor action.

Swashbuckler's Parry
XP: 35
Description: When you have a melee weapon drawn and an enemy misses an attack against you, you can attack him back as an oppurtunity attack.

 


  I know these might be badly balanced or something, but this is just a very rough draft. I am just trying to figure out how I am going to work Combat Training. I want to give lots of options with abilities, but I don't want them to overlap combat skills.
   Also, I want two characters to be able to pick combat training and be nothing alike. For example, ones a strong guardsmen wearing heavy armor and using a sword and sheild, and one's a rough and tough woodsmen who uses a bow and lives off the land. I am worried there aren't enough abilities I can make to let them flesh out their characters that much. So is there anything else I could use other then abilities to make Combat Training an interesting Talent to pick?

[Drizztrocks]

I updated some abilities, but I need more ideas for abilities.