The Campaign Builder's System?

[Stargate525]

Taken from an initiative in the 4e release thread to build a better system than wizards. This is the thread that will (hopefully) spawn the best thing in tabletop roleplaying since the d20!

Perhaps I'm aiming a bit too high. The d12 then.

Transcript of the relevant posts from the thread;
[blockquote SG]Well, do we want to work from the ground up or work off a D20 skeleton?[/blockquote]
[blockquote Ra-Tiel]Well, I'm open for anything, but there are some things I must insist on.  

1) No critical hit tables, no critical misses, and no random hit location system.
2) No standard v3.5 magic with an unimaginable abundance of redundant spells.
3) Character concept dictates mechanics, not the other way round.
4) Generally speaking, rules should be easy and intuitive (read: everything specific combat actions like grapple, disarm, etc in v3.5 are not).[/blockquote]

Maybe we should try using an elder scrolls like system with the leveling up the major skills to get to a higher level, etc. The classes from that type of system would be easily created with simply the major and minor skills. We could add in feats and ability scores ourselves.

Howabouts instead of classes, each level you get points that you spend to get abilities, such as HD, feats, spels, etc.

Now I have by no means been elected the controller of the development of the setting, but I have had some thoughts;

the d20 system does have quite a lot going for it as a base. There's plenty of support for it, most people know the gist of it, and it works well for minor adaptations. The downside is that we may have to do heavy modification, and the system has several good techniques that, unfortunately, cannot be used wholesale due to copyright legality stuff; we're limited to the SRD, and anything else will have to be made up.

The problem I see with designing our own from the ground up is that we will need to do alot more work. This might be the way to go if we decide that we would have to scrap more form d20 than we would keep.

I think that the first order of business should be to list off what we want out of the setting. For instance, I want to be sure that this thing is somewhat modular so that entire sections can be easily swapped out for new mechanics, and that it can support the homebrews on this site (it IS our setting, after all).

Thoughts and comments are welcome; this is a community project after all.

[Stargate525]

Reserved for to-do list.

[Stargate525]

Reserved for the System itself.

[Atlantis]

i think we should have Abilities, Major skills, Minor skills, Feats, and Spells with a classless system.

[Higgs Boson]

I don't necessarilly think it should be a classless system, I mean, part of the fun is creating classes!

[Stargate525]

I agree that a classless system would be unwise. Classes act as a good means of keeping a character reasonably focused. With the classless systems I've seen, characters tend to become extremely hectic in their abilities, which I beleive harms them in the long run.

I agree that specific-focus classes should not be immediate (prestige classes or similar), and that classes need to be general to allow maximum flexibility.

[Atlantis]

you are right. we should have classes but they should have a wide range but i think they shouldnt start out with being able to have both martial prowess and spellcasting. Hexblade is good example of the mix. Maybe base classes should (if we do go with the major, minor skills system) have multiple choices of combinations for major skills. Also (If we do go as i previously mentioned) we should create the skills you can choose from.

Note: the major and minor skills would be the same(example: a class has Magic as a major skill while another may have it as a minor skill).

[Stargate525]

Atlantis, what do you want the system to actually DO? Once we figure out what we want out of it, it'll be easier to assign mechanics to it. Judging by your posts, you want it to be skill-based, but why? Is it for better balance? A more balanced power curve?

[Higgs Boson]

So, basically you're saying no just magic or melee focused classes? I don't think that's such a good idea, either.

[Atlantis]

@:SG

1. Skill based is  Different
2. I like it
3. I am not actually sure.

@:Sir Vorpal
Having Blunt weapons as a major skill and Magic as a major skill would be possible or Magic and Psionics as a major skill but those classes would have  different drawbacks(example: Less starting skills, less points to adjust the character at every level, etc.)

[Stargate525]

So, basically you're saying no just magic or melee focused classes? I don't think that's such a good idea, either.

I think he's saying the opposite.

By the way, I love your advisory system.

[Atlantis]

oh.. i misread his post. missed the ....saying NO just...

but there would be plenty of mage-like and fighter-like classes

[MittenNinja]

Has anyone here looked at the Deadlands RPG at all? It's got an interesting system for assigning abilities. There are no classes per say, in fact, there aren't even levels.

[Higgs Boson]

Hmm..I am beginning to see your point Atlantis. Howabouts this: The "classes" each have ability progression, like normal classes, you gain bonuses to abilities and such through the major and minor skills. Also, the major skills are used in the level-up process. In order to level up, you must have gained a certain amount of skill levels, which are gained through using them.

[Atlantis]

exactly, thats what i have been trying to say