The Panache System

[Kalos Mer]

The Panache System

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Panache is a roleplaying game system that has been in development since June, 2007 (thouh as with most of my work, it incorporates some creative elements that are much older than that '" I have a lot of notebooks filled with half-ideas dating back to '98 or so).  It is still in a design stage, but when complete it will be the '˜official' system used for the Tasothilos world.  Rather than a universal system (like GURPS, d20, or HERO), Panache is specifically tailored to the world and style of play represented by Tasothilos, though the core of Panache could be adapted to service other settings, in much the way that the d20 core, extracted from D&D 3e where it first materialized, has been used to create modern, sci-fi, cyberpunk, and other d20 games.  I'm putting it up here for three reasons:

1.  I want readers of the Tasothilos world to be able to see the mechanical underpinnings of the setting.  
2.  The system elements need a second opinion and a solid critique.
3.  It's my hope that other people who like my work might be able to either (a) adapt their own version of Panache for use with their settings or (b) take elements of Panache and incorporate them into other new roleplaying systems.

With regards to #3, I consider everything in this thread to be 100% Open Source.  Take what you like, leave what you don't.  I only have two requests '" one, if you use any of the material here, I'd really appreciate your feedback as to how it worked for you '" I haven't been able to get much playtesting in yet, y'see, and I'm eager to see how well what I've theorized works in practice.  Two, if you make any cool modifications to Panache, let me know about them '" I might want to incorporate them into my own version of the system!

In the next post (coming really soon) I will offer some Q&A.  The next several posts after that will be reserved for my use '" I wanna be able to have the most '˜current' version of all the rules posted  right up front.  After that, you're welcome to start posting away with comments, questions and (especially!) critique.

[Kalos Mer]

QWPWBFAIPFAATPS
Questions which Probably Would Be Frequently Asked if People Frequently Asked about the Panache System

1.  Why create your own system, rather than using D&D?
The Tasothilos game was originally designed for a variant version of 3.25e Dungeons and Dragons (ie, a hybrid of 3e and 3.5e, taking what I liked from each system).  However, I encountered a number of difficulties with this approach.  Unlike many gamers, I like the Vancian magic system, but the way it works in D&D was not appropriate for the setting.  The classes were nowhere near right '" I wanted to have woodsy warriors, priests and traveling musician types who didn't necessarily cast spells, for instance.  Then there was the overly complex combat system, the fact that higher level characters were much more dependent on their gear than their own skills for power, etc.  Certain elements of the level-based system  really don't work for Tasothilos '" for instance, the fact that in order to have 20 ranks in one Knowledge skill, a character must also have a ton of other skill points besides, BAB of at least +8, 17 hitdice (42 hit points on average), pretty decent saves and a certain number of feats as well.  In D&D proper, a wizened old sage would also have to be more than a match for a starting adventuring *party* (let alone a single melee character) in combat.  That works in D&D, but not in Tasothilos.
To make things clear, I still like D&D '" I like it a lot, and find that it plays a certain type of game very well.  But as a model for the Tasothilos universe, it is not adequate.

2. What systems have had an influence on Panache?
Despite their weaknesses, 3.x D&D and the d20 system have had an influence on the design of Panache, particularly when it comes to the central resolution mechanic (see below).  Also, despite the fact some might decry it, Panache uses the standard D&D races.  (See question 11)
Other systems which have given inspiration to Panache include 2e D&D, the D6 system, the Storyteller system, the Dying Earth RPG, HERO, GURPS, and Ars Magica.

3.  Why is it called the Panache System?

CYRANO: Que dites-vous ? ... C'est inutile ? ... Je le sais ! Mais on ne se bat pas dans l'espoir du succès ! Non ! non, c'est bien plus beau lorsque c'est inutile ! '" Qu'est-ce que c'est que tous ceux-là ! '" Vous êtes mille ? Ah ! je vous reconnais, tous mes vieux ennemis ! Le Mensonge ?  Tiens, tiens ! -Ha ! ha ! les Compromis, Les Préjugés, les Lâchetés ! Que je pactise ? Jamais, jamais ! -Ah ! te voilà, toi, la Sottise ! '" Je sais bien qu'à la fin vous me mettrez à bas ; N'importe : je me bats ! je me bats ! je me bats ! Il fait des moulinets immenses et s'arrête haletant. Oui, vous m'arrachez tout, le laurier et la rose ! Arrachez ! Il y a malgré vous quelque chose Que j'emporte, et ce soir, quand j'entrerai chez Dieu, Mon salut balaiera largement le seuil bleu, Quelque chose que sans un pli, sans une tache, J'emporte malgré vous, et c'est... ROXANE:            C'est ? ... CYRANO                                                                   Mon Panache.

Cyrano: What do you say? It's useless?'¦I know, ah yes! But one cannot fight hoping only for success! No! No: it's still more sweet if it's all in vain! - Who are all you, there! '" Thousands, you claim? Ah, I know you all, you old enemies of mine! Deceit! There! There! Ha! And Compromise! Prejudice, Cowardice! ... That I make a treaty? Never, never! '" Ah! Are you there, Stupidity? - I know that you'll lay me low in the end No matter! I fight on! I fight! I fight again! Yes you take all from me: the laurel and the rose! Take them! Despite you there's something though I keep, that tonight, as I go to meet my Deity, will brush the blue threshold beneath my feet, something I bear, in spite of you all, that's free of hurt, or stain, and that's'¦ ROXANE: That's? ... CYRANO:  My Panache. (http://www.tonykline.co.uk/PITBR/French/Cyranohome.htm)

For a while, Panache had no name other than '˜the Tasothilos system', tying it intrinsically to the Tasothilos setting that I've been designing for several years now.   I recently realized, however, that the system could potentially be of use to other settings, as well, so I've selected a name that ties it not to the setting for which it is primarily designed, and instead to the style I'm trying to capture.
The word '˜Panache' refers literally to a plume worn in a hat or helmet, but it's figurative meaning, largely established in English via Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, quoted above, is a sort of daring, flamboyant courage.  It is style, spirit and flair, all rolled into one.  That is not to say that *all* player characters are expected to behave in this fashion *all* the time '" this is not the Dying Earth RPG, and characters are expected to have diverse personalities.   But Panache rewards panache, and it is very much considered a virtue of those who take up the adventuring sort of life in the Tasothilos world.

4.  What type of play is the Panache System best designed to handle?
Panache is primarily designed neither for harsh, gritty realism nor for super-powered epic heroism, but for something in-between, which I term the '˜swashbuckling' power level.  Powerful and specialized characters in Tasothilos will be able to do things which most men could only dream '" this is a fantasy game, after all.  A single swordsman of immense skill may be able to hold ten novices at bay, a cunning liar may convince others of the most extravagant of falsehoods, and a particularly sturdy warrior might be able to shrug off several arrow wounds.  But these characters will not be as powerful as high-level D&D characters '"  they cannot hide in plain sight in bright sunlight, stand as one man against hundreds of foes, or fall great distances and survive on anything less than the most freakish of chances.
Except when facing *vastly* inferior foes, combat always presents a risk in Panache, especially when outnumbered, and so the '˜kick in the door' style of play that D&D enables (and in fact sometimes encourages) is ill-suited for Panache games.  There are plenty of chances for action in the typical game, but there is also strong incentive not to recklessly resort to violence at every opportunity.
(At present, I do plan on providing a simple set of alterations that a group can make if they want to run a '˜grittier' campaign.)

5.  Is Panache Rules-Heavy or Rules-Light?
Half and half.  In order to allow for considerable customization of character ability, the systems for character creation and character advancement are fairly rules-heavy (hopefully not to the extent of the HERO system, but a little more than standard D&D 3.x).  Creating NPCs '˜on the fly' is not very easy to do in Panache (to compensate, the system when completed will provide an appendix with a wide variety of '˜generic' character examples at all levels of ability).  Nor will PCs be able to advance their characters without giving it a little thought.
Actual gaming session play in Panache,  on the other hand, is being designed to be as rules-light and streamlined as possible, to prevent snags in the ruleset from detracting seriously from the advancement of the story and immersion in the characters.  Combat, for instance, will have some tactical elements to it, but hopefully will not be nearly as bogged-down as 3.x D&D can be.

6.  What is the system's core Resolution Mechanic?
This is one of the areas where the system shows the most strong influence from d20.  The Core Resolution Mechanic of Panache (the one by which most Tests and Contests are determined) is as follows: the character or characters involved must roll 2d10.  They take this sum and add to it any modifiers that they get for the relevant base attribute, skill, and circumstance.  In a Test, this number is compared against a static Target set by the GM, and if it meets or exceeds the Target, the character succeeds.  In a Contest, it is compared to a similar number generated by the opponent, and whoever has the higher sum succeeds.
This mechanic was selected after early flirtation with dice pools because it gives the GM one of the easiest and most direct ways of determining what percentage chance a character of a certain level of ability should have of accomplishing certain tasks.  2d10 was selected instead of the more obvious d20 because unlike a single die, the use of two dice creates a bell curve of the possible results, with most results falling somewhere between 8 and 14 and natural 2s and 20s being on the rare side.

7.  In brief, how does Panache handle character creation and advancement?
In order to ensure a relative balance, no element of character creation in Tasothilos is randomized.  The mechanical side of character creation is handled in five phases:
1.  The character spends a certain pool in order to buy values in the eight primary attributes that define his character, and then uses these attribute values to compute a small number of secondary attributes.
2.  The character chooses his race, and records a number of powers and attribute adjustments  inherent to that race.
3.  The character's race also includes a Character Point total (races with fewer inherent powers have higher CP totals).  Character Points are spent buying things like access to rarer skills, magical power, advantages, special techniques, and the Panache equivalent of '˜feats'.  A character can also gain a few extra Character Points by taking '˜flaws', though there are some safeguards built in to make sure that this system is not abused to '˜minmax' characters.
4.  The character is given a certain Experience Point total, based on his race.  (Certain advantages he can buy in step 3 might give him a bonus to this total, too.)   Experience points are used to buy ranks in skills.   Skills determine most things that a character is able to do '" his aptitude in combat, his ability to win others with words, and even his magical powers are all measured by skill ranks.
5.  The character spends his starting money to purchase starting gear '" the amount of money he has to spend depends on his social class, as determined in step 3.

As the characters adventure, they earn additional XP and CP (the particulars of '˜how' in each case will be detailed later.)  XP must be spent immediately on improving skills that have been used recently, but CP may be stored up and spent later.  Unlike D&D (but like systems like Ars Magica), there are also rules for how a character may improve his skills via '˜training' in his downtime.
Though the system of creating and improving characters is entirely free, an optional system of '˜templates' is provided for players who are worried that their characters might become unfocused.  These templates help a player build the precise type of character they want, but a more experienced player with a very specific idea in mind should feel free to ignore the templates and just spend his points as he sees fit.

8.  In brief, how does Panache handle combat?
Panache moves away from the D&D model of combat.  Opposing warriors do not whittle away at each other's bodies, competing at perfect health until one or the other combatant is disabled and dying.
Instead, most of combat consists of no actual wounding taking place.  Instead, in a battle between two combatants of roughly equal ability, they parry each other, competing for the upper hand.  Only occasionally is an actual damaging blow struck '" for the most part, combat consists of gradually wearing each other down and tiring each other out until you can get in just a couple solid hits that end the battle.
In terms of actual physical punishment, a character is given a certain number of '˜Scratch Points' which reflect his ability to take minor, inconsequential hits.  Once those are depleted (a minor blow from a weapon costs 1-2 scratch points, a significant blow could drain more), every injury sustained inflicts increasing penalties on his actions.   Unlike D&D hit points, a character's Scratch Point total is never very high '" seldom does it reach the double digits, and usually it hovers around 3-6.
(The above details how combat works between roughly equal opponents.  A warrior fighting a vastly inferior opponent will be able to end the combat much quicker, owing to his greater skill.)

9.  In brief, how does magic work in Panache?
Magic use takes two main forms in Panache (there are also a number of minor forms to be discussed later) '" Spellcasting and Willing.  Spellcasting is a modified form of Vancian Magic (indeed, it's a bit closer to Vance's own magic than D&D's standard form) and Willing is an entirely skill-based system of magic.
Spellcasting functions a lot like it does for the D&D wizard '" a spellcaster must go out and find pre-created spells, add them to his books, and then memorize a certain number of them before he can use them.  Upon casting a spell, the spell disappears from a caster's memory and must be memorized again.  There are some differences, however.  Firstly, the number of spells that a wizard may have in his mind at once is very much smaller than in D&D '" even the very strongest of wizardly minds could only hold about thirty or so '˜levels' of worth of spells in his mind at once (this translates to 30 of the weakest spells, or about 5-6 of the strongest spells, or some other combination).  Secondly, anybody with at least average intelligence is in theory able to learn to memorize a spell or two '" what differentiates great spellcasters from dabblers is not some inherent gift, but rather the collection of spells at their disposal and the training of their minds which allows them to grasp a greater volume of arcana at once.
Willing is skill-based.  It grants a magician much greater flexibility than spellcasting, but it tends not to be quite as powerful in its effect.  A magician gains ranks in Willing skills like they would any other skills, though (A) Willing skills require training, which means that a few CP must be invested before somebody can begin taking ranks in one, and (B)Magical skills cost a little more XP to improve than non-magical skills.  Although Willing may be done '˜at will', unless the magician is attempting a result that is very easy for someone of his skill level, most Willing effects cause their user some degree of fatigue.


10  How far along is the Panache design?
The basic concepts behind all aspects of the Panache system have been designed.  What is left now is filling in all the particulars.  This, unfortunately, is the much longer part of the process.  (It's about where the designers of D&D must have found themselves when they realized that they wanted a system of two sets of abilities, called skills and feats, and then had to set about *making* a bunch of skills and feats.)  Particularly when this gets to things like combat and magic, I expect it to be slow going.  Even once that's done, the system will need extensive playtesting.  However, I'm devoting a considerable amount of my free time to this, so I expect to move at a reasonable pace.

11. If you're creating your own system, why are you using standard D&D fantasy races?
[This one's especially for Rae. ;)]
When I first switched away from Dungeons and Dragons as my base system, I briefly contemplated changing the system of races to something other than the standard fantasy fare.  I decided against it for a number of reasons.
(1) The mythology and history of my setting has already been well set-up using the standard races, and I didn't feel like introducing a rewrite of these elements.
(2) Even though all the races have been modified a bit from their '˜standard' versions, inclusion of names like '˜elf', '˜dwarf' and '˜orc' provide something familiar for players new to the setting to hang on to and feel comfortable with while they get their bearings.
(3) I do not worry that my setting will be labeled a '˜Tolkien clone', because the races have all been strongly deviated from their Tolkienian incarnations.  The labels of '˜dwarf', '˜elf' and the like at this point are mostly still applied because of a few cultural remnants (elves are still aloof and into nature, dwarves are still mountainous, etc) and because of their physical appearances.
(4) Most important '" I *like* them.

In other words, the inclusion of the standard fantasy races should not be taken as a sign that I am not creative enough to come up with something else.  Instead, take it as a sign that I am not going to be different *simply for the sake of being different*.  If I like the way something works in my system/setting, I'm not going to change it simply because standard D&D happens to do something similar.

[Kalos Mer]

Reserved: The System, Part 1 of 3

Note: The post limit on these boards allows somewhere around 9 full Microsoft Word pages of text.  By reserving 3 posts worth of material for the system, I allow myself almost 30 pages of text to lay out the rules in as close to a formal version as I can.  Though by the time the system is 'finished' 30 pages won't be enough to be comprehensive, it should be enough for the design phase.

[Kalos Mer]

Reserved: the System, part 2 of 3.

[Kalos Mer]

Reserved: The System, part 3 of 3.

[Kalos Mer]

The FAQ is up.  Coming sometime tomorrow, the first part of the rules on Character Creation.

[the_taken]

Your 8 stat system catches my interest. Please elaborate how you determined 8 stats.

[LordVreeg]

[blockquote=Kalos]5. Is Panache Rules-Heavy or Rules-Light?
Half and half. In order to allow for considerable customization of character ability, the systems for character creation and character advancement are fairly rules-heavy (hopefully not to the extent of the HERO system, but a little more than standard D&D 3.x). Creating NPCs '˜on the fly' is not very easy to do in Panache (to compensate, the system when completed will provide an appendix with a wide variety of '˜generic' character examples at all levels of ability). Nor will PCs be able to advance their characters without giving it a little thought.
Actual gaming session play in Panache, on the other hand, is being designed to be as rules-light and streamlined as possible, to prevent snags in the ruleset from detracting seriously from the advancement of the story and immersion in the characters. Combat, for instance, will have some tactical elements to it, but hopefully will not be nearly as bogged-down as 3.x D&D can be.[/blockquote]  you call that bogged down?  Bah...
I should have known you'd try to work the mechanic this way.  It does make for a faster paced game, so that more of the 'story' get written at a sitting.  I guess I'm a little gritty in my story telling, in that I don't mind a few more rolls and a longer combat to be able to know what swings were stopped by armor (and that might have stressed the armor) and that allows players to try for success in multiple skills before every swing.  But that's my mania talking... :blah:

[blockquote=Kalos]4. What type of play is the Panache System best designed to handle?
Panache is primarily designed neither for harsh, gritty realism nor for super-powered epic heroism, but for something in-between, which I term the '˜swashbuckling' power level. Powerful and specialized characters in Tasothilos will be able to do things which most men could only dream '" this is a fantasy game, after all. A single swordsman of immense skill may be able to hold ten novices at bay, a cunning liar may convince others of the most extravagant of falsehoods, and a particularly sturdy warrior might be able to shrug off several arrow wounds. But these characters will not be as powerful as high-level D&D characters '" they cannot hide in plain sight in bright sunlight, stand as one man against hundreds of foes, or fall great distances and survive on anything less than the most freakish of chances.
Except when facing *vastly* inferior foes, combat always presents a risk in Panache, especially when outnumbered, and so the '˜kick in the door' style of play that D&D enables (and in fact sometimes encourages) is ill-suited for Panache games. There are plenty of chances for action in the typical game, but there is also strong incentive not to recklessly resort to violence at every opportunity. [/blockquote]
Ok, this is definitely the work and mindset of the maturing GM.  (I await a lightningbolt).  As players and GM's see more of the world and read and experience more, creating a 'story' more than a collection of combats that allows for better and better trerasure.  Progression and evolution of the characters is still a great source of enjoyment, but a good system allows for this without the wild inequities of power that many games suffer from.  Most combats should still involve risk, especially when the numbers are against someone.  
Very pleased with your use of dice odds to screw with the frequency distributions, so that you go from a 5% chance of rolling a 20 to a 1% chance, but your chance of rolling a 1 is the same.  

[blockquote=Kalos]7. In brief, how does Panache handle character creation and advancement?
In order to ensure a relative balance, no element of character creation in Tasothilos is randomized. The mechanical side of character creation is handled in five phases:[/blockquote]
This is one place we differ.  The evolution I so search after for the character narrative needs the pain and angst of rolling a '1' on a level break (and the way they work though it), as well as the good rolls.  I keep experience and levels in every single ability, so a character breaks a few 'little' levels (individual skill)overy session, on average.  And the level breaks on these are always randomized.  I get to see high-fives and commiserations all night long when people use a skill and break level in it.  
Not saying 'boo', just saying that you might be taking something away from the players.

How many different 'schools' of magic are their, in terms of sources?  where does the power to cast a spell come from?  For example, what is the 'in-game' mechanic for the source of the fire in a fireball spell?

[Kalos Mer]

Character Creation: Step I: Primary Attributes

The first step of creating a Panache character is to determine his primary attributes.  Primary attributes determine on a fundamental level what the character's capabilities are.  The attributes give a character a bonus or penalty to his various skills, and they are also used in the computation of secondary attributes, which are a handful of combat-stats and other vital mechanics.  (Secondary attributes can be independently improved by spending CP, but primary attributes provide the baseline.)
[note=The Effect of Attributes]Attributes apply their value as a bonus or penalty to any skills with which they are associated.  Because skills can reach values of 20 and (rarely) beyond, after a certain point the bonus from attributes stops being quite as significant.  It still confers some advantage, sure, but the main value of a high attribute is instead more apparent in that it gives the character a wide range of decent secondary skills.[/note]
You can spend CP later in your character's life to improve your primary attributes, but doing so is expensive, and a given attribute can never receive more than 2 points of total increase through character points, so pick initial stats that you are mostly satisfied with.  Unlike D&D, getting a near-perfect score in your character's 'main' stat is not required in order to be effective- it will give him an edge, especially early on, but skills are more important than attributes in assessing your character's capabilities.
Initial values for attributes range in value from -3 to +4.  They are bought according to the following scale:

Value	Cost
-3	-9
-2	-4
-1	-1
0	0
+1	1
+2	4
+3	9
+4	16

Note: Negative costs in the table above indicate bonus points added to your pool which may then be spent improving other abilities.

Average NPCs (Jimmy the Commoner, Steve the Innkeeper, Bill the petty criminal) in Panache receive a pool of 3 to 5 points with which to purchase their primary attributes - they may be better than average in one or two areas, but on the whole, they're fairly common.  PCs and important NPCs (That friendly old wizard who occasionally provides the party with a clue, or that awesome BBEG warrior you're gonna design) receive a pool of 8 to 12 points instead (the GM should determine a value for his party at character creation) - they can be slightly better than average in all respects, or they may focus their attributes and be truly gifted in one or two areas.

So, what are the eight attributes?
[spoiler=If you are interested, the reason for my choices here.]They are close to the Dungeons and Dragons six (I felt no need to reinvent the wheel with these, or to create needless subdivisions), but there are a couple differences.  Strength and Constitution both managed to come through from D&D (and many other source RPGs) so unchanged that I didn't even feel the need to change the names.  Intelligence and Charisma are somewhat altered, enough so that I felt new names (Intellect and Magnetism) were appropriate to signal that they were not just the D&D stats.  Dexterity and Wisdom, on the other hand, have always seemed to me like they were combining too many conflicting elements.  Wisdom combined intuition and perception (which I could see being linked) with willpower and determination, which seem to me to be different.  Dexterity combined full-body agility with hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills - the connection here makes a bit more sense to me than the Wisdom problem, but still I feel that they should be different things.[/spoiler]

Strength
Strength has always been a fairly straightforward attribute.  It measures a character's muscle and raw physical power - their ability to swing around a heavy axe, for instance, or to pull themselves up a craggy cliff.  It is applicable to the various athletic skills, but it also comes into play in combat - it is the attribute linked to the heavy weapon skills (two-handed swords, large axes, etc) and it also is used whenever a character hits an opponent, when it is combined with weapon skill to determine damage.  Strength is of greatest importance to those who want to play powerful, heavily armed and armored warriors.

Agility
Agility is one of the two remnants of the D&D Dexterity stat.  It covers one's balance and general ability to move their bodies quickly and elegantly.  It governs one's ability to dodge, to dance, to move silently and unseen, and to perform various acrobatic stunts.  A number of combat skills are linked to Agility, as it governs the light- and medium- weapon skills, and is one of the most important stats when it comes to avoiding blows in combat.  Agility is important to swashbucklers and to stealthy, crafty characters.

Coordination
Coordination is the other half of D&D Dexterity.  It governs fine motor control and manual dexterity - whereas Agility measures a character's ability to move their whole bodies quickly, Coordination instead focuses on the ability to make fine, precise movements with the hands.  It is most important for it's contribution to the various thieving skills, but it is also applicable to a number of more legitimate skills, including the musical ones.  Coordination is most important to pickpockets, wandering minstrels, and fine craftsmen.

Constitution
The last of the physical skills and another fairly straightforward one, Constitution measures hardiness and health of the body.  Not many skills use Constitution, but the ones that do (Endurance, for instance) are of universal import.  Constitution is a vital combat stat, as it governs how long a character may fight without tiring and also has an effect on how grievously injuries affect a character.  Constitution is important to all characters, but especially those who expect to find themselves on the front line in a battle.

Intellect
Intellect determines a character's ability to acquire new information and to reason and form conclusions based on the information he has.  It is also the primary skill associated with creative intelligence.  It is the attribute most important for a character's language skills, as well as various artistic, magical and academic skills.  It is the primary attribute associated with the Spellcasting type of magic.  Intellect is most important to sages and wizards, but is also of great importance to musicians and poets.

Awareness
Awareness is one half of the former D&D 'Wisdom' ability score.  It determines a character's perception, insight, and intuition on a less cerebral, more instinctive level than Intellect.  It governs physical perception - determining how well a character's eyes and ears can detect minor details - as well as social perception - one's ability to pick up on minute social signals to read the subtext of a conversation or to determine if someone is lying.  It is also the primary attribute associated with missile weapon skills.  As such, it is important to archers and scouts as well as to socialite characters.

Resolve
Resolve is both a mental and a social stat.  It measures a character's force of will and determination, but also his aura of authority, confidence, and 'gravitas'.  Magnetism is used to persuade other people and to make them like you - Resolve is used to intimidate them and to lead them.  It governs a fair number of social skills, is instrumental to resisting the influence of others, and is also the primary skill behind the Willing type of magic.  Of great importance to magicians, it is also important to kings, priests, warlords, and other leaders of men.

Magnetism
Related to D&D Charisma, Magnetism measures the persuasiveness, social grace, and likability of a character.  Characters with a high Magnetism are likely to have a lot of friends and to be thought trustworthy and personable.  The attribute governs most of the social skills, including the art of seduction and the art of bluffing.  Magnetism is important to characters who want to dominate at grand balls and parties, and also those who want to be able to tell convincing lies.
(Unlike D&D Charisma, physical attractiveness has no role in Magnetism - if a character is exceptionally beautiful, this is governed by an Advantage which may be purchased later.)

Two Important Notes (and one minor note) Before Going on:
(1) It should be reiterated that a character's skills are much more important than his attributes in determining what a character can do.  More than their statistical bonuses, the main function of attributes is to provide some measure of what kind of person the character is at his core.  While going for a +4 in your character's most important attribute will help you a lot in the early stages and give you a slight edge even later, it is much more important to create a set of attributes that you feel model the sort of person you want your character to be.  

(2) One other thing to note - while in D&D all skills are intrinsically linked to one ability score, Panache takes a page out of Ars Magica (and others) - it is possible to apply several different attributes to a single skill.  For instance, when using a longsword, you would use a combination of your Longsword skill plus Agility for most of the battle, but a combination of Longsword + Strength to determine damage when you land a hit.  When we get to that part of the rules, most skills will be listed with between 1 and 3 attributes - these are the ones that are most likely to be applicable to the skill in the normal range of use.  In extraordinary circumstances, the GM should feel free to apply ANY attribute to a particular skill roll.

Minor note:  In the FAQ, it says that secondary attributes are computed right after the selection of primary attributes.  It was pointed out to me by a friend, however, that since secondary attributes depend on the primary attributes, and the character's choice of race may alter the primary attributes a little, it makes a good deal more sense to compute secondary attributes after the race has been selected.

Next Up - choosing a Race!  Note that the 'fluff' of the races can already be found in the main Tasothilos thread over on the Homebrew forum - the 'crunch' of the races in that thread is out-of-date, and will be updated here.

[Kalos Mer]

you call that bogged down?  Bah...
I should have known you'd try to work the mechanic this way.  It does make for a faster paced game, so that more of the 'story' get written at a sitting.  I guess I'm a little gritty in my story telling, in that I don't mind a few more rolls and a longer combat to be able to know what swings were stopped by armor (and that might have stressed the armor) and that allows players to try for success in multiple skills before every swing.  But that's my mania talking... :blah:

Ok, this is definitely the work and mindset of the maturing GM.  (I await a lightningbolt).  As players and GM's see more of the world and read and experience more, creating a 'story' more than a collection of combats that allows for better and better trerasure.  Progression and evolution of the characters is still a great source of enjoyment, but a good system allows for this without the wild inequities of power that many games suffer from.  Most combats should still involve risk, especially when the numbers are against someone.  
Very pleased with your use of dice odds to screw with the frequency distributions, so that you go from a 5% chance of rolling a 20 to a 1% chance, but your chance of rolling a 1 is the same.[/quote]This is one place we differ.  The evolution I so search after for the character narrative needs the pain and angst of rolling a '1' on a level break (and the way they work though it), as well as the good rolls.  I keep experience and levels in every single ability, so a character breaks a few 'little' levels (individual skill)overy session, on average.  And the level breaks on these are always randomized.  I get to see high-fives and commiserations all night long when people use a skill and break level in it.  
Not saying 'boo', just saying that you might be taking something away from the players.[/quote]How many different 'schools' of magic are their, in terms of sources?  where does the power to cast a spell come from?  For example, what is the 'in-game' mechanic for the source of the fire in a fireball spell?[/quote]  
There's a very lengthy post in the thread over at Homebrews covering these questions.  It's very slightly outdated (Willing has grown in importance and prevalence since Tasothilos 2.0), but it is mostly accurate.

[LordVreeg]

Duh, I'm asking a question of a thread I already commented on. x(   I already commented on the in-game magic of Tasothilos.  
(and I said I really liked the schools of magic).  SInce you are using the 'fire and forget' of D20, is the difference of the schhools (lyromancy,etc) on the lists of spells available?

[blockquote=Kalos]I think you hit the core of it with the part I bolded. Too many gritty games that I've seen and (*shudder*) played in suffer from taking away the sense of progression - a character being able to get better at things and having that really show. In Panache, I'm going to try to strike a balance - very skilled characters will be able to do amazing things, but not amazing on the super-heroic tier of high-level D&D[/blockquote]
I'll further narrow down the point we are getting towards.  A good narrative is based on the challenges that must be overcome.  A bad narrative suffers from the author (or GM) continually boosting the power level of the protagonist, and followed by the creation of new threats that can threaten the new abilities of the protagonist.  (But the Wheel of Time had such promise...in the first four books).

[Kalos Mer]

Agreed on the Wheel of Time, but I actually even liked it into 5.  It was with 6 that things started to get hairy as far as I'm concerned...

Just to clarify - the 'fire and forget' is only attached to one kind of magic, namely Logomantic Spellcasting.  Logomantic Ritual magic, Lyromancy, Willing, Arithromancy and the other 'minor' arts do NOT use the fire-and-forget Vancian mechanic, and are instead, like everything else in Panache, skill-based.

A 'classically trained' magician of the Salabrian sort generally focuses his studies on spells and Willing - Spells are generally more powerful, while Willing is more flexible.    

(In both types of magic, I am actively trying to balance combat with non-combat functionality.  Most magicians in Tasothilos are not adventurers, and while they almost universally acquire some offensive and defensive magic for personal security reasons, most of their attention is focused elsewhere.)

[LordVreeg]

Alrighty, I also don't use Fire and Forget.  I use a mana based system with all casters 'linked' to their books, and their ability in their possible 12 discplines/skills determines how much they can cast before recovering.

SO if it is not a fire and forget/spells per day system, what is the mechanic in the other types of magic?  I really find myself enjoying your work, so I need to understand what the underpinnings are.  I use ritual as well, to allow caster's to cast spells that are out of their league, but I'm curious as to how you work it.
And I understand that 'willing' is different, and that it's use is more flexible but not quite as potent...but what determines how much willing can what type of spell-affects are possible?

And since you are using a 'scratchpoint' system, do spells have seperate 'scratchpoint' amounts?  

[Kalos Mer]

Alrighty, I also don't use Fire and Forget.  I use a mana based system with all casters 'linked' to their books, and their ability in their possible 12 discplines/skills determines how much they can cast before recovering.

SO if it is not a fire and forget/spells per day system, what is the mechanic in the other types of magic?  I really find myself enjoying your work, so I need to understand what the underpinnings are.[/quote]And since you are using a 'scratchpoint' system, do spells have seperate 'scratchpoint' amounts?  
[/quote]
Not sure I quite understand the question.  If you're asking about how damage is determined from offensive combat magic, it's fairly straightforward - the way I've got it set up now, the caster rolls his skill check in the appropriate magical skill, while the resister makes a Hardiness check (basically, the equivalent of a saving throw.)  The difference between the two is compared, and the degree by which the caster beats the Hardiness roll determines how much damage is done.  
Offensive magic will eat up a character's scratch points but quick.  Fortunately, direct damage magic is very difficult and tiring.

[LordVreeg]

so, as to the 'fatigue points', can I assume the skill ability of the caster allows a certain amount of the fatigue points?  Willing magic this way does seem to make some sense.  Is ritual the same type of system?


I feel and commiserate for the mechanics that need some work.  Tybalt is doing a character creation thread with me, and I am finding myself needing to flesh out some poorly written or written in scraps charts.  One of the charts I was using was from a rulebook I made back when I was living in Vermont in '94.  Embarressing, and everything seems to need updating but at least you do with with some elan and, of course, Panache.

And yes, you did catch the preper inference on the scratch damage from spells.  I was figuring that maqgic, while rare, had the potential to do some hurt.  I have been trying to create an advantage for casters who use 'presituational' magic lately.