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My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!


Blorn

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

Well, you could always just say that as long as they have their spell pouch/robes whatehaveyou, they don't have to worry about components. Tax them a small amount of money every now and then to represent replenishing their stock.

 

However, I prefer Gestures and Incantations only.

 

Regarding the Divine Difference- No END limitations. They can cast spells all day long- as long as they are doing their god's work, and they have to set aside time to pray, penance, perform other acts of service to their deity, etc. You would have to make sure they have to consciously pay attention to it- skipping a day of prayer might not cut them off completely, but they might start to notice at the end of the day that it's getting harder to get things done (increased negatives to their Faith Roll, or even making them USE their Faith roll at all).

 

Rather than say it's the god withdrawing its favor (which seems a touch childish to do so quickly), I'd describe it more as being about FAITH, and being spiritually and emotionally CLOSE to your deity and that ideology. When you let it slide, you grow distant from it, and thus it is harder to get in touch with your faith, which is ultimately your access to the divine.

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

True. I usually don't take something published and use it carte-blanch. But, I'm also a bit lazy... I don't want to create too much I don't have to.

 

 

RE: Gandalf style magic...you may like Stoburu; it models something very much along those lines.

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

RE: Gandalf style magic...you may like Stoburu; it models something very much along those lines.

 

I like it... However, I've actually started to build some NPCs using your Meiter system. I really like how they look. I also like the idea, however, of using staffs, wands, rings, etc. as a focus... I'm leaning on using your Meiter System (almost as is) with END reserves bought through foci... only some matrixes should be bought as capable of using personal END on top of the END reserve. I'm also going to change the names of your sample styles. I might include a few more styles; one that uses spell components (Witchcraft?), and one that creates alchemy...

 

What do you think?

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

Regarding the Divine Difference- No END limitations. They can cast spells all day long- as long as they are doing their god's work' date=' and they have to set aside time to pray, penance, perform other acts of service to their deity, etc.[/quote']

 

I tend to do the opposite, in that casting a divine spell takes huge amounts of endurance, and basically leaves the caster drained of energy and a little helpless. The in-universe explanation is that having the power of a deity run through you is extremely taxing to a mere mortal. And depending on the world, divine casters either have a small, predefined list of spells/rituals/miracles they request, or they have a single miracle skill, and each miracle must be described in general terms, after which the difficulty and chance of success is determined ad hoc. I find most players tend to prefer one or the other, but never like both, and this breaks down a lot to their gamist/narrativist breakdown.

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

I like it... However, I've actually started to build some NPCs using your Meiter system. I really like how they look. I also like the idea, however, of using staffs, wands, rings, etc. as a focus... I'm leaning on using your Meiter System (almost as is) with END reserves bought through foci... only some matrixes should be bought as capable of using personal END on top of the END reserve. I'm also going to change the names of your sample styles. I might include a few more styles; one that uses spell components (Witchcraft?), and one that creates alchemy...

 

What do you think?

 

I think that's what all the material on the site is there for, for GM's such as yourself to use as is or adapt as you see fit. Change the names, tweak the set up, drop stuff that you don't like, add stuff you do...go for it.

 

 

In fact, Metier is a system I original designed for some other GM who posted on these boards. I don't recall who anymore, but the original thread is still on the forums somewhere. It's designed to be an umbrella concept, more of a meta-system, with lots of subtly different sub-systems expressed within it.

 

Having said that, keep in mind that unless you WANT to, you don't have to limit your setting to just 1 magic system. You can have as many as you like and can managed to juggle. For instance, my San'Dora campaign setting uses every one of the magic systems on my site that were written at the time when I made it. You can mix systems like Metier and Stoburu and whatever else you like. On the other hand Metier is a very expressive meta-system; you could model a very similar concept within it. Whatever works.

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

In fact' date=' Metier is a system I original designed for some other GM who posted on these boards. I don't recall who anymore, but the original thread is still on the forums somewhere. [/quote']

 

Found it:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/19358-Caleon-Casting-Styles?highlight=Metier

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

...casting a divine spell takes huge amounts of endurance' date=' and basically leaves the caster drained of energy and a little helpless. The in-universe explanation is that having the power of a deity run through you is extremely taxing to a mere mortal...[/quote']

 

I can see this, but I can also see the idea that you are actually not using your own energy, but the god's... which is endless comparitively. I'm still debating on how to handle divine magic. I definitely want to have something... just not sure how to design it for the feel I want. I like the idea that divine magic is not as diverse as arcane magic... more buffing and healing (bless, aid stun, aid body, divine warning, combat heal, cure illness, etc.) most adventuring priests I see as holy warriors. (the player that wants to play the cleric is an old school d&d player... clerics with maces, heavy armor, and heal spells :) so, anything different won't satisfy him, but I need for it to have a Hero System twist... maybe I'll look at Killer Shrike's site again :P )

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

...you don't have to limit your setting to just 1 magic system...

 

I know... I could handle multiple system's, but my players are all new to Hero, so, if I do add different magic systems, I'll do it gradually. The thing I like about the concept of your Metier System is that you have unique styles that, in a way, is multiple ways of casting magic but with a similar universal mechanic. Flavor and simplicity... doesn't make magic ultra-powerful like the Turakian Age... I've made 2 wizard's using it, and they look good on paper.

 

I think we are having our first session this Thursday (I only have 1 committed so far, but a possible 3 more... ugh) so, I've got to make a few more decisions...

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

Decisions made so far:

1. In the Turakian Age World (mostly so I don't have to convert some of my other settings I have and I like the Religion)

2. Campaign based in the city of Athford.

3. I'm going to use my "City of Greyhawk" maps and NPCs. (I'll scan part of the city map so you all can see how gorgeous it is ;) )

4. Players are members of a Mercenary/Adventuring company to accomodate the fluid players... also, the players are dirt poor to begin, so they must "borrow" equipment from the company with Resource Points (I liked this idea mostly because my players will be fluctuating from week to week and i wanted to keep a little control)

5. Most adventures will be episodic.

6. Using the Metier Magic system from Killershrikes website.

7. Non-casters will have access to martial training schools (Rogue, for example, has a small MP with some pretty cool abilities, an acrobatics like evade bought as Desolidification with some limitations, clinging to walls, and an autofire dagger attack...)

8. I'll be using hit locations.

 

Decisions Needed:

1. Do i use impairing/disabling rules? I'm thinking I will, but priest will have a non-combat spell that can fix it... but I'm not sure. What if the priest player doesn't show up?

2. Heal spells? I'm thinking one combat heal per person per combat per day... and one out of combat heal per day from a particular source. For example, let's say Blorn the Bouncer takes a few wounds in combat and is down to 7 Body out of 15. Brother Joe, seeing that his little buddy in a bind, casts a combat heal that raises Blorn back up to 10 Body. After the party dispatches the enemy, Brother Joe casts another, out-of-combat heal (a different spell) but rolls horribly and only heals Blorn to 14 Body... leaving the grumpy dwarf with a broken and tender rib, but otherwise ok. Now, Brother Joe can't cast either of these two spells on Blorn for the rest of the day. Now, if Blorn had a healing potion, he could quaf it and heal his broken rib, otherwise, he'd have to wait until the next day for Brother Joe to heal him........ What do you think? Too much to worry about?

 

On the other hand, there is a limit to the healing if I go with a divine END Reserve that only Recovers when the priest prays (I saw this idea in another thread). The priest will already have a limit on healing per day based upon the END Reserve... I don't know...?

 

3. Am I missing any other decisions I need to make? I've already got an idea for the first adventure... (Unfortunately, I'm going to have to be fairly rail-roady due to the limited time we have to play. At least at first.) Once I've finalized on it, I'll post it to see what you all think.

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

Consider something like this for "divine" magic, where the 'caster' calls upon / invokes / begs / coaxes / or otherwise inveigles a powerful entity to favor them with some kind of effect they are asking for:

 

Invocation

 

 

{IN COMBAT}

1) Blorn is at 7/15 BODY.

2a) Brother Joe calls out "Great Sky Father who art in heaven, hallowed be they name, I beseech thee to aid yon Blorn lest he be slain!"

2b) Brother Joe is attempting to cast "Healing BODY 1d6+1, Ranged (+1/2) (19 Active Points)"

2c) Brother Joe rolls his 2d6 Divine Favor* dice

die #1 comes up a 2 for -5 Active Points

die #2 comes up a 6 for 30 Active Points

Total = 25 Active Points available

2d) 25 > 19; Brother Joe finds favor and the prayer is answered

2e) Brother Joe rolls 1d6+1 Healing and rolls a 3 for a total of 4 BODY healed for Blorn.

2f) As 25 is 6 more than Brother Joe needed for his prayer, Brother Joe can opt to use the same blessing again on any subsequent Phases over the next 6 segments.

 

 

 

{OUT OF COMBAT}

Essentially the same thing, though the precise effect can be varied.

 

 

 

The GM can assess bonus or penalty Active Points as seems needful or as they see fit. If the GM wants to discourage multiple healing, they can assess a cumulative -5 Active Point penalty to all subsequent requests to grant a similar effect for some period of time. Such a penalty can "cool off" at some unit of time such as Turn, Minute, Hour, etc as the GM prefers (though you should be internally consistent). Perhaps praying, meditating, doing the deity's direct will or something they really approve of causes the cool off to be faster or even immediate for some period of time.

 

Perhaps such a penalty is accrued any time a divine character gets too needy and asks for one blessing after another rather than specifically if healing is asked for. This is more general and less illogical (why would a benevolent deity grant other blessings repeatedly but balk at something as benign as healing?).

 

If targeting something onerous to the deity for a harmful effect perhaps bonus Active Points are granted as the deity favors such an undertaking. If targeting something onerous to the deity for an beneficial effect perhaps a penalty is assessed (such as attempting to heal a non-believer or unworthy subject).

 

Increments of bonus and penalty should be small, such as +/- 5 point increments, but cumulative is fine. This prevents divine casters from being "spell batteries", but allows them to do miraculous things when the need is real.

 

And so forth.

 

 

 

*re-labeled Invocation dice

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

For Divine Magic:

How about a Endurance Reserve. The Recovery may or may not be limited to serving in a temple or doing deeds in the name of your god.

 

 

To heals:

You could allow a certain amount of healing points, if there is no-one playing a cleric (and maybe even if there is some playing one). When I think of a D&D cleric, I think more about the Combat Buffs than healing.

 

As for "how many" heals:

You could use tracking by wound. Especially with multiple sources of damage and imparing/disabling rules this might work better.

On the other hand, this involves a lot of book keeping.

 

About imparing/disabling:

I wouldn't use them. You are already under time constraints and combat already takes time. Any optional rule you use will only make it worse.

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Re: My Campaign Is Starting to Flesh Out... I Need Help!

 

I tend to do the opposite' date=' in that casting a divine spell takes huge amounts of endurance, and basically leaves the caster drained of energy and a little helpless. The in-universe explanation is that having the power of a deity run through you is extremely taxing to a mere mortal. And depending on the world, divine casters either have a small, predefined list of spells/rituals/miracles they request, or they have a single miracle skill, and each miracle must be described in general terms, after which the difficulty and chance of success is determined ad hoc. I find most players tend to prefer one or the other, but never like both, and this breaks down a lot to their gamist/narrativist breakdown.[/quote']

 

Then I would expect significant compensation in that divine "spells" had best be incredibly powerful (and not just normal spells carrying the Increased END Lim).

 

As an alternative, you could have it be sans END (like I suggested).... but make them roll CON (or a different stat if you wish) to represent how difficult it is on the body for this kind of energy to be going through you. You could literally tear yourself apart channeling your deity, or something. Make yourself blind (temporarily or permanently if you don't take a break!), etc.

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