Some Ideas

Ghost_Face · Post by **Ghost_Face** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:15 am

Was thinking about this for the next campaign.

All PC's start with passions, these are things your PC cares or feels strongly about.

1. A passion can be a person, place, thing or ideal.

2. Each PC starts with 4 passions

3. Each passion is rated from 1 to 4 depending upon its importance(you get 1-1rank, 1-2rank, 1-3 rank and 1-4rank)

4. A passion may be used within a single game no more than a number of times equal to its ranking if it can be shown to be applicable to the situation at hand.(CK has final rulling on whether the described application of a passion is appropriate or not

5. Anytime a passion is invoked it allows the PC to roll an eight sided die, and add its result, to any other die roll needed to perform a single action(for combat purposes to hit & damage are a single action).

6. passion points are replenished through achieving goals or performing actions that reinforce that passion(still working on this part)

EX.1 Arak the barbarian has as his passions:Tribe(1), love of Gwynnth(2), Honor(3), Fear of Dark Magic(5)

In the game Arak is attacked by a necromancer and uses his "Fear of Dark Magic" passion to enhance his combat rolls a total of four times. He rolls a d20 and a d8, adding them together for his hit roll and, if successful, rolls a d8 with his damage die and adds them together for total damage.

Ex.2 Arak, after beating the necromancer heads to a a tavern for a little R&R. While there a man insults Arak. Knowing he is still badly wounded from the earlier battle, Arak decides to invoke his Honor passion to intimidate and humiliate the man. He makes a Str or Cha check(depending on how the CK does it in his game) by rolling a d20 and a d8 and adding them together. With a succesful or failing roll, Arak can still invoke his Honor passion 2 more times in the game session.

So any oppinions or advice?

miller6 · Post by **miller6** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:30 am

Interesting.

People who play characters with indepths backgrounds tend to incorporate passions, but with your method you've added inate abilities to help them bring out those traits. Worth trying.

Brian Miller
_________________
"The adventure continues"

Maliki · Post by **Maliki** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 2:34 pm

A interesting idea, it sounds like it would add some flavor to characters.
_________________
Never throw rocks at a man with a Vorpal Sword!

Ghost_Face · Post by **Ghost_Face** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:17 pm

Okay, last night when I originally posted this it was something that had popped into my head and I didn't want to loose the idea. Now after a night of sleep and a few hours to think on it I've come up with a slightly revised system. Passions are selected by PCs as stated above, however each passion also has a goal. This is the defining, though not necessarily only, way in which a character interacts with his/her passion. So Arak would now be written up as follows.

EX.1 Arak the barbarian has as his passions:

Tribe(1),Goal:Increase status within.

love of Gwynnth(2), Goal:Prove true love

Honor(3), Goal:Maintain honor in all situations

Fear of Dark Magic(4); Goal:Destroy it

Your goals determine how you replenish your passion ranks after usage. So after using his Fear of Dark Magic points in the above example Arak probably replenishes a rank point automatically for achieving his goal with that passion, and (depending on how heroic a game the CK is running) may get all his ranks back. His actions have reaffirmed and strengthened his passions.

If he was defeated by the necromancer then he would recieve no ranks back as his goal would not have been accomplished. Doubt and uncertainty plague him and his conviction wavers. Is dark magic stronger than I thought?

This also causes a fluctuation in what is most important to a character at any given time, from among his passions, by his/her actual actions and results. I also think that with this set up it gives the PC the ability to broadly define the type of adventures they want their character to be involved in, while giving the CK the ability to work off it and fine tune it for his world.

Here are some quick questions to help me with the final touches.

1. Does the d8 give a good range for this system, if not why? and what would you suggest.

2. How high should the scale of ranks be per level. Honestly I was thinking this was one of those things that probably has to be customized depending on the tone of a CK's campaign. I think though, with the current set up it encourages PC's to use their points sparringly and in situations that draw on the passions of their characters.

3. Any general advice or oppinions

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 10:23 pm

"Luck points" in my game accomplish much the same thing, but doing it this way definitely adds depth of flavor to the game.

sieg · Post by **sieg** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 1:16 am

This works in a similar vein to the "Victory Points" in the upcoming Superhero RPG (from TLG) based on the C&C system....but here are some things to think about that I ran into:

1. What if the goal becomes unattainable due to no fault of the PC? IE, the barbarian's tribe gets wiped out while he's away, his true love gets axed due to a bad melee roll, etc?

2. I'd say D8 might be a bit much, since depending on the situation the PC might get 4-7 rolls per session (!!!). what you might do is instead of the D8 have the rank of the passion added to the roll. So, for the level 4 passion you get +4, a level 1 passion +1, etc. You might also have the "+" go down by one after each use so the #4 passion gets +4 for first use in game, +3 for second, etc. *

3. You might also put some system for the character to get an xp bonus for achievement of a goal. Like a % for the session equal to the rank X 10% or so.

*= Keep in mind, I'm a Bastard CK. YMMV.
_________________
Always remember, as a first principle of all D&D: playing BtB is not now, never was and never will be old school.- Tim Kask, Dragonsfoot

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:39 am

Sounds like an attempt to pulpify the game by adding mechanics. Not sure that's the direction I'd go. Instead, I'd reward the player by extra XP or in-game benefits for following previously stated "passions" or whatever. Less bookkeeping, too, I'd imagine.

Ghost_Face · Post by **Ghost_Face** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 3:22 am

I was more so going for the whole staple of fantasy, where the hero or heroine can find hidden reserves for things that are important to them. Don't know if it's really pulpy, as I see this type of thing throughout fantasy literature all the time.

An Example.

Aragorn facing down all of the Ringwraiths to save Frodo and company in the first movie. Ex. Passion:protect hobbits(4); goal: Get them to safety.

I mean come on the Ringwraiths should have ate him for breakfast.

moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 9:46 am

sieg wrote:
This works in a similar vein to the "Victory Points" in the upcoming Superhero RPG (from TLG) based on the C&C system...

An as yet unnamed Super Hero RPG system? Is this something that's been announced somewhere already?

COOL!

Mind you, I was in the planning stages of doing a SIEGE based conversion for the old Marvel Super Heroes game (which I call 'Marvel Super Heroes under SIEGE'). I just love the original MSH RPG

With Galaxy/Nova/Star SIEGE on the way as well, I am quite happy (which reminds me of WEG's Star Wars which I also loved so much)

Moriarty the Red
_________________
"You face Death itself in the form of... 1d4 Tarrasques!"

Partner to Brave Halfling Publishing
http://www.arcanacreations.com

sieg · Post by **sieg** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:02 pm

Hey MTR,

I figure "Official" announcement will occur at or after LGGC. Box set, 3 books and planned supplements.

3 books (PHB, Villan/NPC Hero Roster, Campaign setting book). The default setting is a bit unique but the system can be used in any SH setting, from WWII-modern and beyond.
More as I'm allowed to speak of it!
_________________
Always remember, as a first principle of all D&D: playing BtB is not now, never was and never will be old school.- Tim Kask, Dragonsfoot

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:43 pm

If this supers is to Mutants and Masterminds what C&C is to D&D I'm goinng to be....blown away? I don't know. Something incredible, thats for sure.

moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:37 pm

sieg wrote:
Hey MTR,

I figure "Official" announcement will occur at or after LGGC. Box set, 3 books and planned supplements.

3 books (PHB, Villan/NPC Hero Roster, Campaign setting book). The default setting is a bit unique but the system can be used in any SH setting, from WWII-modern and beyond.
More as I'm allowed to speak of it!

Thanks Sieg!

I wish I could go to LGGC. Hell... I wish I could go to any of the big conventions down in the States. It's just a bit far for this Canadian to trek down for. That being said... I plan on making it to one of the big ones within the next couple of years!

Moriarty the Red
_________________
"You face Death itself in the form of... 1d4 Tarrasques!"

Partner to Brave Halfling Publishing
http://www.arcanacreations.com

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:57 am

Perhaps I'm missing something here, but isn't this just Pendragon's traits and passions system, modified and bolted onto the core game? Or perhaps HeroQuest's keywords? That is the impression I'm getting from the original post.

Traits and passions in Castles & Crusades though is something to give some thought to, if you happen to like an Arthurian legend style of game. I admit, I don't mind it, but right now I'm also on a bit of an Arthurian legend kick, currently reading the Keith Baines rendition of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur.

Perhaps after that, I'll try to read it in middle English, since Project Gutenberg has both volumes of Le Morte D'Arthur available for download. Now if only I could bring myself to try and read Shakespeare's plays....
_________________
NOTE TO ALL: If you don't like something I've said, PM me and tell me to my face, then give me a chance to set things right before you call a moderator.
My small homage to E.G.G.

Ghost_Face · Post by **Ghost_Face** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:33 am

Traveller wrote:
Perhaps I'm missing something here, but isn't this just Pendragon's traits and passions system, modified and bolted onto the core game? Or perhaps HeroQuest's keywords? That is the impression I'm getting from the original post.

Traits and passions in Castles & Crusades though is something to give some thought to, if you happen to like an Arthurian legend style of game. I admit, I don't mind it, but right now I'm also on a bit of an Arthurian legend kick, currently reading the Keith Baines rendition of Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur.

Perhaps after that, I'll try to read it in middle English, since Project Gutenberg has both volumes of Le Morte D'Arthur available for download. Now if only I could bring myself to try and read Shakespeare's plays....

Never played Pendragon so can't comment...

I think Heroquest's keywords actually define the traits of your character(anyone correct me if I'm wrong).

This was more an evolution of me experimenting with Planescape's belief points in the Planewalkers handbook and action points from eberron. In fact if anything I would say they are action points that, instead of being arbitrary, are based on the personality of your character.

Came up with one last thing; The passions d8 roll can be used to subtract from an action against you character. Arak rolls a d8 and its a 4, the Ck now subtracts 4 from the necromancer's caster level on the spell he is casting. I kind of think maybe it should drop to a d6 now.

Moorcrys · Post by **Moorcrys** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:16 pm

If you're going to use an action point system, it seems like a flavorful way to implement it... and it's certainly a way to help players define their characters uniquely.

I'd have to see it in play to know whether a d8 or d6 would be better, but I try to lean conservatively when in comes to C&C, and I'd ponder a bit at Sieg's post above regarding what happens when things you're passionate about go terribly wrong.
_________________
----------------

Moorcrys

Ghost_Face · Post by **Ghost_Face** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:07 pm

sieg wrote:
This works in a similar vein to the "Victory Points" in the upcoming Superhero RPG (from TLG) based on the C&C system....but here are some things to think about that I ran into:

sieg wrote:
1. What if the goal becomes unattainable due to no fault of the PC? IE, the barbarian's tribe gets wiped out while he's away, his true love gets axed due to a bad melee roll, etc?

I really don't want to disempower a player but I was thinking it could work like this, You choose a new goal or passion, if it is an extension of the same goal or passion it replaces it at the same rank. Ex. Arak's tribe is wiped out: His new goal could be reeestablish tribe, avenge tribe etc. and I'd let him keep its original rank.

If it was a totally new passion then it would start at rank1 and all the other passions would move up a rank.

sieg wrote:
2. I'd say D8 might be a bit much, since depending on the situation the PC might get 4-7 rolls per session (!!!). what you might do is instead of the D8 have the rank of the passion added to the roll. So, for the level 4 passion you get +4, a level 1 passion +1, etc. You might also have the "+" go down by one after each use so the #4 passion gets +4 for first use in game, +3 for second, etc. *

Yeah I could see that my fix would be to always have a PC's passions ranked as 1,2, 3 & 4. So they don't actually get higher but the use and gaining of points shift what the PC feels more strongly about through his own actions.

IE you could actively seek to lower one passion in order to get higher in another, adds a certain amount of strategy, and incentive for expressing your PC through desires and goals(also gives us CK's an idea of what facets of a character a player may want to expound on or explore.)

sieg wrote:
3. You might also put some system for the character to get an xp bonus for achievement of a goal. Like a % for the session equal to the rank X 10% or so.

I like this but will have to think abot it a little. I think the passion points might be a big enough reward, especially if you make it so that fulfilling your goal replenishes them.

I'm gonna work on this a little more and try to bring it all together in one post.