SWASHBUCKLING Skill System

[Dr. Halflight]

Here are the basics:

Each Player has 5 Skill Dice that refresh at the beginning of each session.

A Skill Die can be spent to give +1D6 Bonus to any Dice Roll a PC attempts.

It must be specified BEFORE the roll is made.

So you can get a +1D6 Bonus to a Save, Level Check, Class Ability, Combat Roll, etc.

Spellcasters can even roll 1D6 to Regenerate cast spell slots.

However, they Regenerate from the lowest to the highest.

So, if I've cast 3 1st Level, 2 2nd Level, 2 3rd Level & 1 4th Level spells today.

And I spend an Skill Die to Regenerate & roll a 4, then ONLY my 3 1st Level & 1 of my 2nd Level Spell Slots Return & may be cast again.

As an Option, I do allow a PC to spend an Skill Die for +1D6 Bonus to their AC for a Round.

I also will reward an immediate free Skill Die for a good description of an what a player is doing or if they make me laugh.

Advanced Option 1:

Each Player selects 3 Seconday Attributes. These can be anything, ex. Expert Swordsman, Natural Leader, Drunkard, Magical Talent, etc.

If a Skill Die is used in conjunction with a Secondary Attribute it is worth 1D10 instead of 1D6.

Advanced Option 2:

Characters may be customized by saving Skill Dice. At the end of any session, a player may spend unused Skill Dice to customize their character. They choose an specific area to improve that has been used during the past session. The can roll any number of unused Skill Dice, and if any of the dice roll a 6, then that area may improve. It doesn't matter if more than 1 die comes up a 6. A +1 is the max that can be gained per session from a Successful Customization Roll. Certain Customizations require Separate Successful Customization Rolls over several session.

Here are the types of Customizations to be made.

A)A Skill (which includes Class Abilities, or player defined skills) gets a +1 with 1 Successful Customization Roll. Note: BAB cannot be improved, but +1 with Long Swords, Daggers, or even Medium Shields (+1 AC) can be achieved.

B)A Specific Weapons gets a +1 Damage Bonus with 1 Successful Customization Roll.

C)A Specific Spell can be cast one extra time per day with 1 Successful Customization Roll.

D)Saving Throws can get a +1 bonus with 2 Successful Customization Rolls (so a minimum of 2 sessions).

E)Attributes can get a +1 bonus with 4 Successful Customization Rolls (so a minimu of 4 sessions).

F)Note that bonuses from Customization Rolls DO stack. So if I get 4 Successful Customization Rolls on using a Long Sword, I have a +4 Bonus to my BAB when using a Long Sword, ex. a 6th Level Fighter has +10 BAB with a Longsword before Attribute Modifier.

Any Feeback is welcome.

I haven't playtested all of these ideas yet.

Please note, Secondary Attributes are very much inspired by Spirit of the Century's Aspects & Customization rolls are my interpretation of RuneQuest/BRP's Experience system.

Doc

[Treebore]

I would probably give this a try if I wasn't already doing a luck system, plus I have been happy with its effects.

In fact, if your interested in something simpler you may want to give a luck point system a look, if you haven't already, of course.

If you haven't, it covers all the bases of this system of yours, but as re-rolls, not add ons.

[Dr. Halflight]

Treebore wrote:
I would probably give this a try if I wasn't already doing a luck system, plus I have been happy with its effects.

In fact, if your interested in something simpler you may want to give a luck point system a look, if you haven't already, of course.

If you haven't, it covers all the bases of this system of yours, but as re-rolls, not add ons.

How many luck points does each PC get? And is that number of points per session?

I'd originally thought about a luck system. But, the idea of rerolls is something I'll ponder.

Doc

[Treebore]

Well, the luck system I use is you get 1 luck point +1 per level (2 at first level).

Luck points are used any time a PC fails a check, save, or hit. You use one to get a re-roll. Only one re-roll per failed roll.

If a PC is going to die they can permanently burn a luck point to be at -10 and stabilized.

Refresh: varies from CK to CK, but I have them refresh every time a "goal" is achieved.

Such as last night my group used up all their luck points getting to and destroying the Ebon Egg in DCC 12.5 (1E version). They then had to fight 5 Driders, each with two Fireballs and a Lightning Bolt and other nasty spells. Fortunately they "refreshed" their Luck points (Goal=destroying Ebon Egg) and were able to use them in that final fight, or they probably would have all died. As it was one died and another went to -10. Sorry, two died. Forgot about the Dwarf Fighter henchman they picked up in "Against the Giants".

Now that they are high level (things are tougher) I am thinking about having them refresh every game session, or goal achieved, whichever occurs first. Plus I am throwing a lot more spells at them from here on out.