Ok, so I am working on a few things for my homebrew game, and I wanted to get some feedback. Post thoughts, criticisms, potential changes, whatever comes to mind.
The advantages come from the 3.5 SRD feats, AD&D proficiencies, and some things I made up for other games here and there. I distilled them down to just basic stuff though, because rules bloat = bad.
Gonna be making a couple posts to start this thread and get all this stuff posted. Here's hoping it's worth it.
Homebrew Advantage/ Skill System
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Digital_Thaumaturgy
- Skobbit
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:00 am
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Digital_Thaumaturgy
- Skobbit
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:00 am
ADVANTAGES
All characters receive five advantages at 1st level to help make characters mechanically varied. These bonuses are designed primarily to make those fond of D&D 3.x feats and "customizing" their characters happy, hopefully without unbalancing the game.
ABLE DRINKER
Benefit: While there are no hard and fast rules covering the ill effects of drinking way too much alcohol, you are able to drink vastly more than others. Should a a roll be required by the CK, you gain a +4 bonus on any Constitution checks or saving throws relating to alcohol consumption.
AGILE
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus Strength or Dexterity checks to balance, jump, tumble, etc.
ALERTNESS
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Wisdom checks to notice something by hearing, sight, or smell.
AMBIDEXTROUS
Benefit: You may perform complicated tasks with either hand well. Also, your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 5.
ANIMAL AFFINITY
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks made to influence animals.
ARMSMAN [FIGHTER ONLY]
Benefit: At 5th level and every five levels thereafter you receive an additional weapon specialization, conferring a +1 bonus to hit and +1 bonus to damage with the weapon chosen. Six levels after acquiring a weapon specialization these bonuses increase to +2 to hit and +2 to damage, such that the bonuses with the weapon chosen at 5th level increase at 11th level, the bonuses with the weapon chosen at 10th level increase at 16th level, and so on.
ATHLETIC
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Strength, Dexterity and Constitution checks related to short-term feats of climbing, running, swimming, and other athletic endeavors.
ATTRACTIVE
Benefit: You are particularly good-looking, which grants you a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks involving interactions with someone who might find you appealing.
BLIND-FIGHT
Benefit: Whenever you engage in melee combat and your opponent would gain the benefit of concealment, you gain a +2 bonus on your to-hit rolls.
COMBAT CASTING [ANY SPELLCASTER]
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all concentration rolls to avoid spell disruption.
COMMON SENSE
Benefit: You may ask the CK whether an action you are about to take is a good idea up to three times per game session. The CK must answer truthfully. Note that the CK doesnt have to tell you why something is a bad idea.
DECEITFUL
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks involving deceit.
DEFT HANDS
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Dexterity checks to open locks, pick pockets or perform sleight of hand, as well as other tasks involving precise manual manipulation.
DILIGENT
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Intelligence or Wisdom checks to appraise objects and perform other tasks based on intense study, such as deciphering scripts.
ENDURANCE
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Constitution checks and saving throws made to continue running for long periods or other extended exertion. You also gain a +2 bonus to Constitution saving throws to avoid subdual damage from a extreme exertion or difficult conditions such as a forced march, starvation, thirst or extreme heat and cold.
ESCHEW MATERIALS [ANY SPELLCASTER]
Benefit: You can cast any spell without material components unless the material component is of significant cost (more than 1gp).
EVASIVE TARGET
Prerequisite: Dexterity must be a prime attribute.
Benefit: You gain a bonus to your armor class equal to 1 + your level, rounding up, but only when you are wearing no armor or helmet. If carrying a shield, it may only be a buckler or a small shield.
EXPERT CRAFTSMAN
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all checks involving your chosen profession.
EXPERT GRAPPLER
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all checks made to grapple or while being grappled.
EXPERT HORSEMAN
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all Strength or Dexterity checks made in relation to riding a mount.
EXPERT TRACKER
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Wisdom checks to follow and identify tracks.
FLEET-FOOTED
Benefit: Your base movement speed is increased by 10 feet, but only when lightly encumbered.
GREAT FORTITUDE
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Constitution saving throws.
HARD TO KILL
Benefit: When reduced to between 7 and 9 hit points, you automatically become stable and dont lose 1 hit point per round.
IMPROVED CRITICAL
Benefit: Choose one weapon with which you are proficient. You score a critical hit on a natural 19 as well as on a natural 20 with that weapon, provided that you do not need a natural 19 or greater to hit the target.
IMPROVED DISARM
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to disarm attempts.
INHERITANCE
Benefit: You gain 500 gp extra at character creation, or a single item worth up to 1,000 gp.
INVESTIGATOR
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma checks to gather information or search.
IRON WILL
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma saving throws.
LEADERSHIP
Benefits: You gain Inspire at 5th level and Embolden at 7th level, which function exactly like the knight abilities do at 1st and 3rd levels respectively, but they may never increase beyond that level of functioning.
LIGHTNING REFLEXES
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Dexterity saving throws.
LITERACY
Benefit: Some settings assume that the vast majority of the populace is illiterate, much like in our own world in the Dark Ages. If this is the case in the setting your character is in, selecting this advantage makes him or her literate in all languages that they can speak.
Bards, clerics, illusionists, wizards and other learned classes (in the CKs judgment) are literate without the need to select this advantage.
LUCK
Benefit: You may re-roll a d20 roll and take the better of the two results up to three times per day.
MAGICAL APTITUDE
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Intelligence checks involving the art of spellcraft, including deciphering arcane script.
NEGOTIATOR
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks to diplomatically achieve your aims, as well as all Wisdom checks to sense when you are being lied to.
POTENT SUMMONER [WARLOCK, WIZARD]
Benefit: All spells that summon creatures are treated as one spell level lower than normal.
POTENT TURNING [CLERIC, PRIEST]
Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke creatures.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Wisdom checks when attempting to turn undead.
READ LIPS
Benefit: On a successful check of either Intelligence or Wisdom (depending on the situation), your character can discern what someone is saying by watching their mouths while they speak.
REPUTATION
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all Charisma checks for interactions with people who have heard of you. You have a 5% chance for each class level that you possess that a given PC or NPC has heard of you, but only so long as you are within 25 miles of your home town (or wherever you fame is prominent).
RIDING
Benefit: Most everyone can ride a land mount such as a horse in most settings. If thats not the case in your setting, this advantage allows your character to ride a land mount.
Fighters, knights, rangers, paladins and many others (as determined by your CK) can ride land mounts without the need for this advantage.
RIDING, AIRBORNE
Benefit: While most everyone can ride a land mount, mounts that fly such as a griffin or Pegasus are much less common. This advantage lets you ride these mounts just as you would a horse.
SAGACITY
Benefit: Your character gains a +2 bonus on any Intelligence checks to recall bit of obscure information relating to most any subject, particularly his or her knowledge skills.
SELF-SUFFICIENT
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Wisdom checks involving medical treatment and living off the land.
SKILL TRAINING
Benefit: Select three skills from the skill table. You are trained in these skills, and gain a +2 bonus when making checks relating to these skill (subject to the CKs judgment; knowing how to make a piece of armor wont increase your chance to hit an orc over the head with it after all).
You can select this advantage more than once. Each time it is selected you gain three more trained skills.
SKILL SPECIALIZATION
Benefit: Choose one skill in which you are already training. You gain a +2 bonus when making checks relating to the selected skill.
You can select this advantage more than once. Each time it is selected it applies to a new skill.
SPELL PENETRATION [ANY SPELLCASTER]
Benefit: You get a bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier (for arcane magic) or Wisdom modifier (for divine magic) on the d20 roll to overcome a creatures spell resistance.
STEALTHY
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Dexterity checks to hide and move unheard.
SWIMMING
Benefit: Most all adventurers are capable of swimming in most settings. If thats not so in your setting, this advantage allows your character to swim ably.
Druids, rangers and other outdoor types can swim without the need to select this advantage.
TACTICIAN
Benefit: With a successful Intelligence check, you can determine up to three probable courses of action for groups of enemies, but only during situations where conflict is all but inevitable. You can also make an Intelligence check to determine if a group of potential enemies of which you are aware is likely to attack.
Also, on a successful check, you can ask your CK if your current plan of attack is a good idea. He must answer truthfully, but if he says no, you cant use this ability again until the situation changes substantially (according to the CKs judgment).
In all cases, this advantage pertains to the ability of an experienced or wily combat veteran to predict the actions of enemies. If your CK says it doesnt apply in a given situation, it doesnt apply.
TOUGHNESS
Benefit: You gain +1 hit point per level.
WEAPON FINESSE
Benefit: With any weapon designed to be used in one hand, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on to-hit rolls.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY
Benefit: Choose a type of weapon not on the list for your class. You understand how to use that type of martial weapon in combat.
WEATHER SENSE
Benefit: With a successful Wisdom check, your character can take 1d10 x 3 minutes to observe weather signs and predict the most likely weather events for the rest of the day.
All characters receive five advantages at 1st level to help make characters mechanically varied. These bonuses are designed primarily to make those fond of D&D 3.x feats and "customizing" their characters happy, hopefully without unbalancing the game.
ABLE DRINKER
Benefit: While there are no hard and fast rules covering the ill effects of drinking way too much alcohol, you are able to drink vastly more than others. Should a a roll be required by the CK, you gain a +4 bonus on any Constitution checks or saving throws relating to alcohol consumption.
AGILE
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus Strength or Dexterity checks to balance, jump, tumble, etc.
ALERTNESS
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Wisdom checks to notice something by hearing, sight, or smell.
AMBIDEXTROUS
Benefit: You may perform complicated tasks with either hand well. Also, your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 5.
ANIMAL AFFINITY
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks made to influence animals.
ARMSMAN [FIGHTER ONLY]
Benefit: At 5th level and every five levels thereafter you receive an additional weapon specialization, conferring a +1 bonus to hit and +1 bonus to damage with the weapon chosen. Six levels after acquiring a weapon specialization these bonuses increase to +2 to hit and +2 to damage, such that the bonuses with the weapon chosen at 5th level increase at 11th level, the bonuses with the weapon chosen at 10th level increase at 16th level, and so on.
ATHLETIC
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Strength, Dexterity and Constitution checks related to short-term feats of climbing, running, swimming, and other athletic endeavors.
ATTRACTIVE
Benefit: You are particularly good-looking, which grants you a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks involving interactions with someone who might find you appealing.
BLIND-FIGHT
Benefit: Whenever you engage in melee combat and your opponent would gain the benefit of concealment, you gain a +2 bonus on your to-hit rolls.
COMBAT CASTING [ANY SPELLCASTER]
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all concentration rolls to avoid spell disruption.
COMMON SENSE
Benefit: You may ask the CK whether an action you are about to take is a good idea up to three times per game session. The CK must answer truthfully. Note that the CK doesnt have to tell you why something is a bad idea.
DECEITFUL
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks involving deceit.
DEFT HANDS
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Dexterity checks to open locks, pick pockets or perform sleight of hand, as well as other tasks involving precise manual manipulation.
DILIGENT
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Intelligence or Wisdom checks to appraise objects and perform other tasks based on intense study, such as deciphering scripts.
ENDURANCE
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Constitution checks and saving throws made to continue running for long periods or other extended exertion. You also gain a +2 bonus to Constitution saving throws to avoid subdual damage from a extreme exertion or difficult conditions such as a forced march, starvation, thirst or extreme heat and cold.
ESCHEW MATERIALS [ANY SPELLCASTER]
Benefit: You can cast any spell without material components unless the material component is of significant cost (more than 1gp).
EVASIVE TARGET
Prerequisite: Dexterity must be a prime attribute.
Benefit: You gain a bonus to your armor class equal to 1 + your level, rounding up, but only when you are wearing no armor or helmet. If carrying a shield, it may only be a buckler or a small shield.
EXPERT CRAFTSMAN
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all checks involving your chosen profession.
EXPERT GRAPPLER
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all checks made to grapple or while being grappled.
EXPERT HORSEMAN
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all Strength or Dexterity checks made in relation to riding a mount.
EXPERT TRACKER
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Wisdom checks to follow and identify tracks.
FLEET-FOOTED
Benefit: Your base movement speed is increased by 10 feet, but only when lightly encumbered.
GREAT FORTITUDE
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Constitution saving throws.
HARD TO KILL
Benefit: When reduced to between 7 and 9 hit points, you automatically become stable and dont lose 1 hit point per round.
IMPROVED CRITICAL
Benefit: Choose one weapon with which you are proficient. You score a critical hit on a natural 19 as well as on a natural 20 with that weapon, provided that you do not need a natural 19 or greater to hit the target.
IMPROVED DISARM
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to disarm attempts.
INHERITANCE
Benefit: You gain 500 gp extra at character creation, or a single item worth up to 1,000 gp.
INVESTIGATOR
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma checks to gather information or search.
IRON WILL
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma saving throws.
LEADERSHIP
Benefits: You gain Inspire at 5th level and Embolden at 7th level, which function exactly like the knight abilities do at 1st and 3rd levels respectively, but they may never increase beyond that level of functioning.
LIGHTNING REFLEXES
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Dexterity saving throws.
LITERACY
Benefit: Some settings assume that the vast majority of the populace is illiterate, much like in our own world in the Dark Ages. If this is the case in the setting your character is in, selecting this advantage makes him or her literate in all languages that they can speak.
Bards, clerics, illusionists, wizards and other learned classes (in the CKs judgment) are literate without the need to select this advantage.
LUCK
Benefit: You may re-roll a d20 roll and take the better of the two results up to three times per day.
MAGICAL APTITUDE
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Intelligence checks involving the art of spellcraft, including deciphering arcane script.
NEGOTIATOR
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma checks to diplomatically achieve your aims, as well as all Wisdom checks to sense when you are being lied to.
POTENT SUMMONER [WARLOCK, WIZARD]
Benefit: All spells that summon creatures are treated as one spell level lower than normal.
POTENT TURNING [CLERIC, PRIEST]
Prerequisite: Ability to turn or rebuke creatures.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Wisdom checks when attempting to turn undead.
READ LIPS
Benefit: On a successful check of either Intelligence or Wisdom (depending on the situation), your character can discern what someone is saying by watching their mouths while they speak.
REPUTATION
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all Charisma checks for interactions with people who have heard of you. You have a 5% chance for each class level that you possess that a given PC or NPC has heard of you, but only so long as you are within 25 miles of your home town (or wherever you fame is prominent).
RIDING
Benefit: Most everyone can ride a land mount such as a horse in most settings. If thats not the case in your setting, this advantage allows your character to ride a land mount.
Fighters, knights, rangers, paladins and many others (as determined by your CK) can ride land mounts without the need for this advantage.
RIDING, AIRBORNE
Benefit: While most everyone can ride a land mount, mounts that fly such as a griffin or Pegasus are much less common. This advantage lets you ride these mounts just as you would a horse.
SAGACITY
Benefit: Your character gains a +2 bonus on any Intelligence checks to recall bit of obscure information relating to most any subject, particularly his or her knowledge skills.
SELF-SUFFICIENT
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Wisdom checks involving medical treatment and living off the land.
SKILL TRAINING
Benefit: Select three skills from the skill table. You are trained in these skills, and gain a +2 bonus when making checks relating to these skill (subject to the CKs judgment; knowing how to make a piece of armor wont increase your chance to hit an orc over the head with it after all).
You can select this advantage more than once. Each time it is selected you gain three more trained skills.
SKILL SPECIALIZATION
Benefit: Choose one skill in which you are already training. You gain a +2 bonus when making checks relating to the selected skill.
You can select this advantage more than once. Each time it is selected it applies to a new skill.
SPELL PENETRATION [ANY SPELLCASTER]
Benefit: You get a bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier (for arcane magic) or Wisdom modifier (for divine magic) on the d20 roll to overcome a creatures spell resistance.
STEALTHY
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Dexterity checks to hide and move unheard.
SWIMMING
Benefit: Most all adventurers are capable of swimming in most settings. If thats not so in your setting, this advantage allows your character to swim ably.
Druids, rangers and other outdoor types can swim without the need to select this advantage.
TACTICIAN
Benefit: With a successful Intelligence check, you can determine up to three probable courses of action for groups of enemies, but only during situations where conflict is all but inevitable. You can also make an Intelligence check to determine if a group of potential enemies of which you are aware is likely to attack.
Also, on a successful check, you can ask your CK if your current plan of attack is a good idea. He must answer truthfully, but if he says no, you cant use this ability again until the situation changes substantially (according to the CKs judgment).
In all cases, this advantage pertains to the ability of an experienced or wily combat veteran to predict the actions of enemies. If your CK says it doesnt apply in a given situation, it doesnt apply.
TOUGHNESS
Benefit: You gain +1 hit point per level.
WEAPON FINESSE
Benefit: With any weapon designed to be used in one hand, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on to-hit rolls.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY
Benefit: Choose a type of weapon not on the list for your class. You understand how to use that type of martial weapon in combat.
WEATHER SENSE
Benefit: With a successful Wisdom check, your character can take 1d10 x 3 minutes to observe weather signs and predict the most likely weather events for the rest of the day.
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Digital_Thaumaturgy
- Skobbit
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:00 am
SKILLS
Available skills are listed on the table below. Definitions are especially broad, so as to make the skills of maximum use and not clutter up the game with several dozen of them.
Using skills is a very simple process, in keeping with the rules-light theme of C&C. Simply put, a character that selects the Skill Training advantage choose three skills as trained skills, and receives a +2 bonus to checks involving each of them. If the character also chooses Skill Specialization for a trained skill he receives and additional +4 bonus to that skill only. The main effect of this modifier is to make checks a little easier for low to mid level characters, while only marginally affecting checks at high level.
An explanation of the table follows, with a list of possible tasks for each skill coming after the table.
Skill Name: This is, obviously enough, the name of the skill.
Key Attribute: These are the attributes that the skill is most often used with. Note that they can technically be used with any attribute however, subject to the CKs judgment. Should a situation come up where having a working knowledge of Basic Athletics would pertain to an Intelligence check, for instance, simply add the modifier to the Intelligence check as you would when actually using the skill to jump a chasm or climb a rope. (The key attribute entry doesn't appear in the table below because the forums keep eating my table - but I am sure everyone pretty much knows what attributes would be right to go with what skills).
Class Ability: This details if the skill strays into the realm of some particular classs special abilities, and if so what areas of the skill so offend. Per the PHB, characters do not add their level to checks involving the special abilities of another class. That holds for these skills as well, so if a character were to make a Perception check to hear a very low noise, for example, they would roll a d20 and add only their attribute modifier and any modifier from the Perception skill. Its worth noting that since a character specialized in a skill only gets a +4 bonus from it, so even a 20th level character who was not a rogue could at most only be as effective at listening as a level 4 rogue. Of course, the rogue would still add his class level to this check in addition to any modifier from the Perception skill, and very soon the bonus from his level would outstrip any level of ability a non-rogue could achieve.
SKILL "TABLE"
Skill Name (Class Ability?)
Acrobatics
Animal Handling
Basic Athletics (Yes (Climb) )
Craft*
Disguise (Yes)
Drive
Escape Artist
Gather Information
Healing Arts
Intimidate
Knowledge
Linguistics**
Manipulate Device (Yes (Open Lock and Traps))
Manipulation
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Profession*
Ride
Search
Sense Motive
Sleight of Hand
Social Grace
Stealth (Yes (Conceal & Move Silently))
Wilderness Survival (Yes)
* Choose one craft or profession skill available in the setting.
** Each point in this skill confers the ability to speak (and perhaps write) another language.
Acrobatics: Gymnastics, tight-rope walking, tumbling and other highly demanding physical stunts.
Animal Handling: Calming a frightened horse, convincing a wild animal such as a mountain lion or bear not to attack, teaching an animal a trick, etc.
Basic Athletics: Scaling a steep incline, swimming a fast-flowing river, winning a foot race, etc.
Craft: Choose one craft practiced in the world, such as blacksmithing, book-binding, bowyer, etc. Typically, if you make and sell some item for pay, its a craft.
Disguise: Making oneself look older or younger, becoming just another face in the crowd in a city where youre wanted, etc.
Drive: Driving a team of animals such as sled dogs, maneuvering a wagon, etc.
Escape Artist: Slipping out of the ropes tied around your hands, spotting and exploiting the weakness in a jail cell door, and other feats.
Gather Information: Finding out the social situation in a new town, picking up rumors of potential adventure in a tavern, etc.
Intimidate: Forcing someone to reveal a secret through threats of violence, shaking down a rival thieves guild and other unsavory, yet sometimes necessary, tasks.
Knowledge: Choose one of the following listed subjects, or another from your imagination:
arcana (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, cryptic
phrases, constructs, dragons, magical beasts)
architecture and engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
dungeoneering (aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking)
geography (lands, terrain, climate, people)
history (royalty, wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities)
local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)
nature (animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin)
nobility and royalty (lineages, heraldry, family trees, mottoes, personalities)
undead lore (facts and legends surrounding undead; particular, powerful undead entities)
religion (gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastic tradition, holy symbols)
the Realms Beyond (the planes of existence other than the Prime Material)
Linguistics: The ability to speak one other language. Having a language as a trained skill represents limited conversational ability in the language, and specialization represents fluency.
Healing Arts: Setting a broken bone, staunching the flow of blood from a companions wounds, etc.
Manipulation: Lying convincingly; These are not the droids youre looking for.
Manipulate Device: Repairing a pulley, stopping a device from functioning properly, etc.
Perception: Catching the noise of a figure outside your inn room, seeing the gentleman youre playing cards with slip out of his sleeve, etc.
Performance: Entertaining a half-drunken tavern crowd well enough that they forget youre a stranger in these parts, earning your living through song.
Persuasion: Convincing a town constable that youre out looking for the source of a disturbance instead of being its cause, talking your way clear of a swordfight with Tabithas angry brother.
Profession: Choose a profession practiced in the world, such as barrister, mapmaker or seamanship. Typically, if you perform a task for pay but nothing is created, its a profession.
Ride: Avoiding being unhorsed during a jousting competition, coaxing your horse down a steep slope to avoid pursuers, perform trick riding maneuvers, etc.
Search: Find the loose flagstone covering the old scrolls hiding place, find a dropped weapon in waist-deep water, etc.
Sense Motive: Discern when youre being lied to, notice someones hostile intentions before a fight starts, tell the difference between just another tavern patron bumping into you and someone that just tried to steal your coin purse, etc.
Slight of Hand: Entertain a crowd with hand magic, palm a coin, quickly conceal an item in your cloak, and sundry other feats of legerdemain.
Social Grace: Entertaining socially, fitting in during social situations, catching the eye of that unattached young noble, etc.
Stealth: Moving quietly, finding a good hiding place, darting out of sight just as the overlords guards come round the bend, etc.
Wilderness Survival: Discerning direction outdoors, finding shelter for yourself in the wilderness, making an educated guess about whether something is safe to eat or drink, etc.
Available skills are listed on the table below. Definitions are especially broad, so as to make the skills of maximum use and not clutter up the game with several dozen of them.
Using skills is a very simple process, in keeping with the rules-light theme of C&C. Simply put, a character that selects the Skill Training advantage choose three skills as trained skills, and receives a +2 bonus to checks involving each of them. If the character also chooses Skill Specialization for a trained skill he receives and additional +4 bonus to that skill only. The main effect of this modifier is to make checks a little easier for low to mid level characters, while only marginally affecting checks at high level.
An explanation of the table follows, with a list of possible tasks for each skill coming after the table.
Skill Name: This is, obviously enough, the name of the skill.
Key Attribute: These are the attributes that the skill is most often used with. Note that they can technically be used with any attribute however, subject to the CKs judgment. Should a situation come up where having a working knowledge of Basic Athletics would pertain to an Intelligence check, for instance, simply add the modifier to the Intelligence check as you would when actually using the skill to jump a chasm or climb a rope. (The key attribute entry doesn't appear in the table below because the forums keep eating my table - but I am sure everyone pretty much knows what attributes would be right to go with what skills).
Class Ability: This details if the skill strays into the realm of some particular classs special abilities, and if so what areas of the skill so offend. Per the PHB, characters do not add their level to checks involving the special abilities of another class. That holds for these skills as well, so if a character were to make a Perception check to hear a very low noise, for example, they would roll a d20 and add only their attribute modifier and any modifier from the Perception skill. Its worth noting that since a character specialized in a skill only gets a +4 bonus from it, so even a 20th level character who was not a rogue could at most only be as effective at listening as a level 4 rogue. Of course, the rogue would still add his class level to this check in addition to any modifier from the Perception skill, and very soon the bonus from his level would outstrip any level of ability a non-rogue could achieve.
SKILL "TABLE"
Skill Name (Class Ability?)
Acrobatics
Animal Handling
Basic Athletics (Yes (Climb) )
Craft*
Disguise (Yes)
Drive
Escape Artist
Gather Information
Healing Arts
Intimidate
Knowledge
Linguistics**
Manipulate Device (Yes (Open Lock and Traps))
Manipulation
Perception
Performance
Persuasion
Profession*
Ride
Search
Sense Motive
Sleight of Hand
Social Grace
Stealth (Yes (Conceal & Move Silently))
Wilderness Survival (Yes)
* Choose one craft or profession skill available in the setting.
** Each point in this skill confers the ability to speak (and perhaps write) another language.
Acrobatics: Gymnastics, tight-rope walking, tumbling and other highly demanding physical stunts.
Animal Handling: Calming a frightened horse, convincing a wild animal such as a mountain lion or bear not to attack, teaching an animal a trick, etc.
Basic Athletics: Scaling a steep incline, swimming a fast-flowing river, winning a foot race, etc.
Craft: Choose one craft practiced in the world, such as blacksmithing, book-binding, bowyer, etc. Typically, if you make and sell some item for pay, its a craft.
Disguise: Making oneself look older or younger, becoming just another face in the crowd in a city where youre wanted, etc.
Drive: Driving a team of animals such as sled dogs, maneuvering a wagon, etc.
Escape Artist: Slipping out of the ropes tied around your hands, spotting and exploiting the weakness in a jail cell door, and other feats.
Gather Information: Finding out the social situation in a new town, picking up rumors of potential adventure in a tavern, etc.
Intimidate: Forcing someone to reveal a secret through threats of violence, shaking down a rival thieves guild and other unsavory, yet sometimes necessary, tasks.
Knowledge: Choose one of the following listed subjects, or another from your imagination:
arcana (ancient mysteries, magic traditions, arcane symbols, cryptic
phrases, constructs, dragons, magical beasts)
architecture and engineering (buildings, aqueducts, bridges, fortifications)
dungeoneering (aberrations, caverns, oozes, spelunking)
geography (lands, terrain, climate, people)
history (royalty, wars, colonies, migrations, founding of cities)
local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)
nature (animals, fey, giants, monstrous humanoids, plants, seasons and cycles, weather, vermin)
nobility and royalty (lineages, heraldry, family trees, mottoes, personalities)
undead lore (facts and legends surrounding undead; particular, powerful undead entities)
religion (gods and goddesses, mythic history, ecclesiastic tradition, holy symbols)
the Realms Beyond (the planes of existence other than the Prime Material)
Linguistics: The ability to speak one other language. Having a language as a trained skill represents limited conversational ability in the language, and specialization represents fluency.
Healing Arts: Setting a broken bone, staunching the flow of blood from a companions wounds, etc.
Manipulation: Lying convincingly; These are not the droids youre looking for.
Manipulate Device: Repairing a pulley, stopping a device from functioning properly, etc.
Perception: Catching the noise of a figure outside your inn room, seeing the gentleman youre playing cards with slip out of his sleeve, etc.
Performance: Entertaining a half-drunken tavern crowd well enough that they forget youre a stranger in these parts, earning your living through song.
Persuasion: Convincing a town constable that youre out looking for the source of a disturbance instead of being its cause, talking your way clear of a swordfight with Tabithas angry brother.
Profession: Choose a profession practiced in the world, such as barrister, mapmaker or seamanship. Typically, if you perform a task for pay but nothing is created, its a profession.
Ride: Avoiding being unhorsed during a jousting competition, coaxing your horse down a steep slope to avoid pursuers, perform trick riding maneuvers, etc.
Search: Find the loose flagstone covering the old scrolls hiding place, find a dropped weapon in waist-deep water, etc.
Sense Motive: Discern when youre being lied to, notice someones hostile intentions before a fight starts, tell the difference between just another tavern patron bumping into you and someone that just tried to steal your coin purse, etc.
Slight of Hand: Entertain a crowd with hand magic, palm a coin, quickly conceal an item in your cloak, and sundry other feats of legerdemain.
Social Grace: Entertaining socially, fitting in during social situations, catching the eye of that unattached young noble, etc.
Stealth: Moving quietly, finding a good hiding place, darting out of sight just as the overlords guards come round the bend, etc.
Wilderness Survival: Discerning direction outdoors, finding shelter for yourself in the wilderness, making an educated guess about whether something is safe to eat or drink, etc.
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Digital_Thaumaturgy
- Skobbit
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:00 am
When Steve did a preview of the CKG a while back in Crusader, one of the optional rules previewed was the concepts of "adjuncts" - don't know if they're still planned or not.
I will add this as a personal discovery -
I do something similar with "heroic bonuses" that I award at verying levels in my own houserules, though I tend to create them more free-form to the individual characters in each campaign.
I still find the SIEGE mechanic to work best when kept simple for most things - I had gotten into the habit of separating Saves into a more 3.x "+ per roll" as if the save was slightly different from a SIEGE but some of my players got confused and I just recently went back to all SIEGE checks with me determining and telling them whether it's an "add-level" roll or not.
_________________
John "Sir Seskis" Wright
Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/
High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org
I will add this as a personal discovery -
I do something similar with "heroic bonuses" that I award at verying levels in my own houserules, though I tend to create them more free-form to the individual characters in each campaign.
I still find the SIEGE mechanic to work best when kept simple for most things - I had gotten into the habit of separating Saves into a more 3.x "+ per roll" as if the save was slightly different from a SIEGE but some of my players got confused and I just recently went back to all SIEGE checks with me determining and telling them whether it's an "add-level" roll or not.
_________________
John "Sir Seskis" Wright
Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/
High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org
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gideon_thorne
- Maukling
- Posts: 6176
- Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:00 am
- Contact:
Ya. Im with Seskis. This kind of system is great if you're into excessive book keeping, but I've worked out that 1,000 xp per +1 for any single ability is nice and simple.
_________________
"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven
Peter Bradley
_________________
"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven
Peter Bradley
"The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout, 'Save us!' And I'll look down, and whisper 'No.' " ~Rorschach
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CKDad
- Master of the Kobold Raiders
- Posts: 1205
- Joined: Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:00 am
- Location: Somewhere in Maryland
I'd need to read through these more thoroughly, but off the cuff I'd say that a) I kind of like the advantages, though 5 per character seems a bit much for my tastes, and b) I suspect most of what you've got in the way of skills is more easily and elegantly dealt with via prime attributes and SIEGE checks.
But I will admit to being a fan of "What do you want to do? How are you doing it? OK, make a roll..."
_________________
"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."
But I will admit to being a fan of "What do you want to do? How are you doing it? OK, make a roll..."
_________________
"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."
"I don't wanna be remembered as the guy who died because he underestimated the threat posed by a monkey."
These will certainly work.
Here is an idea on the "advantages", rather than let them be selected, have the players work up a concept and earn them through playing. The way I do it is they need to do something in game to make checks, once they succeed "X" number of times I award it as a permanent advantage. I require 25 successes myself.
I like this because it provides motivation to actually role play that aspect of their PC, rather than just selecting it and hardly every using it. So when they role play earning it they tend to keep role playing their PC to where the advantage keeps coming up in play.
AS for skills, believe it or not the SIEGE engine handles it pretty well as is, I only find a few things still wonky, but it definitely feeds the "everyone can try to do anything" of C&C.
Here is an excerpt from my house rules about doing SIEGE checks, its for wizards but is similar to how I handle SIEGE checks to cover all "feat like situations".
Wizards:
SIEGE checks can be used to alter spells being cast. A SIEGE check can be made to change the energy type of a spell. For example, to change a fireball to a electric ball, ice ball, etc... you make a TN 12 check + your level to beat a CL = to the level of the spell. So to change the fireball to ice would be a CL 3, so beat TN 15.
Similar checks can be done to maximize damage, CL spell level +3
To double range, CL spell level +3
To increase number of targets effected, CL spell level +3 per additional target (example spell, Charm Person to effect two people instead of one)
Failure, in all cases, loses you the spell. Roll a natural 1 and pray for survival if it causes damage.
This is what I do now about skills:
If you want anything beyond what your chosen class give you do a back ground write up explaining how you were raised and trained. As long as you can make it a sensible and realistic back ground I don't care if you have 20 skills or languages. Consider 20 the limit, though.
When I decide a skill/language related roll is needed I will do it as if you have the relevant attribute as Prime, even if it is not, just like I treat Class Skills.
I will not accept skills that are too broadly defined, though. For example, Gymnastics is too broad. You must specify tumbling, balance beam, jumping, the horse, the rings, etc...
As for what a class automatically knows, lets use Wizard as an example. I will be willing to assume they "know" everything about spells, spell casting, spell creation, and creating scrolls, potions, and items. I will not assume they know about magical creatures, the planes of existence, etc...
Similar assumptions will be made for the other spell casting classes. You want them to know about monsters, the planes, etc... then do a back ground write up.
Now a fighter example. I will assume they know how best to fight as an individual and maintain their weapons and armor and how to ride their horse and give basic care to their horse and riding gear. If you want them to know how to make armor, weapons, leather goods, medically treat themselves or others, to be perceptive, etc... you must write up a background history.
For clarity, also list your skills you think your write up gives you. So after you finish your write up then list skills like this:
Weapon crafting
fishing
mountain climbing
skinning animals
etc...
EVERYONE HAS THE FOLLOWING, meaning they can add their level to the following checks:
COMMON ABILITIES
Common ability checks automatically improve as characters advance in level,
Common abilities include:
Strength: Feats of strength, jump, swim
Intelligence: Appraise, estimate, recall information
Wisdom: Perception, sense motive, direction sense
Dexterity: Balance, climb (simple things, like trees)
Constitution: Stamina, fortitude
Charisma: Bluff, haggle, intimidate, persuasion
_________________
The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society
Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/
My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames
Here is an idea on the "advantages", rather than let them be selected, have the players work up a concept and earn them through playing. The way I do it is they need to do something in game to make checks, once they succeed "X" number of times I award it as a permanent advantage. I require 25 successes myself.
I like this because it provides motivation to actually role play that aspect of their PC, rather than just selecting it and hardly every using it. So when they role play earning it they tend to keep role playing their PC to where the advantage keeps coming up in play.
AS for skills, believe it or not the SIEGE engine handles it pretty well as is, I only find a few things still wonky, but it definitely feeds the "everyone can try to do anything" of C&C.
Here is an excerpt from my house rules about doing SIEGE checks, its for wizards but is similar to how I handle SIEGE checks to cover all "feat like situations".
Wizards:
SIEGE checks can be used to alter spells being cast. A SIEGE check can be made to change the energy type of a spell. For example, to change a fireball to a electric ball, ice ball, etc... you make a TN 12 check + your level to beat a CL = to the level of the spell. So to change the fireball to ice would be a CL 3, so beat TN 15.
Similar checks can be done to maximize damage, CL spell level +3
To double range, CL spell level +3
To increase number of targets effected, CL spell level +3 per additional target (example spell, Charm Person to effect two people instead of one)
Failure, in all cases, loses you the spell. Roll a natural 1 and pray for survival if it causes damage.
This is what I do now about skills:
If you want anything beyond what your chosen class give you do a back ground write up explaining how you were raised and trained. As long as you can make it a sensible and realistic back ground I don't care if you have 20 skills or languages. Consider 20 the limit, though.
When I decide a skill/language related roll is needed I will do it as if you have the relevant attribute as Prime, even if it is not, just like I treat Class Skills.
I will not accept skills that are too broadly defined, though. For example, Gymnastics is too broad. You must specify tumbling, balance beam, jumping, the horse, the rings, etc...
As for what a class automatically knows, lets use Wizard as an example. I will be willing to assume they "know" everything about spells, spell casting, spell creation, and creating scrolls, potions, and items. I will not assume they know about magical creatures, the planes of existence, etc...
Similar assumptions will be made for the other spell casting classes. You want them to know about monsters, the planes, etc... then do a back ground write up.
Now a fighter example. I will assume they know how best to fight as an individual and maintain their weapons and armor and how to ride their horse and give basic care to their horse and riding gear. If you want them to know how to make armor, weapons, leather goods, medically treat themselves or others, to be perceptive, etc... you must write up a background history.
For clarity, also list your skills you think your write up gives you. So after you finish your write up then list skills like this:
Weapon crafting
fishing
mountain climbing
skinning animals
etc...
EVERYONE HAS THE FOLLOWING, meaning they can add their level to the following checks:
COMMON ABILITIES
Common ability checks automatically improve as characters advance in level,
Common abilities include:
Strength: Feats of strength, jump, swim
Intelligence: Appraise, estimate, recall information
Wisdom: Perception, sense motive, direction sense
Dexterity: Balance, climb (simple things, like trees)
Constitution: Stamina, fortitude
Charisma: Bluff, haggle, intimidate, persuasion
_________________
The Ruby Lord, Earl of the Society
Next Con I am attending: http://www.neoncon.com/
My House Rules: http://www.freeyabb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... llordgames
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael
Grand Knight Commander of the Society.
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Lord Dynel
- Maukling
- Posts: 5843
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:00 am
I identify with the last two post, myself.
First off, Digital...you've done a fantastic job with these. If I weren't an adherer of the KISS philosophy (Keep It Simple, Stupid), I'd be doing some serious copying and pasting right now. They seem, even in their "rough" format, to be well thought through.
I personally allow for in-game explanation of some things, and allow a background to handle some things as well. Recently, a cleric in my game started doing intensive study of the undead. He used down-time to study undead, sought out and fought undead when and where he could, and so forth. After a time, I allowed him to have a +1 to his attacks against undead, and he receives a +1 to all saves against undead to reflect his now-intimate knowledge against them. Another character was a sailor for a time, originally following his father's footsteps before becoming an adventurer. I allow him to take +2 on any checks that have anything nautical in their nature (which admittedly, aren't many).
As Steerpike alluded, I too like C&C for it's simplicity. I add a few elements to the game to suit my needs, for certain, but I personally try to stay away from any extra sub-systems. That said, I find your systems without fault. Nice work!
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LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules
First off, Digital...you've done a fantastic job with these. If I weren't an adherer of the KISS philosophy (Keep It Simple, Stupid), I'd be doing some serious copying and pasting right now. They seem, even in their "rough" format, to be well thought through.
I personally allow for in-game explanation of some things, and allow a background to handle some things as well. Recently, a cleric in my game started doing intensive study of the undead. He used down-time to study undead, sought out and fought undead when and where he could, and so forth. After a time, I allowed him to have a +1 to his attacks against undead, and he receives a +1 to all saves against undead to reflect his now-intimate knowledge against them. Another character was a sailor for a time, originally following his father's footsteps before becoming an adventurer. I allow him to take +2 on any checks that have anything nautical in their nature (which admittedly, aren't many).
As Steerpike alluded, I too like C&C for it's simplicity. I add a few elements to the game to suit my needs, for certain, but I personally try to stay away from any extra sub-systems. That said, I find your systems without fault. Nice work!
_________________
LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
LD's C&C creations - CL Checker, a witch class, the half-ogre, skills, and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
DT, I couldn't help but notice the +2 bonus for many of the advantages. I cobbled together the "Double Edge System" that mirrors some of what you have here. Maybe some part of it could be useful
http://platonicsolid.blogspot.com/2009/ ... ystem.html
http://platonicsolid.blogspot.com/2009/ ... ystem.html
*CASTS RAISE THREAD*
I am toying to an Advantage/Flaw system from my house rules right now myself, yours if really nice
The only thing is, I need a coherent system for starting characters to acquire them and for advancing characters to as well.
Any thoughts lads?
_________________
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Earth Alpha: Yet another RPG blog!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Visit the new BASH Forums!
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I am toying to an Advantage/Flaw system from my house rules right now myself, yours if really nice
The only thing is, I need a coherent system for starting characters to acquire them and for advancing characters to as well.
Any thoughts lads?
_________________
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Earth Alpha: Yet another RPG blog!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Visit the new BASH Forums!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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Lord Dynel
- Maukling
- Posts: 5843
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:00 am
AslanC wrote:
*CASTS RAISE THREAD*
I am toying to an Advantage/Flaw system from my house rules right now myself, yours if really nice
The only thing is, I need a coherent system for starting characters to acquire them and for advancing characters to as well.
Any thoughts lads?
I would consider not allowing advantges or flaws to be gained after character creation. It just makes it a little easier and, in some cases, makes more sense (depeinding on the flaw or advantage in question).
With C&C, these systems are a little harder to pull off, since there isn't a lot of resource management. I'm not sure if you're familar, but in 3.5 D&D, you gain a feat for a flaw. The best I can come up with off the top my head would be that a flaw can buy and advantage, or a +1 to an attribute score and vice-versa - an advantage purchased can cost an attribte point. The tricky thing in this type of system would be to make the advantages good enough and the flaws bad enough that they would be worth each other and worth the addition or removal of an attribute point.
_________________
LD's C&C creations - the witch, a half-ogre, skill and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:
Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.
LD's C&C creations - CL Checker, a witch class, the half-ogre, skills, and 0-level rules
Troll Lord wrote:Lord D: you understand where I"m coming from.