Post by Malcadon on May 21, 2015 3:17:34 GMT
This is a rule I have been working on for sometime for Mutant Future.
For those unfamiliar with Mutant Future, characters are generated with a mix of Basic/Expert and 2nd edition Gamma World rules. First you roll the six core attributes, with Willpower replacing Wisdom. You choose your race: Pure Human; Mutant Human, Mutant Animal, Mutant Plant and three forms of Androids (Basic, Synthetic and Replicant). Your hit points are not class/level dependent, but are Constitution based -- you roll a d6 or d8 per point of CON, and add up the total. You do not choose a class (you effectively advance as a Fighter) and level advancement builds up your to-hits, saving throws, and provides some random combat or attribute bonus akin the 1st edition Gamma World. Like Gamma World, characters are not as level dependent as D&D characters, so you could still play a great campaign without any leveling rules. This is do to how level advancement in Gamma World was a tacked-on element.
But with this, I wanted to add special class abilities to MF characters, without them being without being limited to, or overly defined by a single class, while being able to learn from any class, if the Mutant Lord (Dungeon/Game Master) allows it. With this, you have a basic MF character, presented as a "0-Level Character", followed by classes you can add-on to them to round them out a bit. Experience Points are not placed directly to a class, nor do you get more or less EXP for a high or low Prime Requisite score (but you'll still use the adjustment), but all the Experience Points you earn goes into a pool that the player can use as currency to "buy" upgrades to levels and attributes. Mutant Lords can also provide an initial budget for each player to distribute before the game starts, as well as the limits to the level and number of classes you can start off with. Also, classes are not caped by race, although, the Mutant Lord can limit to what race can get what classes.
The classes in this new system are highly focused on a single set of skills and bonuses. The Thief class only provides their thieving skills and abilities, and nothing else. The Magic-User class only provides spells and any other abilities related magic-use. Clerics have their own spells, the ability to turn the undead, and take any other benefit (and hindered by the handicaps) of their religion. The only class that can benefit form extra hit points, attack bonuses/attacks per round, better saving throws, and any weapon/armor proficiencies, are Fighters.
Classes available need not be limited to D&D. There are a number of class options out there. For example, the Stars Without Number RPG features the Warrior, Expert and Psychic classes, that could be more useful in a sci-fi setting then generic fantasy classes. Some systems also allow for skills, weapon proficiencies, backgrounds and/or special traits/abilities that could help enhance character development. Ideal, "class" should be a general type of character (fighting-man, spell-caster, the rogue, etc.), separate form more specific character archetypes, aka "sub-classes" (like Barbarian, Ranger, Paladin, Druid, Monk, Assassin, Swindler (like a Thief, but more of a con-artist), Merchant, and so on). Archetypes should be treated akin to character backgrounds, were each archetype provides a different benefit and/or hindrance to the character.
As noted, if the Mutant Lord (DM/GM) provide an initial EXP budget, you can raise level and attributes freely during character generation, with limits set by the ML. Once the actual game starts, you can only raise one new level in a class or acquire a new class at first level (if the ML allows) after each game. You can only raise a single attribute by one point, but only after every other game and not successively (one attribute, twice in a row), so you would not top-out a preferred attribute too quickly.
To figure out the cost of a class, use the "Experience Needed" chart in the rulebook you are using. Unlike the normal lists, you are required Experience Points to start a new class at first level, by "acquiring" it. The "Experience Needed" at first level is only half the EXP (round up to whole number, if using Labyrinth Lord) needed to get to second level. Where in D&D or LL, you'll need 2,000 or 2,035 (respectfully) to get to second level, actually getting the class (which puts you at first level) requires 1,000 or 1,018 EXP.
A major thing to consider is that high and low Attributes can adjust the cost of classes at each level, equal to the Prime Requisite adjustment, but in revere. So a strong person with a Strength of 16 or more gets a 10% discount to the "Experience Needed" costs. In other words (using the example above), 900 or 916 to start off as a Fighter, and 1800 or 1831 to reach second level. On the other hand, a weak character would require more EXP to gain levels as a fighter.
If you raised an Attribute to where it lowered the cost requirements to were one could advance more than one level, you would still only advance one level per game, but this will automatically raise until the EXP pool reach the new threshold. If this happens, you can still raise a level in another class or learn a new class during a subsequent game, without being limited by the automatic advancement.
And for raising Attributes, use the following chart to determine how much EXP that is needed to each the new score. If the EXP requirements feels to low, you can raise the numbers. The first number is what score you want to reach, an the second is how much EXP you need to put into the Attribute. So, if your Willpower is at 11, you'll need to put 32,000 EXP into your Willpower attribute to raise it to 12.
An example on how to generate a character is to use Synthia the Synthetic form page 10 of the Mutant Future rulebook:
Synthia has following attributes: STR 16, DEX 12, CON 13, INT 9, WILL 14 and CHA 11. Her mutations are: Thermal Vision, Acute Hyper Healing, Increased Strength. She got 42 HP (the rules for androids say otherwise, but the ML overruled it) and no Experience Points.
Lets say the ML rules that everyone starts off with 4,000 EXP and can choose from up to two D&D classes (as Labyrinth Lord "Experience Needed" requirements are a mess with the added lower numbers). The player knows that 4,000 EXP is not enough to raise any attributes, so he quickly dismiss the idea. With a high Strength, the player knows that she would get a good discount as a Fighter: 900 at 1st; 1,800 at 2nd; 3,600 at 3rd. Her fairly high Willpower would allow her some discount as a Cleric: 712 at 1st; 1,425 at 2nd; 2,750 at 3rd. As a Thief: 600 at 1st; 1,200 at 2nd; 2,400 at 3rd. And as a Magic-User: 1,250 at 1st; 2,500 at 2nd. So many ways to go with this...?
The player ended up choosing 2nd level Fighter and Cleric. Her levels of Fighter grants her two extra d6s to her HP total, and she can use any weapon or armor. She adds 6 (a 5 and a 1) to her total, for 48 hit points. She can turn the Undead and cast one cleric spell: Cure Light Wounds. She is now limited to blunt weapons (fair enough, as her Increased Strength mutation allows her to do 3d6 damage with her fists alone!). The player records 775 for Free Experience Points.
There are wide ways to work with this, and much of it still needs testing and refinement.
What do you guys think of this rule?
For those unfamiliar with Mutant Future, characters are generated with a mix of Basic/Expert and 2nd edition Gamma World rules. First you roll the six core attributes, with Willpower replacing Wisdom. You choose your race: Pure Human; Mutant Human, Mutant Animal, Mutant Plant and three forms of Androids (Basic, Synthetic and Replicant). Your hit points are not class/level dependent, but are Constitution based -- you roll a d6 or d8 per point of CON, and add up the total. You do not choose a class (you effectively advance as a Fighter) and level advancement builds up your to-hits, saving throws, and provides some random combat or attribute bonus akin the 1st edition Gamma World. Like Gamma World, characters are not as level dependent as D&D characters, so you could still play a great campaign without any leveling rules. This is do to how level advancement in Gamma World was a tacked-on element.
But with this, I wanted to add special class abilities to MF characters, without them being without being limited to, or overly defined by a single class, while being able to learn from any class, if the Mutant Lord (Dungeon/Game Master) allows it. With this, you have a basic MF character, presented as a "0-Level Character", followed by classes you can add-on to them to round them out a bit. Experience Points are not placed directly to a class, nor do you get more or less EXP for a high or low Prime Requisite score (but you'll still use the adjustment), but all the Experience Points you earn goes into a pool that the player can use as currency to "buy" upgrades to levels and attributes. Mutant Lords can also provide an initial budget for each player to distribute before the game starts, as well as the limits to the level and number of classes you can start off with. Also, classes are not caped by race, although, the Mutant Lord can limit to what race can get what classes.
The classes in this new system are highly focused on a single set of skills and bonuses. The Thief class only provides their thieving skills and abilities, and nothing else. The Magic-User class only provides spells and any other abilities related magic-use. Clerics have their own spells, the ability to turn the undead, and take any other benefit (and hindered by the handicaps) of their religion. The only class that can benefit form extra hit points, attack bonuses/attacks per round, better saving throws, and any weapon/armor proficiencies, are Fighters.
Classes available need not be limited to D&D. There are a number of class options out there. For example, the Stars Without Number RPG features the Warrior, Expert and Psychic classes, that could be more useful in a sci-fi setting then generic fantasy classes. Some systems also allow for skills, weapon proficiencies, backgrounds and/or special traits/abilities that could help enhance character development. Ideal, "class" should be a general type of character (fighting-man, spell-caster, the rogue, etc.), separate form more specific character archetypes, aka "sub-classes" (like Barbarian, Ranger, Paladin, Druid, Monk, Assassin, Swindler (like a Thief, but more of a con-artist), Merchant, and so on). Archetypes should be treated akin to character backgrounds, were each archetype provides a different benefit and/or hindrance to the character.
As noted, if the Mutant Lord (DM/GM) provide an initial EXP budget, you can raise level and attributes freely during character generation, with limits set by the ML. Once the actual game starts, you can only raise one new level in a class or acquire a new class at first level (if the ML allows) after each game. You can only raise a single attribute by one point, but only after every other game and not successively (one attribute, twice in a row), so you would not top-out a preferred attribute too quickly.
To figure out the cost of a class, use the "Experience Needed" chart in the rulebook you are using. Unlike the normal lists, you are required Experience Points to start a new class at first level, by "acquiring" it. The "Experience Needed" at first level is only half the EXP (round up to whole number, if using Labyrinth Lord) needed to get to second level. Where in D&D or LL, you'll need 2,000 or 2,035 (respectfully) to get to second level, actually getting the class (which puts you at first level) requires 1,000 or 1,018 EXP.
A major thing to consider is that high and low Attributes can adjust the cost of classes at each level, equal to the Prime Requisite adjustment, but in revere. So a strong person with a Strength of 16 or more gets a 10% discount to the "Experience Needed" costs. In other words (using the example above), 900 or 916 to start off as a Fighter, and 1800 or 1831 to reach second level. On the other hand, a weak character would require more EXP to gain levels as a fighter.
If you raised an Attribute to where it lowered the cost requirements to were one could advance more than one level, you would still only advance one level per game, but this will automatically raise until the EXP pool reach the new threshold. If this happens, you can still raise a level in another class or learn a new class during a subsequent game, without being limited by the automatic advancement.
And for raising Attributes, use the following chart to determine how much EXP that is needed to each the new score. If the EXP requirements feels to low, you can raise the numbers. The first number is what score you want to reach, an the second is how much EXP you need to put into the Attribute. So, if your Willpower is at 11, you'll need to put 32,000 EXP into your Willpower attribute to raise it to 12.
| New Score | EXP Needed |
| 4 | 125 |
| 5 | 250 |
| 6 | 500 |
| 7 | 1,000 |
| 8 | 2,000 |
| 9 | 4,000 |
| 10 | 8,000 |
| 11 | 16,000 |
| 12 | 32,000 |
| 13 | 64,000 |
| 14 | 128,000 |
| 15 | 256,000 |
| 16 | 512,000 |
| 17 | 1,024,000 |
| 18 | 2,048,000 |
| 19 | 4,096,000 |
| 20 | 8,192,000 |
| 21 | 16,348,000 |
An example on how to generate a character is to use Synthia the Synthetic form page 10 of the Mutant Future rulebook:
Synthia has following attributes: STR 16, DEX 12, CON 13, INT 9, WILL 14 and CHA 11. Her mutations are: Thermal Vision, Acute Hyper Healing, Increased Strength. She got 42 HP (the rules for androids say otherwise, but the ML overruled it) and no Experience Points.
Lets say the ML rules that everyone starts off with 4,000 EXP and can choose from up to two D&D classes (as Labyrinth Lord "Experience Needed" requirements are a mess with the added lower numbers). The player knows that 4,000 EXP is not enough to raise any attributes, so he quickly dismiss the idea. With a high Strength, the player knows that she would get a good discount as a Fighter: 900 at 1st; 1,800 at 2nd; 3,600 at 3rd. Her fairly high Willpower would allow her some discount as a Cleric: 712 at 1st; 1,425 at 2nd; 2,750 at 3rd. As a Thief: 600 at 1st; 1,200 at 2nd; 2,400 at 3rd. And as a Magic-User: 1,250 at 1st; 2,500 at 2nd. So many ways to go with this...?
The player ended up choosing 2nd level Fighter and Cleric. Her levels of Fighter grants her two extra d6s to her HP total, and she can use any weapon or armor. She adds 6 (a 5 and a 1) to her total, for 48 hit points. She can turn the Undead and cast one cleric spell: Cure Light Wounds. She is now limited to blunt weapons (fair enough, as her Increased Strength mutation allows her to do 3d6 damage with her fists alone!). The player records 775 for Free Experience Points.
There are wide ways to work with this, and much of it still needs testing and refinement.
What do you guys think of this rule?