Background Skills (Beta 4)

I've gone over the current classes, and revised all the "Background" sections to incorporate the use of Power Sources, for determining your Knowledge skills. (Follow the links to the classes, in the Core Rules document on the sidebar.) I wanted to touch on my ideas about those skills a bit here today.

Generally, I've found knowledge skills to be a bit situational, and so I don't want them to be "bought" with the same character-generation currency as "core skills" i.e. those which can be more actively used in encounters (particularly combat skills.) As I had mentioned in a previous post, most classes will have 2 sets of core skills; likewise, most classes will have 2 power sources, each granting them a set of 3 knowledge skills.

Here's the current list of knowledge skills I've decided to put into the game, along with which power sources grant you training in that skill:

• First Aid (Martial): allows you to treat basic injuries and identify common wounds
• Medical (Divine, Shadow): more complex medical knowledge, such as identifying remains, as well as diagnosing and treating poisons or diseases.
• Local (Martial): basic knowledge of settlements and their customs; deals with common people
• Streetwise (Shadow): pertains to the underworld within civilized locales; deals with lower-class people
• Royalty & Nobility (Divine): connections to people within high society, political structures, etc.
• History (Martial, Arcane): information about significant events of the past
• Arcana (Arcane): identifying and understanding sources of magical power
• Religion (Divine, Arcane): knowledge of deities, religions, cults, etc.
• Geography (Primal): knowledge of terrain features and landmarks
• Nature (Primal): surviving in the wilderness, knowledge of animals and plants
• Dungeoneering (Primal, Shadow): surviving in underground locations, such as ruins or caves; knowing about creatures or societies that live in such places

Now, at first glance, it might seem that these skills aren't very well-distributed. However, it is important to remember that each character will have 2 power sources, granting them a total of 5 or 6 knowledge skills.

I didn't feel it was wise to have knowledge skills tied to Basic Abilities (as Core Skills are) nor to have "knowledge" as a skillset (though that was the case in previous iterations.) In fact, a lot of times when I am tinkering with house rules for existing D&D rulesets, I often decouple knowledge skills from ability scores, in some fashion or another.

Conversely, I wanted to keep Performance skills linked to Basic Abilities. On the other hand, I didn't necessarily want to have each class that gets training with a Basic Ability to necessarily be good at the Performance skills that are tied to it. As such, the wording in the core rules has been clarified a bit to allow for this distinction. Essentially, your class' Background will specify whether you have "access" to the Performance skillset; if so, any training or Expertise you have with Basic Abilities is also applied to Performance skills that fall under those abilities (i.e. STR, AGIL, DEX, and CHA.) Some classes/archetypes may also be granted training in the entire Performance skillset (such as the Performer archetype, for the Bard class.)

Power Sources, Knowledge Skills, and Performance Skills are the pieces that compose your character's Background. Mechanically, they are less important than "core skills" or combat abilities, but they can be a good starting point for those who like to approach character creation from a more narrative angle. Similarly, characters can potentially grow from having just a background and a class die, into a fully-fledged character (if a DM and their players choose to start out at a lower power level.)

Scattershot (Beta 4)

I'm a little behind on my blogging, but I don't really have enough material on any one topic to make a solid post, so I'll just touch on a handful of things instead. Hopefully they can each be expanded upon down the road.


Subclasses/Archetypes
In the interest of allowing classes to be broken down into smaller bites, and thus less front-loaded, I've been making some tweaks here and there regarding Archetypes. Wherever possible, I'm making it so that choosing an Archetype is optional; where this does not work as well, I've changed the archetypes to instead be called Subclasses, which are mandatory.

This leads to the classes being somewhat asymmetrical, but also kind of gives a clearer indication as to which ones are straightforward, and which ones have more customization.


Combat Math (roughly)
The basis for the damage/HP calculations roughly originated from one of my earlier playtests. I hadn't crunched the numbers that closely, but expected classes to do around 10 damage per round (DPR). In practice, they were doing closer to 15 DPR, so that's been the benchmark for average damage, that I've been aiming at.

With the intent of keeping damage roughly equal, the smartest thing was to work from the biggest class die (d12) and see how best to fit the other dice into it. The best starting point was to assume that d12 classes would be doing 2d12 of damage on their turn (a maximum of 24) which obviously is hard for d10 classes to fit under. This is alright, since d10 and d6 classes are expected to have a slightly higher damage output; essentially we want each class to have a maximum damage output (aside from critical hits) in the 24-30 range. This gives us a couple of possible expressions for each class die:

• 6d4, 7d4, 1d4+1d20, 2d4+1d20
• 4d6, 5d6, 1d6+1d20
• 3d8, 1d8+1d20
• 3d10, 1d10+1d20
• 2d12

So using things like Advantage, Expertise, and "double roll and stack," we can bump the average damage of individual dice without increasing the maximum range. (This is something that D&D typically doesn't dabble with, instead using +1s to increase minimum, average, and maximum damage.)

For example, the Acrobat gets to double roll and stack the damage of their specialty basic attacks (and basic attacks also get Expertise.) So by being able to make basic attacks as both a standard action and a minor action, they're effectively doing 4d4 damage (before adding in things like Power Attack.) However, their average will be much higher than a Wizard doing four individual 1d4 attacks with their Magic Missile iconic attack, because the Acrobat is more likely to do maximum damage with each die.

I'm in the process of slowly crunching out the actual DPR of each class' attack sequences, to make sure they actually hit that 15 DPR benchmark; as such, some classes have already been given a few damage perks or additional attacks.

Housekeeping

I'm still going to try and keep up with posting 3x per month. I've been keeping a change log of any edits to the classes and core rules, so I'm hoping I can use that as the 3rd post of each month.

The remaining posts due for this month will hopefully be able to be done on time.

Change Log [2017/01/25] (Beta 4)

Here's a list of some of the changes that have been made to the various classes, since the start of the holiday break:

• Archer can now Counter-attack against ranged; same Hunter ability re-worded
• Acrobat using d20 to Power Attack removed; specialty basic attacks are now Reliable; Martial Artist's prone ability now works on unsuccessful attacks; Archer's reroll ability now works on any ranged attack (not just ranged basic)
• Wizard's Magic Missile basic attack is now Reliable; Veritable Vision now grants Expertise to damage rolls
• Assassin now gets training in either AGIL or Infiltration, instead of defaulting to AGIL
• Rogue Tactics given archetype-specific effects; clarified how Disengaging works via Cloak & Dagger
• "Warrior" class renamed to "Adventurer"
• Adventurer's Defender ability changed to "1d10[exp] or 1d20[exp] for defense rolls"
• swapped some aspects of the Fighter and Adventurer TWF abilities
• Soldier archetype's power attack ability limited to attacks made as a standard action; Weapon Training's miss roll is now likewise limited; Weapon Training can no longer turn misses into crits
• Fighter's Protection style changed to "allies in your maelstrom" instead of "Nearby ally"
• changed some Guardian totem perks to require spirit manifestation; Blood Totem now does extra damage when you are bloodied
• Cleric regains some HP when spending reserves in combat
• Ranger mark damage changed to "advantage; stack if you already had advantage"
• Bard can now Power Attack using a basic roll
• Bard's "Leader" role renamed to "Support"
• Necromancer's Animate Dead changed to allow for multi-HD minions
• Warlock's minor action attack removed; Eldritch Blast iconic attack now targets a number of enemies based on the roll, rather than making a number of attacks based on the roll
• Mystic's trained skills corrected to fit current format (oops)
• Paladin's Holy Aura reworded, now grants defense bonus only on unsuccessful rolls
• Paladin now gets training in either STR or Influence skills, instead of both (still gets additional skill training from their Archetypes)
• Swordmage now gets training in both STR and Influence skills, instead of one or the other
• Hexblade's Beguiling Blade changed to "roll class die in place of d20 roll" rather than "double roll and stack in place of an unsuccessful attack roll"
• Changed the rules on stacking class dice onto d20 rolls, in the core rules; clarified mechanics of using a basic roll for a Trade-off

Separation of Powers (Beta 4)

As part of the process of polishing up the character classes, I took a look at the distribution of trained skills and skill expertise. Most classes end up with 2 trained skill "lists" (i.e. Skillsets or Basic Abilities) with particularly skillful classes getting 3 or 4. In addition, most classes get expertise with one skill list. I might look into adjusting some classes to fit more closely into these general guidelines.

Another thing I want to work on is making the structure of the classes more unified, in terms of their Iconic Abilities, Archetypes, and so forth. I want to see if classes can be broken into smaller chunks, beginning simpler and adding layers of complexity. This is not meant as a leveling system, per se, but as a way to ease newcomers into the game, rather than front-loading all of the character generation. This could also potentially shape the "starter classes" quite significantly.

The problem is that currently Archetypes do different things for different classes. For example, the Sage's archetypes are essentially two distinct sub-classes (Wizard and Monk) whereas the Barbarian's archetypes prescribe slightly different playstyles, but don't significantly modify the base class. Further to that, some classes have additional layers of customization that others don't, such as Roles, or the Cleric's domains, the Guardian's totems, and the Sage's disciplines. I might be able to remedy this disjointed nature by simply altering terminology in a few places, or it might require more significant changes. The path of least resistance might be to simply take each class and break its parts down on a case-by-case basis.

As was mentioned in my previous post, my intention is to add power sources to each class; knowledge skills would be tied to these power sources, helping to flesh out your character's background. Another part of the intention for adding this layer of customization, is so that there can be a rule allowing players to change their class at narratively appropriate times, but limited to classes that share at least one power source with your current class.

The challenge then, is ironing out which parts of the existing framework to hang power sources on. In particular, I think it makes sense to have the Sage gain one power source based on the discipline they take, whereas tying power sources to Cleric domains or Guardian totems doesn't work as well. It could also be made completely independent, but too much customization goes against the design intent to have quick and simple character generation. On the other hand, a simple character could conceivably start with nothing but a background/power source, and then buy into a class later on.

...

Work on the "math pass" continues, along with other bigger and smaller edits as I go along; the 2nd slate (Magic & Shadow) is effectively done, though I may still take a hard look at the Sorcerer archetype. The 3rd slate (Wilderness) is probably done, particularly since most of its classes were completed/updated so recently, but I may give the Druid some closer scrutiny. The 1st slate (Martial & Divine) will get a once-over, but is probably mostly set; I've done considerable edits to the Acrobat already. Once I feel this iteration is "done," expect a long blog post with a log of all the changes.

...

One major change: "The Warrior" has been renamed to "The Adventurer"
I think that Scout/Skald wasn't quite war-like enough to merit the title of "warrior" so I think the new name is a better fit; Scout having been a class from the book "Complete Adventurer" back in D&D 3.5 sort of cemented this change.

...

Check back January 25th for the next post!

Turning the Page on 2016

I've been working on The Next Project for a while now, but I've only been blogging since this past August. In that time, the blog has received over 1000 views! Most posts have each gotten 30-40 views, but some have gone as high as 60-70.

Going forward, my intention is to post 3x per month. From January through June, I'll be posting on the 5th/15th/25th of every month; I'm going to take a break for a bit in July, so details for beyond then will be ironed out closer to the end of June.

Leading up to 2017, all 15 planned classes were completed, across the 3 slates: Heroes of Martial Might & Divine Power, Heroes of Magic & Shadow, and Heroes of the Wilderness. I'm hoping by the end of January to complete a "math pass," specifically focusing on the damage values for each class. To this end, I've worked out a few dice expressions that achieve the expected values; now it's just a matter of checking each class to make sure it fits within those guidelines. I'm also going to try and strip out excessive rolling if/when I can, and simplify things mechanically.


A few changes to player options will be forthcoming:

• Classes that have "Roles" will be able to change their role as part of their initiative check (currently includes Fighter, Bard, and Warrior.)
• Power Sources will be added to player-characters (Arcane, Divine, Martial, Primal, and Shadow); each character will have 2 Power Sources.
• Rules for changing your class/archetype between adventures; hybrid/dual-classing/multi-classing rules will be looked into.
• Knowledge Skills will be tied to Power Sources, helping to streamline these skills, and to give additional mechanical weight to Power Sources.
• Starter Classes will be finalized once the core classes are done; expect the text to be trimmed down and simplified as much as possible.

Beyond that, I will be seeking feedback on the writing/mechanics, hopefully getting a few extra sets of eyes on things. With this, I'll be looking to make sure the language is clear and there are no gaps in the rules, possibly resulting in an FAQ as well. I'm also going to try and get the formatting for classes into a more unified state.

The DM-side of the rules still need to be published, so that work may begin in parallel to the other revisions, or begin once those are completed.


...

Next post: January 15th!

Heavy Metal Thunder -- The Warlord and The Spellbinder (Beta 4)

Today's post features two classes based off the the d12 class die:

• The Warlord
• The Spellbinder

Warlord was one of the first few "expansion" classes that I wanted to add, after the first slate was finished (as has been mentioned here previously.)

I personally never quite got the allure of the "lazylord" style of gameplay, but I included it nonetheless, with a few twists of my own; making the Warlord a d12 class was mainly done for two reasons:

• a distinct lack of d12 classes to take inspiration from, in pre-existing d20 systems
• the desire to make attacking a powerful option for the class, rather than always opting to make someone else attack instead

This also meant that Warlord would be a melee-focused class, as per the role of the d12 within the system. It's a class that is more effects-based than damaged-based, in some ways similar to the Ranger.

The Commander archetype can direct allies as either a Standard Action, or when they make an unsuccessful attack. This is intended to allow players to be conservative and just trade their action to their teammates, but to also not punish them for being aggressive and choosing to attack.

The Protector archetype is meant to be a strong battlefield controller, wading into the thick of things to defend allies and punish enemies. 

With the Warlord polished up for Beta 4, their slate is now complete!

Heroes of Martial Might & Divine Power

• The Acrobat (d4)
• The Fighter (d6)
• The Cleric (d8)
• The Paladin (d10)
• The Warlord (d12) 

...

Spellbinder began its life as the Swordmage archetype for the Mage (d4) class. Originally, Mage was the only class that had any sort of teleportation abilities, so it was logical that Swordmage would fit under that umbrella. When I settled on writing 3 slates (and on what shape those would take) the Mage became the Sage, with Wizard and Monk as its archetypes; it made sense to shift an archetype like Swordmage up to a "heavier" slot, like the d12.

As for another archetype to go with the Swordmage, probably one of the first names to come to mind was the Hexblade. In a slate of classes built around arcane magic and shadowy power, it made for a class with an interesting dichotomy to reflect that.

Though not as fiddly as the Essentials version of the class, the Hexblade as presented here takes inspiration from the Fey pact, with its focus on teleporting; this also serves to make this archetype a good fit for the umbrella class. The Hexblade also works well with the d12; it's basically a melee-focused version of the warlock, a class that naturally lends itself to the mechanic of burning reserves (of which d12 classes get the highest number) for powerful effects.

The name "Spellbinder" doesn't seem a great fit at first glance, but I think the archetype names themselves compliment one another. However, the definition of the word "spellbound" references distracting, fascinating, or holding someone's attention (either with the spoken word, or outright magic.) This seemed perfect for a class with one archetype that focuses on distracting enemies to protect their allies (Swordmage) and another that gains their attention in order to punish them even harder (Hexblade.)

I also had intentions of incorporating ideas from the "Binder" (warlock subclass in 4e) just to wrap the name up neatly, but a quick glance at that class showed it to be mostly a ranged version of the Hexblade, and so it was not really suited to a d12 class.


The Spellbinder caps off another slate!

Heroes of Magic & Shadow

• The Sage (d4)
• The Rogue (d6)
• The Bard (d8)
• The Mystic (d10)
• The Spellbinder (d12)

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All of the classes are now set! That means it's time to move on to other aspects of the game's design. Going forward, posts will likely focus on the "GM side" of the system, although player options may see some further tweaks and refinement.

TNP Design will be taking a short break for the holidays, but expect a new post on January 5th.

See you in 2017!

Blood from a Stone -- The Guardian and The Warrior (Beta 4)

Quickly posting the links for the new classes, then I will add content shortly:

• The Guardian (d6)
• The Warrior (d10)

Stay tuned!


The Warrior
As was mentioned in my post about The Rogue, I wanted to make a Scout class that was sort of like a "wilderness rogue." Simple enough, right? Well, the thing about that is, it means the class needs to be the skill specialist of its slate -- which is sort of hard, since a slate like "Heroes of the Wilderness" is bound to have a fair bit of redundancy in the skill department.

Originally, I was planning to have the class use the d6, and focus on two-weapon fighting (harkening to the Essentials version of the Scout -- a Ranger subclass.) A couple problems with this:

1. Already having a d6 Fighter class, with two-weapon fighting as one of its options.
2. Already having a d6 Rogue class, with skillfulness as a major focus. 

I could have easily just reused these mechanics, but it felt sort of wrong. I had "Guardian" penciled in for the d10 spot on this slate, but I decided to swap the two around. It was similar to how I moved Warlock to a d10 slot, when I split it off from the Sorcerer.

What results, is a melee-focused, damage-stacking class, built off exactly the die that is meant to be used that way. Making the "Skirmish" mechanic using a d10 necessitates it working and feeling differently than the Rogue's "Sneak Attack" and I think that's a good outcome.

Skills still presented a problem; I felt the class needed an "urban" archetype or possibly a "spy," to cover the more social-focused skills -- something a specialist should be able to do, but which didn't really fit with a Scout. After much mulling and conversation, the idea of making this archetype into a Skald just clicked.

As a class that exists in Pathfinder as having Bard and Barbarian as its "parent classes," it wasn't too much of a stretch to fit it onto this slate. Similar to a Bard, it made sense for the Skald to be good at social skills, as well as deception. It also gave me the opportunity to make a sort of "two-weapon fighting Barbarian," which I didn't feel worked well as a d12 class. It also sort of lends itself to the Skald being a class from "Heroes of the Feywild" in 4e D&D, as well as the dual-wielding, hidden Bard class from Diablo: Hellfire.

So what we end up with is a more narrowly-focused Fighter in terms of combat, and a more narrowly-focused Rogue in terms of skills. The Scout leans more towards a striker/lurker role, with Skald being more of a support class; each archetype then has a few Role options to choose from, to flesh them out and help them specialize a bit more.


The Guardian
As was mentioned in a previous post, the Guardian kind of grew from the necessity of a landing spot for the Shaman archetype, as well as wanting to do a take on the Warden from 4th Edition.

The name (I think) mainly came from the Warden's daily powers referencing them assuming a "guardian form." Essentially, what these powers do is give you a few passive bonuses (effectively, a stance) and then an attack power you can fire off on that turn, or later in the encounter. The idea from Essentials of using stance powers coupled with "Power Strike" (for both the Fighter and Ranger classes) sort of mimics this kind of mechanic.

However, the specific fluff for the Warden daily powers was not very consistent, so it was hard to come up with something that worked thematically, in as elegant a way as I would have hoped; I looked at the research I had done into the Warden, and mostly scrapped it all, instead going with something closer to the Essentials Ranger.

I tried to emulate something similar to the Stance/Power Strike mechanism, using the combination of totems and spirit manifestations, with burning reserves for more powerful effects. Combine all of that with the concept of using d6 as a damage-stacking class die, plus having a support archetype and a tank archetype (with totems allowing a further degree of role customization) and... there's a lot going on. I expect this class to change a fair bit in future drafts.

---


I was kind of on a tight schedule with this post, and these two classes were probably the most work-intensive of the classes that needed to be completed. I might try and rewrite both of them when I have more time, or let that part shake out in playtesting.


In any case, "Heroes of the Wilderness" for Beta 4 is now a complete slate!

• Druid (d4)
• Guardian (d6)
• Ranger (d8)
• Warrior (d10)
• Barbarian (d12)

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Coming up on the next blogpost:

• The Warlord
• The Spellbinder

Check back on Dec. 20th!