a better system for action points?

While I don't normally use them in my games, looking over some old work of mine regarding a Dark Sun/Iron Heroes game, I came across a bit of altered mechanics for them that I think merit mentioning in this blog. The normal action point rules are pretty standard from normal 3rd edition, but I did add a mechanic from White Wolf's Vampire: The Masquerade for players to regain points.

Each PC starts the game with an action point pool of 5, and the pool expands by 1 per every level.
The character may spend points(as many as he wants as long as he has the points to spend), and gain a bonus to any given roll. The player may only spend the points before the DM determination as to what the result of the roll is.
Each character chooses a Nature/Demeanor archetype(presented in the V:TM book) at character creation, and any time the character does something that would result in V:TM characters regaining a Willpower point, they instead regain an Action point.

Magic as a Character Creation tool

Yesterday, I talked about how magic is the defining factor that allows a 0-level character to gain class levels. No, this doesn't happen EVERY time a person is exposed to magic(though a DM in a High Magic campaign could allow it), but often enough to allow a few relative nobodies to band together to eventually become heroic powerhouses.
Listed below are a few ideas on how magic can be used(and in some cases HAVE been used) to explain why the PCs have class levels as part of their backstories.

- Race: Some races; Elves, Gnomes, and even Dwarves, are often portrayed as being innately magical, hence the higher incidence of classed characters in their societies as compared to human societies. You don't even have to be a full member of the race(such as half elves, or just a human with elven blood somewhere in his ancestry) to explain this.
- Magical Training: Most campaigns handle wizard training in 3 ways, either they're played in a fashion similar to 3rd edition sorcerers(magic is their birthright thanks to some sort of magical bloodline), They function on a Master-apprentice system, or their are magical colleges that young aspiring wizards may train at. Any way you do this, the wizard is exposed to large doses of magic and making them classed is the easiest of any class type out there. It also works well in settings where you want the majority of priests to be spellcasters.
- Touched by the Divine: This works best for clerics and Paladins, but there's no reason this couldn't work for any character. At some point during the character's life, he became exposed to divine power, perhaps an accident resulted in him being taken before a cleric for many days of magical healing. Alternately, perhaps the character was forced at some point in his life to call down the power of the gods directly into himself(perhaps to save a sibling or parent from a group of kobolds or giant rats).
- Trained by the magical: The Fae, Dragons, Celestials, Fiends, the undead, and various other creatures in the world are all magical in nature, and each one has skills similar to those of PC classes. It could be possible with DM permission to have a character trained by one of these creatures.
- Magical Locations: Perhaps their is more to that haunted house you went into as a kid. Maybe it had been the site of a terrible spellbattle in the distant past. Alternately, maybe the tree that you spent the majority of your time sitting under as a child grew from a seed planted in the remains of a dragon, or atop an ancient gateway for the Fae.

The rarity of 0-level characters

One thing that always irked me about game supplements from TSR was the almost complete lack of 0-level characters in their product. If these people were so numerous, how is it that every town seemed to have at least a 1st level cleric, and why every king of every nation was a 9th level something or other, when the DMG clearly stated that the majority of churches, rulers, and fighting men were merely single HD 0-level characters. They also never explained what exactly caused a character to become classed.
I'm not saying that such a practice as "no 0-level npcs" is a bad thing. In some settings, it actually makes more sense, Dark Sun for instance, where the world is far more brutal, and 0 level characters wouldn't even make it in the cities. But other settings, such as Forgotten Realms, Mystara, and Greyhawk should have fewer high level(level 7+) characters in positions of power.
I realize, as a DM, that I could always change such characters, but I've long been a fan of maintaining the integrity of settings, because altering something to that effect really does seem to change the mood of the characters and thus the setting, at least for me.
I'd agonized over this for most of the time I've played 2nd Edition, but sometime last year, my aspergers-induced anal-retentiveness finally forced me to sit down and figure out a way to make sense of this from within the settings and not from a game designer standpoint.
The first thing I thought about, was the classes themselves. What made them different from the standard run of the mill character. Fighter? Specialization. Cleric? Magic. Wizard? Magic. Thief? Well, never really did figure out why thieves didn't just spring up out of the ground at the drop of a hat. That covered the four "Core" classes but what about the others, what about their flavor set them apart from the rest of humanity. What made a paladin different from the everyday knight, a ranger different from the average woodsman, or a Bard different from any other minstrel, sage, or storyteller? What made characters in Birthright, Dark Sun, Forgotten Realms, or even from our own world's legends so much more badass and hardcore than the rockstars, politicians, and clergy from the real world(why wouldn't the average soldier be a fighter? Why wouldn't every good DM out there not have a level or two of Bard? Why are all martial artists not monks?)
The answer finally hit me like a ton of bricks. The common thread between the classed characters from legends and the worlds we play in was that classed characters had been exposed to magic. Think about how much magic took place in old sagas and tales. How many of them carried magic weapons, or called down the fury of magic itself?
This does have some rather fun implications after you think about it for awhile, and gives you another angle for character creation and world design. It makes you think about the role of magic in your campaign and setting. In low magic prevalence settings(of which TSR and WotC made depressingly few of outside of the Historical supplements), it makes the player characters that much more unique.
Over the next couple days I hope to post a few additional thoughts on how this might impact world design and character creation.

The Halloween Game Teaser

I'll be posting a copy of my Halloween adventure notes on here probably by tomorrow in case other DMs wish to use it as well. Buuuuut, as a teaser to both readers and to instill a possible sense of dread in my players, here's the plot outline in as cryptic a manner as possible :D

Act I: Get your banjos

• Scene 1: Southern Hospitality

• Scene 2: If she weighs as much as a duck

• Scene 3: Quick! Somebody call Samuel Jackson!

Act 2: Swamp Gas

• Scene 1: Madmen tell the best bedtime stories

• Scene 2: in search of weather balloons

• Scene 3: Sloughing off the mortal coils

• Scene 4: A full set of teeth

Act 3: This is what all those horror flicks prepared you for

• Scene 1: Not a social call

• Scene 2: With time so short I'll say so long, and go, so soon, goodbye

• Scene 3: A journey of a thousand miles usually doesn't involve this much screaming.

• Scene 4: Like you weren't expecting this?

A little warcraft

I've mentioned before that I play World of Warcraft, and today I felt inspired to write up some spells and a magic item based on my main character, Reandanis Highcomet, Blood Elf(Gray Elf) Frost Mage(who has recently also Dual specced into Arcane so he can actually get into raids since Frost is not a viable raiding spec[also because Arcane/Frost were the schools taught by Dalaran, and part of his backstory was that he trained in Dal while serving Kael'thas).

Frostbolt I
(Evocation/Invocation)
Level 2 Wizard Spell
Range: 36 yards
Components: Vocal, Somatic
Duration
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 1 target
Saving Throw: None

This spell creates a bolt of frost energy that streaks out and hits the target for 1d4+Caster level for damage and the target is slowed for 1-4 rounds. Character's with free movement are immune to this slow effect.

Frostbolt II
(Evocation/Invocation)
Level 3 Wizard Spell
Range: 36 yards
Components: Vocal, Somatic
Duration
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 1 target
Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a bolt of frost energy that streaks out and hits the target for 1d8+Caster level for damage and the target is slowed for 1-4 rounds. If the target fails a save versus spell, he is instead slowed for an additional 1-2 rounds and rooted into place for 1-4 rounds as his legs have been frozen to the ground. Any frost spells that hit the target while rooted do 2-5 times more damage than normal. Character's with free movement are immune to this effect. There is a 1% non-cumulative chance that the casting of this spell does not erase the spell from memory.

Frostbolt III
(Evocation/Invocation)
Level 4 Wizard Spell
Range: 36 yards
Components: Vocal, Somatic
Duration
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 1 target
Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a bolt of frost energy that streaks out and hits the target for 1d6/caster level(max 10d6) for damage and the target is slowed for 1-4 rounds. If the target fails a save versus spell, he is instead slowed for an additional 1-2 rounds and rooted into place for 1-4 rounds as his legs have been frozen to the ground. Any frost spells that hit the target while rooted do 2-5 times more damage than normal. Character's with free movement are immune to this effect. There is a 1% non-cumulative chance that the casting of this spell does not erase the spell from memory.

Ice barrier
(Evocation/Invocation, Abjuration)
Level 2 Wizard Spell
Range: personal
Components: Vocal, Somatic
Duration: 1 round/lvl
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: The Caster
Saving Throw: Special
The caster gains a frosty aura from which icicles perpetually seem to hang down. All Ice related spells gain a +1 caster level bonus when cast while this spell is active. This spell absorbs 1d8/level damage(max 10d8), determined when the spell is first cast. It blocks all attacks including magic missiles from hitting the caster. When the damage capacity is reached, the Ice barrier shatters, and any creature within 10 yards of the caster must make a save vs. spell or become rooted, just like with the frostbolt spell.

Ice Block
(Evocation/Invocation, Abjuration)
Level 3 Wizard Spell
Range: personal
Components: Vocal, Somatic
Duration: 1 round/lvl
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: The Caster
Saving Throw: Special
By means of this spell, the caster encases himself in a block of solid ice taking no damage but becomes unable to do anything or move in any way(He can see out of his icy prison however). No damage may be done to him while so encased. The caster may dismiss the spell at any time. If this spell is used more than 1/hour the caster must make a save vs. spell or take 2d6 damage per used beyond 1/hour from hypothermia.

Mana Gem
(Conjuration/Summoning, Enchantment/Charm)
Level 3 Wizard Spell
Range: personal
Components: Vocal, Somatic, Material
Duration: permanent
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 1 gem
Saving Throw: None
By means of this spell, the caster is able to convert a precious stone into spellpower. For every 100 gp of the spell's value, the gem returns 1 cast spell level to the caster. Mana Gems are only usable by the mage who cast the spell. For instance, a 400 gp gem could allow a caster to regain 4 1st level spells already cast that day, 1 4th level spell, or any combination of spells so long as the total number of spell levels is less than or equal to the gp value of the gem. When the gp value of the gem reaches 0, the gem dissolves into nothingness. The caster is limited as to the value of the gems he may use. No more than 100 gp x caster level

Reandanis' Richly Appointed Pipe of Magical Research
Reandanis has often been seen around Silvermoon and the Eversong Woods staring off into space while smoking this pipe, often with at least one attractive female at his side. For the most part, social interaction beyond blasting things into ice cubes bores him to tears, and he has long lamented that his time is better spent in his family compound or at the arcane tower researching new magic probably meant to eradicate gnomes or the scourge once and for all(he seems torn as to which is the greater menace to azeroth). A chance discovery by one of his family servants while ransacking New Avalon in the eastern plaguelands yielded this finely crafted pipe. After a few months of effort, Reandanis was able to enchant it. Any wizard who smokes one of these pipes for at least an hour, gains a +15% research bonus, or is only required to spend 4 hours each day doing research at the standard %. In order to use this pipe, very expensive tobacco must be used at a cost of 100 gp per dose. The effects last only for 1 day.

Paladin Class Revision, Part I

The paladin class is being broken down by alignment but here is the basic set-up for all Paladins

Ability Requirements: As standard for the PHB
Prime Requisites: As standard for the PHB
Races Allowed: Humans

A Paladin must choose between being a member of a Knightly Order or being a Knight-Errant at the time of character creation. A Paladin belonging to an order is subject to the dictates of the order, but gains access to additional wealth, contacts, hirelings, places to stay, etc. A Knight-Errant on the other hand has none of these things, but may found his own order in time.

Abilities:

Level 1:
- Immunities
- Enemy detection
- Saving throw bonuses
- Aura
- 1/day power
- Holy sword bonus
Level 3:
- Turn planar tied enemies.
Level 4:
- Quest for warhorse or planar servant
Level 9:
- Spellcasting
Level 10:
- Institutional Control

Restrictions
- Magic item limit
- Tithe and wealth limit
- Alignment restriction

Intro to Goblinoid, part I

back in 1995 I think it was, a KB toys opened right down the street from where I lived. Now, being all of 10 years old, I didn't have much in the way of income beyond the $0.50 a week allowance I was given, and the very rare $1 my grandfather gave me when we went to up Ballston Spa to visit him. So every few weeks I'd agonize over one of the boxed sets that little store carried(it was the closest thing my area had to a FLGS) and had to choose between one of the Dark Sun Adventures(it would be another 10 years before I got the Dark Sun Boxed Set, as it never occured to me to ask them to order anything) and one of the Mystara/Red Steel boxed sets. I already had Dawn of the Empires Gazeteer, Karameikos: Kingdom of Adventure, and Glanti: Kingdom of Magic, so my choices were down to "The Road to Urik," The Red Steel campaign expansion, various D&D rip off board games, and a supplement for Red Steel called "The Savage Baronies." I ended up choosing the Savage Baronies(it had a picture of a dragon-headed-gun, a swashbuckler, and what I thought was a dragon at the time on the cover of the box[turned out to be a bulette using the flight legacy] so how could I possibly resist).
Inside I found out about a strange new place I hadn't heard of before. Heard of strange new creatures like Lupin, Rakasta, and Tortles. While the setting information was pretty cool(D&D meets the wild west), the real gem of supplement was in the front of the adventure booklet. It described the goblinoids of the Yazak steppes(Ogres, Hobgoblins, Orcs, and Goblins as living in a fashion similar to Native American tribes). More importantly, it offered the bare bones of what would become my on and off obsession with creating a viable goblinoid language. It was just 50 syllables that I later turned into a table.
The language did have a few issues however, and the racial names were incomplete(missing bugbears and kobolds and the goblinoid words for standard PC races such as Humans, Elves, and Dwarves). Having recently found my old word file I'll be posting parts of it on the blog from time to time.

Goblinoid Writing
Goblinoid writing is similar to that of japanese alphabets like Katakana or Hirigana in that they use a character for a syllable rather than for each sound like western languages. There are currently 56 characters in the goblinoid language, though most goblinoids only know enough of these characters to spell out their race name and tribal name(3-4 characters total)
At this point, the alphabet I have is still in physical form, and I'll try to get it scanned as soon as I can to post.