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DiasExMachina 4ED Update
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<blockquote data-quote="Dias Ex Machina" data-source="post: 4977926" data-attributes="member: 58907"><p>SNAKES AND...</p><p></p><p>After nearly a year, we are ready to talk about one the most important concept in the history of this company, Ladders. Very few companies out there have made a serious effort to radically alter the rules of 4th Edition D&D. Of course, when I mean alter, what I mean is, amend and add to. Already, we made a huge step with the addition of modern and futuristic firearms. It wasn't enough to just give them damage values and ranges; we needed to construct a system which had to be rigorously tested (and still is). </p><p></p><p>NeuroSpasta implements a change as radical as modern firearm rules are with Amethyst. The reason we didn't incorporate this system with Amethyst was twofold. For one, it didn't exist yet, but more importantly, making the character generation of modern characters more complicated than their fantasy counterparts in the same campaign setting may discourage people from attempting those roles. But if we separate this element into its own game, away from fantasy, it makes this additional level of complication easier to swallow. Of course, for players still wanting to slot in these new rules, they can. </p><p></p><p>This new system is called the Ladder system. We hope that this bundle of new GSL-compliant rules would be universal for all DEM products and as such, all Dungeons & Dragons products. We could implement the ladders not only with NeuroSpasta, but every other campaign world we release using 4th Edition mechanics. </p><p></p><p>As some of you have previously read, the ladder system implements two important concepts. </p><p></p><p>1: It thoroughly reduces the number of available powers for classes. Where a fantasy class would have 70+ powers from levels 1-30, a class using our system only has between 30 and 40. Thus, we can include more classes in our books. The majority of these classes are also single builds. So if we were making a ranger, there would be two distinct ranger classes, a dual wielding blade master and an archer. Think this is limiting? Wait. </p><p></p><p>2: The inclusion of ladders. Ladders define what your character is like rather than the role he or she plays. It represents abilities and powers based not on your vocation in life, but your natural talents either chosen or bestowed from birth. As such a ladder does not have a boiler plate of defining a role, proficiencies, hit points or healing surges. In fact most ladders give you none of these.</p><p></p><p>Originally, ladders were only meant to offset the lack of scaling magic in a modern setting like NeuroSpasta with the intent of drastically reducing the obsessive need to always acquire money. The ladder offered you free "magic" effectively as you developed. This later expanded to include level 1 abilities as well as alternate powers, all based around a common theme with the ladder you've chosen.</p><p></p><p>So, at first level1, before choosing a class, you select a ladder. Each ladder focuses on two dominant attributes. We chose two instead of one because we didn't feel focusing only on one would be fun or realistic. </p><p></p><p>Here are our ladders:</p><p></p><p>Born Leader: Charisma, Intelligence</p><p>Juggernaut: Constitution, Strength </p><p>Runner: Dexterity, Wisdom</p><p>Savant: Intelligence, Wisdom</p><p>Veteran: Charisma, Wisdom</p><p>Warrior: Dexterity, Strength</p><p></p><p>Each ladder first lists features a character gains at 1st level. These initial abilities are huge, as they not only alter your character's outlook, the actually altar the class you will later choose. If you select warrior ladder, you can use Dexterity for all your melee attack powers regardless of what your class indicates. If you select the juggernaut ladder, you can use Constitution for your ranged attacks when employing two handed or heavy weapons. Pushing this further, a savant ladder is able to drop attack powers in favor of more utility powers. Nearly every ladder has some feature which allows you to alter your class. In addition, there are also alternative powers as you progress. A warrior has more alternative attack powers while a savant would have more utility powers. In all, each ladder offers about a dozen+ alternative selections. </p><p></p><p>Not only that, at 3rd, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, and 26th level, you gain the option to acquire a free new ability or opt to acquire a financial windfall which you can put towards better weapons or gear. </p><p></p><p>So let us turn back to the ranger example. As stated, a ladder-based ranger would be two classes, a swordmaster and an archer. Those are two character builds. With the six ladders we have included thus far, you now have twelve...twelve different distinctive variations of those two classes. Twelve different ways you can approach a ranger. Wanna make a ranger that can run across tree branches scale over buildings like a parkour master, select the runner ladder. Want a ranger that is also the leader of armies and the proud icon of authority, select the born leader. </p><p></p><p>The initial fear was that certain ladder/class combinations were obvious choices for power gamers. Although we knew this couldn't be prevented, we discovered, to our amazement, that nearly every class didn't have one obvious choice. Our playtesters discovered new strengths with combinations we never knew existed. With NeuroSpasta's 10 classes and 6 ladders, that introduces 60 combinations in just a little more space than that of the PHB's class chapter. </p><p></p><p>When we asked our testers if this added level of complexity was too much despite the variety, we discovered they were welcomed with open arms. Of course, the ladder system is designed only to work with the modern classes we are making for NeuroSpasta and others future games. There are currently no plans to go backwards and start playing with fantasy classes, though this could change. Future products could add more ladders but would most likely add new classes, as each new class would represent six new builds. </p><p></p><p>So what do we have in our gaming group?</p><p>Veteran--Sniper</p><p>Born Leader--Combat Authority</p><p>Juggernaut--Heavy</p><p>Savant--Manipulator</p><p>Runner--Infiltrator</p><p>Warrior--Man-At-Arms</p><p></p><p>And you can now see why the ladder system will require almost as much playtesting as the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules. And yes...playtesters are still welcome...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dias Ex Machina, post: 4977926, member: 58907"] SNAKES AND... After nearly a year, we are ready to talk about one the most important concept in the history of this company, Ladders. Very few companies out there have made a serious effort to radically alter the rules of 4th Edition D&D. Of course, when I mean alter, what I mean is, amend and add to. Already, we made a huge step with the addition of modern and futuristic firearms. It wasn't enough to just give them damage values and ranges; we needed to construct a system which had to be rigorously tested (and still is). NeuroSpasta implements a change as radical as modern firearm rules are with Amethyst. The reason we didn't incorporate this system with Amethyst was twofold. For one, it didn't exist yet, but more importantly, making the character generation of modern characters more complicated than their fantasy counterparts in the same campaign setting may discourage people from attempting those roles. But if we separate this element into its own game, away from fantasy, it makes this additional level of complication easier to swallow. Of course, for players still wanting to slot in these new rules, they can. This new system is called the Ladder system. We hope that this bundle of new GSL-compliant rules would be universal for all DEM products and as such, all Dungeons & Dragons products. We could implement the ladders not only with NeuroSpasta, but every other campaign world we release using 4th Edition mechanics. As some of you have previously read, the ladder system implements two important concepts. 1: It thoroughly reduces the number of available powers for classes. Where a fantasy class would have 70+ powers from levels 1-30, a class using our system only has between 30 and 40. Thus, we can include more classes in our books. The majority of these classes are also single builds. So if we were making a ranger, there would be two distinct ranger classes, a dual wielding blade master and an archer. Think this is limiting? Wait. 2: The inclusion of ladders. Ladders define what your character is like rather than the role he or she plays. It represents abilities and powers based not on your vocation in life, but your natural talents either chosen or bestowed from birth. As such a ladder does not have a boiler plate of defining a role, proficiencies, hit points or healing surges. In fact most ladders give you none of these. Originally, ladders were only meant to offset the lack of scaling magic in a modern setting like NeuroSpasta with the intent of drastically reducing the obsessive need to always acquire money. The ladder offered you free "magic" effectively as you developed. This later expanded to include level 1 abilities as well as alternate powers, all based around a common theme with the ladder you've chosen. So, at first level1, before choosing a class, you select a ladder. Each ladder focuses on two dominant attributes. We chose two instead of one because we didn't feel focusing only on one would be fun or realistic. Here are our ladders: Born Leader: Charisma, Intelligence Juggernaut: Constitution, Strength Runner: Dexterity, Wisdom Savant: Intelligence, Wisdom Veteran: Charisma, Wisdom Warrior: Dexterity, Strength Each ladder first lists features a character gains at 1st level. These initial abilities are huge, as they not only alter your character's outlook, the actually altar the class you will later choose. If you select warrior ladder, you can use Dexterity for all your melee attack powers regardless of what your class indicates. If you select the juggernaut ladder, you can use Constitution for your ranged attacks when employing two handed or heavy weapons. Pushing this further, a savant ladder is able to drop attack powers in favor of more utility powers. Nearly every ladder has some feature which allows you to alter your class. In addition, there are also alternative powers as you progress. A warrior has more alternative attack powers while a savant would have more utility powers. In all, each ladder offers about a dozen+ alternative selections. Not only that, at 3rd, 6th, 11th, 16th, 21st, and 26th level, you gain the option to acquire a free new ability or opt to acquire a financial windfall which you can put towards better weapons or gear. So let us turn back to the ranger example. As stated, a ladder-based ranger would be two classes, a swordmaster and an archer. Those are two character builds. With the six ladders we have included thus far, you now have twelve...twelve different distinctive variations of those two classes. Twelve different ways you can approach a ranger. Wanna make a ranger that can run across tree branches scale over buildings like a parkour master, select the runner ladder. Want a ranger that is also the leader of armies and the proud icon of authority, select the born leader. The initial fear was that certain ladder/class combinations were obvious choices for power gamers. Although we knew this couldn't be prevented, we discovered, to our amazement, that nearly every class didn't have one obvious choice. Our playtesters discovered new strengths with combinations we never knew existed. With NeuroSpasta's 10 classes and 6 ladders, that introduces 60 combinations in just a little more space than that of the PHB's class chapter. When we asked our testers if this added level of complexity was too much despite the variety, we discovered they were welcomed with open arms. Of course, the ladder system is designed only to work with the modern classes we are making for NeuroSpasta and others future games. There are currently no plans to go backwards and start playing with fantasy classes, though this could change. Future products could add more ladders but would most likely add new classes, as each new class would represent six new builds. So what do we have in our gaming group? Veteran--Sniper Born Leader--Combat Authority Juggernaut--Heavy Savant--Manipulator Runner--Infiltrator Warrior--Man-At-Arms And you can now see why the ladder system will require almost as much playtesting as the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules. And yes...playtesters are still welcome... [/QUOTE]
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