To-Do List

[Wyvern]

I'm starting a new thread for a list of topics that still need to be addressed one way or anotehr in the Cosmonomicon. This is partly intended as a reminder for myself, since some of these are things that I intend to work on, but others are welcome to add to the list or to take responsibility for things on the list.

- Optional rules for acceleration/deceleration. I'm going to try to come up with something after I've had a chance to critique Chapter 4 and make barsoomcore's suggested changes to Chapter 5.

- A workable version of the Speed Demon feat (this may be tied to the acceleration rules).

- More prestige classes. BlackJaw gave a couple of suggestions a while back which I'm going to take a shot it, but it could be some time before I get around to it. Anyone else who wants to give them a try is welcome to.

- More equipment and magic items (especially the latter) for personal use.

- Rules for the effects of hull breaches in different media (i.e. fluid and vacuum).

- Rules for co-pilots (to be added to the vehicle design chapter).

- Rules for critical hits on vehicles. I still think a table of different effects would be neat; if the result you roll up isn't applicable, you can simply default to double damage.

- Alternate rules for damage to objects. I brought these up a while back, but nobody commented on them at the time. I'd like to add them as a sidebar, probably in the combat or vehicle design chapter. You can find them at http://www.msu.edu/~reesmatt/damage.rtf. Let me know if you're agreeable to the idea.

Wyvern

 

[barsoomcore]

Good idea. I'm just going to be a total sheep here and follow suit. Here's what I need to do:

1. Complete a pass of Chapter Four

2. Determine the calculation used to generate Minimum Speed.

3. Provide feedback to Wyvern on the rest of Chapter 5.

4. Provide feedback to Wyvern on Chapter 6.

5. Present rewrites to Chapters One, Two and Three.

So Wyvern, I think you should hold off on critiquing Chapter Four until I've taken a pass at it. I want to incorporate a more complete matching to Monster Manual types and stat blocks (along with our extra information) and try to come up with a system for Minimum Speed that is halfway workable.

I also think I might take a stab at a critical hit system -- I do think it's a good idea, I just don't think it belonged in the Combat chapter. Vehicle Creation is a good one, though.

 

[barsoomcore]

- Alternate rules for damage to objects. I brought these up a while back, but nobody commented on them at the time. I'd like to add them as a sidebar, probably in the combat or vehicle design chapter. You can find them at http://www.msu.edu/~reesmatt/damage.rtf. Let me know if you're agreeable to the idea.

I love it. Totally a sidebar in the Combat chapter. We should be thinking of more sidebar-y types of items. (Critical Hits could be another)

 

[ax0n]

How about publishing some of the excellent material you have written under the OGL? I'm writing a campaign for the Netbook of Planes and I'm desperate for some (good) vehicle rules for it. I'd love to use your rules but you haven't OGC'd any of it It would be a good idea because a) people (like me ) could start using it sooner and b) if anything happens to the Cosmonoicon, other people could take up the mantle and continue your good work.

 

[barsoomcore]

How about publishing some of the excellent material you have written under the OGL?

ax0n, that's totally the plan. We're still trying to get enough rules together to provide a usable package, and THEN we'll add OGL stuff and yahoo.

Apologies for the time it's taking. Like Blackjaw said earlier, we want to do it right.

 

[Wyvern]

OGC

How about publishing some of the excellent material you have written under the OGL? I'm writing a campaign for the Netbook of Planes and I'm desperate for some (good) vehicle rules for it. I'd love to use your rules but you haven't OGC'd any of it It would be a good idea because a) people (like me ) could start using it sooner and b) if anything happens to the Cosmonoicon, other people could take up the mantle and continue your good work.

Well, it doesn't have to be OGC for you to use it in your own campaign; you just can't republish anything from it.

Btw, barsoomcore, I've made a few changes to my Damage to Objects rules (mostly in the Electricity column), so be sure that you download the latest version before you add it to the combat chapter.

Wyvern

 

[Wyvern]

Chapter 7

One thing I forgot to include in my to-do list is Chapter 7: Campaign Design. This is the only chapter that's left to write, but I don't feel up to the task. I have ideas of what should be included in this chapter, but when I comes to actually fleshing them out into something useful and coherent, I don't even know where to begin. Anyone else want to volunteer?

Here are my thoughts about what Chapter 7 should look like. Not that you have to use this outline if you have a better idea, but it might give you a starting point to work from.

A) Integrating Cosmonomicon rules into an existing campaign
B) Importance of flight in the campaign:

• i) incidental (taking away flying vessels wouldn't really change the campaign; e.g. Earthdawn)
  ii) integral (taking away flying vessels would radically change the campaign; e.g. Star Wars)
  iii) central (the campaign would not exist without flying vessels; e.g. Crimson Skies)

C) Campaign themes (trade, exploration, warfare, etc.)
D) Archetypal settings for the Cosmonomicon:

• i) Islands in the sky
  ii) Space fantasy (e.g. Spelljammer)
  iii) Space opera
  iv) Steampunk
  v) Mecha
  vi) Underwater

E) Using the Cosmonomicon for multiversal campaigns (e.g. Starshield)
F) Bibliography of archetypal settings

 

[barsoomcore]

I don't know that the Chapter Seven material is really up my alley. I'm completely engrossed in Chapters One through Four but not really very interested in the rest of it -- happy to leave that to you guys.

I'm also wondering if our current chapter organization is really the best. No ideas as yet, but I'm wondering...

 

[BlackJaw]

Here are the things I'll be doing... Not in this order mind you, but this is stuff I think needs doing.

Raise dead and reserection spells for constructs. (to go with the repair spell chain)

Chase rules? (I got an idea or two) I want to keep our stunt mechanic for it, and I want it to fit into normal d20 rules... this may end up a more of a guide for running a chase then seperate rules.

A d20 Modern Pilot advanced class (our core class doesn't work with the d20 Modern system of starting with base classes based off a primary ability score).

Components need another overhaul... I'd like to get some tech rattings in there first though. A lot of work to be done here so that I compoents can't be used to break the speed/manuvering system without excessive amounts of money.

 

[Wyvern]

Raise dead and reserection spells for constructs. (to go with the repair spell chain)
Restore vessel (which I've decided to rename restore object since it isn't intended to work on living vessels) serves basically the same purpose.

Chase rules? (I got an idea or two) I want to keep our stunt mechanic for it, and I want it to fit into normal d20 rules... this may end up a more of a guide for running a chase then seperate rules.
Do you have Spycraft? I've heard it has an excellent set of chase rules, though I don't know whether they're open content.

A d20 Modern Pilot advanced class (our core class doesn't work with the d20 Modern system of starting with base classes based off a primary ability score).
Are you suggesting this as an optional rule or as a replacement for the core pilot class? Because if it's the latter we might as well just call it a prestige class.

Components need another overhaul... I'd like to get some tech rattings in there first though.
I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to get those done anytime soon. In fact, I'm not going to have time for much of anything for the next couple of weeks as I'm busy trying to finish my master's degree before the end of the semester. If you don't hear from me for a while, that's the reason why. I'll *try* to give feedback on your component list, and update my two chapters, over Christmas break, but I can't promise anything since I don't know how much Internet access I'll have (depends on whether I end up spending most of the break at my grandparents' house or my aunt & uncle's, and that's out of my control).

Wyvern