Trailblazer Teasers (collected)

Wulf Ratbane · Jan 13, 2009

I've been collecting a few threads into one place for my own use, but folks looking for insight into the Trailblazer design process might find some interesting reading here.

Wealth by Level

Iterative Attacks

Multiclass Spellcasters

More On Multiclassing

Starting Hit Points

Simplified Encounter Design by Budget

Turn Undead

Math and Bombast

My Blog

joela · Jan 16, 2009

tease

Nice. We want more!

Wulf Ratbane · Jan 16, 2009

NP-- for the record, this is not the teaser preview I promised. This is just me collecting a few things together in one place to get that together.

What I can't easily show in ENworld teasers are a lot of the changes that we have made that involve more math-- not hard math, but lots of tables and proofs.

I have realized through this process, however, that we are a lot closer to finished than we thought!

joela · Jan 18, 2009

closer

Wulf Ratbane said:
I have realized through this process, however, that we are a lot closer to finished than we thought!

shortly after the official pathfinder rpg is released?

Fenris · Jan 21, 2009

Ok Wulf,
I have been following the Trialblazer project for a while now, but no very well.

And I seem to be lost. How would you characterize Trailblazer? What will it be?

It is a set of options for Pathfinder? Fixing the things from 3.5 that should be fixed and aren't? Or is it a whole new system?

What ever it is I know you will put out a great prouct and I will buy it, but I would liek to have a better idea of what it is since I am out of the loop.

So give me a three or four sentance product preview for Trailblazer, such as we wil find on RPGNow or Amazon or whereever it will be sold if you could please.

Wulf Ratbane · Jan 22, 2009

Fenris said:
Ok Wulf,

How would you characterize Trailblazer? What will it be?

Fixing the things from 3.5 that should be fixed and aren't?

This.

Hopefully, no more and no less.

For a very good breakdown of the kinds of things we're tackling, look here.

That's not a complete list, but it certainly informed our direction from the outset.

My home playtest is going well-- perhaps too well! My group of 6 PCs is currently punching way above their weight class.

Six 5th level PCs vs. 4 troll minions, 2 hill giants, and 1 hill giant elite boss. Very touch and go, very swingy, lots of action points burned, four PCs down at one point-- but they pulled through.

I like being able to pound away on them with big, climactic fights but it won't do anybody any good if I can't bottle this lightning for everyone else!

Fenris · Jan 22, 2009

Wulf Ratbane said:
This.

Hopefully, no more and no less.

For a very good breakdown of the kinds of things we're tackling, look here.

That's not a complete list, but it certainly informed our direction from the outset.

My home playtest is going well-- perhaps too well! My group of 6 PCs is currently punching way above their weight class.

Six 5th level PCs vs. 4 troll minions, 2 hill giants, and 1 hill giant elite boss. Very touch and go, very swingy, lots of action points burned, four PCs down at one point-- but they pulled through.

I like being able to pound away on them with big, climactic fights but it won't do anybody any good if I can't bottle this lightning for everyone else!

Yeah, Glassjaw said you were really playing aroud with action points, new and expanded uses of those was the secret ingrediant to the play style you wanted.

So this will be a set of rules to change 3.5 into what it should have been. 3.75 if you will. Whereas Pathfinder is going way above and beyond that.

I would use this with a 3.5 game in other words.

Wulf Ratbane · Jan 22, 2009

Fenris said:
Yeah, Glassjaw said you were really playing aroud with action points, new and expanded uses of those was the secret ingrediant to the play style you wanted.

Action Points are essential to many of the fixes 3e needs. The specific function of the APs isn't important-- the function varies, according to need, but the common purpose is to provide a resource other than hit points that the DM can attrit.

Playing a high-level game without Action Points is like playing a low-level game without hit points: Imagine a game where one hit from a weapon kills you. Action Points help bridge the gap between the low-level "sweet spot" game where the tension builds as hit points dwindle away, to a high-level game where the tension builds as Action Points dwindle away.

So this will be a set of rules to change 3.5 into what it should have been. 3.75 if you will. Whereas Pathfinder is going way above and beyond that.

I would use this with a 3.5 game in other words.

And certainly with Pathfinder resources as well.