Hello Matrix,
Where to start, where to start?
Arcanis was originally married to 3rd Edition (and eventually 3.5) and it was always a struggle to get the square peg to fit in the round hole. For us, the story and world were paramount and we had the dickens of a time (at times) to get the vision to fit with the rule set.
10 years later, we get the chance to do our own thing.
We started off with a philosophy that basically said: "We want the rules to be open enough so that the only restriction on making the type of Character you want is the world setting. By that I mean, Arcanis doesn't have Half-Elf as a viable race, hence you can't make one in our system.
So no classes.
You build your Hero by first choosing an Archetype, the your background, skills talents, etc. You want a guy who is a warrior, but so devout to his god that the Temple taught him a spell or two - no problem. A Sorcerer that cannot only sling spells, but pretty handy with a sword to fend off the Harvesters from Ymandragore? Gotcha covered. No Multi-Classing necessary.
We have something similar in concept to the PClass called Paths. Think of them as akin to the old Warhammer Careers but different in what it provides the Hero.
Spell casting is very different. No longer do you have a set number of spells that can be cast a day, etc. In Arcanis, if you know a spell, you can cast it until you pass out. And yes, you can pass out because each spell has a Strain cost associated with it. Wait a number of ticks equal to the strain before you cast another spell - no problem. Cast a spell before the Strain is up and you take damage. At higher Tiers, you can start to combine spells to make a new one on the fly.
We also went out of our way to make each type or Sources of Magic different in style and flavor. We have Elder, Eldritch, Psionic, Primal, and Divine with different Tradition associated with each one.
For our combat oriented players: have no fear, we're not leaving you behind. Besides learning weapon tricks by mastering a certain weapon (actually all Heroes can do this, it's just easier for Martial types), we have Weapon Maneuvers. Like Spells, these powerful tactics have a Recovery (works like Strain, except it can't be "eaten") and at higher Tiers, you can combine these maneuvers for a devastating effect.
Skills is a point of pride for us, as well. We have something called an Attribute die. Depending on one's score, it is associated with a die (d4, d6,d8, etc). Now the basic roll mechanic is a 2d10 + your attribute die must meet or exceed a Target Number.
For skills - you can mix and match the skill with a different Stat (and associated attribute die) to get a whole new result. Need to pick a lock? Use your Skill + your Quickness. Want to know who crafted that lock? Roll that same skill, but use your Logic Attribute die. If successful, you find a craftsman mark showing that this lock was made by a famed locksmith that was enamored with the use of poison needle traps, etc.
I can go on and on, (like talk about the Initiative Clock) but the bottom line is that the game rewards a well rounded character and not specialists. Everyone is a hero and functional on his own.
The Arcanis: World of Shattered Empires RPG takes the best (In Our Opinion) of the tactical aspects of other games and marries it with a rich and robust world setting.
If you have any specific questions, I'll be more than happy to answer them.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble on about a labor of love that took over 3 years of our lives. I think if you give it a shot, you'll enjoy it.
Best,
Well, tell us about the system, man!
Where to start, where to start?
Arcanis was originally married to 3rd Edition (and eventually 3.5) and it was always a struggle to get the square peg to fit in the round hole. For us, the story and world were paramount and we had the dickens of a time (at times) to get the vision to fit with the rule set.
10 years later, we get the chance to do our own thing.
We started off with a philosophy that basically said: "We want the rules to be open enough so that the only restriction on making the type of Character you want is the world setting. By that I mean, Arcanis doesn't have Half-Elf as a viable race, hence you can't make one in our system.
So no classes.
You build your Hero by first choosing an Archetype, the your background, skills talents, etc. You want a guy who is a warrior, but so devout to his god that the Temple taught him a spell or two - no problem. A Sorcerer that cannot only sling spells, but pretty handy with a sword to fend off the Harvesters from Ymandragore? Gotcha covered. No Multi-Classing necessary.
We have something similar in concept to the PClass called Paths. Think of them as akin to the old Warhammer Careers but different in what it provides the Hero.
Spell casting is very different. No longer do you have a set number of spells that can be cast a day, etc. In Arcanis, if you know a spell, you can cast it until you pass out. And yes, you can pass out because each spell has a Strain cost associated with it. Wait a number of ticks equal to the strain before you cast another spell - no problem. Cast a spell before the Strain is up and you take damage. At higher Tiers, you can start to combine spells to make a new one on the fly.
We also went out of our way to make each type or Sources of Magic different in style and flavor. We have Elder, Eldritch, Psionic, Primal, and Divine with different Tradition associated with each one.
For our combat oriented players: have no fear, we're not leaving you behind. Besides learning weapon tricks by mastering a certain weapon (actually all Heroes can do this, it's just easier for Martial types), we have Weapon Maneuvers. Like Spells, these powerful tactics have a Recovery (works like Strain, except it can't be "eaten") and at higher Tiers, you can combine these maneuvers for a devastating effect.
Skills is a point of pride for us, as well. We have something called an Attribute die. Depending on one's score, it is associated with a die (d4, d6,d8, etc). Now the basic roll mechanic is a 2d10 + your attribute die must meet or exceed a Target Number.
For skills - you can mix and match the skill with a different Stat (and associated attribute die) to get a whole new result. Need to pick a lock? Use your Skill + your Quickness. Want to know who crafted that lock? Roll that same skill, but use your Logic Attribute die. If successful, you find a craftsman mark showing that this lock was made by a famed locksmith that was enamored with the use of poison needle traps, etc.
I can go on and on, (like talk about the Initiative Clock) but the bottom line is that the game rewards a well rounded character and not specialists. Everyone is a hero and functional on his own.
The Arcanis: World of Shattered Empires RPG takes the best (In Our Opinion) of the tactical aspects of other games and marries it with a rich and robust world setting.
If you have any specific questions, I'll be more than happy to answer them.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to ramble on about a labor of love that took over 3 years of our lives. I think if you give it a shot, you'll enjoy it.
Best,
What rules "get in the way of" such a thing, if indeed it is a going concern?
