Planescape Running a Planescape Campaign with Optional Proficiency Rules from the DMG?

[Dumboldt]

I'm tempted to run Planescape in 5E. I'm looking for simple mechanics that would tie the dice rolls to the alignments of the characters, their philosophies as well as their factions. Has anybody tried that? The simpler the better. For now, I'm thinking using the optional rules from the DMG p 264: there are no skill proficiencies, but you can add your proficiency to your ability check if it ties to your Background or your Personality Traits. This would expand to philosophy and Alignment.

For example, during a social interaction, you could add your proficiency to your Charisma roll if you make a cogent argument in line with your belief.

In addition, Hero Points could be acquired and used following a similar logic: when your character fortifies his beliefs, ascends to a higher rank in a faction, etc.

What do you think?

 

[Plaguescarred]

Personally i would leave ability (skill) checks as is RAW but would grant Inspirations in those situations instead.

 

[S'mon]

I'm tempted to run Planescape in 5E. I'm looking for simple mechanics that would tie the dice rolls to the alignments of the characters, their philosophies as well as their factions. Has anybody tried that? The simpler the better. For now, I'm thinking using the optional rules from the DMG p 264: there are no skill proficiencies, but you can add your proficiency to your ability check if it ties to your Background or your Personality Traits. This would expand to philosophy and Alignment.

For example, during a social interaction, you could add your proficiency to your Charisma roll if you make a cogent argument in line with your belief.

In addition, Hero Points could be acquired and used following a similar logic: when your character fortifies his beliefs, ascends to a higher rank in a faction, etc.

What do you think?

Sounds clever! Will take a bit of work to get it working right though. I'd say do an initial one-shot shakedown cruise and see how it goes in practice.

 

[iserith]

When I ran my Planescape campaign, I replaced Ideal with a statement based on the alignment definitions and then players could play to that to gain Inspiration. For those that joined a faction, they would have a new Bond based on their faction's goals. They could claim Inspiration for that too. See my post on The Case for Inspiration.

 

[Fenris-77]

Personally i would leave ability (skill) checks as is RAW but would grant Inspirations in those situations instead.

This idea could have legs. If you're doing X in a way that meshes with your alignment you get bonus Y. In the OP's shoes I'd create a very specific list of what that applies to, possibly indexing the type of action by alignment as well as the implementation. So the evil types aren't getting bonuses on healing folk, just to pick a random example. Maybe even just a little list by class, with a couple of actions it applies to. If this idea sprawls to far over the whole action mechanics it could get pretty messy.

 

[Plaguescarred]

You could get advantage (or a smaller flat bonus) when making a cogent argument in line with your belief.

 

[Fenris-77]

You could get advantage (or a smaller flat bonus) when making a cogent argument in line with your belief.

I might be tempted to use both the Advantage rules and the inspiration rules. The latter especially since they are so badly implemented generally. Also, if advantage is in play, perhaps so too should disadvantage be. Just a thought.

 

[Malmuria]

two potential problems:

• what is the bonus supposed to represent in a planescape context? If they are CG, and they are trying to negotiate with a LN shopkeeper, why does being extra CG give them a bonus? It would seem instead you would want to give them an XP bonus for playing their character according to alignment even if it is not the optimal thing to do.
• you might have to be prepared for endless debates around alignment

 

[Fenris-77]

It doesn't need to represent anything more specific that the ambient miasma of alignment-mattering particles. The idea makes sense in the PS context IMO, and I wouldn't worry too much about quantifying it. Specific lists and rules helps mitigate the argument issues. YMMV.

 

[S'mon]

• you might have to be prepared for endless debates around alignment

Surely endless IN CHARACTER debates around Alignment is the whole point of Planescape?