doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Okay my game Crossroads (I’ve formally discussed it as Quest For Chevar) has always had incremental advancement and used levels to describe rather than prescribe power, and to balance challenges.
But I’m tired of tracking xp or character points.
Previously you’d get 5 xp per session, 1-5 per significant challenge overcome (like battle or a major investigation), 1-5 for personal goals achieved, and at one point I added being able to gain 1 xp by failing a skill check and letting the failure ride.
During a rest you can take Endeavors, one of which is Advancement, wherein you spend xp to buy traits, skill ranks, or other character resources.
When you have spent 50xp (for levels 2-10, 100xp for all levels after that) you gain a level. Upon leveling you do get a few small incremental benefits but most of your advancement happens during play, and then you level when you have advanced to that point.
It’s clunky, and I’ve never liked having to cost everything in points and all that, nor tracking Gained XP vs Spent XP.
So! Taking inspiration from Daggerheart to a small degree, I have a new plan!
You can earn Advancements during play.
Eg. When you get a total success without pushing the roll to do a basic move, you can gain a specialty rank. Meanwhile Skill Ranks require a certain amount of time training and practicing the Skill’s specialties and advancing at least one rank in a specialty under that skill. Minor traits can be learned in a day or with good rolls during a short rest.
These can be Major or Minor. When you have 3 Minor Advancements you Mark a Major Advancement and clear the 3 Minors. When you gain (probably 5, maybe 10, maybe 7, depending on playtesting. Maybe 9 because it’s an important number throughout the game) Major Advancements, you clear that number and gain a level.
Major Advanvements are things like Skill Ranks (which Specialties are under, with 3 Specs per Skill), Major Traits, Acquisition of a Major new Resource, etc
Minor Advancements are Specialty Ranks, Minir traits, Minor new resources.
So this means that levels are primarily descriptive, and tell you roughly how much “stuff” a character has.
Certain levels are milestones that allow for new types of advancement, like eventually becoming a minor deity, and can signify a new state of play. (Though they don’t have to if you want to be a demigod running around saving people and investigating curses and whatever)
Just kinda sharing my ideas. Feel free to politely provide feedback on whether it makes sense to you, etc.
But I’m tired of tracking xp or character points.
Previously you’d get 5 xp per session, 1-5 per significant challenge overcome (like battle or a major investigation), 1-5 for personal goals achieved, and at one point I added being able to gain 1 xp by failing a skill check and letting the failure ride.
During a rest you can take Endeavors, one of which is Advancement, wherein you spend xp to buy traits, skill ranks, or other character resources.
When you have spent 50xp (for levels 2-10, 100xp for all levels after that) you gain a level. Upon leveling you do get a few small incremental benefits but most of your advancement happens during play, and then you level when you have advanced to that point.
It’s clunky, and I’ve never liked having to cost everything in points and all that, nor tracking Gained XP vs Spent XP.
So! Taking inspiration from Daggerheart to a small degree, I have a new plan!
You can earn Advancements during play.
Eg. When you get a total success without pushing the roll to do a basic move, you can gain a specialty rank. Meanwhile Skill Ranks require a certain amount of time training and practicing the Skill’s specialties and advancing at least one rank in a specialty under that skill. Minor traits can be learned in a day or with good rolls during a short rest.
These can be Major or Minor. When you have 3 Minor Advancements you Mark a Major Advancement and clear the 3 Minors. When you gain (probably 5, maybe 10, maybe 7, depending on playtesting. Maybe 9 because it’s an important number throughout the game) Major Advancements, you clear that number and gain a level.
Major Advanvements are things like Skill Ranks (which Specialties are under, with 3 Specs per Skill), Major Traits, Acquisition of a Major new Resource, etc
Minor Advancements are Specialty Ranks, Minir traits, Minor new resources.
So this means that levels are primarily descriptive, and tell you roughly how much “stuff” a character has.
Certain levels are milestones that allow for new types of advancement, like eventually becoming a minor deity, and can signify a new state of play. (Though they don’t have to if you want to be a demigod running around saving people and investigating curses and whatever)
Just kinda sharing my ideas. Feel free to politely provide feedback on whether it makes sense to you, etc.
