Chrono Trigger Style Game

The Kender

First Post
I was thinking about running a Chrono Trigger PBP Game. I really need help with the spells. I'm probably going to have to write up a bunch of new spells. Has anybody worked on anything like this yet or have any ideas?
 

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You mean non-vancian magic that uses a MP system and can be combined in lethal combination attacks using Readied Actions and Delayed Initiative?

I don't have a think. Just strip em' straight from the game, man. And good luck with the time travel.
 



Mostly Conversions for Weapons, Spells, and Monsters
For example:
The Rainbow = +4 Keen Vorpal Katana
Marle's Aura = Cure Light Wounds
Lucca's Flare = Meator Swarm

The game will be after Lavos, but they loose a lot of their power now that Lavos is dead(As in revert to 1st Level) All characters have magic, so how should I balance it with monsters?
 
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Well, to be true to the game, each character can have a chosen element (also monsters have their own elements) and can gain spellcasting abilities depending on that and a corresponding ability score, gaining an ability every couple of levels, kindof think about it as Dark Sun, where nearly everything has psionic abilities on top of their normal ones. Perhaps offer random lists for minor, medium, and greater powers for monsters for each element and decide from there.
 

Mana Points, d20 Style

Rule #1: Everyone casts spontaneously. It helps to just drop the sorcerer class outright, and call the main arcane caster anything you want to: wizard, sorcerer, mage, magic-user, it doesn't matter. Not using psionics with this system is highly advisable.

Rule #2: Spells cost MP to cast, 1 MP for cantrips/orisons, and 3 x the spell level for everything else. Metamagic, instead of raising a spell by +1 level, raises its MP cost by +4 MP (or +8, +12, +16, whatever) to compensate for the fact that you're not slowing down the casting time while casting spontaneously.

Rule #3: Characters who can cast spells from level one begins with 3 + ability mod known spells, and earns 2 free spells per level after that, even divine spellcasters. Everyone else (paladins, rangers, prestige casters with their own list and progression instead of just "+1 per level", etc.) earns 2 spells once they start casting and 2 at every level thereafter.

Rule #4: Major casters (wizard, cleric, druid) begin the game with MP equal to their relevant stat (INT or WIS) and gain MP equal to their stat's modifier at every level. Minor casters (bards, paladins, rangers, prestige casters) gain that modifier in MP as soon as they start casting, but only on levels where their caster level rises. Since bards and assassins, for example, raise their caster level at every level (including level 1), they would gain their CHA or INT mod in mana points at every level. Paladins and rangers, on the other hand, start casting at level 4 and only raise their caster level every other level, so they would get their WIS mod in mana at levels 4, 6, 8, and so on.

Rule #5: Chrono Trigger spell combination. Okay, you lost me. I can't honestly think of a good way to do this, short of some wimpy "aid another" action that adds +2 to a spell's DC for every extra person casting the same spell. Brand new spells and flashy effects that can only be cast by multiple characters are something you'd have to come up with on your own, perhaps a special school of high-level spells that are lower level and cost less MP when cast by extra people.
 


How about this aid-another. Two charachters may choose to learn a spell as if it was one level lower. However for the spell to work, both must cast it on the same intiative.

three charachters, two levels lower.
 

How about simply treat the spell as Energy Admixtured (Tome and Blood) and +2 DC per person there, maximum of 3? Perhaps subtract 1/4 or 1/3 damage from what a single blast would do without help to help keep it balanced a little, and limit it to a few times a day, and if one of them is hit and fails a concentration check, the whole thing fails...otherwise i'd get out of hand quickly.
 

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