CoCd20 Rules Questions

[wingsandsword]

Okay, I didn't get to buy CoC d20 when it first came out, and I was able to pick up a pristine copy at the local Half Price books for $20 last week so I've finally been able to sink my teeth into this game.

Some rules questions have cropped up, and since the game has been out about 5 years now I figure that some answers probably exist.

1. Starting feats . . .it sounds like you get no starting feats other than your 2 for being human. Okay, so no starting weapon proficiencies or anything, but the Generic Cultist stats on 189, for normal, nonmagical non-monstrous people that they have Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot as their two starting feats, but no weapon proficiencies to use them with? Do they have Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot but are nonproficient with everything they try to use it with, or are those bad stats, or do characters get other starting feats such as weapon proficiencies?

2. Spells. So, there are no limits to how many spells you can know or cast, if you can take the damage?

Since the spell descriptions were copied from D&D in places, there are anomalies, like Word of Recall says that you must designate the target when you prepare the spell. Since there is no spell preparation in CoC (that I can tell), does this just mean designating the location before you cast it?

 

[imfarias]

I don't have my book (borrowed and STILL not returned) but since no one else has responded yet.

1. Yes, just two starting feats, except their is the (optional?) rules for offensive/defensive characters. Offensives start with an extra weapons prof. feat but their saves aren't as good.

2. Don't know about this one except to say that magic in the game should mostly be about flavor rather than mechanic. In the original system, finding a spell was a little like finding an alien weapon that you could maybe fire but never truly understand the workings of. Have the user of the spell do some prep (circle with runes, sealed completely lightless room, etc.) on a predesignated area as prerequisite for the spell to even be cast. And in this game more so than even DnD, you should play up the need and difficulty of attaining spell components.

For an errata and better advice than I could give, you should check out www.montecook.com. There is a CoC d20 forum link there. Lots of good stuff.


be seeing you

 

[Aus_Snow]

1. Yes, just two starting feats, except their is the (optional?) rules for offensive/defensive characters. Offensives start with an extra weapons prof. feat but their saves aren't as good.

I could've sworn offensive characters just get a good BAB rather than a medium one, and one good save rather than two.

And, from memory, it's not an optional division.

Are you sure about the feat? I'm not claiming that you're just wrong, by the way. It could be that I don't remember it that well. It *has* been a while. . .

 

[imfarias]

Been a while for me too and I don't have my book to verify. But a year or so ago I made a LOT of characters, both for myself and pregens for someone else's game. And I'm pretty sure about the bonus weapon proficiency for offensive characters.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Been a while for me too and I don't have my book to verify. But a year or so ago I made a LOT of characters, both for myself and pregens for someone else's game. And I'm pretty sure about the bonus weapon proficiency for offensive characters.

Cool. That would make a kind of sense too, so eases my worried mind. Cheers.

 

[Particle_Man]

Interestingly, both are right.

The standard core rules don't give a bonus feat to the offense option.

The variant rule on p. 15 does give a bonus Weapon Proficiency feat to the offense option, and gives both options a defense bonus (the defense option gets a better defense bonus).

 

[Henry]

On spells, you are correct -- there is no limit, though you throw around that "if you can take the damage" a little cavalierly. Nobody is going to be casting more than a couple of those spells in a given day, and some spells have permanent ability costs, so the PCs can enjoy the fast-track to death or insanity all on their own gumption...