Darkwater RPG design

[Nellisir]

Is your homebrew based on the Pirates of Darkwater animated series from the early 90's, because that was an awesome show, and I actually did create a campaign world based on it.
Never actually played a game in the setting though.

Not in the slightest. I grew up beside the Blackwater River, in New Hampshire, but Blackwater Press is a real company, so I used Darkwater Press when I started thinking about publishing my own stuff. Hasn't happened yet. Darkwater RPG is just a placeholder name.

 

[Nellisir]

Classes & Aspects

Classes provide the basic, default, round-to-round abilities, similar to Basic or AD&D classes, ie fighting ability, skill use, spells, or channelling divine power.

Aspects provide unique and individual abilities, ie rage, shapeshifting, fighting styles and maneuvers, metamagic, etc.

Abilities are divided into 3 groups: simple, complex, exotic. Characters gain a simple and complex ability at their first aspect level, an exotic ability at second level, a simple ability at 3rd, a complex ability at 4th, and a simple ability at 5th, for a total of 3 simple abilities, 2 complex abilities, and 1 exotic ability per aspect.

Simple abilities usually only benefit one type of roll, ie attack or damage or saves. They are usually constant or at-will.
Complex abilities can boost multiple rolls (attack and damage), and can generally be used once per encounter.
Exotic abilities are the defining feature of an aspect.

For organizational purposes, I've divided the abilities into strikes (attacks), stances (defense), expertise (skills), transformation (general physical), channel (channel divine energy), and arcana (magical ability).

Here's the dwarf aspect as an example.
Dwarf

Ability Caps: Con +2, Intu +0 (instead of ability score bonuses, abilities are capped at 1/2 level+1; non-human races have adjustments to the caps - this allows a dwarf, for instance, to have a higher Con than a human of the same level, but both have the same number of ability points. Intuition & Presence replace Wisdom & Charisma. )

Saves: Fort +2, Will +1 (Will is the Presence save; Wit is the Intuition save)

Proficiencies: Language (Dwarf); Craft (any one of the following: - ) or Profession (any one of the following: -); Basic Weapons; Dwarf Weapons; Light Armor
Skills: Armor (all), Disable Device, Intimidate, Knowledge, Perception, Survival, Weapon Groups
Aspect Features
Simple: Darkvision (transformation)
Favored Foe (giant; orc) (strike) - grants focus bonus vs foe

Favored Terrain (underground or mountains) (stance) - grants focus bonus in terrain

Low-light Vision (transformation)

Sabotage (expertise)

Stability (stance)
Stonecunning (expertise)
Complex: Giantbane (stance/strike)
Speak with Stone (arcane)
Valor (channel)
Exotic: Eartharmor (stance)