Fantasy Concepts: An OGL Fantasy Saga Project

[Flynn]

But will this product really be for newbies? I think only people already familiar with D&D and Saga will look into it.

I'm anticipating that for the first campaign you run, almost everyone will be a newbie to the rules. No, this product isn't really for newbies, but it's part of my personal design philosophy on this project, just as it is in Saga, to make this product accessible to new gamers as well as experienced gamers. Doing so doesn't lessen the value of the game, and opens it up as a tool for introducing new players to D&D and fantasy gaming with a more streamlined system.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I think subraces have to go in, no matter what. But I am uncertain whether to have separate paths or one big gnome path. My preliminary gnome write-up includes rock gnomes, forest gnomes, and svirfneblin in one path, based on the idea that the different racial capabilities represent innate potential that any gnome could develop with time and effort. Do people think that makes sense, or no?

That'll work.

Will the "base" gnome's bonus trained skill be Gather Information? An inquisitive nature seems to be a common theme in the various takes on the race. A racial talent would be a good way to present the optional rule that allows gnomes to take the Scent feat. Now that I think of it, Scent makes more sense as a racial talent than as a feat anyway.

Talents for the Rock, Forest, and Deep gnome abilities are good. The gnomish inventor has become a fairly pervasive archetype, so it might be a good idea to address it. Personally, I'm a big fan of the "conspiracy gnome" archetype, so I'd be happy to see racial talents along those lines. Talent(s) allowing for re-rolls of Deception and Persuasion skill checks would be nice.

 

[Dalamar]

I have to say that I don't really like races giving trained skills. Something just rubs me the wrong way. I wouldn't have a problem with granting class skills, or Skill Focus if the character does train in a skill (working as a kind of Favoured Class mechanic when a character would be drawn towards classes with their race's skill as a class skill so they could train it).
I would prefer, however, the Saga approuch of Take10 and rerolls for skills. Since there would be many races with these qualities, a general description could be given at the beginning of the race section such as calling the Take10 skills Accustomed skills and rerolls Exceptional skills, and then just noting which skills have this quality for each race.

On the planetouched talents, I'd separate the energy resistances to a separate talent that let you choose three of four energy resistances (perhaps with an option for one resistance at 10 instead of three separate ones to allow for the elemental planetouched). Darkvision in and of itself is a rather good ability, and coupled with a semi-useful spell-like ability should be a decent talent. Not to mention it would allow a small degree of customization, even if the real possibilities are rather limited

 

[Baron Opal]

Why armor?

Because it protects you when your flat-footed.

Two reflex defenses: active and passive.

Active: 10 + Dex mod + "protection bonus".
- If you wear armor / shield you must use that instead of heroic level.
- This is just spiffy if you don't have heroic levels, like mooks, orcs, &c.
- Feat to choose which bonus to apply. Rogues, Fighters and Clerics get this feat.
- Fighters get the feat to add half armor / shield to heroic level bonus.

Passive: 10 + armor bonus + shield bonus.
- If you are surprised, you don't get your heroic levels.
- The metal and wood is still in the way.
- This is surprised, held, asleep. (Flanked still get "active bonus"? Wavering on this one.)
- Wizards get spells that boost this number.
- Your "reflex save" would suck too under these circumstances.

Touch attacks get +5 to attack. You just have to touch the bad guy rather than penetrate his armor, but everybody knows that when the cackling wizard's hand crackles with black lightning you should avoid being touched.

Advantages: Calculated before hand, advantage preserved for fighters, only adds one more AC rather than the three or so in current D&D.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

I'm still not convinced. I had considered something like this myself, but I find it too weak. Costs too many feat for a circumstancial bonus. Plus, most won't wear armor anyway as the benefits are too smaal. Which is fine by me, but is not very much in tune with D&D where everybody that anticipates melee tanks up to their maximum.

 

[Baron Opal]

An 8th level thief with an 18 dex stands to lose 12 points from his AC if he's surprised while not wearing armor. I find that to be significant. At low levels the bonus to reflex is minor, but as you go up in level armor can become more important because you have more to lose when you are surprised. Spending one feat, the only one the thief gets for this, lets him wear armor and mitigate that AC loss when his rival tries to stab him in the back.

And don't forget, this isn't Star Wars. This is fantasy where the thief's armor might give him a bonus to Sneak, allow him to dimension door 3/day, &c. There are reasons to wear armor beyond its protective capabilities.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Haven't read it all, but here's something for inspiration:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=888293

And a bit about magic:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=888247

 

[SKid4]

I've been doing some thinking over the 4 classes idea. I'll list them in decreasing combat
ability. I've also got a working skill list. I may have taken too much from Star Wars.

WARRIOR
Attack Bonus: +1 per level
Hit Dice: d10
Skills: 3 + Int
Defenses: +2 Fort, +1 Ref
Starting Feats: Armor Proficiency (light & medium), Shield Proficiency,
Weapon Proficiency (simple & martial)
The warrior is a direct translation of Star Wars' soldier. Talent selection should allow you
to reproduce the barbarian, the fighter, or the ranger.

CHAMPION
Attack Bonus: +3 per 4 levels
Hit Dice: d8
Skills: 2 + Int
Defenses: +1 to all
Starting Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Divine Spellcasting, Shield Proficiency,
Weapon Proficiency (simple)
The champion is a variant of Star Wars' jedi. Talent selection should allow you to
reproduce the cleric, the druid, or the paladin. The champion should have access
to fewer spells, which includes healing.

EXPERT
Attack Bonus: +3 per 4 levels
Hit Dice: d8
Skills: 6 + Int
Defenses: +2 Ref, +1 Will
Starting Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Shield Proficiency, Weapon Proficiency (simple),
and your choice of Linguist (if you meet its prerequisites), Point Blank Shot,
or Shake It Off (if you meet its prerequisites)
The expert is a combination of Star Wars' noble, scoundrel, and scout. Talent selection
should allow you to reproduce the bard, the monk, or the rogue.

MAGE
Attack Bonus: +1 per 2 levels
Hit Dice: d6
Skills: 4 + Int
Defenses: +1 Ref, +2 Will
Starting Feats: Arcane Spellcasting, Spell Training, Weapon Proficiency (simple)
The mage is a new class that focuses on spellcasting. Talent selection should allow you
to reproduce the sorcerer and the wizard. The mage should have access to the most
spells, magic item creation, and metamagic.

SKILLS
Acrobatics (Dex): combines Balance & Tumble (Trained Only)
Climb (Str)
Craft (Int): includes Appraise & Forgery
Deception (Cha): combines Bluff & Disguise
Diplomacy (Cha)
Disable Device (Int, Trained Only): includes Open Lock
Endurance (Con)
Gather Information (Cha)
Initiative (Dex)
Intimidate (Cha)
Jump (Str)
Knowledge (Int, Trained Only)
Notice (Wis): combines Listen, Search & Spot
Perform (Cha)
Ride (Dex)
Sense Motive (Wis)
Sleight of Hand (Dex): includes Open Lock, Sleight of Hand aspect is Trained Only
Spellcraft (Cha, Trained Only)
Stealth (Dex): combines Hide & Move Silently
Survival (Wis)
Swim (Str)
Treat Injury (Wis)

 

[tsadkiel]

I've been thinking about cantrips. Specifically, could the Spellcraft (or equivalent) skill provide access to cantrip level magical effects, as the Use the Force skill does in Saga? I can remember an old Dragon article in which the non weapon proficiency was used that way, but I can't think of any OGC equivalent.

It just seems right to me that a magic using character could make a spellcraft skill check to detect magic or light a pipe or whatever.

 

[Gentlegamer]

I've been thinking about cantrips. Specifically, could the Spellcraft (or equivalent) skill provide access to cantrip level magical effects, as the Use the Force skill does in Saga? I can remember an old Dragon article in which the non weapon proficiency was used that way, but I can't think of any OGC equivalent.

It just seems right to me that a magic using character could make a spellcraft skill check to detect magic or light a pipe or whatever.

Yes! I fully agree! I'm working on my own version of "Fantasy Saga" and right now I have a broad "Magic" skill (replaces Use the Force). I see it being used for

Read Magic
Detect Magic
Prestigidation (DC medium to high) [these are the cantrip level effects other than Read and Detect Magic]
Cast Spell (each spell has DC for effect desired)
Use Magical Object
Scry (Trained)
Counterspell (Trained)
Brew Potion (Trained)
Scribe Magic Scroll (Trained)

I want to create a magic system that allows anyone to use magic, but there are chances for miscasting, so usually only those trained in the Magic skill with enough level will regularly use them.