Iosue
Legend
The next step in character creation is buying levels in skill packages. As mentioned in the previous post, your origin gives you an initial skill package (or two, in my case), and 2,000-3,000 initial XP to buy additional levels. The cost for a level in a skill package depends on whether its on Table A or Table B. Table A skill packages are your primary combat skill packages. It costs 1,000 XP to buy one at Level 1, and another 1,000 to upgrade to Level 2 (the maximum at character generation). Table B skill packages are utility and support skill packages. It costs 500 XP to buy at Level 1, and 1,000 to upgrade it to level 2. Further progression follows these tables, expanded on later in the book. Table A skill packages are generally more powerful in combat, but Table B skill packages advance quicker. A very old school D&D design element.
To continue, we will have to jump ahead to the Skill Package section, which is actually the first section of Part 2 - The Rules. Here we find the Skill Packages split up among three categories: Warrior Skill Packages, Magic-user Skill Packages, and Other Skill Packages. Your Adventurer Level is the same as your highest level skill package. Skill Packages do not get the full-page treatment you see in class-based systems. In fact, the entirety of the Warrior Skill Packages, Magic-user Skill Packages, and Other Skill Packages each fit onto one A5 page.
Our Warrior Skill Packages include the Fighter (table A), Grappler (table A), Fencer (table B), and Shooter (table B). The Fighter is the front line combatant, getting access to virtually all weapons, and having no restrictions to armor. The Grappler is a martial artist; they have limited selection of weapons unique to their class, and they are greatly restricted in available armor. But they start with two powerful special combat abilities: Extra Attack and Throw. Extra Attack lets them spike damage, while Throw is a damage-inducing throw (like in judo) that also leaves the opponent prone.
The Fencer is your typical lightly armed agility fighter, and despite the name, they are not restricted to just fencing swords. Every weapon and armor has a minimum strength to use, but the Fencer's strength is considered halved for purposes of weapon and armor selection. For example, my character's Strength is 14, but when selecting armor and weapons, I can choose only those that have a minimum strength requirement of 7 or lower. This naturally restricts me to the light weapons and armor, but of course just what is restricted will depend on each character's ability score. The advantage, though, is that Fencer's crit more easily than other classes, and that can be a major boon.
The Shooter represents all ranged weapon combatants. That is it, but that is all. You must have the shooter skill package to use ranged weapons.
In the Magic-user Skill Packages, we have the Sorcerer, Conjurer, Priest, and Magitech. They are all table A skill packages. Sorcerers use True Word Magic, casting spells with incantations. This is your standard fireballing wizard. Conjurers use Manipulation Magic. Their magic is more indirect, providing buffs and support. Priests use Holy Magic for recovery and support, as well as fighting undead. The Priest must choose one god to devote themselves to, and get special magic related to that god. Magitechs use Magitech Magic (natch). In Rulebook I, it's sole purpose is to power the magictech Gun weapon, which fires various kinds of bullets, including healing.
In the Other Skill Packages we have Scout, Ranger, and Sage. They are all Table B. Scouts map on pretty well with the prototypical D&D Thief. Investigation, stealth, disabling traps, disabling locks, etc. The can wear any armor in theory, but heavy armors will penalize many of their useful skills. But its killer app is its bonus to initiative. Since Sword World uses side-initiative, but everyone rolls and the highest result is taken, this is extremely advantageous for the whole party. Rangers have similar investigative and stealth skills, but applicable only in the natural environment. What makes them distinct is their access to herbal medicines and potions. Sages, being loremasters, are very good at knowledge checks. In particular, before a fight, everyone makes a Monster Knowledge Check to see if they know a monster. If they pass a certain level, the GM must show the players the monster's data. They get to see it all: to-hit bonus, evasion bonus, damage resistance, the works. If the Sage passes the Check at a set higher level, then the whole party gets access to a particular bonus against that monster. (Reading this, I recalled playing 4e with players here in Japan. Just like in Sword World, he would have us make knowledge checks at the start of every encounter, and if someone rolled particularly high, he would show us all the page in the Monster Manual. "That's a bit meta," I thought at the time, but now I suspect the group was simply playing in the style they were accustomed to.)
The effects of the Skill Packages are defuse. You don't really get a list of special features, or even a clear note of restricted weapons and armor. How are Scouts and Rangers good at hiding? Anybody can hide. It's not until you get to the section on Action Checks, look at the Hide Check, and see that it's Scout or Ranger Level + Agility Bonus. Or you look at the Evasion Check and see that it is Fighter or Grappler or Fencer Level + Agility Bonus. As there are 37 distinct Action Checks included in the ruluboo, this puts a fair amount of burden on GM to either remember the components of all the Action Checks, or else refer to a list of Action Checks, or else the burden is on the player to remember what Checks they can add their Skill Packages to, or else put it on their character sheet. I used an official character sheet to make this character, and it reminded me of 4e character sheets, when I had to be sure to dot the i's and cross the t's, and make sure all the necessary calculations were done.
With consideration to buying skill package levels, the book offers some advice: the general theory is that one wants 2 levels of either the Warrior or Magic-user Skill Packages, and at least 1 level of an Other Skill Package. It also says that if you have the Fencer or Shooter Skill Package, it's probably best to take two levels of an Other Package as well. Other combinations are perfectly feasible, but it cautions against taking only levels in Other Skill Packages. Following this advice, I spend my 2,000 XP to raise both my Fencer and Scout Skill Packages to Level 2.
Next up: Languages and special combat abilities!
To continue, we will have to jump ahead to the Skill Package section, which is actually the first section of Part 2 - The Rules. Here we find the Skill Packages split up among three categories: Warrior Skill Packages, Magic-user Skill Packages, and Other Skill Packages. Your Adventurer Level is the same as your highest level skill package. Skill Packages do not get the full-page treatment you see in class-based systems. In fact, the entirety of the Warrior Skill Packages, Magic-user Skill Packages, and Other Skill Packages each fit onto one A5 page.
Our Warrior Skill Packages include the Fighter (table A), Grappler (table A), Fencer (table B), and Shooter (table B). The Fighter is the front line combatant, getting access to virtually all weapons, and having no restrictions to armor. The Grappler is a martial artist; they have limited selection of weapons unique to their class, and they are greatly restricted in available armor. But they start with two powerful special combat abilities: Extra Attack and Throw. Extra Attack lets them spike damage, while Throw is a damage-inducing throw (like in judo) that also leaves the opponent prone.
The Fencer is your typical lightly armed agility fighter, and despite the name, they are not restricted to just fencing swords. Every weapon and armor has a minimum strength to use, but the Fencer's strength is considered halved for purposes of weapon and armor selection. For example, my character's Strength is 14, but when selecting armor and weapons, I can choose only those that have a minimum strength requirement of 7 or lower. This naturally restricts me to the light weapons and armor, but of course just what is restricted will depend on each character's ability score. The advantage, though, is that Fencer's crit more easily than other classes, and that can be a major boon.
The Shooter represents all ranged weapon combatants. That is it, but that is all. You must have the shooter skill package to use ranged weapons.
In the Magic-user Skill Packages, we have the Sorcerer, Conjurer, Priest, and Magitech. They are all table A skill packages. Sorcerers use True Word Magic, casting spells with incantations. This is your standard fireballing wizard. Conjurers use Manipulation Magic. Their magic is more indirect, providing buffs and support. Priests use Holy Magic for recovery and support, as well as fighting undead. The Priest must choose one god to devote themselves to, and get special magic related to that god. Magitechs use Magitech Magic (natch). In Rulebook I, it's sole purpose is to power the magictech Gun weapon, which fires various kinds of bullets, including healing.
In the Other Skill Packages we have Scout, Ranger, and Sage. They are all Table B. Scouts map on pretty well with the prototypical D&D Thief. Investigation, stealth, disabling traps, disabling locks, etc. The can wear any armor in theory, but heavy armors will penalize many of their useful skills. But its killer app is its bonus to initiative. Since Sword World uses side-initiative, but everyone rolls and the highest result is taken, this is extremely advantageous for the whole party. Rangers have similar investigative and stealth skills, but applicable only in the natural environment. What makes them distinct is their access to herbal medicines and potions. Sages, being loremasters, are very good at knowledge checks. In particular, before a fight, everyone makes a Monster Knowledge Check to see if they know a monster. If they pass a certain level, the GM must show the players the monster's data. They get to see it all: to-hit bonus, evasion bonus, damage resistance, the works. If the Sage passes the Check at a set higher level, then the whole party gets access to a particular bonus against that monster. (Reading this, I recalled playing 4e with players here in Japan. Just like in Sword World, he would have us make knowledge checks at the start of every encounter, and if someone rolled particularly high, he would show us all the page in the Monster Manual. "That's a bit meta," I thought at the time, but now I suspect the group was simply playing in the style they were accustomed to.)
The effects of the Skill Packages are defuse. You don't really get a list of special features, or even a clear note of restricted weapons and armor. How are Scouts and Rangers good at hiding? Anybody can hide. It's not until you get to the section on Action Checks, look at the Hide Check, and see that it's Scout or Ranger Level + Agility Bonus. Or you look at the Evasion Check and see that it is Fighter or Grappler or Fencer Level + Agility Bonus. As there are 37 distinct Action Checks included in the ruluboo, this puts a fair amount of burden on GM to either remember the components of all the Action Checks, or else refer to a list of Action Checks, or else the burden is on the player to remember what Checks they can add their Skill Packages to, or else put it on their character sheet. I used an official character sheet to make this character, and it reminded me of 4e character sheets, when I had to be sure to dot the i's and cross the t's, and make sure all the necessary calculations were done.
With consideration to buying skill package levels, the book offers some advice: the general theory is that one wants 2 levels of either the Warrior or Magic-user Skill Packages, and at least 1 level of an Other Skill Package. It also says that if you have the Fencer or Shooter Skill Package, it's probably best to take two levels of an Other Package as well. Other combinations are perfectly feasible, but it cautions against taking only levels in Other Skill Packages. Following this advice, I spend my 2,000 XP to raise both my Fencer and Scout Skill Packages to Level 2.
Next up: Languages and special combat abilities!