Midnight Question

[Kirowan]

Hi,

I'm thinking about picking up the Midnight setting. I was curious though as to how the lack of armor, magical and normal, is handled. I mean, do characters get defense bonuses or have the ability to actively defend themselves in the game?

Thanks,

Nick

 

[JoeGKushner]

Characters have a path that they select during character creation.

Their path gives them special abilities that rise as they go up levels.

Healing is not fast.

Armor is scarce and hard to find.

It's a grim, grim, grim setting.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Hi,

I'm thinking about picking up the Midnight setting. I was curious though as to how the lack of armor, magical and normal, is handled. I mean, do characters get defense bonuses or have the ability to actively defend themselves in the game?

Thanks,

Nick

I understand there is a 2nd edition of Midnight. I only have access to the 1st.

In the 1st edition, only defenders (martial artists) got bonuses to AC. Everyone else got more and more bloodied as they gained levels. 2nd edition defenders get a better bonus, but I don't know about the other classes.

You could take a look at the SRD for D20 Modern and synthesize useful class bonuses to Defense from there. Low for spellcasters (they have access to AC-boosting spells), moderate for heavy fighters, high (Fast) for light fighters.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

I'm thinking about picking up the Midnight setting. I was curious though as to how the lack of armor, magical and normal, is handled. I mean, do characters get defense bonuses or have the ability to actively defend themselves in the game?

Hey, Kirowan.
Let me start by saying that Midnight is NOT for everyone. It's very much a harsh world, and some players may have a hard time adjsuting to the grim setting.

If you DO pick up Midnight, make sure you pick up the Revised Ruledbook; it smoothes out some fo the hinks of the original book, and also incoropartes the "Against the Shadow" players guide.

To more specifically answer your question:
So they have a fighting chance, beginning characters have been ramped-up, power wise compared to standard D+D characters.(More feats, skill-points, and flexibility in general.)

There are more "hybrid" races;
*Dworg (Dwarf/Orc)
*Elfling (Halfling/Elf)
And a few others I can't recall offhand.

Most all of the "Core" classes have been tweaked, if not revised completely.

For instance, the Socrerer/Wizard has been replaced by the "Channeler", who uses a spell-point system, rahter than the Vancian method of core D+D. (Takes some getting used to, but very rewarding and flexible.)

Loosely speaking, "Rangers" have changed into "Wildlanders", and "Monks" into "Defenders", with according rules/ stat changes.

There are no Clerics; the only "Clerics" (called "Legates" in Midnight) worship Izrador, the Dark God.

To make up for this, and to give the PC's a fair chance, there's also the addtion of "Heroic Paths"; essentially, it's a :Outside Force: taht shapes your character; your Path goes up at the same rate as your level, giving you additional powers. (But, as with most things D+D, my group has found that the Heroic Paths are NOT all equal; some (Juggernaut/Ironblooded) are much more powerful than others.)

Best of all?
The books are reasonably priced! (It's about $15 for a supplement, and they put out a supplement every couple of months, so that even I can keep up!!)

Hope this brief primer helps; you can also point your browser to:
www.fantasyflightgames.com
http://www.pathsoflegend.org/ (AWESOME fan site w/ tons of useful stuff.)

Let me know how it turns out!

 

[Barrier Peaks]

I'm thinking about picking up the Midnight setting. I was curious though as to how the lack of armor, magical and normal, is handled. I mean, do characters get defense bonuses or have the ability to actively defend themselves in the game?

Probably a quibble on my part, but the setting doesn't lack armor or magic. The ruling powers in Midnight regulate the possession of weapons, armor, and magic (of any kind) to the extent that anyone caught using them will likely be put to death.

Now, the PCs in your game might possess armor; they might even possess heavy armor. What they need to consider is, is wearing the armor worth the risk of being branded a traitor and/or rebel? Do they even care?

In large part, it will depend on the manner of campaign you plan to run. A city-based campaign rife with intrigue in Southern Erenland will require your PCs to display a bit more tact, perhaps adopting armor and weapons that are easily concealed. Alternately, a wilderness-based adventure in the northlands might not require as much secrecy, though they will always need to be careful when venturing close to settlements.

At least, that's my take on it.

As has been mention, Midnight is a dark setting. Normal PCs would be at a definite disadvantage, which is why Midnight's heroes are gifted with Heroic Paths.

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Regarding Armor:

There is no reason that a starting character couldn't have it. You buy equipment like everything else at character creation. However, it is harder to "fly under the radar" if you are seen running around in a chain shirt and lugging a greatsword.

The key to the setting is that unlike most settings the "establishment" is against the heros. They'll have to play smarter. My group likened it to a fantasy "special forces" game. Every player made sure their "stealth" skills were maxed and the party picked targets for their raids VERY carefully to ensure their survival. Sending a rogue out to do some information gathering on an orkish caravan could mean the difference between life and death when choosing the target since in most cases the party wouldn't be in a position to run if the attack failed since they were on foot.

Regarding the Bartering System:

My group actually got into this. Food and barter goods are more valuable than gold and jewels in the setting. Iron ingots were their favorite loot since they are easily transportable and almost anyone is willing to trade just about anything to get them. It is an easy system really... the gp value of items is in most cases equal to the "Value Points" of the item. There is no coin so the party ends up collecting odds and ends that they think will be valuable for trade.

It really is a great setting and I HIGHLY reccomend it. It is in my opinion, however, up to the DM to make it as harsh as he/she wants it. My group started out as escaped slaves with nothing but the chains that bound their feet. They discovered that one of their member was a lost dornish heir when they hid in the ruins of a haunted city where the orks feared to go due to the undead forces guarding the place. The undead forces owed fealty to the heir but only to the point that they would protect the city. This gave the party a home base to work out of. Some would say I wasn't harsh enough but the group loved the game.

Edit: How did the undead defeat Izrador's Legates you may ask? Simple... check out page 116 in Libris Mortis... several Quell nullified the clerical divine abilities of the Legates leaving them easy prey for Evolved Wraiths.