MP Chaos Magic - non-level 1 starting characters

[luke_twigger]

Hi there

As was pointed out to me by a friend recently, the Chaos Mage class is one that can only reasonably be played right through from 1st level. But what if you need to make one at e.g. 5th level, as an NPC or a new but experienced PC?

There's no easy way you could realistically figure out how many spells a wizard might have cast by a certain level, and what chance each has of triggering the chaotic side effects?

My idea is that the maximum span of a PC is 20 levels, and the maximum span of chaos backfire chart is 10 steps, so for each 2 chaos mage levels, roll a d10, then total them all up and divide by 10, rounding down. This gives you the current chaotic step.

So a 20th level character rolling ten 10s would be at step 10, but could equally roll ten 1s and be at step 1. On average a PC will be at a step equal to half their level.

How does that sound? Does anybody have any alternative suggestions?

Has anybody at Mongoose thought about this? Sounds like a good topic for the rumoured web-addon that's planned.

Thanks

Luke

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

Actually, I had not considered the situation until you brought it up.

I think your suggestion is reasonable and good, but isn't step 10 death? I would think making step 9 the highest possible starting step would be reasonable.

FD

 

[Morrus]

I did it slightly differently, although my way is no more accurate.

Given that the core progression assumes 13 encounters per level, Iassumed an average of two spells cast per encounter, so 26 spells per level.

As advancement along a chaos path happens 1 in 20 spells (on average), I rounded that to 1 point along the pathper level (this sort of balances out the fact that the character islikely to cast more spells outside of encounters, but also thathe gets a save for each).

Very rough, though.

I then took the startinglevel, and allowed the character to 'buy off' any steps along the path that he wished with XP as usual This has the effect of knocking him back down a level if he does it.

 

[Sam Witt]

>>Has anybody at Mongoose thought about this? Sounds like a good topic for the rumoured web-addon that's planned.<<

I'll add this to the list of things to put in the web enhancement. Which isn't a rumor, it will happen. Honest. I swear!


>>As advancement along a chaos path happens 1 in 20 spells (on average), I rounded that to 1 point along the pathper level (this sort of balances out the fact that the character islikely to cast more spells outside of encounters, but also thathe gets a save for each). <<

Steps on the path come a lot less frequently than 1 in 20 spells. Remember, you get your first step on a 1, but you get subsequent steps only if you roll a 1, and then roll under your current step. So, you've got two checks to make, rather than just one, which greatly reduces the number of times you'll pick up a path.

If you're estimating, go with what the story demands. Is the NPC a young, brash chaos mage? Then he's at step 4 or 5 by level 8. Is he am old and powerful but cautious chaos wielder? Then maybe he's only at step 2 by level 18.

There are no average chaos mages, because so much depends on personal style when wielding the raw power of chaos.

Sam