Really basic first draft idea.

[Charles Gray]

OK, I'm working on a draft combination of the anime D20 SRD rules and the D20 Modern rules. I'm under an NDA so I can't say for who as yet, but essentially the idea is to create a number of OGL books based around a common mechanic.
Now, the point based system came from the fact that a lot of the people talked to aren't really D20 players, so the level mechanic isn't really as vital as it would be. OTH, we're keeping some of the level limitations for two reasons. 1. To avoid breaking the core system. (I.E., you can't dump all your points into BAB or hit points), and 2. to make it at least reasonably compatiable with base D20.
For that reason, most abilities are pegged at 2 CP points, and are based around feat and talent chains, rather than some of hte more expensive abilites you find in the anime d20 SRD, and the rank system is discarded.
Again, this is the basic system, and involves a lot of cut and paste-- there may be more fluff, but I also wanted to make certain that there are no critical failures in it as yet. Also note that I'd prefer to avoid any XP formulas other than the most basic-- some early discussion convinced me that people for some reason get intimidated when you start throwing numbers above one thousand, or worse, formulas around.
If anyone wants to help me with this, I'd be pleased-- I lost my gaming group a hwile back so I'm doing without any gamer input on this. No idea how much you'd get paid as yet-- at the very least you'd get contributor copies.
Also, since this is for publication, I'm very sensitive about the OGL-- I cannot, even in this thread, refer to anything other than OGC.

Thanks!

 

[Quickleaf]

Charles, I really liked your stuff.

The character flaws are pretty well done.

I think I'm having trouble understanding the Character Point system however. From the looks of your chart a 1st-level character gets 2 feats AND 10 character points. Later you state that a feat costs 2 CP. I must be misreading something or else you must have miswritten something, cause this would lead to PCs with 7 feats at first level!

 

[Charles Gray]

Charles, I really liked your stuff.

The character flaws are pretty well done.

I think I'm having trouble understanding the Character Point system however. From the looks of your chart a 1st-level character gets 2 feats AND 10 character points. Later you state that a feat costs 2 CP. I must be misreading something or else you must have miswritten something, cause this would lead to PCs with 7 feats at first level!

heh-- well the character flaws are largely from the OGC, with some changes-- mainly I dropped most of the "social flaws" since in every game I've been in, they tend to create more problems then they solve-- the flaws I have are those that are beyond the characters direct control.
As for the CP system, you get 10 CP's at first level, in addition to the feats and stat increases you get as per the basic system-- so a human would get the two feats. (On the other hand, I might drop that-- the human's extra "feat benny" would jsut be something he bought with the points that were'nt going to some special racial skill). Now, as to the seven feats, remember, that everything gets paid for via the cps. You HAVE to have (and i should remember to put this in), hit points and some level of skills.
So (and we're assuming all stat points have been purchased, leaving us with 10 points left over), our character decides to go with a D8 hit dice, +1 BAB, and 6+int skill points. That equals out: 2+3+1.5= 6.5 CP's, leaving him with 3.5 CP's. If he wanted to have two +1 saves, then that would bounce it up to 8.5CP, leaving him with no room for any feats. That amount could be banked for future use.

Two other things limit feats-- first of all the maximum BAB tends to work against grabbing lots of combat feats (the most unbalancing, IMHO), because no matter how you try it, you have to be of a certain level to have a certain BAB, and even if you're at the leavel, it's a very expensive proposition.
Secondly, because class features are now being bought as feats for 2 CP, there is a lot more to buy-- so remember that somone wanting to be a barbarian, for example, isnt' getting those class abilities "for free".
Thanks for your comments-- you've already given me some things to change in the draft.
Thanks!

 

[Quickleaf]

Cool!

The example I had in mind when I replied to your post was the Mounted Combat series of feats. In your system as it was, you could take Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery, Ride-by-Attack, Spirited Charge, and Trample at 1st level! Good luck with the project!

 

[Charles Gray]

The big barrier to that is the rule against purchasing feats that have pre-reqa at the same levle you get the pre-reqs. So, for example, you could get Mounted combat at first level, but not that and Mounted Archery, as mounted archery requires mounted combat to be taken.
That of course doens't solve the problem of grabbing a bunch of feats that share the same pre-req. I can see three possible alternatives.
1. Leave it up to the GM to handle. I've noted that super optomized characters find themselves often backed into a corner, because they can't do anything else. If everyone knows that character "X" is death in the saddle, it's hardly unfair to assume that they take some time preparing to catch him out of hte saddle.
2. limit the character to buying one feat of each general type per level-- one combat feat, one magic feat, etc. the "Free" level feat can be used however he wishes.
3. Add an extra charge to any purchasing of feats of the same type at the same levle-- say one extra CP, making every combat feat after the first purchased in the same level 3 CP.

when it goes to full playtest I'll probaly include all three options and ask people to test htem out-- I honestly don't know which would work best.

Thanks!