Templates ala Dragon Earth
In this series I’ll be adapting Magecraft’s Class Construction System to a GURPS style template system. Why? Because you can. Compare the two side by side sometime and you’ll see what I mean.
In any case, We’re starting off with racial templates and characteristics.
In this scheme of things each race is represented by a template. A collection of abilities, disabilities, and traits typical of a race. With opitional attributes that could be added to differentiate members of a particular race. Such features as the human’s extra feat, or the elven bonus to dexterity are examples of a trait found in a racial template.
For the first installment we’ll be looking at characteristics. We start with the standard racial modifiers.
Dwarf: +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma.
Elf: +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution.
Gnome: +2 Constitution, –2 Strength.
Half-orc: +2 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma.
Halfling:+2 Dexterity, –2 Strength.
You’ll note that I didn’t list Humans and Half-elves, since they have no modifier to characteristics.
Here characteristics are point based. The base characteristic value is 10, modified by the racial template. To raise a characteristic to a higher value costs points. Lowering it provides points. This on a one for one basis. So a charisma of 10 for a dwarf or half-orc would cost two points, but be free for any other race.
It also effects racial template cost. Every plus to a characteristic adds one point to the cost of the template. Every minus to a characteristic subtracts one point from the cost of the template. You’ll note that with the exception of the half-orc the plusses and minuses balance out. So when it comes to characteristics only the half-orc has a modifier to the cost of the template, and that a -2. An extra two points that could be used when choosing between occupational and conditional templates, or adding additional skills and abilities to individualize a character.
Background: What I’m doing here is creating a scheme whereby those who play in the Dragon Earth setting can play at different power levels. Ranging from 50 point ‘ordinaries’ to very high point near deities. I’m hoping to keep the cost of racial templates low so one could play an ordinary dwarf or gnome with an ordinary occupation. A sort of everyman campaign where people much like you or I find themselves doing extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances. But, it will need tweaking.
For example, how would you price characteristics? Should it be linear all the way up, or should there be break points at which the cost changes up or down. And where should the break points be? The first 8 points above the base I’m thinking a cost of one point each. The next four points to a characteristic would cost two points each, the next four three points each, the next two three points each, then each point added to a characteristic would cost the price of the characteristic additon below it plus one.
Or, for a race with a base characteristic value of 10:
10: Free
11: one point
12: two points
13: three points
14: four points
15: five points
16: six points
17: seven points
18: eight points
19: ten points
20: twelve points
21: fourteen points
22: sixteen points
23: 19 points
24: 22 points
25: 26 points
26: 31 points
27: 37 points.
and so on and so forth.
Obviously, the scheme would vary according to the base value, so an elf with a base dexterity of 12 could have a Dex of 22 for a price of twelve points.
Which means I ‘ll probably have to rethink the value of the characteristics modifiers. How does 5 points where template cost is concerned per point adjustment sound?
I’ll stop there, this has gotten long and disorganized enough (
). Your thoughts?
In this series I’ll be adapting Magecraft’s Class Construction System to a GURPS style template system. Why? Because you can. Compare the two side by side sometime and you’ll see what I mean.
In any case, We’re starting off with racial templates and characteristics.
In this scheme of things each race is represented by a template. A collection of abilities, disabilities, and traits typical of a race. With opitional attributes that could be added to differentiate members of a particular race. Such features as the human’s extra feat, or the elven bonus to dexterity are examples of a trait found in a racial template.
For the first installment we’ll be looking at characteristics. We start with the standard racial modifiers.
Dwarf: +2 Constitution, –2 Charisma.
Elf: +2 Dexterity, –2 Constitution.
Gnome: +2 Constitution, –2 Strength.
Half-orc: +2 Strength, –2 Intelligence, –2 Charisma.
Halfling:+2 Dexterity, –2 Strength.
You’ll note that I didn’t list Humans and Half-elves, since they have no modifier to characteristics.
Here characteristics are point based. The base characteristic value is 10, modified by the racial template. To raise a characteristic to a higher value costs points. Lowering it provides points. This on a one for one basis. So a charisma of 10 for a dwarf or half-orc would cost two points, but be free for any other race.
It also effects racial template cost. Every plus to a characteristic adds one point to the cost of the template. Every minus to a characteristic subtracts one point from the cost of the template. You’ll note that with the exception of the half-orc the plusses and minuses balance out. So when it comes to characteristics only the half-orc has a modifier to the cost of the template, and that a -2. An extra two points that could be used when choosing between occupational and conditional templates, or adding additional skills and abilities to individualize a character.
Background: What I’m doing here is creating a scheme whereby those who play in the Dragon Earth setting can play at different power levels. Ranging from 50 point ‘ordinaries’ to very high point near deities. I’m hoping to keep the cost of racial templates low so one could play an ordinary dwarf or gnome with an ordinary occupation. A sort of everyman campaign where people much like you or I find themselves doing extraordinary things in extraordinary circumstances. But, it will need tweaking.
For example, how would you price characteristics? Should it be linear all the way up, or should there be break points at which the cost changes up or down. And where should the break points be? The first 8 points above the base I’m thinking a cost of one point each. The next four points to a characteristic would cost two points each, the next four three points each, the next two three points each, then each point added to a characteristic would cost the price of the characteristic additon below it plus one.
Or, for a race with a base characteristic value of 10:
10: Free
11: one point
12: two points
13: three points
14: four points
15: five points
16: six points
17: seven points
18: eight points
19: ten points
20: twelve points
21: fourteen points
22: sixteen points
23: 19 points
24: 22 points
25: 26 points
26: 31 points
27: 37 points.
and so on and so forth.
Obviously, the scheme would vary according to the base value, so an elf with a base dexterity of 12 could have a Dex of 22 for a price of twelve points.
Which means I ‘ll probably have to rethink the value of the characteristics modifiers. How does 5 points where template cost is concerned per point adjustment sound?
I’ll stop there, this has gotten long and disorganized enough (
). Your thoughts?
