Post by Nygil, Nickolie on Mar 21, 2012 3:02:44 GMT -5
We have worked a good deal of next years game out so far. Below is an explanation of what we have figured out for the mechanics for it.
We will be playing a single massive, subdivided game, in much the same style as past years. There will be a good number of improvements however. First and most notable is that we will be switching over to Pathfinder. Pathfinder is a system that took the best of DnD 3.5 and worked forward from there, instead of playing 3.5, we will be playing what many call 3.75.
With that in mind, they have a SRD for Pathfinder, so all the information is free and right there online for you. We will only be allowing use of official materials, so no 3rd party, or 3.5 adaptations. More details on this will be made clear later, such as a banned list and any exception we will allow.
Another change we will be making is giving you a more static world to work in, so you can develop the world around you, and interact with the same NPC's more than once. This game will be set in a home-brew world put together by the DM's before the year begins. In this world each of the PC's will be a member of an adventuring guild that spans several peaceful (ish) bordering nations.
As with years past you can come and go as you'd like with little or no loss of missing a day, and rewards for good RP, clever choices, and sportsmanship. Likewise, as in years past you can come late, leave early and not be punished for it in anyway.
Unlike the past this game will only run until Christmas break. You will start out as a level three character, and reach level 10 by the end of the campaign. After the break we will be running something else, though an option will be made to port over your PC if you'd really like to.
As with before you will level up on set days, and also get gp from the guild on set days. Your items will be limited, as a new quest based shop system will be used, where you can only buy from stores you've found (you being any PC), and once you unlock a store it's inventory will be posted.
On that note, we will be making more use of the forum to grant information and will be putting more work in to details, and keeping it organized. The site is a great tool for all of use, it simply needs to be put to better use.
There has been trouble with PC death, and re-rolling new PC's in the past. For death we have a system of rewarding players with a 'coin' that will take the form of a poker chip, that can be traded in for a free resurrection, and if the PC has no coin, 5000gp comes out of their next guild pay check to cover for it. It is a simple loss of money, but can be avoided by gaining these coins.
As for re-rolling, we are going to go with a simple system there as well. In order to drop what you have and start something new you must simply have a good proposal and bring it to Brent, or myself. If we agree with you, then you can make a new PC, if not... well then you can't. This means if your reason is good you will have no trouble fixing what ever trouble you have, if you are just re-re-rolling every other game to try new things that will get old quick and you will be stuck with what you have.
As for our story for the game, those details will come later, but simply put you are in a guild because it pays well, is safer than working alone and it's not legal to work otherwise. This means you are not limited in anyway but your character should be able to work with other knowing that it will earn him great wealth and/or is for the greater good.
We will use max HP at each level again, and a point buy system for ability scores. We will also have an option open to spend XP (not needed to level up), in order to make small changes to your PC, or to gain special guild benefits. XP will be handed for a number of reasons, but number one on that list will be sportsmanship, followed closely by not meta-gaming, playing clever, and good role playing.
There will be no magic item crafting by the PC's, that said each mission will have a small set amount of down time between it and the next mission. The game will have a built in teleport system in it, but also much walking will be needed, so keep in mind that a great deal of time may pass.
As for questing handing out, in our story it will be handed out by high ranking guild members, each controlled by a set DM. They will come in the form of jobs, cries for help and contracts, but the players will not get to pick (fight and bicker) over parties. Instead the DM's get final say in who goes in what group, though some feedback will be gladly taken.
There is a good deal more to come, but for now this sums up nicely what we have worked out so far.
We will be playing a single massive, subdivided game, in much the same style as past years. There will be a good number of improvements however. First and most notable is that we will be switching over to Pathfinder. Pathfinder is a system that took the best of DnD 3.5 and worked forward from there, instead of playing 3.5, we will be playing what many call 3.75.
With that in mind, they have a SRD for Pathfinder, so all the information is free and right there online for you. We will only be allowing use of official materials, so no 3rd party, or 3.5 adaptations. More details on this will be made clear later, such as a banned list and any exception we will allow.
Another change we will be making is giving you a more static world to work in, so you can develop the world around you, and interact with the same NPC's more than once. This game will be set in a home-brew world put together by the DM's before the year begins. In this world each of the PC's will be a member of an adventuring guild that spans several peaceful (ish) bordering nations.
As with years past you can come and go as you'd like with little or no loss of missing a day, and rewards for good RP, clever choices, and sportsmanship. Likewise, as in years past you can come late, leave early and not be punished for it in anyway.
Unlike the past this game will only run until Christmas break. You will start out as a level three character, and reach level 10 by the end of the campaign. After the break we will be running something else, though an option will be made to port over your PC if you'd really like to.
As with before you will level up on set days, and also get gp from the guild on set days. Your items will be limited, as a new quest based shop system will be used, where you can only buy from stores you've found (you being any PC), and once you unlock a store it's inventory will be posted.
On that note, we will be making more use of the forum to grant information and will be putting more work in to details, and keeping it organized. The site is a great tool for all of use, it simply needs to be put to better use.
There has been trouble with PC death, and re-rolling new PC's in the past. For death we have a system of rewarding players with a 'coin' that will take the form of a poker chip, that can be traded in for a free resurrection, and if the PC has no coin, 5000gp comes out of their next guild pay check to cover for it. It is a simple loss of money, but can be avoided by gaining these coins.
As for re-rolling, we are going to go with a simple system there as well. In order to drop what you have and start something new you must simply have a good proposal and bring it to Brent, or myself. If we agree with you, then you can make a new PC, if not... well then you can't. This means if your reason is good you will have no trouble fixing what ever trouble you have, if you are just re-re-rolling every other game to try new things that will get old quick and you will be stuck with what you have.
As for our story for the game, those details will come later, but simply put you are in a guild because it pays well, is safer than working alone and it's not legal to work otherwise. This means you are not limited in anyway but your character should be able to work with other knowing that it will earn him great wealth and/or is for the greater good.
We will use max HP at each level again, and a point buy system for ability scores. We will also have an option open to spend XP (not needed to level up), in order to make small changes to your PC, or to gain special guild benefits. XP will be handed for a number of reasons, but number one on that list will be sportsmanship, followed closely by not meta-gaming, playing clever, and good role playing.
There will be no magic item crafting by the PC's, that said each mission will have a small set amount of down time between it and the next mission. The game will have a built in teleport system in it, but also much walking will be needed, so keep in mind that a great deal of time may pass.
As for questing handing out, in our story it will be handed out by high ranking guild members, each controlled by a set DM. They will come in the form of jobs, cries for help and contracts, but the players will not get to pick (fight and bicker) over parties. Instead the DM's get final say in who goes in what group, though some feedback will be gladly taken.
There is a good deal more to come, but for now this sums up nicely what we have worked out so far.