Ok. So we've talked a little about generating some basic stats for a character. The next step is skills. I have been thinking that skills might be best grouped in categories that link with a character class.
Mad Science Skills
Human Technology
Hybrid Technology
Alien Technology*
Jury Rigging
Repair
Psi Skills (Psi Witch)
Mind Reading / Telepathy
Future Prediction / Precognition
Retrocognition
Empathic Restoration
Psi Skills (Psi Warlock)
Telekinesis
Pyrokinesis
Psionic Shield
****
*****
Combat
Brawling
Fencing
Kung Fu
Melee (Axes, Spears)
Exotic (Whips, etc..)
Ranged Combat
Thrown Weapons
Archery
Pistols
Rifles
Machineguns
Starship
Piloting
Navigation
Sensors
Gunnery - Rockets and Missiles
Gunnery - Hybrid Machineguns
Gunnery - Cannon
Other groups might include a detective group, a social group, a scholar group.
I'm thinking that skills start with a value of zero. Each skill is governed by a related stat. Archery would be governed by the Agility stat. Even if a character has zero archery skill they would be able to at the very least get their one color die for their governing stat.
A class would grant a +1 to one broad group of skills or perhaps most of a group. Lets say that a class granted a +1 to the Combat group. Maybe the player gets three points that they can spend, one point each on three different skills in that group. So maybe a 1 point in Thrown Weapons, a 1 point in Pistols and a one point in Rifles.
Then I'm thinking there is a pool of free points that the player can spend on any category of skills they desire with a few exceptions. Psi skills would be restricted to playing a character of that particular class only.
Maybe there would be a Jack of All Trades sort of class that only gains a pool of points they can spend on anything except Psi skills.
What would keep everyone from playing JoT's to the exclusion of everything else except psionics?
I'm thinking that each class would have a special shtick it gained in the larger game play. A Fighter class of character might gain a bonus 1d6 to throw into any pool of dice they roll having to do with making an attack in combat. The JoT would have more flexability over the Fighter guy but he'd never hit as hard as the straight Fighter in combat.
The Dice Pool Idea
So we have this color die representing the stat related to a skill. Yes. I'm thinking the dice mechanics for this one die is different from the rest of the pool thus the reason for the difference in colors. I'm thinking the chance of success for your stat die is based on how many points you have in that stat. See below:
1 point in the Stat = Success on a 6
2 points in a Stat = Success on a 5 or 6
3 points in a Stat = Success on a 4,5 or 6
4 points in a Stat = Success on a 3, 4, 5 or 6.
This is where that higher stat becomes really powerful in the game mechanic. An agility of three insures that the character generates at least one success when rolling an attack fifty percent of the time when using say a bow or pistol.
The success of the stat die in the pool is completely independent of the difficulty of the particular task. It is what brings in the campy, pulpy feel to the game. Having a high strength or agility means you are going to be hitting a fair amount even when you only have a small amount of skill.
The Rest of the Pool
The rest of the dice in the pool are subject to the ups and downs of the situation. I'm thinking in combat that most attacks face a base difficulty of needing to roll a 5 or 6 on each 1d6 being rolled. A character with an Agility of 3 and a Pistol skill of 2 would roll 1 (red) die needing to roll a 4,5 or 6 and 2 (white) dice needing to roll a 5 or 6 at the base to gain a success.
Hitting = Damage
Weapons are rated with a damage multiplier for figuring damage. A single handed sword may have a damage multiplier of 2. A revolver might also have a damage multiplier of 2. If you roll a single success with your pool you would inflict 2 damage against the target. If you rolled three successes you would inflict six damage versus the target. 1 success x 2 damage for the pistol = 2. 3 successes x 2 damage for the pistol = 6 damage.
Life
A character's Body score determines their starting life points. A character with a Body score of 1 begins with 5 life points. A character with a Body score of 2 begins with 10 life points. Characters gain additional life points as they advance in level but these are a set quantity based upon their character class. A Mad Scientist may only gain 2 additional Life Points at each level of advancement while a Mercenary might gain 3 additional Life Points per level. Likely the Psi talents, the Witch and the Warlock will suck it up the worst when it comes to additional life points per level, possibly only gaining a single additional life point at each level of advancement.
These are just concepts and ideas I am trying to get out of my brain and into notes here. More to come but probably not until later in the week.
-Ed
Ed, have you considered a career path in character generation like they use in the old Traveler game? A 1940's spin in those could be fun and make for interesting characters.
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