Critique my rules efforts (Lifepath)

[ghelmberger]

In putting together my fantasy game (more information can be found here) I've decided to cobble together some new systems to supplement what's in the basic book. Since I really like life paths, I decided to come up with a system to do that for my game. Here's the beginning of it. There will be a lot more after that too, but I wanted to check with people smarter than me about the mechanical bonuses/penalties I was giving out. Are they too strong? Too weak to matter? Any guidance would be helpful.

Ignore the last table; obviously that section isn't done yet. :-)

[NickMiddleton]

In putting together my fantasy game (more information can be found here) I've decided to cobble together some new systems to supplement what's in the basic book. Since I really like life paths, I decided to come up with a system to do that for my game. Here's the beginning of it. There will be a lot more after that too, but I wanted to check with people smarter than me about the mechanical bonuses/penalties I was giving out. Are they too strong? Too weak to matter? Any guidance would be helpful.

Ignore the last table; obviously that section isn't done yet. :-)

Frantically busy at the moment. Feel free to look at this or the tweaked version in this for another take on the idea and I'll try and find some time this weekend to comment on your stuff. Ditto with regards to the setting stuff.

Cheers,

Nick

[ghelmberger]

One relevant piece of information I neglected to add was that the game will be starting out a little stronger than Heroic and moving up into Epic with experience and other systems I intend to put in place (an Advantage/Disadvantage system, a Renown system that allows characters to increase attributes and abilities, and a modified Allegiance system that gives mechanical and social benefits).

[frogspawner]

Those Birth Omen stories are great!

The bonuses seem trivial, though, and don't do them justice. Maybe something like +30% instead? Alternatively, perhaps the 'Nature of Birth Omens' table could give a multiplier to the Effect bonus: Unexceptional x1, good/poor x2, positive/ominous x3, magnificent/dire x5?

The Dominating Influences could be interesting, but essentially just +1 on a random stat: Roll it, add it on, forget it. Meh. Now, if you had to choose your influence, and maybe got tattooed accordingly and made a social commitment that'd have repercussions later (i.e. it reflected your upbringing/attitudes, rather than just birth-day), that'd give them the importance they deserve. And make them more useful. Perhaps the range could be expanded, too?

Good start!

[Thalaba]

Those Birth Omen stories are great!

Agreed - your setting is off to a great start.

The bonuses seem trivial, though, and don't do them justice. Maybe something like +30% instead?

<raises eyebrow like Spock being asked to dance in a bar>

I wouldn't go higher than 10% - I think that's plenty generous. I'm sure you've got way more things still to happen in the lifepath. You've got to think about all the cumulative skill gains. When the life path is through, what's the maximum you want to give to someone if they consistently get a bonus to riding? If you gave 30% on the omens table, and 30% on the childhood table, and 30% on the teen table, and then the guy stacked it full, he might have a hell of a lot of skill in ride. I think the trick is to finish the whole lifepath and then go through it randomly several times to get a sense of what's average, but also go through it with a min-maxing eye to see if this pushes the boundaries too much.

BTW have you seen Artesia's life path? I really enjoyed that one and would recommend it as a model.

[ghelmberger]

Those Birth Omen stories are great!

The bonuses seem trivial, though, and don't do them justice. Maybe something like +30% instead? Alternatively, perhaps the 'Nature of Birth Omens' table could give a multiplier to the Effect bonus: Unexceptional x1, good/poor x2, positive/ominous x3, magnificent/dire x5?

The Dominating Influences could be interesting, but essentially just +1 on a random stat: Roll it, add it on, forget it. Meh. Now, if you had to choose your influence, and maybe got tattooed accordingly and made a social commitment that'd have repercussions later (i.e. it reflected your upbringing/attitudes, rather than just birth-day), that'd give them the importance they deserve. And make them more useful. Perhaps the range could be expanded, too?

Good start!

The Birth Omen table is just the first part of the process (though it's the only part I have done). There will also be a steps for generating family status, childhood events, and for events of each of the previous five years of the character's life, with incremental bonuses along the way to stats, skills, other abilities (I'm putting together an Advantages/Disadvantages system) or equipment. My target when I'm done is to give an average character another 50-75 or so points and a couple of stat bonuses as well as some things that can influence their social aspects (though of course if you have truly bad luck going through the tables you might get less, or even end up gimped -- GM discretion must prevail, I think) and maybe an exceptional bit of gear or two. I was going to use the Dominating Influences in the Allegiance system I'm putting together but I can certainly look at expanding the role of it.

[ghelmberger]

BTW have you seen Artesia's life path? I really enjoyed that one and would recommend it as a model.

I have, and that is exactly what I'm using as a model.

[ghelmberger]

One thing I wasn't at all sure about was how to balance Luck and Idea roll bonuses/penalties with skill bonuses/penalties. I gave them +/-5% and skills generally +/-10%, but I'm curious what people think about that. Skills can be raised relatively easily, but your Luck and Idea rolls are fixed (again though my Advantage/Disadvantage and Renown systems will allow them to be moved up or down).

[Thalaba]

One thing I wasn't at all sure about was how to balance Luck and Idea roll bonuses/penalties with skill bonuses/penalties. I gave them +/-5% and skills generally +/-10%, but I'm curious what people think about that. Skills can be raised relatively easily, but your Luck and Idea rolls are fixed (again though my Advantage/Disadvantage and Renown systems will allow them to be moved up or down).

For what it's worth, I tend to restrict luck rolls more than usual because I don't think luck should be a factor in player's decision-making. I keep luck at POWx1%. In terms of your system, I might allow a +10% bonus once, somewhere along the lifepath in a rare place (like a star sign), but no more than that. As I recall from the rules, a luck roll can be made to hit an opponent in utter darkness instead of a weapon skill, for instance. It seems to me that this chance should be very low.

As far as Idea rolls go, I only use them in one instance - when I think the character would know something the player doesn't, or would remember a previously known fact that the player can't. Otherwise I have little use for them.

Remember that you will give giving and taking away characteristics already. In light of this, giving bonus or penalty to 'idea' rolls and other characteristic rolls is probably redundant.

Thalaba