Arena muhahahahaha

[Abishai]

Yeah, it would work pretty damn well for just about any situation wouldn't it? I think we'd have to think up a few other skills though for actual rping and not just arenas.

Just thought of another magic that made sense for monks to have. . . telekinesis.

1 wil x spell level = maximum weight that can be picked up and/or thrown
2 wil x spell level x 5
3 wil x spell level x 10
4 wil x spell level x 20
5 wil x spell level x 40


Throwing the object involves using a wisdom and spell level check against opponents dex and dodge

Okay, I stole most of these from the wheel of time rpg but I think that the stats will work fine. If not they can always be adjusted. Some of them already have been. . . .

Weapons

unarmed 2 damage (throws 4)
dagger 4 damage (throw 10 ft per point in ranged weapons)
light mace 6 damage
sickle 6 damage
club 6 damage
javelin 6 damage (20 ft)
hand axe 6
short sword 6
quarter staff 6
rapier 6 (can use dex for "to hit")
scimitar 6
heavy mace 8
morning star 8
battle axe 8
longsword 8
warhammer 8
bill 8
pike 8
scythe 8
great club 10
poleaxe 10
great sword 10
hafted axe 12

small bow 6 (80 ft)
long bow 8 ( 120ft)
light crossbow 8 (60 ft)
heavy crossbow 10 (90 ft)

With armor I'm suggesting that the armor rating is added to constitution when figuring out damage. So Grog is hit with a great club, his opponents strength is 5 thus dealing a total of 15 possible damage. Grog has on armor offering only one point of defense, and he has a constitution of six. Thus he takes eight points of damage. 15 - (1 + 6) = 8 Armor also will affect the amount of dexterity you have. So, with heavy armor on you won't be using martial arts or dodging out of somebodies way. You'll have to decide what is important.

Armor

Padded 1 def 8 max dex
Leather 2 def 6 max dex
Studded Leather 3, 5
Mail shirt 4,4

Hide 3, 4
Brigandine shirt 4,3
Full mail 5,2
Breastplate 5,3

Full brigandine 6,0
Bonded mail 6,1
Plate and mail 7,0
Full plate 8,1

Shields

Buckler 1 def
small shield (wood or metal) 1 def
large shield (wood or metal) 2 def

I'm still working on prices for everything. I do have an exp chart for advancing charecters though. . . .

Extra HP can be earned upon reaching 20, 50, 90, 140, 200. . . exp the amount of extra HP is equal to your constitution.

Rasing magic levels will cost 10 points for the first level, and 7 x the current rating for every other level.

Example: Rax, a monk has two points in Mind magic and wants to buy a point in Body. He will have to spend ten exp to do so. If he were to instead pay for another point in Mind he would have to pay 14 exp. Level 2 x seven = 14 exp.

Skills (marital arts being the exception) wll cost two points for the first level, each additional point will cost 3 x the current rating.

Martial Arts will cost four points for the initial level, and each additional will cost five x the current rating

All traits (str, dex, con. . . .) will cost 5 x the current rating to raise.

This should work out evenly for the different classes.

Oh, last thing here. . . for when you make your charecter. Starting equipment for the classes.

Mage- padded armor, quarterstaff
Cleric- leather armor, club
Monk- padded armor, quarterstaff
Fighter- studded leather, short sword

I still have to iron out a money system for buying weapons, armor, and other commodities.

[Jalathas]

How do I know what weapons I can have?

[BugHunter]

this looks interesting. I'll have to read the large posts at some point though... been busy, sry

[Abishai]

I think any class should be able to use any weapons, it's just a matter of being able to afford them, and then to use them. In the begining you only have so many skill points to use. If you use them for dodge and brawl, you obviously are only going to be good at using your hands. If you chose melee then you will be good at using any melee type weapon. . . ranged weapons includes all weapons that have a range increment listed with them (daggers, javelin, bows. . . . )

I don't think I mentioned it before but I also wanted to put a cap on the max skill level that fighters could purchase at first. I'm thinking that 3 points would be more than enough to give then an edge; 3 points in a weapon type with 2 points in dodge makes for a pretty decent starting charecter. One that will smoke just about any other starting charecter. . .

[Cobra5]

Personally, I like the system something liek baldurs gate. Instead of general "Weapon proficient", where you can use any weapons you want with relativly equal skill (or perhaps one or two that your are proficient in), there should be a list of all the weapon styles, which you point points into. You can use a weapon which you are not proficient in, however, you do so with penalties (after all, even if you don't know how to fight with a sword, its not that hard to poke stuff with the pointy end, is it?)

Like, for example, some of the proficiency styles could be stuff like "Swords" and "Staffs" and "Maces" and "Pole Weapons"... or you could be more technical and go "Short swords" "Long Swords" "Bastard Swords" "Two handed swords" "Quater Staffs" "Full Staffs" "Pole Axes" "Spears" etc...

I like it better that way, plus I'd say its more realistic. On the other hand, its a bit more complex.

Proficiency should affect damage (like +1 damage per level or something), and perhaps cirtain higher-level skills might require a cirtain levels (for example, "Cleave" might need level 3 in any edged weapon)

[Abishai]

Okay how's about this: For every point of your "to hit" that exceeds your opponents dodge you deal an extra point of damage.

Example:

Chris has str 5 and ranged weapons 5 he shoots a longbow at Jon who has dodge 3 and dex 5. Chris has a total rating of 10, Jon's total rating is 8. Thus, 10 - 8 = a hit and two extra points of damage.

The only problem I see with breaking down the skills into subgroups is that several weapons are more than a little similar to fight with. Others are completely different even within the same grouping. Look at swords, fighting with a rapier is completely different than fighting with say a broadsword. . . .

[Cobra5]

Well, thats what I mean. I like it to be broken down in to general styles. Weapons that are used simalarly should be a single group. Rapiers would probably be their own group, since they're style is pretty unique. Like a Scythe, as well. But broad swords and Long swords, for example, are used pretty much the same, and would be the same class.

As for the hit, what if your 'to hit' is lower then the enemies dodge?

[Abishai]

Then it's an all out miss. Your opponent is just to agile for you to hit. You'd better hope that you're just as hard to hit.

Allright, you have the idea. . . go ahead and break the weapons down how you see fit. I'm still trying to figure out a damn money system anyhow. . .

As far as earning exp I'm leaning towards 2 pts for winning an arena, 1 pt for participating. If we make an actual rpg out of it we can give exp for killing npc's as well as for role playing in accordance with the charecter's profile.

Example:

A fighter with int 2 and wis 2 isn't likely to come up with a plausible plan for stealing an artifact of power from a powerful mage.

Also, willpower does not seem like too big of a deal for charecters, however it influences how easily you are pushed around or swayed. High willpower means that you are set in your ways or stubborn, while low willpower typically means you let others form your opinions for you.

[Cobra5]

But if youre 'to hit' is too low to strike your opponent, then you're totally incabable of fighting that person? Unless we include some kind of method for randomness... but thats not easy.

Perhaps there should be a skill that raises a person's to-hit rating at the sacrifice of somethign else (such as... damage? dodge?) Just so that every character will at least have a chance to strike the others.

Or, every fighter-type person should have a to-hit rating high enough to hit any target he could hope to face (so the to-hit serves only as damage addition), while Mages and other non-physical classes find that some targets they can fight and others they plain can't.

As for the list of weapon types, sure, I'll make a list, but I'm in the middle of school right now so I can't do it this second.

[Abishai]

Here's the deal ;D fighter's that decide to increase their stats to deal extra damage, and increase their chances to hit do so by lowering their stats against magic. Magicians that raise their stats to hit with magic and to increase magic damage do so at the expense of other fighting capabilities.

So, while a fighter may be able to tear apart a starting cleric or monk, he'll meet his match with a starting mage.

Example: mage vs fighter

(mage)
str 1
dex 2
con 2
int 6
wis 6
wil 3

water 2

spellcraft 2

To hit with a spell 6 + 2 = 8

2nd level spell damage 6

(fighter)
str 5
dex 4
con 4
int 2
wis 3
wil 2

melee (broken down however you decide) 3
dodge 2

To avoid the spell the fighter would use wis 3 + dodge 2 oops only 5 points, it's a hit. As most battles will probably start out at more than 20 feet apart. . .

mage casts spell inflicting 6 damage + 3 additional(hell if for melee might as well do the same for magic, right)

fighter runs towards the mage hoping to get to him/her in time. . . .

mage casts again killing the poor fighter before he had the time to do anything. . . oh, poor little fighter.

Clerics and Monks should have fairly balanced charecters due to the fact that they are warriors as well as magic users. This at first makes them kind of mediocre at best. The longer you play one however. . . .

Monk (Mind 5) vs. Fighter, Mage, Cleric

"impale yourself", "target highest level spell you have on yourself", "beat yourself to death"

Are you regretting that low willpower score yet?

[Abishai]

Okay, here's a list of skills other than the combat ones. . . .

animal empathy: use it to calm a bear or the like
balance
bluff
climb
craft various. . . .
deciper script
disable device
disguise
escape artist
forgery
handle animal (training)
medicine
hide
innuendo
intimidate
jump
knowledge various. . . .
alertness (all of your senses, how well you pay attention)
stealth
open lock
perform
pick pocket
read lips
ride
languages
swim
tumble
use rope
survival
empathy
leadership
gather info
subterfuge
instruction (how well you can teach others)
interrogation
mimicry
seduction
ventriloquism
torture
blacksmith
weaponsmith
boyer (sp) (bow making)/fletcher (arrow making)

Mage 4
Cleric 5
Monk 5
Fighter 8

Skill points to be used when creating a charecter instead of the ones posted earlier. . . . that way a fighter can be morphed into a thief just as easily. . . also bear in mind that no skill can start higher than 3

[Abishai]

Money System:

1 copper will buy you the equvilant of a single candle
1 silver will buy a dog, chicken. . . .
1 gold will buy a simple weapon
1 platinum will buy a very simple magical weapon

1 platinum = 100 gold
1 gold = 10 silver
1 silver = 10 copper

I also just devised a few other magics, these are for charecters who want to have a bard type charecter.

Mental music

1. fascinate: reduces opponents ability to see and hear as long as you continue to play. (makes it easier for your buddies to sneak up and get an extra attack or two in)
2. distraction: distract your enemy with a feat of legerdemain (pick pocket skill) for every 2 points above opponents int + alertness you gain +1 bonus to attack during the next round
3. jarring song: a melody that works only against spell casters subtracting the number of points equal to int + perform skill from opponents magical attacks for the next (level in mental music) turns.
4. limited invisibility: invisible as long as you remain stationary (your music is silent, but must still be played), opponents need an extra 6 to hit you.
5. mental slave: identical to Mind level 5

Inspire

1. +1 to skills for 1 person
2. +2 to skills for 1 person or +1 to 2 people
3. +3, +2, +1
4. +4, +3, +2, +1
5. +5, +4, +3, +2, +1

The bouses last for as long as you continue to play. If you stop for any reason, the bonuses are lost.

A few side notes here:

Cobra and I decided to just make melee the skill instead of dividing it up.

I like the idea of being able to multi-class so when a mage is able to buy another rank in spells, he doesn't have to pick air, earth, fire, or water. He could pick something like Mind as long as it's feasible that he could have learned it. (a monk in the group has it at the level he just aquired or higher. . . .)

[Abishai]

A few more types of magic for those inclined to purchase them ater. These would be for a ranger type class I suppose.

animal mastery

1. animal speach: communicate with one animal
2. group animal speach: speak with a number of animals equal to your int rating
3. greater animal speach: speak with all animals in immediate area
4. call animals: summon a particular type of animal or summon all types of animals in a given area. The number that show up is equal to int + animal empathy. The creatures will not attack you, but they will also not attack your enemy right away. Any actions that they take will have to be rped.
5. command animals: wis + animal empathy = the number of animals that this works on.

Nature's spies

1. mental link: establish a mental connection with a number of creatures up to spell level + animal empathy
2. shared vision: share vision with one mental linked animal
3. vision/hearing: vision and hearing shared with 2 linked animals
4. vision/hearing/smell: shared with 5 linked animals
5. all senses shared with 10 animals.

Each animal is distinct and the effects do not overlap. So, even with 10 creatures, a charecter will not confuse locations ect. . . .

The range on this is equal to a wis + int radius that moves with the spell caster.

Another note. . . . change Holy 5 to resurect insead of inflicting damage.

[Abishai]

Okay, I'm not sure if this is still being read or not. If it is, great. If not, well. . . that sucks.

Anyhow, I came up with a premise for a rpg using charecters developed under the aforementioned format.

Basic story line will be this:

The mysical land of Gannesh is ruled, and has been ruled, by dragons for centuries. In the last 100 years devastation has occured due to dragon lords fighting for control of vast mining regions, hunting grounds, and other valuable resources. The devastation that is being inflincted is intollerable and must be stopped. The dragons need to be sent elsewhere, or killed. This is not an easy task as they are after all dragons. These dragons also are Lords, with vast armies and intelligence networks that have agents everywhere. Thus, your quest will be made much more difficult than simply running out, killing a dragon, and coming home for dinner.

[Jalathas]

I despise you. Everyone here muts be psionicly bonded to me or something, because you all steal my ideas.