I really liked the idea of spending XP to allow a better roll, but I wonder if LUCK rolls are not suposed to do the same. I'd fear that XP would be transformed in a secondary characteristic. I think that incrementing Ability Scores is costly in order to avoid players only spending points in SKILL, so Heroes must get better at their Special Skills.
Statistics: Posted by dcpchamber — Tue Nov 01, 2016 11:33 am
I am a little skeptical about allowing XP advancement in AFF2. What have your experiences been? Have players always gone for the Skill characteristic, or do they put XP into different things? What alternatives have you used?
One option that I thought about was just giving out 6-8 experience points per adventure and, instead of increasing your attributes permanently, you just spend experience points to increase any roll by +1. So if you have 5 experience points and you roll a 6 during the game, you can spend one to increase your roll to a 7 (reducing your experience point pool to 4).
The second option I thought of was just to allow experience points to increase Special Skills and learn new Spells (and not the main characteristics or talents). This way, you could also simplify the math and give out 5 experience points (instead of 50 XP) after each adventure. Spells would cost a number of experience points equal to their Magic Point cost and Special Skills would cost 2 XP for new skills and 1 XP per new score value after that (so increasing a Special Skill from 4 to 5 would cost 5 XP).
Or you could combine both methods, and allow players to choose how they use their XP. What do you think?
Statistics: Posted by Baldrick — Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:58 am
When we left our intrepid adventurer, he was checking out a prisoner in a cell, whose description (or, at least, the description of his clothing) seemed to match with our knowledge of the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star (Banedon TM).
Having said that, its like arguing that wearing a Metallica t-shirt means that the wearer has an intricate knowledge of the bass riffs of Orion.
Have a listen, I’ll wait.
We’re back? Good.
With all those considerations in mind, I take a deep breath and open the door to the cell…
The inhabitant of the cell gets some bonus points for having his first words be ‘Upon my soul, a Kai Lord!’)
Aside : I guess the green cloak once more earns its keep.
The man then introduces himself as Loi-Kymar from the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star (called it!) and produces a Crystal Star pendant as proof of his identity.
Aside : I hope this doesn’t mean that Banedon, from Book 1, having given his pendant to me, now has no effective means of identification. Oh well, his tough luck, I suppose
Vonotar – remember him? didn’t successfully guarantee a complete invasion of Sommerlund.
Fearing the wrath of the Darklords, he paid a ‘visit’ to Loi-Kymar, demanding the use of his Guildstaff, which device could transport the bearer to anywhere in the world.
Vonotar threatened Loi-Kymar’s family, and as a twisted ‘compromise’, Loi-Kymar brought him here, without giving up the secret of the staff.
Loi-Kymar, no fool, has refused to give up the general secret of the Guildstaff, since Vonotar would kill him about three seconds after such a revelation.
Loi-Kymar states that, if I can defeat Vonotar and retrieve the staff, he’ll be able to transport us back to the Cardonal in time for departure.
Aside : No explanation given as to why he can’t just (after retrieving the staff) transport us both back to Holmgard, but I guess he doesn’t want to over-exert himself.
After the two of us wander through various corridors, caverns and passageways, we come across the kitchens for the fortress, inhabited by two Ice Barbarians. The book asks if I have various (presumably unhealthy) concoctions, but, since I don’t have these, I guess I have no option but to rely upon my MEGASWORD!!
I manage to take one by surprise and take him out, and I have to take on the remaining one:
Ice Barbarian – Combat Skill : 14, Endurance : 25
Lone Wolf – Combat Skill : 27, Endurance : 22
I take out my remaining opponent with one blow (!), remain unharmed, and check out the kitchen.
Loi-Kymar, kindly but unnecessarily, uses the ingredients present in the kitchen to mix a healing potion from various bits and pieces in the kitchen. I’m too diplomatic to mention to him that, between the Sommerswerd and my Healing skill, I have no need for his concoction.
We then (again, following his lead) make our way through various passageways to the entrance to the (grandly named) Hall of the Brumalmarc. As we stealthily peer forward, we see that the gateway is guarded by two Ice Barbarians, who presumably are less stupid than those we confronted in the kitchen.
Having said that, you would think that being a cook is a more challenging job that standing blank-eyed as a sentry for most of the day. But, then again, maybe it is like the Beefeaters, and the guard duty here is a reward for years of competent and loyal service.
Then again, it could just be a sinecure.
Loi-Kymar, in a classic ‘friendly’ NPC move, comes up with a concoction which will serve to render the guards unconscious. Using my Kai skill of Camouflage, I sneak close enough (hello, quasi-ninja skills!) to place this potion under their noses and lead them off to dreams of Ice Valkyries (or whatever the correspondingly attractive mate may be).
We collectively push the double doors open and enter the (dramatic music sting) throne room!
Aside : I’ve had a bit of a day, so less jokes than you might expect. Hope you stay with me anyway….
I like the concept of social standing in the game. However, I sought to devise a more granular table with more options, esp. from Knight upward. I don't know how terribly accurate this may be in light of historical European nobilities, but I am open to suggestions. Furthermore, I'm not sure where to place merchant. I assume this is more of a range, depending upon what is being bought and/or sold by said merchant. E.g. those who deal in exotic spices/herbs/silks will be higher than those who deal in ordinary goods. Any other ideas?