A Rant About Stuff

Blame burnout, blame Disgaea, blame Lando. Just don't blame me.

Anyway, I'm getting a a bit ranty tonight, so bear with. Of course, one person's rant is another person's editorial...

Recently I was thinking about "RPGs" in the videogame sense. Most that are labelled such just aren't - you aren't playing a role, you're just engaging in RPG-style combat in order to kick the game story along and occasionally making a decision that rarely affects anything at all other than crunchy bits. You can't make Cloud decide to turn his back on the world - nor can your character in Diablo turn to a life of violent crime.

Really, what seems to be the common thread in most so-called RPG video games is that you gather stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. Weapons, armor, food, magic, medicine, keys, etc. They could be more correctly termed "gathering games", because that's the main goal other than advancing a story (if any). In some games it may be a bit more abstract, worrying more about level increases and special abilities, but the general thread is the same. It could be said that one of the big advancements in may recent successful video game RPGs have taken to making items completely random, thusly making the gathering system much more robust that simply gathering geeps to buy a bigger sword / gun / kumquat than the last one you had.

Thusly, it could be said that an easy way to tell how "hack n' slash" a tabletop RPG by looking at the equipment list. D&D, Rifts, Cyberpunk 2020, Werewolf, etc., all have extensive equipment lists that deeply enhance a character's capabilities. It doesn't really matter whether or not the equipment is combat-based in and of itself... but most such lists are, or at least give you ways to gain power over your enemies and the environment.

A lot of talk is bantered about simulationist vs. abstract and the like in game theory, but I think a long list of equipment is a defining aspect of a game. While things like powers and other things that make characters more powerful obviously has a correlation with combat in a game, extra books and lists of equipment are really a clear indicator.

While there's nothing wrong with having a lot of equipment in a game, it's something to think about in game design. Is there a better way to reward characters than just boosting their capablities? And if so, what is it?

Spring Cleaning

Yeah, I skipped yesterday. Getting the factions wrapped up was a mite hellish. But I enjoyed it anyway.

Today is just dedicated to going back and fixing old posts.

There's a lot of it to do.

Planescope VIII: The Exciting Conclusion!

It's so big, it got a page of its own:

Belief.htm

Behind the curtain a bit: I devised which factions were 'major' by the ones that stuck together the best after faction war and are the "canon" surviving factions. The rest are minor. It was a lot easier to simulate many of the factions by not giving them too many abilities, and it helped me cut out some of the fluff.

Not too much to say otherwise. I'll probably toy with the sects later as minor or minor/intermediate groups, or do some revisions on this as they come to mind, but I'm certainly going to take a break from factions for some time.

Planescope VII: Return of the Prime

And now, a taste of post-Faction War factions. I've been doing the revisions of the faction bloodlines, and the most pervasive one is that most now lack a Major level - they're just Minor and Intermediate. This helps me "concentrate" the more interesting abilities, and keeps them closer to the old feel of them. Hence, that's why most of the factions here lack a Major thread.

Mind's Eye

Character Level	Minor	Intermediate
2nd	-	+2 on Survival checks
4th	+2 on Survival checks	+2 on saves against Illusion effects
6th	-	Wisdom +1
8th	+2 on saves against Illusion effects	Remove Fear 3/day
10th	-	Seeker Affinity +2
12th	Wisdom +1	Direction Sense
14th	-	+2 on Search checks
16th	Remove Fear 3/day	Alertness
18th	-	Wisdom +1
20th	Seeker Affinity +2	Immunity to Illusions

Seeker Affinity: The Seeker gains the listed bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidation, and Perform checks made to interact with fellow members of the Mind's Eye.

Direction Sense: This grants the Seeker a +5 competence bonus whenever using the Survival skill to keep from getting lost.

Sodkillers

Character Level	Minor	Intermediate
2nd	-	+2 on Intimidation checks
4th	+2 on Intimidation checks	Power Attack
6th	-	Strength +1
8th	Power Attack	Align Weapon 1/day
10th	-	Sellsword Affinity +2
12th	Strength +1	Greater Magic Weapon 1/day
14th	-	+2 on Bluff checks
16th	Align Weapon 1/day	Cleave
18th	-	Constitution +1
20th	Sellsword Affinity +2	Killing Blow

Sellsword Affinity: The Sellsword gains the listed bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidation, and Perform checks made to interact with fellow members of the Sodkillers.

Killing Blow: When gaining an extra attack due to the Cleave or Great Cleave feat, the Sellsword may apply it to any creature in striking distance, rather than just another creature. The Sellsword cannot gain another attack from Great Cleave if he applies it to the same creature he applied his initial attack to (the attack that dropped the creature).

Sons of Mercy

Character Level	Minor	Intermediate
2nd	-	+2 on Diplomacy checks
4th	+2 on Diplomacy checks	Smite Evil 1/day
6th	-	Constitution +1
8th	Subduing Strike*	Discern Lies 1/day
10th	-	Martyr Affinity +2
12th	Constitution +1	Subduing Strike*
14th	-	+2 on Heal checks
16th	Discern Lies 1/day	Smite Evil 2/day
18th	-	Wisdom +1
20th	Martyr Affinity +2	Immune to Evil and Corrupt Spells

* If you don't have access to Book of Exalted Deeds, replace with Combat Expertise

Martyr Affinity: The Martyr gains the listed bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidation, and Perform checks made to interact with fellow members of the Sons of Mercy.

Smite Evil: This functions as the Martyr is a paladin of her character level.

Planescope VI: Philosophy By the Blade

More faction Bloodlines. This time, it's the "fallen factions" - those factions that totally fall apart during Faction War.

Believers of the Source "Bloodline"

Character Level	Minor	Intermediate
1st	-	-
2nd	-	+2 on Diplomacy checks
3rd	-	-
4th	+2 on Diplomacy checks	Endurance
5th	-	-
6th	-	Charisma +1
7th	-	-
8th	Endurance	Planar Affinity +1
9th	-	-
10th	-	Godsman Affinity +2
11th	-	-
12th	Charisma +1	Skill Focus
13th	-	-
14th	-	+2 on Bluff checks
15th	-	-
16th	Planar Affinity +1	Planar Affinity +2
17th	-	-
18th	-	Constitution +1
19th	-	-
20th	Godsman Affinity +2	Planar Friend

Planar Affinity: The Godsman gains the listed bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidation, and Perform checks made to interact with all planar creatures (anything not from the Prime Material Plane).

Godsman Affinity: The Godsman gains the listed bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidation, and Perform checks made to interact with fellow Believers of the Source.

Planar Friend: The Godsman no longer suffers Charisma penalties due to a plane's alignment.

Mercykiller "Bloodline"

Character Level	Minor	Intermediate	Major
1st	-	-	+2 on Knowledge (local) checks
2nd	-	+2 on Knowledge (local) checks	Track
3rd	-	-	Strength +1
4th	+2 on Knowledge (local) checks	Track	Justice Blow 1/day
5th	-	-	Red Death Affinity +2
6th	-	Strength +1	Shocking Grasp 1/day
7th	-	-	+2 on Intimidation checks
8th	Track	Justice Blow 1/day	Discern Lies 1/day
9th	-	-	Wisdom +1
10th	-	Red Death Affinity +2	Justice Blow 2/day
11th	-	-	Red Death Affinity +4
12th	Strength +1	Shocking Grasp 1/day	Endurance
13th	-	-	+2 on Gather Information checks
14th	-	+2 on Intimidation checks	Master Tracker
15th	-	-	Constitution +1
16th	Justice Blow 1/day	Discern Lies 1/day	Justice Blow 3/day
17th	-	-	Red Death Affinity +6
18th	-	Wisdom +1	Alertness
19th	-	-	+2 on Sense Motive checks
20th	Red Death Affinity +2	Justice Blow 2/day	Improved Justice Blow

Red Death Affinity: The Mercykiller gains the listed bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidation, and Perform checks made to interact with fellow Red Death members.

Justice Blow: The Mercykiller can, a number of times per day, declare an attack of his a Justice Blow. He may add his Charisma modifier to the attack roll, and if he hits, the attack is considered a potential critical hit - roll again to confirm it. If the critical is not confirmed, the Justice Blow is wasted for the day. However, the Mercykiller then takes nonlethal damage equal to the damage of the critical hit.

Master Tracker: The Mercykiller gains a +5 competence bonus on Survival checks made to use the Track feat.

Improved Justice Blow: As Justice Blow, but the Mercykiller no longer only takes half the damage as nonlethal damage.

Sign of One "Bloodline"

Character Level	Minor	Intermediate
1st	-	-
2nd	-	+2 on Concentration checks
3rd	-	-
4th	+2 on Concentration checks	+2 on saving throws against illusion
5th	-	-
6th	-	Charisma +1
7th	-	-
8th	+2 on saving throws against illusion	Imagination 1/day
9th	-	-
10th	-	Signer Affinity +2
11th	-	-
12th	Charisma +1	Notice Illusion
13th	-	-
14th	-	+2 on Knowledge (any one) checks
15th	-	-
16th	Imagination 1/day	Imagination 2/day
17th	-	-
18th	-	Wisdom +1
19th	-	-
20th	Lost Affinity +2	Imagination 3/day

Signer Affinity: The Signer gains the listed bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidation, and Perform checks made to interact with fellow Sign of the One members.

Imagination (Sp): The Signer can attempt to mimic a single Sorcerer/Wizard spell of a spell level equal to quarter her character level or less as a full-round action the indicated number of times per day. To do this, she must roll 1d20 + your Charisma modifier against a DC equal to 11 + the spell's level. Success means she cast the spell as a spell-like ability, with the caster level equal to a Sorcerer of your level. Failure means the spell fails. If you roll a '1' on the failure, you also take temporary Constitution damage equal to twice the spell's level. This cannot be used to reproduce spells with a notable material component or XP component, and all spells duplicated by this feat must be castable as a standard action. Similarly, metamagic feats may not be used with this ability.

Notice Illusion: The Signer always receives a saving throw against an illusion she witnesses.