Post by logan9a on Jul 16, 2019 12:43:28 GMT
Moving from a system with classes to one without classes may freak some people the fuck out. Thinking it wouldn't hurt to have some 'half finished archetype characters'.
To use Ralph's excellent advice on making characters for this system:
1) Have a clear character concept in mind.
2) Pick your top 10 core competency skills. Max out
3) Pick your top 10 concept supporting skills. Max out
4) Pick a common melee and a ranged attack. Max out
5) You will have over half of your points left to flush out bold typed skills and a couple of flavor skills.
I'm thinking we can pick out the 10 core skills for each and spend the points for all of the bold faced stuff. Have them assign the remaining points in stuff they think is a good idea for that character. It does pain me to do this because unlike the usual class/level based games, having a bunch of unique individuals (rather than ones defined by class) makes a more interesting, stronger party.
I'm hoping that if they stick around for long enough to get hooked on the game they will make their own character but even if they don't since the characters can grow in all sorts of weird and unexpected ways, the characters will get different over time.
I'm trying to come up with VERY general 'archetypes' to help serve as training wheels. Here's what I've got thus far:
Combat monkey
Thief/Burglar/2nd story person
Fixer/salesperson/fence
Outdoors person/survivalist
Doctor
Now the big thing would be to figure out the 'ten core skills' for each. Note - I've selected none of the bold faced skills for a 'core skill' (even though thief should have stealth) because we will later use the points to max out all of the bold faced stuff anyway.
These are my guesses at potential 10 different 'core skills' - hopefully someone who is better at building characters can come up with better stuff:
Combat monkey (pistol, rifle, fast draw pistol, fast draw sword, sword, martial arts: sword, grapple, Strength, Con/endurance, throw)
Thief/Burglar/2nd story person (lock picking: electronic, lock picking: mechanical, appraisal, lock lore, safe cracking, conceal/camouflage/holdout, prestidigitation/pick pockets, security systems lore, streetwise, demolitions)
Fixer/salesperson/fence/spy (acting, bargain, appraisal, counter surveillance, spy lore, streetwise, surveillance, law, bureaucracy, disguise)
Outdoors person/survivalist/action hero (contortions, drive (choose what), navigation: land, navigation: sea/air, direction sense, parachuting, SCUBA, Survival (pick terrain), Survival (pick a different type of terrain), trapping
Doctor/medic/scholar (first aid, medicine, biology, forensics, language: Latin, pharmacy, archaeology, anthropology, history, occult)
After this, we can put 'choose a short range weapon and a long range weapon. Remember that smaller, more concealable weapons do a pitiful amount of damage and large un-concealable weapons can do a respectable amount of damage'.
I'm hoping players - who know well what skills I regularly call on and what I don't - can assist with getting rid of some of the skills I jotted down and putting new better ones in their place.
To use Ralph's excellent advice on making characters for this system:
1) Have a clear character concept in mind.
2) Pick your top 10 core competency skills. Max out
3) Pick your top 10 concept supporting skills. Max out
4) Pick a common melee and a ranged attack. Max out
5) You will have over half of your points left to flush out bold typed skills and a couple of flavor skills.
I'm thinking we can pick out the 10 core skills for each and spend the points for all of the bold faced stuff. Have them assign the remaining points in stuff they think is a good idea for that character. It does pain me to do this because unlike the usual class/level based games, having a bunch of unique individuals (rather than ones defined by class) makes a more interesting, stronger party.
I'm hoping that if they stick around for long enough to get hooked on the game they will make their own character but even if they don't since the characters can grow in all sorts of weird and unexpected ways, the characters will get different over time.
I'm trying to come up with VERY general 'archetypes' to help serve as training wheels. Here's what I've got thus far:
Combat monkey
Thief/Burglar/2nd story person
Fixer/salesperson/fence
Outdoors person/survivalist
Doctor
Now the big thing would be to figure out the 'ten core skills' for each. Note - I've selected none of the bold faced skills for a 'core skill' (even though thief should have stealth) because we will later use the points to max out all of the bold faced stuff anyway.
These are my guesses at potential 10 different 'core skills' - hopefully someone who is better at building characters can come up with better stuff:
Combat monkey (pistol, rifle, fast draw pistol, fast draw sword, sword, martial arts: sword, grapple, Strength, Con/endurance, throw)
Thief/Burglar/2nd story person (lock picking: electronic, lock picking: mechanical, appraisal, lock lore, safe cracking, conceal/camouflage/holdout, prestidigitation/pick pockets, security systems lore, streetwise, demolitions)
Fixer/salesperson/fence/spy (acting, bargain, appraisal, counter surveillance, spy lore, streetwise, surveillance, law, bureaucracy, disguise)
Outdoors person/survivalist/action hero (contortions, drive (choose what), navigation: land, navigation: sea/air, direction sense, parachuting, SCUBA, Survival (pick terrain), Survival (pick a different type of terrain), trapping
Doctor/medic/scholar (first aid, medicine, biology, forensics, language: Latin, pharmacy, archaeology, anthropology, history, occult)
After this, we can put 'choose a short range weapon and a long range weapon. Remember that smaller, more concealable weapons do a pitiful amount of damage and large un-concealable weapons can do a respectable amount of damage'.
I'm hoping players - who know well what skills I regularly call on and what I don't - can assist with getting rid of some of the skills I jotted down and putting new better ones in their place.