Searching for Mechanic Maniacs

[Brother Little Alex]

I know there has to be some people who love creating house-rules and different mechanics for all their different games. Whether it be Palladium, d20, or White Wolf.

I am working on applied mechanics for a d20 based game, but it's certainly not a carbon copy with names pasted over the old. I'd love a partner or two to ping ideas off of and share ideas.  

[PMChapmanii]

all I know is dnd 3.5.
my best ideal was to try and make it so that the world seemed more real so this is what I did:

I give a point when a person had xp at half way to a level up then reset it back to regular.

1point could get
class lv change (except to a magic class)
point increases (up to 28? point buy)
gain a level of npc class (except adept)
attempt to make own class (not used on class, just makes class available, payment of point does not mean success)
keep +1 lv of a class (must still be considered at max capable level for class)
move Int. bonus *10 skill points around.
keep specific save, BAB, skill progression of class (if all 10 levels in class)

2points could get
gain a level of regular class (except of magic class)
gain a level of adept
class improvement feat (at lv 10, like +1 caster lv)

3points could get
gain a level of magic class

I also used a level cap of 10 so that those who desired to change classes or to make one didn't have problems catching up. this included having a max 10hd. (thought the monsters where allowed to have more hd)

I wanted to make it possible for the characters in the game to eventually make there own class, but to do this they had to have requirements above the normal means of what was needed to be trained in the class and pay an extra point for the attempt. (if they fail I give them an in game ideal of what may help them get closer) they also needed to develop all 10 levels of the class for the dm to look over.

I also made it so that they had to have some significant interaction with a class to gain levels in it (unless is was an npc not adept).  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Well, it largely has to deal with what type of game you're wanting to run.  

[Brother Little Alex]

PMChapmanii

I wanted to make it possible for the characters in the game to eventually make there own class, but to do this they had to have requirements above the normal means of what was needed to be trained in the class and pay an extra point for the attempt. (if they fail I give them an in game ideal of what may help them get closer) they also needed to develop all 10 levels of the class for the dm to look over.

I also made it so that they had to have some significant interaction with a class to gain levels in it (unless is was an npc not adept).

It seems like an interesting leveling mechanic, but I am sticking with the base model of 4e, with minor tweaks to how things are gained. Thank you though, it has gotten me to thinking.

Raganui Minamoto

Well, it largely has to deal with what type of game you're wanting to run.

Well the game is to emulate the entire WarCraft universe. The biggest thing right now is to create all the classes with a power points that are easy to calculate, keep track of, and use. No matter your class you have a Power Point system that follows you to limit your major abilities/powers. Rage/Energy/Mana/Focus being the four main moving parts of Power Points. And to give every class a unique mechanic that makes it work completely different than any other class.  

[Alzzak]

I haven't played the game before, so I have no idea what Rage, energy, or focus is but I do know what mana is (thanks to Video games I have played.)

If they are anything like the mana in the games I have played then they would recharge and your special abilities run off of it. In that case then just adopt the psionic system from 3.5. And give each special ability an amount that they need to be used. For the recharge base it on a percent of the total returns to you every round or something,  

[Brother Little Alex]

Alzzak

I haven't played the game before, so I have no idea what Rage, energy, or focus is but I do know what mana is (thanks to Video games I have played.)

If they are anything like the mana in the games I have played then they would recharge and your special abilities run off of it. In that case then just adopt the psionic system from 3.5. And give each special ability an amount that they need to be used. For the recharge base it on a percent of the total returns to you every round or something,

I looked at this, I believe it was the first thing I was originally going to adopt. However, the names Rage/Energy/Mana aren't just names for flavor. Each one works differently. Rage generates only off of combat. Energy generates over time and isn't effected by combat (will probably strip Psionic/Force Point mechanic for this one). And Mana generates over time, but doesn't regenerate without doing something.

But thank you, I will probably go back and read the Psionic supplements again.  

[Alzzak]

In that case, I need to get more info.

Rage: how does combat effect it? Is it an effect after being attacked, or just being in a battle will it raise?

Mana: What do you have to do in the game to get mana to raise? Is it like the Halloween event? Where you had to stop for a moment and 'build up your courage' Or in a magical sense meditate?

I want to help but, I know next to nothing of the system you want.  

[Brother Little Alex]

Alzzak

In that case, I need to get more info.

Rage: how does combat effect it? Is it an effect after being attacked, or just being in a battle will it raise?

Mana: What do you have to do in the game to get mana to raise? Is it like the Halloween event? Where you had to stop for a moment and 'build up your courage' Or in a magical sense meditate?

Rage is built by dealing successful basic attacks, by taking hits, or doing certain acts that protect his party members. Namely getting the attention of enemy creatures. I am giving a max Rage of 10, level cannot change this.

Energy will have a max of 5 and will generate itself much like Force/Psionic points (Saga Edition).

Mana will have a varied amount, making it difficult to judge how much spells/powers should cost. The way to gain it back is through rest. In 4e terms, a Short rest may grant back Mana equal to the players Wis or Int modifiers. And an Extended rest grants all of the Mana back. Later on meditation or other astral like abilities may be able to grant greater sums of Mana back.

So the biggest thing is mana. I don't know if I wanna cop-out and make all the spells say something like: "6% of your base mana". So that is a major question right now. Does a sentence like: "Cost: 6% of your base mana". Turn off Table Top players. (And with Mana, all numbers would be rounded up instead of down.). So I would imagine the average starting mana for mana using players would be ~10.
So 6% Base Mana = 1. 15% Base Mana = 2.
And the Base Mana would be added onto with things like Wis/Int Mod and other factors to give tiny bonuses.  

[Alzzak]

Why not just lock mana down like you did with the other two? Then it would be simpler for all involved.

I was doing some research, Are you going to use ranks? Cause I don't think a rank one fire spell would cost the same as a rank 2 and so on... But, if you did lock it down then sooner or later their would be a spell that would cost all 10 mana. If that spell missed...  

[Brother Little Alex]

Alzzak

Why not just lock mana down like you did with the other two? Then it would be simpler for all involved.

I was doing some research, Are you going to use ranks? Cause I don't think a rank one fire spell would cost the same as a rank 2 and so on... But, if you did lock it down then sooner or later their would be a spell that would cost all 10 mana. If that spell missed...

I made a series of spells for a Mana using class and got to level 10 and realized that locking it down would be a difficult procedure to truly balance out. Like I would want to make it rewarding to players who have focused a lot of attention in their talents/feats and Ability Points for their Mana Points.

And yes, you are very correct that spells of higher rank would end up costing a great deal. I started using ranks, but am still on the fence of using them. But locking Mana down is of course a good idea... In fact I didn't actually think of setting up a locked base mana. I'll have to brew on that. Thanks!  

[Alzzak]

Glad to be of some help. Just ask if you need more