7.4.2
| Version |
7.4.2 |
|---|---|
| Development Began |
S 2015-Apr-25 |
| Launch Date |
U 2015-Apr-26 (planned) |
| General Goal |
Lessons learned from practical application of 7.4.1. |
- Sub-skills: a place to dump SP to turn into secondary stats. Examples:
- Heavy melee style: +1 SP = +X hit power with heavy melee
- Desperado style: +1 SP = +X rate of fire with ranged weapons (semi or auto)
- Skills go back to containing their own feats...but only the general skills
- Or rather, only primary skills. Secondary skills don't have them (i.e. power skills)
- Gain free knowledge ranks based on int
- Magic power source:
- Int = prep, +hit, maybe +crit via secondary skills
- Wis = max mana (or max strain)
- Cha = spell dmg and Willpower skill
- New core attributes:
- Perception: a flat number. Stealth skill must hit DC X to achieve Stealth Y. Only Perception Y or higher can see you.
- Speed: straight up modify your movement speed
- Haste: add haste? (should probably increase AP costs) (in 7.5, this is AP)
- Focus: maybe?
- Feats don't exist
- Say whaaaat?
- Well, feats do two things: 1-add new options (sneak attack, called shot, etc), 2-add flat number bonuses (+crit, +move, etc)
- In the former case, there really just aren't enough core maneuvers to offer. Are there really 5 ranks worth of maneuver for Agility? Stealth? High-level characters can't spend anywhere near their total Feat Point allotment right now. And so, the solution to this seems to be to move all of these maneuvers back into skills (7.4.0-style) and maybe sub-skills.
- In the latter case, there's really nothing wrong with flat number feats. In fact, they probably work better than saying "spend 5 SP to get +1 hit power" (a la sub-skills). But, that seems to be the case if that's the only thing you can spend feats on. Other things equal, if a single currency offers both new options and flat bonuses, players will strongly prefer the former, for fairly obvious reasons. And if that's all Feats will be used for, then they're hardly Feats at all. Maybe Perks?
Sub-skills
Melee
- Power Style: gain +1 hit power per 2 SP spent.
- Grants Slam, Cleave, Power Charge, etc.
- Finesse Style: gain +1 critical threat range per 5 SP spent.
- Melee Haste Style: gain haste?
Ranged
- Accuracy: gain +1 critical threat range per 5 SP spent.
- Rate of Fire: ??
- Heavy Hitter: You gain +5 hit power with melee weapons (when using Melee to damage). Stackable once per rank of Melee.
- Deadly Precision: You gain +1 critical threat range with finesse melee weapons. Stackable once per rank of Melee.
General
Damage Model
Completing the work of 7.4.1:
- There is no "handedness" multiplier in damage rolls. Two-handed attacks don't inflict 2x, or 1.5x, they inflict 1x. Always.
- There is a concept of light, medium, and heavy weapons.
- Light weapons inflict d4s. They are offhand and finesse weapons.
- Medium weapons inflict d8s. They are finesse weapons.
- Heavy weapons inflict d12s. They are two-handed weapons.
- YMMV on exact stats; one weapon might trade die type for crit, or bonus parry, etc.
- The number of dice is based on weapon skill: 1 die per rank of the skill (rank 3 melee = 3 dice, for example)
- Definition of "finesse weapon": you can use Agility for damage instead of Melee.
- There is a concept of light, medium, and heavy damage for spells.
- The spell description will note which type it inflicts.
- There is no "nominal" damage; when in doubt, assume medium.
- Light damage is 1d4 per skill rank.
- Medium damage is 1d8 per skill rank.
- Heavy damage is 1d12 per skill rank.
- The skill in question is Willpower, naturally. (Could be per-power, but that's too nitty-gritty)
- Implements exist, but they don't mess with base damage, only secondary stats.
- Rules of thumb for spell design:
- Start with heavy damage.
- If it hits more than once, subtract one. If it hits WAY more, subtract two. (Applies to area effects, defensive retributions, duration effects, etc)
- If it's not a standard action, subtract one.
Attributes
Action Points and Reflex
Where there were two, there is now one: Action Points.
- Value: 5 (not based on level or Dex)
- Recharge: daily/session
- Take immediate move action: 1 AP
- Take immediate swift action: 1 AP
- Take immediate standard action: 3 AP
They cannot be used for rerolls as such, although they can be used to immediately attempt some new action to recover from failure. If you really must change the past, use a Hero Point.
Hero Points
Same uses as before, but value is now calculated as such:
- Start at character creation (regardless of level) with 3 Hero Points
- Each level, gain 1 Hero Point
- You cannot have more than 3 Hero Points.
New Attributes
They aren't really new attributes, but you can now invest directly in several attributes by spending Attribute Points
- Movement: gain +1 base movement speed per Attribute Point spent
- Action Points: gain +1 AP per Attribute Point spent
Focus and Hocus Pocus
Focus is now Int-based, but otherwise unchanged.
Mana is no longer an automatic attribute. Instead, it is granted by the Magic power source. Similarly, Psionics grants Energy, The Force grants Force Points, etc. Coincidentally, they all work much the same way, and are Wisdom-based.
And thus, Magic, and any power source that is virtually the same:
- Uses Int to hit (via Spellcraft, Psicraft, Knowledge of the Force, etc) and set DCs (in almost all cases, except only as specified in the power)
- Uses Cha to dmg (via Willpower skill)
- Uses Wis for endurance (and combo ability)
Possible Changes
I'm mulling over adding a "tier bonus" in the vein of System 6: that being a +1 to all 6 primary attributes at level 5, 10, 15, etc. It's fun, and the only downside is it's slightly complicated to keep track of.
I may change Focus and Stamina from the arcane formula of 1/2 level + stat to simply 5 + stat. I thought about letting you invest directly using Attr Points, but...well, you can, with Con and Int.
Playing with an idea to have Int grant bonus SP for Knowledge skills, because they're a drag to sink real SP into. Of course, Int already applies to all Knowledge skills, but...bleh.