Manticore

Findings:

Linear progression (whether it's skills, feats, etc) leads to too many traits at high level and not enough at low level. How to fix?
- Classes with custom-crafted progression can work, but they're unfriendly to multiclassing and have all the problems of a class system (and we already have this, it's called 5e)
- For high level, we can have expertise and mastery cost more? (maybe even ranks 4-5)
- For low level, we can have a few "levels" of background/race
- Could also use the same currency for stat adds
2d6 is best for skills, but incompatible with attack rolls and saving throws
- 5e skills are...fine. Let's not change too much.
- A skill-based system can still use 5e skill rules.
- Use Magic can be a single skill with many sub-skills, like Knowledge
Skills and Feats can use the same currency

Stab:

All characters have 5 levels of "background" (including race, skills, feats, etc)
For each level you have, you can take:
- 1 new skill
- Upgrade a skill by 1 rank
- 1 feat
- +1 to an ability score
Skills:
- Core skills exist, but have slightly modified rules. Examples:
  - Investigate uses Investigate a Mystery rules from MotW
  - All magic skills use Use Magic rules from MotW
- Additional skills beyond core:
  - Combat
    - Heavy Weapons (str)
    - Light Weapons (dex)
    - Ranged Weapons (dex)
    - Dodge (dex)
    - Parry (str)
    - Block (con)
  - Magic
    - See 5eA discipline list. Examples:
      - Fire
      - Frost
      - Force
      - Empathy
      - Death
      - Undeath
      - Drain
- Skill levels:
  - Proficient: gain proficiency bonus, can learn powers
  - Expertise: requires level 5, gain advantage to rolls, some powers may require expertise to learn
  - Mastery: requires level 10, can take 10 at any time, some powers may require mastery to learn
Powers:
- Every gets 2 powers per level. For each, they can select:
  - a spell granted by one of their magical skills
    - instead of a spell, an upgrade or binding, or a talent (replicating 5e caster class abilities and path abilities)
  - a maneuver granted by one of their combat skills
- May allow characters to swap 2 powers for a stat add

Questions?

What about enhanced classes?
- Either add a "talent" option instead of skill/feat/etc
- Or replace the entire level with a monster level (5e compatible?)
Mana?
- Maybe just do without? Go back to at-will, encounter, recharge, daily?
Which stat for magical skills?
- Whichever you want? Maybe there are differences for each? Hmm.

Skills

Example skills:

;Powers:

Mage Hand: At-will, ranged; projects the force of your hand.
Magic Missile: At-will, ranged; light force damage. Or: recharge 33%, ranged; medium force damage, or light to 3 targets.
Push: At-will, ranged, swift; subject is pushed up to 5 squares (Str half, large creatures resist half, huge are immune)
Shield: At-will, swift, requires a free hand; you gain a magical shield, allowing use of the Block skill, but using your spellcasting modifier.

;Upgrades:

Dancing Shield: Your Shield requires no hands (but you still must be conscious and aware to use it to block)
Slide: Push can instead slide targets.

;Powers:

Force Lance: Recharge 33%, std, ranged, line 1/level; medium force damage plus push 5. Double damage against walls and doors, dispels magical walls if it beats DC.
Telekinesis: Recharge 33%, swift, ranged; subject is in your telekinetic grasp. As a free action (once/rd), you can move subject up to 5 squares. As a standard action, you can throw them (ending the effect), causing medium bludgeoning damage if they hit a hard surface (or more, depending on circumstances), or crush them for medium damage (Str half). Str or Dex ends.
Wall of Force: Recharge (short rest), swift, ranged, wall 1/level; 20-ft high wall blocks line of effect, cannot be dispelled.

;Upgrades:

Levitate: At-will, swift; you hover inches off the ground, treating all ground as normal terrain, and slowing your fall rate to a safe speed. Horizontal speed is unchanged. Or, recharge (long rest), swift; you gain the ability to fly, max speed in any direction = walking speed, concentration up to 1 rd/level, after which you revert to the at-will ability.