Character creation and death were two of the elements that I struggled with the most. I wanted them to be iconic and have meaning while at the same time stay true to both the 4e mechanical assumptions as well as give it that deadly old school feel.
Basically I want this... Iconic. (nicked from The Sky Full of Dust)
Let's talk about character creation...
So the premise here is to emulate the the old school character creation methods while still trying to stay mechanically viable as per 4e's very specific design principles and assumptions. We also want to emulate iconic classes and races here too, so limiting, as referenced in previous posts, will be the name of the game.
Starting Classes and Races:
- Knight, Mage, Thief, Warpriest
- Human, Elf, Eladrin, Dwarf, Halfling
The classes chose are the iconic "Big Four," as I call them, or at least versions of these classic archetypes and the races are the unabashedly Tolkienian-inspired fantasy fare. Do take note, however, that as per previous posts, more classes, schools of magic, races and more are randomly unlockable throughout the game.
Most everything for creation will remain the same as per typical 4e rules, though there are a few exceptions to this, namely in stat creation. Players will also be unable to choose any themes or background benefits for their character as this needs to be supplied by them to me (or your players to your DM), and if they roleplay it well enough might receive a bonus to very specific actions. An example of this is that the character grew up on a boat on the open seas traveling port to port and wants to try and make a check regarding the flags or markings on certain vessels. Certainly, and with a modicum of effort in roleplaying, I see no reason, based on their background and eagerness, not to net them an untyped (or "Background Bonus," if you prefer) bonus to an intelligence check.
An Obsidian Portal-based OD&D-clone game, Winterwall, has some great ideas as far as a simple but effective background goes found here under "Background Descriptions." The premise, which I think is perfect, simple, and ripe for borrowing is thus:
- One sentence describing the character’s reason for adventuring.
- One sentence describing the character’s physical appearance.
- One sentence describing how the character goes about life.
Now let's get to the meat and potatoes of this: Stat Generation...
As much as I traditionally hate randomly generated stats and prefer your typical point-buy fare, I don't find this method of generation to be fair or accurate for Legend4ry as it attempts to be a 4e O/AD&D-clone. We need randomly generated stats, for better or worse. After doing some research I have opted out of the "roll 3d6 in order and stick with it" method as 4e, as stated before, does have certain mechanical assumptions regarding stat generation.
So here we go:
- Roll 4d6, drop the lowest, six times and assign the values as desired to their appropriate stat(s)
- After having completed the first step of stat generation, players have two separate "re-roll options," but can only make use of one:
- Choose one rolled stat that you don't like (likely the lowest) and re-roll it, sticking with the second results. (Note! This number must stay in the assigned stat, no reassignments!)
- OR, Players have one chance to completely re-roll all six of the stats, but must keep the second batch even if they are of a lower result. Players who opt for this method of re-roll cannot make use of the first method.
- Apply chosen racial modifier(s)
Now, there are some places where this will not be viable, say in an 8,6,9,10,11,9 array. While this is as uncommon and unlikely as all 18s, it is possible. If this is the case, at DM discretion, the player can reroll for free (if it is their second re-roll.) A smart DM might reuse this failed attempt at a character as a potential hireling, henchman, or maimed NPC...
Also, it should be noted that all characters gain the Ritual Caster feat at 1st level in an attempt to have Rituals used more commonly in otherwise uncommon situations. They add great roleplay opportunies and are absolutely perfect for the setting. The same is true with the Martial Practices (aka Martial rituals.)
A few mechanical notes:
- Players begin play (yes, Players) with one (1) Retraining Token for their career as described in the Unlockables post
- All characters are created with Inherent Bonuses to help preserve the dynamic nature of the world where magic items are powerful but very, very rare.
Note: It is possible, and potentially fun, to start characters using my variant method of the Level-0 rules, albeit with some modification to make it fitting for unlocked classes.
Off the bat I can see two things needed to be changed: stat generation and available power sources. The first is easy, just make use of the aforementioned rules for stat generation in this post. The second is a little more tedious, but only just.
Obviously the only power sources initially available (update on your own, as needed) are Arcane, Martial, and Divine. Now, each Level-0 power souces comes with a source specific power that allows for the expenditure of an Experience Token to unlocked further abilities, once per token, by way of the four roles. It's an interesting concept in practice, as I discovered a few weeks ago in play. For our uses though, it will need some refinement.
- Arcane Power Source
- Only able to spend an XP Token to gain the use of the Controller and Striker roles.
- Martial Power Source
- Only able to spend an XP Token to gain the use of the Defender and Striker roles.
- Divine Power Source
- Only able to spend an XP Token to gain the use of the Leader and Striker roles.
I've included the Striker role for all of the initially available power sources because at Level-0 we want it swingy and deadly, it doesn't add much by way of damage, and it might keep a handful of the many Level-0 characters alive. Might being the keyword here.
Nicked from Roving Band of Misfits
Let's talk about Leveling Up...
This is something, too, that I spent a lot of time mulling over. I find experience points to be very, very gamist in nature and have a hard time accepting them as they are. I don't like, as a player or DM, counting experience points to level. It just seems unnecessary, and there are definitely times that due to typical XP-based leveling, that leveling doesn't make sense in-game.
So, what does that leave us with? I had a few options to consider, the one first and foremost was an alternate leveling method used by a DM in a mega dungeon campaign that I took place in, namely the World's Largest Dungeon, aka "the most fun I've had dying." This alternate method was leveling based on the number of rooms/caverns/you-get-the-idea successfully explored, ie. walking into a cavern and being scared off by a hydra doesn't count as a "successful exploration." While this method is also very gamist in nature, it does touch on something that I like: leveling based on merit or accomplishment.
So this is where we stand, a fairly DM-discretion "level by accomplishment" system. For example let's say a DM has bid his party to gather four great McGuffin's to destroy the BBEG. A quick and dirty and simple method would be saying that after each successfully gathered McGuffin, the party levels. Alter as you wish, perhaps even using the "room exploration" method if your setting is very dungeon delve-y. The reason for this system is that it feels more organic, the players and their respective characters have made it through something truly treacherous and should be rewarded for their efforts. It makes sense narratively and it helps lead into my next point.
I said a few posts back that Legend4ry, be definition, needed to be dynamic in nature, and this, too should be true for leveling. What I mean by this is that, after much thought, game play itself is restricted to only the Heroic Tier of play. The reasoning for this are that characters constantly die, so one that has made it to level 10 is something of a legend both at the table and in the game world. I want that level of dynamism (or illusion thereof) that would be broken in a deadly world with a party of level 20+ adventurers. Huge adult Dragons should be feared as legends and myths, and at level 10, sure a party could tentatively take on some Draconic threats, but the oldest, elder Dragons remain sleeping in their caves, and a smart party wouldn't dare wake them, regardless of level.
Note: As mentioned before, there is an unlockables table (and subsequent rules) that can be used in lieu of treasure or typical XP rewards. This is a great alternate reward system that may make players debate among themselves what they want more: more stuff unlocked or a new level. This is of course open to DM discretion.
Posted for truth, well, at least for the DM! (Nicked from Friday Knights)
Let's talk about Death and Dying...
Death, much like life for a character using the Legend4ry rules variant is dynamic. You'll see me throw this word around a lot, because well, it's definitive of what I'm wanting to do here with 4e.
Now, as a rule as a DM in my typical campaigns, I don't typically pull any punches. I believe in transparent DMing in most of what I do such as rolling. I typically won't flub roles, but have been known to do so in favor of a battle being iconic or on behalf of heavily invested characters. At the same time, as a DM, I'm not unfamiliar with TPKs. My mantra regarding death, in my vanilla D&D games at least, regardless of edition, is "If it happens, it happens. I won't go out of my way to kill your characters, but the illusion and possibility of death does still exist." I'm perhaps too nice of a DM.
This is not the case with Legend4ry.
In Legend4ry, death is not just a possibility, it's a certainty. It's not a matter of if it will happen, it's a matter of when. No punches are pulled for the party's benefit, but at the same time, encounters are created with some modicum of balance in mind (preferably of a Fourthcore mindset.)
When a PC does finally die, though, the party need not fret as they have a pool to choose from. Beginning when the party initially bands together and including them, the party has a pool of 20 adventurers to choose from. Mechanically this means that they can create a new character if an old one dies, but at the cost of one less number from their pool. Simple, right? An in-game explanation, for example, may be that the local adventuring guild only has so many disposable members.
This also allows for a party to have members that come and go (both for characters and players.) It's a simple but elegant solution that still have a mechanical component to it. Or at least I think so!
A new character will be introduced at the next best possible moment, at the DM's convenience, for both the real life meta-element and story.
Now, characters will die. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. It will happen. So back-up characters are not only wise for players but heavily encouraged.
Nicked from Janet Chui
Now, here's some evil, deadly fun for new characters. Well, this is more for the DM, but you get my drift. When a new character is rolled up after a subsequent death, the player will roll a d20, upon a 20, the new character will be able to start at the same average level as the rest of the party. A1-19 will mean that the player starts over with both their new character and at level-1.
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I think that'll be enough for now, I did promise a doozy and this was definitely one of them. Next post I'll talk about some of the finishing touches for the Legend4ry campaign guide. Eventually I am planning on compiling it all in a nice and neat .pdf that I'll link here for free download.
Coming up next time: (in no particular order) skills, monsters, rituals, suggested sources, items and gear, magic items, and finally resting!
Also in the next few posts I am planning to start the planning of the Legend4ry campaign setting.
Until next time!
-blob
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