Post by helkdermit on Sept 10, 2018 20:30:15 GMT
I posted this under 2E rules, but frankly it applies to whatever rules system. I dunno what I was thinking.
Hi DM-crowd,
I've been doing this for a long time... too long, maybe. Since 1979, anyway. Still, I have a problem I can't seem to wrap my brain around. So, I'm looking for some friendly advice from others of my ilk.
Anyway, I have reentered the hobby after a decade. I'm older, and more inclined to put more work into the game. I always put a great deal into it, but I've upped the ante considerably. I've been building bespoke terrain for each adventure, and had the players create a detailed backstory prior to our first session. I've planned the campaign plot through level ten, never really went beyond a couple of levels before. A lot of extra work.
To that end, I have begun to require PCs to jump through some extra hoops prior to leveling. Yes, I still do XP (though this seems to be falling out of favor), but I have other hoops for the PCs to leap through. The spellcasters, for example, must maintain a library or lab, and cleric must be doing specific types of things to advance their faith. Some of this works between sessions, some of it is roleplaying, and some of it can be handled in-game. I've got some pretty long-winded rules explaining how this all works in our game, and this isn't the problem. As it stands right now, magic-users, clerics, druids, etc (classes who revolve around spellcasting) aren't my problem. The problem is with other classes.
For example, a mage has to maintain a library equal in level to his own. To advance to level two, he must have a level two library. To advance to level three, he must have a level three library (and so on). There are specific costs regarding resources a player must use to "grow" this library. The library is something he/she can carry at very low level, but in time a permanent (I suppose temporary could be done) site must be found to put this library. We have rules regarding the approximate size of this library (in linear feet, and even in weight) .This forces the player to have a connection of place, and gives them some roots. They'll care more when bad stuff happens in the vicinity, for example. That's the idea, anyway. I want them to have roots. It's about character development, really. Clerics have to commit to what we call "Good Works" in service to the faith. There are many ways for the player to do this, and the clerical stuff is largely roleplaying... though there are definitely some resource expenditures involved. Druids are much the same way.
I decided to put off requiring thieves, fighters, rangers, etc to do this sort of thing until they needed to advance to level five. I have reasons for doing this, reasons that I'd rather not get into here, but whatever... I already made this public, thinking I would be able to create a system easily, as I did for the other classes. Well, now that the PCs have advanced to second and are approaching third, I still haven't been able to come up with a system for thieves. I need a system that easily and mechanically describes the things thieves must do to advance to the next level. For Warriors I created with a training system. It's easy, and changes over time. It even changes from region to region. I'm rather fond of it. The thief thing is killing me. I don't want to do the training thing with thieves, I need something different.
I'd add that I use the word "thief" out of habit. I need a system that doesn't actually assume the PC is a stuff-swiping schmuck. Our current thief is rogue-y, not swipey. The character isn't a guild-type thief at all, and wouldn't ever join one. I need some ideas guys/gals. I need some way to make leveling more of a production for our thief, but in a scalable and systematic way. Anyone have any ideas on this. I feel a little tapped out... I've had some ideas, but they just didn't sit well with me.
Help a brother out.
Hi DM-crowd,
I've been doing this for a long time... too long, maybe. Since 1979, anyway. Still, I have a problem I can't seem to wrap my brain around. So, I'm looking for some friendly advice from others of my ilk.
Anyway, I have reentered the hobby after a decade. I'm older, and more inclined to put more work into the game. I always put a great deal into it, but I've upped the ante considerably. I've been building bespoke terrain for each adventure, and had the players create a detailed backstory prior to our first session. I've planned the campaign plot through level ten, never really went beyond a couple of levels before. A lot of extra work.
To that end, I have begun to require PCs to jump through some extra hoops prior to leveling. Yes, I still do XP (though this seems to be falling out of favor), but I have other hoops for the PCs to leap through. The spellcasters, for example, must maintain a library or lab, and cleric must be doing specific types of things to advance their faith. Some of this works between sessions, some of it is roleplaying, and some of it can be handled in-game. I've got some pretty long-winded rules explaining how this all works in our game, and this isn't the problem. As it stands right now, magic-users, clerics, druids, etc (classes who revolve around spellcasting) aren't my problem. The problem is with other classes.
For example, a mage has to maintain a library equal in level to his own. To advance to level two, he must have a level two library. To advance to level three, he must have a level three library (and so on). There are specific costs regarding resources a player must use to "grow" this library. The library is something he/she can carry at very low level, but in time a permanent (I suppose temporary could be done) site must be found to put this library. We have rules regarding the approximate size of this library (in linear feet, and even in weight) .This forces the player to have a connection of place, and gives them some roots. They'll care more when bad stuff happens in the vicinity, for example. That's the idea, anyway. I want them to have roots. It's about character development, really. Clerics have to commit to what we call "Good Works" in service to the faith. There are many ways for the player to do this, and the clerical stuff is largely roleplaying... though there are definitely some resource expenditures involved. Druids are much the same way.
I decided to put off requiring thieves, fighters, rangers, etc to do this sort of thing until they needed to advance to level five. I have reasons for doing this, reasons that I'd rather not get into here, but whatever... I already made this public, thinking I would be able to create a system easily, as I did for the other classes. Well, now that the PCs have advanced to second and are approaching third, I still haven't been able to come up with a system for thieves. I need a system that easily and mechanically describes the things thieves must do to advance to the next level. For Warriors I created with a training system. It's easy, and changes over time. It even changes from region to region. I'm rather fond of it. The thief thing is killing me. I don't want to do the training thing with thieves, I need something different.
I'd add that I use the word "thief" out of habit. I need a system that doesn't actually assume the PC is a stuff-swiping schmuck. Our current thief is rogue-y, not swipey. The character isn't a guild-type thief at all, and wouldn't ever join one. I need some ideas guys/gals. I need some way to make leveling more of a production for our thief, but in a scalable and systematic way. Anyone have any ideas on this. I feel a little tapped out... I've had some ideas, but they just didn't sit well with me.
Help a brother out.
