I am working on a supernatural game where the characters are generated via a lifepath system. Preferably, I want to see examples online (other than cyberpunk or mere generators...I already looked though those.)
I hear Traveller, WHFR and Mechwarrior have such systems (I am familiar with WHFR and Mechwarrior but not Traveller). Therefore, I am trying to find out if I needed any good sources before continuing forward.
Right now, I have something set up for childhood, education (transition into adulthood), adulthood, and I tacked on something for becoming a "creature of the night".
1. Looking for good examples, preferably online.
2. If that fails, then any fairly popular games I missed with such an idea.
3. Any additions to this list (I know that is hard to do without posting more.)
Burning Wheel/Burning Empires uses a lifepath system. You could pick up the Monster Burner from BW that breaks down how to develop them. I think you can also download specific lifepath systems by race from the BW website. I don't know how helpful they would be without the books.
I also hear Aces & Eights uses a lifepath system but have no experience with the system... yet.
My StarCluster System games (see sig - except for Forward... to Adventure!, which is Pundits) have lifepath chargen, and StarCluster Light (http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=3125&) is free.
-clash
Cyberpunk 2020, unless I'm completely misremembering.
Regarding CP2020, there's also Ocelots alternative Lifepath system (http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Fuji/3598/2020mod4.htm) for it (although I'm not that fond of it compared to the original, as it defines too narrowly instead of being more open to interpretation, and is filled with too much filler material that doesn't spark adventure seeds directly).
I downloaded starcluster light (thanks clash) and looking at free BW (thanks gunslinger). In addition, I had found Ocelot's site for cyberpunk2020 but I forgot to mention that above. Aces and eight, I just read another thread on here about it. Sounds interesting but I know I would have to find a different group in order to play it.
You're very welcome, AG! Hope it's some help!
-clash
Any R. Talsorian Games core rulebook (Mekton, Cyberpunk, etc) has a lifepath system specific to that game. Any of those make really good examples to springboard off of.
Right. Each of my games has a specific chargen designed for that setting. The full StarCluster 2 game has an enormous chargen section, as it has to cover stone age through ultratech societies, and still is the most generic. The Light game is very much cut down.
-clash
Also, Sengoku and Artesia, amazing offsprings of Fuzion both.
I actually have a rough draft I could post on here for the sections I mentioned previously. This will probably help hone in my focus a bit more while I continue to look at a few more examples. At this point, it won't even try to cover all possibilities. Instead, I am settling for modern day America. IMHO, it covers the "middle class and upper class" fairly well but it might need some more help for the lower class. Of course, I could be wrong on that front. Anyway, I'll put some of it up tonight.
- Ancientgamer
PS Thanks for all of the help so far.
I was wanted to inform anyone reading this that I spun this thread into here (http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7462).
Hi!
Here is a lifepath add on I did for CP202
http://www.mvlan.net/~davidm/NuYork2020Skills.DOC
Also, here is a game I wrote with its own lifepath system (inspired by traveler/cp, I admit)
http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_12/201000/201024/4/preview/Legends_of_Lanasia_RPG_Beta.pdf
I love lifepath systems, if you want a hand with yours, lemme know...
I would appreciate any help you could provide and I will look at your documents. First though, I will bust apart my big childhood table and break it down into social-economic background and possible tragedies.
That's a good idea, ancientgamer, but why only tragedies? Good things can have huge influence on a child as well.
-clash
The regular tables will have the good stuff plus when I will do the possibilites...most of them will have compensation. There won't be many choices which have purely positive and purely negative consequences. For instance, there might be a possibility where one of the parents commited crimes. This would give the character certain skills but perhaps a small penalty on their education roll and a possible enemy.
Hi!
Try and steer away from genre neutral lifepath events. Lifepaths are mostly only useful for two things:
1) Flavor - Gives you a great chance to explain how your setting works to your players. By adding events that are unique to your setting, you can give a clue as to how your world works, For instance, for your supernatural game n event like "Parents were possessed" might be appropriate, but not for others.
2) Plot hooks - Add events that give the PCs interesting events to riff off of (Had a rival in school) or unresolved events that can be resolved in play (Is hunted by the law).
So I think events like "Was a teacher's pet in school" doesn't add much to either, right?
Hey,
I know this thread is a day old, and I know that you prefer lifepath systems that are available online, but I have to recommend Artesia to you.
It is a beautiful example of what a lifepath system can do. Chargen is a lot of fun and when you're finished you've got a character who is already deeply integrated into the setting and already in motion.
Check it out!
Hi dindeaver,
good thoughts about the lifepath approach. I've revamped to reflect socio-economic background and I am changing them to reflect more plothooks and genre setting material.
Manny,
I'll have to look at artesia at some point.
edit - I just wanted to mention some of them were in there to explain how they got their skills and such as well. Even so, I am flipping them to have to be more genre-specific.