Quote from: One Horse TownOK. I've got a question for folks. With the announcement that there will be no fee to use the True20 OGL, i've been thinking about SH & True20. I'm thinking of making the game a True20 one. What do you reckon? Should i go True20 only, my own system only, or do a version of both?

Your own system. No doubt.

Thanks for the responses guys. Yeah, it'll need lots of tweaks to fit True20. It'll probably stay in its current format.

Meanwhile, here's the last part of the NPC generation process...

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Secrets (roll 1d100 for each NPC and Authority Figure)

The final piece of the puzzle in NPC generation is the creation of Secrets. These are pieces of information that the NPC knows, past deeds, or information about him that is not known to the outside world. Secrets motivate NPCs; generate more avenues of investigation and adventure for the PCs and flesh out the people that the players will be interacting with. The results gained here are tied into the politics of the play area and represent the final layer of information before you start play.

As an alternative to rolling randomly, you can choose Secrets that best suite your purposes or use them as inspiration in creating your own.

(Sample roll: 35 - Has a secret skill. How did he get it?)

A few new things.

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Morale

Combat is a dangerous endeavour and most thinking beings don't want to get seriously hurt. For that reason, each humanoid NPC combatant has a morale rating. These ratings are: Lightly Injured, Hurt, Heavily Injured, Dying, None. These ratings indicate when an NPC must make a Jitters test during combat. If an NPC swordsman has the Morale rating of 'Hurt', then as soon as he takes Health Point damage sufficient to put him into the Hurt category, he must make a Jitters test. Even if he passes the test, he must make another one each time that he suffers enough damage to put him into a worse category on the Health Point Profile. Due to the dice penalties resulting from injuries, NPCs' resolve to take more punishment lessons with each injury that they take. When making a Jitters Test, roll a number of dice equal to your Bearing statistic (some special abilities can alter this number). Jitters tests are Free tests.

Supernatural beings such as Night Terrors and Lurking Menaces have Morale ratings of Heavily Injured, Dying or None. Vermin tend to have a Morale rating of None.

Failure of a Jitters test results in the combatant choosing one of the following options.

Surrender: The combatant (if humanoid) drops his weapons and surrenders.
Fighting retreat: The combatant seeks to flee the fight, but will not open himself to attack in order to do so. If an opportunity does not present itself within 2 rounds, or he suffers more damage, then he will flee.
Flee: The combatant flees the combat, opening himself up to a reflexive weapons test from his opponents, if they wish to do so (or are able to).



Skills

Spot (Reasoning) (Gen)

Perception: This is your general skill to notice things, whether it is an ambush, the colour of someone's shirt or the number of apples on a tree. These are Free tests.

Search: When you are searching for something in particular, such as ransacking a mattress or looking for a sliding panel, then you make an Extended Spot test. The GM sets the difficulty of the test.

Heal (Prag)

First Aid: If successful in a Heal test, the patient is healed immediately of 1 Health point of damage. First aid can only be attempted once for each Scene that the patient has received an injury. This is particularly used when the patient is dying, thus stabilising them.

Care: This is an Extended test and represents a full day of treatment. The patient adds a number of dice equal to the number of successes gained in a Care Heal test to his Physique test to recover Health points. You can care for a number of patients in this manner equal to the number of successes achieved. Travel is not possible when you are being cared for in this manner.

Diagnosis: If the number of successes achieved in an Extended Heal test match the virulence rating of the disease suffered by the patient, then you can diagnose it and start a proper treatment. From the moment of diagnosis, the patient gains a bonus die on all Physique tests connected to the disease.

Miracle Cure: If you gain 4 successes in a Miracle Cure Heal test, then your patient is healed of one complete level of Health point damage. Therefore, if he was in the Hurt category, then he is healed of enough damage to place him at the worst level of the Slightly Injured category. This can only be attempted once on any character that has suffered injury, irrespective of how many Scenes that damage was caused within.

Modifications: Unhygienic conditions – 1 to –3 dice, In combat –2 dice, In specially prepared hygienic locations +1 - +3 dice, in unstable conditions such as horseback, a pitching ship etc –2 dice, in dark conditions –1 or –2 dice

I've had a change of heart on skills and i am adjusting them to take this into account. I will also be changing some special abilities to make them conform to this new idea.

I want there to be more tactical choice both in combat and social situations -and rather than list a huge amount of options for both, i'm using skills and special abilities to achieve it. The mechanism for this choice, as the people who have read the document will know, is Reflexive actions. You get one of these per round in addition to standard actions. My aim is for there to be a Reflexive choice for each skill that is usable in combat and a choice that is usable in social interaction

I'm re-posting the 2 skills that i posted above to illustrate this change.

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Spot (Reasoning) (Gen)

Spot Weakness: In combat, you can spend a Reflexive action to spot an injury that your melee opponent is suffering from. If he is not currently suffering from Health point damage, you cannot use this skill. If you gain 2 successes in the Spot test, you automatically inflict 1 point of Health damage on your opponent without the need for a weapon skill test as you take advantage of his impediment by feints, manoeuvres and the like. Use of this skill does not stop you from making a standard weapon test.

Empathy: When engaging in social situations, you can spend a Reflexive action to spot telltale body language. If you gain a number of successes equal to or greater than half of your opponent's Bearing statistic, then you gain a general idea of his emotional state. This could be a state of panic, deviousness, or the single most prominent emotion exhibited by him.

Perception: This is your general skill to notice things, whether it is an ambush, the colour of someone's shirt or the number of apples on a tree. These are Free tests. The GM sets the difficulty of the test.

Search: When you are searching for something in particular, such as ransacking a mattress or looking for a sliding panel, then you make an Extended Spot test. The GM sets the difficulty of the test.

Heal (Prag)

Healer's Eye: By spending a Reflexive action and gaining 2 successes in a Heal test, you can determine the health of a combatant, at a distance of up to 10 feet. If you succeed, you can tell the current health level of the examined person. This tells you what injury level he is currently suffering from (e.g. – Uninjured, Lightly Injured, Hurt, Heavily Injured or Dying).

Healer's Word: Your expertise in the art of healing allows you to harm or heal an NPC's Status by commenting on his health to bystanders. In social situations, you can adjust the Status of an NPC by 1 point, up or down, if you gain a number of successes equal to the Bearing of the NPC –1, in a Reflexive Heal test. This may lead to Affiliations or Rivalries if used at the right/wrong time (such as at a coronation or initiation ceremony). Obviously lying about his health should be handled by normal Status tests (see Social Combat). This is for just diagnoses and the communication of them in a manner that is persuasive because of it's truth.

First Aid: If successful in a Heal test, the patient is healed immediately of 1 Health point of damage. First aid can only be attempted once for each Scene that the patient has received an injury. This is particularly used when the patient is dying, thus stabilising them.

Care: This is an Extended test. The patient adds a number of dice equal to the number of successes gained in a Care Heal test to his Physique test to recover Health points. You can care for a number of patients in this manner equal to the number of successes achieved. Travel is not possible when you are being cared for in this manner.

Diagnosis: If the number of successes achieved in an Extended Heal test match the virulence rating of the disease suffered by the patient, then you can diagnose it and start a proper treatment. From the moment of diagnosis, the patient gains a bonus die on all Physique tests connected to the disease.

Miracle Cure: If you gain 4 successes in a Miracle Cure Heal test, then your patient is healed of one complete level of Health point damage. Therefore, if he was in the Hurt category, then he is healed of enough damage to place him at the worst level of the Slightly Injured category. This can only be attempted once on any character that has suffered injury, irrespective of how many Scenes that damage was caused within.

I love this change, Dan! Cool stuff!

-clash

Quote from: flyingmiceI love this change, Dan! Cool stuff!

-clash

Cheers!  I've been stumped on introducing more tactical challenge for a while. Under the old scheme, about the only choice you had was whether to do a Reflexive parry, dodge or instigate some special abilities - and nothing at all for social situations. The other tactical option was how to use your armour and shield.

By giving each skill a Reflexive option for both combat and social encounters, it beefs up the tactical choices available by an order of magnitude and hopefully means that every skill in the game is useful in a tactical situation (at least in some circumstances).

It also means that pretty much every decision by the player is tactical in nature - with pros and cons.

The real challenge is in providing tactical challenge to social encounters (and the Status test mechanics) without removing the role-playing emphasis. So, i'm making them a bit more specific in nature and harder to achieve generally.

Quote from: One Horse TownCheers!  I've been stumped on introducing more tactical challenge for a while. Under the old scheme, about the only choice you had was whether to do a Reflexive parry, dodge or instigate some special abilities - and nothing at all for social situations. The other tactical option was how to use your armour and shield.

By giving each skill a Reflexive option for both combat and social encounters, it beefs up the tactical choices available by an order of magnitude and hopefully means that every skill in the game is useful in a tactical situation (at least in some circumstances).

It also means that pretty much every decision by the player is tactical in nature - with pros and cons.

The real challenge is in providing tactical challenge to social encounters (and the Status test mechanics) without removing the role-playing emphasis. So, i'm making them a bit more specific in nature and harder to achieve generally.

I'm with you 100%. This is a much better game now - and I already liked it!

-clash

Quote from: flyingmiceI'm with you 100%. This is a much better game now - and I already liked it!

-clash

Ta!

I'm resisting the temptation right now to do a Social Reflexive option for Climb. Yep, that's right - Social Climber.

On a removed matter. For those who have read one of the draft documents, would you prefer each feature to continue as i have started? IE, with flavour text, PC info, GM info and the 'day in the life' stuff. Reason being that if i carry on like that (there's about 70 'special features' and God knows how many other random table entries to do yet), i'm looking at 500 pages and 250,000 words. I'm at about 140 pages at the moment.

To expand on the last point made above, i mean entries like this. 92 of these for chargen, 70+ for special features for sci-fi/fantasy games.

06Kennels

The Grudlings had broken into Lord Brokenbarrel's compound in the dead of night – as was their wont, and it had been the dogs that had saved them. Little Terror and huge Brandywine had been torn to shreds defending the yard and the pitifully mewling Scratch was found on the steps to the manor house, long wounds along his side pumping blood onto the scrubbed stonework. It had been a bad night indeed. That was the problem with Lord Brokenbarrel's domain – it squatted atop the flat square roof of a tower that pierced the clouds. Everyone knew that Grudlings lived in the clouds. Still, better the open air and the freedom of this little piece of real estate that the Lord had conquered than the crowded and crime riddled tower that lay beneath. Ninety storeys sprawled downwards from the rooftop retreat, below clouds and the miasma of stench that enveloped the Stone Horizons.

Of the Grudlings, there was no sign.
 
Player Character Information
Stat Mods: Pragmatism +1
Skills: Animal Husbandry (dogs) 2, Dog training 2, Animal care (dogs) 2, Hunting 1, Athletics 1
Special Abilities: Canine companion 3, Track 2
Status: 2

Kennels Accoutrements:

Description

Hounds are the most widespread domestic animals in Stone Horizons. They are bred for defence and hunting, rather than as a food source, however. Kennels can spring up anywhere, inside or outside the castle and receive a steady stream of work protecting local resources. They tend to be cramped affairs when located within the castle and the noise the dogs make can be an annoyance for residents, whilst outside, kennels are much larger. Many breeds of hound can be found within a kennel, from the hideous Ratling Hound to the long-eared Mushroom Hound, and many residents have a dog bounding along beside them when on business or delving into less safe areas of the castle. In the absence of a ready supply of horses and hawks, hounds have become a bit of a status symbol among the prospective elite of society.

   Breeds

   Red Bounder
   Ratling Hound
   Long-Eared Mushroom Hound
   Barrel-Chested Setter
   Slink Hound
   Slope Hound
   Big Grey
   Reared Timber Hound (domesticated wolf)
   Black Pincher
   
A Day in the Life

Kennels are much like stables in the kind of work that has to be done to look after the animals. However, kennel workers focus more on hand-rearing their charges, meaning that the workforce normally live on site, and on training the dogs to perform tasks. This can be dangerous work with the larger breeds such as the Big Grey or Timber Hound, so the trainers must be limber, quick and expect to take a bite or two in a days work. Kennels receive visitors regularly, either looking to buy a dog, checking on training progress or requesting the presence of a trainer for a specific job. This means that kennel folk get to travel around more than people working in other features of the castle. They must be sure to mind their manners when the inevitable social climber comes visiting or resign themselves to a life without fulfilment.

Local Features

There are no special instructions for this feature.

GM Information – Problems, Politics & NPCs     

There are no special instructions for this feature.

Skills are going to be laid out in the following format -

Brief explanation of skill (not done yet)
Combat reflexive action
social reflexive action
general usage
general usage (if more than 1 option)
general usage (if more than 2 uses)
etc
etc

Here's another one.

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Ingratiate (Bearing)

Not in the Face!: If you gain 2 successes in a Reflexive Ingratiate test, you can force one opponent that you are in melee combat with to pull his blow. Your opponent must be humanoid – supernatural foes and Vermin don't fall for this. Your opponent takes pity on you and any damage that you take from that blow is fatigue point damage, not health point damage.

Flattery: You are so gracious and ham it up so much in the charming stakes that a subsequent Favour Status test with the subject of your flattery is undertaken as though you have an Affiliation score equal to the number of successes achieved in this Reflexive Ingratiate test. The effects of the Affiliation last until the favour has been received.

Who, me Gov? : When dealing with someone you have a Rivalry with, you can offset 1 point of that Rivalry for every 2 successes that you achieve with an Ingratiate test. This lasts for the current Scene only.

Influence: You attempt to influence the view of someone concerning a third party, with apparently wise council. If you achieve a number of successes equal to half the Status of this third party, then the NPC receiving your words of wisdom gains a temporary Rivalry or Affiliation of 1 point with that person (determined by you). This Affiliation or Rivalry lasts until the end of the Scene. Failure can vary in result, depending on whom you are trying to influence and of what.

Nice work, OHT. It's coming together beautifully.

Are you going to include when to use different skills for those that aren't particularly easy to understand their game effect?

Quote from: Rob LangNice work, OHT. It's coming together beautifully.

Are you going to include when to use different skills for those that aren't particularly easy to understand their game effect?

Yeah, sure. This is all draft stuff. There will be proper explanations of general skill usage for each of them - then a few specific usages will be convered for each skill. One for combat, one for social situations and whatever else pops into my head.

I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with a combat usage of Drinking and Bakery! But i've managed Prepare Food (:eek: ), Botany and Portage, so i daresay, i'll come up with something!

If I may suggest that drinking and fighting aren't entirely mutually exclusive. Confidence and courage are biproducts of a CAMRA skinful.

Congrats on finding a Combat use for Botany. That's classic.

Botanist's Eye: When engaging in melee in outside environments, or within mushroom fields, you can manoeuvre 1 of your opponents so that the vegetation hinders their movements, trips and fouls them. You recognise which plants will interfere with your opponent's movements via thorns, burrs, grasping tendrils and the like. If you gain 2 successes in a Reflexive Botany test, that opponent suffers a dice penalty equal to your Pragmatism statistic to any Reflexive parry or dodge attempts made in the current round.

Upon reading that, I can imagine my player group forming a team of crack Combat Botanists, to fight EcoEvil without guns nor explosives. The thought frightens me. Legendary, OHT, absolutely fab. Love it.