Paths of Glory
Purpose: The purpose of Paths of Glory is to create a simple RPG that has the distilled essence of nearly three generations of Dungeons and Dragons into a simple and focused core without added complexity that moves too far away from its roots. You won't find any so called "innovations" in this work, just a tried and true engine honed to a fine edge


Ability Scores
Ability Scores in Paths of Glory are simple measures of raw talent and capability used by heroes to interact with the game world.

There are six scores which PoG measures.

Strength: The physical might and power of a hero.
Dexterity: The agility and coordination of a hero.
Constitution: the raw endurance and physical resilience of a hero
Intelligence: The comprehension and intellectual acuity of a hero.
Wisdom: The insight and strength of faith of a hero
Charisma: The compelling weight of personality and likability of a hero.

There are numerable ways to derive these ability scores. These rules only utilize one standard method, but optional methods implemented by a GM may be utilized as well.

The standard method is to roll 4d6, and drop the lowest die value of the four rolled, and retain the other three. You then sum the three dice scores and compare them to the chart below to determine your attributes.


Roll Modifier
3 ---- -4
4-5--- -3
6-7--- -2
8-9--- -1
10-11---0
12-13--+1
14-15--+2
16-17--+3
18-19--+4


The core mechanic: For all tests in the game you roll: 1d20 then add relevant attribute and any modifiers and compare the result to the Target Number (TN)


Races of the Path's of Glory

Dwarves:
Dour and stout mountain people known for their love of drink, skill with metallurgy and jewelry craft and their disdain of magic. Dwarves have a +1 to Constitution. Dwarves also possess nightvision

Elves:
Lithe people known for their grace, many sub-kindreds of Elves exist, but the most common fit this mold. They receive a +1 to Dex. Elves also possess nightvision.

Gnomes:
Gnomes are a slight races lacking the hardiness of dwarves but making up for it with grace and charm they have a +1 Charisma. Gnomes also posses nightvision.

Half-Elves
Humans are often enamored of Elves, and vice versa, their difference often increasing their appeal. Half-Elves are not common but they do occur. Half Elves receive only nightvision.

Halflings:
A humanlike races of slight folk, who are swift and agile and deft of hand. Halflings have +1 to Dexterity

Half-Orcs:
Born of crossing of man and orc, just as elves and men can find common ground sometimes too do orcs and men. Half-orcs receive a +1 to Strength they also possess nightvision.
.
Humans:
Humans are the standard by which other races are measured, they are far more common and widespread than the other races humans recieve no attribute modifiers but do get a +1 to all saves to reflect their hardiness and flexibility.



Paths: In most fantasy games of this type there are a number of classes, in order to simplify and help make finer tuning over the course of play. So Path's of Glory makes the overall path a character follows significant and important.

The following are paths a hero may take:


Priest
Any levels in this path means the character has aptitude in inspiring faith, thwarting foul forces, and generally acting as a religious leader. If the context of their actions are religious based then the hero can add any levels in this path to their rolls.


Rogue
Trickery, deception, and confusion are this paths focus. They are able to use subterfuge, lies, misdirection and the like to achieve their goals. Stealth, sleight of hand, and deft actions are this classes goals. If the test involves something involving those actions then any levels in this class are added to the effect.

Warrior
Combat, defense the ability to face and thwart foes with the strength of arms then this path is the suitable one to be utilized. Add in the levels of this class when fighting or physical violence is needed.


Wizard
Magic and wizardy and the arcane power are this paths focus. If you need to know about history or magic, or create powerful enchantments then you add in the levels of this path.


Saving throws

Each heroic character has three saving throws: Resist, Avoid, and Deny

These saves are equal to your appropriate class level for the following:

Resist: Constitution plus Warrior Levels
Avoid: Dexterity plus Rogue Levels
Denial: Equals their level of Wizard (using Intelligence) or Priest (using Wisdom)

The typical test for a spell or effect will list the effect and its TN to face. The roll is always attribute, plus class level, plus 1d20.


Health Points:
A character has a number of Health points equal to Con+5, plus 5 for each Warrior level (or Advanced Warrior Level) all other character levels add 2 HP per level.


Defense
10 plus Dex modifier plus Rogue levels is the TN for being struck in combat.

Armor:
Armor Reduces Damage based on the quality of materials, design, and craftsmanship. Most suits of armor come in Ordinary, Quality, and Magic types. Ordinary is the stuff you buy virtually anywhere for a listed price. Quality is stuff made from finest materials and by the best craftsman for its type. While magic has enchantments that enhance even the highest of Quality armors to supernatural substances.

Alignments:
There are three alignments which heroes can belong to: Good, Neutral, or Evil. This is nothing more than a trend your character is likely to follow in their behaviors, it is not a straigthjacket. However if you begin following a behavior long enough the GM may ask you to change your alignment. This may impair you following a path that has an alignment specific.


Spells Effects


Starting Spells (First Level): TN 10

Blast: Save vs Avoid or take 1d6 damage

Dazzle: Save vs Avoid of be interrupted for 1 round.

Detection/Deceive: Save vs Denial or have features revealed/concealed

Enhance/Hinder: Increase or decrease character aspect by +1 factor (Movement Rate, Attribute, Save, Damage)

Warning: Provides warning of condition

Ward: Holds something at bay.


Adding Aspects:
Aspects are elements that can be added to a spell to change some aspect of its nature. All spells by default effect self, or a single target depending on their nature. You can add the following by increasing the TN of the spell by 2 for each aspect.

Multiple Targets or Small Area (5' any shape)
Add Effect (Fire, Cold, Lightning, Acid see those specific effects)
Increase Range (base for any spell is touch, 5' for each)
Increase Duration (+1 round)
Increase Damage +1 damage point Max +5
Add another spell effect as feature.

Building Advanced Characters

Advanced characters are built on the paths they follow through play. By taking new paths and advancing in levels you can add additional features that work synergistic by changing to a path that only unlocks once you meet the requirements.


Priest Advanced Paths

Bastion
Any character with Good alignment and at least six levels of priest in the path may become a Bastion, they are representatives of their faiths highest ideals, and may add all their bastion levels to combating their faiths foes.


Diabolist
Any evil character with at least six levels in the priest path may become a diabolist. Diabolist are demon worshiping characters whose powers deal with contacting their master, and furthering their masters will as well as gaining earthly dominion over lesser people for their own gratuitous megalomaniac whims

Druid
Any Good or Neutral character with at least three levels of priest and one level of Rogue may become a druid. The druid is a wilderness priest focused on communing with the natural world, and protecting its virgin beauty. Druids may add their class levels together for defending nature or pursuing tasks tied to the natural order. They may also add all levels together for Druid spell casting so long as the spells have a basis in the natural world.

Healer
Any character with three levels of priest and one level of warrior may become a Healer. The Healer is known for their ability to face combat and steel themselves to face the horrors of battle while healing their allies. A healer may add all their levels to Divine Spells that heal or aid their allies.

Rogue Advanced Paths

Assassin
Any evil character with six levels of rogue may take this path, they may then use all their levels of rogue to add to their ability to strike and kill from a planned position.

Bard
Any Good or neutral hero with three levels of Rogue and one level of Wizard may become a Bard
They use magic with a musical flavor to inspire, enchant, and tell tales. A bard may use all their levels for a performance of some sort.

Gallant
Any good hero with three levels of Rogue and one level of warrior may become a Gallant. Dashing warriors with a dramatic flair. Gallants may add all their levels to combat maneuvers that are elegant and dramatic in tone.

Varlet
Any Neutral or Evil character with six levels of thief can become a Varlet. Varlets specialize in cheating, stealing, and general criminal acts—but they do so by grandiose plans and complex interwoven plots. They add their Varlet levels to Rogue when they built complex plans to grift.



Warrior Paths

Avenger
Any Evil character with three levels of warrior and one level of Rogue can become an Avenger. Avengers specialize in taking the fight to their foes. Personally bringing down their vengeance and anger upon them. An Avenger can add all their path levels in when they want to turn the screw and really lash out at a foe in a direct and personal manner.

Paladin
Any Good character with at least three levels of warrior and one level of Priest may switch to Paladin path once they finish the level which unlocks this path. Paladins can use Divine magic at their cleric level, in conjunction with their fighting abilities (which merge letting them treat all levels achieved as Paladin levels for the purpose of fighting evil foes.)


Ranger
Any Good character with at least three levels of warrior and one level of Rogue may become a ranger. Many Rangers also pick up a level of Priest with nature leanings. (Often taking enough priest levels to become a druid.) They may use all levels towards path tests that involve animals, nature and the wilderness.


Warlord
Any character with at least six levels of warrior may switch to Warlord. They may command (inspire) and provide their Warlord levels as bonuses to other people, or use all levels for combat and tactics on the battlefields.


Wizard

Archmage
A hero with six levels in the Wizard path may become an Archmage. Archmages are the penultimite spell caster, with lore and skills beyond most ordinary wizards. An Archmage may add all their class levels to any task involving casting spells, deciphering spells, or dealing with magic.

Sage
A good aligned character with three levels of Wizard, and a level Priest may become a sage. Sages are experts at numerous fields of knowledge. They may add their levels for the purpose of any test of knowledge, lore, or rare forms of magic.


Illusionist
Any neutral character with three levels in the Wizard path and one in the Rogue path may become an illusionist. Illusionist specialize in using magic to deceive, trick, and fool. They may add all their levels together when the intent is to manipulate people through their magic.

Necromancer
Any evil character with three levels in the Wizard path and one in the Warrior path may become a Necromancer. Necromancer's knowledge deals with the dead, and re-animating them. The necromancer
may add all their levels together for dealing with the dead.


Light Weapons: (1d4)
Dagger
Dart
Sling Stone

Hand Weapons: (1d8)

Sword
Spear
Mace
Flail
Crossbow Bolt
Arrow

Heavy Weapons: (1d10)

Lance (2h or horseback)
Greatsword (2h)
Maul (2h)
Polearm (2h)

One handed melee weapons may be wielded two handed this adds +2 to hit.
Two handed melee weapons may be wielded with one hand if the wielder has +2 strength or greater but they suffer a -2 to hit.

Warrior Levels modify damage on a 1 per 1 basis for weapon or hand to hand attacks.



Armor:
As note Armor comes in a variety of types. Here are the ordinary stats for standard armor found in the worlds of Paths. Rogues may wear leather or lighter armor, Wizards may not wear armor at all without a level of Rogue or Warrior to learn proper care and use. Priests and Warriors may wear any armor they choose.

Damage Resistance

Hide 1
Leather 2
Ring 3
Chain 4
Scale 5
Plate 6


A critical hit will always do full damage through armor. Even if the weapon would otherwise be buffered by the strength of the armor.


Quality Armor:
Armor of Quality costs 5 times as much as nominal armor of its type, but doubles the protection with no penalty.

Combat:
Roll Initiative: Roll 1d20+Dex

Roll to hit: Roll 1d20+Str (Melee)+Warrior Levels Vs Defense, or 1d20+Dex (ranged/ or melee with Light weapons)+Warrior Levels VS Defense,.

Magic: 1d20+Intelligence+Wizard Levels vs for Arcane Spells vs Spell TN, or 1d20+Wisdom+Priest Levels vs TN of spell

Roll Saves: Roll saves vs effects of environment or magic. Success negates (effects) or Halves (Damage)

All Other Tests:
Roll 1d20+Relevant Stat+All Relevant Path Levels. Beat Task Number assigned by GM.

Degree of Difficulty (Compared to All Relevant Path levels the GM believes needed for success)

Example Modifiers

Hard: +10
Challenging: +15
Difficult: +20
Nigh Impossible: +25

These numbers should be modified based on environment, levels of foes and characters, etc.



Morale can be impacted by any class doing any appropriate action that kills or seriously injure a foe.

At the end of a round of combat, each character who creates an
intimidating action adds a +1 bonus to frighten or break the morale of a foe.

One PC is elected to roll this test. Morale is rolled by the player and must succeed at beating the monsters TN in morale. Monsters suffer a penalty for every one of their group that has been killed or that has fled already. Each member of the opposing party present increases their morale +1 for each group member that outnumbers the PC's.


Example Starting Monsters:

Goblins
Defense: 12
Health Points: 5
Weapons: Clubs (1d8)
Morale: 13

Leader Goblin
Defense: 13/DR 1
Hit Points: 10
Weapons: Sword (1d8)
Morale: 14

Orcs (lv 2)
Defense: 14/DR 1
Hit Points: 15
Morale: 15

Leader Orcs (Lvl 3)
Defense: 15/DR 2
Hit Points: 20
Morale: 17

Ogre or Hobgoblins (Lvl 5)
Defense: 18 /DR 3
Hit Points: 30
Morale: 18


Riding Wolves
Defense: 11/DR 1
Hit Points: 10
Morale: 13
Damage: Bite 1d6


Health Points and Morale for monster may be modified as suitable to the situation

I'd like to point out this is rough draft. I plan on adding a fewer finer touches (and lots of editing.) Some example things to add are some information on Levels and Monsters (Warrior Levels, Rogue Levels etc.) Since the numbers above are mostly determined that way.

I'm also adding several "Racial Paths" like Runeknight for Elves, Dwarven Foehammers and the so on, as well as some rules for light, darkness, all the usual hullabaloo, but with a very specific setup--Stat+Class Level provide the basis for most things.


I still need to work out Saving throws--any suggests for Avoid, Deny, and Resist? Who gets modifiers and how large per level?


It could be as suggested by Drohem on the Citadel like so:

Warrior Paths get +1 Resist/level, +1/2 Avoid/Level, and +1/3 Deny/level
Priest paths get +1 Deny/level, +1/2 Resist/level, +1/3 Avoid/level
Mage paths get +1 Deny/level, +1/2 Avoid/level, +1/3 Resist/level
Rogue Paths get +1 Avoid/level, +1/2 Resist/level, +1/3 Deny/level.

This adds a bit of complication but I think it is likely to work.  Racial paths will be tied to profession paths.

Looks like fun, nice.

Thanks! I've still got to get some work done on it to make it complete. (More spell effects, tweaked races, and a few other things.)

Quote from: Silverlion;314474Paths of Glory
Purpose: The purpose of Paths of Glory is to create a simple RPG that has the distilled essence of nearly three generations of Dungeons and Dragons into a simple and focused core without added complexity that moves too far away from its roots. You won't find any so called "innovations" in this work, just a tried and true engine honed to a fine edge.

It's an interesting concept, but I'm curious as to which edition you plan to make your main focus. How far into "its roots" are you planning?

I ask becasue if you go back to the 1974 OD&D roots many of the numbers you cite are somewhat different than the source material. Things like non-d6 hit dice, roll 4d6 keep 3, and so on look more like AD&D versions than OD&D.

Not saying it's a bad thing, you understand. Just trying to get a firm grasp on your master plan....

Looks good.  Crisp, streamlined but with clear options and customization for the players.

Consider these scenarios:

a) Unarmoured 1st level character vs. unarmoured 1st level character
b) Unarmoured 1st level character vs. unarmoured 10th level character

All other things being equal (including Dex), does the system show that it is easier for a 1st level character to hit a 1st level character than to hit a 10th level character (i.e. representing the 10th level character's superior combat skill)?

Quote from: 1989;322944Consider these scenarios:

a) Unarmoured 1st level character vs. unarmoured 1st level character
b) Unarmoured 1st level character vs. unarmoured 10th level character

All other things being equal (including Dex), does the system show that it is easier for a 1st level character to hit a 1st level character than to hit a 10th level character (i.e. representing the 10th level character's superior combat skill)?

I'd say it depends. I've tinkered with the concepts and how it works. A 10th level fighter can be as easy to hit as a first at the moment, but he'll shrug off the blow by taking it on armor and or absorbing it with "HP," this may need to change of course. On the other hand a 1st level vs a 10th level with a few rogue connected path levels are MUCH harder to hit.

As it stands in D&D without magic and in the same gear you're equally likely to hit either character with a first level fighter/mage/whatever, because to hit rolls on your end are based on level, but defense is based on gear (with some stats--namely Dex, impacting it.)

Factors involved in Path's of Glory are: Fighter Levels to strike, Rogue Levels to Defend, Attributes, and Gear.

Gear will be talked about at some point because Gear can have bonuses of its own (some is magic some is not. Anything up to a +3 bonus can simply be finely made, anything beyond that is talking about magic enhancements)

I realize that a competent fighter is likely to have some Defensive abilities that make him more skilled at avoiding blows, but I'm trying to keep the rules simple enough and the abstraction flexible. In this case a competent D&D Fighter character of 10th level, would probably be 7 levels of Warrior paths and 3 levels of Rogue paths  to indicate their combat and fleet of foot abilities.  In addition to this I'm working on specific feats (not like D&D 3 uses them, more like Old Marvel uses them) which are specific actions you take in play to enhance certain aspects of your capabilities. I.e Parrying or Dodging in this case. Combat will be less abstract than D&D in some ways because of this aspect of Paths of Glory


After reading some of Flyingmice's blog, I may have two HP style conditions to track, but I'm not sure yet, as again I believe in trying to keep this simple AND flexible. The first HP is pure health, the second is the abstraction element of luck/fortune and also perhaps motivation. He called it a life spiral where the more you are at risk the more you are driven to survive and succeed. I'm just not sure about working it at the moment.

I like how you broke down the basics of the class, but personally I don't like the concept of Adventure Paths simply because it just railroads the character into that type of persona. The title of "Warlord” should be earned though game play then just be rewarded at a particular level advancement and there should be no reason why a PC can't start out as a so called " Diabolist".  If your entry level magic user recieved his training in Necromancy, then so be it. He's a 1st level Necromancer.

Also, combat is combat. A Rogue shouldn't have better defending abilities then a Fighter and vice versa. Part of being a "fighter" is having the skills and training related to combat.Maybe you might have some additional skills and bonuses if the PC is a Monk/Martial artist type, but it doesn't make him any more seasoned. A fighter, be it a Gladiator, fencer, Bare Knuckle Boxer,ect is going to know things like footwork, blocking, parrying, telegraphing, combos and the like. It might be in his own fighting style, but he will know them.

Quote from: mrk;325330I like how you broke down the basics of the class, but personally I don't like the concept of Adventure Paths simply because it just railroads the character into that type of persona. The title of "Warlord” should be earned though game play then just be rewarded at a particular level advancement and there should be no reason why a PC can't start out as a so called " Diabolist".  If your entry level magic user recieved his training in Necromancy, then so be it. He's a 1st level Necromancer.

There is no required personality for these professions, with the exemption of those that have alignment based elements--and even then alignments are simpler: Good, Neutral, Evil. Leaving the finer details to the play of the person behind the character. The idea here is to let people tally up unique features, without making special rules for each feature.

As an example to give one the idea of play, a D&D PC is the equivilent to a level 3 PoG PC. I think there are good reasons for not starting out as X, usually because they overlap with the basics of another class, and its finer details and honing that make the difference. A Diabolist focuses on summoning demons and the like--these overlap with Wizard, but are more suitable to higher level games. The same goes for Warlord. Unlike D&D, the game will stress that levels are just competency like skills. You can start anywhere in play from a 1st level PC on up to 20th--and that's about how competent they are in play, not about how long they've been played. The aim is to allow more flexibility and yet be simpler than D&D, yet allow many similar structures to exist.  

I hearken back to AD&D1E and Basic D&D in my love for class titles, so think of those class titles as being the same thing as a PoG path here (only with more specialist focus.) For example a Swordsman here, may be a Fighter level 2, Rogue Level 1, and Swordsman Level 1--adding all those levels for fighting with a sword. Switch to a big axe? he drops down to fighting as a Fighter 2. All of this without "Specialization", "Weapon Mastery" or any other weird rules to keep the good at the thing they want to be good at.

Imagine Conan in simple game terms. He was a warrior, thief, in time he was a corsair too, and finally king among many other things--these are different skill sets of course and that is all a path here is--a skill set.

I see your point entirely but a Character could easily start out as a 1st level Thief/Priest/ Martial Artist just as much 1st level Fighter. It just depends on their background and when He/She decides to take those career paths. Conan didn’t start pursuing thievery just because he was a seasoned warrior, he got into it because he was living in cities and found it to be another way to make ends meet. Sure, he had the title  of “thief”, but he wasn’t what I would call a master thief or even a skilled thief the way we think of Thieves  in RPG’s.  He was a novice at best as he never showed an aptitude for picking locks or using his brains to get the loot he was after in any of the stories. Conan could kill a man with one punch but probably couldn't  pick the lock of the front door of a little old ladies house--unless he kicks it in.