Building races with ERP

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Mangus
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Location: Newton, NC, USA

Building races with ERP

Post by Mangus »

Dan,

I am assuming that the main rulebook for ERP will come with templates for all the "standard" fantasy reaces (elves, dwarves, etc.). I am curious how ERP will handle home-brewed races? I have bounced an idea around to have a world populated with races that are anthropomorphic animals. How will ERP handle this kind of setup? From your description of character creation it sounds like the system is very flexable. Will there be guidelines for creating new abilities that might not be listed in the core rules (i.e. claws, wings, carnal instict, etc.)?

Thanks,

Mangus
dancross
Cold-Blooded Diabolist
Posts: 530
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:32 pm

Re: Building races with ERP

Post by dancross »

Mangus wrote:Dan,

I am assuming that the main rulebook for ERP will come with templates for all the "standard" fantasy reaces (elves, dwarves, etc.). I am curious how ERP will handle home-brewed races? I have bounced an idea around to have a world populated with races that are anthropomorphic animals. How will ERP handle this kind of setup? From your description of character creation it sounds like the system is very flexable. Will there be guidelines for creating new abilities that might not be listed in the core rules (i.e. claws, wings, carnal instict, etc.)?

Thanks,

Mangus
Yes, the main rule book comes with standard fantasy races. Home-brewed races should be very easy to create.

Normally claws would be assigned a Potential-Harm rank along the same lines as any humanoid unarmed attack. The default is D4. However, if it were a player character, and "claws" were purchased with character points as an advantage, then I'd either increase the die-rank of the base Potential-Harm (like from D4 to D6), or add a +1 to each attack roll when determining threat points. Depends on how powerful those claws are ;-) As for wings, with the abstract movement rules, that would not be complicated to put into play. But again, if a PC were to purchase wings as an advantage, I might grant a die-rank up on Speed and Agility when in flight, and perhaps a bonus to inititative when dive-bombing on enemies. The character point cost for such a thing would probably be 3 pts. per die-rank or per +1 bonus to tactical use concerning initiative.

These sorts of guidelines are implicit to the rules because all advantages (which are seperate from the master list of abilities) follow the same conventions in regard cost and mechanics. Making new advantages like that is to be expected, if I know GMs well.

I'm hoping to get a webpage running where new additions and ideas can be compiled as the player and GM community for this game expands. Gotta get that Quickstart revision done first...(typing away)...
Mangus
Ill-Fated Peasant
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Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:33 am
Location: Newton, NC, USA

Post by Mangus »

The answer is pretty much what I had expected. I had a feeling ERP would be just that easy to tinker with.

As for the webpage, need any help? :wink: If so, I have a crew that would consider taking a stab at it. We have been discussing working on an RPG fansite, but we could not nail down just what game we wanted to support. ERP could be just the thing. Keep us in mind, and let me know what you think...

That brings another question to mind. How "open" will the liscense be when it comes to fan made material and the like?

Thanks,

Mangus
Banesfinger
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Re: Building races with ERP

Post by Banesfinger »

dancross wrote:...As for wings, with the abstract movement rules, that would not be complicated to put into play...
First, thanks Dan for all the quick responces on these forums. That is very nice to see.

When you get a break :D from typing the quickstart, perhaps a quick Design Blog on how the Abstract combat/movement works?
dancross
Cold-Blooded Diabolist
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Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:32 pm

Post by dancross »

Hello and good morning (at least for those on the east coast at 10:38AM)...

Mangus, you bet I could use help with a website. I'd like to discuss that with you, so please email me at dan (at) dancross.com. (note the anit-spam version of my email). As for license, I know for sure I'd like to encourage fan supported material. Any successful game encourages such (it's the lifeblood!), and I'd like to keep that fairly open. As far as independant works published using the Eldritch system, well I'd like to handle that on a case-by-case basis. That would be another question best emailed to me directly.

Banefinger, I'd love to write a post about the abstract nature of movement, and how it relates to range attacks and magic spells area-effects, etc. I'll post that in this thread as soon as I get a chance. I'll probably have some time tonight with my wife off having fun with family today. ;-)
Eisenmann
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Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:16 pm

Post by Eisenmann »

While I truly appreciate heroic roleplaying, sometimes I like to lean thing a bit toward the historical side of things. Is ERP able to handle a game such as a Dark Ages that is less fantastical? I realize that's a very broad question. The game that I have in mind is more Jack Whyte's Camelot Chronicles and less high fantasy.

Thanks!
dancross
Cold-Blooded Diabolist
Posts: 530
Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:32 pm

Re: Building races with ERP

Post by dancross »

Banesfinger wrote:
dancross wrote:. ... perhaps a quick Design Blog on how the Abstract combat/movement works?
I thought I'd post the movement rules right out of the book:

"Movement in ERP is abstract, players describing such movement as necessary, while the GM tracks how it will affect actions and timing. Occasionally, judging movement over distances becomes important for tactical or dramatic situations.

Maximum movement in a round for most creatures
is equal to Speed ability or Base Movement Die-
Rank for monsters (See Opponent Development),
multiplied by 10. That is the number of feet the
creature may move in a round and still be able to
act in some other fashion. A character may double
the movement rate and not engage in other actions.
A rank of D6 thus means a character can move
(6x10) 60 feet in a round and still be able to act in
some other fashion.

A character may double this
rate and not take any other actions.

The maximum
distance per battle phase is Movement divided by
five. For example, a hero with D4 in Speed can
move a maximum of 40 feet in a round, or run
80 feet and take no other actions. This means she
can move 8 feet per phase, or 16 feet per phase
running."
dancross
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Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:32 pm

Post by dancross »

Eisenmann wrote:While I truly appreciate heroic roleplaying, sometimes I like to lean thing a bit toward the historical side of things. Is ERP able to handle a game such as a Dark Ages that is less fantastical? I realize that's a very broad question. The game that I have in mind is more Jack Whyte's Camelot Chronicles and less high fantasy.

Thanks!
I believe ERP could handle it well. First, game balance is not dependent on level as related to power (it's more about skill rank vs skill rank). In other games, your character is defined by class powers, or expected amounts of magic items at each level, or other similar considerations. ERPs balance is simple, and challenge level sort of self-evident to a GM after a while (not to the players). For example, if you want a darker, gritter world, then remove the multipliers on the abilities that feed into the Toughness and Resilience Defense Pools. That makes combat more deadly right off the bat.

Like magic items, special powers, and level*, Arcanum as an ability can be highly restricted, or removed without affecting game balance in a detrimental way.

I could play ERP without magic and no character would suffer for ability or choices, except for the obvious lack of any arcane advantage. 8)

* Yes, I said "level". Levels in ERP represent increasing knowledge and skill, but is mainly structured as a means to make pacing adventures easy for the GM. PCs gain character points to buy ability ranks each level. Using levels puts pacing in the hands of the GM and ability purchase choice in the hands of the players. I like it best that way. What that means, in fact, is you could remove my level/xp system and replace it with your own, and it would not affect the game one whit, except for pacing and in what way characters are permitted to choose their own destinies. I rather like my advancement system though, as it was playtested for three years before Eldritch was even conceived.
Banesfinger
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Re: Building races with ERP

Post by Banesfinger »

dancross wrote:Movement in ERP is abstract, players describing such movement as necessary, while the GM tracks how it will affect actions and timing.
So, a group of Adventurers enters a large dungeon room to engage a group of Goblins (using the abstract movement you described). The Mage and the archer hang back. The mage casts an area-effect spell (fireball).

Does it hit all the goblins in the room along with the Adventurers engaging them? Does it hit some and not others? Does the GM guess where the combatants are positioned or is there a game mechanic for this?

Can't wait to see the QuickPlay!
dancross
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Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:32 pm

Post by dancross »

So, a group of Adventurers enters a large dungeon room to engage a group of Goblins (using the abstract movement you described). The Mage and the archer hang back. The mage casts an area-effect spell (fireball).

Does it hit all the goblins in the room along with the Adventurers engaging them? Does it hit some and not others? Does the GM guess where the combatants are positioned or is there a game mechanic for this?
Let's see...first I'd want to determine initial distance of the goblins from the party. I remember in many versions of D&D this could be randomly determined, and there's nothing preventing me from rolling some dice for this purpose. But I decide not to go that route, and rather state that the goblins are 50 feet away, all sort of within ten feet of each other (don't ask why ). First, I determine there is no "surprise round" because neither side were attempting to be stealthy. The players announce they are going to make goblin burgers for dinner, so I announce the beginning of combat. Let's say there are two PCs, one fighter type and one mage sort. Let's call them Baddeass and Wizawas (no, I'm not really this silly with names in my real games!).

ONE ROUND OF DEATH (with some movement):

Baddeass decides he wants to charge at the goblins, to beat them to death with his favorite yew club.

Wizawas is going to cast a fireball without regard to his friend's reckless charge, well, just because.

So, we go by phases, top Reflexes rank first (I'm going to ignore modifiers due to weapons in this example because it's late...;-):

Baddeass is highest, with a Reflexes of D10. He pays no attention to his chanting mage friend, and charges ahead toward his stinkin' goblin foes, yelling something incomprehensible. His Speed score is also D10, so he can move 100 feet and still take an attack action. Yippee! He can run 20 feet per phase, so by Phase D6 he will have moved 60 feet (including phase D10). He would get his attack in but...

Wizawas' spell fires off in his initiative phase, which is D6. This places his charging friend within striking distance of the goblins. For area spells, the area-of-effect equals 2 × MRV of the relevant Power Source Specialization in diameter (add Mastery if applicable), with the point of origination at a distance of up to 10 × MRV of Power Source, in line of sight. SO, say our wizardly Wizawas has a Arcanum ability of D10 and a specialization in Primordial magic of D8. His fireball will be 16 feet in diameter, catching our poor fighter friend along with the goblins just as he gets near to them.

Wizawas rolls his dice, D10+D8, and gets maximum 18 threat points.

Say Baddeass has Resistance D4 ×2 + Willpower D4, for a whopping 12 points in his Resilience Defense Pool. Thus, the fire penetrates his Resilience DP, and he takes 6 points against his Toughness. Poor guy. He should have waited.

The goblins don't fare any better. I described them to the players as oddly huddled together, somewhat center of the room, all ten of them within ten feet of each other. So, because they are all fodder, and (let's say) none have passive hit points amounting to 18, they all die. What fun! Alright, if I were feeling gracious toward the little monsters, I could grant them high Speeds, like D10. Why? Because a character may use Speed to mitigate
Potential-Harm from an area-effect spell, provided there is reasonable room for evasion (as determined by the GM)***.

The mage blows the smoke from his knuckles and takes a nap...

:lol:

*** When dodging area effects, the character must run
to some point outside the radius in any direction.
Movement in ERP is usually abstract, so the GM
must determine whether this is possible. A good
rule of thumb is to compare the spell’s radius with
the character’s Speed or Move Rank × 2. If the
speed or move score is equal to the radius, the
character can dodge to reduce damage. If not, he
cannot move fast enough to dodge. When dodging
missile weapons, boulders, or ranged magical bolts
no wider than 5’ diameter (all of which must have
some visible and tangible component to dodge), the
character must move at least 5 feet, or else half the
threat points automatically bypass the dodge DP.

PS: if anybody read the first version of this post, you may have noticed a math mistake. This note is to inform you that you were seeing things. It never happened. :lol: ...time to go to bed...
Eisenmann
Far-Sighted Wanderer
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:16 pm

Post by Eisenmann »

Sounds great! And thoughtfully designed.

dancross wrote:
Eisenmann wrote:While I truly appreciate heroic roleplaying, sometimes I like to lean thing a bit toward the historical side of things. Is ERP able to handle a game such as a Dark Ages that is less fantastical? I realize that's a very broad question. The game that I have in mind is more Jack Whyte's Camelot Chronicles and less high fantasy.

Thanks!
I believe ERP could handle it well. First, game balance is not dependent on level as related to power (it's more about skill rank vs skill rank). In other games, your character is defined by class powers, or expected amounts of magic items at each level, or other similar considerations. ERPs balance is simple, and challenge level sort of self-evident to a GM after a while (not to the players). For example, if you want a darker, gritter world, then remove the multipliers on the abilities that feed into the Toughness and Resilience Defense Pools. That makes combat more deadly right off the bat.

Like magic items, special powers, and level*, Arcanum as an ability can be highly restricted, or removed without affecting game balance in a detrimental way.

I could play ERP without magic and no character would suffer for ability or choices, except for the obvious lack of any arcane advantage. 8)

* Yes, I said "level". Levels in ERP represent increasing knowledge and skill, but is mainly structured as a means to make pacing adventures easy for the GM. PCs gain character points to buy ability ranks each level. Using levels puts pacing in the hands of the GM and ability purchase choice in the hands of the players. I like it best that way. What that means, in fact, is you could remove my level/xp system and replace it with your own, and it would not affect the game one whit, except for pacing and in what way characters are permitted to choose their own destinies. I rather like my advancement system though, as it was playtested for three years before Eldritch was even conceived.
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