D&D Saga Edition

Updated: 6/10/07

Well Star Wars Saga is better, yes BETTER than I expected.

As it stands, I was somehow expecting something more akin to D20 Modern...and its just not.
Talent Trees can simply represent Classes. And the Force can easily, EASILY be stretched into a Spell System. So at this point I think I'd just rename Soldier to Fighter, Scoundrel to Rogue, Noble would probably stay the same, as would Scout, rename Jedi to Spellcaster. If I wanted to import anything I'd just build a Talent Tree for it & either make it open to all classes or attach it to a specific class. The cool part is that Soldier, Scoundrel, Scout, Noble & Jedi/Spellcaster WORK for Thundarr. The hardest thing I have to decide between is if the character that wants to make a Shaman ala Marshall Bravestarr requires a Talent Tree based off of Wild Shape + Wild Feats or simply using the Beast Class Features as Talent Trees.

I'm not abandoning this project, I'm just basking in the coolness of Saga D20!

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I'm not finished with this document just yet, but I should have it wrapped up in the next week or so.

The high points:

-Using the Saga Skill System (X number of Skills + Int Mod). You can select any Skill to be Trained in, but can only gain Skill Focus in Class Skills. Using Saga's Skill List but trading Use the Force with Use Magic

-Using Saga's Defense Saves of +1/Level & have added a +2 at level 1 for a Good Save & +1 at first level for an Average Save.

-Talents vs Class features--I'd been going round & round on this & have finally decided to convert Class Features to Talent Trees. So I'll have Warrior Class(D10HD+Fast BAB) with Fighter, Paladin, Ranger Talent Trees; Rogue Class(D6HD with Medium BAB) with Bard, Thief (rogue), Beguiler Talent Trees. Priest Class(D8HD with medium BAB) with Cleric, Healer, Druid Talent Trees. Magic-User Class(D4HD with Slow BAB) with Warlock, Wizard, Sorcerer Talent Trees. Battle-Hardend Class(D12HD with Fast BAB) with Barbarian & Knight Talent Trees.Basically each Talent in a Tree corresponds to the Class Features you can gain for an entire level. For say a Wizard taking a Spellcasting Talent equals what benefits you would get at say levels 1 & 2 or levels 3 & 4. This is still fairly rough, since my setting doesn't require alot of Talent Trees. Its Thundarr.

-Magic is the area I"m still working out, I basically had thought of stealing the Swordsage's Maneuver Progression, but with the caveat thaty a Spellcaster can use spells more than once per encounter. I also looked at using Recharge Magic from UA or on importing the Spellpoints per Encounter & metamagic feats from Spellbound: Channeller. I'm settling on using a Magic-User Class, with the Warlock Talent Tree for now. Since I'm using the Thundarr setting, I don't have Divine Magic, but it could work out pretty easily.
I'm not planning on using the Triple HD at 1st level, but am using the Damage Track. I haven't decided if I want to add 1/2 Level to Damage.

Hopefully I'll have this finalized by 6/7/07.

Spells as Feat Emulation

Basically this dumps the existing spell system for giving Spellcasters a Feat emulation system.

Drop Wizards, Clerics & Druids. Haven't worked out Bards, Paladins or Rangers yet, so bear with me.

Each Spell Level they give up gives them a Bonus Feat that they can use with a Magical Trapping. So, if I Spellcaster & I take Heavy Armor Proficiency---I call it Eldrtich Armor & I summon Armor at will as a power. It will start as the lowest class of Heavy Armor & have all of its stats, but I can "research" it...i.e. buy better Eldritch Armor & improve it, as if I was buying new armor.

Sneak Attack can be done like this as Shadow Rend.

I'd use the basic Cleric Set-up, give them Bonus Feats on any level they would have gained a Spell Casting Level.

More Later...

Simple Spells per Encounter Add On

I've loved the idea of Spells per Encounter since seeing their inkling in Cooldown Magic from Unearthe Arcana, Maneuvers & Stances from Bo9S & Jedi Mind Tricks from the previews of Star Wars Saga Ed.

This is simple way to add something similar to existing Arcane & Divine Spellcasters.
NOTE: the very best system I've seen for this is in Spellbound: Channeler from Crafty Games for Spycraft 2.0. If you have an interest in this BUY IT.

Basically at the beginning of an encounter, the DM either draws a Playing Card from a Deck or rolls 2D6 for the Mana Class(MC) of the Encounter. If using Playing Cards, Aces are = to 11. If you draw a Face Card, draw an additional card until you get a number card or an Ace. Then add the number of Face Cards to the value of the Number Card.

This is the number of extra Spell Slots any Spellcaster has access to for that Encounter.
For purposes of Spell Slots, 0-Level spells = 1 Spell Slot but allow you 3 additional castings of 0-Level spells.

So if I was an 8th Level Wizard, my max Spell Level is 4. If the MC is 6, I can add an 1-4th level spell, & either 2-1st level spells or 1-2nd level spell or 1-1st level spell & 1-0 level spell (for 3-0 level spells)

More BRP/MRQ

Ok...so I'm really thinking of moving Thundarr, 40K & maybe MARS over to BRP/MRQ.

First I like MRQ better because of:
Attributes are bases of skills

I like the idea of the Parry/Dodge tables

I like the quick skill contests & don't mind the High Skill Level rule

I like BRP (at this point Stormbringer, but I've playtested DBRP & it will be sweet) because of this:

Armor as a xDx

Attributes having very specific functions:
Int for Skill Points
Dex for Initiative
Size & Con for HP
Size & Str for Damage Bonus
Pow for F/X Points
Ok...App really doesn't do anything...but it could provide a Skill Bonus...

Law/Chaos

Throw in HeroQuest for:
Bumps for High Skills (replace BRP & MRQ)
So if my skill is 103%, I roll a 17, its a fialure, but I have a Bump of 1 so its a success.

If my skill is 247% & I roll a 46, its a success & I have a Bump of 2, so its a Critical +1.
If my oppenent also succeed, but just at a Critical +0 level, then he would be reduced to a Success & I would be reduced to a Critical +0. I would win the Contest.
Augments for Skill/10

Mix some Aspects:
Fate point provides +10%, Invoke/Tag is a +20%
(if not using Profession Bonuses, let it become +30%/+50%

A Pinch of Professions:
a)Add a +30 bonus to Skills under Profession

b)Add a +30 bonus if the GM thinks its applicable

And a sprig of a new Critical System

Any roll where the One's Die is a 0 or 10, is a crit (ex. 10, 70, 100)
If the roll is successful its a Critical Success. Failure its a Crit Failure.

No matter what your skill level is a 100 is ALWAYS a Failure, & if your skill is below 100, its a Critical Failure.

In Skill Contests, the highest Successful roll wins after applying Bumps.

BRP/RuneQuest Mongoose Patches

I've been working alot with ideas for 40K & Thundarr.Some patches I've come up with:Patch #1If your skill is over 90%, but under 100%, your effective skill is 90%.If your Skill is over 99% but under 200%, your effective skill is 91%.If your Skill is over 199% but under 300%, your effective skill is 92%, etc.Essentially your skill maxes at 90% plus the One-Hundreds place of your Skill level, so Shooter's Gun skill is 727%, your effectice skill is only 97%.If your Skill is 99% or less you botch on a roll of 99 or 100.When your skill is 100% or more you only botch on a roll of 100.Your Critical or Complete Success Skill rating is equal to 10% of your Skill (not effective skill). So in the above example, Shooter Criticals or achieves a Complete Success on roll of 72 or less; achieves a Normal Success on a roll of 97 or less & botchess only on a roll of 100%.In an opposed Skill test of any kind, if the rolls are on the same level (i.e. both Normal Success or both Complete Success), the lowest roll wins. If one player achieves a Critical Succes & their opponent does not, the Critical success wins even if it is a higher roll.Patch #2This is inspired by Simon Hibbs & HeroQuest.Criticals, Successes & Failures occur whenever the Ones die comes up a 10.If my Skill exceeds 99%, I roll my, if the result is less than or equal to the Tens & Ones place, I succeed. If the result is more than the same value, I fail. However, I apply the value of the Hundreds place as bonus Success Levels. If both opponents succeed, the lower roll is conscidered successful Ex. If Shooter has a Gun Skill of 727% & rolls a 24, he Succeeds & Adds up to 7 Bonus levels. Ex. 2 If he shooting at Art, who's Dodge Skill is 698% & he rolls a 48, he fails his dodge, because his roll was Higher than Shooter's. Art who still has 6 Success Levels from his Skill subtracts those from Shooter, 8-6=2. If the result is 1 Success Level, the action is a Normal Success. If the result is 2 or more Success Levels the action is a Critical Success. In this example Shooter scores a Critical against Art. If however Shooter had roll a 79, a Failure & Art had rolled a 90 a Critical, Shooter would have 7-1(for a Failure)=6 Success Levels & Art would have 6+2(for a Critical)=8. 8-6=2, means Art would have Critical Succeeded on his Dodge roll.