Homebrew Concept: Ability Cores (and improving Characteristics)

Games Discussion Ars Magica
21

See I'm slightly apprehensive when it comes to "if you use the longevity ritual, use a different chart" since it starts making things a lot more complicated (and there's no mention of LR's stifling growth, other than becoming infertile?)

Other than that, I have a minor issue with such scheme overall, as it somewhat moves away from "you're better at what you're training" and more into the realm of completely random chance that doesn't reflect personal growth - a bookworm won't suddenly grow stronger and faster, rather, the opposite...

1 Like
22

I'd rather reuse the Aging Table when you get "No apparent aging". Just reverse the sign for LR/living conditions and reroll an Aging Total. That way only an exploding total can give you "negative" Aging Points.

So a 31 yo (+4) in best conditions (-2) needs to roll 0 (0+4-2=2) to get "No apparent aging", and then an exploding 16 re-roll (16-4+2=14) to get the "1 Aging Point in Qik" result. Erm yeah, you'd never get 5 char xp that way. ><

23

We have extensive use of Confidence points in our saga as houserule. One way to use them is:
• Empower a Characteristic: (5 CPs) A player may spend CPs to improve a Characteristic of a character they control. Each characteristic of a character can only be improved once this way. The maximum improvement is to +3, and -3 is the lowest score that can be improved. This costs 5 CPs per Characteristic point. The player must spend all CPs at once. It may take a season to a year for the increase to show “ingame”.

Btw. we accumulate CP for players not for specific characters. If you are interested I can post the full ruleset for Confidence we use..

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Please do:)

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Here it is: I had to translate it from german, so please be forgiving. Before I start, I have to say that we also use another concept called "SG-Intrusion" borrowed from Numenera RPG and homebrewed into Ars Magica by myself, which I could also share with you.

Confidence (Alteration)

In our version we distinguish between confidence points and confidence scores and use them differently compared to RAW.

Confidence Score

All characters (grogs, magi, companions) have at baseline a confidence score of 1. (Except characters with low self esteem, maj. gen. flaw). All characters can increase their confidence scores during play with virtues or by paying CPs (see below).

Confidence Points

The CPs are not character-specific anymore, but player-specific. That means, that every player tracks his own allotment of confidence points, which can be gained by actions of the actively played (on-stage) character, but used by the present player. Therefore, it is also possible to gain CPs, while playing as a grog, just to use them in a later session with another character (f. e. your magus). But the confidence score of the particular character is limiting the maximum amount of CPs, which can be used at once. For a better overview, we track the actual number of CPs with glas beads in cups on the gaming table. At the end of the gaming session we note each remaining amount of CPs on the player sheets. (We use not only character sheets, but each player has a “player-sheet” for this purpose.) Those CPs can be used in later sessions. There is no maximum amount of CPs a player can accumulate.

Gaining CPs

Gain 1 CP when:

  • Entertainingly roleplayed. This means that the player portrayed the character well and in a way that entertained and enhanced the fun of the other players. (troupe decision)

  • Successfully played in a notably difficult task . (SG decision)

  • Risky roleplayed. Player takes a suboptimal choice , is looking for trouble or adds an unneeded burden to his character (fall in love). (SG decision)

  • Realistically roleplayed. Player accepts automatic failure (forfeits roll) of an action, because of his characters believes, rights & wrongs or personality traits/flaws, background. (SG decision)

  • Infernally roleplayed. Player succumbs/indulges to his infernally induced (often temporary) personality trait. (see “demonic obsession” RoP: I p. 24 and 32). He receives the CP immediately (max. 1/season) (SG decision)

  • Player accepts SG-Intrusion (when SG-Group-Intrusion occurs, then every affected character gets 1 CP)

  • Player achieves a character or group goal .

Using CPs

On-stage - Use 1 CP to:

  • Add +3 to any roll (StD, SD) except for long term activities like “learning from vis”. (even after die roll)

  • Reroll any simple roll (SD) and choose one of the results. (also, several times possible and in combination with CP for +3)

  • Avoid a SG-Intrusion/botch : when spellcasting, you can only avoid botch effects but not warping, or check for twilight

  • Avoid a combat defense botch . You don’t receive the (free) SG-Intrusion/combat botch-effects.

  • Declare a story detail . (also, retrospectively). SG can veto.

Off-stage - variable:

  • Compel a story event . (10 CPs). After having consulted the SG secretly, the SG will bring the desired story-plot forward in the list of scheduled story-plots.
    (F.e. a player wants to get his magus initiated into a mystery, but has not yet found anyone of the scecret cult. By paying 10 CP this process will be much easier and qicker ingame.)

  • Compel a Reward . (5-10 CPs) The player can consult the SG for a specific reward, which he will reveive easily somehow in the upcoming session. (type of raw vis, 2 CP = 1 pVis, special spell, magic item, ally/social connection)

  • Increase Confidence score . (CP variable) It is possible to increase the confidence score of one of his characters by spending collected confidence points like XP to raise the score, as if confidence were an ability. (10 XP to raise the score from 1 to 2)
    There has to be troupe agreement that the character deserves to raise his confidence score.
    The player must have enough confidence points to be able to buy the next confidence score all at once. The increase of the confidence score happens, when a spectacular ingame-situation calls for it.

  • Accelerate Advancement : A player may spend CPs to grant additional XP to any study total of a character he controls. This must be alongside a primary source of study. The number of CPs spent, may not exceed the confidence score of the character. 1 CP = 2 XP, and this bonus is added after all multiplications and division affecting the XP gain.
    If you study a Q9 tractatus for 1 month and spent 1 CP you gain 5 XP (9/3+2)

  • Empower a Characteristic : (5 CPs) any player may spend CPs to improve a characteristic of a character he controls. Each characteristic can only be improved once this way. The maximum possible improvement is to +3. -3 is the lowest score of a characteristic that can be improved in this way. This costs 5 CPs per characteristic point. The player must spend all CPs at once. It may take a season up to a year for the increase to show “ingame”.

Explanatory notes for gaining CPs

  • Suboptimal choices/looking for trouble: A player not trying to play in the “most effective way”, but instead focusing on story development & character portrait, receives a CP. Looking for Trouble. – Rather than looking to protect a PC from danger, looking for trouble is actively trying to find actions that feel true to the character but probably make things worse.

  • Realism - automatic failure (pers. trait, right & wrongs): A player succumbing to his character’s morality or personality (rights & wrongs, personality traits/flaws) versus meta-gaming, will be rewarded with 1 CP.

  • Success in a notably difficult task: As SG I want to encourage a risky and challenging way of playing the game, instead of playing it save all the time.

Explanatory notes on using CPs

  • Spontanous spell casting: In both types the fatiguing and non-fatiguing spontaneous magic the confidence bonus (+3) is added after the division.

  • Declare story detail: Sometimes, you want to add a detail that works for your character to advance the current scene . For example, you might use this to narrate a convenient coincidence, like retroactively having the right supplies for a certain job (“Of course I brought that along!”) , showing up at a dramatically appropriate moment or suggesting that you and the NPC you just met have mutual clients in common. You should try to justify it, regarding your character’s story.

  • Avoid botch effects: When a botch occurs the SG immediately gets a “free” SG-Intrusion but doesn’t award the character a CP for it. A player should not be punished for bad luck, so if he can spend a CP, he can avoid that botch effect/SG-Intrusion and just fails the task.

  • Combat defense botch: In combat, when a botch occurs during a defense-roll , the Character always has a Defense-total of 0+Def (instead of plain 0). By spending 1 CP the player can avoid the botch effects/SG-Intrusion. You can also pay additional CP to add +3 to the defense-total.

2 Likes
26

Pretty deep, it is.

27

We play since about 2 years with this houserules, and I really like the outcome. IMS we have a strong focus on the troupestyle way to play, so we have severeal well defined grog characters, besides every player has 1 magus and 1 companion. It helped us, to enjoy playing as a grog even more, since you can now collect CPs in that role too, to use it for your main characters.

Also the rules have a big inpact on the long time play style of ars magica, where the death of main characters is not so important like in "the other game".. Since, we almost needed up to a year to create a main character, we don't want to kill them one after the other. So with the CPs use to avoid botch effects or likely death by defense-botches, this way to play is now much easier. Before, we found that ars magica is just too deadly to play that way.

Third, the several mechanisms to gain CPs as a reward for "good" roleplay, are a powerful incentive to help the players to stay close to our "story-first" policy in our self-defined game contract.

Would be interesting to know, what you guys think about all of that..

28

I definitely like the look/feel of it, @Gambrius. Seems like we might need to see your house rule on SG intrusion for full comprehension.

At first glance it sounds similar to the "Fate Point Haggling" thing in the first edition of the Dresden Files RPG but I suspect I'm completely wrong since other parts of your text imply a similar mechanic to it is used in relation to botches.

29

So here it comes:

The reasoning behind those rules was quite sound. Firsty, as SG I wanted more clarity like a general guideline for using botches. Secondly, I found that the randomness and severity of botches in RAW were often totally anticlimactic (out of story-beat rhythm) and sometimes “de-railing” my story. Thirdly, I wanted to reduce the random factor and shift some of the agency from the game system to the players. The players now can choose to accept some of “troubles” the SG comes up with, or to avoid them by paying a CP. Lastly, a player should not be punished for bad luck. So, if he can spend a CP, he can avoid that botch effect/SG-Intrusion and just “normally” fails the task.

SG-Intrusion/Botch (Alteration)

SG-intrusion is the main mechanic, which the SG uses to inject drama and additional excitement into the game, without rolling a bunch of dice and comparing them with detailed in-game-stats. It’s also a handy tool for resolving issues that affect the PCs but do not involve them. SG-intrusion is a way to facilitate what goes on in the world outside the characters. It can be also used as a narrative tool to bring the PCs back on track without heavily railroading them or to provide some CPs to players before important events.

The SG can announce a SG-Intrusion anytime or gets a "free" SG-Intrusion, when a botch occurs. A player can avoid the botch effects by paying 1 CP, but the task is always a failure.

SG Intrusion (anytime)

First SG announces that there is a possible intrusion, but tells not what it might be.
If the player accepts the intrusion, he earns 1 CP immediately, before intrusion effects take place.
If the player wants to avoid the intrusion/botch effects, he has to pay 1 CP.
About 1 Intrusion/hour of gameplay.

SG-Group-Intrusion (anytime)

If more than one player is affected by the SG-Intrusion, then it’s called an SG-Group-Intrusion. Every affected character would receive 1 CP for accepting the intrusion. Otherwise every affected player would have to pay 1 CP to avoid the SG-Group-Intrusion. It’s not possible to only partly pay the CP cost.

Examples for Intrusions/Botches

Out of Combat SG-Intrusion (or when Botch occurs)

  • Automatic success: When a player performs a task, he would automatically succeed, the SG can use an intrusion to make the PC roll for that task against a certain difficulty level.
  • Setback: Personal item damaged, stolen, lost.
  • External factors change: rain, snow, fog, hail, avalanche, rockslide, flooding
  • NPC changes to a “surprise-foe” or surprising new NPC-motive.
  • Bad Luck: floorboard breaks, gust of wind, malfunction, NPC is not here (at home sick), backpack rips
  • Unknown complication: an easy task gets more complicated, while lock picking detects a poison needle trap, NPC doesn’t speak the same language, NPC is friend of former foe.
  • Upcoming complication/obstacle/scene: to trigger it, when it’s most interesting: unstable ceiling collapses, burning rope rips, city guards arrive, somebody witnesses the scene and runs away
  • Opponent Luck or Skill: foe escapes - no chase successful, NPC dodges all attacks surprisingly, PC makes extra attack

Combat SG-Intrusion (“free” SG-Intrusion after Botch)

In combat any botch follows the rules above, but when a botch on a defense-total occurs, the character always has a Defense-total of 0+Def+3/CP (instead of RAW plain 0) and the SG gets a “free” SG-Intrusion. The PC can pay 1 CP to avoid the intrusion/botch effects.

Examples:

  • Foe: less hurt, gets stronger, gets free attack, gets advantage, reinforcements arrive
  • Ally: panics, decides to flee, surrenders, turns against PCs (steals or betrays, lies, misguide)

Spell casting “free” SG-Intrusion (after Botch)

By spending 1 CP you can avoid only the SG-Intrusion/Botch effects, but not the warping points, or check for twilight (>2 “1”)