1.0.4 - Magic Updates and Rewrite

Heya community.

Lots happening for this update. 

Weapon Properties Redux

• Redesigned all weapon base properties. Won’t bother listing all changes, recommending re-reading the section entirely. Multiple have been removed.
• Removed Soulsteal, the weapon augment
• Created a default weapon property called ‘Focus’, which restores MP on attack.
• Created a Feat to entice casters that will increase how much MP Focus-type weapons give. Focus Mastery Focus weapons regenerate MP equal to double Prestige rather than just Prestige.
• Dual-wielding mechanics have been changed.
• Weapon proficiencies are being removed. We would much rather people use the weapons they would like to use, and focus on spending JP elsewhere.
• Added a feature to replace a class ability with another ability from the same class on level-up.

Design change insights:

• The entire weapon section will probably be removed. There will be a general formula for weapon costs, but it’ll be primarily centered on “Small weapons vs big weapons” or weapons with a lot of base properties. The goal is to make it to where players aren’t restricted to the generic fantasy weapons list and create a more malleable system with less bookkeeping/documentation. Reduce, reduce, reduce.
• As for the Focus property, I want to encourage spellcasters have a subloop of Cast → Attack → Cast, ad infinitum. They can have Ethers for when they just don’t have the time to regen mana. Power casters will seek larger MP pools and so will likely need more feats. Utility casters will need little to be successful- potentially just a Focus weapon, casting the odd spell here and there.

Class Changes

• Jobs now give a static HP bonus on the first level that you get them. None afterwards. This will also lower health across the board. They are still based on the role of the Job: Caster, Skirmisher, and Tank.
• Magus now has a new ability to manipulate basic Umbral spells rather than a silent cast.
• Gambler has been reworked pretty considerably. Changes can be compared, but their Innate has changed completely and Stacked Deck is now a buyable skill. Most abilities are roughly the same, but the general flow of the Gambler is significantly different. Check it out.
• Changed any references or powers around accuracy to alternative effects. These are varied and quite a few to mention. Check if a class you have tested has been affected.

Design change insights:

• Regarding the level-up class ability removal, some classes have abilities that make others irrelevant. This is likely MORE prevalent if playing Unchained. Now people can switch out abilities that are phased out by other class abilities, or even that players just don’t like after giving them a spin.
• There’s a lot to say about the Gambler class changes. I can only properly sum it up with this: Now it’s more gambley, and more versatile overall as a class. It’s less about stacking the deck, which is just a single die being rerolled. And it’s more about gambling and winning big, or losing small. Never losing big- we want this to be FUN, not to rob our players blind. The house doesn’t always win with this class. Maybe the gambler doesn’t work out and is just a leftover of the system it was inspired from (FFD6, a system made around 10 years ago that my table tried). That’s alright if so, we can phase it out. Please give it a spin!

Mechanics Changes

• Resources have been entirely reworked. The system is no longer attrition-based, with most resources restoring at the beginning of a combat.
• Health has been reduced at all levels.
  • Previously, health could get up into the 100s, not counting Shielding and Warding mitigation. Now, a character fully-focused on tanking may have at average 65HP. Armor can boost them up to the 100s in rare and fully upgraded cases.
  • Health is now far more valuable, and as you will see later in the notes, Shielding and Warding has been replaced with a new system.
  • This will create a less spongey system overall.
• On The Brink has been renamed to ‘Doom’ and the 0HP status has been entirely reworked. No more yoyo-ing between conscious and unconscious. Instead, death is now a far more cinematic and purposeful affair.
  • 0HP is now a state of ultimate vulnerability, where you are still up but close to passing out entirely.
  • On the Brink is now an unconscious state that happens after Doom is completely accumulated. You’re out til you finish a Rest, and an enemy can take an intentional, calculated action to kill you should they be able to get to you.
• Combat has been moved to its own section.

Design change insights:

• The Doom and Unconscious changes- I want people to spend more time playing and less time comatose, waiting to be healed. I want deaths to be more cinematic. I want Doom to be a resource to be juggled. Overdrives are centered around Doom. Hopefully this does that.
• Health and defense changes: I want less sponges. Both for players and GMs. This system will hopefully keep nuance while removing annoyance. The new armor system I am especially hopeful will be fun to play with and encourage players across the spectrum of glass cannon to full tank to consider what armor they enjoy most. I also want to keep the system as low-numbers as possible. The system is inspired by tactical RPGs but I want to shrink their insane numbers down and keep the math simple.

Combat Changes

• Combat now has its own entire chapter, as mentioned above.
• Defense has replaced Shielding and Warding.
  • It’s a single flat value that can be increased by improving equipped armor.
  • It acts as a separate HP pool that will protect the user’s channels, as well as ignores all resistances and immunities.
  • Take their armor out- expose their weaknesses.
• Accuracy has been removed. Attacks hit or deal half damage.
  • Mitigate damage with dodges, blocks, or resistances, which are dependent on the type of armor you’re wearing.
  • An entire section on cover has been added as a way to reduce damage.
• With accuracy removed, Critical Hits are gone as we know them. They will be remade. Critical hits are now “exploding” dice. When a damage die rolls 6, it can explode into another die.
  • Related to crits, combat now has two new stats: Crit Range and Crit Limit.
    • Crit Range is critical range as we know it. Dice explode on a 6, but can explode on earlier numbers.
    • Crit Limit is the limitation that dice can explode per attack. It starts middling, but can grow or shrink.
    • Now, ailment procs that used to happen on crit or near-crit are now based on Crit Limit. Ailment attacks don’t have exploding dice, but if their Crit Limit is reached, the ailment is applied. These builds want less crit limit and more crit range.
    • A general crit build will want more crit limit and more crit range.
• Dodging and blocking have been reworked from Combat Arts into innate skills that depend on the equipped armors.
  • Light armor can dodge- they reduce damage for a reaction.
  • Heavy armor can block- they reduce damage for no reaction, but reduce less than dodging. Shields increase the damage reduced.
  • The newly created Medium armor has extra augment slots for resistances. This armor is less focused on reducing damage via rolls, and more about covering weaknesses.

Design change insights:

• Defense being a soak system previously was waaaay too spongey and offered too much protection against multiple hits, and too little protection from big hits. Going to try and meet in the middle.
• I want the type of armor chosen to be a gameplay choice. Those who want to stay away from combat and have less health need bigger damage reduction against less attacks. Those who WANT to get hit or at least aren’t afraid to need to reduce damage by bits here and there. Finally, those who need to cover many elemental weaknesses can go for medium armor.
• Regarding accuracy- I never want a player to be completely ineffective in a turn. Who wants to wait 10minutes for their turn to come back around only to go “Attack, miss, move on”? We can create a better system. This system is more about what you do during your turn rather than if you hit. Move an enemy? Ailment? Buff an ally? etc.

I think that’s just about everything, everyone. To those following and supporting, thanks. You rock. This is the first time I’ve ever made anything like this, so I appreciate you supporting a novice. I hope I produce a game quality enough to be worth your time!

• The magic system has been rewritten the be more compact and easier to use.