Okay ponies, we will have our first "session" this saturday, 2013/01/12, 22h GMT. It will be mostly used for preparations and discussion about your expectations on the campaign then an introduction and a bit of time for character socialization if there is time and you are up to it. Since the blank sheets will only be posted tomorrow, we could leave to make the character sheets at the day . No major events are planned until the official campaign start at the 26th.
The sheet is nearly done and will be posted tomorrow, and the house rules compilation soon after.
On that topic:
- The Battle Saddle skill will be swapped for a perk. Much like Power Armors, you need proper training to use them. Fortunately, battle saddles are far more common and the aptitude may be acquired as a quest perk if you can convince a battle saddle user to teach you. Otherwise, it will be a level 4 perk.
- Unicorns are encouraged to present their own cutie mark-based schools, including spells they don't have yet. Learning new schools or spells, unless they are from the cutie mark school, require either a tutor, study material or observation. A tutor may give it as a Quest Perk, study material only enable the pony to take the school next time they level up, same for observation, but in the latter case, only if the caster passes rolls yet to be designed relating to attention, experimentation and comprehension. Advanced and Expert versions of known spells can be taken with no extra hassle, though.
- I'm also considering making Telekinetic Grasp an Advanced Spell from the Basic school, making it available for any unicorn, though still needing the proper perk for it. There are a few other spells I also think of moving or even making available in multiple schools, mainly the Offensive, since the school is very arbitrary, since the only thing that the spells really seem to have in common is causing damage. Another possible tweak is altering the spells to take away at least some Science rolls, since they can pigeonhole an unicorn, demanding them to dedicate skill to it (on top of the possible perks spent to get and strengthen the spells) in order to be effective at them. So far I'm just considering possibilities. I could really use your opinions here.
- I'm also considering of giving earth ponies a 2nd starter perk or a fixed SPECIAL point as well. I don't think a single perk really compensates for the freedom of movement and from obstacles flight gives, and magic is a powerful toolbox as well. Any opinions?
- Any opinions on pegasi? Do you think they need tweaks? Any other race?
- We are switching things around. You will start more competent, with Tags being worth 20, but you will earn only 3+(INT/3) Skill points per level, growing more slowly. Egghead will have no INT requirement and it will give 1 extra point. Additionally, perks such as First in Class will have ranks worth 3,3 and 6. I am considering increasing the SPECIAL coeficient of skills from 2x to 3x, which would make the starting skill even better, as well as making drugs more useful, but I'm afraid that makes it too uneven for lower SPECIAL skills. What do you think?
- What I am doing though is adding a trait called Knack, which would allow you get +15 to a skill when using it for a specific purpose, but -5 otherwise. Examples would be getting bonuses only when rolling Science for making chems, or when setting up Explosives for a demolition. You can take it multiple times (up to the limit of 3 max traits we will have), but it applies to a different skill specialization each time.
- All these rules will also apply to NPCs, so you aren't in disadvantage.
- You are starting at level 4
- There is more to be added.
Suggestions?
- Group Bondage: 2
- Group Profit: 2
I'll abstain from voting, at least for now, but I do have a favorite between those two. More suggestions are welcome, though.
