Dakkalazy's House Rules - Occupy Trottingham!

[Dakkalazy]

A few months ago I've stumbled upon Archer of Hope's alternative version of the Fallout Equestria RPG. (I'll avoid posting links so as not to be considered a spammer) It's a great work - I especially loved the formatting and the amount of excruciating detail the author put into everything. If you haven't checked it out yet, do so now - it's full of interesting ideas on how to run games, and has a bunch of interesting information for the DMs.

Of course, it was ill-suited for my needs. I've been running RPGs for a while now, and my current gaming group has been around for over a year. I couldn't just switch to a new system. Besides, Archer's system is a bit too rules-heavy and overly complicated for my needs. It's clearly a work of love, with over 600 pages dedicated to all aspects of roleplaying in the Equestrian Wasteland, but sometimes less is more. I really wanted to incorporate some of his mechanics into the standard, rock-simple, easy to learn FO:E RPG created by Kkat and co. And in addition to that, I was already using Mad_Modd's equipment sheet (which is, no doubt, pretty well-known around here). Or at least, I was using a heavily edited and houseruled version of it.

So I set out to merge all three and make an expansive, exhaustive sheet that would incorporate a cornucopia of gear and miscellaneous items. The end result can be easily used with Kkat's base rules, or with Mad_Modd rules, requiring minimal tweaks in either case. I was aiming to streamline mechanics as much as possible. As such, Damage Resistance is gone from all items, and replaced by either increased Damage Threshold, or temporary hitpoints.Elemental Resistances have also seen a change, and have been replaced by Elemental DT. This may not be to everyone's taste, of course, but I was trying to get rid of as many instances of division and multiplication as possible to increase the speed of play.

I've always lamented the lack of a comprehensive system for alchemical and cybernetic augmentation. A lot of the stuff is left up for the GM to make up on their own, and that task can be rather daunting. Thus, drawing heavily from Shadowrun, Project Horizons and Deus Ex for inspiration, I've also compiled a pretty huge list of cybernetic and alchemical augmentations for characters existing in the world of Fallout Equestria. And, of course, the classic games - Fallout 1, Fallout 2, and New Vegas have all been an influence on developing this project.

With that in mind, I present to you the fruit of my labors.

Arsenal
Cyberware
Alchemy
Changing The Changelings
Adjustments to Spells

These tables are designed to work with the standard, Kkat's set of rules, but Mad_Modd's ruleset would work as well.

If someone wishes to better understand my philosophy and mindset, that went into devising the augmentations, alchemical enhancements, and supporting systems, they can also read the campaign document for my current campaign: Occupy Trottingham, and check out the incredibly disorganized collection of house rules

With that in mind, I hope other GMs and would-be GMs find this collection of links useful. Special thanks to Kkat, Mad_Modd and Archer of Hope for inspiration.

This is revision 1.0, and I look forward to hearing about any inconsistencies and bugs. I'll try to answer any questions, as well!

Cheers.

[Cyberpunked]

I might nick some of these for my game and use them as later-game incentives. I like what you did with the Cybernetics, but I feel they could use a bit of toning down and graduation. Some of those DT values are insanely high, and the individual SPECIALs for each limb seems like it could get complicated exponentially fast. Other than that, the variety of implants and attention to detail is good. I feel like you could include Implanted Firearms, but that'd just be silly.

[TyrannisUmbra]

In case you're interested, I'm currently working on Advanced Alchemy and Advanced Cybernetics addons for the Revised Ruleset. It definitely needs a lot of work, but the general idea is there!

Alchemy
Cybernetics
Cybernetics WIP character sheet page (includes relevant formulae

If you're interested in helping contribute, I'm always open!

[Dakkalazy]

I might nick some of these for my game and use them as later-game incentives. I like what you did with the Cybernetics, but I feel they could use a bit of toning down and graduation. Some of those DT values are insanely high, and the individual SPECIALs for each limb seems like it could get complicated exponentially fast. Other than that, the variety of implants and attention to detail is good. I feel like you could include Implanted Firearms, but that'd just be silly.

Well, first of all, thanks for feedback.
Actually, implanted firearms, and just ranged weapons in general did cross my mind, in the earlier editions, and it's something that might make a comeback, if I manage to find an interesting way to implement them.
And of course, the total DT characters can reach using just the cybernetics alone is 80 for any given location of the body, which is quite a lot - but still less than what a dedicated unicorn/alicorn spellcaster can reach using just the base rules (and the latter doesn't require a ton of money, nor does it leave the character extremely vulnerable to matrix disruption weaponry). Don't forget that many types of damage ignore 1/2 DT, or ignore DT altogether, and many weapons have greatly increased armor penetration. I feel like the cost, power consumption, and anti-matrix vulnerability offset the DT gains enough, for now, but any further playtesting is welcomed.

Overall, these augmentations are intended for higher level groups, and higher power level adventures.And, of course they are entirely optional. A good solution to avoid the spike in power is to ban anything with the rating higher than 3 for lower power adventures.

Currently, I'm hoping to eventually devise a sufficiently simple and fun way to reflect changes to the character's physiology and psychology, and add more fun and interesting options for augmentation that give characters more utility, and that's it.

In case you're interested, I'm currently working on Advanced Alchemy and Advanced Cybernetics addons for the Revised Ruleset. It definitely needs a lot of work, but the general idea is there!

Looks neat. Specializations are something I am also pondering at the moment.

[Dakkalazy]

At the risk of double-posting, I would like to share some new tools and house rules with people here.

New and Improved Rules for Changelings in Your Game!

These changes aim to make Changelings a more balanced race choice compared to Unicorns / Alicorns, but preserve the feeling of the 'Energy Vampire' parasitic creatures they truly are.

Spell Changes

This mostly has the aim of reducing some of the worst offenders among the spells in power - Alter Physiology in particular, with its insane versatility. Offense Spells have received a significant cost reduction, to make them more useful compared to guns and blades. which outshone them on every level.

[TyrannisUmbra]

This is the second time you're doing stuff that I've been dabbling with As with last time, I'll drop a link to my changeling stuff for you to check out and see what you like. This one's definitely a lot more idea and a lot less mechanics, at the moment, but... eventually.

Rant about TK Grasp below! [Not for the faint of heart] (nerfbat plz)

Spoiler: show

Also, worth noting is TK Grasp is probably one of the most sleeper OP spells in the game. At advanced, it's already effectively as good as a 'normal' pony's physical abilities. At expert, it's crazy strong. And the reason is this: It's not just for making magical unarmed attacks. It's also for executing magical unarmed maneuvers, as well as for making a telekinetic grapple impossible to break.

Targets may make an opposed test against the spell’s effective Strength using their Strength or Agility at a penalty equal to the degrees of success on the caster’s Science roll (up to a maximum penalty of -3, this cannot reduce the target’s effective Strength or Agility below 1) to break out of a telekinetic grip.

So here's the deal. If you have 3 POT, which is about average, that's 6 STR effective at Adv and 12 at Exp. Since I'm trying to show you how broken Exp is, I'll give that a whirl.

If compared to someone with an average STR/AGI (about 6), they would have to roll 6 points less than you without any modifiers to tie you! (On a d10, the chance of this happening is about 10%). This doesn't even factor in the max penalty of -3, which is pretty easy to achieve. This would cut their chance of tying you down to 1%, requiring you to roll a 10 and them to roll a 1. If you allow them to maintain a means of propulsion (Shame on you -- you have all the agency over them. Lift the EPs into the air, and bind the turkeys' wings, and this will never happen!), then they get STR+2 with no penalties, which ups their chance at tying with you to a whopping 21%!
If we compare to someone with STR 10, these numbers become 36% no penalty, 15% penalty, 55% bonus. Yes. You heard me right. With Exp. TK Grasp, at average POT, vs someone with max STR, the best they can do is have a 55% chance to /tie/ your opposed check.

All the other usable unarmed combat maneuvers result in similar numbers.

But wait, there's more! Because... this isn't as obscene as it can get. Because I wasn't factoring in Powerful Caster. You can get 3 ranks of that by the time you unlock Expert spells, and that's all you'll ever need, because that STR 10 pony who can move around all they like /cannot possibly break out if you have a total of 6 POT/. There is no combination of rolls which will allow them to beat your opposed check, or even tie it. If you give them no chance to move, the threshold is 5 POT without needing to apply the Science check penalty. And this is for the STR 10 pony!

But wait, it gets better. With Adv. TK Grasp, Powerful Caster is +2 effective STR per perk. You can get 1 rank before you can even take TK Grasp, and another rank 2 levels afterward. With 3 POT, this almost brings Adv. TK grasp up to the strength of the Expert version, but at Lv8! So this isn't just an endgame powerhouse.

And of course, having what effectively amounts to +2 STR for an average pony at Lv6 is damn strong in and of itself (In fact, it's what you can get from Alter Phys), if you're not into the whole "break EVERYTHING" scene.

...And let's not forget that it counts as both physical force AND TK, so there's a lot of shenanigans you can do with choking ponies, too. But, that's a whole different can of worms that I don't even want to think about opening right now.

Aaaaand this is when we remember that this entire exercise was based on having an average POT unicorn. If you were to build say, a unicorn with 10 END? Congrats, you can sling around 12 STR grapples at Lv6, no prob! And you only ever need to spend 1 perk on powerful caster to make Exp. Grasp impossible to break.

[Dakkalazy]

I wouldn't say it's a 'sleeper OP' spell.

If only because It's pretty blatantly obvious that it is indeed overpowered (at least when it concerns grappling). And I have never had a Unicorn with less than 6 Potency at level 1 in my games, and at least 10 at higher levels is absolutely necessary.
So yeah, while your rant is pretty spot on.. I am well aware of how overpowered it is, but it's not that big of a deal in my experience. It's just grappling that's impossible to break. That's pretty mild compared to properly utilized telepathy, combat precognition, illusions and teleportation, because those give you so many more options and make combat entirely one sided.

[TyrannisUmbra]

it's not that big of a deal in my experience. It's just grappling that's impossible to break.

More than just that. It's also a good number of unarmed special combat actions. This includes things like choking, Tackle (Is specifically described as grappling a target, not using your full body, unlike Slam/Flying Tackle), Trip (Including vs flying opponent, which causes freefall -- Follow it up by binding their wings with TK Grasp, watch them go splat [Only necessary at heights of 150ft+, since the rules only allow recovering from freefall at that height or above]).

Also grappling is pretty damn strong. Not only can you restrain an opponent and prevent them from doing pretty much anything for minimal AP investment, but you can also do things like say, grabbing the weapons of 5 opponents and ripping them out of their grasp for a total of 75 AP. I'd say this is MUCH more combat strong than any of the other things mentioned, since all of those actually require you to, yknow, fight an armed opponent with risk of getting shot. Maybe you'll have a combat /advantage/ with those spells, but you won't be completely negating the opponent's ability to fight back at all, like you can with TK Grasp.

(Also it's only possible to have 6 POT at Lv1 through means such as Magic Knack, which from my experience is actually not that widely utilized as a trait.)

[Dakkalazy]

I'm aware. I just think that it's a pretty cool mechanic. It might get a little nerfed in future updates, but again, that's just only one of many, many, many things that are broken with the system. Again, a lot of the spells decide the combat the moment they are cast. You don't have to rip the weapons from the grasp of your opponents if your entire group goes first and just mops the floor with the enemies. Or if all of your enemies are reduced to 1 Strength and can't move or use any weapons effectively.

Just pick your favorite flavor of overpowered.

(Also it's only possible to have 6 POT at Lv1 through means such as Magic Knack, which from my experience is actually not that widely utilized as a trait.)

Yep, and most unicorns who want to be decent spellcasters take it! Alternately, 5 is the barest minimum I've seen in my newest campaign.


BELATED EDIT:
I will concede the point on Tackling, Slamming, Pinning and Choking. That's the intended use of the spell, and I think it's really cool. No reason to nerfbat it.

Not only can you restrain an opponent and prevent them from doing pretty much anything for minimal AP investment

That's a minimum of 25 AP to cast Telekinetic Grasp, and another minimum of 30 AP to use Tackle maneuver with it. 55 AP is pretty hefty. (80 AP if the caster doesn't have Spell Alacrity) Of course, subsequent targets would only take 30 AP each, but the initial investment is not that small. A combat-optimized characted can just outright kill practically anything with 80 AP. This spell merely grapples and immobilizes the target.

Don't forget that, according to the rules, 'Heavy weapons and projectile weapon battle saddles always automatically kick the target out of the caster's Telekinesis - no roll required'.

but you can also do things like say, grabbing the weapons of 5 opponents and ripping them out of their grasp for a total of 75 AP.

Not exactly. The Disarm maneuver imposes a -40% to hit the opponent's weapon, and uses your Unarmed/Melee skill, not effective STR. You could argue that it counts as 'attempting to manipulate an item in the opponent's possession', but I personally will rule that it's a Disarm attempt since the intention is clearly to get rid of the target's weapon.

If you, as a DM, will rule that TK Grasp can do insane feats of strength, then of course it will be overpowered.

[TyrannisUmbra]

Belated reply in response to a belated edit!

That's a minimum of 25 AP to cast Telekinetic Grasp, and another minimum of 30 AP to use Tackle maneuver with it. 55 AP is pretty hefty. (80 AP if the caster doesn't have Spell Alacrity) Of course, subsequent targets would only take 30 AP each, but the initial investment is not that small. A combat-optimized characted can just outright kill practically anything with 80 AP. This spell merely grapples and immobilizes the target.

TK Grasp is the only spell in the game which has its own unique casting cost at 15 AP cast to make an attack -- and according to the rules for the unarmed combat maneuvers, you pay a certain multiplier of your basic attack cost. In the case of TK Grasp, that means you pay the flat multiplied cost, no extra. So that's straight up 30AP. With a single rank of alacrity, you get the absolute minimum possible cost of 20AP, since Alacrity can't reduce the basic cost of casting Grasp below 10.

Don't forget that, according to the rules, 'Heavy weapons and projectile weapon battle saddles always automatically kick the target out of the caster's Telekinesis - no roll required'.

There's also the issue of 'if the unicorn knows how to describe what he's doing, this is impossible to do'. Like I mentioned before, all the unicorn has to do is lift the target in the air, and clamp their mouth shut. Only another unicorn will be able to manipulate anything at that point (and there are ways to stop them from doing anything while you grapple them, too).

Not exactly. The Disarm maneuver imposes a -40% to hit the opponent's weapon, and uses your Unarmed/Melee skill, not effective STR. You could argue that it counts as 'attempting to manipulate an item in the opponent's possession', but I personally will rule that it's a Disarm attempt since the intention is clearly to get rid of the target's weapon.

Manipulating an item in the opponent's possession is exactly what it is. This kind of scenario is exactly the reason why that clause for TK exists in the first place -- for instances when the unicorn and another pony are both trying to maintain grip on and/or use the same object at the same time. A disarm combat maneuver is an attempt to /knock/ the weapon out of a target's grasp, not an attempt to gain possession of the weapon.

Also, Science is always used in place of unarmed/melee when making attacks for TK Grasp. Since Disarm is an advanced combat maneuver, this would qualify as an attack.