RP Systems - Overview

This is just a page to track ideas for RP systems and track opinions etc. Each system is probably worth a page of its own. Feel free to add any systems in here that you would like to see or to comment on any of the areas so far.

If you think your view has been summarized badly - please feel free to change it.

History

Its important to understand the history of a setting so that we can ensure that the NPCs give RP based feedback that fits with our world.
History
Time_Line

Culture

A overview of the different cultural philosophies around the islands.
New Hope
Halfling

Travel

An over view of travel arrangements.
Travel

Crafting

Aghar favours UOAbigails crafting system. JB doesn't know the system, but hasn't really got a system he is pushing (although he knows CNR best) wants to be sure that such a comprehensive system won't dominate the world.
JB - quite likes the NWN2 system of crafting magical items and isn't sure how much of it can be switched off. Is it possible to run the two systems along side each other?
Lets settle for UOA crafting and keep an open mind on the built in NWN stuff for the moment - it really doesn't seem to be a bad system for the magical item creation - and it might be suitable to use the NWN forges instead of the UOA ones.
Crafting

Link to OUAbigail's crafting update page

Housing

JB: I like a multi stage approach - rents go up steeply - double or triple per level - rented means that we can use scripts to take back housing when characters move on - we don't need a manual system to handle it

  1. we need something cheap for low level characters to call home and I was working on a system where PCs joined a Club/Group - for a fixed fee they get to use a bed and have a limited amount of perma storage.
  2. Rented rooms - rent rooms in a boarding house and get a little more storage
  3. Apartment - two or thee rented rooms allows a little more RP and perma storage
  4. Large apartment/house - still rented but a 4-5 room apartment.
  5. Houses to buy - restricted to players and characters who have been around for a long time - customisable housing - either they design it or we do - costs an absolute fortunes - gets some sort of social status / social bonus that goes with it.

Death

I understand the NWN1 server had a system whereby characters could come back as ghosts and haunt other players …
JB: I have been working on a system whereby PCs have a Mini adventure that determines how much XP they lose when they die (rather than having fixed amounts) - the current version takes them to the 'paths of the Dead' where they can either cross the river to permanent death - OR they can hunt for a portal back to the prime material planes - as they look for the portal they are chased by XP draining undead. The longer they take to find the portal - the more XP they lose (Portal is located at random - when the dead PC spawns in) - can we combine that?
We also need a 'resurrect/respawn system for PCs who are on the server alone.

Laws and Legal Systems

Anywhere civilised needs laws. (I do mean laws for the Character to obey, rather than server rules which are for the Player to obey) - on a PW we need to make sure the laws for characters are easy to understand, not too much of a hinderance to play, but make the poinbt we want.
The law in New Hope - as defined in The Charter of New Hope

Social status

JB: I have a script set from Vydor - characters can get titles and we can make the NPCs use the title in conversation. We can configure the concept for any sorts of titles - Squire/Knight for military titles, Master for a master crafter or a guild master - etc ….

We could give associate other advantages with different types of house - ie more expensive rooms - higher rent. We could also give extra status to those who were allowed to actually buy a house of their own - rather than renting. Maybe Burghermeister or Alderman - and give them a vote on some sort of town Council?

The potical social staus for New Hope is definded in Codicil 4 of the Charter of New Hope. However many of the other codicils also contain information relevant to the social responsibilities and rewards of citiziens, according to thei rank.

Guilds

JB: On Vydor we used the PGS Players guild system by Samius Maximus and Gamergeek. It provides for player managed guilds. With a bit of playing around it is possible to run NPC managed guilds where the NPCs can manage guild memberships and promotion. Players can only be a member of one guild at a time. However, by using different DB tables it is possible to run extra Tiers of guilds - PCs can only belong to one guild per tier.

The system allows for guild territory and marking - However I have no experience of using that .

Class trainers

Aghar in favour of managing level advancement by using Class trainers.
JB: rather use XP to manage level advancement - has concerns about Rp side 9where do clerics go - surely need another cleric of their god/pantheon) - would rather give an XP boost to those who go visit a trainer rather than force them to. perhaps class trainer requirements for prestige classes - and for taking a new class
EPOlson: Would use XP to manage levels - perhaps Class trainer requirements for Custom Prestige classes.

Cursed items

JB: All worlds need a few cursed items. I wrote a system for Vydor that introduced a few cursed items with a single person (in that case a crazy hermit) who could lift the curse. There was a chance the PC would get a magical once the curse was lifted - or the item might break as the curse is removed. Either way the hermit charges a fee …

XP System

Low XP for kills - Higher XP for quests - automated XP awards for RP (ie fetching food to the quartermaster in Kagadan)
System for allowing characters to get back XP lost to death a bit faster

Quest Management

JB: I have always liked a three tier system for quests

  1. Work-a-day quests. Small quests that can be done every day - a sort of RP farming that PCs can use as employment - ie collect30 spider silks for a small XP boost.
  2. Regular quests - maybe something that can be done once per character level - ie one set of tunnels are prone to wererat infestation - They get cleaned out every so often by killing the wererats and then killing the boss wererat. Pcs can get more kill experience down there - BUT it will take a whole PC level for the wererats to get another boss that the PC gets experience for.
  3. Once in a life time quests - either where characters go after named baddies or main story arc quests. Pcs can do the quests as often as they like - but can only succeed once. When they have done the quest - they can accompany others - but they can never get XP from it again.

Alignment Management

JB: Actions control alignment - not the other way around. PCs kill innocent villagers - they get an evil alignment shift - they steal things they get a chaotic etc. On Vydor we used a fractional system where I could change alignment by a tenth of a point (ie one tenth of a point for every item stolen from a chest or pick pocketed). Means we need a few alignment based decisions in conversations (Intimidate, persuade etc) - a few quests that can be done for 'good' or 'evil' reasons (On Vydor there were two people who wanted the werewolf chief killed. A cleric trying to regain a temple (Good) and a thief who had been double crossed by the werewolf (evil) - so same quest - different alignment change according to motivation) Opportunities to donate to good causes etc.

Other PC skills etc

E.G. - Things like swimming and cooking

Rest

Food and Eating

Jobs and Careers

Hunter, Gatherer, Shop Keeper (selling crafted goods), Trader, Farmer, Entrepreneur (financing an inn, shop, restaurant or farm) Army?
New Hope

Hobbies

Gem collector, Jewellery collector, collect other stuff? Animal breeder?

Family

Inheritance, background etc …

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