The Bazaar #93: Core Rules System Chapter #2

(Character Generation)

GENERAL

The Core Rules System is my personal attempt to present a holistic system of rules that could be applied across all the Palladium Books RPGs. This is a baseline of the rules, using a systems approach by breaking down the game rules to core principles, at each stage, and taking any minor variances into account by softening the edges and dovetailing the pieces together.

In Part 1, we looked at what a framework to control what moving from one “level” of Technology, Magic or Psionics would look like from one RPG to another. In some cases, the effect is more impactful than others; that’s okay. Remember, “calm blue oceans.”

In Part 2, I take a crack at baselining Character Generation, with a view to making a set of rules and guidelines that provides a GM and Players something that can be transposed from any one to the Palladium RPGs to another.

GENERAL REACTION

To say the reaction has been positive would be putting things rather lightly. As a test case for Palladium Books, I think I can safely pass on to Kevin and Sean that the market is definitely there for a "Megaversal Rules Redux" to present a core set of rules usable across all RPGs, particularly with a refresh in presentation. Lots of enthusiasm, several even going so far as to request a Kickstarter; I would whole-heartedly agree and support Palladium Books in that endeavour!

Bear in mind, this project is just my view, my take on things. If given the chance, this is just how I would formalize a set of house rules to capture a Core Rules System that represents all the Palladium Books RPGs under one lingua franca, so to speak. Allow the individual RPG books to focus on the actual setting, free the [age count from repeating game rules that are universally represented elsewhere.

In any case, onwards to Chapter 2!

CHAPTER 2 – CHARACTER GENERATION

General. The majority of this Chapter is about baselining various idiosyncrasies of the different RPGs, then adding the language to make sure that SDC and MDC were considered together in the same sections. The intent is to provide the GM and Players a single source reference that could be transposed for any character from any one of the RPGs as they move from one to the next. This does have direct implications to later chapters, most specifically between that of SDC to MDC. We’ll defer that part of the conversation. For now, on to Character Generation and what it looks like under my CRS approach!

Step 1 – Rolling Attributes. Nothing new to see here in terms of Attributes; same crazy Eight we all know and love, with more clearly defined bonuses from Attributes of 16+.

• Exceptional & Prodigious Attributes. Specifically defined based on baseline Attribute dice pool.

• Strength Categories & Damage Chart. Now presented on a single page (instead of over 3 pages); one column to define the types, another with a table to present different combat damages for various Strength Categories at 16+.

Step 2 – Rolling HP & SDC / MDC

• Base Hit Points and Building HP

• Base SDC by Role and Building SDC

• Base MDC by species and Building MDC

• Recovery of HP&SDC / MDC

• Surviving Coma & Death

Step 3 – Determine Psionics. Basically a table to add variety to Character Development; an elective element the GM can manipulate one way or the other. Not much of a change to what you know.

Step 4 – Select a Class. A hint of things to come. Given the application of keywords and updates to Skills, Classes needed to be updated to match. For most RPGs, it’s just a quality-of-life improvement. For Rifts, it’s a rationalization of over 400+ Classes to remove to copious amounts of duplication. Much more on this in an upcoming post!

Step 5 – Select an Alignment. The same 7 alignments we know and love are still there.

Step 6 – Character Advancement. One of the more contentious issues for some; others I’m sure will (at best) shrug their shoulders. The idea of dealing with a series of often seemingly random determined Experience Points Tables, did little to present a cohesive dynamic of Character Advancement. Add to this the more common current fashion of levelling up the party together as they progress, and things become more counter-intuitive (e.g. Rifts: Wilderness Scout needs 21,001 for level 6, while a Dragon Hatchling needs 30,001). This honestly begets itself a separate blog post. For now though, within the context of the CRS, I’m advocating the following:

• Single Table for All Classes. What I present is a more linear, justifiable scheme for advancement. It is applied to ALL Classes, because they’ve also been/will be re-baselined, with some of the more ‘anemic classes’ getting more thematic upgrades to give them something interesting as they level up. I'm almost done with Rifts Conversion Notes, moving on to the other RPGs.

• Thresholds. Formalized to present each Class something special as they advance a certain increment. Most Classes have this to some effect, I just suggest a normalized version (e.g. gain X skills, choose X spells or psionics at Levels A, B, C and D). This also comes into effect for special abilities, and crucially for a framework to allow limited Class Transfers, something discussed in Chapter 3 – Select Class.

• Experience Points Table. The numbers definitely appear a little odd at first. What if I told you they are roughly the average of about 50 discrete XP tables from across different Men-at-Arms, Practitioners of Magic, Psionics, and RCC tables? It also flattened out some of the wonkier level advancements some of the Classes have. Go ahead and do it with just RUE, Nightbane or any basic RPG XP Table.

• Not All Classes Are Balanced! I won’t argue that, nor will I argue this is necessarily a flaw. The Wilderness Scout is not the spot-equal of the Dragon Hatchling. But taking the Rifts example, I’ve taken the time to reimagine hundreds of classes into a representative list that shaves off the repetitive and those that don't contribute anything new. Some of the lesser represented were provided abilities to give them something interesting, abilities and skills that promoted the core concept of the class. Will that make a Wilderness Scout the equal of the Dragon Hatchling? Certainly not while they are fighting forces of Hades or Dyval. Plunk the same group in the wilderness of the Rifts Dino Swamp, or some unexplored pocket dimension without civilization, and the Scout is suddenly a critical member for the party’s survival, while the Dragon Hatchling may still be the combat threat in comparison to the Scout, they are much less so the clutch member of the group anymore. Much more on this with the release of the Conversion Notes.

A Hint of Things to Come (Class Transfers). Nothing more than this, but the framework is set and ready to show off in a future post. <wink wink, nudge nudge>

CONCLUSION

So, there we have it. Chapter 2 of the Core Rules System, all nine pages of it. It’s not a panacea for all issues, but I believe it presents a coherent basis for all the games and possible Characters, whether SDC or MDC, to start from the basic Human or any of the options presented within the respecting RPG. The RPG supplements from then on provide the specifics for delineation and specifications that the GM and Players negotiate in terms of acceptability and they start rolling dice.

Next up is Chapter 3, which takes us into the initial elements of the Selection of a Class and some of the nuanced changes presented therein.

Return to All Posts

Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!