So, I'm going to pull the alchemist for now and replace it with one of the other classes we initially created. We don't have a name for the class right now, but were referring to it is the "Sword Minstrel" amongst each other. The class involves music playing spellcasters that sort of take on this rockstar persona. Unlike the bard, they don't really cast enchantment type spells, but actual spells causing physical damage.
I hope to work more on the class tomorrow and post samples that will explain it all a lot more clearly.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Little Break
Been taking a bit of a break from SM to work on some other projects. I think I'm going to have to rework the alchemy rules. I just can't seem to create rules that are simple and still do everything I want, including working like real alchemy.
If I can't figure it out, I might pull the class from the core book and save it for a later supplement or something. . . we'll have to see.
If I can't figure it out, I might pull the class from the core book and save it for a later supplement or something. . . we'll have to see.
Monday, October 26, 2009
SM Subsystems
It started with the magic system and sort of went from there, so expect a lot of small system sections geared towards the classes. Let me explain.
The Mahoutsukai is as close to a "standard" wizard as we have. But while designing how magic was used, I realized we have about 6-7 classes that either use magic or another specific system that would need developed (like alchemist and machinist). So, my initial thoughts were to keep all these subsystem mechanics as similar as possible and as simple as possible. But back to the Mahoutsukai.
So, I started breaking down all the magic classes and what exactly I wanted them to do and how they are represented in the setting. The Mahoutsukai was first, a sort of shaman/hedge wizard type class. They practice an old magic and are very much a class I see existing since ancient times. They are tradition. So, I wanted them to have specific spells to access, almost like a school of magic they practice. I chose elemental magic, and started building their spell lists around that.
I then looked at my other magic users and started seeing what types of spells they would have access to cast. It all came together pretty easily from that.
So, we don't have the typical D&D mage that can cast all kinds of spells. We have classes you are specific to a type of casting. Some cast elemental, some cast necromantic, some cast magic involving animals. . . but it's less generic and gives all the classes some worth.
So, ideally we only have two "arcane" spellcasters. The Mahoutsukai and the Kami-Majo.
Here's and insert from the book about them
"The Mahoutsukai casts Arcane Spells which have roots in traditional practices, ceremonies, and beliefs. It is the oldest and purest form of magic in Rosuto-Shima. It is considered the Right Hand of Yu.
The Kami-Majo casts Sorcery Spells, considered to be dark mysticism. Although also an ancient form of magic, it is considered a vile and taboo form of spellcasting. It is callled the Left Hand of Yu."
Kami-Majo are very much like witches or warlocks. They cast spells with a darker nature to them, necromancy, curses, and the like.
Mahou can only cast spells from their specific form of magical practice. When a character attempts to cast a spell he makes a Spellcraft Test (Void + Spellcraft + D10).
If the test is successful the spell goes off. Every spell has a Difficulty Level indicated that is applied to the casting. If the Spellcraft Test is unsuccessful the spell is wasted and does not work. If the character rolls an unmodified 1 on the Spellcraft Test it is considered a complete failure and they are subject to a spell backfire. If this happens, the effects of the spell are cast in a way unintended by the mahou, at the discretion of the GM.
Casting a spell requires great concentration and leaves the mahou vulnerable to physical attacks. While casting spells and opponent who attacks the mahou gains a +4 bonus to hit them. If a spell has a Casting Duration then the mahou is vulnerable the entire time he spends maintaining the spell. While casting a spell, a mahou can do any normal actions, but nothing complex or taxing.
A mahou can cast as many spells per day as equal to double their void score. At 1st level the mahou can learn as many spells as equal to their Void Attribute for free. All spells learned after that must be taught by another, discovered by study, or other methods determined by the GM. To learn a spell, follow the same method as casting, but instead of the effects of the spell being created, the mahou has now learned to cast the spell. It takes as many hours equal to a spells Difficulty Level to learn. This time must be uninterrupted.
Here is a spell example:
The Mahoutsukai is as close to a "standard" wizard as we have. But while designing how magic was used, I realized we have about 6-7 classes that either use magic or another specific system that would need developed (like alchemist and machinist). So, my initial thoughts were to keep all these subsystem mechanics as similar as possible and as simple as possible. But back to the Mahoutsukai.
So, I started breaking down all the magic classes and what exactly I wanted them to do and how they are represented in the setting. The Mahoutsukai was first, a sort of shaman/hedge wizard type class. They practice an old magic and are very much a class I see existing since ancient times. They are tradition. So, I wanted them to have specific spells to access, almost like a school of magic they practice. I chose elemental magic, and started building their spell lists around that.
I then looked at my other magic users and started seeing what types of spells they would have access to cast. It all came together pretty easily from that.
So, we don't have the typical D&D mage that can cast all kinds of spells. We have classes you are specific to a type of casting. Some cast elemental, some cast necromantic, some cast magic involving animals. . . but it's less generic and gives all the classes some worth.
So, ideally we only have two "arcane" spellcasters. The Mahoutsukai and the Kami-Majo.
Here's and insert from the book about them
"The Mahoutsukai casts Arcane Spells which have roots in traditional practices, ceremonies, and beliefs. It is the oldest and purest form of magic in Rosuto-Shima. It is considered the Right Hand of Yu.
The Kami-Majo casts Sorcery Spells, considered to be dark mysticism. Although also an ancient form of magic, it is considered a vile and taboo form of spellcasting. It is callled the Left Hand of Yu."
Kami-Majo are very much like witches or warlocks. They cast spells with a darker nature to them, necromancy, curses, and the like.
Mahou can only cast spells from their specific form of magical practice. When a character attempts to cast a spell he makes a Spellcraft Test (Void + Spellcraft + D10).
If the test is successful the spell goes off. Every spell has a Difficulty Level indicated that is applied to the casting. If the Spellcraft Test is unsuccessful the spell is wasted and does not work. If the character rolls an unmodified 1 on the Spellcraft Test it is considered a complete failure and they are subject to a spell backfire. If this happens, the effects of the spell are cast in a way unintended by the mahou, at the discretion of the GM.
Casting a spell requires great concentration and leaves the mahou vulnerable to physical attacks. While casting spells and opponent who attacks the mahou gains a +4 bonus to hit them. If a spell has a Casting Duration then the mahou is vulnerable the entire time he spends maintaining the spell. While casting a spell, a mahou can do any normal actions, but nothing complex or taxing.
A mahou can cast as many spells per day as equal to double their void score. At 1st level the mahou can learn as many spells as equal to their Void Attribute for free. All spells learned after that must be taught by another, discovered by study, or other methods determined by the GM. To learn a spell, follow the same method as casting, but instead of the effects of the spell being created, the mahou has now learned to cast the spell. It takes as many hours equal to a spells Difficulty Level to learn. This time must be uninterrupted.
Here is a spell example:
Dancing Flame
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Self
Duration: Void x 1min.
Difficulty: 1
Effect: This spell is nothing more then a fancy spectacle. When cast, harmless flames and sparks shoot out from the Mahoutsukai’s hands in all directions. These flames can then be made to dance and spin around in various directions. This effect can inflict no damage.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Steampunk Musha RPG Classes
The new Rpg breaks down the classes into Archetypes. Steampunk Musha uses four distinct archetypes to define the type of classes available for your character. Each archetype represents the four basic functions a character can specialize in, where the character class represents what the character can do. Beyond acting as an easy was of classification, the archetypes also provide stagnant rules appropriate for all the classes of a particular archetype. The four archetypes are:
Musha - Fighter type archetype, classes include Ronin, Samurai, and Shangti Cowboy.
Mahou - Magic-user type archetype, classes include Mahoutsukai, Alchemist, and Kami-Majo.
Shuujuku - Rogue type archetype, classes include Machinist, Kabukika, and Ninja.
Kigan - Faith/religious archetype, classes include Yamabushi, Nikobo, and Shinpu.
In additional books and on the website we'll include other classes for different regions and races (a lot of already been created for the setting, just not for a specific rules set) and will all function as a playable class. Those will also be associated with one of these archetypes.
Musha - Fighter type archetype, classes include Ronin, Samurai, and Shangti Cowboy.
Mahou - Magic-user type archetype, classes include Mahoutsukai, Alchemist, and Kami-Majo.
Shuujuku - Rogue type archetype, classes include Machinist, Kabukika, and Ninja.
Kigan - Faith/religious archetype, classes include Yamabushi, Nikobo, and Shinpu.
In additional books and on the website we'll include other classes for different regions and races (a lot of already been created for the setting, just not for a specific rules set) and will all function as a playable class. Those will also be associated with one of these archetypes.
Steampunk Musha is still alive
Hey folks,
Steampunk Musha is still very much active and this blog will just be a temporary home to the current progress and news about the setting until our new website is up and running.
So, what is going on with Steampunk Musha and what can we see here. Well, that's a lot of different info, so I'll break it down and show some of the stuff we are working on.
New System: I've been working on a new system for SM for several months now. This system is geared towards what I want in SM, but will be flexible enough to have additional rules content added and work for some other settings/genres from Empty Room Studios Publishing. The system is a D10 based system and will include a lot of the content from the OGL/D20 edition we worked on and the original edition from P.I.G.
In addition to these new rules (which I'm over 100 pages in writing) we'll have a redesign of a lot of the races and look of the setting. In fact, here is a little preview of some of the concepts for the races.
Keshou
Kijo
I'll also have some environment images to post soon along with tons of creatures.
Comicbook- I've secured the funds to start working on the SM comic we've had planned forever now. I wanted to do it myself, but just can't take the time with all I have going on. So, I'll be eventually looking for an artist to handle those chores. Alana Abbott will be writing the graphic novel sized first story arc and I'll be using my comic publisher contacts to shop the book around.
Short stories- We do have a collection of short stories ready to be published, but I'm sitting on them until we have some more content and the new site up. I hope to get a couple more collections of short stories worked on in the near future. I'm very happy with these and think they do a wonderful job bringing the setting details to life.
Steampunk Musha beyond - We do have several other things planned for SM. We most likely will do a boardgame version using our Dungeon Dwellers rule set as soon as we finish the revised version. We also have some miniature combat rules we are playtesting and possibly a CCG rule set. We'll have to see.
If you have any questions about anything SM related, feel free to comment and let me know. . . I'll answer.
Steampunk Musha is still very much active and this blog will just be a temporary home to the current progress and news about the setting until our new website is up and running.
So, what is going on with Steampunk Musha and what can we see here. Well, that's a lot of different info, so I'll break it down and show some of the stuff we are working on.
New System: I've been working on a new system for SM for several months now. This system is geared towards what I want in SM, but will be flexible enough to have additional rules content added and work for some other settings/genres from Empty Room Studios Publishing. The system is a D10 based system and will include a lot of the content from the OGL/D20 edition we worked on and the original edition from P.I.G.
In addition to these new rules (which I'm over 100 pages in writing) we'll have a redesign of a lot of the races and look of the setting. In fact, here is a little preview of some of the concepts for the races.
Keshou
Kijo
I'll also have some environment images to post soon along with tons of creatures.
Comicbook- I've secured the funds to start working on the SM comic we've had planned forever now. I wanted to do it myself, but just can't take the time with all I have going on. So, I'll be eventually looking for an artist to handle those chores. Alana Abbott will be writing the graphic novel sized first story arc and I'll be using my comic publisher contacts to shop the book around.
Short stories- We do have a collection of short stories ready to be published, but I'm sitting on them until we have some more content and the new site up. I hope to get a couple more collections of short stories worked on in the near future. I'm very happy with these and think they do a wonderful job bringing the setting details to life.
Steampunk Musha beyond - We do have several other things planned for SM. We most likely will do a boardgame version using our Dungeon Dwellers rule set as soon as we finish the revised version. We also have some miniature combat rules we are playtesting and possibly a CCG rule set. We'll have to see.
If you have any questions about anything SM related, feel free to comment and let me know. . . I'll answer.
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