an idea for a D20 system modification. [long]

[HyperactiveBuffalo]

hello. this is my first time posting on The Forge, though I have been reading it for about 6 months. my name is Justin, but Hyper will work just as well.

ive attempted a number of system conversions in the past, some worked some didnt. I have also created 2 systems of my own, one was based on tarot cards, one on a standard dice pool mechanic. I am perfectly happy running premade systems and alot of my players sometimes ask 'why bother with creating something new when everything works just as well?' but I have found that system modification and creation helps exercise a part of my brain that is often unstimulated since I stopped programming.

I started a couple weeks ago on a modification of the D20 system which strips it of classes, experience, and levels. I have tried to create an organic growth system which naturally expands on those skills/stats that a character uses. none of this has had the OGL licensing scan through yet, as I have no intention of releasing it, at least not for a long while. ill consider everything I have created open intellectual property if anyone finds something they like, as much of it has probably been done already. anyways, id like input and suggestions from those on the board, if you see fit to do so.

---

Mission Statement:

   It is my goal to adjust the d20 system, with the intent of developing a variant thereof, which contains no classes, levels, or experience. The core mechanic of the system will remain mostly unchanged, as will Base Attack Bonuses, Saves Ability scores, and Skills. Feats will be removed as a portion of the system, but a new mechanic will be created which allows for the use of many of the feats currently accepted in the system to be included as combat options. Furthermore, it is my intent to introduce a Traits and Flaws system which maintains game balance, while at the same time allowing for further customization of play style. I want any character, for any setting to be within grasp, while at the same time keeping the overall game balance, game style, and availability of the userbase of the original D20 mechanic.

Abilities:
    I will be using the same standard scores as the core rules call for; STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, and CHA. Ability scores can be generated in any of the standard methods, though I prefer the standard array, or standard point buy method for play balance. Ability Modifiers are exactly the same as the standard system. The +1 Ability bonus every 4 levels is no longer applicable, as 'levels' do not exist. The methods of raising characters abilities are instead laid out here:
    The character is required to spend 1 week in game, per point in the ability, training exclusively in it. They may only train any single ability at a time, they cannot train any less than 1 hour per day, and the training must be constant with no split up of the time along an extended period. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that you will be able to raise an ability. At the end of the exercise period the player must make a single roll, adding his ability modifier, and beat a difficulty equal to the level the ability is being exercised to [See 1.1]. if the character succeeds, the stat in question is increased by a single point, and they may then do what they want with their time after that point. If the character fails, they have the choice of abandoning the quest, or spending an additional week to get an additional roll. They can continue to practice and get a new roll every week for as long as it takes to raise the stat, but they may never take 10, or 20. In addition to this, if they ever stop their training for longer than a single day per week they will be forced to start the regimen over.

  Example: Wesley is a rather weak fellow, having a strength score of only 6. He decides to strengthen himself, so he goes to the gym for a month and a half (6 weeks). At the end of this Period he rolls versus a dc set by his intended strength (7) but gets unlucky, rolling a 5. adding the -2 from his ability score to the roll, he recieves a total of 3.  He then spends another week training and follows this weeks end with another test, rolling a 14(modified to 12 because of his –2 modifier) and beating his difficulty of 7.  He has succeeded, and feels stronger for it. His strength is permanently raised to 7, but if he wishes to build his strength even further he has, at the very least, 7 more weeks of work to go before he will see a marked improvement.

1.1 Statistical Training Chart:
Stat:   Mod:   Roll Needed to Obtain:   Weeks Spent Training:
04   -3   8         4
05   -3   8         5
06   -2   9         6
07   -2   9         7
08   -1   10         8
09   -1   10         9
10   0   11         10
11   0   11         11
12   +1   12         12
13   +1   12         13
14   +2   13         14
15   +2   13         15
16   +3   14         16
17   +3   14         17
18   +4   15         18
19   +4   15         19   
20   +5   16         20
21   +5   16         21
22   +6   17         22
23   +6   17         23
24   +7   18         24
25   +7   18         25
26   +8   19         26
27   +8   19         27
28   +9   20         28
29   +9   20         29
*due to the mathmatics involved, a character can never raise a stat above 29.

Base Attack Bonus:
   
   All characters begin the game with a +1 BAB. Unlike the standard system which has a character gaining an extra attack every 5 BAB points (+6/+1, +11/+6/+1, +15/+10/+6/+1, etc.) characters in my variant system just continue gaining +1 to their standard score, meaning that while they may have +15 BAB they will not have any other scores.
Raising ones BAB is relatively simple, it requires that you roll within 2 points, either higher, lower, or spot on to the DC of an opposing enemy 10 times, and then follow this hit with a successful ability score check against a DC equal to your current BAB. This means that at BAB +1 a character is required to finish the 10 hit period with a DC 1 check, while at BAB +30 they must make a DC 30 check at the end of the period. Obviously, this means that early on characters will find it easy to advance, while later it will become much more difficult. This is doubly focused by the fact that at BAB +26 a character that rolls 2 on a D20 will have a 28 to hit, meaning they can only gain benefit from attacking an enemy with an armor class of at least 30.
   The way that multiple attacks are handled is relatively simple, and is similar to the standard system in some ways. An average character may elect to split his BAB up into multiple attacks if they elect. Doing so causes no penalty but will make it more difficult for them to hit well trained individuals. A character may only break up every +5 points into a new attack, and must take the attacks from highest to lowest.
Ex. Jaysen the Jedi has a BAB of +11. he is able to break his attacks into either +10/+1 or +5/+5/+1. He may not choose to rearrange the numbers in any way, and he must choose to attack individuals who are within his threat range with each attack, though he does receive a 5 foot step between each attack as usual. He is facing 2 Sith apprentices in  melee combat while their master, a Sith Sorcerer, continually force chokes him while simultaneously increasing the abilities of the apprentices from only 10 feet away. Jaysen, seeing that the sorcerer must be dealt with, uses his first +5 attack to lunge towards the closest apprentice. Then, using the momentum of this thrust he tumbles forward, springing up and delivering his second +5 attack directly to the Sith sorcerer, before bringing his third +1 attack down upon the sorcerer. He would have preferred to use the +1 attack on the apprentice and saved the two +5 attacks for the sorcerer, but unfortunately he is not able to rearrange his attacks in that fasion.

Saves:
   All Characters begin the game with a +1 Fortitude Save, +1 Reflex Save, and a +1 Will Save. Raising ones saves require that they undergo a similar method to improving their combat abilities. Any time a player rolls within 2 points of the save DC, either below or above, or they get the exact DC needed they receive a mark on the save, when the number of marks equals the saves base value, the save goes up by +1.
Ex. Timothy has a base Fortitude Save of +2. A poison enters Timothy's veins, as he immediately makes a fort save vs. unconciousness DC 12. Rolling a 13 he puts a mark under his save. Later that week Timothy gets unlucky and is shot by a stun gun, which requires another fort save DC 16. this time Timothy rolls low, missing the save barely with a 14. since 14 is still within the 2 point spread he gets another mark under his fort save. Since his number of marks in the save equal his level in the save his marks are reduced to 0 as his save goes up to +3 in the following round, which is unfortunately after the stun gun has had its desired effect. No test is required.

Skills:
   Characters will be given 6+INT MOD x 4 skill points at character generation with which to buy whatever skills they wish, after that point they will never receive skill points but can chose to practice skills, or improve skills via use. All skills are considered Class skills, cross class skills do not exist. In addition to this, any character can take whatever skills they like. I have however introduced a few new ideas to skills, which limit certain skills. The first is "skill training" which will be explained in the next paragraph, and the second is "skill groups" which will be explained down the road.
   Once initial points have been spent at character generation on purchasing starting skills, the character will only be able to improve their skills through training, and through use of the skills. Skills can be improved in one of three ways. The first way is by rolling a natural 19 or 20 on a skill check and following this with a simple test. Whenever a natural 19 or 20 is rolled on a skill check the player marks that skill, later at the end of the gaming session they roll an attribute check versus a DC equal to the characters ranks in that skill. The second method is by training oneself in the skill, at least 2 hours a day, for a number of days equal to the rank being obtained and following that training with a successful ability check of the same type. Lastly, the third method is 'storytellers prerogative' in which the storyteller can award a check at the end of the session because the character used the skill in a creative and plot effecting way. Each skill will require a different method of training, but this is left largely to the person actively running the campaign. While the skill "Swim" may simply require swimming regularly, a skill like "gamble" would require that the person actually be gambling that regularly.
My other new addition to the system is on one level far less imposing, but on another level adds even more complexity than skill improvement does. Certain skills will be found within a 'skill group'.  In order to obtain skills inside this skill group, the character will be required to focus on obtaining a certain rank (4 for the playtest) in the skill group before they can take any ranks in any of the skills within that group. The skills within a skill group can only be improved to a maximum dictated by the number of ranks within that skill group. This idea has been somewhat present before, and a good example is the use of "the force" in Star Wars. The major reason for the implementation of this skill is for the new system I have developed for magic, which required a major rehaul of the skills. This skill system, and the magic system it is connected to were both majorly influenced by the use of the force in star wars.
Example: during his original character creation Ian decided he wanted to use a 'spell caster' archetype. After much thought on the topic he decided it would be interesting to play a classic fantasy style merlinesque wizard. Sitting down with the system he puts maximum possible ranks in the skill group "Elemental Magic",  and then spends the points  take a single rank in the "Fire", "Water", "Earth", and "Air" skills. He has spent a total of 8 skill points, and now has the ability to cast elemental spells.


Misc. Changes to the system:

   Initiative: Initiative is calculated using wisdom, instead of dexterity. this has been a house rule for me for quite some time, as I feel that how quickly you mentally respond to stimuli is based on what the system refers to as wisdom, rather than reflexes.
   Initiative Order: After initiative has been rolled characters declare their actions in REVERSE order, and then those actions play out in the standard order. This system was taken from Legend of the Five Rings, where I found the added tactical advantage of declaring after those who are slower than you meant smarter combatants could benefit from improved initiative.
   Refocusing: if a character chooses to refocus their initiative they may give up all actions for that round to re-roll the initiative all together, or add +5 to their initiative instead.

               Magic: I intend on implementing a Skill based magic system, which I may post at a later time, but which I havent developed yet. the system would in some ways be similar to the force as implemented in Star Wars D20. The number of ranks you have in a particular school of magic, say "Divination" for example would be added to a D20 roll. the difficulty would be based on a number of factors including power of spell, distance of spell, possible area of effect, damage rolled, DC to resist, and other factors. ideas are welcome on this point as well as others.

             Feats: the complete removal of levels, and the organic method I have taken makes feats difficult to implement. all of the +2 to 2 skills style feats are unneeded, and the magical creation, and metamagic feats can be added into the system created for magic but other feats such as cleave, combat expertise, etc. need to be dealt with. I intend on creating a number of combat options, and have also considered certain traits, advantages, and disadvantages which could help replace feats altogether, but this part of the system, and magic are both on the back burner until the core mechanics are refined a bit.