[Song of Ethera] Core Mechanics

[Selene Tan]

I've come up with a task resolution mechanic, but it needs some fleshing out and I'm stuck at the moment. I'm using a conflict mechanic that lets the players break conflicts up into tasks.

The meat of task resolution lies in character specializations. Specializations are like skills, except they can't be improved -- you can just add more of them. They're tied to specific attributes.

The five game attributes are Strength, Dexterity, Perception, Willpower, and Essence. Intelligence is left up to the players. Essence is life energy and presence; it's a lot like the Chinese concept of qi. There are five classes, one for each attribute.

The attributes are dice pools. When using a specialization, you allocate dice from the relevant attribute. You can also allocate Essence dice for any attribute. (This represents channeling your life force, the only method of casting spells in the world.) If the attribute is your class' primary attribute, then you get two dice for every Essence die. (Since presumably you're an expert at channeling Essence in that way.) You roll the dice and take the highest, comparing it to the target number.
I think this exchange rate puts Makers (the Essence class) at a disadvantage, since they can't augment their Essence rolls with anything. Maybe I should make their Essence dice count triple? But that might be overdoing it... My original idea for the exchange was that you can use Essence for your class attribute one for one, and for anything else it's two for one. And then Makers have their Essence dice count double. But I'm not sure that's any better.
I'm not sure how often the dice pools regenerate. Whenever the party rests up?

After coming up with the attribute pool idea, I realized that I could use it instead of a separate damage system. ("Damage" just takes away dice from a particular pool.) And since Essence is life force, characters die when they're out of Essence. But I'm worried that attributes are a little too chunky to use for damage. Maybe make it so that only every x points of damage makes you lose a die in the attribute?

As a side note, I think I got the attributes-as-pools concept from reading the "Senses as a Game Mechanic" thread.

Also, I need a better name for the Dexterity class than "Rogue". I want something that sounds more... legal.

Edit: Argh, I forgot! If you don't have a specialization for something, you can't roll. The point is to figure out a way to get past the conflict that uses your specializations. (And anyway, you're the one calling for the task rolls.)

[Brendan]

I'd suggest that a number of damage points equal to the die size for those dice pools would eliminate a die.  So if you're using d6, 6 points of damage (in a way that relates to a particular attribute) means you lose a die.  I'd also suggest that the dice pools refresh after the conflict has resolved, but only regenerate (from damage) after serious rest.

As for the Makers, maybe you could offer subclass specializations that let you swap in another attribute for the way Essence would normally perform?  Dexterity-subclass Makers would be allowed to spend Dexterity for Essence-based specializations, and would get two Essence dice in exchange for every Dex die (or 1:1, if that makes Makers too powerful).  This would also let you come up with cool subclass names like "Prestidigitator" for Dexterity or "Farseer" for Perception.  I consider cool subclass names a crucial selling point.  (Only half-kidding.)

As for your Dexterity-based main class, what about "Acrobat?"  "Fortune Hunter?"  "Gambler?"  "Barber?"

[FzGhouL]

For Makers, Add +1 to the roll per essenc perhaps? That way, they dont have the range of an increase by triple (d6 would increase max roll by 6, min by one), they just  have an overall average increase? Probably my suggestion doesn't help, I'm just a newb. :D

Ninja is a nice dexterity based class? ^^. Not greatest suggestion, but thats all I got.

I do like the idea of the dice pool being where everything is drawn, 7 years ago when I was young n' dumb I tried making a DBZ Rpg, with a pool, power level. A risk you may run is characters will maybe force spend people down their stats so they cant effectively mount an offense. Its annoying, I suggest you test play it by yourself, several times, every scenerio, and do a statistical analysis. If you think the characters effectiveness is slightly lower than anothers, say maker vs some warrior type, then play them out with different stats, and scenerios.