CHF: Fantasy development thread

[Narf the Mouse]

The CoatHanger Framework is an extensible, rules-light framework for making RPGs. I'm testing it with CHF: Fantasy.

Since development threads seem to work well for getting feedback and such, I'm starting this.

Base Statistics
Your base statistics are your characters basic abilities. Every single roll you make uses your base statistics unless otherwise directed. Statistics give bonuses to dice rolls to resolve conflicts and tasks – For task resolution, your character defaults to having all statistics not marked 'Trained Only'. Trained Only skills can only be used if you've trained (Bought) them. How much you pay for a statistic is determined by the size of the bonus. The cost to increase a bonus, or buy a trained only statistic to a bonus of +1, is equal to: (Base Cost * New Bonus).
This results in swiftly increasing costs; it will be rare to have a bonus over +3, much less +4.
You may take a penalty in any base statistic; simply determine the cost of the penalty as if it were a positive number and add it to your permanent resources. You may use additional permanent resources to 'buy down' the penalty, with GM permission – This reduces your permanent resources, as you no longer gain as many resources from said penalty.
Penalties are the only statistics which the GM can apply to your characters' actions.
As an alternative, simply multiply the base cost by a number given by the following chart to determine the total cost:


Strength – 1 pt
Strength is used to exert force (Push, pull, lift, etc.), do damage with melee and thrown weapons, to successfully use bow weapons, to resist force and to survive both biological (Disease, poisons, infections, etc.) and environmental (Cold, heat, drowning, etc.) dangers.
Grace – 1 pt
Grace is used to move swiftly and accurately and to be graceful, agile and dexterous in movement, as well as to hit with melee, thrown and bow weapons. It is especially useful when such actions are necessary, such as being caught in a blade trap.
Willpower – 1 pt
Willpower is the base statistic for such things as exerting and resisting mental force (Mental combat), being effective at forceful use of magic and remembering information.
Comprehension – 1 pt
Comprehension is ones' ability to understand, learn and perceive It governs both capability and agility of mind as well as the senses (Sight, hearing, scent, taste, touch, track, etc.).
Charisma – 1 pt
Charisma is ones' force of personality as well as the integrity of ones' personality – By integrity, I don't mean morality, but rather the ability to resist outside influences on your personality. Nor is it sanity; often, the insane resist outside influences better than the sane (Clinical definition). Charisma is also your ability to charm others with forceful persuasion.
Insight – 1 pt
Insight is your empathy into (But not sympathy with) the character of others, as well as your ability to comprehend said character. It is also your ability to manoeuvrer socially – To know how people will act and react. It, like all other base statistics, is moral-neutral.
Luck – 2 pt
Luck is a characters' inexplicable ability to influence the world around themselves. A person who is lucky will have fortunate things 'Just happen' to them; a person who is unlucky will have unfortunate things 'Just happen' to them. Even negative things generally turn out better and positive things generally turn out not as good for the lucky or unlucky person.

There are no discrete skills; instead, I use statistic specializations. Both statistics and their specializations cost 1 point, except for luck, which is x2. To demonstrate, the example character:

Code Select Expand

Ned O'Glendale, Footman
Permanent Resources 16/18

// Cost: 10
Strength +2/Combat +1 (+3)
Grace +2
        Combat +1/Accuracy +1 (+4)
        Athletics +1 (+3)

// Cost: 3
Willpower +0
Comprehension +1/Perception +1/Awareness +1 (+3)

// Cost: 3
Charisma +2
Insight +0

// Cost: -6
Luck -1/Reputation -1 (-2)
       /Cursed -1 (-2)Thus, he'd roll a +3 if bashing someone in the face or a +4 if dodging. On the other hand, the GM could make a Luck roll at -2 and decide that someone doesn't like his face - Or that his curse activates.

There are a couple related changes I'm considering making:

First, make nearly everything specializations, in the following manner:

Code Select Expand

Ned O'Glendale, Footman
Permanent Resources 16/18

// Cost: 10
Ned O'Glendale +0
        Body +0
               Strength +2/Combat +1 (+3)
               Grace +2
                       Combat +1/Accuracy +1 (+4)
                       Athletics +1 (+3)

// Cost: 3
        Mind +0
               Willpower +0
               Comprehension +1/Perception +1/Awareness +1 (+3)

// Cost: 3
        Personality +0
                      Charisma +2
                      Insight +0

// Cost: -6
        Intangibles? +0
                       Luck -1/Reputation -1 (-2)
                              /Cursed -1 (-2)
Second, change the costs to a ladder: 'Name/Character' bonuses would cost 7 for 1; 'Category' (Body, Mind, Personality, Intangibles) would cost 2 for 1 and 'Attributes' (Strength, Grace, Willpower...Luck, Faith...) would cost 1 for 1 and, if we use the alphabet categorically...
A: 7:1, B: 2:1, C: 1:1, D: 1.5:1 (Round down), E: 2:1, F: 3:1

Thus allowing us to theoretically build a character with strengths and weaknesses fitting what we want, rather than an artificial pyramid:

Code Select Expand

Ned O'Glendale, Footman
Permanent Resources 16/18

// Cost: 10
Ned O'Glendale +0
Body +2
               Combat +0/Melee +2/Arming Sword +3 (+7)
               Heavy Shield +3 (+7)
               Grace +0
                       Athletics +2 (+4)

// Cost: 3
        Mind +0
               Willpower +0
               Comprehension +0/Perception +0/Awareness +6 (+6)

// Cost: 3
        Personality +0
                      Charisma +0/Command +4
                      Insight +0

// Cost: -6
        Intangibles? +0
                       Luck -1/Reputation -2 (-3)
                              /Cursed -2 (-3)