So, Arcana Rising is at the editing stages now, so my writing time has switched over to Welcome to Neuro City, my fantasy/cyberpunk sourcebook to follow.

Since NC has more pervasive non-human influence about, I have been thinking a bit more about alternate ways of handling them as PCs. AR's core rule for monsters as PCs is to cap their class level based on the HD of the original creature.

I'm still struggling for a solution I like for NC though, where non-humans have become a sizable public minority and thus more PC'able.

Besides the simple 'package of stat mods' and 'race as class' approaches, what are some other clever solutions to it that you've seen?

Quote from: J Arcane;696589So, Arcana Rising is at the editing stages now, so my writing time has switched over to Welcome to Neuro City, my fantasy/cyberpunk sourcebook to follow.

Since NC has more pervasive non-human influence about, I have been thinking a bit more about alternate ways of handling them as PCs. AR's core rule for monsters as PCs is to cap their class level based on the HD of the original creature.

I'm still struggling for a solution I like for NC though, where non-humans have become a sizable public minority and thus more PC'able.

Besides the simple 'package of stat mods' and 'race as class' approaches, what are some other clever solutions to it that you've seen?

If I am understanding:

Assuming the non humans get useful racial perks, why not keep the cap as is? If they would be too 'weak' then perhaps an idea is to have them lose something from the class that is not completely crippling.
A 'wizard' could have less spells per day, a Fighter might not get bonus attacks at high level. Something like that.

The current AR system is that the normal cap of 12 levels is reduced for monster PCs by their HD.

So a 2HD Sidhe could only become a 10th level wizard as a PC, but they do get to keep the monster benefits, stat bonuses, and base HP from their monster Hit Dice.

This was intended purely to make the option relatively unpalatable while compensating for the extra power, and thus discourage snowflake PCs (and there's an optional genre package that actually just ignores it).

But Neuro City is kinda meant to be one of those 'genre packages,' and since I have the space for a more elegant option, I figured I'd include a more palatable one.

Quote from: J Arcane;696611The current AR system is that the normal cap of 12 levels is reduced for monster PCs by their HD.

So a 2HD Sidhe could only become a 10th level wizard as a PC, but they do get to keep the monster benefits, stat bonuses, and base HP from their monster Hit Dice.

This was intended purely to make the option relatively unpalatable while compensating for the extra power, and thus discourage snowflake PCs (and there's an optional genre package that actually just ignores it).

But Neuro City is kinda meant to be one of those 'genre packages,' and since I have the space for a more elegant option, I figured I'd include a more palatable one.

so I would go with not taking away the class levels; ie, 12th level monster wizard is ok.

But, I would have a penalty that doe snot compromise the core of the class.

Spell casters need their high level spells, fighters need to be able to hit.

Thieves need sneak; etc...

Each class could lose something depending on the Hd or overall utility of the base monster race.


Or just have monsters take longer to gain class levels.

An XP adjustment is one of the options I've been considering. I have the formula for the default table, and I can just do a +1, +2, etc. table with them adjusted upward, either just starting off at a higher amount of XP for each level, or adjusting the base value.

Quote from: J Arcane;696624An XP adjustment is one of the options I've been considering. I have the formula for the default table, and I can just do a +1, +2, etc. table with them adjusted upward, either just starting off at a higher amount of XP for each level, or adjusting the base value.

An XP adjustment is relatively simple; hard to argue with that as a good option.

OK, playing around with this a bit, here's some possible XP tables. In each, I'll have the original table on the left, and adjustment tables for +1 and +2 adjustment (none of the playable races I'm including in NC are over 2HD.)

The default formula for a given level's XP requirement is (level^2)*10.

The first table basically just shifts the table up 1 and 2 rows, effectively adding the base HD of the creature to the effective level for the purpose of the normal formula. The second instead changes the base multiplier, adding HD*5 to it.

Base +1 +2
-----------------
0 0 0
10 40 90
40 90 160
90 160 250
160 250 360
250 360 490
360 490 640
490 640 810
640 810 1000
810 1000 1210
1000 1210 1440
1210 1440 1690


Base +1 +2
-----------------
0 0 0
10 15 20
40 60 80
90 135 180
160 240 320
250 375 500
360 540 720
490 735 980
640 960 1280
810 1215 1620
1000 1500 2000
1210 1815 2420


There's also racial restrictions applied to available class, weaponry, socialization, etc.

In my little D&D Celtic hack Ive handled It by giving each race a set number of Aptitudes based on HS. Aptitudes are skills it's easier for those races to learn. I use a pretty small skill list, so this isn't hard to pick 3 on the fly. Making a Wood elf tribe? Okay, there's an Aptitude for Archery, Survival, and Aesthetics. A Minotaur? Two Athletic Aptitudes and Husbandry.

I also do an XP limit, but not tied directly to race. Instead players have the option of playing new or experienced characters. New characters advance quickly, taking the zero to hero approach. Veteran characters start out vastly more competent but don't really improve very often and don't have the same potential to reach higher levels than a new character. The classic example I use is Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.