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Backround
Some fine fellow citizens and my humble all-powerful self wish to run a gestalt campaign. However, rather than having the best of any two classes we're thinking about setting the second/bonus class to Sorcerer and then letting everyone pick a bloodline from core/APG.
The campaign takes place in a Lovecraft/Arabian nights setting so the Sorcerer class represents how each character is connected to some alien concept/being/group, by blood.
The Problem
- Charisma as the prime casting stat for sorcerers. We'd like a relative equality regarding spell casting effectiveness and would like the characters to cast spells without relying/having to have decent charisma scores.
In other words, we want to build characters as normal and then add a Sorcerer class that is effective without having to build for it.
Ideas
So far we've had the following ideas:
- Tie spell casting to the players 'prime stat' which they can select at the start of play.
- Set a 'charisma score' value and have it increase a certain amount every X number of levels. This value wouldn't be an actual charisma stat but would represent power level.
- Give everyone 16 charisma for free and take the cost out of our attribute pool. Note: We use 80 points 1:1 ratio stat building (quasi-super fantasy heroes R US).
So, ideas, thoughts?
Thank you for your time citizen, please continue with your designated labour assignments.
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Before character creation, everyone rolls 1d6.
1 = Str
2 = Dex
3 = Con
4 = Int
5 = Wis
6 = Cha
The resulting ability score is that character's sorcerer casting stat. Alien powers work in ways beyond human ken, with bizarre powers manifesting themselves in unusual and unpredictable ways.
Gooday
Here's some quick thoughts on this -
Background - This sounds like a great idea. Kinda Elric/Stormbring in feel too.
I'd suggest some very old nations and empires, many have some of the PCs as nobles with servents. Feuding families and professional rivals etc.
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Give everyone 16 charisma...
It's a shallow concept, but you could tie success and power to Charisma. The PCs did well at their studies and have been rewarded with status of freemen and sorcerers...
So +1 to Charisma per 3 to 5 levels. Situational bonuses due to roleplaying, status in the area etc. Eg one PC is the prince of the realm so gets +2 to Charisma will all the flow on effect from that, while in his own kingdom.
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Another option is to let them have high Charisma, but high charisma is like being a celebrity. it draws more attention from everyone. So before long the characters will have rivals, critics, followers, stalkers and paparatzi.
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You could make some of the Sorcerer bloodlines tied to a different stat :
Aberrant, Arcane & Infernal to Intelligence instead of Charisma.
Elemental & Fey to Charisma.
Undead to Wisdom instead of Charisma.
- You could limit the advancement to 1 sorcerer level per 2 main class levels. so the need for high charsima is less. 12th level main class means 6th sorcerer equivalent, only need 13 Charisma for 3rd level spells.
- You could have them born of a special magical race, so they are all D4+4 levels of Sorcerer, then 1 level of main class to start with. Then advance normally.
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Thank you all for your replies and thoughts - they all helped with the process.
I will be looking into a system based on the Birthright Bloodlines strength system.
The characters will start with a casting stat at a value of 10 which they can increase by slaying/absorbing/misc magical power from other similair characters/folk in the campaign world.
As the stat value increases so will the DC's of their spells/spells per day etc - in the same manner as if a a sorcerer was increasing their charisma stat.
As the stat value increases so will the minimum level of the victim/source required to gain additional magical power.
Also, as the stat stat increases so will the attention the character receives from others wishing to gain their power.
Finally, casting will be possible in any armour.