I was inspired to write this based on a recent thread based on my interpretation of the game and how to run it. This is not a reinvention of the rules or actually altering the game mechanics but a reinterpretation of how to run the game making dice invisible and making the game world more immersive and reactive to PCs. This is a bit of a work in progress and im sure it can be built upon but this is what i have come up with so far.
Without Further delay im going to talk about attributes of the pcs and how they reflect in the game world.
Attributes & Dumping
Stat: Mechanical Penalties/NPC reactions
This is for exceptionally high or low stats. less than 7 or greater than 16.
Spoiler:
Strength:
High: Added carrying capacity, mechanical benefits speak for themselves/NPCs may comment on how strong they look perhaps extra attention from the opposite sex or go to them for a job first that strength is a favored attribute.
Low:Enforce carrying capacities/NPCs may comment or pass over a pc for a task because they look weak.
Dexterity: High: Let them auto success on certain checks/NPCs may comment on a characters graceful movements or having great reflexes.
Low:Require them to make dex based checks that are auto successes for other players/Comments on how they have no coordination (they pay for this one with their reflex save anyway)
*low dex is usually a penalty in itself
Constitution: High: Mechanically speaks for itself/NPCs might comment on look "hardened" or might notice they rarely get sick.
Low:Between their con score and HP, this one doesnt need further punishment/ NPCs may comment on them looking sickly or meek passing them up on jobs they dont think they will survive.
Mental Stats dont show as much but become obvious:
Intelligence: High: Dont make them roll to recall information they have previously run into as if they had an eidetic memory./NPCs of low int may have adverse reactions for feeling stupid around them. Intelligent npcs may be more inclined to help them.
Low: Not so bad mechanically their lack of skills will suffer, but be more inclined to make them roll to identify monsters or recall information. "Hey i dont remember what did NPC Jack say" me: "make me an int check". Set at an easy DC or so./NPCs may ridicule the player for being stupid. Intelligent NPCs may not care to speak to him. Overall not terribly bad on the RP side. Also consider making 7 int illiterate trait if you want to. He cant read or write.
Wisdom: High Feel free to include extra information when describing things to them stuff that would be easy perceptions to them/NPCs might react in a way commenting on a sharpshooters eye, or they might regard them more highly seeking council and advise from the player.
Low Low will saves, perception checks and sense motive. also must make perception checks more frequently maybe leave something out of a description until he rolls./ He will likely come off as witless to other npcs unable to perceive their social ques. No common sense or a special needs character.
Charisma: High Makes a better first impression, and may start off friendlier to the pc/NPCs might remember a face more easily, making it more difficult to go unnoticed. If they have ranks in disguise they instead might be more difficult to remember when people are looking for him.
Low:Everyones favorite dump. Force diplomacy, bluff, and intimidate more frequently than for characters that do not dump. Do not allow metagame conversations./NPCs may react to this character with extreme disgust and generally find his presence annoying. Even if he says something great his personality (expression, tone of voice) might cause him to be ignored. He may have to roll diplomacy just to get people to talk to him for extended periods.
*a higher charisma with a lower intelligence or wisdom can counter this RP social aspects in most cases. Think dizzy blonde who can talk her way into or out of social scenarios.
*Note: writing all this in html code is a pain in the ass.
Optional Rule: Regarding the attributes in the game world, I have been toying with the idea of giving traits or bonus feats based on stat level to alleviate feat taxes and reflect the character some more.
Dex at 14 may grant weapon finesse as a bonus feat, at 16 may grant precise shot. Maybe power attack for strength at 14, or a skill focus if intelligent. Feedback with this if it would be a good idea.
My next thing i have began implementing is "let it ride" thank you to the guys who made burning wheel for this idea.
The idea behind this one is to avoid excessive rolling for each scene so with this alternate interpretation a single roll is required and it will persist until the conditions change enough to warrant a second roll or it the scene ends.
Examples in play:
Silent as a mouse: A player wants to sneak unto an enemy camp. The player makes a single stealth check when he declares he is now moving stealthily. This check sets the dc for the perception of the guards he is sneaking by, as the GM just work with this number. You can make this check in secret if you rather the pc be blind to his exact number. This avoids having to make numerous checks reducing his chances of dramatic failures.
First Impressions: Allow a single check for each character on a single social skill, either diplomacy, intimidate or bluff mandatory for each pc involved in the interaction before any words are said. This is a first impression and determines the npcs starting disposition towards the character whether hostile, neutral or friendly. They wont outright attack but gives everyone a general idea on how the rest of the conversation will go, throughout the conversation the disposition may change based on future rolls.
Eyes for trouble: Calling for perception checks in each room is troublesome especially since it can give away things that are meant to be hidden. With this interpretation have each character make a single perception check at the beginning of the dungeon, this will be their passive perception for the purposes of noticing things such as trap doors, dungeon traps or other passive information. Anything else would require more extended searches of rooms.
Assassinations
This is a rule i designed specifically for pcs who like to do a little stabbing every now and again and it is a fairly simple rule and it goes as follows.
If a creature is unaware of of a pcs presence and has not drawn him weapon yet, then it is considered helpless as long as the player remains undetected. Just before his attack, he gets a single, free perception check to notice the incoming danger, if he succeeds he is considered flat footed instead of helpless and takes the attack as normal. If he fails this perception check, he is considered helpless and is vulnerable to coup de grace by the player allowing him to be killed outright. The creature must be vulnerable to death effects and have a discernible anatomy. Creatures immune to death effects, sneak attacks, precision damage or critical hits are not subject to this damage.
*i think those limitations rule out exceptionally powerful npcs, constructs, oozes and alien creatures. This was designed to work on most humanoids, beasts and magical beasts.
Thats all i have now, feedback for my methods? Constructive criticism only but from both the perspective of player and gm.
This is something that I have found really invaluable and that many other GMs have agreed on, speaking from own experience:
Accept your limits as a new GM.
Everyone wants to have their first game be an epic world-spanning campaign that goes from 1st level to 20th, but as gamemastering goes, these are the most fiendishly difficult types of game that you can run. It can be done well, but requires a lot of experience that you can only make by running lots of games with a much simpler premise.
Doing an epic campaign poorly does not really do much to help you becomming a better GM. Start with low-level one-shot adventures and mini-campaigns and once the adventure is over, start thinking about what adventure the PCs could be going on next. A simple dungeon crawl can be much more enjoyable for both players and GMs when they are new, and everyone learns a lot more from it than stumbling aimlessly through some epic world spanning plot.
You also only know how long a group of people plays together until after they stopped doing so, and it will be much more satisfying to play through a three adventure mini campaign and then stop, then to do the first 15% of some larger campaign before things fizzle out.
This is something that I have found really invaluable and that many other GMs have agreed on, speaking from own experience:
Accept your limits as a new GM.
Everyone wants to have their first game be an epic world-spanning campaign that goes from 1st level to 20th, but as gamemastering goes, these are the most fiendishly difficult types of game that you can run. It can be done well, but requires a lot of experience that you can only make by running lots of games with a much simpler premise.
Doing an epic campaign poorly does not really do much to help you becomming a better GM. Start with low-level one-shot adventures and mini-campaigns and once the adventure is over, start thinking about what adventure the PCs could be going on next. A simple dungeon crawl can be much more enjoyable for both players and GMs when they are new, and everyone learns a lot more from it than stumbling aimlessly through some epic world spanning plot.
You also only know how long a group of people plays together until after they stopped doing so, and it will be much more satisfying to play through a three adventure mini campaign and then stop, then to do the first 15% of some larger campaign before things fizzle out.
I totally learned this the hard way ill admit. My first several games i bit off way more than i can chew attempting to span really epic or really long running games only to burn myself out of material by the third level.
