| Interesting Character |
I've got a few alterations, thoeretically for any d20-based system. Initially, I'm writing enough to be usable, but additional expected detail may be added later.
The first bit can be used separate from the others and is nice at the table, but not so much on pbp. It is changing the dice. Instead of rolling one die and adding flat modifiers, roll dice based on stats. A new stat Tier (represents a character's agency in life. A trap is 0, sentient creatures start at 4, elites and heroes can be 5 or 6.) is the base die to roll anywhere you normally roll a d20, then ability modifiers and skill ranks each add dice (bab and similar take the place of skills). The ability score modifiers need adjustment (basically, [score-1]/4=modifier, truncate. This gives no negative modifiers) but otherwise things can be used as is.
The size of the die is twice the stat that gave it, so a 2 is a d4, a 3 is a d6. This makes finding the average roll fairly easy.
Optionally, advantage works well here, roll an extra die then remove one (lowest for bonuses, highest for penalties).
This one was short and easy.
Next, I have an alternate health system, a new way of using the existing magic spells that makes it a bit more dynamic and balanced without limiting casting perday, and the big change is how advancement works (allowing growth in versatility separately from raw power, yet power can be scaled completely on it's own, and yet can use most content as is or in new but obvious ways without a bunch of conversion work).
I'll post these in individual posts, you guys can tell me which you're most interested in.
| Interesting Character |
Health
HP are minor (scrapes, bruises, fatigue, overexertion, etc) and non-physical damage (moral, sanity, mental clarity, etc).
Taking HP dmg is minor stuff, and even common folks can absorb quite a bit of it. When a character takes enough dmg to exceed their max hp score, theu have crossed a dmg threshold, and again for every multiple of their max hp.
Each threshold adds a cumulative -2 to all checks and requires a will or fort save dc 5 to remain conscious (the -2 penalty per threshold applies).
Once a character has crossed a number of thresholds equal to their con score, they die. At half as many thresholds, they become disabled (except aside they not become dying nor fall unconscious from the disabled condition [can still become jncknscious from crossing the threshold though], but otherwise use the normal restrictions for disabled characters)
When a single attack deals more dmg than the character's hit dice, or take a critical hit, they gain an injury.
Injuries are the real dmg. Injuries are generally ad hoced by the gm according to dmg and weapon type and a severity check, though hit locations can be used if desired (kinda depends on how comfortable the gm is with ad hoc, and how much the players trust the gm. Creating a massive list of injuries based on dmg type, weapon, and severity would be unweildy at best, though called shot tables make a comprimise here, adding some certainty but taking away the possibility of losing body parts and such.)
The severity check is a d20 (add dr, subtract the crit multiplier of the weapon), rolling a 1 is death, rolling a 20 is nothing happens. In between things like losing limbs, getting blinded, broken bones, limbs being rendered unusable, etc can happen. Additionally, rolling from 2-5 adds bleeding of 3 hp per round, a roll from 6 to 10 adds bleeding of 2 hp per round, and from 11-15 adds bleeding 1 hp per round. Mark that injury's severity (for long term characters. NPCs and monsters that won't be used past the encounter can ignore this aspect, it is used only for healing purposes.).
Healing injuries requires more than just HP healing. Heal injuries as one would ability dmg, save that each injury must be healed individually. Magic that heals less than the full ability damage, reduces the severity of a wound, which has it's effects reduced until it becomes fully healed at severity 21. Bleeding is always healed first and can be stopped before hitting the severity levels that cause them (unless something narrative or special dmg effects dictate otherwise).