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Other rules systems for Planescape?

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Wed, 2005-02-02 15:08
#1
Krypter
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

Does anyone else use a rule system other than d20?

I've successfully merged (and mashed, mangled, mutilated, spindled and folded) together d20 with a lot of rules from Talislanta and my own home-brew. Not only that, but I have my own skill sets and rules, plus some unorthodox rules on creating magic items.

For example, it takes a mere hour to create elixirs (minor potions), only a day and some not-too-difficult-to-find reagents to create a potion, and even forging a magic weapon would probably take no longer than a week and could be done *during* an adventure. Strangely enough, none of my players has abused this as yet. In fact, they rarely make use of power-gaming loopholes (we're fairly mature players all around), but it does make for more fun when a character can collect stuff along the way to create a magical item.

Does anybody else use 2E rules, or some sort of home-brew for their PS game? I would think that Storyteller or Amber diceless would be very suitable.

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Wed, 2005-02-02 15:54
#2
Gerzel
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Re: Other rules systems for Planescape?

"Krypter" wrote:
Does anyone else use a rule system other than d20?

I've successfully merged (and mashed, mangled, mutilated, spindled and folded) together d20 with a lot of rules from Talislanta and my own home-brew. Not only that, but I have my own skill sets and rules, plus some unorthodox rules on creating magic items.

For example, it takes a mere hour to create elixirs (minor potions), only a day and some not-too-difficult-to-find reagents to create a potion, and even forging a magic weapon would probably take no longer than a week and could be done *during* an adventure. Strangely enough, none of my players has abused this as yet. In fact, they rarely make use of power-gaming loopholes (we're fairly mature players all around), but it does make for more fun when a character can collect stuff along the way to create a magical item.

Does anybody else use 2E rules, or some sort of home-brew for their PS game? I would think that Storyteller or Amber diceless would be very suitable.

Well I could easilly do a game using Gurps or several other systems. However a level based system is traditional...

Wed, 2005-02-02 16:46
(Reply to #2) #3
Rhys
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

What bothers me is the combat system. Two opponents hack away at each other until one runs out of hit points and drops dead. If you have even 1 hit point left, you're effectively operating at maximum capacity, jumping and dodging as well as you ever have. A high-level player can effectively walk through a mob of angry farmers armed with knives and not feel a thing.

Wed, 2005-02-02 19:54
(Reply to #3) #4
moogle001
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

"Rhys" wrote:
What bothers me is the combat system. Two opponents hack away at each other until one runs out of hit points and drops dead. If you have even 1 hit point left, you're effectively operating at maximum capacity, jumping and dodging as well as you ever have. A high-level player can effectively walk through a mob of angry farmers armed with knives and not feel a thing.

Well, that's the kind of system that you get when starting from the "heroric adventurers" template. *shrug* I've had a friend pestering me about abandoning d20 for another system for a while Smiling It might be nice to look into alternative systems, but it's just another idea that has to wait...

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Wed, 2005-02-02 19:57
(Reply to #4) #5
Primus, the One...
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

I stick with d20 (or 2e) for my Planescape but have experimented with a number of other systems.

Silver Age Sentinels (Tristat)
Exalted
World of Darkness

Wed, 2005-02-02 20:00
(Reply to #5) #6
moogle001
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

"Primus, the One and Prime" wrote:
I stick with d20 (or 2e) for my Planescape but have experimented with a number of other systems.

Silver Age Sentinels (Tristat)
Exalted
World of Darkness

What was your experience using those systems? What did you convert?

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Wed, 2005-02-02 20:41
(Reply to #6) #7
Krypter
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

Yeah, I can see how Exalted could work for a high-power game, but with its emphasis on charms it may deform the Planescape experience. How did that work out?

I tried watered-down WoD (Mage, specifically) rules for a fantasy game I ran once, but found that it didn't scale well over the long run. That is, attributes and skills were either puny or too powerful, and jumped quickly from one to the other. WoD characters are generally played in a static fashion, whereas fantasy games are more geared towards slow but inexorable progression in levels over the course of a campaign. And WoD essentially assumes you're some sort of supernatural creature far removed from human peons.

But the Storyteller system has a nice organic feel that fits well with the intensive roleplaying and social interaction of PS.

Wed, 2005-02-02 21:06
(Reply to #7) #8
Narfi Ref
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Re: Other rules systems for Planescape?

"Krypter" wrote:
Does anyone else use a rule system other than d20?

I've successfully merged (and mashed, mangled, mutilated, spindled and folded) together d20 with a lot of rules from Talislanta and my own home-brew. Not only that, but I have my own skill sets and rules, plus some unorthodox rules on creating magic items.

For example, it takes a mere hour to create elixirs (minor potions), only a day and some not-too-difficult-to-find reagents to create a potion, and even forging a magic weapon would probably take no longer than a week and could be done *during* an adventure. Strangely enough, none of my players has abused this as yet. In fact, they rarely make use of power-gaming loopholes (we're fairly mature players all around), but it does make for more fun when a character can collect stuff along the way to create a magical item.

Does anybody else use 2E rules, or some sort of home-brew for their PS game? I would think that Storyteller or Amber diceless would be very suitable.

If you're open to alternative item creation rules, check out The Artificer's Handbook published by Mystic Eye Games. It has a great system that would work well for Planescape, and doesn't require XP expenditure (it does have other ways for making sure characters don't get out of control, however).

Wed, 2005-02-02 21:23
(Reply to #8) #9
Alhesander
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/2894/ps/psmage.html

Planescape using mage rules, and very well done too. Unfortunately my group won't convert, so maybe you can find some use for it.

Wed, 2005-02-02 23:25
(Reply to #9) #10
Persephone Imytholin
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

PS would probably run beautifully using FATE.

Thu, 2005-02-03 11:05
(Reply to #10) #11
Krypter
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

Oooh, both the Mage and Fate rules look really good. Thanks for the links.

I also thought that the Calligrapher's Sword rules would be perfect for an excursion on the Astral, Ethereal or a Dream-plane.

Thu, 2005-02-03 12:28
(Reply to #11) #12
Kaelyn
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"Krypter" wrote:
I also thought that the Calligrapher's Sword rules would be perfect for an excursion on the Astral, Ethereal or a Dream-plane.

The glyph system in the Calligrapher's Sword would be an interesting interpretation of dabus-speak.

Thu, 2005-02-03 20:08
(Reply to #12) #13
Bob the Efreet
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

I'm a big fan of HERO, although my conversions from Planescape are just one thing of many on my list of things to do, so work goes slowly.

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Thu, 2005-02-03 22:49
(Reply to #13) #14
Emperor Xan
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Other rules systems for Planescape?

I thought about using my own RPG system, but I haven't bothered figuring out how compatable the monster stat blocks would be to my rules.

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