The Gaming Den

I have to admit, that hacking existing games is much more difficult than I had previously imagined.

I am making some headway in my Microlite-ish 4E clone project. I've decided to compile my notes here so that if anything is terribly unplayable, someone will catch it before any major design decisions hinge on something irredeemably flawed.

So here is what I have for the game so far, starting with the core system skeleton and eventually detailing the extraneous bits like races and classes.

My opinion on 4E as a whole, is that the game had a lot of laudable design goals and very good ideas, but the actual implementation of these things leaves a lot to be desired. The overall impression that I get is that the game was committed to print before these things were sufficiently tested at the actual table, and with the constant stream of errata, updates and direction changes, 4E is more like a beta test version of what will eventually be 5th edition.

The best ideas of 4E:

The math "just works"

The designers of 4E wanted the math to scale in such a way that higher levels became as playable as lower levels, challenges were easier to gauge for DM's, and everyone had a good indication of how the game's engine worked. All around a worthy design goal.

• The problem: Well....no it doesn't "just work". Monster stats and skill DC's (initially) scale at a faster rate than character numbers, meaning that as a character gains more experience, their efficacy against level appropriate threats actually decreases. Without the feat tax fixes like expertise feats, character's experience an overall loss of efficacy of about 20% over the course of their careers.
  
  My fix: Remove enhancement bonuses from magic items and the game math, while limiting stat increases to levels 11 and 21. Give monsters the same 1/2 level scale as PC's, so that characters actually get better as they gain experience.
  
  Skill DC's are no longer level dependent. There is just one hard scale for DC's, so that as characters level, it simply becomes more likely that they will be able to perform superhuman feats of prowess.

Dynamic Combat

Combat is a major feature of D&D. It is an action and adventure game about medieval superheroes tackling monsters of Godzilla-esque proportions. The designers of 4E wanted combat to be exciting and dynamic, with lots of terrain features, traps, combatants and interesting tactical decisions for every character, so that all players could contribute equally well.

• The problem: Well, there's a lot to do in 4E combat, but that doesn't necessarily make it "exciting". Characters all having special combat options to call upon was a good idea in theory, but in practice the game became a slow grind because of option paralysis and poor rules interactions.
  
  It's not that I think that 4E combat lasts too long in terms of rounds...I don't care if the average combat lasts 10 rounds as opposed to 4E's 5, as long as those rounds go by fairly quickly, and interesting things actually happen in each round. The problem, I think, is that individual turns last too long. Each character gets 3 actions per round, each of these having their own special mechanics. Add to this Immediate Actions and the sheer amount of niggling little modifiers here and there, and combat becomes a slow process that climbs along at a snail's speed.
  
  The other problem is that powers aren't all that interesting. I don't think that this is a problem with the way the powers themselves are written, even though they are mostly modular cocktails of standardized effects. I think that the main problem here is that the powers react poorly with the core system and with the game world. A power that simply does a push or slide effect COULD be tactically interesting if it could manage to interrupt something the target was doing. Also, a power that simply does Fire damage and nothing else COULD be interesting, if there were actual guidelines about how said power would interact with the environment as opposed to just enemy combatants.
  
  My fix: Condense the action economy into 2 actions, essentially an attack action and a support action. Support actions are used for moving, and also for activating and maintaining certain support powers. Now, characters have to choose whether or not to sustain a power or run away from the lumbering brute who wants to cave their head in with a morningstar. Also, since moving and sustaining a fighting stance take the same action...pushing an enemy combatant away from the squishy characters now has more tactical weight.
  
  Limiting Immediate Actions to one per round, per character and condensing modifiers is another way to keep things on track and make bookkeeping easier.
  
  Bumping up the danger quotient a bit will keep combat feeling perilous and exciting. Monsters now draw their offensive and support powers from the same pool that player's get, so they are still on a relatively even playing field (PC's still get tactical options that monsters don't) and keeps the game world feeling more consistent.
  
  Tactical resource management is now randomized, so players will have to change up their game each round according to the options available to them, and this also helps limit the bookkeeping aspect of the game.

Skill Challenges

The idea of a general system to support and reward out of combat challenges in such a way that all players could participate, and therefore wouldn't immediately turn to the "kill 'em all" approach to overcoming obstacles was a good one.

• The problem: DC progression aside, the major problem with skill challenges is that they fail to be inclusive or exciting. Skill challenges are written in such a way that the one character rolls his/her skill until they get enough successes, and other characters sit it out because rolling a subpar skill would be detrimental to the party. They fail to work as intended primarily because there is absolutely no adverse effect to relying on only one character for them, and skill challenges do not do enough to foster player input.
  
  My fix: Instead of having to get X number of successes before Y failures, skill challenges now require X number of successes within Y narrative rounds. Also, skill rolls effect the DC's of the challenge, adding a strategic element to challenges. GM's also have the opportunity to throw a monkey wrench into the works, in order to keep things interesting.
  
  Rituals have also been tied into the Skill Challenge system, so that spellcasters still get their story powers, but other characters can participate as well. In addition, instead of simply costing money, rituals now cost valuable strategic resources, so there will be a compelling choice of whether or not to magic your way out of a problem, or to rely on more mundane solutions and talents to overcome challenges.

Action Points, Feats, Milestones and Healing Surges

I don't know how good of an idea these things were in general, but FATE point-like mechanics that represent the "special-ness" of PC's and give them a competitive edge over the opposition are a good idea in general, especially when used as a resource for a number of things.

• The problem: In 4E, these are all disparate bookkeeping widgets that add unnecessary complexity, when they could have been consolidated into a single resource that accomplishes a number of different tasks, and provides a lot more design space.
  
  My fix: I've borrowed the "Heroism" concept from microlite20, which is an ultra-condensed version of feats. Essentially these are a limited resource that allow player's to boost attacks, saves, damage, etc.
  
  My version of Heroism replaces all of these little widgets. It still bolsters regular actions, but Heroism has been expanded to fuel healing, rituals, magic item powers and racial abilities as well.

No More "Christmas Tree" Effect, And An End To The 15 Minute Work Day

Magic item dependency and the Nova/Rest/Repeat phenomena have been pretty widely complained about aspects of prior editions. It was an all around good idea to make magic items a special cool little toy rather than a "must-have" and to have per encounter abilities so that characters could still function after blowing their "power-wad", so the adventure could keep moving forward.

• The problem: Neither of these actually worked in practice. Character's still need magic Weapon/Armor/Neck Item to keep up with the game math, and characters are still going nova and resting right afterward, just as they will always do as long as there are daily resources in the game.
  
  My fix: No more enhancement bonuses from weapons. The game math shouldn't require them. Now magic items simply have powers or situational bonuses and that's it. This way they are still desirable things to have, but campaigns will function without them just fine.
  
  Also, no more daily resources. Tactical powers are largely randomized, and Heroism is a per adventure (or mission) resource, meaning that the characters need to accomplish something before Heroism can be recovered fully.

PC Roles and Monster Roles

All in all, it was a pretty good idea, given the highly tactical nature of 4E, to explicitly detail what each class is good at, and also a good idea to give monsters different tactical roles and powers to confound players.

• The problem: The player roles aren't varied enough, and some roles are poorly explained or executed. What exactly makes a Controller controller-y? How is "damage" a role? What is the point of a damage role wherein one damage character inherently does more damage than another damage character?
  
  Also, monster roles don't actually have any inherent mechanics to support what they are supposed to be good at. Soldiers can mark, but not as well or as effectively as defenders.
  
  My fix: PC roles now reflect monster roles, and each has rules to support the role's intended function.
  
  As an aside, powers are no longer limited by power source or class, so now it's up to each player how their character functions in their role.

Heavy Rules Support for Maps and Minis.

A lot of gamers love tactical games that support the use of battle maps, minis, markers, etc.

• The problem: Not every gamer does, however. Many like to play the game within their own headspace rather than on a table with lots of gimmicks and accessories.
  
  My fix: None. I'm too lazy to come up with a tactical system that supports abstract movement.

This is the first and most important rule to remember is that anything a character wishes to accomplish can be ruled by rolling 1d20 + modifiers and comparing the result to a target number. If the result meets or exceeds this number, then the attempt is a success. If the result falls below the target number, then the attempt is a failure.

There are three different types of modifiers, each with a slightly different effect:

Static Bonuses: These usually come from constant sources such as Level, Class, Race, etc. Static Modifiers stack with eachother and other, as well as Temporary Bonuses and Penalties.

Temporary Bonuses: These usually come from Powers and situational effects. Temporary modifiers stack with Static Modifiers, but not with eachother. A larger Temporary Bonus always supersedes a smaller one.

Penalties: These also typically come from Powers and situational effects, but they are subtracted from the character's total bonuses. Penalties do not stack with eachother. A larger Penalty always supersedes a smaller one.


There are two basic types of challenges in the game, combat challenges wherein characters are in direct conflict with foes; and skill challenges wherein character's are at odds with NPC's and the environment.

Both are resolved by rolling D20 + modifiers vs. a target number, but the type of challenge determines the actual target number.

In combat challenges, combatants primarily roll against their opponents defenses, adding the appropriate combat stat, depending on the type of action being attempted. Combat challenges take place over a series of combat rounds (each of which lasting approximately 10 seconds of “in-game” time), and last until one side or the other is defeated (all combatants reduced to 0 Endurance Points) or until one side concedes to the other (surrendering or fleeing).

In skill challenges, characters are attempting to prevail against the environment, circumstances, or NPC's. These can be simple, requiring only 1 successful roll to determine success or failure; or they can be complex, requiring several rolls over the course of multiple narrative rounds (each of these lasts an amount of time that is appropriate to the context of the challenge) to determine success or failure.

Instead of combat stats, skill challenges use character's skills to modify the rolls, the target numbers of which are known as “Difficulty Class”, which is determined by the relative difficulty of the action being attempted.

The basic outline of difficulty classes are as follows:

CHALLENGE	DC
Trivial	5
Easy	10
Moderate	15
Challenging	20
Hard	25
Legendary	30
Nigh Impossible	35

Generally speaking, character's should not have to roll to accomplish tasks for which there is virtually no chance for failure. As player characters increase in level, so do their skill values. This means that challenging (DC 15) tasks for a 1st level character will be trivial for a high level character.



Characters and challenges in Micro Action Fantasy have levels, which are abstract measures of power and influence in the game world.

As PC's overcome challenges, they gain experience points relative to the difficulty of the challenge. When a character gains experience equal to 20 + his/her current level, they gain a new level and all of the benefits that come with it.

Generally speaking, challenges that are roughly equal tot he character's grant 2 experience points (XP), whereas those well below the character's level grant 1 XP and those above the character's level grant 3 XP. Challenges that are completely trivial to the character's grant 0 XP, and challenges that are significantly above the level of the PC's grant 4 XP.

At each level up, characters receive additional hit points (According to the character's level)

At each even level, character's gain a +1 static bonus to attacks, defenses and skill checks.

At levels 3, 7, 13, 17, 23 and 27 characters gain new attack powers.

At levels 5, 9, 15. 19, 25 and 29 characters gain new support powers.

At levels 11 and 21 each of the character's base attributes increase by 1.



Each character has a set of base attributes that define his/her level of natural talent in certain areas. As the character gains levels, their natural talent eventually takes a back seat to the bonuses gain through experience and training, but at the start of the characters career, they must rely on their inborn gifts.

• Might: This measures a character's overall level of strength, stamina and physical power. Might is important for melee attacks with heavy and great weapons, as well as determining a character's base Fortitude defense.
  
  Grace: This measures a character's overall level of agility, speed and precision. Grace is important for melee attacks with light weapons, as well as ranged attacks with ranged and thrown weapons. Grace determines a character's base Reflex and Weapon defenses.
  
  Cunning: This measures a character's wits, as well as their perception and intellect. Cunning isimportant for ranged weapon attacks and spellcasting, and initiative. Cunning also determines a character's base Intuition defense.
  
  Will: This measures a character's presence, charisma and resolve. Will is important for spellcasting and persuasion. Will also determines a character's Willpower defense.

Player's generate their character's starting attributes by assigning numbers within a standard array (3, 2, 1, and 0) based on their character's priority. These values are further modified by the player's choice of class.


Heroism: Heroism measures a character's ability to defy fate and mortal limitations. Things like Racial abilities, Rituals, Second Wind, etc. are all fueled by spending Heroism. A character's Heroism score is equal to 10 + Level/2.

Heroism is mostly a per adventure resource. At Heroic levels, characters regain 1 point of Heroism per Long Rest (~6 hours), At 11th Level, characters regain 2 points per Long Rest. At 21st Level, characters regain 3 points per Long Rest. Characters regain all lost Heroism after taking an Extended Rest (~1week).

These are the compiled rules for killin' stuff.



During each combatants turn, they can take a Minor Action and a Major Action.

Minor Actions - These are things that are fairly swift to accomplish, such as moving, switching weapons, sustaining a power, taking a combat stance, etc. Though tasks accomplished during a Minor Action may not be as powerful as those accomplished during a Major Action, they are still tactically significant.

Major Actions- These are the big things that a combatant can accomplish during his/her turn, such as making an attack, using a skill check to influence the environment or other combatants, using an offensive power, taking a Second Wind, etc.

*A Minor Action can be taken in place of a Major Action, but not the other way around.

Other actions:

Free Actions are usually trivial things that can be easily accomplished in the middle of doing something else; Things like speaking a short sentence, nocking an arrow, drawing a weapon, etc. These can take place during a combatant's turn or it can take place outside of their turn.

Immediate Actions are opportunistic actions that a combatant can take outside of their turn, but only when specific criteria are met. The most common type of Immediate Action is a Counterattack, but otherwise they are almost always granted by a power or ability of some kind. Each combatant is only allowed one Immediate Action per Turn.


This decides the order in which combatants act within each turn. Initiative is determined once, at the beginning of each encounter.

Player's roll initiative for their character's, rolling:

D20 + STAT (Grace + Cunning/2) + Level/2

GM controlled combatants have a static initiative value that determines their place in the combat sequence.

• Step 1: Initiative is determined between all combatants.
  Step 2: GM and players resolve whether or not a surprise round takes place
  Step 3: If there is a surprise round resolve the actions of all non-surprised combatants in order of initiative. If no surprise round takes place, proceed to step four.
  Step 4: Each combatant acts in order of initiative, taking their full suite of available actions. At the end of their turn, combatants make a saving throw against any negative status effects.
  Step 5: Once each combatant has taken a turn, turns resume at the top of the initiative order. This continues until one side is defeated, or concedes victory (usually by fleeing).
  Step 6: If the PC's survive the encounter, they make take a short rest to recuperate and search the area for treasure or other items of interest.

Movement - There are three basic modes of ground movement that each combatant can take as a Minor Action...

March - The character moves a number of squares equal to his/her Base Speed. Moving at this rate when engaged by a foe in melee combat can result in a counterattack against the moving combatant.

Shift - The character moves a number of squares equal to their Base Speed/2 (rounded down). Moving at this rate while engaged in melee combat does not provoke a counterattack. Shift speed also determines the base effects of more strenuous types of movement like jumping or climbing.

Sprint - The character moves a number of squares equal their Base Speed x2. While Sprinting, combatants grant combat advantage to attackers during the move and for 1 round after. Disengaging from melee incurs a counterattack.

Whether it's a rubble strewn battlefield, or an area filled with writhing tentacles conjured by a mage, Difficult Terrain is more difficult to move through or maneuver in.

While moving through areas of Difficult Terrain, combatants can only move at 1/2 their March Rate and cannot Shift.

Combatants making an attack against opponents roll a d20 + modifiers + Level/2 and compare the result to the appropriate defense. If the total result meets or exceeds the target's defense score, the attack is successful and damage/status conditions applied.

There are three basic modes of attack:

Melee Attack = d20 + STAT (Might + Grace/2) + Level/2
Ranged Attack = d20 + STAT (Grace + Cunning/2) + Level/2
Magic Attack = d20 + STAT (Intellect + Will/2) + Level/2

A combatant's defenses are made up of five different passive scores that must be met or exceeded by the attacker's roll in order for an attack to be successful.

ARMOR DEFENSE: This defends against melee and ranged weapon attacks. Armor comes in two varieties:

Light: Leather Armor, Hide Armor, Chain Shirt, etc. Light Armor does not protect as well as Heavy Armor in and of itself...but it is less cumbersome and allows the wearer to apply Attribute modifiers to their Armor Defense.

Light Armor Defense = 10+ Level/2 + Armor Bonus + STAT (Might + Grace/2)

Heavy: Scale Mail, Suit of Chain, Full Plate, etc. Heavy Armor protects extremely well, but it can be burdensome and it makes some activities more difficult. Also, combatant's wearing Heavy Armor cannot add their attribute modifiers to their Armor Defense.

Heavy Armor Defense = 10 + Level/2 + Armor Bonus

Shields also add to a combatant's Armor Defense, as well as their Reflex Defense.

Light Shield = +1 Static Bonus
Heavy Shield = +2 Static Bonus

FORTITUDE DEFENSE: This defends against attacks from Poison, Disease, Necrotic energy, and other forms of internal attack. Fortitude also defends against many forced movement effects.

Fortitude Defense = 10 + Level/2 + Might

REFLEX DEFENSE: Reflex defends against area and ranged energy attacks such as Fireballs or Lightning Bolts. It also defends against terrain effects like rolling boulders and steam geysers.

Reflex Defense = 10 + Level/2 + Grace (+ Shield)

INTUITION DEFENSE: This defends against the unexpected. Traps, Invisible foes, Illusions...these sorts of attacks are made against Intuition.

Intuition Defense = 10 + Level/2 + Cunning

WILL DEFENSE: This defends against the subjugation of self by outside forces. Enchantments, Mind-Control, Forced Teleportation...these sorts of attacks are rolled against a combatant's Will Defense.

Will Defense = 10 + Level/2 + Will


This occurs when one combatant is at at a clear disadvantage against opponents, such as when two or more allies engage a single target in melee combat, or when a negative status effect is inflicted upon a target.

When a combatant grants Combat Advantage, his/her/it's enemies gain a temporary bonus +2 on attacks against them.

When a combatant grants Combat Advantage, he/she/it takes a -2 penalty to attacks and skill checks against targets that they are granting Combat Advantage to.

Cover - When a combatant has Cover, it means that he/she/it is partially blocked by a solid object and is thus more difficult to hit with attacks. The obstructing object makes it more difficult for swords, arrows and magical energy attacks to hit, while also effecting line of sight so that wielders of more subtle powers can't properly focus on the target.

Cover comes in two different grades:

Partial Cover - When a combatant has partial cover, opponents take a -2 penalty to hit them. Any solid object that blocks from 1/4 to 1/2 of the combatant's body counts as Partial Cover.

Superior Cover - When a combatant has superior cover, opponents take a -4 penalty to hit. Any solid object that blocks up to 3/4 to all of the combatant's body counts as Superior Cover.

Any time a combatant is engaged in melee combat with an opponent of equal size, the opponent grants them Partial Cover against all other attackers for whom the opponent is within their line of effect.

Concealment - A combatant has concealment when they are obscured from their opponents line of sight, such s when they are cloaked in dark shadows or enshrouded within a thick fog.

Concealment comes in two different grades:

Partial Concealment - Combatants have Partial Concealment whenever the details of their person is obscured from sight, but their shape is still visible. Opponents attacking a combatant that has Partial Concealment against them take a -2 penalty to the attack roll.

Areas of dim illumination grant Partial concealment against creatures that don't have special forms of perception like low-light or darkvision.

Total Concealment - Combatants have total concealment whenever they are totally obscured from an opponent's view. Opponents attacking a combatant that has Total Concealment against them takes a -2 penalty to the attack roll.

Areas of total darkness grant total concealment against combatants that have normal or low-light vision, but not those that have darkvision, tremorsense, or other forms of perception that allow them to see in total darkness.

These are a measure of how much punishment a combatant can take and remain fighting. If a combatant's Endurance Points drop below 0, that character is incapacitated and unable to take actions. If the incapacitated character is a PC, the character is considered dying and on their round, must make a successful saving throw or die. A character can fail three saves each in game day before dying, but if they fail a third save their character has perished and must be magically restored to life (Or the player must generate a new character).

If any damage is inflicted upon a dying and helpless character, it is considered a Coup De Grace and that character dies immediately.

When a character drops below ½ their Endurance point total they are considered injured for the sake of some power effects. When a character drops below ¼ of their Endurance point total, they are considered wounded.

These are game effects that alter the characters actions in some way ...usually the result of combat powers. Status effects from different powers are not cumulative. Instead, new conditions either supersede the existing condition, or worsen then existing condition by applying a larger penalty to the target's combat advantage penalty (This is up to the attacker).

Negative status effects last until the afflicted combatant makes a successful saving throw against the effect, or until it is superseded by negative effects from a different power.

Beneficial status effects granted by powers can be sustained if the power's original user spends a minor action concentrating to sustain it. Beneficial status effects are always superseded by effects from a different power.

The list of Status Effects are as follows:

Dazed - Subject loses their Minor Action for each turn that they are under this effect, though they can still use a Major Action to move or for any other task that would require a Minor Action. Subject also cannot take Immediate Actions while Dazed.

Stunned - Subject loses their Major Action for each turn that they are under this effect. Subject also cannot take Immediate Actions while Stunned.

Paralyzed - Subject cannot take any actions while they are under this effect (except savings throws).

Slowed - Subject only moves at 1/2 (1/4 within areas of Difficult Terrain) their normal speed while under this effect.

Immobilized - Subject cannot move from their position while they are under this effect.

Petrified - Subject is removed from play nd cannot take actions while under this effect.

Restrained - Subject moves at 1/2 speed (1/4 within areas of Difficult Terrain) and takes a -4 Penalty to attack rolls while under this effect.

Weakened - Subject's attacks only deal 1/2 damage while under this effect.

Cursed - Subject must re-roll each check and the the lowest result while under this effect.

Poisoned - Subject cannot regain lost Endurance while under this effect.

Dominated - Subject can only take actions dictated by the dominating opponent while under this effect.


At the end of each combatants turn, they can make a saving throw against any negative status effects that they are suffering from. Saving Throw = d20 + Modifiers vs. DC10. A successful saving throw immediately ends all negative status effects.

These are the rules for going places and doing things.

CHALLENGE	DC
Trivial	5
Easy	10
Moderate	15
Challenging	20
Hard	25
Legendary	30
Nigh Impossible	35

Skills represent a character's ability to overcome challenges that require more than mere force of arms. Skills are broken down into a short list of broad competencies, the effects of which change as different attributes are applied to them. Below is a short, and by no means comprehensive list of what different attributes + skills can accomplish:

Athletics: A character's ability to perform feats of physical prowess and agility, as well as enduring strenuous activity over a period of time.

• Athletics + Might: Climbing; Jumping; Bending and Lifting.
  
  Athletics + Grace: Acrobatics; Tumbling; Tightrope walking; Contortion; Recovering from a fall.
  
  Athletics + Cunning: Sizing up a foe; Picking a safe route to climb; Judging a difficult jump.
  
  Athletics + Will: Long distance running; Swimming; Marathon drinking.

Communication: A character's ability to read and persuade others.

• Communication + Might: Physical intimidation; Impressive shows of prowess such as showing off in a gladiatorial arena.
  
  Communication + Grace: Dancing; Physical seduction.
  
  Communication + Cunning: Manipulation; Reading body language; Negotiating; Innuendo; Rhetoric; Intuiting motivations.
  
  Communication + Will: Persuasion; Inspiration; Leadership; Displaying or obfuscating emotion.

Lore: A character's ability to retain and access academic knowledge and other information.

• Lore + Cunning: Science; Politics; History; Myths and legends.
  
  Lore + Will: Personal inspiration and epiphanies.

Magic: A character's ability to understand and channel magical forces

• Magic + Might: Enduring long periods of channeling magical forces, such as ritual casting.
  
  Magic + Grace: Subtle use of minor magic, such as cantrips.
  
  Magic + Cunning: Analysis and identification of magical forces and items; Revealing esoteric knowledge of magical creatures and the planes.
  
  Magic + Will: Summoning and shaping raw magical forces; Sensing the presence of magical energy.

Subterfuge: A character's ability to engage in stealth and skullduggery.

• Might + Subterfuge: Knocking a guard out; Garroting an unsuspecting target; Forcing a lock
  
  Grace + Subterfuge: Hiding in shadows; Moving silently
  
  Cunning + Subterfuge: Picking locks; Disabling traps; Shadowing a target
  
  Will + Subterfuge: Bluffing; Gambing

Survival: A character's ability to navigate and survive in wilderness environments.

• Might + Survival: Rock climbing; Traveling overland in difficult terrain.
  
  Grace + Survival: Moving silently in the forest.
  
  Cunning + Survival: Tracking prey; Setting snares; Pathfinding; Reading animals.
  
  Will + Survival: Taming animals; Enduring harsh weather and environments.

There may be some overlap wherein the same task can be covered by a number of different ATTRIBUTE + SKILL combinations, and that's okay. No problem has only a single solution. Players should be encouraged to think of creative uses of their skills, as long as their proposed solutions have at least some sort of rationale behind them.

If a player proposes an attribute + skill combination that has absolutely nothing to do with the challenge at hand, then the GM should nix the idea and ask the player to come up with something else.

If a player proposes an attribute + skill combination that has only a tenuous association with the challenge at hand, then the GM should have them roll for a higher DC.

If a player proposes an attribute + skill combination that makes perfect sense within the context of the challenge, then the GM should allow it.


Starting values for player character skills are determined much like starting Attributes are: by having players assign an array to their characters, after which character's add Level/2 to all skill rolls.

At 1st Level, characters get:

1 skill at +3
2 skills at +2
3 skills at +1

There is no restriction on what skills each character can focus on, but certain races do get bonuses to certain skills.

A simple skill challenge is just a d20 roll + STAT + SKILL + Level/2 vs. a Difficulty Class assigned by the GM to determine success or failure.

The DC for skill checks is usually based on the circumstances, environment and context of the challenge. Rolling against a monster or NPC is a matter of the subjects level:

NPC/MONSTER LEVEL	DC
Heroic (1 - 10)	15
Elite Heroic (1 - 10)	20
Paragon (11 - 20)	20
Elite Paragon (11 - 20)	25
Epic (21 - 30)	25
Elite Epic (21 - 30)	30
Epic+	35

A Complex Skill Challenge involves several skill rolls, by one or more characters, over the course of several narrative rounds. The goal in a complex skill challenge is to accumulate a number of skill rolls within a certain number of rounds, as determined by the challenges complexity.

COMPLEXITY LEVEL	SUCCESSES NEEDED	WITHIN
1	1 per Player	6 Rounds
2	2 per Player	5 Rounds
3	3 per Player	4 Rounds

Narrative rounds begin when the PC's are presented with a challenge and one character takes the initiative and makes a skill roll. The action then travels clockwise around the table and each character can propose an action and make a roll, or pass on to the next person.

A narrative round passes when all players have had a chance to act, and the action comes back around to the first player who had acted. Narrative rounds don't take place over a set amount of time like combat rounds, instead taking as much time as appropriate to the situation. So in one challenge, players could be scrambling to disable a complex trap that will kill them all within minutes, but in another players could be in separate parts of a city, each using their unique talents to track down an arcane bomb that will destroy an entire section of the city.

During a complex skill challenge, when a player makes a successful skill check, the DC for the next player's skill roll decreases by one step (so a Legendary DC of 30 becomes a Hard DC of 25 for the next player).

When a player rolls a skill check that does not succeed, the DC for the next player increases by one step (so that Legendary DC of 30 becomes a Nigh Impossible DC of 35). Also, the failing Skill + Stat combination cannot be used by the party for the duration of the challenge.

On the GM's turn during the complex skill challenge, he/she can make a Complication Roll. The GM rolls d20 + The level of the challenge. If this beats the DC that the last player had rolled against, then the GM negates one of the Player's successes and increases the next player's target DC by one step.

Rituals are a special kind of complex skill challenge that take place when the PC's attempt to create big, complicated, powerful, world-altering effects through magic. These primarily involve use of the Magic Skill and any other skills that the GM deems appropriate to the nature of the intended effect.

For instance, travel based rituals could involve the Magic Skill, Lore, Athletics and Survival

Exploration based rituals could involve Magic, Subterfuge, Athletics or Lore

Divination Rituals could involve Magic, Subterfuge, Lore and Communication

Since the effects of Rituals are potentially limitless, the cost is greater to PC's. For every round that a PC attempts, they lose one point of Heroism that can't be regained until that character takes an Extended Rest.

Also, the GM should think of an appropriate complication to arise from a failed challenge. A teleportation ritual gone awry could leave the PC's leagues off course and stranded in a desert. Or a botched attempt to commune with a friendly expraplanar creature could instead summon an angry demon.

Or, the ritual could require exotic components that the PC's must go on a quest or two to find.

Otherwise, a ritual skill challenge follows the same rules as a complex skill challenge.


The difficulty of social challenges often depends on the disposition of the person or creature that the PC's are attempting to communicate with.

The track for NPC/MONSTER disposition is as follows.

REACTION	DC
Devoted	5
Helpful	10
Friendly	15
Neutral	20
Weary	25
Hostile	30
Hatred	35

Of course, the power of an NPC or Monster relative to the PC's also affects the difficulty:

NPC/MONSTER is significantly less powerful (5 or more levels below) than the PC's, the base DC decreases by 5.

NPC/MONSTER is significantly more powerful (5 or more levels above) than the PC's, the base difficulty increases by 5.

At a Reaction Level of "Devoted", NPC's will do everything they can to aid PC's, even at their own expense.

At a Reaction Level of "Hatred", NPC's will attack PC's on sight.

The NPC's reaction to the PC's dictates the base DC for the challenge.

When the PC's fail a social roll, the reaction decreases by 1 step.

Each time the reaction level of an NPC or Monster changes, whther up or down, the DC required to sway them increases by 5.


Not every adventure takes place in a deep, dark dungeons. Sometimes getting to the adventure is an adventure in and of itself.

Just as there are rules for moving in arenas of combat, there are also rules for moving overland.

A medium sized character has an overland speed of ~4 miles per hour, and assuming about 12 hours of travel time, about 48 miles per day over even, easily traversed terrain.

This rate can decrease significantly over difficult terrain, or in harsh climate conditions. In this case, PC's can travel about 2 miles per hour and 24 miles per day.

When the road and the elements are against them, PC's can travel about 1 mile per hour, and 12 miles per day.

Conversely, mounts can also dramatically increase overland travel speed. Riding ground mounts like horses, camels, or giant Final Fantasy racing chickens, PC's can travel about 8 miles per hour and 96 miles per day. On flying mounts like magic carpets and giant eagles, PC's can travel about 16 miles per hour and about 192 miles per day.

You can push mounts to move faster, doubling their base overland speed for about an hour, but afterward their speed decreases by half for the rest of the day.

In addition, there are three things that PC's must have while travelling: food, water and rest. If a PC goes a day without any of these three things, they cannot regain lost Heroism when resting.

When travelling in harsh environs like marshland, desert or frozen tundras, each day that a PC travels without food, water or rest actually causes them to lose Heroism.

The first night in such an environment that a character travels without food, water or rest, he/she loses 1 point of Heroism. The second night, they lose 2 points of Heroism. The third night, they lose 4 Heroism. And so on...

Characters cannot regain heroism lost in this way until they are fed, watered and rested. Even then, they regain lost Heroism at the rate of 1 per day.

These are the rules for being somebody.


Humans

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 6; Normal Vision
  Industrious: Humans gain a +1 Static Bonus on all skill checks.
  Perseverant: Humans gain a +1 Static Bonus on all Save Rolls.
  Adroit: When a human character spends Heroism to boost an attack, damage or skill roll, they add 1d8 to the roll instead of 1d6.
  
  Heroic Destiny: Humans do not have any special powers that are inherent to their race; Instead they gain +2 points of Heroism at character creation. You gain an additional point of Heroism at 11th level and again at 21st.

High Elves

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 6; Low-Light Vision
  Magical Affinity: High Elves gain a +2 Static Bonus to all Magic skill rolls.
  Ancient Will: High Elves gain a +2 Static Bonus to saves vs. Beguiling effects.
  Trance State: High Elves regain 2 points of Heroism from a Night's Rest instead of 1.
  
  Faerie Step: You can spend a point of Heroism to Teleport yourself a number of squares equal to your Shift Rate as a Minor Action. At 11th level, you can teleport up to your March Rate, and at 21st level, you can teleport up to your Sprint Rate.

Wood Elves

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 7; Low-Light Vision
  Natural Affinity: Wood Elves gain a +2 Static Bonus to all Survival skill rolls.
  Keen Senses: Wood Elves gain a +2 Static Bonus to Intuition and can act normally during surprise rounds.
  Fleet-footed: Wood Elves do not suffer penalties to movement while moving within areas of difficult terrain.
  
  Wild Spirit: You can spend a point of Heroism to gain a +2 Temporary Bonus on all attack rolls and skill checks as a minor action. This bonus increases to +4 at 11th level, and +6 at 21st level. Each time this bonus is applied to a roll, it is decreased by 1. This ability lasts until the bonus is decreased to 0, or until another Temporary bonus supersedes it.

Dwarves

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 5; Darkvision
  Iron Hide: Dwarves suffer no movement penalties from wearing medium or heavy armor.
  Stout: When Dwarves suffer forced movement effects, the number of squares they are moved decreases by 1.
  Hardy: Dwarves gain a +2 Static Bonus to all saves vs. Poison and Disease effects.
  
  Dwarf Resilience: You can spend a point of Heroism to gain 5 Temporary Endurance as a Minor Action. At 11th Level; you gain 10 Temporary Endurance. At 21st Level, you gain 20 Temporary Endurance.

Goblins

• Size: Small; Base Speed: 5; Darkvision
  Larcenous: Goblins receive a +2 Static Bonus on all Subterfuge skill rolls.
  Shifty: When a Goblin is missed with an attack, they may Shift as an Immediate Action.
  Underfoot: Goblins do not grant a Combat Advantage bonus when flanked by larger opponent's.
  
  Lucky Bugger: When an enemy makes a successful attack roll against you, you may spend a point of Heroism to force that opponent to re-roll the attack. The attacker must take the lower of the two rolls. At 11th level, the attacker re-rolls the attack with a -2 Static Penalty. At 21st level, this penalty increases to -4.

Draconians

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 6; Low-Light Vision
  Lorekeeper: Draconians get a +2 Static Bonus to all Lore skill checks.
  Dragonhide: Draconians gain +1 Endurance at each level.
  Death Before Dishonor: When Draconians' Endurance falls below the Wounded level, they gain a +2 Static Bonus to attack and damage rolls. This bonus increases to +4 when they fall below their Endurance falls below their Wounded value.
  
  Dragon Breath: You can spend a point of Heroism to unleash a devastating breath attack against nearby foes as a Minor Action. At 1st level, choose one damage type (Fire, Cold, Lightning, Poison or Acid). Creatures within Burst 1 who are hit by the attack suffer damage of that type equal to 5 + Level/2. At 11th level, the area of effect increase to Burst 2, and at 21st level it increases to Burst 3. The origin square must be one adjacent to the Draconian. The attack is made against Reflex with a Static Bonus Equal to 5 + Level/2.

Tieflings

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 6; Low-Light Vision
  Enticing: Tieflings gain a +2 Static Bonus to all Communication skill rolls.
  Hellborn: Tieflings gain resistance to Fire and Poison damage equal to 5 + Level/2
  Vicious Streak: Tieflings gain a +2 Static Bonus to hit Injured enemies. This bonus increases to +4 vs. Wounded enemies.
  
  Hellfire Vengeance: When a you are hit by an attack, you may spend a point of Heroism to deal Fire and Poison damage equal to 5 + Level/2 to the attacker as an Immediate Action.

Orcs

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 6; Darkvision
  Robust: Orcs gain a +2 Static Bonus to all Athletics skill rolls.
  Blood-Thirsty: Orcs gain a +2 Static bonus to Initiative rolls, and a +2 Temporary Bonus to the first attack roll they make each encounter.
  Brutal: Orcs gain a +2 Static Bonus to damage rolls against Injured enemies. This bonus increases to +4 against Wounded enemies.
  
  Savage Blow: You can spend a point of Heroism to deal extra damage equal to 5 + Level/2 on a successful attack as a Minor Action

Half-Elves

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 6; Low-light Vision
  Industrious, Magical Affinity or Natural Affinity (Choose one)
  Perseverant, Ancient Will or Keen Senses (Choose one)
  Adroit, Trance State or Fleet-footed (Choose one)
  Heroic Destiny, Faerie Step or Wild Spirit (Choose one)

Half-Orcs

• Size: Medium; Base Speed: 6; Low-light Vision
  Industrious or Robust (Choose one)
  Perseverant or Blood-thirsty (Choose one)
  Adroit or Brutal (Choose one)
  Heroic Destiny or Savage Blow (Choose one)

Guardian

• +2 Might; +1 Grace
  
  Combat Challenge: Soldier can "mark" an enemy after engaging it in melee combat. Marked enemies take -2 penalty to any attack that does not include the Soldier as a target.
  
  Punishing Attack: When a marked enemy makes an attack that does not include the Guardian as a target, or tries to move away from the Guardian, he/she may make a Standard Attack against that enemy as an Immediate Action.

Juggernaut

• +2 Might; +1 Will
  
  Brute Strength: The Juggernaut is considered one size category larger for the purposes of forced movement effects and carrying capacity.
  
  Battle Rage: When the Juggernaut falls below their Injured Endurance value, they deal an extra 1{D} damage on all attacks. When they drop below their Wounded level, they deal an extra 2{D}.

Commando

• +2 Grace; +1 Might
  
  Darting Attack: When the skirmisher makes a successful attack roll, he/she may Shift as a free action.
  
  Blade Dash: The skirmisher deals extra damage equal to the amount of squares (or every 5ft.) that they had moved between the beginning of their turn and making the attack.

Assassin

• +2 Grace; +1 Cunning
  
  Opportunist: When enemies grant Combat Advantage to the Assassin, he/she gains an additional Static Bonus on attacks rolls against them equal to their Cunning score.
  
  Stealthy Attack: Once per round, when the Assassin is hidden or otherwise obscured from an enemy, they may "study" their foe as a Free Action, after which they gain an additional 1{W} to damage rolls on their next attack against that target. This effect can accumulate ove rmultiple rounds.

Arbalester

• +2 Cunning; +1 Grace
  
  Sharp Shooter: The Arbalester can spend a Minor Action to aim their next ranged attack. They gain a +2 Static Bonus to the attack and deal an extra 1{D} damage if the attack hits.
  
  Rapid Shot: When the Arbalester reduces an enemy to 0 Endurance, they may make an ranged attack against a second enemy as a Free Action.

Adept

• +2 Cunning; +1 Will
  
  Oppressive Attack: Enemies suffer a -2 penalty to Saving Throws vs. effects imposed by the Adept's attacks.
  
  Battle Shaper: When the Adept makes an area attack, they can choose to omit a number of squares from the effects equal to their Cunning Score/2.

Champion

• +2 Will; +1 Cunning
  
  Inspiring Aura: Allies within 5 squares of the Champion gain a +1 Static Bonus to attack rolls and skill checks.
  
  Medic: The Champion can spend a Minor Action to heal an ally up to their Wounded Level in lost Endurance. If the Champion spends a Major Action, they can heal a number of lost Endurance equal to the target's Injured Level. This ability can only be used on each ally once per Encounter.

I'm pondering putting in some sort of proficiency budget idea to determine things like weapon, armor, implement availability, etc. To keep from pigeon-holing characters too much.

These are the rules for being super.

Heroism measures a character's ability to defy fate and mortal limitations.

By spending points of heroism, PC's can accomplish a number of things:

• Use a Racial Power
  Re-roll a failed attack or check
  Make an immediate saving throw at the beginning of their turn (instead of the end
  Take a Second Wind (Minor Action; Character regains Endurance equal to their Wounded value)
  Add 1 Die of damage to an attack.

There is no hard limit to how much Heroism a character can spend per encounter, but they can only spend 1 point of Heroism per round, and each application can only be used once per encounter.

Heroism is mostly a per adventure resource. At Heroic levels, characters regain 1 point of Heroism per Long Rest (~6 hours), At 11th Level, characters regain 2 points per Long Rest. At 21st Level, characters regain 3 points per Long Rest. Characters regain all lost Heroism after taking an Extended Rest (~1week).


In addition to their standard attacks, characters are also granted a number of special powers to use against their foes. Because these powers provide such a great tactical advantage, their use is restricted by action cards, which are nothing more than a deck of standard playing cards.

Characters choose a number of powers and assign each power to a suit (Clubs, Spades, Hearts, Diamonds) at character creation. Initially, players can have only have one attack power and one support power assigned to each suit.

When a player holds a card of a particular suit, they can play either the attack power associated with it, OR they can play the suit's associated support power. Each power can only be assigned to a single suit.

Each power has an effect that is determined by the value of the card:

CARD VALUE	EFFECT
2 - 10	Minor
J - K	Moderate
ACE	Major

Example Power:

PYRE	EFFECT	RANGE
BASIC	Magic Attack vs. Reflex; FIRE; Implement	Targets all creatures
2 - 10	2{D} + WILL Fire damage; 1/2 damage on a miss	2 + WILL sq.
J - K	3{D} + WILL Fire damage; 1/2 damage on a miss	5 + WILL Sq.
ACE	4{D} + WILL Fire damage; 1/2 damage on a miss.	10 + WILL sq.

Jokers are wild cards and can be played as any suit and value the player wishes.

At character generation, player's choose 4 different attack powers and 4 different support powers for their character and then assign these to suits.

One power can be assigned to more than one card, but the power can't be assigned to two different colors. For example:

You assign the Blizzard power to Clubs, but you really like it and want to assign the power to more than one card. Since Blizzard is already assigned to a black suit, it cannot be assigned to a red suit as well, so you would have to assign it to Spades.

Characters gain new ATTACK powers at levels 3, 7, 13, 17, 23, and 27.
Characters gain new SUPPORT powers at levels 5, 9, 15, 19, 25 and 29.

Players can reassign powers as much as they like in-between encounters, but once combat is entered into, the Player's choices are locked.


At level 11, players can assign two different ATTACK powers to a single suit and apply the effects of BOTH powers to a target when they play a card.

At level 21, Players can assign three different ATTACK powers to a single suit and apply the effects of ALL THREE powers to a target when they play a card.

When combining two powers that have discrepancies between ranges and targets, the combined power always defaults to the lowest value for each.

For example:

When combining two different powers, one of which can be used as a ranged power with a max effective range of 10 squares, and the other can be used as a ranged OR an area attack, the power becomes a ranged-only power with a maximum range of 10 squares.


At the beginning of each encounter, the GM deals 4 cards to each player and 4 cards to him/herself. On each players turn, they declare which power they want to use based on the cards that they hold in their hand.

When an attack power is declared, the card is placed on the table and an attack roll is made vs. the target(s) of the power.

If the attack roll is successful, the target(s) suffer the effects of the associated power and the card is placed in the discard pile.

If the attack roll is not successful, the target(s) suffer no ill effects and the card is placed in the discard pile.

When a support power is declared, the card is placed on the table and the associated power's effects are resolved. The card is then put in the discard pile.

Combatant's may play any card they hold, provided they have the required action available to them that turn (Minor or Major, usually).

Once the player has taken their full suite of actions for that turn and have discarded the cards they chose to play, they may draw a number of cards equal to the amount they discarded. Players must always have 4 cards in their hand at the beginning of their turn.

Example:

The concept for Jane's character is an elemental-based spell caster. She chooses four powers and assigns them to different suits:

• Spades – To this suit, Jane assigns the Lightning attack power, and the Levitate support power.
  Clubs – To this suit, Jane assigns the Blizzard attack power, and the Armor support power.
  Hearts – To this suit, Jane assigns the Thunder attack power, and the Aura support power.
  Diamonds – To this suit, Jane assigns the Corrosion attack power, and the Door support power.

When combat begins, the GM deals 4 action cards to Jane. She now holds a 9 of Hearts (Thunder, Aura), a 2 of Hearts (Thunder, Aura), a 4 of Clubs (Blizzard, Armor) and a Jack of Spades (Lightning, Door).

On her turn, Jane has a Minor and Major action. She declares that she wishes to use her Blizzard power against a foe and plays her 4 of clubs. This requires a Major Action and a successful attack roll. Blizzard targets the enemy's Fortitude defense and Jane manages to roll higher than the target number, scoring a hit.

Since the card was only a 4 of clubs, the attack only deals the listed minor effect to the enemy: 1 implement die (1d8) + Will cold damage, and the target is Slowed (saved ends).

She then tosses that card into the discard pile.

Jane still has a Minor Action left for her turn. She is surrounded by bad guys and would like to use the Door power to teleport away from them, but unfortunately she's not holding any diamonds, so that power is not available this round. However, she is holding a couple of hearts, meaning that she can cast Aura (Which requires a minor action to cast).

She spends the minor action to activate the power...now anyone who attacks her in melee is going to get a face full of magical fire! After the action is resolved, she discards her 2 of Hearts.

As Jane has no more actions left for this round, so she draws 2 new cards from the top of the deck to replace the cards that she discarded during her turn.

When Jane reaches 11th level, she can assign two different attack powers to each suit and play them simultaneously against an enemy. She Decides that she likes the idea of a storm based power, so she assigns both the Lightning and Thunder attack powers to Spades.

Now when she holds say, an 8 of Spades in her hand and successfully attacks an enemy with it, the target suffers the effects of both powers...1 implement die (1d8) Lightning damage, and the attack arcs to a second target for the Lightning power; 1d8 Thunder damage and the targets are dazed (save ends) for the Thunder power.

*The effects listed on the cards apply to all targets hit by the attack. So here, the secondary target that the Lightning attack arcs toward would also be subjected to the effects of the Thunder spell, if hit.

**The damage for this power should be rolled as 2d8 Lightning AND Thunder damage, rather than each damage type being rolled separately for the purposes of overcoming resistance to either energy type.

When Jane reaches 21st level, she can now assign 3 attack powers to each card suit. She decides to keep the storm motif applied to Spades and assigns Blizzard to the suit as well. Now when she has a Spade card in her hand, she can apply the effects of all three powers to a successful attack. So if she were holding a Queen of Spades and hit an enemy, the target would suffer 6 implement dice (6d8) + Will Cold, Lightning AND Thunder damage, as well as being and Immobilized, Stunned, Prone with the attack arcing towards a second and third target.

Of course, monsters and other adversaries get action cards to. However, the process works a bit differently for the Game Master than it does for the players.

Since the Game Master controls several different adversarial combatants, each with their own special attack and support powers mapped to card suits, it would be impractical for him/her to have a separate hand for each individual opponent.

Instead, the GM holds a hand of four cards and replaces discarded cards with new ones between each monster's turn. Otherwise, action cards work in exactly the same way as they do for players.

Example:

Dick, the Game Master, is pitting the PC's against a group of 2 Hobgoblin Soldiers and 1 Hobgoblin Controller. He deals cards to himself and to the players. Dick looks at his hand and sees that he has a 4 of Spades, an Ace of Clubs, a 7 of Hearts and a 3 of Diamonds.

On the Hobgoblin Soldiers' turn, Dick has them close in with Spot's character and attack. The Hobgoblins have Bash Attack assigned to Spades, Trip Attack assigned to Clubs, Phalanx Stance assigned to Diamonds, and Aggressive Stance assigned to Hearts.

The Hobgoblins each used a minor action to close into melee range with Spot's character, so they only have their respective Major actions left to use for this turn...enough to attack Spot. If Dick wished, he could play the Ace of clubs with one of his Hobgoblins attacks, thereby inflicting the Power's major effect on Spot, but he's Dick, so he will save that card for the Hobgoblin Controllers turn.

Instead, the First Hobgoblin plays his 4 of Spades against Spot, leaving him dazed, damaged and granting combat advantage, making the hero an easy target for the second Hobgoblin, who simply makes a standard melee attack against him. Dick then discards his 4 of Spades and draws a new card from the deck, a King of Diamonds.

On the Hobgoblin Controller's turn, Dick plays the Ace of Clubs, along with the card's assigned power (Curse), against Jane, inflicting 3d10 psychic damage and the Cursed status condition on her. This cost the Hobgoblin Controller a Major Action, leaving it with a Minor Action. Dick uses a minor to play his King of Diamonds support power (Armor) granting the Hobgoblin Controller with a buttload of temporary Endurance points. Uh oh. The Hobgoblin Controller's turn is now over, and Dick discards the two cards that he played against Jane, and draws to new ones from the pile. Looks like Spot and Jane are in for a rough fight.

*Now it may look like the GM has a major tactical advantage over the players, with the amount of foresight he/she gains from having one hand for all combatants under his control....and you'd be right. No one ever said a hero's life was easy. However, player's have an entirely different set of tactical advantages all their own such as Heroism.


Still to come.

Melee Weapon	Damage	Accuracy	Property	Cost	Encumberance
Light Blade (Poor)	1d4	+3	Graceful	1 Coin	1
Light Blade (Good)	1d6	+3	Graceful	2 Coins	1
Light Blade (Masterwork)	1d8	+3	Graceful	20 Coin	1
Medium Blade (Poor)	1d6	+2	Graceful	2 Coin	2
Medium Blade (Good)	1d8	+2	Graceful	4 Coin	2
Medium Blade (Masterwork)	1d10	+2	Graceful	40 Coin	2
Heavy Blade (Poor)	1d8	+1	Graceful	4 Coin	3
Heavy Blade (Good)	1d10	+1	Graceful	8 Coin	3
Heavy Blade (Masterwork)	1d12	+1	Graceful	80 Coin	3
Light Bludgeon (Poor)	1d6	+2	Brutal	1 Coin	2
Light Bludgeon (Good)	1d8	+2	Brutal	2 Coin	2
Light Bludgeon (Masterwork)	1d10	+2	Brutal	20 Coin	2
Medium Bludgeon (Poor)	1d8	+1	Brutal	2 Coin	3
Medium Bludgeon (Good)	1d10	+1	Brutal	4 Coin	3
Medium Bludgeon (Masterwork)	1d12	+1	Brutal	40 Coin	3
Heavy Bludgeon (Poor)	1d10	+0	Brutal	4 Coin	4
Heavy Bludgeon (Good)	1d12	+0	Brutal	8 Coin	4
Heavy Bludgeon (Masterwork)	1d12	+1	Brutal	80 Coin	4
Light Polearm (Poor)	1d4	+2	Reach	1 Coin	2
Light Polearm (Good)	1d6	+2	Reach	2 Coin	2
Light Polearm (Masterwork)	1d8	+2	Reach	20 Coin	2
Medium Polearm (Poor)	1d6	+1	Reach	2 Coin	3
Medium Polearm (Good)	1d8	+1	Reach	4 Coin	3
Medium Polearm (Masterwork)	1d10	+1	Reach	40 Coin	3
Heavy Polearm (Poor)	1d8	+0	Reach	4 Coin	4
Heavy Polearm (Good)	1d10	+0	Reach	8 Coin	4
Heavy Polearm (Masterwork)	1d12	+0	Reach	80 Coin	4

Light weapons are relatively light and quick weapons, most of which can be wielded in one hand.

Light Blade= Dirks, short swords, kukris, katar, rapier
Light Bludgeon= Truncheons, light maces, guantlet, hand axe
Light Polearm= *Quarterstaff, Short Spear

Medium Weapons are heavier, well-balanced weapons most of which can be wielded in one hand or two.

Medium Blade= Longsword, bastard sword, scimitar, broadsword
Medium Bludgeon= Heavy mace; battleaxe; greatclub; warhammer
Medium Polearm= *Longspear; *two-pronged fork; *awl-Pike

Heavy weapons are damaging weapons that require two hands to wield properly.

Heavy Blade= *Claymore; *zweihander; *nodachi
Heavy Bludgeon= *Morning star; *maul; *greataxe
Heavy Polearm= *Scythe; *glaive; *voulge

Weapons also have various properties:

Graceful weapons can use either Might or Grace as an attack stat.
Brutal weapons grant a +2 Static Bonus to damage rolls.
Reach weapons can attack foes up to 2 squares away.

Character Size	Encumberance
Diminutive	Might/2
Tiny	=Might
Small	5 + Might
Medium	10 + Might
Large	20 + Might
Huge	50 + Might
Gargantuan	100 + Might

Tools are devices that are used to perform specific functions.

Light Tools include items like chisels, pliers, trowels, mallets and shears. A light tool is anything that can be used in one hand.

Medium Tools include items like sledge hammers, pick axes, portable rams, 10 foot poles, Saws. Medium tools are tools that are two big to be used in one hand, but can still be carried by one person.

Heavy tools, such as Forges, Plows, Large Battering Rams, etc. are tools that are simply too big and cumbersome to be transported by one person.

TOOL	Poor	Average	Good	Superior	Masterwork
Light	1 Coin	2 Coin	4 Coin	8 Coin	16 Coin
Medium	2 Coin	4 Coin	8 Coin	16 Coin	32 Coin
Heavy	3 Coin	6 Coin	12 Coin	24 Coin	48 Coin

In addition to size, tools are also rated by quality.

Poor Tools can often break if the user rolls low enough on a skill check. In other words, if the fail the check by more than the tools Toughness rating (light=5; Medium=10; Heavy=20)

Average Tools only break on an unmodified roll of 1.

Good Tools never break on a failed skill roll.

Superior Tools grant a +1 static bonus on rolls for their intended function, and never break on a failed skill roll.

Masterwork Tools grant a +2 static bonus on rolls for their intended function, and never break on a failed skill roll.

Some tools, such as thieve's picks, Lapidary tools or Alchemist Labs are so precise that even the poorest examples are still considered of "Good" quality.

For tools there really is no reason to have 5 tiers. There really only needs to be three:

Poor: Breaks on unmodified 1
Good: never breaks on failed roll
Masterwork:+2 static bonus

It's simple and easy to memorize.

Leress wrote:For tools there really is no reason to have 5 tiers. There really only needs to be three:

Poor: Breaks on unmodified 1
Good: never breaks on failed roll
Masterwork:+2 static bonus

It's simple and easy to memorize.

Yeah...you're right.

That's the beginning of my attempt to pare down the equipment list to a couple simple entries, rather than individual listings for trowels and chisels.

The problem that I keep running into is that my ultimate goal is to make a game that's inspired by 4E, but much more playable.

Among the problems that I want to address is the problem people here mention about not being able to pick up weapons off of dead orcs and such. It occurred to me that I could have those tiers with weapons and armor (poor, good, superior and masterwork) and my natural inclination is to spread that among noncombat items as well. But I see where that level of granularity would be unnecessary.

I've been pondering the idea of getting rid of damage dice altogether for this.

I know that many gamers get a visceral thrill from rolling a large handful of damage dice against an enemy, myself included, one of my goals here is to keep the tactical nature of 4E while speeding up combat significantly.

As it stands now, action resolution uses a randomizer in the form of a die roll, and powers use a randomizer in the form of action cards. It occurs to me that I could speed the process up quite a bit by removing randomized damage rolls and tie it in with the action cards, by having the card's value determine the damage of the attack:

Card Value	Damage
Two	+2 dmg
Three	+3 dmg
Four	+4 dmg
Five	+5 dmg
Six	+6 dmg
Seven	+7 dmg
Eight	+8 dmg
Nine	+9 dmg
Ten	+10 dmg
Jack	+11 dmg
Queen	+12 dmg
King	+13 dmg
Ace	+14 dmg

I figure that weapons can have static damage values instead of actual damage dice.

The potential downside is that this could increase the bookkeeping aspects if damage modifiers are coming form multiple sources.