Wednesday 27 March 2019

Sheets and Slots


Okay, character sheet v2.

The 'Big Six' attributes which, while not necessarily what I want to go with long term, allow for much easier conversions of other OSR-based games and modules. The thick border boxes are for the main attribute values, the thinner border boxes are to provide easy reference to attribute values reduced by injuries and other conditions.

I really like the simplicity of slot-based inventories, and there are some great ideas on embellishing the slot system (Knave's spells are as much a weigh-able item as regular weapons, and Michael Bacon's conditions also take up slots). I want to go the distance with them, and so pretty much everything takes up a slot: equipment, spells, special abilities, conditions, injuries, illnesses, etc. Inventory slots become Burden slots and represent how much a character can literally and / or figuratively bear. 

To offset the fact that the slots will very quickly fill up, the number of slots is equal to the highest attribute, so a character might be able to plough on under the weight of physical and mental burden through physical endurance (CON), strength of will (WIS), bloody-minded optimism (CHA), or however a player wants to describe it. If an attribute drops through injury, the next highest 'takes over', so it's in a character's interest to be well rounded! It also means that a character won't be penalised too much from not having a high attribute that they otherwise won't be looking to use.



Not going to win any beauty prizes, but at least I've got a new placeholder in the heartbreaker folder...

2 comments:

  1. INT: Packing stuff correctly and keeping everything organised
    DEX: Not having to bother with packing because you're fast enough to get away quickly no matter what.

    Like that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep, pretty much like that. To run with INT, the player might stretch it to include mental organisation, which would explain how they keep so many spells in one's head (if INT's the highest attribute, there will probably be spells after all).

      My initial thoughts were:
      STR - bearing these things is easy
      DEX - so well balanced and nimble that I make bearing these things look easy
      CON - bearing these things is not easy, but darned if I'm going to let it slow me down
      INT - bearing these things is easy if I put this thing here, that thing there and make a mental note about that thing
      WIS - I can bear these things if I don't think about the difficulty
      CHA - hah! Call this bearing something? Let me tell you about when I had to bear *far* worse things

      All character traits which will be worn down by injury & tiredness and trying to bear too much.

      Delete