Features I want to see in Fantasy Craft

[Rhishisikk]

Okay, this is actually a blending of two different threads, couldn't decide which one it belonged in, so I'm posting as a new thread.  Please tell your assassins that if they come in through the sewers they do NOT need to kill my albino alligators.  If they climb along the walls and ceilings, the gators won't even bother them.  Respect the wildlife, and it will respect you.

I was going over critters I'd like to see in FC, and something occurred to me.  I don't give a giant rat's turd.  But what I'd LIKE to see is a system that is balanced, can be combined with the existing animal system, and can be applied to cybernetic implants and super powers as well.  I'd like to see that system used for magical things, like the wizards that have those contingency spells on them.  I'd like to see a way of allowing these types of modifications to PCs.

Contingency spells might also be divided into the existing gear categories.  Consider:  The knight wears plate armor, which is good against the weapons he encounters.  The rogue wears leather, which protects against poison darts, flames, cold, and acids without overly hindering his mobility.  The WIZARD wears robes - and all manner of enchantments that protect him from hostile magic.  Each is wearing the best armor - for what they do.  I'd like to see this type of gear system. 

As mentioned earlier, I'd rather see spells that are balanced for what they do over their area and duration rather than a level-slot system.  I'd like to see a mana points (or even vitality-attribute feeder) system over a flat X spells of Y level per Z.  I have no problem with something similar to damage saves.  The wizard's first few spells are easy, but over time he gets 'mana tired', and eventually is unable to perform even the simplest of tricks.  On the subject of magic, I'd like to see it flexible enough to cover psionics and any other category of FX.  I'd like to see the 'flavor' differences be matters of flavor text rather than rigidly enforced class spell lists.  I don't want to see 'only dedicated uber true necromancers can cast this' spells.  OTOH, I have no problem with spells that require a Profession focus to cast. 

I'd like to see rules for ritual and co-operative magic, especially for 'large' (warfare or province scale) effects.  Small groups (the PCs) should be able to manage the smaller rituals (which should consume gear picks), but the larger ones should require rare components (mission seeds), require security over long times (mission seeds), a core of specialized people (mission seeds) - in other words, it requires an Agency and a lot of organization and planning to pull off the big stuff.

I'd like to see critter and helper resource picks, not just 'work crew'.  By no means should the PCs be able to get people of their own calibur and flexibility this way, but I'd like to be able to request a sniper or a TAC team for those combat intensive missions.  If we don't have a hacker or infiltrator, maybe we should be able to recruit a field op or maybe activate a sleeper agent or mole.  In other words, we shouldn't get 007, but we should be able to bring along a few red shirts and experts.  Groks, to use the Ars Magica term.  Our own mooks, thugs, and minions.  A reusable contractor or specialist, to use the networking terms.  One person shouldn't become a walking caravan, but a group should be able to expend gear picks for people to watch the horses and secure the camp (not to mention that fool who wants their own private field butler).

Something I don't really expect to see, but would be nice (and I can engineer myself, if it comes down to it) is an NPC XP by exposure system.  In other words, the NPC gets XP for those goals they get called upon to contribute to (even if this calls for XP from the PC).  This way, you don't just have a third level EOD guy.  That's Sam, the guy that defused the mine fields for you in Korea.  He disarmed that nuke while you were busy fighting the Mosquito on the roof of the train.  When you needed to charm the Duchess of Vichy, who was it who did the fireworks display for you?  That's right, it's Sam.  Dr. Cholera didn't infect your girlfriend with Black Blisters.  You can always get a new girlfriend.  No, Dr. Cholera infected Sam, who you owe your life to.  NOW it's personal...  (Although a system that let your 'civilian' contacts become this important is also welcome.)  And after a series of undercover missions for another organization, you should feel bad abandoning your 'temporary' friends.  And it should really apply the screws when you meet your 'temporary' friends in the field later.

I've already said elsewhere that I'd like to see rules for Dramatic Conflict:  Dueling (or combat moves to enhance dueling), Mental Conflict/Wizard's Duel, Mass Combat (although a detailed system, similar to vehicle combat, would be more appreciated), and Legal Trial.  Optional rules for montage sequences, which could be applied to Dramatic Conflict or Complex Skill Tests.

I'd enjoy seeing a Mass Combat system that used the PCs as Instigators.  Need someone to hold that ridge?  The PCs can't do it alone, but they can provide the leadership and heroic example (translate: morale bonus to troop performance) that just may allow those troops to do the seemingly impossible.  Magic has its place on the fantasy battlefield, but heroism is a magic of its own.  The example that pops to mind right now is Azim's speech from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

What about a system for handling politics, public relations, etc?  Nothing slams home the emphasis of 'your exposure has hosed over the Agency' like dealing with the effects first hand.  Did we get photographed saving the king of Spitonia?  The Agency hates us, it hates us forever - but the free drinks in every bar in Spitonia is kinda cool.  OTOH, being recognized by Spitonia's enemies as Spitonian sympathisers?  Less cool.  And any fantasy system SHOULD have ways of dealing with heroes building their reputation.  (It's Porthos the Pirate!  You're a Pirate?  Told ya I was famous.) 

In other words, a look at how heroes differ from secret agents seems like a must.

Most importantly, I'd like to see rules that EXPAND and IMPROVE SpyCraft, not ones that change or replace it. 

But I've been typing this way too long.  Someone else put in their roll of quarters (remember when it used to be just two cents?).

[MilitiaJim]

I hadn't thought about conflict cards for duels, but it does sound interesting.  More of a social mechanic than a combat mechanic.  How would you determine the predator and the prey?

[NekoMouser]

Traditionally a duel begins with establishing "predator" and "prey". One guy smacks another guy with a glove, the other guy either apologizes or accepts the challenge, then they or their seconds figure out the where's and when's and with what's, with time for possible dirty dealings in between, and then the fighty part actually commences. The one looking for trouble is probably the predator. Lead can be figured based on who has the higher BAB or most combat feats of an applicable type or something similar.

[Crafty_Alex]

Wow, that's a big list...and I'm thinking it's not all for Fantasy Craft Suffice to say, much of what you are looking for in fantasy specifically - mass combat, spells that are not X spells of Y type per day, cool new ways to use heroic reputation, expansions of a monster system based on the existing NPC system, and all that are already going into FC.

FC is not going to be another 500 page book though, so some has to sit out   Trials and political DCons are slated tenatively for 10kB, as they are more fitting for that genre. Combatant alllies are also something we've had sitting on the back burner for a while. Stuff that is expressly out of genre - such as superpowers and cyber - won't be in this book...but we'd like to stick it elsewhere.

If you're concerned we're going to overwrite what 2.0 already is and does, don't be. We built the rulebook to stand up in multiple genres, and then swap out or add in the rules you need to make that genre sing. We actually LIKE our system, and expect our customers do, too, so we're going to use it

[Aragathor]

cool new ways to use heroic reputation

Any chance that it would also be usable for those who are evil and heroic at all?

[MilitiaJim]

Lead can be figured based on who has the higher BAB or most combat feats of an applicable type or something similar.

Maybe throw in a few maneuvers based on Style feats; one or two that deal stress damage, maybe even to spectators.

If it's just a combat, there is always the Stand Off...

[Crafty_Pat]

cool new ways to use heroic reputation

Any chance that it would also be usable for those who are evil and heroic at all?

Given how the book's coming together so far, I think I can safely say that you'll see heroic and villainous options across the board. We realize that some of you actually like playing bad.

[Aragathor]

Excellent! I hope that to see some tactical nuk...dragons in the FC.

[Rhishisikk]

I'll clear up some confusion.  I'd like to see stuff in Fantasy Craft that can be adapted (or better yet, used without adaption) in other environments.  One of the things that killed the Masterbook system was that there was no cross-fertilization across the books.  OTOH, one of the things that is damaging DnD is not enough concern about cross-pollination.

And I really need sleep.  Sorry, I realize it's early, but even my normally non-linear mind is doing wierd stuff.