FantasyCraft – Social Mechanics, Gear, Skills, & Holdings

[Azgulor]

I’ve seen some preliminary posts about Crafty’s new FantasyCraft game and I’m liking what I’ve read thus far. The preview also looks promising. However, most of the discussion thus far has centered on races, classes, & NPCs. Since I already own Spycraft 2.0, I never really doubted that Crafty-Games could do those things well.

However, I’d like to get some opinions on other, less traditional aspects of FantasyCraft, specifically:

Social Mechanics – I see this alluded to quite a bit. Is this strictly done via the revised skills & the Lifestyle rules? How do FC’s social mechanics make it different from your standard OGL game?

Lifestyle – how does Panache and Prudence work? Can it handle the rise and fall of PC fortunes or does it always assume an escalating scale?

Gear – Silver standard, less complex than SC 2.0. What does that mean compared to other OGL games?

Skills – Too consolidated? For example, in SC 2.0, I didn’t like that if you could do First Aid, you could effectively do Surgery as well.

Holdings – This one has me very intrigued. I’ve got 3rd-party OGL material for ruling a manor/town/nation but they don’t really apply to businesses, guilds, academies, universities, churches, etc. Does this finally provide easy-to-integrate mechanics for this?

Thanks!

[Psion]

Social Mechanics – I see this alluded to quite a bit. Is this strictly done via the revised skills & the Lifestyle rules? How do FC’s social mechanics make it different from your standard OGL game?

First off, talker is a character role in FC, not just something relegated to "other stuff people do." It's a major method of courtiers, and also important to assassins and lancers. Other character options make this a viable tactic as well, like the Repartee series of feats, and Taunt and Threaten are credible combat options.

One of the main mechanisms used for social interplay is disposition. Further, magic doesn't trump social skills in most cases... it just plays into it, and other non-magic character options are just as effective. Charm Person for example doesn't give you a free pass with a person, it just improves their disposition, which spells out exactly the sorts of favors you can expect and the difficulty of your impress rolls.

There's also reputation and contacts.

Lifestyle – how does Panache and Prudence work? Can it handle the rise and fall of PC fortunes or does it always assume an escalating scale?

Cash is cash; it can come and go. How well you handle cash is pretty much assumed to stick with you.

Gear – Silver standard, less complex than SC 2.0. What does that mean compared to other OGL games?

Cash is silver, but big items are limited to reputation. Comparing this to D&D, things that would be difficult in D&D (like a wealthy noble who doesn't just blow his money on magic items) is more plausible.

Renown limits how many major items you can have, but this is a much looser system than the wealth by level guideline of D&D 3.x.

Skills – Too consolidated? For example, in SC 2.0, I didn’t like that if you could do First Aid, you could effectively do Surgery as well.

(shrug) Matter of opinion, I suppose. Some things seem like they would feel odd in the wrong context.

Holdings – This one has me very intrigued. I’ve got 3rd-party OGL material for ruling a manor/town/nation but they don’t really apply to businesses, guilds, academies, universities, churches, etc. Does this finally provide easy-to-integrate mechanics for this?

It doesn't go into very deep detail, but I don't see it having a problem handling any of those as far as it's scope goes.

[Daedalus]

Social Mechanics – I see this alluded to quite a bit. Is this strictly done via the revised skills & the Lifestyle rules? How do FC’s social mechanics make it different from your standard OGL game?

Disposition is very important, as well as character Appearance.  Interestingly enough, Charisma in this system doesn't always mean good appearance, Panache has this built into it. 
Disposition is a modifier for all social skills used concerning the NPC that are emotionally-driven, (ranges from -25 to +25) so Intimidate is an example of what wouldn't be affected.   Some races are "reviled", which gives a penalty to Disposition and makes it harder to play social characters. (Example: most Ogres)
For every disparity between character's Appearances, the more attractive character receives a +1 bonus on Cha-based checks against the other.   Appearance is modified by Panache, Species, Class abilities, Feats, etc.
As far as social skills go, you have Bluff, Disguise, Haggle, Impress, Intimidate, (to a lesser extent) Investigate, Resolve (to resist influence), Sense Motive and (to a lesser extent) Tactics.  That's almost half of the skills in the game that have at least one social function. 

Lifestyle – how does Panache and Prudence work? Can it handle the rise and fall of PC fortunes or does it always assume an escalating scale?

Prudence is the savings rate for the character.  Zero prudence is 15% savings, and the rest is spent on booze, carousing and late fees for rent.  Higher Prudence characters will definitely notice it in the long run, but guess what pays off right now...
Panache is your "living it up" attribute.  You like nice clothes and always have a little cash to compulsively buy things.  This gives you a (modest) amount of starting cash and increases Appearance with higher ranks.

Gear – Silver standard, less complex than SC 2.0. What does that mean compared to other OGL games?

Psion got this one comprehensively.

Skills – Too consolidated? For example, in SC 2.0, I didn’t like that if you could do First Aid, you could effectively do Surgery as well.

Total of 21 skills, including Spellcasting, to which only Mages initially have access.  This may be too few in a game where everyone's Intelligence is very high, but the rules for Team checks make it so that the lowest or highest bonus is used, dependent on context.  Also consider that one skill's user may go unconscious, co-operative checks, etc.
As for Medicine, yes it's the same skill, but there's an ocean of difference in the DC's for First Aid and Surgery. (DC 20 v. DC 40)  I understand that IRL there are differences between EMT's and surgeons, but this doesn't bust verisimilitude IMO in most historical eras.

Holdings – This one has me very intrigued. I’ve got 3rd-party OGL material for ruling a manor/town/nation but they don’t really apply to businesses, guilds, academies, universities, churches, etc. Does this finally provide easy-to-integrate mechanics for this?

You can build varying sizes, and the typically holding can hold a certain number of guests based on size.  Improvements in Security, Rooms, Assistants and Craftsmen.  The rules could allow you to have characters make Downtime Income checks for the character, bonuses on Research checks, increased Threat range on Impress checks, etc.  It's left open so that new types of rooms could be created, according to taste.

Thanks!

[Desertpuma]

Nice job Daedalus

[Daedalus]

Nice job Daedalus

Thanks.  I hope the Crafty Guys get their due recognition for all the work they put into this.  I'd like to see more people on the forums, too, although that's nothing against the great people we already have here. 

[mach1.9pants]

Hell yeah, well said. I may quote you on ENW to bring more in (there is the same thread there as well)

EDIT: and it twas on RPGnet, quoted there for edification of rpgnowers

[MugMug]

Prudence is the savings rate for the character.  Zero prudence is 15% savings, and the rest is spent on booze, carousing and late fees for rent.

Or impressive levels of charity, paying off debts, whatever. Don't inject your flavor into my Prudence.

Walter

[Crafty_Pat]

Yes, thanks everyone! We greatly appreciate the assist!