Monbvol's House rule emporium

[Daryk]

OK, the link is asking for a number of clicks I'm not sure I want to give (not these days, and the sexy voice telling me I'm "almost done" is chilling  on a level I can't even describe).  Can you upload the file here?  Please?   8)

[monbvol]

Huh.  When I follow the link I just get the standard mediafire download link.  But it should be small enough to upload here.

As far as fields go point buy from rules as written rebates off the final amount of XP spent on them so I'm somewhat compromising there with my approach to make investing in fields a little easier/worthwhile.

[Daryk]

Got the download, thanks!  :thumbsup:

Most of the new SPAs sound like simple Traits... where do you draw the line?  ???

Also, how exactly do Attributes and Skills spend differently?  ???

[monbvol]

To be fair a lot of SPAs as written are terribly little more than a trait with a skill/attribute/trait/SPA prerequisite.  Some of my new ones probably could use some work to help shore them up for sure but that is a problem for another time.

As for the spending structure I thought I explained already that Attributes, Traits, Assets, and now SPAs are a linear one point from the pool for one rank.  For example a player wants their character to have Strength 4 that would cost 4 points from their attribute pool.

I'm not against figuring out a non-linear structure but for now I figure following AToW's lead in that regard would be wisest as I would like to figure out a good structure for skills first.

Either way I think once some more things get ironed out I had best do a more formal write up that is easier to follow than my last few posts.

[victor_shaw]

To be fair a lot of SPAs as written are terribly little more than a trait with a skill/attribute/trait/SPA prerequisite.  Some of my new ones probably could use some work to help shore them up for sure but that is a problem for another time.

As for the spending structure I thought I explained already that Attributes, Traits, Assets, and now SPAs are a linear one point from the pool for one rank.  For example a player wants their character to have Strength 4 that would cost 4 points from their attribute pool.

I'm not against figuring out a non-linear structure but for now I figure following AToW's lead in that regard would be wisest as I would like to figure out a good structure for skills first.

Either way I think once some more things get ironed out I had best do a more formal write up that is easier to follow than my last few posts.

For skills I would keep the old MW2 progression of next skill level accumulative.
example: skill level 3 would be 6 (1+2+3=6)
Field Skills should have choice of education package including basic training or other prerequisite packages.
Military academy/Military Training/Advanced academy/Civil Academy/University/etc.
With each package offering a set number of skill levels to assign to each skill at a package discount of 1/4 the cost.
example: Advanced Academy: 2 at 3 / 3 at 3 / 5 at 1 (if the packages have more or less skills then ten +/- one of the level ones)
This Academy would cost: 20 points

[victor_shaw]

PS
As you are going to keep after Creation advancement I would drop 0 level skills till then as players are assumed to be well trained at what they have during character creation.
or you could use o-level for oversized packages.

[monbvol]

Hmmm.

I actually have been contemplating entirely dropping Rank 0 skills but losing them for character creation may actually be fine as a compromise or first step.

As far as the Academy package stuff, well I'll have to think on a simple way to handle that.

[Daryk]

If you did explain it before, I missed it, and that's on me.  Thanks for explaining it again!  :thumbsup:

[monbvol]

Okay updated for dropping rank 0 and added some training packages.

I decided for the sake of consistency they'd not give a higher starting skill than 3 so that my idea about not allowing higher than rank 3 for priority 1 for skills could still be obeyed and to keep with a 20% discount.

Fast Training is basically what it says and can be a stand in for lower quality training.  Normal and Extensive being the logical progressions.

I also rigged it up so no field costs more than what priority 1 in skills can afford.  Would have liked to do something a bit more with Extensive Training for 7 skill fields but nothing was working out right.

Calling it version 3 now.

[Daryk]

The problem with a blanket cap on skill level is it drives higher Attributes.  You can still get a better Gunnery skill with an Attribute bonus.

[monbvol]

There are a few measures I have decided to take in that regard to help keep things in check.

1. If using my house rules you don't automatically get attribute bonuses to skills.

2. You can take as many skill fields as you can afford.

3. Since Priority 2, 3, 4, and 5 have higher skill caps you can buy up skills in that field to the appropriate cap.

4. If not using my house rules there really isn't a lot you can do to avoid that it is better to heavily invest in certain attributes.

[monbvol]

Okay now that I'm reasonably happy with where it is for now time for more clear instructions.

Attributes, Traits, Assets, and Special Abilities are bought on a 1 for 1 basis.  Strength 4 would cost 4 points from the Attributes pool for example.

Any special ability can be purchased and as many as can be afforded may be purchased but will not function if prerequisites are not met and if the character somehow winds up with more than is normally allowed priority is given to Special Abilities that are prerequisites to others and if that fails cheapest first.

To keep things simple and not have to figure out how to handle it I'm not recognizing Attribute maximums as limited by Phenotype or Extraordinary Attribute.  The best idea I can offer for those who want to utilize these particular traits is to actually pull their cost from the Attribute pool instead of the Trait pool.

Assets are specific traits separated out.  For my house rules these would be Investment, Property, Property Quirk, Status, and Status Quirk.  For as written this list would be Bloodname, Custom Vehicle, Design Quirk, Equipped, Property, Title, Vehicle, and Wealth.

Skills have a progressive cost detailed in the spreadsheet provided.  Skill fields may be purchased at their listed costs giving the indicated skill ranks.  Also detailed in the spreadsheet provided.  The only maximum limit on the number of skill fields that may be purchased at their discounted cost is what the character can afford with their skill priority pool.  Any skill in these skill fields may be improved to the limit of the skill priority skill cap at their normal cost.  Individual skills are purchased at non-discounted rates also to the maximum limit of the priority chosen for skills.  Priority 1 has a maximum starting skill rank of 3, 2 max is 4, 3 is 5, 4 is 6, and 5 is 8.

Negative traits may be purchased freely and a corresponding value applied to any pool, skill pool being an exception in that it receives 3 points for each point of Negative trait applied to it.  If the Negative trait is valuable enough it may be split amongst multiple pools as desired.  I am also leaving it to local groups to decide what the maximum number and/or maximum value of Negative traits may be purchased.

[Daryk]

*snip*
To keep things simple and not have to figure out how to handle it I'm not recognizing Attribute maximums as limited by Phenotype or Extraordinary Attribute.  The best idea I can offer for those who want to utilize these particular traits is to actually pull their cost from the Attribute pool instead of the Trait pool.
*snip*

The way I understand that Trait to work now is that the Trait simply enables you to pay for the Attribute at the increased level, so I'd recommend the same here.  You'd need a point (or whatever) for the Trait allowing you to buy the higher Attribute AND to buy the Attribute at that level.

[monbvol]

Phenotype as written does come with direct bonuses to certain attributes, not just raising the maximum limit.

Elementals for example do get +2 Strength but to get to Strength 10 does still require Extraordinary Attribute/Strength.

It's all laid out from page 121 over to 122, mostly in the table.

[Daryk]

Sounds good... I'll try to look at those pages this weekend...

[monbvol]

Just a bump to bring this back to the first page since I mentioned in another thread I updated the FM:Mercs unit creation methodology for AToW.  It is the sixth link in the first post and it is done up for vanilla AToW not my house rules that re-work certain traits.

It should have tool tips that explain everything.  If the markup is missing a tool tip and you're not sure what it means I'll try to remember my methodology but no promises since it's been a while.

[Grand_dm]

Ooohhh lots of goodies here!

[monbvol]

Lots of them horribly neglected and new versions scattered all over the place in terms of threads for where the most current information for my full conversion AU can be found.

If I ever have the free time again I do want to come back to a lot of these and hit them with a simplification hammer because to be honest a lot of them need a fresh pass and some of my old tendencies removed.