Incarnate Issue 2, 2023

Hail the sword of Incarna

Hail the sword of Incarna- cutting rules and limits as we go!

Publish Date: 9/2023 – INCARNATE periodical
Editor: Kelly Berger

Editors Note: I’m going to try and take on no more than 4 subjects per issue. No more than 1 issue per month. I will keep track of requested issues and rather than disseminate to the group that asked, I will publish here for all groups to see.

Incarnate!Table of Contents – What is in this issue of Incarnate:

  1. Intelligence should Impact characters More
  2. How does knowledge references work?
  3. How do Lores in i20 Work?
  4. How much would a library weight and how much space would it take up?

Global Materials

These span all versions of Incarna, but obviously any output will be specific to only current versions…

The word ‘CLASS’: The word class now gets used in icore to denote an archetype. This is just using more emphasis on aptitude and pathways, where the ‘class’ is an expression. This is a unification of ideas between i20 and icore mostly through adjusting the labels.

i20 Materials

Intelligence should Impact characters More – Is there something that could be implemented?

Issue: It seems like there is little benefit in the way of high intelligence. Being that the manifestation of this is generally the thing that separates the humanoid type species above simple animals, should not very high measures of this have a greater impact mechanically?
Source: Arabus D. Grenier; 2022

Thoughts/Response: Roleplaying high i20 intelligence is difficult. If the GM does not stop and factor in a player’s manifestation of intelligence, they may never get more than a minor mechanic impact on skills and lores. I’ve said this is too much pressure and responsibility to expect a GM to do for a player. That said, the GM should be aware of it and try and factor it in when they can, but if something is missed, it is the player’s responsibility. Intelligence is also a nebulous quality, and can be defined in a multitude of ways. In first and second edition DnD it was used as a means to limit knowing and scribing spells/rituals/etc. by saying it was not understood if the check failed. More experience (another level) was necessary before another learning attempt was made. We also gave bonus points to skills like 3.x editions and Skills and Powers. Bonus spells were granted to wizards ‘starting known spells’ was also granted in previous editions of DnD. I suppose we could do something similar. That means higher intelligence affects learning as it currently does (though not mechanically). The further premise would be “A higher measure of intelligence implies a greater degree to comprehend, interpolate and integrate knowledge – especially non-mundane knowledge.”
Author: Kelly J. Berger; 7/2023

Ideas for Adjustments/Benefits

Learning has a specific section in Incarna: Action > Learn.

  1. Reorganize the levels to remove examples into a “how to roleplay this” area.
  2. Move “Requires Study” down under the list
  3. [d20] should be [i20] and LINKED
  4. Searching for Information = LINK and move to ‘reference work’ web page (‘Searching reference Works’)
  5. Add Forbidden/Hidden to the list (not just in searching)
  6. Complete “Applying Experience: (The Rules of Experience)”
  7. Add the improvement skill scale reference

Implementation

Concerns Going Forward: Things like actuated mind might make a difference here too. Where is the limits? How many things can mechanically be involved in these adjustments… it seems like setting a precedent opens the door for an unending application of both Intelligence and Sanity.

OUTCOME: Actions to be Taken > [Pending… WILL REVIEW NEXT ISSUE]

  1. Rewrite + linking some of Learning and Knowledge
  2. Update lores, reference body/work page and knowledge levels.

What would be the CP cost of class features and skills? Languages? Lores?

Issue:
Source: ;

Thoughts/Response:
This is a universal ask for picking up new character facets. In this case, it touches Character Points Costs for Skills/Kit/etc. for knowledge of all kinds after character creation. The way it currently works with lore is If a character possesses a skill, any checks are made at the normal DC with the lore granting a bonus/IF the character possesses no real skill, they get no proficiency penalty and can check using lore. WTF is the difference between that an non proficient? Well, you get a check if its outside the skills’s normal frame of reference. It seems like it could be divided up into three levels. 1) Skills core to the idea of a Primary Class/Character Concept (15 CP?); 2) Skills related to one or more classes of a multi-class character or secondary to Primary Class (20 CP?); 3) Skills unrelated to any central ideas of a class a character possesses (30 CP?) The problem is blurring the Lines – Lores/studying materials is something that you do in real life, and worked in Incarna iCore no problem as everything was a skill. A lore can easily BE a skill. Really, whats being asked is a means of mimicking icore in i20. I think its too overbalanced with the proficiency system on top if it. Game-breaking even, its too overbalanced to pick up a skill in 5e outside of taking a Feat. But we can accomplish something.
Author: Kelly J. Berger; 9-2023

Ideas for Adjustments/Benefits

  1. Learning and Knowledge – Updated
  2. Clearly delineate skill, proficiency, attribute adjustments, and lore inter-operation.

Implementation

OUTCOME: Actions to be Taken >

  1. Learning and Knowledge – Updated
  2. Knowledge and Happenstance Measures/Levels – Updated
    1. Proficient Skill: Proficiency Bonus + attribute adjustment
    2. Proficient Skill w/Lore: Proficiency Bonus + attribute adjustment + lore measure adjustment
    3. Non-Proficient Skill: attribute adjustment
    4. Non-Proficient Skill w/Lore: attribute adjustment + lore measure adjustment; THE DC MUST BE EQUAL OR UNDER THE SOURCE’S LORE MEASURES

Issue:
Source: ;

Thoughts/Response:
Author: Kelly J. Berger; 09-2023

Ideas for Adjustments/Benefits

Implementation

OUTCOME: Actions to be Taken >

Issue:
Source: ;

Thoughts/Response:
Author: Kelly J. Berger; 09-2023

Ideas for Adjustments/Benefits

Implementation

OUTCOME: Actions to be Taken >

Additional Issues

The following additional issues were collected during this period to be addressed at a later date or through the Incarna Development and Design work cycles:

  1. Broken links on web site fixed
  2. Place Template feedback from Tom Potter and final version
  3. Lots of Web Pages marked for Steel Realms newsfeed