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Shared Litany (Follower of Faith)

Posted on December 22, 2017 in D20 iCore Trait

A pledge of observing the Shared Litany is a major Liturgical Observance; It is adherence to a proscribed set of Minor Tenets of a faith which is to be shared and practiced by the community of followers. A character with Shared Litany embraces the tenets as a core of their identity. The Shared Litany must not bow to the civil/temporal authorities – at least always in private and in public if possible. A Shared Litany is an expression of the “Low Covenant” (Minor Tenets, Benefits, and Expectations). It is formally adopted through a form of a Rite of Significant Litany.

Benefits of a Shared Litany Oath

  • It grants benefits when they participate in Rituals (Rites), Ceremonies and other types of faith acts with others of the same Shared Litany.
  • Living Sacrament: A character that possesses Shared Litany, Divine Aptitude, and Conviction can undergo the Rite of Abiding Litany, to become a Living Sacrament.

Common Shared Litany Tenets

Role-Play ++

This presents a good opportunity for adding Roleplaying elements to the Character.

  • Act against the enemies of the faith when the opportunity presents itself or they are asked by appropriate authorities.
  • Protect the weak and helpless of the faith as appropriate to your capability; Be an example in the community and promote the faith’s presence there.
  • Do not take away a person’s livelihood or well-being without good cause; Obey the civil laws and only ask for the most minimal from the civil authorities. You may command the followers as befits the need, though may require recompense if livelihood or health is impinged upon.
  • If a person comes to you for protection, follower or not, you must consider their situation and act appropriately; Act for glory of the faith, sow the bindings of new followers and the trust and conviction of those already of the congregation.

Common Cost: Rite of Sanctifying

Common Requirements/Limits: Being a Follower of a Divine Principal/faith in Good Standing with a measure of Conviction. Adherence to its [documented] General Litany proscribed tenets.

D20 Trait Mechanics

Living Sacrament: A character who is a Living Sacrament gets one Blessing at the end of a Long Rest if they do not already possess one. Once a year they are imbued with an instance of Channel Divinity which can be used as if they were a Cleric of 2nd level.

Incarna Core Trait Mechanics

Elan Building: This particular activity, along with Mystic Offerings to or time serving a Prime Entities, Time in Service to Prime Institutions or Entities, acquiring knowledge and experience arduously and over great amounts of game time (beyond Character Inception), Acts altering the outcome of great conflicts or the lives of many in general, and enhancing capabilities to an epic level can all build Elan.

Need ideas for role-playing this? See the Roleplaying your Character's Capabilities or ask the Game Master how it is best expressed in your Setting.No matter what restrictions exist in the setting you use, many GMs will allow anything with the right context or character backstory.

Wonderment

Posted on December 22, 2017 in D20 iCore Trait

[ Feature Impact ] > Positive
Wonderment indicates the character’s mind is dramatically open as they explore and experience the world around them. Wonderment dispels the subconscious biases and a rewrites of the notions of what’s possible and not possible, likely and unlikely. Executing an action under the effects of wonderment is treated as if the character had their full Proficiency Bonus.

Initial Wonderment: Upon acquiring this trait, usually at the time of Character Inception, they gain a number of uses they may apply it to. These must typically be used within the first few Game Sessions and are lost if the character begins play as Hardened.

i20™ Wonderment Details

Initial Wonderment: The character gains a number of measures equal to their Proficiency Bonus or CHA bonus – whichever is higher. Upon assuming another level, all remaining measures are lost.

Persistent Wonderment: While under the effects of Wonderment (at least until the last initial measure is used), the character gains +1 to all their Saving Throws.

iCore iCore™ Wonderment Details

COST/REQ: -1 CP

Type: Transcendant

The character’s mind is dramatically open as they explore and experience the world around them. They gain a number of checks equal to their CHA + INT which can be used for any ability as if they were “Studied” in it. These checks must be used quickly; usually by the third gaming session the character participates in.

Need ideas for role-playing this? See the Roleplaying your Character's Capabilities or ask the Game Master how it is best expressed in your Setting.No matter what restrictions exist in the setting you use, many GMs will allow anything with the right context or character backstory.

Climbing

Posted on November 20, 2017 in D20 iCore Skill Trait

Climbing is a Mobility Expression reflects …

In addition to being a mode of locomotive movement AND a Skill – walk/run, climb (brachiate), jump (hop/spring), swim, fly – each one can be taken as a Accomplished Activity Trait for the Athletics Skill.

Frame of Reference: All Skills are bound by the character's Setting (physics), and the details that their culture/society's Science (gathered by Technology), direct experience, and/or collective Records are capable of revealing. A character may not be able to apply their full measure on a different world, with different species and tools. With a common frame of reference, multiple specific Lores can stack.

i20™ Skill Details

i20 Skills REPLACE d20 skill proficiency: Add the skill level + modifiers to the check ( Proficiency Bonus not used).

A single Result Check to assess Success or Failure AND quality which may be impacted by conditions which indicate a Lack of Capability (Unfamiliar, Unproficient, etc.). The GM can { } Narrate it, and players may request an appropriate impact when anything other than a basic outcome is indicated. Character Points are Rewarded by the GM to improve Skills (and other Features).

[d20-check-note]

iCore iCore™ Skill Details

climbing up or over difficult surfaces or terrain. Free climbing has no inherent bonuses, but professional climbers gear (harness, carabiners, pitons, rope systems) will grant +1 to +4 adjustments depending on how much of the common gear and if it can be used effectively. Climbing vertical surfaces is especially difficult and may impose penalties. A climber may make a check to discover the best route for ascent or descent of a long route – granting a bonus if successful. Characters who are non-encumbered have no penalties, while encumbered characters suffer -1 per AM impairement and any hamper penalties. Combat while climbing is considered fighting under unstable circumstances, inhibited by the climb skill. Simple contests can be assessed using best result degree of a check; ties settled by skill level then RCT.

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Alchemy (expendable Trinkets)

Posted on August 15, 2017 in D20 iCore Skill

[ Feature Impact ] > Positive
This is a formal field of study and a trade; Its practice produces items.
This could also be represented simplistically as a Lore.

( ALCHEMY)

Frame of Reference: All Skills are bound by the character's Setting (physics), and the details that their culture/society's Science (gathered by Technology), direct experience, and/or collective Records are capable of revealing. A character may not be able to apply their full measure on a different world, with different species and tools. With a common frame of reference, multiple specific Lores can stack.

i20™ Skill Details

i20 Skills REPLACE d20 skill proficiency: Add the skill level + modifiers to the check ( Proficiency Bonus not used).

A single Result Check to assess Success or Failure AND quality which may be impacted by conditions which indicate a Lack of Capability (Unfamiliar, Unproficient, etc.). The GM can { } Narrate it, and players may request an appropriate impact when anything other than a basic outcome is indicated. Character Points are Rewarded by the GM to improve Skills (and other Features).

[d20-check-note]

iCore iCore™ Skill Details

The practice of this may combine elements of: Biology, Chemistry, Physics. A character may gain a Toolkits and Work Stations by purchasing them in-game (depending on availability) or at the time of Inception using Assets.

Divine Trinkets

Occult Trinkets

There are many Occult Models to serve as an example.

D20 Occult Alchemy

Requirements: This requires an Intelligence of 14+ and a Wizard class of 2nd level ability or higher.
In addition to the normal Alchemy skills and artisan tools, the alchemist is proficient with advanced, more volatile and rarer processes and materials. These are used to augment the effects of certain spells. To augment a wizard spell, the alchemist must possess the following: The Wizard version of the spell in their spell book, 2) the normal material components for the spell, 3) the matching Occult Formulae for the same spell.
The alchemist takes a number of days equal to the spell level to produce the enhanced alchemal version of the spell, costing 25 coins per day. They make a DC 10 (+ the level of the spell) check with their tools and see if the process results in the correct outcome – transforming the mundane material components into an enhanced one which changes the outcome of the spell when cast. The specific outcome is based on the formulae. [Minor Alchemy (2nd level Transmuter Arcane Tradition power) allows the alchemist to add their proficiency bonus (doubling it) again to the outcome of the formulae.]

  • Extended Range: Doubled or touch becomes 30 feet.
  • Extended Area: Covers double the normal area.
  • -Replaces the concentration of the caster, allowing them to concentrate on another spell-
  • Extended Duration: Double the duration of any spell with more than an instantaneous duration.
  • Usurped Will: Assuming no change in the condition of the target that would normally give them a new save, this suspend the spell descriptions that allow the target to automatically get a new save each round.
  • Spreading Effect: The spell affects another target within its range (if non damage causing).
  • [Other]: Minor effect, adding no more than a D4 damage to the spell if it makes sense

Multiple effects can be combined, each one has the effect of doubling the cost and adding an additional day as well as +1 to the difficulty check.

Incarna Core Occult Alchemy

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Using the Rule of Averages Approach

Posted on May 19, 2016 in D20

KELLY BERGER May 2016

I implemented the rule of averages as way of making things go faster in the Incarna variant of DnD 5 (i20™). Learning the system was a huge factor in this decision. I still enforce this today in my campaigns, though I don’t know if i always will.

The ‘rule of averages’ is an approach to DnD that (in my mind) streamlines resolving actions. Less rolling means less time taken in both physical activity and calculations. Processing outcomes should be easier and faster as most of it is pre-calculated. The fact is, it’s nothing more than preference. In some ways I think it requires the PC’s to think more; Understanding that an outcome reflects not just a true/false condition, but quality (amount of damage or impact) means that more consideration is given – I always offer a bonus to damage or attack based on story and tactics. This is a way of requiring players to get involved and invested, to think to get the same effect rather than relying on a roll. In all cases, the rule of averages has the the following impacts I have observed:

  1. Fudge-Proof Damage: It cannot have circumstances that allow for manipulation or fudging/cheating around it.
  2. Faster Resolution in TTRPG: Dice don’t roll off tables, are not hard to see, don’t get cocked, are not questioned, cannot be weighted to advantage, don’t have to be added up, and all the other dynamic issues that comes with the physical space you roll in and dice you have to throw.
  3. Creative Opposition: Imposing result adjustment (impact degree) as well as chance of success adjustments allows for more creative story elements.
  4. Even Assessment: GM and players can assess challenge faster; they will not have to adjust dynamically as much for the variance of rolling well vs. rolling poorly.

With leveling and HP, it’s quicker calculation. Yes, it’s just a dice roll, but and everyone gets the same. In Incarna, there are plenty of things to offset this so that not everyone of the same class/level has the same HP. Leveling can be done more independently; it’s just a dice roll, but the results of that may force spell, ability, trait, or feat choices.

With damage from items it provides for a nice, graduated damage progression based on the quality of hit. Normal = average; More than 5 needed = full/major; extraordinary/critical = double full. This emphasizes quality over simple true/false. This improves with experience as well – the number of times a character will get full damage against ‘normal’ foes goes up significantly… instead of the same random outcome each time.

With damage from effects it provides the same impact as damage from items – graduated based on how well the attack succeeded.

Many forms of countering can be used here in addition to the DnD Resistance mechanic – basically using the Result Shift of Incarna.

Typical Arguments Against

When everything affects everyone the same, it dumbs down the game and lowers the level of excitement.

I won’t argue this – it does, especially if you rely on random rolls for excitement instead of story. As a GM, I have to fudge a lot because of this forced variance. Its that or reduce it to a lesser challenge I know the PC’s can survive – also not fun. It also enhances the level of excitement knowing that not only does a character getting better improves their accuracy, but improves their quality of hit. A simple “+1” has more meaning/impact.

It does not reflect the diversity or variance in real life.

True again, and it depends on how you view PC’s – extraordinary in themselves, or doing extraordinary things and an ordinary person. Nothing really changes with averages – it’s just a matter of degree and preference. It more heavily reflects the idea that improvements in capability should mirror outcomes. This means not just more successes, but more higher quality of outcomes.

You could just offer average OR a roll.

In fact, I do with a lot. It’s a fact some people role better and others worse. The averages allows for a more even experience, and factors in less how well you roll a dice or how certain dice have a certain propensity. And there are traits and powers for luck if you do want to rely on that more actively.

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