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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Hit Points as Real Damage, Part II

In the last post, small changes to how healing worked were introduced into the current system of Onn and in general any retro- or oldschool-style game. I say small, but also far reaching due to the fact that hit points are a central part of the game, as is their loss and recovery.

Damage and Death is the way hit points are lost (obviously). Individual Referees may desire to come up with systems of their own to simulate the declining health of an adventurer as they lose hit points, but for the scope of Onn, the fact they are getting so close to death is enough for this one.

If a character is reduced to 0 hit points exactly, he is unconscious but stable. If left alone long enough, the character may recover or die on his own (Referees are free to adjucate this to what best fits their game).

Under 0 hit points, a character is considered dying from internal and/or external damage. Each round the character rolls a Toughness saving throw with his negative hit point total applied as a penalty to the roll. If he fails the roll he takes an additional point of damage; suceeding the roll places him stable at 0 hit points.

Characters reaching a negative hit point total equal to their maximum 1st level hit points are dead.

If a character heals naturally or is magically healed back to positive hit points, he suffers a -4 penalty to all die rolls until he has a full day of rest.

Natural Healing is the most often neglected recovery method of hit points. In worlds where magical healing is available, natural recovery is often moot or all but forgotten. Characters regain their Constitution's Natural Healing rate for each day of rest. Rest is considered non-stressful activity (equipment upkeep, foraging, small game hunting, sitting around or praying/studying, etc) no matter where the character is. Adventurers don't need a warm bed and cushy settings to be considered resting (though of course it is the most preferred!).

Now, if a character spends 2 weeks in a civilized location and comfortable while under the care of another tending to him, he regains full hit points at the end of the 2 week period regardless of how hurt he is.

Fast Healing is a weaker form of regeneration (that all-too-familiar property of Trolls). Characters with Fast Healing heal the indicated rate regardless of their activity level until they reach 0 hit points...at that point the body is too damaged to continue to repair itself.

Magical Healing is the most common form of healing adventurers encounter. The 4 healing spells Clerics, Druids, Divine Champions and Rangers have access to in the World of Onn would look like so:

Cure Light Wounds*
Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 1st Level
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Immediately cures wounds on the target equal to 1 point, plus the target's natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis but when cast in this fashion no damage is cured.
An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause light wounds for 1+1d6 damage if he successfully strikes the victim with a +2 bonus on the ‘to-hit’ roll.

Cure Serious Wounds*
Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 4th Level
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Immediately cures wounds on the target equal to 4 points, plus double the dice of the target’s natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness but when cast in one of these fashions no damage is cured.
An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause 4+2d6 points of damage if he successfully strikes the victim with a +2 bonus on the ‘to-hit’ roll.

Healing Circle*
Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 5th Level
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
This spell heals the caster and all allies in a 10 ft radius around the caster of 4 points, plus double the target’s natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness in an ally at the caster’s desire, but when these maladies are removed only 1 point, plus the target’s natural healing rate are cured for that individual.
An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause a circle of wounds inflicting 4+2d6 points of damage to all enemies in a 10 ft radius around the caster.
 
Cure Critical Wounds*
Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 7th Level
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Immediately cures wounds on the target equal to 16 points, plus quadruple the target’s natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness but when cast in one of these fashions no damage is cured.
An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause 16+4d6 points of damage if he successfully strikes the victim with a +2 bonus on the ‘to-hit’ roll.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Hit Points as Real Damage

Working off the supposition that Hit Points are purely how much damage a creature can sustain before being killed, the Constitution ability can serve as more than just a Hit Point adjustment for hit dice gained when levelling up. Constitution can be used to affect natural healing as well in a definable way.

Ability ScoreAdjustmentNatural HealingFast Healing
1-41-
2-31-
3-4-21-
5-8-1d2-
9-12-d3-
13-14+1d4-
15+1d6-
16+1d6-
17+2d8-
18+2d8-
19+3d101/hour
20+4d101/turn


Like normal, Adjustment affects the amount of Hit Points per HD the character has. Natural Healing is the amount of hit points a character regains for a day of rest, while Fast Healing is a slower but similar ability of regeneration.

Likewise, Clerical healing magic would work by using the character's Natural Healing rate. The more robust/tough/quick to mend/etc the character is, the more damage healing magic repairs, speeding up the recovery of wounds through holy power, like so:

Cure Light Wounds
Spell Level: Cleric, 1st Level
Range: Touch
Duration: Instant
Immediately cures wounds and injuries equaling 1 point, plus the recipient’s natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis but when cast in this fashion no damage is cured.

So a Cleric casting Cure Light on a character with an average Constitution (9-12) heals 1+1d3 hit points of damage, while a more robust individual (Constitution 15-16) would be healed 1+1d6 points of damage.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Other Class Options for Fighting-men

If a Fighting-man decides not to establish a stronghold at 9th level, he may opt to become a Druidic Knight, Knight, Paladin, or Warlock if he possess the requisite ability scores and meets any other requirements.

Druidic Knights are fighting-men that have an affinity for Nature and revere one of the Nature deities. To become a Druidic Knight, a fighting-man must possess a 13 Wisdom and 12 Constitution and be on good terms with a Druidic Circle or Ranger Order.

The character must approach the Circle or Order and make an offer of at least 10,000 gp and/or 2-5 permanent useful magic items given as a gift, they will train him to use the abilities of Wilderness Lore, Pass without Trace and Fast Movement. In addition they will teach him to use druidic orisons and cast 2/0/0 Druid spells per day as a 3rd level caster, but he cannot do so while wearing predominantly metal armor.

In exchange for this, the Druidic Knight swears fealty to the group and must assist its members in times of need. He can expect sanctuary at any place held or friendly to the group

Knights are travelling fighting-men that swear fealty to a nobleman, such as a Duke or Lord or even a King or Emperor. Knights travel the realms, upholding the Laws and undertaking quests for their liege. They spend large amounts of time participating in Tourneys as well, showcasing their martial skills against their equals for land and monetary prizes.

Due to the even more highly regimented martial training Knights receive, they gain 2 additional Combat Options and attack at +1 Attack Rank.

In exchange for the oath of allegiance, a Knight can expect sanctuary in any establishment in his liege’s region. The Knight is expected to provide shelter and comfort to other Knights of his liege as well. If a Call to Arms is made, the Knight is expected to make haste to his liege’s rally point and perform whatever duties his liege needs of him.

Knights may be granted baronies after a long service or particularly important quest and can found a stronghold at that time.

Paladins are Fighting-men dedicated to a non-nature deity. Similar to Divine Champions, Paladins are more militaristic and kick-in the door types who are trained to take action in the name of the Gods. If there is evil, a Paladin will surely be charged with ending its existence. To be a Paladin, a Fighting-man must have never performed an overtly evil act in his career. He must possess a Strength 12, Wisdom 13, Constitution 14 and Charisma 15.

The character must approach a religious order and make an offer of at least 10,000 gp and/or 2-5 permanent useful magic items given as a gift. If accepted, they will train him to use the abilities of Cure Light Wounds (as the spell) once per day and Cure Disease and Dispel Evil (as the spells) once per week each. In addition they will teach him to use clerical orisons and cast 2/0/0 Cleric spells per day as a 3rd level caster.

Warlocks are fighting-men that have some measure of arcane talent, but eschewed the path of the Magic-user for the more martial arts. Misunderstood as making pacts with demons or other dark powers for their arcane ability by most commoners that learn of their abilities, Warlocks are actually extremely willful warriors that are trained to reach out and harness their Ethereal fields and bend it to their martial skills. To be a Warlock, prospective Fighting-men must possess Strength 12, Intelligence 14 and Charisma 13.

The character must find a Magic-user or Magical College to learn the basics of spellcraft. In exchange for a gift of 5,000gp and 7-16 magical items in their search for arcane mastery, Warlocks are taught the ability of Prestidigitation and in the casting of 2/0/0 Magic-user spells per day as a 3rd level caster. Warlocks can cast their spells only while unarmored, or if they are wearing non-magical Light armor or any magical armor. In addition, they may fire a bolt of magical energy once per round that inflicts 1d6 + Charisma adjustment in magical damage and can imbue their shield with magical energy that absorbs pure magical damage attacks, such as magic missile spells.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Multiclassing in Onn

Here's a simple set of multiclassing rules that has drawn on B/X and its race as class rules.

Characters with a 15 or greater in more than 1 classes’ Prime Attribute score have the ability to perform in more than one class at a time, due to natural talent in the diverse training they require. These types of characters are called Multiclassed Characters. Characters begin play as a multiclassed character at 1st level.


Multiclassed characters have their own experience chart and hit dice progression. When a multiclassed character earns enough experience, he advances in level in both of his classes at the same time. When a multiclassed character reaches his level limit in any of his classes, he ceases to advance in that class but continues to advance in the other.

Multiclassed characters use the best attack rolls table allowed to his classes and levels. These characters also use the best saving throws allowed by virtue of all his classes and current levels.

The armor and weapon restrictions of a multiclass character are at the referee's discretion. In general the most restrictive weapon restrictions are used for religious (Cleric and Druid) characters, while multiclassed Magic-user classes can make use of any other classes’ weapons, but are restricted to no armor use. What classes can be combined are up to each referee's campaign.

There are 2 exceptions to this rule:

·         Multiclass elven Magic-users can wear magical Light armor without any restriction to spellcasting ability.

·         Multiclass gnomish Illusionists can wear magical Light armor without any restriction to spellcasting ability.

Multiclass Charcter XP Chart
Level (HD)XP NEEDED
1 (1d6)0
2 (2d6)3,000
3 (3d6)6,000
4 (4d6)9,000
5 (-)12,000
6 (5d6)25,000
7 (6d6)50,000
8 (7d6)75,000
9 (-)150,000
10 (8d6)300,000
11 (-)450,000
12 (9d6)600,000
13 (-)750,000
14 (-)900,000
15 (10d6)1,050,000