Is 'Eavy Metal Calling?
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Admittedly, I don't have much experience with RPGs, but coming at this from an ME point of view, I'd take the way the games themselves handles it as a starting point. Specifically, the way ME1 does things as that (aside from Andromeda) has the most in common with standard/traditional RPG mechanics. Keep a class-based system and let that determine/deliberately limit what direction a character progresses.
In fact, I'd say the best start would just be to rip the core of the system directly from the games. Each class has 1 set starting Power and a list to pick from on Level Ups, a mix of active Powers and passive Abilities. This covers all your combat/tech/biotic stuff, but also leaves room for your general stats like Charm/Intimidate (social), Combat Fitness (athletics/general agility), marksmanship to be increased as well.
You could also draw from Andromeda by taking a part of the Profile system; flat buffs to various base stats based on what you specialise in. So if a player is playing a Sentinel, they might get +X% to Tech damage after they've invested Y points across all their skills. Helps you deal with power discrepancies just by level. Liara's Biotic abilities flat out more powerful than an Asari Commando initiate using the same powers becomes a function of her being a much higher level and amassing hard buffs to various stats that way.
As far as being limiting goes, I'd say that's kind of the point in a way. In choosing a class in the ME games (Andromeda aside), you're making a very deliberate choice on playstyle from the start; play a Soldier, no Biotics for you, play an Adept, you're going to be less effective with guns. That's part and parcel of the system, so I think as long as you're not being too restrictive by linking race/background to in-game class (no one says an Asari has to play a biotic, or a Krogan has to be a soldier ect) then I reckon you'd get away with it.
So an example class/progression system looks like this:
Class: Adept
Starting Ability: Throw
Unlockable abilities:
- Lift
- Shockwave
- Warp
- Singularity
- Charm/Intimidate*
- Combat Fitness*
Then flat buffs to Biotic power Damage/ease of use for every 10 Points spent on Biotic powers (rather than generic ones or powers from other trees in mixed classes)
*I'd give everyone access to these to be honest.
I might be totally off with this as I'm not familliar with the RPG system you're using, but hopefully that gives you a starting point or some general ideas.
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Gore-Soaked Lunatic Witchhunter
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That's the problem. There are a lot of abilities possible, especially in a tabletop game where non-combat stuff is a lot more relevant, that don't have anything to do with the biotics/tech/combat mix.
At the moment my major consideration is to make the two different types of 'classes' as independent as possible, on the logic that Shepard's non-combat abilities don't appear to change based on Mass Effect-setting class and that characters with broadly similar 'classes' can have widely varying sets of trainings/non-combat skillsets.
The current set of classes, as opposed to the powersets (the Mass Effect classes), is derived from the six Stargate uses, the names are not final:
*Guardian: Combat-focused characters from more primitive traditions, emphasizing strength, endurance, and courage over technology; also suitable for brute-force brawlers without formal/organized training. On the Normandy: Wrex (Guardian/Vanguard), Grunt (Guardian/Soldier), Jack (Guardian/Adept).
*Investigator (Stargate Scout modified for higher-tech/more urban environments): Characters skilled in underhanded tactics, ambushes, stealth, general criminal behaviour. On the Normandy: Garrus (Investigator/Infiltrator), Kasumi (Investigator/Infiltrator), Thane (Investigator/Adept), Samara (Investigator/Adept), possibly Legion (Investigator/Engineer or Investigator/Infiltrator).
*Operative (Stargate Explorer modified for higher-tech/more urban environments): Adaptable characters, broad skillset, skilled at dealing with unexpected situations. On the Normandy: Miranda (Operative/Sentinel), possibly Liara (Operative/Adept).
*Pointman: Leaders/commanders/strategists, who enhance their team and coordinate various skills to the greatest effect. On the Normandy: Shepard (Pointman/something else).
*Soldier: General combatants with a focus on discipline and getting the most out of high-tech equipment. On the Normandy: Ashley (Soldier/Soldier), Kaidan (Soldier/Sentinel), Jacob (Soldier/Vanguard), James (Soldier/Soldier), Javik (Soldier/Vanguard), Zaeed (Soldier/Soldier).
*Technician (Stargate Scientist, not sure about edits yet): Int-skill specialists, engineers, scientists, academics, overeducated people who can provide answers to complicated/strange problems. On the Normandy: Tali (Technician/Engineer), EDI (Technician/Engineer), possibly Liara (Technician/Adept), Mordin (Technician/Engineer).
(Andromeda is a bit of a guess right now (I'm on playthrough two, as opposed to probably six complete runs of the trilogy (in a patchwork manner) over the years), but I'd call Ryder Pointman or Operative with a cheating/unique/super-powerset, Cora Guardian/Vanguard, Peebee Technician/Adept or Technician/Sentinel, Drack Guardian/Soldier, Jaal Operative/Infiltrator, Liam Soldier/Infiltrator, and Vetra Operative/Infiltrator or Investigator/Infiltrator.)
The idea is that common/general abilities/statistics that everyone has (HP, skill points, saves...) are tied to the d20 class, which gives some number of points to spend acquiring biotic/tech/combat powers as determined by your powerset, which is the Mass Effect 'class'. I'm definitely allowing cross-classing with the d20 classes (with the Spycraft limitations (you only get the 'key ability' of your first base class)), but I'm probably going to make everyone pick a powerset and stick with it for ease of bookkeeping.
This has the extra benefit of avoiding locking species that can't be biotic/must be biotic out of non-combat skillsets; for instance if the Technician class were tied to the Engineer powerset then I'd have to say by implication that the Asari have no science/technology people (since you couldn't be biotic and a Technician).
The other possibility would be to try and make skills, saves, BAB, et cetera more flexible, but at that point I'd be dumping the hard-defined 'class' progression and that'd be a strong argument for dumping the d20 system alltogether, which I'd rather not do since I'm trying to apply my preexisting knowledge base on the d20 system to the project.
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