My favorite class, fun generators, and a new direction

The Soulknife was my favorite class concept when I only knew about the 3.x games. I emphasize concept there because the actual mechanics of the class were hot garbage. It was described by some as a straightjacket that would ruin any build (I know), it was purely combat based with poor stats for combat and a core ability that neither meshes well with any other class nor outperforms the magic equipment you should technically be getting as you level, according to RAW. So I redesigned it with GLOG sensibilities, then updated that design recently with more experience and insight into RPG design, then read the latest GLOG rules and updated it again to be as fully compatible as I could manage. I probably won't be posting much in the way of classes aside from this, since it's my favorite.

Soulknife

Each level of Soulknife gives you +1 to throwing attacks.

A    |mind blade

B    |steelmind, nightmare

C    |gravitation

D    |shatter

Mind Blade

Conjure a blade of mental energy in the form of a dagger or any weapon you've used in combat. It can also imprint the form of a tool, such as a rope or shovel. It takes an action to conjure and disappears if it leaves your hand for an hour.

Steelmind

Channel your mind blade energy through a physical weapon, increasing its attack by +2, but adding a damage marker every minute it remains channeled.

Nightmare

Steal the dreams of a sleeping person, leaving them with a restless night and allowing you to imbue one mind blade attack with an additional die of damage. Cannot imbue while channeling steelmind.

Gravitate

Your mind blade can pull you to its location as long as it is within view, at two times running speed.

Shatter

Explode your mind blade on command as an action, or instantly if someone attempts to disarm or sunder it. This deals 2d6 damage to anyone within melee range excluding yourself, and you cannot summon it again until you retrieve it within your dreams.

The Beginning of the End by RAHDS

I'd also like to take a moment to outline my current philosophy when designing a GLOG class. It's pretty challenging and strict, but I think it works with the framework of 'constraint inspires creativity.' At template A you obviously have the core idea of the class, which I like to include with some level-independent progression if possible. Template B is great for multiclass synergy type abilities, so people can take 2/2 and get some cool combinations. Template C is kind of like a free space where you can flesh out or expand the core class idea, but it's unfortunately too late to really start with the progression ability. Then template D is good for the capstone ability, which I think should be cool and flashy but risky or costly to use. I've heard arguments against capstone abilities, but as long as you're good at designing the abilities leading up to it that shouldn't be a problem.

 

Generators

If you both really want to design wacky classes, but have managed to run out of ideas, this should give you some weird ones:

Fantasy tree generator. Some of the results are pretty wild, but most should be scaleable to either mundane rumors or arcane foliage of myth:

And here is a fashion trend generator. It won't give you a specific outfit, but should prompt enough broad traits to build a sense of style for a locality:

Faint Slumber by Pavel Kolomeyets

Priorities

Finally, I've decided to stop working on systems, or at least stop focusing on them, until I get some more experience running things at the table, and probably read more existing systems. The most useful things I find on other blogs are environments, characters, items, puzzles, and monsters (in descending order of usefulness), and then after that there are mechanical and philosophical considerations that can sometimes be interesting. I'll be using Arnold's most up to date GLOG rules as my basis for mechanics, but mostly using a fiction-first focus. Surely everyone is even more excited to read about this than I am to write it.

Monster generators

Some monster generating buttons, simple but fun random monsters. The elemental one indicates a broad sense of how powerful it is, but you should feel free to modify any and all details to suit your needs.

Chimera, or just a very general animal hybrid monster generator

The Roam - Semargl, Pilgrim's Companion by Timur Kvasov

Elemental

Token - Elemental by Svetlin Velinov

Aberration, alien, outsider, or any other bizarre creatures when you really want something freaky. In my game system these are conjured by the Summoner.

Ancient by Ryan Barry

These generators were made using Spwack's 'Automatic List to HTML Translator - Version 2' on Meandering Banter. Check it out and make your own magic buttons right here: https://meanderingbanter.blogspot.com/2018/10/automatic-list-to-html-translator-v2.html

Blog update

Mostly I just want to draw your attention to the new buttons on the sidebar, just under that 'about me' section! I'll also add them to this post, for mobile users. Also added a tag list, links to my favorite blogs and Patreon, a search bar, and a few other things. Thanks for your time!

Generates a new character with appearance, personality, and backstory. Doesn't add stats, so you should be able to use them for any game in a medieval fantasy setting with a good amount of flexibility:

Nonmagical but unique weapon. They should be fairly plausible and usually practical, but may end up pretty out there:

Potion generator, mostly for the GM but hopefully it'll be fun for players too. These potions are temporary buff types, maybe I'll add permanent ones and downsides later on:

These buttons were made using a tool built by Spwack at Meandering Banter. Check it out here: https://meanderingbanter.blogspot.com/2018/10/automatic-list-to-html-translator-v2.html

Skies Below character creation & some basic rules

Skies Below is intended to be a game that makes the player really feel the human struggles of their character. To that end, it may be best to start with how those characters will be created.

A Home Up High by Chris Lambert

It is recommended that you first come up with a name, then roll a background, secret, and connection. You can also roll other things for your character's history and personality, such as memories, fears, or attitude, or you may want to wait until after rolling your core attributes. These are generated with 3d6 each in order of will, strength, and agility, with one optional reroll. This will give scores ranging from 3 to 18, and each will have a bonus depending on the number.

Score          Bonus
3, 4, 5            -2
6, 7, 8            -1
9, 10, 11        +0
12, 13, 14      +1
15, 16, 17      +2
18                  +3

Saves can be made by rolling 1d20 equal to or lower than the associated attribute, such as rolling a strength save to resist petrification or lift a falling door, or rolling a will save to fend of mental effects. Each attribute score and bonus contributes to another secondary attribute. The will score determines your base number of skill slots and the bonus determines your magic score. The strength score determines your base number of inventory slots and the bonus adds to your attack bonus. The agility score determines your base stealth and the bonus adds to your speed bonus.

Potions Fact by A. Shipwright

A level 1 character starts with 6 maximum Vigor, and increases their maximum by 1d6 every class level. This represents not necessarily physical health, morale, or willpower, but rather a general sense of your character's ability to keep fighting on. If you take damage at 0 vigor, you take a wound. Each time a character becomes wounded they must roll 1d6, and if the result is equal to or lower than their number of wounds then it is a fatal wound. They should be allowed to choose whether they die there or sometime within the next week, within reason.

Each player character can start at level 1 unless running a character funnel. For new players or a new campaign, only a few starting classes should be available until people get more comfortable playing or as the campaign develops. Most characters will get an outfit and skill from their background, and most classes start with a weapon and some interesting items.

Old Spanish Treasure Chest by Samuel Sheath

When you spend money on personal comforts and luxuries, you gain experience points. It costs 200 exp to reach level 2, 400 to reach level 3, and 800 to reach level 4. To level up, you spend a month in town relaxing, carousing, or training as the player sees fit.

Character sheets are still work-in-progress, but can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1asE7RCAgWk631BltsCveVAw3HdVmEyjV-dCA08Uow7o/edit?usp=sharing
Backgrounds, secrets, and connections can be found here, along with some other backstory elements: http://wordsforyellow.blogspot.com/2019/10/character-history.html
Starting classes here: http://wordsforyellow.blogspot.com/2019/10/revised-starting-classes.html
Other classes here: http://wordsforyellow.blogspot.com/2019/10/martial-classes.html
And here: http://wordsforyellow.blogspot.com/2019/09/magic-user-classes.html
Partial combat rules can be found here: http://wordsforyellow.blogspot.com/2019/03/proficiency.html

Skies Below

The current working title for my homebrew game is Skies Below. And of course, I've thought of a new combat system for it. My goal with designing a combat system is for it to be logical, simple, and dynamic.
This one includes three main attack options; press the attack, parry and counter, or feint and follow through. These work similar to rock-paper-scissors, except that while anyone can press, you can only parry with a weapon, and only combatants with training can feint. Additionally, anyone with a shield can block, increasing their defenses for the round.
If your attack beats your opponent's, you deal 1d6 damage modified by weapon type, plus strength modifier, and reduced by their defense. If you pick the same attack as your opponent's, you deal 1 damage plus your strength modifier, reduced by their defense.
Beasts and other unintelligent combatants can lunge (as press), or latch on (as parry), and typically cannot feint.
This system works well because the attack choice can essentially replace the attack roll, though it doesn't include provision for critical attacks. That's the main thing I want to consider in the future. For ranged combat, it's simply going to be a skill, either archery or throwing.