FADAD
Free-form, universal, do-it-yourself gaming engine for
Advanced Dungeons And Dragons
by Peter Mikelsons
Version: February 2000
Table of Contents
Legal Stuff
5 Character Development
5.1 Subjective Character Development
In Subjective development, the GM and player talk and come to an agreement
on how a character should improve. If the GM gives out experience points
(see below) regularly, subjective improvements should not be very frequent.
5.2 Objective Character Development
In the Objective Character Development system, the GM can award experience
points (EP). In general, the player should get GM approval before using
EP, with some exceptions noted below. If approved, the player can trade
EP for improvements at the following rates:
-
Add a Skill: 1 EP. A new skill can be added for 1 EP. Most new skills
start at Mediocre, although harder skills start lower and a few very easy
skills (such as Shield) start at Fair. If the controlling attributes for
a skill are worse than the starting level, the skill costs 2 EP.
-
Improve a Skill: 1 EP/level. Raising a skill by one level generally
costs 1 EP. If you have been using the skill, and the new level does not
exceed Good, you don't need to ask the GM. Training for the character may
be required. Couple of notes:
-
Controlling attributes: A character's attributes reflect her learning aptitudes.
Each level a skill is raised beyond its controlling attribute costs 2 EP.
If a skills has more than one controlling attribute, use the lowest attribute's
level. Some examples:
-
Small, one-handed weapons: Agility/Dexterity attribute
-
Larger one-handed weapons: Agility AND Strength
-
Two-handed weapons: Strength
-
Potential: A skill cannot be raised higher than Potential divided by 3,
rounded up, unless the character has the Specialized Gift for that skill.
-
Improve Potential or Maximum Ité: 6 EP/level. No GM approval required!
-
Improve other Gift: 6 EP/level. Improving other gifts, like spell-casting
level, costs 6 EP per level. Generally some kind of research, training,
or guidance is required as well. The time to advance in spell-casting level
is 7, minus the sum of the relevant attribute of the teacher and the relevant
attribute of the student, in weeks.
-
Add a Gift: 6 EP.
-
Improve an Attribute: See table. Improving an attribute usually
requires some "character building" experience. See table for EP costs.
| Raising an Attribute from: |
To: |
Costs: |
| Terrible |
Poor |
6 EP |
| Poor |
Mediocre |
6 EP |
| Mediocre |
Fair |
6 EP |
| Fair |
Good |
6 EP |
| Good |
Great |
12 EP |
| Great |
Superb |
16 EP |
| Superb |
Legendary |
32 EP |
| Each additional level of Legendary: |
32 EP |
The GM awards EPs at the end of each session based on how much the characters
have experienced and accomplished. One or zero points may be given out
for very short or lifeless sessions. Two or three points is about right
for a few hour session where the characters got a fair bit done. Four to
seven are awarded for accomplishing major goals or for surviving a long,
dangerous session. Players may save EP as long as they wish.
5.3 Development Through Training
In addition to the methods described above, the GM may allow traits to
be raised through appropriate amounts of training time. This would require
finding a teacher (which would cost money) or taking an appropriate job
(which may not be totally dedicated the skill you wish to learn, and so
take longer). It's also possible to learn something on your own, but the
GM should double the time required. If using the Objective Character Development
system, the GM may (or may not) require that EPs be spent in this manner
- that is, you can't spend EPs unless you also take the time to train.
The GM sets training time and costs, and difficulty of finding a teacher.
The teacher has two skills that must be considered: Teaching skill, and
the appropriate skill being taught. The player may need to roll the dice
to see how diligently the character studied the skill. The die roll should
be on an attribute such as Willpower, Drive, Zeal, Wisdom, Self Discipline,
Self Motivation, Psyche, Intelligence, etc. If the player can give a valid
reason why the character is extremely motivated to learn this skill, the
GM may grant up to +2 to the trait tested. The GM may request a single
die roll, or a roll per week, month, etc. If multiple rolls are called
for, at least half of them should succeed to earn the skill improvement.
Example: Blast M. Goode, evocation specialist, is back at the Magic
Academy after a long dungeon crawl. He considers his Fair Lightning Bolt
Targeting skill to be substandard. He takes a six-week training course
in Lightning Bolt use, taught by an instructor of Superb Lightning skill
and Great Teaching skill. (Because Blast has Gift: Wizard's Guildmaster
Owes Large Favor, this is free training for him.) The GM decides that Blast's
player needs to make a Willpower roll for each two-week period to see how
dedicated he is to studying. If at least two of the three rolls are Mediocre
or better, Blast can raise his Lightning Bolt skill from Fair to Good,
given the length of training and quality of the instructor. Had the training
been shorter, or the instructor worse, he would have needed a preponderance
of Fair or even Good rolls to have successfully raised his Lightning Bolt
skill.
Remember that it is much easier to improve a skill from Poor to Mediocre
than from Great to Superb. Require more time, or higher Difficulty Levels
on the Will rolls to raise an already high skill.
5.4 Development Through Magic
In FADAD, powerful magic can improve traits. A full Wish can improve
any attribute or skill by one level. There are powerful tomes and grimoire
that, when read, can improve attributes, but only for the first reader.
Of course, there are a wide variety of temporary magical improvements of
almost any trait.
Permanent improvements are usually accompanied by a high cost or risk.
Wish
spells drain the life energy of their casters. Grimoires are sometimes
bear undetectable, crippling curses that are activated when read.
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