[Forge-main] Re: [freeroleplay] [FRINGE] Roles

[Timothy S. Nelson]

On Tue, 18 May 2004, Ricardo Gladwell wrote:

> I've been doing some thinking about generic character creation for the
> FRINGE roleplaying system. I had an idea that came to me one day when I
> read that roleplaying is not about acting or telling a story
> necessarily, but is about more about adopting certain roles: you play
> yourself but as something else.
> 
> This led me to the concept of 'roles' - rather than have separate rules
> for character classes, races, vampire clans, whatever, characters select
> certain roles to play at character creation and as they gain experience.
> For example, your elven wizard adventurer would be a combination of the
> Adventurer, Elf and Wizards roles.
> 
> All roles do is give characters traits: some determine which traits a
> character has, others give points to buy certain traits, and some give
> access to traits.

        Remindds me of the occupations in Call of Cthulhu, except in a much 
more expanded fashion.  I like it.  

> So, an example of character creation would be:
> 
> 1. GM selects base role for all characters
> 2. Players select primary role(s).
> 3. Players select abilities.
> 4. Players select secondary role(s).
> 5. Players select skills.
> 6. ...

        Have you considered a Shadowrun-style system here?  Hmm.  When I wrote 
that, I was thinking of SRII, but now that I think about it, I think SRIII 
would do something like (to translate some), have X primary points and Y 
secondary points.  Use your primary points to buy primary roles (Elf, Magic 
user, etc).  Then use your Y points to buy secondary roles, skills, and/or 
spells, but you can only buy the ones allowed by your primary roles.  

        Just to chuck in some stuff from a game I was designing years ago 
while playing SRII, I had a Psi column too, three different levels of races 
(with Beornings, Birdmen and High Elves being more expensive than normal Elves 
and Dwarves, which were more than Humans and Hobbits -- obvious Tolkien 
influences :) ).  
        For those who remember the Shadowrun Magic system, you had Full 
magicians and Adepts.  Adepts had access to one particular magic, but not all.  
Also, there were Physical Adepts, who basically used magic instead of 
cyberware.  My system was working on something similar, except you could also 
have full Physical Magicians (like adept, but better), and you also had 
talents, who were like an adept, but even less.  

> As always, I value everyone's opinion so, please, let me know what you
> guys think. Kind regards...

        Of course :).  I'm always opinionated :).  


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| Name: Tim Nelson                 | Because the Creator is,        |
| E-mail: address@hidden | I am                           |
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