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VariousRen · 06-12-2015, 04:50 PM

For my current Low Tech Fantasy game I am looking to introduce a way to smooth the introduction and retirement of characters, and I have created some rules to try and accomplish that.

Players are able to designate either a known NPC or create a new NPC as their replacement. By default these replacements don't travel with the party, or provide any benefit other than reassurance that someone will take over if you die. The reason they would do this varies, money, vengeance, a new opening in an adventuring party, NPC's have plenty of reasons to want to join the jet setting life of adventuring.

These replacement NPC's would start with 50% of the players points total, and the player can spend 1 point to give them 4, up to 100% of their current characters point total. If the NPC already existed and has between 50% and 100% of the players total, the player must pay the training points required before they are a valid replacement. These points cannot be spent posthumously, and must be shown every once in a while in play when the player visits the replacement. This can be a training montage, a quick visit between adventures to share stories, anything that shows that some time is being spent sharing knowledge.

Finally, if a replacement is also an ally or dependent, the player does not need to spend points to train them. In addition to being given points at a 1 to 4 ratio, the replacement can be trained using the normal training over time rules, where 200 hours = 1 point (or 400 = 1 if the teacher doesn't know teaching at 12+). This also solves a problem I had with allies, which was determining how they received points when the player wanted to upgrade them to a different point bracket (50% to 75%, for example).

The exact rule write up is here, on our Obsidian portal page that we have for the youTube series Fall of Brekhan: https://the-fall-of-brekhan.obsidian...creation-rules

I am trying to encourage more continuity between party members, and give a lead up to retirement for players who want to try a new character. Does the penalty for death seem too harsh? We've had a single death across over 20 sessions (4 hours each). Should replacement characters start at higher points by default? Has anyone else tried something like this and has advice to share? Thank you for any and all input.

06-12-2015, 04:50 PM	#1
VariousRen Join Date: Apr 2015	Training Replacements for PC's For my current Low Tech Fantasy game I am looking to introduce a way to smooth the introduction and retirement of characters, and I have created some rules to try and accomplish that. Players are able to designate either a known NPC or create a new NPC as their replacement. By default these replacements don't travel with the party, or provide any benefit other than reassurance that someone will take over if you die. The reason they would do this varies, money, vengeance, a new opening in an adventuring party, NPC's have plenty of reasons to want to join the jet setting life of adventuring. These replacement NPC's would start with 50% of the players points total, and the player can spend 1 point to give them 4, up to 100% of their current characters point total. If the NPC already existed and has between 50% and 100% of the players total, the player must pay the training points required before they are a valid replacement. These points cannot be spent posthumously, and must be shown every once in a while in play when the player visits the replacement. This can be a training montage, a quick visit between adventures to share stories, anything that shows that some time is being spent sharing knowledge. Finally, if a replacement is also an ally or dependent, the player does not need to spend points to train them. In addition to being given points at a 1 to 4 ratio, the replacement can be trained using the normal training over time rules, where 200 hours = 1 point (or 400 = 1 if the teacher doesn't know teaching at 12+). This also solves a problem I had with allies, which was determining how they received points when the player wanted to upgrade them to a different point bracket (50% to 75%, for example). The exact rule write up is here, on our Obsidian portal page that we have for the youTube series Fall of Brekhan: https://the-fall-of-brekhan.obsidian...creation-rules I am trying to encourage more continuity between party members, and give a lead up to retirement for players who want to try a new character. Does the penalty for death seem too harsh? We've had a single death across over 20 sessions (4 hours each). Should replacement characters start at higher points by default? Has anyone else tried something like this and has advice to share? Thank you for any and all input.