erik@resonex.UUCP (Erik Guttman) (03/07/85)
I am pleased to read the articles which advocate 'pluralism' in gaming.
There seem to be more and more voices being raised about the virtues of tailor-
ing the genre to suit the more refined taste. There are so many kinds of player
that it is absurd to think that one system can do well for everyone. The rules
set a framework that will necessarily effect the style of play. A weighty set
of combat rules, (such as ARM'S LAW), can provide a great deal of realism, but
sacrifice the speed and simplicity of, say, TSR's system. There are many mid-
grounds, ARDUIN GRIMOIRE, for example.
It isn't so much the rules which determine the usefulness, it is the
desires of the gaming group. If you like a challenging wargaming sensation
from your melees, you probably need a more sophisticated system. If on the
other hand you like a quick moving and many-melees-per-game experience, you
should probably stick with a simpler one. My friends and I have a rather odd
approach to this problem. We have a variety of combat systems, most of which
we have developed ourselves, to fit the needs of the individual melee.
When two player characters battle, we use our most accurate and des-
criptive rules. For mass melees and largescale battles we use an almost arbit-
rary resolution. Thus, our rules systems are consistent with each other, and
fixed, but allow for a great deal of freedom as well. We believe that one
should write down as much as possible, but that the possible situations are
so varied that one can't cover everything. What I have decided to do, in all
my rules work, is to be clear and consistent, but provide 'hooks' into the
unknown. These hooks define the framework for adjudications, so that when a
rule must be adjudicated there are built in 'scalars.'
I have included a character class that I created fairly recently.
I think that you will find that the skills that I listed are somewhat less
concrete and verbose than many published systems. I leave it to you to work
out the minutia. Or, if you are like me, I use the framework of my ENTIRE
system to adjudicate the nuances of the specifics. That way, my game isn't
bogged down with a rigid structure when play demands flexibility. Each to his
own!
One final note: I do not use AD&D psionics. This class uses psychic
abilities, and the justification I has is funky and pseudo-spiritual. If you
like psionics, by all means adapt it. Otherwise, you will find that I have
included all that is essential to play the psychic skills.
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S T R E E T W I Z A R D S
A Street Wizard is primarily a psychic specializing in urban survival.
He has, in addition to his spiritual abilities, many practical skills. Some of
these are clandestine, some interpersonal and a few of these are related to com-
bat. Street Wizards come from the Cityscape of Delerius, the realm of deranged
pleasure. They are masters of the street and know how to best use the resources
of a metropolis, (both physical and spiritual.)
The psychic abilities are powered by the "pulse of the city." The
Street Wizard is aware of this rhythm and lives by its throbbing beat. Thus,
he is almost without psychic energy in the wilderness. Psychic points are
available to a Street Wizard at a base of ego/4 (or int/4 if you don't use 'ego'
in your game.) It increases +1 per level. The points are recovered at a rate
of 1 point per hour in the heart of a metropolis, and as slow as 1 point per
three days in a wasteland.
The skills listed below are obtained in the following manner: A Street
Wizard starts with a certain set of skills. The more he chooses, the smaller
the base percent will be. Then, they may be obtained at each level advanced.
So, you may get skills in the following ways:
First Level: 4 skills at base: 50%
5 40%
6 30%
At each level: 1 skill at base: 38%
2 19%
3 9%
The skills require: (x) = Psychic Strength Used.
[+x%] = Percent advanced each level.
P.R. = Skills required as pre requisite
The Skills Themselves:
<1>. Spying: [+4%]; Techniques and detective equipment for observing and
characterizing a quarry. A Street Wizard will be able to use this skill to
research an individual; his motions, affiliations, and even his loyalties.
This requires a great deal of time and energy. Each 'question' requires 1-4
weeks of observation. Failure on the die roll means being caught; following
the quarry, bribing his friends, breaking into his house, etc.
<2>. Placing: [+5%]; Know if a person belongs in the particular part of
the city one is in now. If you roll half what was required, you can place which
culture the person belongs to and what their reactions are to the place they are
in now.
<3>. Trouble Shooting: (1); [+2%]; Sense brewing trouble in the streets 1
minute + 6 seconds per level before it occurs. 'Trouble' may be defined as mass
violence; such as a riot, a rumble, a police raid, etc. It must involve more
than 20 people. If 1/3 the percent is rolled then the Street Wizard was able to
pick it up 'naturally.' Normally, this is a skill which requires d20 seconds of
concentration.
<4>. Street Sense: (1); [+3%]; Characterize the mood of a particular street
or district, as well as those of the people in it. It will discern a dangerous
air, or a friendly/safe spot. It will also allow the Street Wizard to know how
to act in order to 'fit in' perfectly.
<5>. Watch Warning: (1); [+4%]; The wiz will know if he is being watched
during the 10 minute + 1 per level duration. If 1/2 roll is made, he will know
how he is being observed. If 1/4 roll is made, the observer must save vs. psy-
chic attack or the wiz will know 1-100% about who he is.
<6>. Securing: (2 + 1 per hour over the initial one); [3%]; 3 + 1 per level
entrances or exits may be 'sealed.' If these are looked through or crossed the
the wiz will know, as per Watch Warning. P.R.= Watch Warning.
<7>. Locate Person/ Object: (1); [4%]; These rolls must be made hourly. If
made roll percentile to determine how much of the direction & distance was div-
ined. This must be combined with its P.R., Spying.
<8>. Use Information Resources: [+3%]; This allows libraries, sage's organ-
izations, and other underground 'sources' to one's best advantage. It allows
one to research a particular historic event, an individual and his contacts, a
mysterious coup d'etat, etc. It may also be used to hide information, or alter
it so that others will be unable to discover the truth.
<9>. Following: (1); [+5%]; This allows one to 'shadow' someone undetected.
Since it is a psychic ability, the wiz doesn't need to maintain visual contact,
but if this happens the Following roll must be made every 5 minutes instead of
every 15. If 1/4 roll is made the wiz will know where he WILL BE in d20 minutes
into the future.
<10>. Losing Pursuit: (1); [+5%]; A Street Wizard may attempt at any time
to "disappear" into the street. This will cause normal pursuers to lose him,
and other Street Wizards to roll again immediately - to see if they kept track
of him. P.R. Street Invisability.
For the sake of size, I will continue this list in my next article. This
is the first installment of three.
One more time,
Erik Guttman