So today I return to a gaming idea that intrigues me, of
having a setting of AD&D set in a world sympathetic to geeks. Last post focused on a few choice classes
that need only a little context to make them Geeky. They are not by any means my only ideas on
incorporating Geekiness into the game formally.
Consider the following:
New Class – Devoted Fan
This class is designed as a 20 level base class. Like the Cleric, the PC is required to chose
an icon of devotion. Unlike the cleric,
this icon should be mortal, rather than divine.
It should be a hero of the world, fictional or not. PCs devote themselves, in body and mind, to
replicating this hero’s powers within themselves.
Saves, hit points, and Base Attack Bonus should progress as
per Cleric.
Literacy is optional.
While I intend to stage a high literacy world, Devoted Fans of
illiterate society can select icons from lore.
The Icon must be thoroughly well known to the Devoted Fan. They needn’t know everything (as I intend to
include competing traditions about heroes and gods), but the Devoted should
have studied extensively his/her Icon, should have an opinion about everything
about the Icon, and should be willing to fight for his/her vision of the
Icon. This is something DMs can dock
roleplaying experience for.
Over time, a progressive series of powers and attributes of
the Icon become shared with the Devoted.
I started plotting these powers out for the obvious first choice,
Batman, before I realized that the powers granted by being devoted to Sherlock
Holmes would be worlds apart, and different again from the powers granted by
Hulk.
There is work still to be done for this class. The mechanics are rough outline form only,
more or less limiting the power curve to one
every other level, starting at first (just like the Cleric). Also, a lot more work needs to go into making
new heroes who would be valid Icons for the Devoted. Either that, or rules by which the DM and
Player can make up new heroes. Both
objectives challenge me right now.
While the class is not ready yet, I like the feel of it,
especially in the sense that the PC will act like their hero, but will
invariably come short. It’s a recipe for
LOLs, I tell you.
Other ways to make Characters Geeky:
New Flaws: Example, Intolerance (name a Food), Allergies
(name an allergen), Situational Disability (ex. Raj), Relation (as per Contact,
but more demanding of the PCs time).
Most of these flaws are clear references to the Big Bang
Theory, and represent what BBT’s writers clearly thought would be cheap and easy
ways to make the characters more Geeky.
That’s pretty much exactly what they are doing here. But AD&D 3.5 has a terribly sparse list
of flaws, and a few more mundane ones could hardly be a problem. The bigger challenge is that they have to be
tested for balance, though.
I think that I saved the most important change for last: a
new focus on the social. AD&D 3.5
has a fully dimensioned system for social tests, but how often do those come up
in a dungeon crawl. There is a reason
why I began this thought experiment in Eberron, because its cities are marvels
of real and artificial magical energies.
The game focusing on geeks should start in towns and cities
in spirit quite like Eberron. A very
strong urban component is required to make the game work. The challenges should reflect trouble coming
to the PCs rather than the PCs chasing trouble.
This last thought, very much the center of the game concept,
is one I will expound on at length next post.
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