DRev for Fate Concept

Continuation of my last post, I'm going to explore the idea of DRev for other systems.  This time I'll look at the most obvious conversion that has been buzzing around in my head: FATE.

First off DRev is wholly a different beast than Fate and we'll have to really warp our brains to get it right.  Choosing between Fate Core and Fate Accelerated will be tough.  Using a little bit of both could definitely work.

One of the parts of Fate Accelerated that I really like is the approaches, which can take the place of ability scores and allows players to have better chance of having a bonus and roll appropriate for a situation.  While I might be tempted to have some renaming or recommended uses for characters to make their use more clear, I do enjoy it.

DRev classes and race (perhaps paths and origins for a reinvent) can still be used but may act in the following ways:  Provide a guideline for aspects, extras and stunts you can take or make.  Ways to use your approaches.  As well providing possible ways to play your character.  While this might be provide a more structured way in building for Fate, but could help players like me who sometimes have issues in making characters.

I would take multiple stress tracks/boxes from Fate Core, say Health, Mental, and for magic users a Spell Point track.   Channelers might instead gain additional stunts and ways to use their approaches.

So lets take a look at possible character with new rules:

High concept: Halfling Prowler (from the wild roads of the Drejlands).  Invoke:  To sneak around, be extra cute.  Compel: being overpowered by being some bigger than you, having enemies on every corner.

Suggested Starting Approaches:  Careful+1, Clever+1, Flashy+2, Forceful+0, Quick+3, Sneaky+2.   Possible Aspects:  Being Underfoot,  Hide in the Shadows, Sneak Attack, Contacts in Every Town.

Suggested Stunts and Extras:  Halfling Luck (roll 5dF instead 4dF for any roll, but you may not spend a Fate Point during this roll).    Shank (when you make a roll to attack a creature, if you get a boost, you may immediately reroll your roll instead of taking that boost).

Redesigning the Wheel

Hint: you will be able to play one of these
for our new project for 5e.

So we are working on a 5th edition product for DMsguild and hope to finish it soon.  It's been a fun project with an interesting upgraded system and really quite proud of its quality and time frame we completed in..

We had played with the idea of 5e for DRev (which I for some reason I put HERE instead on Wrestling...why did I do that?).  After much musing we have decided other than maybe a hack conversion, the 5e SRD is extensive, but does not cover what we want or need for DRev.   There's lots hidden behind the "wall" of the license unless you are writing for the DMsguild..which the Hodgepocylpse most definitely does not qualify for.

So now we have some choices again for the future of DRev...I don't think I have really addressed this before

          Option  //  Pros  //   Cons    

• Stay with DRev as is (3.5 hack)   //  No work, Hurrah!  // Lack of new players and readers, 3.5 hate and a system mainly played by those playing fantasy tropes.  
•  Hack current DRev with certain part of 5e we can use //  Introduction of proficiency system, realignment of the saving throws and skill system //  another hack folks may not play or enjoy,  possible rules distortion that will destroy our brains as creators
• Use another open source system.  //  exploring a new rules system to see if works with DRev, which I really do like doing.  Catching fans of an established product.  //  Trying to resist rebuilding another system, trying to catch a wave and misinterpreting its fan base.
• Design a new system based on the core Montage idea of DRev we like //  possibly coming up with something intriguing and interesting that fits our new growing vision.  //  Lots of rewriting and testing, marketing it into the ether of the internet filled with hundreds or thousands of systems

Hmmmmmmmmm

Wait I'm still here and Fantasy Novel Casting...

God Twitter, life, writing, writing and writing. Sorry I haven't been this way for a while.   So I place this on the main page, because why not

First my first real publication just went live here:  DEATH RACE AGAINST THE PATRIARCHY hoping it will be on other sites like Barnes and Noble and Amazon soon.  Went E-book because with all the fees and Canadian $ conversion it would have been way over priced for people to buy.  Though my muses did physical copies.   Pretty excited, still a little freaked out on how the hell to promote it though.  If and when I get some IRS stuff done (kind of insane from Canada) I'll put it up on google as well.

This is actually somewhat gaming related as the book was inspired by random gaming session.  I owe a lot to my pals for its mix of seriousness and zaniness based on that gaming session.  I'm quite proud of it and hope a few people take the notion and download it. Its a quick fun read, and character driven.

  Though I am worried about editing at home without a professional at hand to look for mistakes....eep.

I wish I could still draw, somehow I lost my knack for it years ago, though did always kind of mess up drawing people.  But I don't think I'll post my Heromachine pics of my two leading ladies, Genie and Cassie.  I still love Heromachine to death, but my pics there are a little silly looking.

So let's take a look at who I would cast in the movie or TV min-series, which, yes, is the first dream I had after finishing the book.  Let the fantasy begin.

Genie. 
Genie is a former actress in the 1950's full figure style, so is pretty tall and busty, but is getting up there in age...in Hollywood terms.  She's also a natural con artist and apt at changing how she looks and acts.  She also has biting way with words when needed.  She feels the need to be motherly to her partner Cassie and tries to be her rock during a crisis.

So who to cast.

 Lucy Lawless is definitely one of my favorite choices for Genie.  Lucy is pretty close to Genie's age and can play that "fire" held below the surface character, while still being sensitive and strong.  Personally I think Lucy is still beyond awesome and one of my favorite small screen actors...and yes I still have my boyhood crush on her from the Xena days...so sue me.

Hayley Atwell is one actor I well follow after she leaves leaves the Marvel franchise and I wish her all the good luck that can be had, she deserves it.  She is talented and I think she can do a broad range of characters, including playing a character who plays a character, like Genie tries to do.  Pretty much spot on how I envisioned Genie when writing.  Hayley would make a fantastic Genie...as long as she doesn't mind more period piece costuming.


Cassie.
She's a young looking, though much older than one might think and quite the tomboy.  She is troubled by scattered memories, feelings and even physical scars of a past she doesn't fully remember.  But she is not broken, she fights for every square inch of life and was she that first rescued Genie and not the other way around as you might expect.  Cassie is also extremely proficient behind the wheel of almost any vehicle she comes across and a fearless daredevil.  In a lot of ways the book is her story of coming to terms with her demons and finally conquering them.

So who to cast

Chloe Grace Moretz is definitely not an icon for my demographic.  However, I've been pretty impressed with some of her career choices and hope she can find a way to stay on top as she gets older.  I honestly think Chole would make a fantastic Cassie and would be brave enough for some of what the part calls for (makeup chair for Cassie's scars and a daring hair makeover), plus a little name recognition and her commanding screen presence would go a long way.

Camren Bicondova, my love-hate relationship with Gotham not withstanding, is a young actor that has good screen presence despite her small intermediate role in the show.  I'm unsure if her being on the big screen would be the same, but I'd be willing to as a producer/director (yeah I dream big) to give it a shot.  She has the intense eyes and I think she can pull off the 'coiled up' and ready to strike' attitude Cassie often exhibits in the novel.   She comes across as fairly daring, and I even wonder if Camren might be tempted to do some of her own stunts on set.  However, she might be a little young for the role.

And Stupid me....I put my blog in the wrong place on the wrong blog....grumble


Go here for my 5e ideas sorry....http://reviewsfornoobs.blogspot.ca/2016/02/so5e.html

Rods for DRev

There are multiple ways to make a more traditional rod, staff or wand in DRev without creating new rules.    We'll start with the hard one in part 1 

Classic Rods

Too silly?  Nope.  At least their not
hi-def 1600x900, 500 DPI, 50000 shades of
color for just browns and grays.

Now Rods are a strange thing in 3.5 to handle,  Don't giggle.

  According to the Hypertext SRD  "A rod is a scepter-like item with a special power unlike that of any known spell."    So looking through the list of rods I see a couple of themes.   

Many rods simulate having a meta-magic feat.   While in DRev we did go down the rabbit hole a little bit in purchasing character powers (such as our Psychic Tattoo rules in the Book of Arrogance) we tried to level gauge it as best we can.  While we have feats coming out of our wazoo, characters are often limited to maybe 10 to 15 over the career max.  This makes them pretty special, and I wrote up the Feat Achievement rules in the Book of Adventure to demonstrate the special nature of feats.  Buying feats makes me a little uncomfortable.   

Many other rods are just weapons with extra ongoing special powers.  Maces of all sorts fill the list.  

Here's one of the shorter examples...and super cheap for what it does.  Direct quote with links from Hypertext:

Withering

A rod of withering acts as a +1 light mace that deals no hit point damage. Instead, the wielder deals 1d4 points of Strength damage and 1d4 points of Constitution damage to any creature she touches with the rod (by making a melee touch attack). If she scores a critical hit, the damage from that hit is permanent ability drain. In either case, the defender negates the effect with a DC 17 Fortitude save.  Strong necromancy; CL 13th; Craft Rod, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, contagion; Price 25,000 gp. 

A few rods are extremely unique, like everyone's favorite:  The Immovable Rod.   If you've never taken one...what were you doing?!   I once played in group were all but one of the player's had one for their character just so we could use the effect of making a ladder out of it.     Now sadly we cannot reproduce the Immovable Rod as in DRev, thus yes maybe the GM may want to McGuffin this item.   As for the Rod of Withering or others, what can we do?

Rods in DRev

 Solution 1, Fetish Rods: Reskin a TIER Fetish into something you must hold in your hand instead of wearing in an item slot.   This could work for virtually any strange wondrous item or rod quite well.  Just remember the same item effects do not stack.  So if you possess two of the same Fetishes their effects do not stack, take only the highest.  

As a simple rule change, you must draw a Fetish rod as move action or standard action if clearly stored in backpack (even if if your BAB is +1 or higher).  But Fetish Rods follow the same rules as quick drawing as potions (which means if you can quick draw a potion, you can quick draw your rod--again quick giggling).

As another simple rule change,  Fetish Rods must be in an hand for their bonuses or effects to apply.  If disarmed their effects end immediately.  As a balance for this flaw, you have freed up an item slot for something else by holding a Fetish Rod in your hand.   An off handed Fetish Rod does not trigger any off hand or two weapon fighting penalties since you are technically not attacking with it.

So for the Meta-Magic rods instead of purchasing access to a feat, in DRev you might choose a hand held Fetish of Mojo (increases spell save DC's),  Fetish of Spell Power (increases spell resistance penetration of your spells), or Talisman of Karma (pool of extra spell points).  You can even have an off handed Weapon Fetish boosting your main hand's weapon (attack and damage bonus).

This is clarinet.  Which
suspiciously could be a magical
rod in disguise with all of its
pretty BUTTONS!

 Solution 2, Woo Rods:  We already have rules for holding Woowear in your hands.  So reskinning one as a Rod is fine and dandy.  Just remember this is no longer a magical rod, but a psychic rod.  See The Book of Arrogance for details.

 Solution 3, Mystic Charm Reskin:  In the DRev Book of Magic we have Mystic Charms as TIER items.  These grant special bonuses to using spells from a certain school of magic.   These were skinned to look quite different just for flavor text.   You can easily reskin them to rods (or whatever) without changing the rules.  Any Use Magical Device rolls with them can be roleplayed as pressing those magical buttons you find on rods...really buttons.

 Solution 4, Artifact Rods:  In the DRev Book of Adventure there are full rules on creating an Artifact.  So you'll have to go there for the full rules.  But in brief, by spending a feat or talent slot you may purchase a magical item the you can level up its TIER as you level up, plus add additional features to it.   Although honestly I'm going to save most this for Staves.  So rather than a direct rip of the classic Rod of Withering above, here's an example of what I'd do for DRev as an artifact weapon.

 DRev Rod of Madness

Artifact (Must spend Talent of Feat slot to gain this item's full powers);  Starting TIER:  3 (9000 GB, min level 5).   Base item:  Nightstick (1d4, 20/x2, special: may do non-lethal damage without usually attack penalty; tiny basic traditional melee weapon).  TIER Effects:  Enhancement bonus of +1 (attack and damage),  Disorienting prominence (increase save DC of any blindness, confusion, daze, dazzle, or deafness conditions you cause equal to enhancement of weapon,  1/day: cause target to become blinded for 1 round.  Renew: restore daily use of blind effect if you make a critical strike against a creature suffering from a blindness, confusion, daze, dazzle, or deafness condition).    Artifact Powers:  Madness (Once per round, you may declare one single target attack to be Maddening. This causes the target to act as confused until the end of its next turn. The target may make an initial Will DC save equal to your attack roll to negate the effect. Bonuses and immunities against mind influencing affects apply. This does not cause cumulative duration with additional hits if possible).

Continued in Staves next week.

Review for Noob-Smoak in Fridge link

Review for Noobs: Smoak-in-fridge.html

Wow I ranted here!

Review for Noobs

Hey did my first one in months!  Review for Noobs