Major Changes

From Sagataflwiki

Revision as of 12:15, 6 March 2012

The purpose of this article is to list only major and important changes. Sagatafl has been in development for quite a number of years, and some people may not have kept up with even very significant changes.

The order is somewhat arbitrary, neither based on absolute importance nor on chronology (any order originally present has also been diminished due to the changes having been sorted into three categories).

• Name changed from "FFRE" to "Sagatafl - the Free Fudge-light Roleplaying Engine"

Charcter Creation

• Flaws introduced as a whole new mechanic, similar to "mental disads" or "psychological limitations" in other RPG systems.
• Attribute Points and aDvantage Points changed to no longer be separate pools. Unified into aDvantage Points, DP, which are used to purchase all intrinsic/biological traits, both Attribute, Sub-Attributes and Advantages. In this way at character creation, the Goodie Points are distributed between three categories, Advantages (DP), Skills (SP) and Perks (PP) instead of four (AP, DP, SP and PP).
• A new 4th Goodie Point category was added, Special GP, for buying special traits that don't fit into the Advantage/Perk framework. Eventually most of these Special traits were renamed into Backgrounds (but are still bought with GP) and only the remainder traits (such as Luck) are still called Special Traits. The category as a whole may be called the Special/Background or S/B Category, or just the Special Category.
• Luck system changed: it is no longer an Advanage but instead bought as a Special (4th Category) trait, but is still derived from the Faith Attribute.
• The Cost Factor for Primary Attributes for Humans raised from 4 to 5, in a pre-emptive attempt to ensure balance between players who want to create Attribute-heavy characters and players who want to create Skill-heavy characters.
• Also, as per the above goal (but done much later), the exponent in the formulae used to convert Goodie Points to Skill Points and to Perk Points changed from 2.5 to 2.75.
• The Difficulty value for Normal Difficulty Skills increased from 6 to 10. Other Difficulty values increased roughly proportionally.
• The base cost (before Learning Speed) of the 1st Level of any Skill now equals 20 times Difficulty, not 10 times Difficulty. Combined with the previous change, this makes Skills about 3 times costlier. The Skill Point Goodie Point formula has been modified accordingly.
• Perks have been made (or should be made) twice as expensive, in an effort to avoid decimal costs (e.g. a Per that costs 4.5 PP per level). The Perk Point formula has been modified accordingly.
• Advantages can now only have integer value costs, i.e. no more prices such as 8.5 DP.
• Some Attributes demoted to Secondary Attributes: Strength and Hardiness, and also Size which will be renamed to Frame, with a new Size value denoting gross size (3 is human-sized, 2 is large child, 5 is a horse, and so forth). Two new Secondary Attributes added: Vocal Control, Face Control. An explicit ruling that Primary Attributes cannot be trained, and that Secondary Attributes work differently from each other (some can be trained, some can't, they're bought at different prices).
• As a necessary consequence of the above, Strength can no longer feature in Skill Aptitude Blocks (APT Blocks).
• The Intelligence (Thinking Speed) Sub-Attribute can not feature in APT Blocks.
• Professions introduced, including the OmniSkill (and there was much rejoicing?) and the Profstat Secondary Attribute.
• The Martial Arts training system changed, replacing "enhancers" (xD, xDD, xC, xI...), which give a multiplier to the skill cost, with Stunts, Lores that cost Stunt Slots, meaning that the more Stunts you want to add to a specific Skill, the higher the SP cost.
• A similar "it costs extra if you want a lot" subsystem added for Genius Traits, and a whole new character creation unit, the Archmage Point, introduced (to make it more expensive to have multiple magic-enhancing traits).
• WillPower Points changed to be a more generic mechanic, with everyone having a very few, but some characters having many more.

Magic Systems

• Life Force renamed to Essence, to avoid misleading people into assuming that characters are hurting themselves when they spend Essence to render magic permanent.
• The Enchanting Skill renamed to Endowing, so that Endowing is now just one of several ways in which one can render an item permanently magical (Enchanting an item).
• The system of supernatural Alignments changed and unified so that there are only three Alignments: Divine, Pagan and Satanic. This list can obviously be modified or enlarged to fit specific worlds, but ought to work surprisingly well without modifications in most fantasy worlds.
• Mage Factor introduced, to calculate appropriate compensatory points for magic-related disadvantages, based on how much they suck for the character.
• Mysteries added to the magic system, including Mystery Slots bought at character creation.
• Divine Magic is no longer Spell-based, but is instead based on the Powers system, levelled Advantages bought at character creation, fuelled with Power Energy Points (PEP), and in most cases non-random to use (i.e. they always work).
• Greater Spells introduced. These are very flexible Spells, and thus are harder to learn, and more dangerous when Fubmled. Some existing Spells, primarily the Illusion I to V Spells, and the Control [Element] I to V Spells, are now Greater Spells, while more purpose-specific non-Greater versions should be made, e.g. an Invisility II Spell, a Disguise Self I Spell, a Move Air III Spell and a Destroy Fire IV Spell.
• Spells can be cast even when Partially Learned.
• Spell Safety introduced as a concept; it's a beneficial modifier on Spellcasting Fumble Outcome Rolls.
• Spell Force introduced as a concept; used to Push Spells for increased Range, RI or Duration.
• The Strong Magic Advantage introduced, giving a similar feel as a Spellcasting Talent but through different means (trying as best it can to make the character's magic "feel more powerful").
• Spell Investments changed to use a more flexible and generic Investment Level system.
• Investments of non-Spells no longer called Item Powers or Powers, but instead Item Abilities.

Other

This section is mainly for important changes to how in-play resolution systems work.

• Roll mechanic changed from using ten-sided dice to using twelve-sided ones. The Fumble scale expanded so that the worst possible Fumble is F-6 Disastrous Fumble, instead of F-5 previously. The worst several types of Fumbles got new formal names. All Roll Difficulties incrased by 2 (since a ten-sider generates results in the 0 to 9 range, and a twelve-sider generates results in the 1-12 range).
• The combat system switched from using Blows to using a more fluid and flexible Action Point system.
• The unit of monetary account changed from d to f, from penny to farthing. 1d equals 4f. This is to remove the need for decimals.
• Etiquettes changed from regular Skills (which Cap social Skills) to Lores. Each missing situation-pertinent Lore results in a cumulative +1 RD penalty on social Skill Rolls.