Section8
Cipher
So let's start with the most basic element of the character system, the primary stats. Nothing groundbreaking here, it's all more or less familiar territory for anyone who has ever played an RPG, but I'm curious to hear people's thoughts on the method of character creation (see right down the bottom).
Overview
Synaesthesia defines characters at high level by their Primary Stats. They number ten, but are logically arranged as pairs - Brawn (Strength/Speed), Brains (Intellect/Ingenuity), Finesse (Perception/Proficiency), Charm (Charisma/Countenance), and Mettle (Fortitude/Fate). These are the broad brush strokes that are used to initially sketch out a character archetype, and are traded off against one another in character creation] with a weighting system.
Brawn
Brawn is what defines what a character is capable of through physical exertion, and is represented along two axes, one governing the degree of actions, the other the rate of actions.
* Strength - Strength defines the universal physical power of a character. It governs the character's ability to succeed at tasks requiring brute force, such as melee combat, heavy lifting or prying open a door.
* Speed - Speed defines how quickly actions can be undertaken. It governs the rate of actions and how fast a character can move.
Brains
Brains are what define a the mind of a character and like Brawn, are represented along two axes, one governing the degree of actions, the other the rate of actions.
* Intellect - Intellect defines the depth of thought, the power of the mind. It governs the character's capacity for complex and mentally challenging tasks, such as developing and modifying items, surgical procedures or <s>torturing</s> researching captive enemies.
* Ingenuity - Ingenuity defines the agility of the mind, the speed of thought. It governs the character's reaction times, timely resolution of mental tasks and capacity for wit.
Finesse
Finesse is a measure of how artful the character is, and their capability for taking a skillful approach to tasks. The two axes of Finesse serve a related purpose, though not in the same amplitude/frequency model as Brains and Brawn.
* Perception - Perception defines the keenness of senses. It governs the character's ability to notice details and the degree to which they can utilise/exploit them.
* Proficiency - Proficiency defines higher skills and coordination. It governs the character's aptitude toward tasks involving skillful physical manipulation, such as picking a lock, moving quietly and unseen or attacking a vital organ.
Charm
Charm defines a character's social grace, and their influence of intelligent beings. It is represented along two axes, again related but not as discretely modelled as Brains and Brawn.
* Charisma - Charisma is the magnetism of personality. It governs the character's ability to consciously influence their peers, predominantly through dialogue.
* Countenance - Countenance defines the outward appearance. It governs the character's ability to unconsciously influence their peers, and modifies reactions to social endeavours.
Mettle
Mettle is the ability to survive and resist harm. The two axes Mettle is plotted upon exemplify related but opposed ways to avoid personal harm.
* Fortitude - Fortitude is the universal toughness of a character. It governs the ability to withstand direct harm, and resist negative effects.
* Fate - Fate controls the chaotic elements of destiny. It governs outcomes across the board, and in extreme cases can defy logic.
______
During character creation, the player weights the importance of each stat (effectively on a scale of 1 to 10). Equal weighting across the board will result in 10 equal stats, regardless of how high the precedence is - 10 marked "most important" will be exactly the same as 10 marked "least important".
Otherwise, a character is created from the "sketch" the player has made. As the player works out their preference, the five stat pairings are displayed as sine waves so the player can see the results of the interactive weightings, as well as a textual description highlighting their highs, lows, and things they're likely to be good at - sort of like an inner guidance counselor.
On the plus side of it, it's fairly simple manipulation for an insane number of permutations, and it's pretty trivial to nut out various archetypes. Preset character builds are dead simple too. However, even though the idea is to move away from stat crunching, there's still potential for players to dick around endlessly with various combinations if they really want to.
So what do people think? Is it too simple? Unintuitive? Just plain irritating that you can't tweak those values accurately?
Overview
Synaesthesia defines characters at high level by their Primary Stats. They number ten, but are logically arranged as pairs - Brawn (Strength/Speed), Brains (Intellect/Ingenuity), Finesse (Perception/Proficiency), Charm (Charisma/Countenance), and Mettle (Fortitude/Fate). These are the broad brush strokes that are used to initially sketch out a character archetype, and are traded off against one another in character creation] with a weighting system.
Brawn
Brawn is what defines what a character is capable of through physical exertion, and is represented along two axes, one governing the degree of actions, the other the rate of actions.
* Strength - Strength defines the universal physical power of a character. It governs the character's ability to succeed at tasks requiring brute force, such as melee combat, heavy lifting or prying open a door.
* Speed - Speed defines how quickly actions can be undertaken. It governs the rate of actions and how fast a character can move.
Brains
Brains are what define a the mind of a character and like Brawn, are represented along two axes, one governing the degree of actions, the other the rate of actions.
* Intellect - Intellect defines the depth of thought, the power of the mind. It governs the character's capacity for complex and mentally challenging tasks, such as developing and modifying items, surgical procedures or <s>torturing</s> researching captive enemies.
* Ingenuity - Ingenuity defines the agility of the mind, the speed of thought. It governs the character's reaction times, timely resolution of mental tasks and capacity for wit.
Finesse
Finesse is a measure of how artful the character is, and their capability for taking a skillful approach to tasks. The two axes of Finesse serve a related purpose, though not in the same amplitude/frequency model as Brains and Brawn.
* Perception - Perception defines the keenness of senses. It governs the character's ability to notice details and the degree to which they can utilise/exploit them.
* Proficiency - Proficiency defines higher skills and coordination. It governs the character's aptitude toward tasks involving skillful physical manipulation, such as picking a lock, moving quietly and unseen or attacking a vital organ.
Charm
Charm defines a character's social grace, and their influence of intelligent beings. It is represented along two axes, again related but not as discretely modelled as Brains and Brawn.
* Charisma - Charisma is the magnetism of personality. It governs the character's ability to consciously influence their peers, predominantly through dialogue.
* Countenance - Countenance defines the outward appearance. It governs the character's ability to unconsciously influence their peers, and modifies reactions to social endeavours.
Mettle
Mettle is the ability to survive and resist harm. The two axes Mettle is plotted upon exemplify related but opposed ways to avoid personal harm.
* Fortitude - Fortitude is the universal toughness of a character. It governs the ability to withstand direct harm, and resist negative effects.
* Fate - Fate controls the chaotic elements of destiny. It governs outcomes across the board, and in extreme cases can defy logic.
______
During character creation, the player weights the importance of each stat (effectively on a scale of 1 to 10). Equal weighting across the board will result in 10 equal stats, regardless of how high the precedence is - 10 marked "most important" will be exactly the same as 10 marked "least important".
Otherwise, a character is created from the "sketch" the player has made. As the player works out their preference, the five stat pairings are displayed as sine waves so the player can see the results of the interactive weightings, as well as a textual description highlighting their highs, lows, and things they're likely to be good at - sort of like an inner guidance counselor.
On the plus side of it, it's fairly simple manipulation for an insane number of permutations, and it's pretty trivial to nut out various archetypes. Preset character builds are dead simple too. However, even though the idea is to move away from stat crunching, there's still potential for players to dick around endlessly with various combinations if they really want to.
So what do people think? Is it too simple? Unintuitive? Just plain irritating that you can't tweak those values accurately?