Leveling Up - A Friendship Has Been Detected

Well everyone, I have big news for you all... Newbiespud and I set down today to come up with the basics of a Level-Up system. Here's what we've got so far.

There will be 10 levels in the core rules
Characters in Pony Tales are fun and quick to make, plus the Pony Tales system encourages a lot of different build options. With that in mind, and factoring in that level-ups should come once every 3 gaming sessions (thus once every 3 weeks in regular groups) on average - that's about half a year of time developing your character. By that time, your characters should have matured through their story arcs and it'll be time to pick up another batch. Besides, Newbiespud and I often jump our D&D groups several levels at a time. We go from level 5 to level 8 to level 11... Etc. It just fits the pace of our campaigns better, especially when we want to try out new characters after 4 months or so. If we're planning to go through 3 level jumps through 30 levels, why not just keep the same pace of lots of interesting options one level at a time?

Leveling Up will help customize your character
There will be level-up mechanics that allow you to add even more unique spin to your character's identity and more depth to your strategy. It won't be just getting better at what you already do. Aside from choosing additional utility talents, unique mechanics called, "traits" will open up to give you passive combat bonuses (such as always dealing +1d6 damage when you're below half health, or gaining 3 temporary hitpoints whenever a (save ends) condition is placed on you) that add new elements to your combat strategy.

Additionally, a "Destiny" system will be put into play. Your Destiny will feature your journey to achieve some life goal or a general idea of your character's progression. Similar to Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies in D&D 4e, your Destiny will unlock more powerful abilities regularly as you gain levels.

Leveling Up will reward the group too
Newbiespud came up with a great idea called, "Boons" which I can't wait to develop. Gaining Harmony is largely about increasing the bonds of your party. Boons are thus a party-wide bonus that everyone chooses together. Thus, when a Boon unlocks the whole party gets to choose one large Boon that helps everyone. Boons might be things like a 1/Session power that can resurrect a character, or something like an excellent ship the party can use to travel the high seas, or a mansion that the party can reside in as a home base, or gaining invaluable contacts in the Canterlot Royal Guards that can supply important information to the party. There's a ton of options and I can't wait to dig into them.


Three's The Magic Number
Each of the three major elements of leveling up (gaining a trait and utility talent, gaining a Destiny feature and gaining a boon) will be paced 3 levels apart. For example, each Destiny will have features that unlock at level 4, level 7 and level 10. If Boons unlock at level 3, level 6 and level 9 - then the trait/utility pair would unlock at level 2, level 5 and level 8.

Ramping Boosts
There will probably be steady boosts to Skill Checks, Health and Damage too. It would probably feel weird if they weren't there.

Play Around
I always let players change up their builds between sessions, so long as the character's backstory stays consistent. I'll want to emphasize that if you want to change things up between sessions, you definitely can try out lots of options. It'll be the DM's decision of course, but I'll reccoment that they allow lots of mechanical changes so long as the story stays consistent.


Well, that's the base of the Level-Up system. Newbiespud and I raked over it and it seems very solid in theory. I'll be happy to develop it further and I wanted to share it with all of you right away.

Best,

Dan

Hope we can fully iron this out before our group levels up, since I'm sure we are finally close to leveling.

Looking awesome so far. I'm liking how this is developing.

That looks pretty solid. Cant wait to see the rest of it.

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:or gaining invaluable contacts in the Canterlot Royal Guards that can supply important information to the party.

Heh, I think Pony Team Bravo may have already gotten our first Boon for free...

On topic, all the ideas mentioned sound great. I'm definitely looking forward to leveling up.

Very nice level system, can't wait to give it a try. I especially like the idea of Boons, boosting the entire party. Well done!

This is so awesome! /)^3^(\
I just can't wait to see what the actual bonuses are!

I like the Boons idea a lot (I'm probably going to always vote for the airship, though, lol). The other stuff is stuff I would have suggested myself. You did leave out something I would have suggested though. That is, I think people should gain extra Combat Talents every so often. So that they both have more than 5 they pick to use in a combat and have more than 8 total at some point.

CLEARLY there is going to be a UTILITY TALENT that allows for EXTRA COMBAT ABILITIES!

....no, wait, that doesn't make sense...

Great to hear everyone likes the system concept so much!

About combat abilities, that's what Traits are for. Might feature an element of that in the Destinies and Boons too. =)

Ah, like maybe you get an extra slot only for your destiny granted combat talent options. That'd make sense.

I definitely like the look of this so far. I shall patiently await the end results.

I've done preliminary development already. It's going well.

Any updates on the leveling aspect? Kinda curious, since your test group kinda needs it.

Oblivious wrote:Any updates on the leveling aspect? Kinda curious, since your test group kinda needs it.

Lots of updates. I plan to release one level at a time, so we can get what you need out as fast as possible. Carson Dougan and I are currently working on the combat traits. There should be an official update before your next adventure.

I can tell you that you'll be getting an extra utility talent for sure.

Huge Update: The rough draft of the Traits system is up. Feel free to playtest.

https://ponytales.forumotion.com/t87-traits-rough-draft#1471

Level 2 can now be played.

At level 2 you gain...

The Cool Stuff
+1 Combat Trait (as shown above), +1 Utility Talent

The Boring Stuff
+5 HP, +1 damage.

+1 damage? How does that make any sense? Isn't damage determined by the abilities, like "deal 4 damage" or "roll 1d10"? +5 HP at least modifies a basic number, not something as flexible as damage ratios.

Masterweaver wrote:+1 damage? How does that make any sense? Isn't damage determined by the abilities, like "deal 4 damage" or "roll 1d10"? +5 HP at least modifies a basic number, not something as flexible as damage ratios.

I imagine it means that when ever you deal damage you deal an aditional 1 point of damage.

Prof. Charles Hoofington wrote:

Masterweaver wrote:+1 damage? How does that make any sense? Isn't damage determined by the abilities, like "deal 4 damage" or "roll 1d10"? +5 HP at least modifies a basic number, not something as flexible as damage ratios.

I imagine it means that when ever you deal damage you deal an aditional 1 point of damage.

This was also my impression.

The professor and warrior are correct. I'm pretty sure I'm going to change that mechanic anyway though. Maybe make it a boost to all numbers in combat, including healing, and call it 'power'.

Quick question, do you folks even want there to be damage and health boosts like that, or would you rather just have traits?

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:The professor and warrior are correct. I'm pretty sure I'm going to change that mechanic anyway though. Maybe make it a boost to all numbers in combat, including healing, and call it 'power'.

Quick question, do you folks even want there to be damage and health boosts like that, or would you rather just have traits?

I like the health boosts, I'd like those kept in. However, I'm ambivalent about the damage boosts. I just need to know what we're going with before any character of mine levels up.

The Warrior of Many Faces wrote:

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:The professor and warrior are correct. I'm pretty sure I'm going to change that mechanic anyway though. Maybe make it a boost to all numbers in combat, including healing, and call it 'power'.

Quick question, do you folks even want there to be damage and health boosts like that, or would you rather just have traits?

I like the health boosts, I'd like those kept in. However, I'm ambivalent about the damage boosts. I just need to know what we're going with before any character of mine levels up.

If we have health boosts, we need some damage boosts somewhere - otherwise battles will take forever at high levels. Unless of course ONLY players gain health and monsters don't gain much automatically.

Which, I suppose, isn't a terrible thought. Still strange though.

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:

The Warrior of Many Faces wrote:

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:The professor and warrior are correct. I'm pretty sure I'm going to change that mechanic anyway though. Maybe make it a boost to all numbers in combat, including healing, and call it 'power'.

Quick question, do you folks even want there to be damage and health boosts like that, or would you rather just have traits?

I like the health boosts, I'd like those kept in. However, I'm ambivalent about the damage boosts. I just need to know what we're going with before any character of mine levels up.

If we have health boosts, we need some damage boosts somewhere - otherwise battles will take forever at high levels. Unless of course ONLY players gain health and monsters don't gain much automatically.

Which, I suppose, isn't a terrible thought. Still strange though.

Well, HP is will to fight. Why would monsters not gain more will to fight as they grow stronger when PCs do? It makes more sense to have both in, so I think I've changed my mind: keep both health and damage.

The Warrior of Many Faces wrote:
Well, HP is will to fight. Why would monsters not gain more will to fight as they grow stronger when PCs do? It makes more sense to have both in, so I think I've changed my mind: keep both health and damage.

Well as to your question, you could make a player's power relative to its enemies. For example, enemies that have 30 health at level 1 might have only 5 health at level 10 - while a dragon that had 300 health at level 1 might have only 30 health when you reach level 10.

Basically, the players would be dealing more damage without applying the annoying damage modifiers (which do lead to design problems of their own, as something like gaining 3 temporary hp or adding vulnerability 5 onto an enemy or gaining resist 3 doesn't scale well).

This would be a fine way to handle leveling, probably easier on DMs to some degree too, but I'm not sure it'd be as fun for the players to see their newfound strength manifested in this way - compared to consciously seeing themselves deal more damage.

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:

The Warrior of Many Faces wrote:

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:

The Warrior of Many Faces wrote:

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:The professor and warrior are correct. I'm pretty sure I'm going to change that mechanic anyway though. Maybe make it a boost to all numbers in combat, including healing, and call it 'power'.

Quick question, do you folks even want there to be damage and health boosts like that, or would you rather just have traits?

I like the health boosts, I'd like those kept in. However, I'm ambivalent about the damage boosts. I just need to know what we're going with before any character of mine levels up.

If we have health boosts, we need some damage boosts somewhere - otherwise battles will take forever at high levels. Unless of course ONLY players gain health and monsters don't gain much automatically.

Which, I suppose, isn't a terrible thought. Still strange though.

Well, HP is will to fight. Why would monsters not gain more will to fight as they grow stronger when PCs do? It makes more sense to have both in, so I think I've changed my mind: keep both health and damage.

Well as to your question, you could make a player's power relative to its enemies. For example, enemies that have 30 health at level 1 might have only 5 health at level 10 - while a dragon that had 300 health at level 1 might have only 30 health when you reach level 10.

Basically, the players would be dealing more damage without applying the annoying damage modifiers (which do lead to design problems of their own, as something like gaining 3 temporary hp or adding vulnerability 5 onto an enemy or gaining resist 3 doesn't scale well).

Hmmm, that might work. Not reducing their will to fight, just making the end of that will come faster. Could work, I suppose. The main problem being how exactly do you scale that so that the monsters don't become too easy too quickly?