Draft of Level 3 Boons
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SilentBelle
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Philadelphus
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Pony Tales: Aspirations of Harmony :: Developer's Corner :: Game Mechanics Discussion :: Destinies and Boons
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Draft of Level 3 Boons
A Fanclub
Your group’s antics have gathered you an adoring group of loyal fans that have formed a club for the express purpose of talking about how awesome you all are. Their main order of business is adding to their ever-increasing list of appropriate adjectives to describe your awesomeness and enacting epic retellings of your adventures. The dozen colts and fillies that make up the membership roster often show up with pastries, a painting of your group or some other gift that they’ve made for you in exchange for hearing more about your adventures. The club’s members idolize you and will gladly help you out however they can (within reason of course, they’re still kids). It’s good to have fans.
Your Own Ship
Set the sails to catch the wind and ride on the tang of the salt breeze. Your group’s adventures have led you into the ownership of a quite satisfactory ocean-going vessel. It’s not the most comfortable or dazzling ship on the ocean, but it sure can make decent time when it comes to getting where you need to go. A brand new host of adventures lies before you across the equestrian sea. It’s time to chase that horizon
A Place Of Your Own
Over the course of your adventures you’ve managed, through fine actions and grand deeds, to impress a whole community. Whether everyone pitched in or whether the mayor gave you it as a reward, your group now owns a place of your very own. Examples include a Tavern, a gorgeous Garden, a Temple, a Bakery, a General Store, a comfortable House, a Theater or something similar - come up with whatever you like. Your group can design everything about your establishment to have it exactly how you like (within reason of course, you can’t have solid-gold floors or anything; you’ll have to earn such lavish improvements along your adventures). Any benefits of the establishment, such as income or connections, are worked out between the party and the DM - but the more detail you put into designing and describing your establishment; the better those benefits should be.
An Adorable Assistant
Your group’s adventures have brought you together with an adorable assistant. Whether a hardworking baby dragon or something similar, your assistant is both diligent in his or her duties and respectful towards your group. Your adorable assistant is either competent in a single skill, which he or she can use with a +15 modifier, or possesses the, “Spike, Take a Letter” utility talent. Your assistant may also be sent on small errands and, in general, help your group out whenever is reasonable.
A Friend In High Places
Your adventures have earned you the friendship of a very important person. This person might be a lieutenant with the royal guards, the mayor of a town you frequently spend time in, a royal mage, the head archivist of the canterlot library, a celebrity such as Sapphire Shores, an influential socialite such as Fancy Pants or any other rather important person. This person considers you a good friend and will gladly help you when reasonably possible. You know a pony everypony should know.
A Wondrous Treasure [Created by Videocrazy]
Your adventures have led you into the possession of a powerful magical artifact. Whether you found it in your travels, received it from a grateful recipient of your heroism or crafted the wondrous item yourselves - it’s undeniable that the item thrums with power. Your wondrous treasure is a small object of your design that possesses a single utility talent of your choice. The utility talent must be one with an x/session or x/day limit. The holder of the artifact can activate the talent in question and the artifact can be passed between party members just like any other item.
(Of course, the artifact tracks how many times the talent has been activated thus far that day. If one party member activates an artifact with the 'He Did It' daily talent, that artifact's talent can't be activated again by anyone until the next day.)
Your group’s antics have gathered you an adoring group of loyal fans that have formed a club for the express purpose of talking about how awesome you all are. Their main order of business is adding to their ever-increasing list of appropriate adjectives to describe your awesomeness and enacting epic retellings of your adventures. The dozen colts and fillies that make up the membership roster often show up with pastries, a painting of your group or some other gift that they’ve made for you in exchange for hearing more about your adventures. The club’s members idolize you and will gladly help you out however they can (within reason of course, they’re still kids). It’s good to have fans.
Your Own Ship
Set the sails to catch the wind and ride on the tang of the salt breeze. Your group’s adventures have led you into the ownership of a quite satisfactory ocean-going vessel. It’s not the most comfortable or dazzling ship on the ocean, but it sure can make decent time when it comes to getting where you need to go. A brand new host of adventures lies before you across the equestrian sea. It’s time to chase that horizon
A Place Of Your Own
Over the course of your adventures you’ve managed, through fine actions and grand deeds, to impress a whole community. Whether everyone pitched in or whether the mayor gave you it as a reward, your group now owns a place of your very own. Examples include a Tavern, a gorgeous Garden, a Temple, a Bakery, a General Store, a comfortable House, a Theater or something similar - come up with whatever you like. Your group can design everything about your establishment to have it exactly how you like (within reason of course, you can’t have solid-gold floors or anything; you’ll have to earn such lavish improvements along your adventures). Any benefits of the establishment, such as income or connections, are worked out between the party and the DM - but the more detail you put into designing and describing your establishment; the better those benefits should be.
An Adorable Assistant
Your group’s adventures have brought you together with an adorable assistant. Whether a hardworking baby dragon or something similar, your assistant is both diligent in his or her duties and respectful towards your group. Your adorable assistant is either competent in a single skill, which he or she can use with a +15 modifier, or possesses the, “Spike, Take a Letter” utility talent. Your assistant may also be sent on small errands and, in general, help your group out whenever is reasonable.
A Friend In High Places
Your adventures have earned you the friendship of a very important person. This person might be a lieutenant with the royal guards, the mayor of a town you frequently spend time in, a royal mage, the head archivist of the canterlot library, a celebrity such as Sapphire Shores, an influential socialite such as Fancy Pants or any other rather important person. This person considers you a good friend and will gladly help you when reasonably possible. You know a pony everypony should know.
A Wondrous Treasure [Created by Videocrazy]
Your adventures have led you into the possession of a powerful magical artifact. Whether you found it in your travels, received it from a grateful recipient of your heroism or crafted the wondrous item yourselves - it’s undeniable that the item thrums with power. Your wondrous treasure is a small object of your design that possesses a single utility talent of your choice. The utility talent must be one with an x/session or x/day limit. The holder of the artifact can activate the talent in question and the artifact can be passed between party members just like any other item.
(Of course, the artifact tracks how many times the talent has been activated thus far that day. If one party member activates an artifact with the 'He Did It' daily talent, that artifact's talent can't be activated again by anyone until the next day.)
Last edited by Stairc -Dan Felder on Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
So, if you pick the House option does everyone in the party get a house or just one big house (or more likely up to the GM)?
Might want to change ship to vehicle. Maybe the group wants a large carriage or something? Airship is probably out of the question at that level though. (Though probably doesn't need to be too far away considering starting players can just fly on their own.)
I'm sure Adorable Assistant will see a LOT of custom modifications.
So, would Celestia or Luna count as a friend in high places? (Though really, Twilight's relationship with Celestia is probably something that will just cause horrible balance issues if we tried to replicate mechanically.)
Would it be possible for your Fanclub to throw parties like the utility ability?
Might want to change ship to vehicle. Maybe the group wants a large carriage or something? Airship is probably out of the question at that level though. (Though probably doesn't need to be too far away considering starting players can just fly on their own.)
I'm sure Adorable Assistant will see a LOT of custom modifications.
So, would Celestia or Luna count as a friend in high places? (Though really, Twilight's relationship with Celestia is probably something that will just cause horrible balance issues if we tried to replicate mechanically.)
Would it be possible for your Fanclub to throw parties like the utility ability?
Ramsus- Freakin' Alicorn Princess
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Ramsus wrote:So, if you pick the House option does everyone in the party get a house or just one big house (or more likely up to the GM)?
Tis always up to the GM, but the idea behind this boon is getting one place to share.
Ramsus wrote:Might want to change ship to vehicle. Maybe the group wants a large carriage or something? Airship is probably out of the question at that level though. (Though probably doesn't need to be too far away considering starting players can just fly on their own.)
Quite possibly. Need to specify the limitations of such a vehicle though, as cooler ones will open with higher levels.
Ramsus wrote:I'm sure Adorable Assistant will see a LOT of custom modifications.
Same.
Ramsus wrote:So, would Celestia or Luna count as a friend in high places? (Though really, Twilight's relationship with Celestia is probably something that will just cause horrible balance issues if we tried to replicate mechanically.)
Celestia or Luna are fine examples of friends in high places, but too high for level 3. That would be more likely to open at level 6.
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
How about Shining Armor? Since Pony Team Bravo already kind of has him as a friend. Or at least as a boss.
On the actual boons, they sound great, excellent work on them. I foresee many fun party debates about what to get, and I'm looking forward to leveling up.
On the actual boons, they sound great, excellent work on them. I foresee many fun party debates about what to get, and I'm looking forward to leveling up.
Philadelphus- Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Philadelphus wrote:How about Shining Armor? Since Pony Team Bravo already kind of has him as a friend. Or at least as a boss.
Shining Armor is too high for a level 3 Boon, but well within a level 6 boon. And remember, roleplaying can easily get you great rewards that mirror boons on its own. =)
Philadelphus wrote:On the actual boons, they sound great, excellent work on them. I foresee many fun party debates about what to get, and I'm looking forward to leveling up.
Now that's great to hear. If they look exciting, then we're doing our job. Videocrazy is to thank for the Wondrous Treasure one by the way.
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
So, just to clarify, but the entire party decides to get one of these boons at lvl 3, or does each player get their own boon?
I'm thinking it's the former and not the latter, but just wanting to make sure. They all sound like fun so far, and I could see there being room for a lot more of these to be imagined up. Almost feels like the sky's the limit here.
I could also see how these would be very useful for GMs too, since it would give them lots of ideas of things they could reward the party with themselves outside of lvl advancement.
The only potential downside I see to these boons is the ship. It would be very convenient if the party was playing a nautical campaign, but not so great if the party never got near a body of water... And suddenly I'm imagining a ship that can transform into a land vehicle... a transformer built by a crazy inventor perhaps? Maybe that should be a lvl 9 boon...
-But my point is, if the party chooses a boat, it might force the GM into a position he might not be prepared for. Then again, the GM could always say, "Please, don't get the boat!" if that were the case - so I guess it still works out fine.
I'm thinking it's the former and not the latter, but just wanting to make sure. They all sound like fun so far, and I could see there being room for a lot more of these to be imagined up. Almost feels like the sky's the limit here.
I could also see how these would be very useful for GMs too, since it would give them lots of ideas of things they could reward the party with themselves outside of lvl advancement.
The only potential downside I see to these boons is the ship. It would be very convenient if the party was playing a nautical campaign, but not so great if the party never got near a body of water... And suddenly I'm imagining a ship that can transform into a land vehicle... a transformer built by a crazy inventor perhaps? Maybe that should be a lvl 9 boon...
-But my point is, if the party chooses a boat, it might force the GM into a position he might not be prepared for. Then again, the GM could always say, "Please, don't get the boat!" if that were the case - so I guess it still works out fine.
XandZero2- Best Pony
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Hmm, I like it. I think it would be a good idea for any Pony Handler to try and glean what their players want before level 3. That way you could have fun working it into the quest, and the result is that the boon would be far more meaningful.
Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Yep, they're something the whole party gets. I'd answer more, but I'm in the middle of running the pony game.
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
I hate to say it but.... what if the group doesn't all level at the same time?
Masterweaver- Equestrian Honor Guard
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Um...awkward! j/k
It's (at least as far as I'm aware) a well known trade secret that one of the least fun things to do in an RPG is to have a party be of unequal strength. Lots of systems these days are generally built with the assumption the party levels together. That implication is in full force in this system. So, really that shouldn't be a problem because it shouldn't come up. Afterall, there's never really any point in a game where it's so important that guy A fought one more fight than guy B that it should require guy A being always better than guy B. So, even if someone earns experience where there's not necessarily a reason for the others to have gained from it, its not even to that player's advantage to advance faster than everyone else. So basically, we shouldn't really need to address problems only caused by the GM making a decision that is known causes problems and should be avoided.
It's (at least as far as I'm aware) a well known trade secret that one of the least fun things to do in an RPG is to have a party be of unequal strength. Lots of systems these days are generally built with the assumption the party levels together. That implication is in full force in this system. So, really that shouldn't be a problem because it shouldn't come up. Afterall, there's never really any point in a game where it's so important that guy A fought one more fight than guy B that it should require guy A being always better than guy B. So, even if someone earns experience where there's not necessarily a reason for the others to have gained from it, its not even to that player's advantage to advance faster than everyone else. So basically, we shouldn't really need to address problems only caused by the GM making a decision that is known causes problems and should be avoided.
Ramsus- Freakin' Alicorn Princess
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
The group always levels at the same time. XP/Harmony is shared between the party for doing very very harmonious things.
LoganAura- Administrator
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
A Fanclub sounds hilarious, An Adorable Assistant sounds...adorable, and useful, A Place of Your Own sounds really nice, and A Friend in High Places sounds like what our relationship with Shining Armor might evolve into by level 6 or so.
What he said.LoganAura wrote:The group always levels at the same time. XP/Harmony is shared between the party for doing very very harmonious things.
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
All right, what about a character that joins late?
Masterweaver- Equestrian Honor Guard
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Masterweaver wrote:All right, what about a character that joins late?
Oh, that's a great opportunity for roleplay. As the Pony Handler, I'd delay from giving the party Harmony Points they have received until I'm certain that the new character is working together as a harmonious part of the team. Of course, you could play as if they always were part of your party anyway, it all depends on the player in question. But yeah, the system is definitely meant to have a party level system. If you really want the players to have an imbalance, you can always give different characters different rewards for their accomplishments, then the new character would have no special rewards when they started. But it's never fun to play favourites.
Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
I also recall a changling ability to feed on Harmony, though that's still in development.... basically my point is by requiring the entire group level to gain one boon, you make boons somewhat... hard to manage. What if a five-pony party loses two of its players, levels, and then one of the old players comes back? Heck, would a boon affect a three pony and five pony party the same way?
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Masterweaver wrote:I also recall a changling ability to feed on Harmony, though that's still in development....
And will almost certainly not see the light of day. I'm not a fan of using 'harmony' as currency. Players won't like losing it and it's a negative thing, also has some weird book-keeping issues. But if the talent is brilliant, it'll make it in. It's just swimming upstream right now.
Masterweaver wrote:Basically my point is by requiring the entire group level to gain one boon, you make boons somewhat... hard to manage. What if a five-pony party loses two of its players, levels, and then one of the old players comes back? Heck, would a boon affect a three pony and five pony party the same way?
No harder to manage than if the group had got their hands on a ship, assistant, tavern or friend through roleplaying means - and haven't groups have been doing that in rpgs since first edition D&D?
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
MW, again, the solution is to not cripple the game by having players ever be of unequal level. Oh, that character wasn't around to fight mid-boss? Well, he was clearly doing something else and also leveled up. There, problem (many many problems in fact) solved. Same thing goes for someone who joins late.
Edit: Or any other excuses for having a party of unequal level. If the GM creates that situation they're already shooting the game in the foot.
Edit: Or any other excuses for having a party of unequal level. If the GM creates that situation they're already shooting the game in the foot.
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Siiiiiiigh, always blame the DM, of course.
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Masterweaver wrote:Siiiiiiigh, always blame the DM, of course.
I think in this case, as 'experience' is such a fuzzy concept and harmony is even more open-ended, then yeah - if things mess up here it's probably the DM being overly strict.
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
So, has a final draft of the Boons been posted, or are you still working on it, Danno?
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
These boons seem to be working really well so far. I've been spending most of my time working on Destinies though, which are almost done! (Required 3x the amount of work as the initial drafts of boons or traits, as they need 3 levels of content).
I think these boons work really well. I'm looking forward to expanding on them in the level-ups and adding more ideas in.
I think these boons work really well. I'm looking forward to expanding on them in the level-ups and adding more ideas in.
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Great, just checking.
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
First Destinies are posted.
Stairc -Dan Felder- Lead Designer
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Re: Draft of Level 3 Boons
Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:Philadelphus wrote:How about Shining Armor? Since Pony Team Bravo already kind of has him as a friend. Or at least as a boss.
Shining Armor is too high for a level 3 Boon, but well within a level 6 boon. And remember, roleplaying can easily get you great rewards that mirror boons on its own. =)
Bravo is working with Shining Armor? Lame. Turns out, a bit of backstory makes all the difference, and it turns out that Team BaSgAS will never work with Shining Armor, due to him being a complete moron and an insufferable kiss-ass during Officer Training. Friends in high places, indeed.
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Pony Tales: Aspirations of Harmony :: Developer's Corner :: Game Mechanics Discussion :: Destinies and Boons
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