Dynamic Character Creation

Is there a pen and paper system out there that uses dynamic character creation, like actions determine what kind of character you become?  I refer to the type of system used in the Dungeonsiege computer game, where the more you use a certain type of weapon, the better you get at using it.
Any input on this would be appreciated...

Mike
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Dynamic Character Creation

RuneQuest(any edition except HeroQuest) or any of the
Basic Roleplaying System games (CoC, SuperWorld, et
al).  The character starts out as a blank slate and
only advances in skills and abilities they use or are
trained in.  The system has no classes, levels, or
other D20 detrius that people assume are required for
gaming.  It is the first (and best) totally skill
driven system.

MoonHunter
Sage, Gamer, Mystic, Wit
"The road less traveled is less traveled for a
reason."
Now posting 2000 pieces of game advice on
www.openroleplaying.org OR gamecraft.rpgcitadel.com OR
www.strolen.com




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Dynamic Character Creation

> Is there a pen and paper system out there that uses dynamic character
> creation, like actions determine what kind of character you become?  I
> refer to the type of system used in the Dungeonsiege computer game,
> where the more you use a certain type of weapon, the better you get at
> using it.
> Any input on this would be appreciated...

It sounds to me that RuneQuest/BRP would pretty easy to do this with. 
Just tweak how frequently you check for skill gains.

-- 
Michael Feldhusen
mike_f@io.com

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Dynamic Character Creation

Not yet.... I have a friend working on a system he calls TWIST (The Way I See Things), in which skills are initially based on stats, but as you use a skill based on a stat, both the skill (majorly) and the stat it is based on (minorly) improve (keeping in mind the principle of diminishing returns). When a skill rating gets fairly large, the user can take one or more of the 'techniques' involved in it and focus on that 'technique' to the extent that it becomes its own skill. All skills are related, and what's important about that is that when a skill improves beyond a certain rating, part of that improvement 'bounces' to the stat(s) and skill(s) which that original skill is directly related to - - - an epiphany!

Michael Feldhusen  wrote:> Is there a pen and paper system out there that uses dynamic character
> creation, like actions determine what kind of character you become? I
> refer to the type of system used in the Dungeonsiege computer game,
> where the more you use a certain type of weapon, the better you get at
> using it.
> Any input on this would be appreciated...

It sounds to me that RuneQuest/BRP would pretty easy to do this with. 
Just tweak how frequently you check for skill gains.

-- 
Michael Feldhusen
mike_f@io.com

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Dynamic Character Creation

From: "Merle Moss" 
> Not yet.... I have a friend working on a system he calls TWIST 
> (The Way I See Things), in which skills are initially based on stats, 
> but as you use a skill based on a stat, both the skill (majorly) and 
> the stat it is based on (minorly) improve 
>
Cool name.  I did something similar with skills, skill groups and
stats and found that it gave me the benefits I was looking for
in terms of having the character nature defined by the evolving
activities of the character.  Serious character sheet detail, but
I kept the character record in a database and generated 
character summaries every couple of sessions so that wasn't an
issue.  Not that it would have to be that way.

One problem I ran into was the need to rebalance the game 
after five years or so as powerful characters
had stat levels that unbalanced the original mechanics.  This, in
turn, caused difficulties when a group of new characters were 
introduced.  This happened largely because I'd underestimated 
the degree of stat improvement possible.

On the other hand, I'm really not sure that any system can easily 
handle campaign evolution over a five or ten year period as the
character growth does require different mechanics.  A system
that had an evolution to a new framework built in would be
cool, but the play-testing required to prove it worked would
seriously delay time-to-market  :-)

Chris Tutty
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(OT): Initials and what they mean...

This comes from Merle Moss' message about his friend developing TWIST (The Way I See Things).
 
My friend and I are currently planning a live MET game that we're temporarily calling TRPTDNS: The RPG that does not suck.
 
Does anyone else have strange and unusual anacronyms (I can't spell) that they use when gaming or discussing gaming?

Trouble


"Of the Chief Parts of the Ruling Passion, Only This can Truly be Said:
Hate has a reason for everything.  But Love is Unreasonable."

Anna Overseas: http://www3.telus.net/public/anna22/overseas.html

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Dynamic Character Creation

A dynamic "improve as you do" type system needs to
take into account improvement limits and atrophy.

You may work hard and practice (x number of hours) to
become a better weight lifter. You improve from
mediocre lifting ability to fair lifting ability. It
take it takes even greater effort and dedication to go
from fair to good (maybe 2 to 3 times the amount of
time). Even more effort to get from good to great.
Most professionals would be at the great level and
that is all they do. All of their available time is
taken up in training one or two related skills.
And if he stopped his level of dedication and training
the ability will slowly atrophy and begin to slide
back down to lower levels. Say the weight lifter stops
lifting for six months, he probably slips from great
down to good. High level skills and abilites need
dedicated use and intense practice to maintain. 

Greg




--- Chris Tutty 
wrote:
> From: "Merle Moss" 
> > Not yet.... I have a friend working on a system he
> calls TWIST 
> > (The Way I See Things), in which skills are
> initially based on stats, 
> > but as you use a skill based on a stat, both the
> skill (majorly) and 
> > the stat it is based on (minorly) improve 
> >
> Cool name.  I did something similar with skills,
> skill groups and
> stats and found that it gave me the benefits I was
> looking for
> in terms of having the character nature defined by
> the evolving
> activities of the character.  Serious character
> sheet detail, but
> I kept the character record in a database and
> generated 
> character summaries every couple of sessions so that
> wasn't an
> issue.  Not that it would have to be that way.
> 
> One problem I ran into was the need to rebalance the
> game 
> after five years or so as powerful characters
> had stat levels that unbalanced the original
> mechanics.  This, in
> turn, caused difficulties when a group of new
> characters were 
> introduced.  This happened largely because I'd
> underestimated 
> the degree of stat improvement possible.
> 
> On the other hand, I'm really not sure that any
> system can easily 
> handle campaign evolution over a five or ten year
> period as the
> character growth does require different mechanics. 
> A system
> that had an evolution to a new framework built in
> would be
> cool, but the play-testing required to prove it
> worked would
> seriously delay time-to-market  :-)
> 
> Chris Tutty
>
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Dynamic Character Creation

Exactly, and there is, in TWIST. I did mention the principle of diminishing returns, and just as skills and stats develop and improve automatically when a character devotes time, attention, and practice to them, they fade and reduce automatically when that character fails to devote time, attention, and practice to them. The rules for this exist in a couple of systems out there, but GMs rarely enforce them or even require any player attention to them, somewhat like the rules for encumbrance or material components in D&D.

grogthing  wrote:A dynamic "improve as you do" type system needs to
take into account improvement limits and atrophy.

You may work hard and practice (x number of hours) to
become a better weight lifter. You improve from
mediocre lifting ability to fair lifting ability. It
take it takes even greater effort and dedication to go
from fair to good (maybe 2 to 3 times the amount of
time). Even more effort to get from good to great.
Most professionals would be at the great level and
that is all they do. All of their available time is
taken up in training one or two related skills.
And if he stopped his level of dedication and training
the ability will slowly atrophy and begin to slide
back down to lower levels. Say the weight lifter stops
lifting for six months, he probably slips from great
down to good. High level skills and abilites need
dedicated use and intense practice to maintain. 

Greg
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Dynamic Character Creation

Also, the old FASA star trek game.

You build your character starting with adolecent
background skill choices, then you more skills as you
make choices during school. Then skills for choices
made in the service. Finally skill improvemnet through
use during play.

Very well thought out.

Greg

--- Michael Feldhusen  wrote:
> > Is there a pen and paper system out there that
> uses dynamic character
> > creation, like actions determine what kind of
> character you become?  I
> > refer to the type of system used in the
> Dungeonsiege computer game,
> > where the more you use a certain type of weapon,
> the better you get at
> > using it.
> > Any input on this would be appreciated...
> 
> It sounds to me that RuneQuest/BRP would pretty easy
> to do this with. 
> Just tweak how frequently you check for skill gains.
> 
> -- 
> Michael Feldhusen
> mike_f@io.com
> 
>
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Dynamic Character Creation

Well, Traveller. I still have the little black box and a bunch of
modules (The Spinward Marches :-)

Carl

On Mon, 2004-03-29 at 15:37, grogthing wrote:
> Also, the old FASA star trek game.
> 
> You build your character starting with adolecent
> background skill choices, then you more skills as you
> make choices during school. Then skills for choices
> made in the service. Finally skill improvemnet through
> use during play.
> 
> Very well thought out.
> 
> Greg
> 


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