The first post in this series introduced the basic concept of what I am retroactively terming
Simple & Complex Investments. We'll be saving Complex
Investments for next time, and we'll go over Simple
Investments in this article. The example that I used to kick us
off last time was drawn from the Upgrade Items common in many video
games. In essence, the character finds or purchases something which
could in some way represent an integral shift to their character
(e.g. pegasus wings, vampire's blood, giant articulated iron fists,)
and then undergoes a process such as a ritual, surgery or training
regimen. Afterwards they gain new or altered abilities, as well as
another avenue by which to interact with the setting.
From a design standpoint, the intent
of an Investment is not to simply enhance your character's statistics
or abilities directly (though many can certainly do that) but to
provide a new avenue for role-playing and problem-solving. In many
ways a Simple Investments are similar to Spells, though they lack
explicit duration and have vastly steeper conditions. When
paying for Formulae, it is important to keep in mind the impact that
this would be having on the character in game. If a ritual were to
cost 1,200 XP, 1,200 SP and 2 weeks of recovery after ingesting
phosphorescent mushrooms harvested from a trackless jungle on the
third moon orbiting the PC's planet, there's more to that than simply
some costs to pay and time out from adventuring to endure. Character
changes this vast are only meaningful if they're allowed some time to
breathe.
The
costs to a PC for an Investment can be broken down into four
categories, not all of which need be present; Experience, Money, an
Object, or an Activity, which taken together allow the PC to make the
proposed change to their character. It is important to note that
while spending XP on an Investment
it does not count towards their class table, conversely it also does
not count against the PC's maximum level, if any.
Below are six examples of what we can do with the Simple Investment
system. Please note that balance with these is something of a
secondary consideration. These are meant to be culminations of a
character arc or the reward for massive amounts of legwork on the
part of players.
Name
|
Cost
|
Effect
|
Weight of Iron Fists
|
1,000 XP, 1,000 SP, a set of magical gauntlets,
an extremely painful ritual lasting 2 hours, 1 week of healing
time.
|
Increase the character's unarmed damage by two
steps (d2 becomes d6, d4 becomes d8, etc), the character's fists
count as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance or
other similar effects. The character cannot remove the gauntlets,
nor can they perform any tasks requiring fine manipulation.
|
Name
|
Cost
|
Effect
|
Naga's Bite
|
700 XP, the poison glands and fangs from a Naga, a
delicate oral surgery which lasts 6 hours, 3 days of recovery
time.
|
The PC can now spit poison from their fangs at a
distance of up to 12 feet. The poison can cause blindness for 2d4
rounds on a failed save. The PC can spit poison a number of times
per day equal to the CON modifier (minimum 1.)
|
Name
|
Cost
|
Effect
|
Anointment of Pyrisous'
|
200 XP, 2,000 GP of Ambrosia, self-immolation on
an altar fire and either 5d12 damage or the intercession of the
altar's deity.
|
The Character gains resistance to all
non-magic damage. The eye of the deity who's altar was used is on
the subject - this is not a good thing.
|
Name
|
Cost
|
Effect
|
Donning the Bear Shirt
|
1,000 XP, the hide of a bear that you have hunted
and slain by yourself, a shamanic ritual lasting 12 hours.
|
The Subject may shape-shift into a bear of the the
same type of the hide that was used in the ritual a number of
times per day equal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1.)
The transformation lasts for 10 minutes.
|
Name
|
Cost
|
Effect
|
Wizard Eyes!
|
500 XP, 300 GP in various components, the eyes of
a spellcaster, a ritual performed by a spellcaster lasting 1 hour.
(XP cost is waived if the subject is a spellcaster themselves)
|
The recipient of the ritual can now see into the
spirit world. The particulars of this will probably vary by
setting, but the subject can now see incorporeal or otherwise
normally intangible beings. These beings will almost certainly
notice that they are being observed.
|
Name
|
Cost
|
Effect
|
Ares' Hand
|
300 XP, 500 SP in various unguents and ointments,
a one-handed melee weapon, a 3 hour long surgery, 1 week of
convalescence.
|
One of the PC's arms has been replaced from the
elbow down with a weapon of the same type used in the ritual. The
weapon is part of their very soul - if it were to be hacked off
and regrown with magic, it would regrow into the weapon. The
weapon is considered magic for the purposes overcoming resistance
or other similar effects.
|
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