Intro
I have been
designing a fantasy campaign of late, my first one using the HiBRiD
system. HiBRiD uses a scale based on ten fold increases in mass to
quickly determine if an object can affect another. (I shared it here). This
works well for genres that are based in reality where mass, physics, and the
laws of thermodynamics are relevant. For other genres, this system may seem to
fall short or even be broken. A point of Ite' can be used to increase the scale
of an attack's damage by one level, but this really just represents the small
chance the attack hits just the right spot at just the right time. Multiple
points of Ite' do not reflect the effects of an attack being magically upgraded to the point
of destroying increasing larger enemies; they merely reflect the increase the likelihood
the attack successfully causes damage.
Having never
been designed for fantasy (or superheroes, for that matter), the fantasy genre is really going to test the rules.
At first glance, I originally had many concerns the system would crack under a
genre where all rules of physics can be thrown out the window in an instant. I
began to think that the ability to throw gobs of Ite' would allow the
destruction of any foe, big or small, thereby destroying one of the many
challenges of the genre, specifically fighting epic fantasy creatures.
Though Ite'
can be used this way, it doesn't truly preclude use of the HiBRiD rules for fantasy
however. I will be playtesting it for sure, but for now, let's take a look at a
classic: The Hobbit.
An Example
When Bard the
Bowman brings down Smaug the Great Dragon with his single Black Arrow, this
would seem either impossible or not a challenge at all from a HiBRiD system
standpoint. The dragon would easily be a scale of 4 to 5, putting it 3 to 4
levels higher than human according the Ite' and mass rules. This would make it
either impossible for players with too little Ite' or ridiculously easy with too
much Ite'. While it could happen, if the party is using their Ite' to elminate
challenges in this manner left and right, then the director has failed to
sufficiently challenge the players. Of course, this is true of the system for
any genre, fantasy included, .
So How To Keep the Challenge Alive Using HiBRiD?
Magic. Of Course.
I just want to be clear. Magic is NOT
Ite'. Ite' is NOT Magic. The two are like oil and water. Magic, unlike Ite',
can break the laws of physics and scale. Ite' is not magic nor is it
designed as a magic system or a magic substitute to break the laws of physics;
it only increases the likelihood of something occurring that can occur
naturally.
Let's Go Back to Our Example
Bard was not
firing some OSR/DnD bland “+5” arrow garbage; he was firing the Black Arrow
(note the Proper Name). The Black Arrow was a magical heirloom that he, Bard,
had never lost. The arrow incited a soliloquy by the hero just before he fired
it. Kind of heroic, no? The arrow had the ability to break scale rules because
it was magic, but the hero still needed to be heroic and do the job. A point of
Ite' could have been spent to have a random thrush hear the mumblings and
speaking of a nameless little hobbit to his dwarven compatriots and carry the
message of the weakness of Smaug to Bard; a point of Ite' could allow Bard make
the nigh impossible shot!
The Crunch
To reflect the above example and allow magic and Ite' to work together, I would propose the following:
1. In the spirit
of HiBRiD, all magic items must have their effects clearly and specifically
defined so that they have meaning and purpose. The HiBRiD game has NO
general +1 sword or somesuch. Every item must have a purpose and break a specific,
defined law of physics or scale.
2. Ite' cannot be
used to allow casters to break the casting rules of the system. It can be
used to increase the results of task rolls and savings throws et cetera but
other uses like maxing out damage, maximizing spell effects, or affecting the
mechanics of the spells in any way will not work. It also cannot be used to
break rules of class (if they are being used) or genre. It can not be used to
give magical abilities that are not specifically allowed in the Genre Description.
Conclusion
Oil and water
do not mix, but adding a surface active agent such as soap can make a
fantastic, stable, and enjoyable mixture. The same can be said of magic and
Ite'. The two do not mix naturally in the system as designed. But, like
everything else in HiBRiD, with the director and players providing the right
"soap", you and your gamers can create a stable enjoyable mixture of your own...
Use the example and two guidelines above as a guide for the use
of HiBRiD for fantasy games. Since fantasy is not really a part of the original
design of the core rules they still need to be tested. If anyone wants to
playtest the new genre and has questions, thoughts, feedback, or issues, drop
me a line here or on Twitter. I would love to hear of your Grand Adventure!!
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