What
You Get
Dragon
Age is a level and class based system. Characters are considered
heroic but start out with low power at first level. There are 8
steps for character creation.
The
first step is to create a character
concept to help guide the creation process. The book
tells you to read the source material the provides ten examples of
such a concept.
The
second step is to determine the 8
abilities. Players roll 3 six sided dice for each
attribute, total the dice, then consult a table that determines the
character's abilities. Abilities are the default die modifier for all
ability tests (see Part 2
of this review for more details) and range in value from -2 to +4.
The abilities are as follows
- Communication: Determines interpersonal relationships
- Constitution: Determines heartiness and resistance to damage
- Cunning: Determines intelligence
- Dexterity: Speed, handy-eye coordination and agility
- Magic: Determines ability to cast spells
- Perception: Determines how in tune the character is with the environment
- Strength: Amount of force character can generate
- Willpower: Discipline and willpower
In
addition to these abilities, the characters can get focuses
that provide a +2 flat bonus to all ability tests related to the
focus. These focuses are a catch-all category for skills and talents
(and feats for you 3E/4E/5E/Pathfinder zealots) and are each related
to a specific ability. For instance, the Stealth focus is related to
the Dexterity ability. Focuses are determined through the rest of the
character creation process.
The
third step is to determine the character
background.
Backgrounds are like kits that fit the character in with the game
setting. They give the character a number of bonuses and define the
remaining steps in the character process, by:
- Providing an ability score bonus
- Designating several focuses the character gets
- Determining the languages a character can speak or read
- Determining the character's race options
- Determining the character's class options
The
fourth step is to choose a class
allowed by the background. There are three classes overall from which
to choose: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior. (See Part
3 of my review to see my take on the lack of a priest
or cleric class, common in many fantasy games). The class determines
hit points, weapons allowed, and random abilities called Powers for
each class. A mage gets spells and a few focuses, the fighter gets
access to all sorts of combat focuses, and the rogue gets backstab,
several focuses, and the ability to negate movement penalties for
leather armor.
The
fifth step is to pick the character's
equipment.
The game specifically states all characters have the following:
- Backpack
- Traveler's Garb
- A Waterskin
- Class specific tools
- Mage=Weapon + Wand
- Rogue=Light Leather Armor+ 2 weapons
- Warrior=Heavy Leather Armor + 3 weapons
- If a missile weapon is chosen,the character gets a score of missiles plus a quiver
- Characters with a shield talent get a shield
The
player also gets 50 silver pieces plus a few more to buy extra
equipment
The sixth step is to calculate the two main stats used for strategic combat: Defense and Speed. Defense is based on the character's dexterity ability and shield bonus. Armor is assumed to absorb damage so it does not get figured in to this stat. Speed is based on the character's race and dexterity ability.
The seventh step is to Pick a Name. There is a whole section devoted to the names common to various races and cultures.
The
eighth and final step is to determine the
character goals
and ties.
This is step to help the Game Master create a cohesive game. The Goal
is supposed to give the Game Master one or more hooks into the
storyline while the ties are to tie characters together and give them
a reason to adventure as a team.
My
Take
The
character creation process is fantastically
clean, fast, and efficient! There are only
two calculations required by the player, making the
step fast. Specific standard equipment with a little room for
specialization and customization is streamlined and efficient.
Grouping talents and skills (and feats...YUK) into one category of
Focuses is clean and quick. Using The Tie In, Goals, Pick a name, and
Character Concept steps (HALF OF THEM!
EXCELLENT!) all tie the character in with the setting
and the story.
The
efficiency and what I would say beauty, is reduced, however, with the
need to roll 3d6 and look up values on a table. This is by far the
weakest point in the process. I can honestly say it annoys the hell
out of me. So much crunch and inefficiency in one step. Ugh.
On
an editorial note. the one problem with the book in general is how
the Focuses are presented, as they can be either added to the
character at multiple points in the character creation process.
Unfortunately, the descriptions of the focuses are put after
the character creation in a chapter all their own resulting in their
role in the process not being presented particularly clearly.
Editorially speaking, it would have been much better to put them in
with the ability section, since they are tied in with the abilities
anyway, so that as they were brought up in the steps that followed,
they players would know to refer back to them. In any scientific
paper, whenever a term is going to be abbreviated or referred to
throughout the paper, it is defined at the beginning of the paper so
the reader knows where to refer to it. As I mentioned in Part One,
while a beautiful book, the editing could have used a bit more
forethought.
Also,
one final thing, I hate the use of the word focuses. It is foci,
people. While I'm thinking about it, hey America, learn the
difference between “can” and “may”. Learn to say “please”
and “thank you”! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! O. K.
I'm back...
Conclusion
For
the most part, the character creation is clean and fast. Except for
the crunchy, uneven, random ability determination, the poor editorial
decision to place the descriptions of the Focuses after
the character creation and just the annoying use of the word
“focuses”, the character creation rules of the game are very well
done.
What
is HiBRiDTM about THIS?
The
speed and efficiency of the character creation process approaches
that of HiBRiD, however, a few things prevent it from reaching
HiBRiDicity:
- The clinging to the 3d6 mechanics for determining abilities is nauseating and mathematically repugnant and soooooo not HiBRID. Why does a roll of 3 give a -2 but an 18 give a +4 despite being the same distance from the mean? Ugh. This again completely shifts the numbers toward the positive values, as doing some centralized tendency based multiple d6 dice rolling for abilities is completely pointless as is shifting the values so far to the right. At least FUDGE/FATE is nicely balanced.
- Random determination of abilities is so 1974. It needs to go away. Better to give the players 8 points and let them spread them between the abilities. It would be so much faster and allow the players to be more creative. What a wasted opportunity!
A
final few words about the ability scores used in the Dragon Age game.
First,
I love the fact that Perception
is not a skill but an ability (Hear that you post 2E D&D and
Pathfinder players!?). You could argue that it is part of
intelligence, but making it a skill is
completely ridiculous from a neurological point of view.
Good Job Dragon Age. You have evolved in this sense.
Second, the inclusion of Communication as an ability is just
as much a fail as Charisma for d20/post 2E/Pathfinder systems. Whenever
I see Perception as a skill and social ability scores, my
chemoreceptor trigger zone is traced and I have to hold back my
vomit. I just hate it SO MUCH! Charisma and communication are
skills that are learned, NOT
inherent abilities.
Well, this concludes my Dragon Age boxed set review. With the new core
rulebook out and release of AGE fantasy and other products, I doubt
it is very relevant anymore except for collectors like me that just
love boxed sets. That being said, if anyone has anything else they
would like me to review, please let me know, and I will be glad to
take a swing at it...
...but
now, I shall reassemble all the items into the box and place it back
on the shelf with the other collectibles...
..then
I am going to pick up my d20 and play some HiBRiDTM!!!!!!!!!!!
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