everyone's level 20?
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:35 am
I had this strange idea for a server.
To balance out the difference between new characters and old characters, fill out the levels remaining between the character's level and 20 with a really weak class (wizard BAB, all poor saves, d6 hp, no feats or skill points awarded... we'll call this class "ooze" because it's close to the 3.5 ooze stats.).
So if you log in with a new first level character (say a fighter), the system makes you a (fighter 1/ooze 19). Or a wizard 1? When you gain, say, 10,000 xp, you can trade in one of your ooze levels for another class level. You use a special menu option to delevel you to level 1, add the new level of fighter, and then use a modified autobic to fill out to 20 with ooze levels. So you'd be a fighter 2/ooze 18.
A fighter 1 ooze 19 (disregarding stats and feat choices) would have +10 BAB, a +8 fort save, and +6 to will and ref saves. He'd have 10 hp, plus 19d6 hp from ooze levels, for about 76 hps.
There are some advantages to this:
1) Less distinction between newbie characters and powerful characters. This is the biggie. The D&D system isn't really designed to handle level 1 characters and level 30 characters anywhere near each other. A fighter 10 can smear a fighter 1 in a round. A fighter 10/ooze 10 has a slightly more difficult time against a fighter 1/ooze 19.
You could walk on with a level 1 whatever/ooze 19, and at the least you wouldn't die in one hit if you attended an event full of experienced characters.
2) You can make whatever levelling curve you want. A class level can be gained at any level from 1 to ~20,000 xp or so, because characters are level 20 and can have that much experience without levelling. (You have to have a custom leveller for this, but you need one anyway.) Since level ones are not so fragile, you can raise the necessary xp.
3) You could even hook to CoPaP, you'd just have to remove *all* ooze levels when a character portaled out (that doesn't even require an autobic) and restore the experience total they had when they arrived. They could store thier oozeworld xp on a token or in a DB for when they returned.
Disadvantages:
1) Every level-based spawner is broken. Hell, every level based everything is broken - it sees everyone as level 20 (or higher). Just steal a note from Catara's experience system and you'll be fine. You don't have to worry as much about people spawning ubermonsters at the wrong time when nobody has 4 hp.
2) You probably need all-new monsters. A level 20 character can kill a lot of kobolds even if 19 of his levels are fluff. But I think this is really an advantage in disguise - it can be hard to make compelling monsters for level one characters that arn't bugs, demihumans, or croprats (except swarmers. I love swarmers!). All of those newbie levels that nobody visits after level 5? Gone. You don't need them. (I guess you'd be 'catering to epics', but I'm not starting a conversation about *that*.)
3) An ooze 19/wizard 1 might as well not bother with spells. Well, not with offensive damage spells, anyway. 4 points of armor class never hurts.
4) You can only have 2 character classes below level 20 - and I have *no* idea what to do about offworlders with three classes that are below level 20. I guess no ooze levels for them. (Hopefully, if they have three classes already, they don't *need* them.)
Well, enough blue-skying for me.
To balance out the difference between new characters and old characters, fill out the levels remaining between the character's level and 20 with a really weak class (wizard BAB, all poor saves, d6 hp, no feats or skill points awarded... we'll call this class "ooze" because it's close to the 3.5 ooze stats.).
So if you log in with a new first level character (say a fighter), the system makes you a (fighter 1/ooze 19). Or a wizard 1? When you gain, say, 10,000 xp, you can trade in one of your ooze levels for another class level. You use a special menu option to delevel you to level 1, add the new level of fighter, and then use a modified autobic to fill out to 20 with ooze levels. So you'd be a fighter 2/ooze 18.
A fighter 1 ooze 19 (disregarding stats and feat choices) would have +10 BAB, a +8 fort save, and +6 to will and ref saves. He'd have 10 hp, plus 19d6 hp from ooze levels, for about 76 hps.
There are some advantages to this:
1) Less distinction between newbie characters and powerful characters. This is the biggie. The D&D system isn't really designed to handle level 1 characters and level 30 characters anywhere near each other. A fighter 10 can smear a fighter 1 in a round. A fighter 10/ooze 10 has a slightly more difficult time against a fighter 1/ooze 19.
You could walk on with a level 1 whatever/ooze 19, and at the least you wouldn't die in one hit if you attended an event full of experienced characters.
2) You can make whatever levelling curve you want. A class level can be gained at any level from 1 to ~20,000 xp or so, because characters are level 20 and can have that much experience without levelling. (You have to have a custom leveller for this, but you need one anyway.) Since level ones are not so fragile, you can raise the necessary xp.
3) You could even hook to CoPaP, you'd just have to remove *all* ooze levels when a character portaled out (that doesn't even require an autobic) and restore the experience total they had when they arrived. They could store thier oozeworld xp on a token or in a DB for when they returned.
Disadvantages:
1) Every level-based spawner is broken. Hell, every level based everything is broken - it sees everyone as level 20 (or higher). Just steal a note from Catara's experience system and you'll be fine. You don't have to worry as much about people spawning ubermonsters at the wrong time when nobody has 4 hp.
2) You probably need all-new monsters. A level 20 character can kill a lot of kobolds even if 19 of his levels are fluff. But I think this is really an advantage in disguise - it can be hard to make compelling monsters for level one characters that arn't bugs, demihumans, or croprats (except swarmers. I love swarmers!). All of those newbie levels that nobody visits after level 5? Gone. You don't need them. (I guess you'd be 'catering to epics', but I'm not starting a conversation about *that*.)
3) An ooze 19/wizard 1 might as well not bother with spells. Well, not with offensive damage spells, anyway. 4 points of armor class never hurts.
4) You can only have 2 character classes below level 20 - and I have *no* idea what to do about offworlders with three classes that are below level 20. I guess no ooze levels for them. (Hopefully, if they have three classes already, they don't *need* them.)
Well, enough blue-skying for me.