Interesting class game mechanic...

[BiggusGeekus]

I know there's some distaste for World of Warcraft amongst some folks in these forums, but the game design challenges MMORPG designers go through can be similar (and sometimes identical) to the ones PnP RPG designers go through.

It is with that in mind that I came across an interesting encounter-based mechanic for the upcoming Death Knight in WoW...

http://blue.cardplace.com/newcache/forums.wow-europe.com/394469665.htm?posts=2

The runes they inscribe on their weapons are their mana pool (of a sort). As they use their abilities, the runes will be exhausted. After a period of time the runes will refresh. So, they don't have a traditional type of mana pool. You'll most likely see some screenshots of it, but the Death Knight (at current) has three different types of runes that they can inscribe on their weapon: Blood, Frost, and Unholy. Runes can only be inscribed out of combat ( all of this is subject to change as development continues.)

The rune types don't dictate a new damage type, they're simply a resource that spells and abilities will use when you activate them. The spells and abilities won't necessarily be "blood, unholy, or frost" damage.

Imagine it being three different energy pools which you can change the size of before you get into combat.

So they have abilities/enhancements and those can change from time to time. Imagine in D&D if a class could do something like that. Sort of like the Artificer in Eberron. You could take one game hour to place an enchantment on a sword that gave you +2 CON or +3 damage or maybe could cast cure light wounds once every 5 rounds.

You'd have ongoing customization. You wouldn't want the character to automatically get the ability to create these things, you'd want to make him work for it a little (though I feel the same way about spells and feats). The DM can still surprise characters with something like Trolls, but the characters can regroup have their guy put +1 fire damage on his weapon, and then go back into the troll cave (or whatever).

Food for thought at least.

 

[Voadam]

I know there's some distaste for World of Warcraft amongst some folks in these forums, but the game design challenges MMORPG designers go through can be similar (and sometimes identical) to the ones PnP RPG designers go through.

It is with that in mind that I came across an interesting encounter-based mechanic for the upcoming Death Knight in WoW...

http://blue.cardplace.com/newcache/forums.wow-europe.com/394469665.htm?posts=2



So they have abilities/enhancements and those can change from time to time. Imagine in D&D if a class could do something like that. Sort of like the Artificer in Eberron. You could take one game hour to place an enchantment on a sword that gave you +2 CON or +3 damage or maybe could cast cure light wounds once every 5 rounds.

You'd have ongoing customization. You wouldn't want the character to automatically get the ability to create these things, you'd want to make him work for it a little (though I feel the same way about spells and feats). The DM can still surprise characters with something like Trolls, but the characters can regroup have their guy put +1 fire damage on his weapon, and then go back into the troll cave (or whatever).

Food for thought at least.

Isn't that how Incarnum from Magic of Incarnum works? That you can shift around the whatevers to give different powers and customize for something you know you are going to face on a more rapid than 1/day basis that spell prep spellcasters can?

I don't own and have not read MoI but that was the impression I got from hearing about it.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Isn't that how Incarnum from Magic of Incarnum works? That you can shift around the whatevers to give different powers and customize for something you know you are going to face on a more rapid than 1/day basis that spell prep spellcasters can?

I don't own and have not read MoI but that was the impression I got from hearing about it.

I don't have that book either! Man, I'll be a little embarrassed if that's the case.

 

[GreatLemur]

Makes me think of martial maneuvers, really: You can only have so many of them readied at a given time, but you can change your selections any time you're not in combat or otherwise distracted.

 

[Nifft]

Yep yep, similar to Magic of Incarnum, except those pools can generally be changed with a Swift action, or they're Feats which can be allocated (changed) 1/day.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Pyrex]

Isn't that how Incarnum from Magic of Incarnum works? That you can shift around the whatevers to give different powers and customize for something you know you are going to face on a more rapid than 1/day basis that spell prep spellcasters can?

My understanding of the Rune mechanic is quite different from Incarnum.

As I understand it:

The Death Knight can ready 6 runes at any given time, and there are three different runes to choose from so he could ready: "AABBCC" or "AAAAAA" or "ABCCCC" and so forth. Which 6 runes are readied can be changed at any time outside of combat.

Each spell consumes one or more runes. Cure Light might consume one A rune, Cure Serious might consume three A runes (AAA). Shadow Conjuration might require one each ABC rune.

Any given "used" rune requires a static amount of time to refresh (5 rounds? One encounter?) before it recovers.

 

[Voadam]

Yep yep, similar to Magic of Incarnum, except those pools can generally be changed with a Swift action, or they're Feats which can be allocated (changed) 1/day.

Cheers, -- N

Swift action?

as in once a round for only the cost of no free action special abilities/spells?

That's a bit closer to spontaneously doing anything you want to than the runes sound like.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

My understanding of the Rune mechanic is quite different from Incarnum.

As I understand it:

The Death Knight can ready 6 runes at any given time, and there are three different runes to choose from so he could ready: "AABBCC" or "AAAAAA" or "ABCCCC" and so forth. Which 6 runes are readied can be changed at any time outside of combat.

Each spell consumes one or more runes. Cure Light might consume one A rune, Cure Serious might consume three A runes (AAA). Shadow Conjuration might require one each ABC rune.

Any given "used" rune requires a static amount of time to refresh (5 rounds? One encounter?) before it recovers.

That's all correct, based on what I heard at Blizzcon. (I attended all the panels.)

 

[der_kluge]

Artificer's Handbook has socketed items, like those found in the Diablo games.

You could have a +1 socketed longsword. You can place a rune of fire or a rune of cold into the socket and change the kind of damage the sword does.

Changing out the socket is a move equivalent action.

Armor and shields can have sockets as well.

 

[Terraism]

Yep yep, similar to Magic of Incarnum, except those pools can generally be changed with a Swift action, or they're Feats which can be allocated (changed) 1/day.

Cheers, -- N

I thought of Binders, from the Tome of Magic, myself, but I can certainly see the similarity to Incarnum. Sounds like an interesting mechanic, anyway - as a former player, I'm really curious how they're going to implement the whole thing. (But not curious enough to go get re-addicted; oh no. Never that curious. )