Ultimate skills lists

[pathstrider]

You only have 8 attributes that have both a numeric value and a "letter code" (A-E). The number represents your natural "talent" in a category, while the letter shows how good your training is. For example: Your Strength value governs how good you are attacking people in melee, but the letter shows what kinds of weapons you can actually use (A= tiny, B=small, ... E= the largest two-handed weapons).

That's right for the SAGA system as seen in Dragonlance fifth age. A much improved SAGA system was released with Marvel Super Heros which reduced the states from 8 to 4 (Strength, Agility, Intellect, and Willpower) and introduced a very neat skill system - a skill provides a one degree difficulty reduction. Plus it added a system of edge where more experienced characters could make better use of their hand.

I haven't played SAGA for quite a while, so I can't tell you much about the game mechanics, but one thing I remember is that combat is centered on the actions of the players: To hit someone you have to beat a defense value of your opponent and to avoid his attacks you need to beat his (fixed) attack value with a defensive action. That way most of the actions are focused on the players and free the GM from playing cards and looking after game mechanics, instead allowing him to concentrate on what's going on in the game.

Not just combat actions, all actions are done from the players veiw - though MSH added a slight random factor in that each roudn the narrator takes a card from the deck to add to the bad guys values.

The main advantage is the Gm doesn't have to roll hordes of dice or dice off against himself - something that most Gm's don't do anyway, I'd add.

Basically, it uses a deck of cards from 1-9 instead of dice. So you are guranteed of a certain spread of results (Which was vastly imporved by the MSH deck balacne) - meaning the players can save the big cards (playes keep a hand of around 5ish cards) until the big climatic bits. It makes for a more story book game by eliminating really unlucky rolls.

The only problem comes is that to start off with players don't want to fail at anything and so play their highest cards all of the time - meaing that when the villian does come, they get wupped.

Later Days!

Mark

[AslanC]

Also the example Lancer gives is based on Dragonlance 5th Age, which is the more indept and over complicated of the SAGA games (All 2 of them).

I am using the Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game as my base, which is faster paced, only has 4 stats (mine will have 3) but in the end uses the same task resolution mechanic

And it isn't just replacing a random mechanic (dice) with another (cards). Sure you have the luck of the draw, but players will make decisions based on their cards. Example is they are expected to ask "If I try X, how difficult is that?" When they get the number, they check their hand and sheet, if they think they can do it, they go for it, if not, they try something else.

It has an odd learning curve, of my Marvel Classic game, two players took to it like water and two are still scratching their heads. But once you get it, it is a lot of fun

[AslanC]

Originally posted by Sea Tyger
Just don't ask how he's going to compress the 217-year history of the Federation into a single century.

Hi, Aslan!

Actually as of today, that idea got scrapped.

Just can't put as much time into that and have the game ready as well.

Oh well, it is either new timeline or SAGA rules... I choose Pikachu... and the SAGA rules

[AslanC]

Originally posted by nocac
Could you post more detail about how SAGA works? Cards, dice?

Also, do you need a Physical Science category (Chemical analysis, physics)?

Do you want to split Vehicle into starships and cars/boats and such?

I think I do need that catergory, thanks for noticing it

I think Vechicles will be split into...

Space
Ground
Air
Water
Exotic

[AslanC]

Originally posted by Lancer
Okay, joking aside, Aslan, do you have any plans to include psi skills? I couldn't find any on your list.

Well since I am thinking of adding Advantages (needs a better name) to go along with the hIndrances already in the game, I Psionic would go there.

Once you are Psionic, then you could buy Psionic skills.

At least that is my way of thinking on it