We have our Primary/Secondary (possibly to be called Major/Minor) types. The score of the minor/secondary types must be less than the score of your primary/major type. The question is - through XP expenditure, should we allow a secondary type to become a primary type, relegating the current primary type to secondary status?
In movies, you sometimes have the geeky kid become an ass kicker. While they are still geeky, they have the ability to thoroughly lay down the law, physically. Alternatively, a person could suffer a crippling injury, and move from a physical type to a smart type.
This can be abused, but if we possibly limit the number of secondary types, and maybe limit the number of times you can do this to one, the effects would be mitigated. Making the XP cost something significant could also help.
Thoughts?
Hmm, I think that comes down to two things, atleast for myself:
ReplyDeleteOne: How much of a limit/XP cost will it be, to stop people from shifting between their Primary/Secondary almost at will and negating the "archetype" idea we're promoting with Primary Type.
Two: How much do you want to stray from your original "Mission Statement" about the simplicity of the game. It seems as once we started getting into the XP section, the rules have gained a few levels themselves here and there. For me, personally, I don't even like the idea of more then one Secondary Type, I think that Fate allows you to try anything and each character is an archetype that means they're slightly better at a few other things, but that's it, a "well rounded character" this game isn't about. Now that you're adding shifting Primary/Secondary Types it once again adds another layer.
It's not making the game complex by any stretch of the imagination, but it does add depth, even if it is a small amount of it, and at what point do you stop?
For me, I liked the most stripped down version, a Fate Score, One Primary Type, One Secondary Type, and some equipment.
i.e. "This is my character, he can do one category of things much better then the other heroes, he can do another category of things slightly better, and he can do everything else I can dream up just as well as the other heroes."
The simplicity worked for me.
The stripped down version could work well. We can always release a book later on of additional, optional rules that you can add if you so desire.
ReplyDeleteSo, yeah, probably leave it simple, at first.
You mean like an ADVANCED Edition? And we could go about saying that real gamers play the Advanced rules and leave the kids to their BASIC rules?
ReplyDeleteBut, in all seriousness, I like the idea, you'd have a pick up and play version that you could understand in like 15 minutes and then an "Unearthed Arcana" "Players Options" "Advanced Rules" "Insert Other Rules Add-On Here" book later down the line that could give you more options if you were into it.
However, I don't think you should ever make any sourcebook use the Advanced rules, cause that starts a slippery slope in my opinion.
Yeah, we have to strongly fight power creep.
ReplyDelete