What does that system look like? Well, first, it’s got the resource itself. Let’s look at treasure and equipment acquisition in D&D for an example of the deeper answer. Well, as I’ve already spelled out, I’m designing a system whereby players can spend resources they earn in the course of their adventures to customize their characters’ equipment or to acquire new equipment that would otherwise be unavailable. When I say I want to design a crafting system for D&D, what do you think I mean? And let’s just stick with D&D for the moment. Because, there’s a lot of people who are not only not on the same page as me, but they are in a completely different library in a foreign country that speaks a different language. What I am going to do, though, is make really sure you understand exactly what the hell I’m trying to accomplish here before I go any further. The only thing I will say is that “yes, every solution is easy and obvious after someone meticulously spells out the entire problem and all of the constraints the solution must meet.” If I get one more e-mail from people telling me how simple and obvious the system is, I’m going to start beating people unconscious with a copy A Thousand and One Craft Projects for a Rainy Day. But, here’s the thing, I’m not going to comment on any of it.
Because damn has the feedback and argument and discussion been exhausting.
I THOUGHT that was kind of the point of the thousands of words that came before. See, I THOUGHT I spelled out my goals clearly. The problem is you can only have constructive discussion, feedback, and arguments if there’s actually a commitment to being constructive and if you at least agree on the goal.Īnd on that front, we have a problem. Now, to be clear, I don’t mind discussion. You know, all the crap that comes from designing something publicly for the internet instead of just quietly toiling away and then one day announcing you have a system for everyone to rip apart without trying it once at the table. No, the problem is the feedback and the arguments and the discussions. Because now it’s just coming up with the system and then doing a lot of math. Because now it’s just a matter of a systematic approach that can hang off of the existing systems in D&D and Pathfinder. Once I came to terms with the fact that I essentially just have to let players buy custom equipment with resources earned through play, I was pretty good. Ultimately, this list is up to your imagination only! For additional suggestions, I would recommend going over to to view the fantastic random generators available there.Honestly, the crafting thing isn’t the hard part. A Singing Sword may accidentally have 2 personalities, one in the blade and one in the hilt, with opposing alignments, and they fight and bicker all the time.A broom of flying that also has a 15% chance whenever it is being used to leave a trail of fresh growing flowers as it passes over land.A suit of +1 armour that also has the ability to change colour with a command word (may be any colour, or limited to a selection of three).A +1 Weapon that has the Returning quality, so that it always returns to the owners hand after being thrown.A Wand of the War Mage +1 that can also convert coins into caltrops.The exact nature of the Flaw or Advantage is up to the Player and DM to discuss and agree upon, and may be comical, dark, sinister, useful, or just an amusement. The DM may allow additional bonuses or penalties to this