Disposable talk:Edge of the Sky

I'm good for the 9AM pancake breakfast as well. Also, I have some star wars mini's I can bring over as well for us to use. --Askewnotion 14:04, 6 October 2010 (UTC)

Thoughts on True20 --Randy (Talk) 22:14, 24 October 2010 (UTC)

Did not use Wealth or Reputation, and with the except of a couple of core abilities and one feat, the gameday used only the True20 Core Revised book and Bestiary.

The two areas that I was most interested in evaluating were the damage and spellcasting systems.

Damage and Recovery

I simply loved the damage mechanics for True20. I felt that it added drama and dynamism to the game for both sides of the fence. If a single blow can kill a PC, PC behaviors change. Fortunately there is Conviction in case of a bad Toughness roll. I would change one thing in regards to the Wounded state and that change would be to remove "Shaken as long as wounded". I understand why it's there but don't feel that it's needed.

I really liked how armor applied to the Toughness save, how the Combat bonus applied to Defense, and I especially liked having separate Dodge and Parry defenses despite that distinction proving irrelevant at the gameday.

Spellcasting

Skill-based spellcasting can be tricky however I feel that True20 did a good job coming close to a solution. The fatigue mechanism worked to slow down spellcasting, as evidenced by a couple of combats where the full caster just sat back and used a shotgun while waiting for time to pass. The power of spellcasting will depend on how often encounters are set up. Losing all penalties to fatigue within an hour will unlikely work in most campaigns as it's recovered too quickly.

This spellcasting system is worth exploring further.

Other notes

Conviction: An excellent mechanic that is needed for the damage system to work without being overly lethal. It has a very open role in the system with many applications and I think it enhances the drama in favor of the PCs.

Grappling: One of the PCs was a grappler so I could see True20 grappling in action. Very little difference from d20 though the rules for it are a little more clear. When succeeding on a grapple check you choose from a list of effects, such as unarmed damage, pin, throw, etc. Pins are only held for one-round. You also do not move into a different square while grappling.

Conclusion

I really liked the system. I am nearly certain that I'll be using it for my next regular campaign.