Solo Playtest #2 comments
Comments for first part https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/solo-playtest-1-comments/
Playtest #2 https://vdonnutvalley.bearblog.dev/solo-donnut-diy-rpg-playtest-2/
Well, I quite like how this one worked.
Systemic Comments:
Changing broad skills to background-as-skill gives flexibility as well as better anchor for characters. You don't need to resort to being only good at combat because [Gladiator] is as much of a warrior as is showperson and entrepreneur. [Pirate] is not only athletic sailor but also a warrior skilled in intimidation. At some point I should decide whether to make it a list or leave it to the players. Which means I'll make a list.
[High Magic] as a skill is basically useless. I guess this is the payment for being spellcaster. [High Magic] affects basically four things - your ability to regain spells, your ability to recognize High Magic spells, your ability to learn new High Magic spells and your ability to research High Magic spells. As a spellcaster of this type with only [High Magic] skill you're basically magic brain-nerd without any real world knowledge. And I like it!
As for more information on magic: spellbook gives 4 guaranteed spells if you regain them but then you don't get any more or less. If you don't have a spellbook - or are willing to risk - you may attempt to perform the ritual differently. You choose a spell and roll 2d6+[High Magic]+Power(+1 if you have the spellbook). Bonus grows up to +6 (+3 for [High Archmagic], +2 for Power, +1 for spellbook) but only for ideal conditions and Epic level specialists. The ritual goes like this: first spell chosen is free. Choose next one and roll, on 8+ you get it and can choose next one. On a fail you don't get the last chosen spell and cannot gain more, also it gives disadvantage next time you do the ritual. I hope it is enough deterrent to stop people at higher levels to always choose the risky option and push until fail.
I need to think of more spells, I'd like the standard list to be 12.
I want to introduce at some point "Wild Magic" which is basically Psionics. But I am not sure how to mechanize it. In my offline experiments it feels either awfully weak or definitely overpowered. My basic concept is - in order for it to work you roll. Success means it goes like you want, failure means you do something wrong BUT you can mitigate the issue by taking some brain harm. I'm not sure about starting power levels - should telekinesis force start at "what you could do with two arms" or "just a slowly levitating stone"? Is pyromancy okay with "a candle fire" or "blowtorch" power? Should more powerful uses give worse outcomes/harm? Where is the line? A lot of stuff to think about.
Saves as a Coin Toss are fun. I don't have to choose type of save. I don't have to design types of changes and figure out numbers. Also I can coin toss all other things and feel as if it was system feature. It also allows for the Lucky archetype - but instead of FMC Basic 'bonus coin to specific thing' it is 'bonus X coins per session to chosen saves.
Plot Comments:
At first I was just "yeah, let's rob those farmers" unanimously from each person in a group. But then I started thinking - this is the good moment to think of who these characters are and how they'd behave. I'm sure Phythis is well on board with stealing water (and more) from farmers. But Ionos and Takrog? Ionos is a sheltered magic nerd, I guess they can be kinda selfish asshole or just (self insert) autistically insensitive to potential harm caused? And Takrog was a gladiator, how did it shape him? Is gladiator an honourable warrior? I just need to think about it.
I'm not sure what to do with the farm. Are the people there protecting outsiders from something? Or protecting something? Maybe the servants on the fields are warning strangers because something bad happens on the farm? Plague? Demon? I think my one problem with OSR-style play is that my baseline ideas tend to be mundane stuff. So playing without abstracting a lot looks like stumbling upon boring problems after boring problems until you get the one that's actually interesting. And now I think - if the team gets their stuff together and finds reliable path through civilisation it can be made into abstracted boring stuff. So the farm encounter should be an interesting one.