CHARACTER GENERATION: *NOTE the only classes under the original rules that got any special treatment were the Paladin, Ranger, and Druid. Under this modified system, regular classes such as fighters and thieves are given starting bonuses to compensate. Originally in D&D, the bonus was lower experience point targets, but that is inapplicable in the JAYSTORM system. Under the original rules, a fighter would get no bonuses while a ranger would start with 2-handed fighting, tracking, and divine favor. So why be a fighter? Hence, the modified rules. These changes were made to the original rules on January 24, 1999. STATISTICS Roll 1D6 + 2D4 8 times for statistics. Reroll all 1's on the D6. Alternately, roll 3D4 + 2, 8 times. The lowest score here is 1D+2 (5), but the character will have more average scores, around 2D+2-3D+1 The result on the dice produces the following 'D' values on the chart below: 4 1D+1 5 1D+2 6 2D 7 2D+1 8 2D+2 9 3D 10 3D+1 11 3D+2 12 4D 13 4D+1 14 4D+2 (Essentially, divide the number by 3 and add the remainder as a '+' value). Assign as desired. STRENGTH affects lifting, running, and combat damage DEXTERITY affects dodging, initiative, and being hit in combat CONSTITUTION affects hit points--choose wisely, hit points DO NOT increase during game play! Less than 2D of constitution is NOT recommended! INTELLIGENCE affects learned skills and starting cp's WISDOM affects religious skills and other skills, as well as common sense; the DM may ask you to roll it some time to save your butt! CHARISMA affects interpersonal skills, such as lying to someone and getting away with it, or making someone like you. PERCEPTION affects ability to notice things, or to follow people WILLPOWER affects magic skills and saving throws RACES Adjustments are in pips. Dwarf +1 CON, WIL/-1 CHR, PER Grey Elf +1 DEX, WIS/-1 STR, CON(*new race) High Elf +1 DEX, INT, CHR/-1 STR, CON, WIS(*new race) Wood Elf +1 DEX, WIS/-1 STR, CHR(previously CON) (Grey Elf works good for a benevolent race, high elf works good for a 'holier than thou' race, and wood elf is a wild elf) Dark Elf +2 INT, +1 WIL/-2 WIS, -1 CON(previously PER) *NOTE in some games, Dark elves receive HALF the normal number of HP This makes them weak and out-of-scale with their harsh environment, so i do not advocate this. Gnome +1 INT, PER/-1 WIS, CHR Halfling +1 DEX, CHR/-1 STR, WIL Half-orc +2 STR, +1 CON/-2 INT, -1 WIS Balkallii +2 DEX, +1 STR/-1 INT, WIS, CHR (lizard man) Assign 1D to fighting and 1D to rogue skills. Roll 1D3 for skills. The number rolled is the number that can be spent on increasing fighting and rogue or buying new skills. Skills such as Faith, Wizardry, Gathering, Chi, and Psionics (Kai). FIGHTER a fighter receives a weapon and the skill to use it-- specifically, at the level of 5D (competent). Fighters must have at least 2D of strength. (In the original rules fighters received NO skills or bonuses.) Good strength and good constitution is recommended, and a good dexterity if you don't want to use armor. MAGE/WIZARD a wizard must buy Gathering and Wizardry above, but receives one school at the level of 3D (a concentration) or 3 schools at the level of 1D (general purpose). Each School costs 5 creation points to buy. Note that a wizard must roll at least a '2' on the skills dice above because he must have at least 1D in Gathering (for MP) and 1D in Wizardry. Mages really ought to have 3D in intelligence, but generous GM's can let them only have 2D, although this is NOT recommended. They also must have 2D of willpower (for direct/concentration/saves). (In the original rules mages received NO skills or bonuses.) Dexterity is good for mages. CLERIC/PRIEST a cleric must buy at least 1D in Faith. Then, the cleric receives 2 spheres at the level of 2D (or more if faith is higher) or 3 spheres. Prayer must be bought. Spheres can be bought at a cost of 5 creation points each. A cleric starts with 1 divine favor and may start with more. Roll 1d6. On a 6, the cleric gains an additional divine favor. Clerics must have 2D in wisdom. They also must have 2D of willpower (for direct/ concentration/saves). (In the original rules clerics received NO skills or bonuses.) Warrior clerics are advised to bulk up on strength and constitution, and scholarly ones should get intelligence. Charisma is also a really good idea for Clerics. THIEF a thief receives 2 thief skills at a level of 5D. A Thief should have 3D of dexterity, but 2D is allowed. (In the original rules thieves received NO skills or bonuses.) A thief might also want good perception, for spying purposes, and possibly good willpower, for making saving throws. PALADIN a paladin can detect the presence of evil intent. A paladin recieves a +1D to all saving throws. A paladin is immune to disease. A paladin can heal by laying on hands, restoring 2HP per divine favor (of the paladin). A paladin can cure disease once/2 divine favor/week. A paladin has 'protection from evil' on at all times. Evil opponents get a penalty of -1D on all attack rolls. A paladin with a holy sword can resist spells of a level up to his D in faith. A paladin can take exorcism but only as an advanced skill. A paladin can seek a holy steed when he has 3 divine favor (4 original). A paladin can begin to learn priest spheres when he has 4 divine favor (9 under original rules). A paladin may only own a number of magical items equal to his divine favor (holy items are exempt from this restriction). A paladin never retains wealth, and must tithe half of his gold at a temple of his god once per year. A paladin may not seek followers--they must come to him. A paladin is only comfortable around those of his faith. A paladin, due to his religious studies and powers (and restrictions) receives a free weapon skill at only 3D (or higher if his fighting skill is higher). A paladin starts with 1 divine favor, and may roll 1D6. On a 6, the paladin starts with 2 divine favor. A Paladin must have 2D of strength, 2D of wisdom, and 3D of charisma (for leadership abilities). (In the original rules, Paladins did not receive skill with weapons). RANGER A ranger begins play with 2-handed fighting 1/3, tracking, animal empathy (WIS), and 3D in a chosen weapon (or more if base fighting is higher). A ranger may learn animal & plant spheres when he has a divine favor of 4 (7 original rules). A ranger starts with 1 divine favor and rolls 1D6 for more. On a 6, he gets another one. A ranger must have 2D of Strength, Wisdom, and Constitution. (In the original rules, rangers did NOT start with any weapon proficiency). A ranger would be well advised to have good Perception, too, for hunting and tracking purposes, and a good Intelligence for staying alive and learning woodland languages. DRUID A druid gets +1D to save vs. fire or electrical attacks. A druid knows the secret druid language (INT). A druid can identify plants, animals, and pure water with perfect accuracy at divine favor 2 (3 original rules). A druid can 'pass without trace' through natural terrain at 2 divine favor (3 original). A druid may learn the language of a woodland creature with 2 divine favor (3 original) and may learn one more for each divine favor above 2. A druid may shapechange 3 time a day at 3 divine favor (5 original) (NOTE: shapechanging is now a Faith skill, available only to druids. GM's using this skill should ignore this divine favor rule). A druid is immune to the charm abilities of woodland creatures with 4 divine favor (7 original). A druid ceases to age and may hibernate at 5 divine favor (8 and 9 original, respectively). A druid is also immune to natural poisons (but not mineral/gas poison) at 5 divine favor (10 original). At 6 (11) original, the druid may alter his appearance at will. At 8, the druid may enter any of the elemental planes (originally 13 earth, 15 water, 17 air and 19 fire). A druid may only wear armor made of natural materials and use weapons made of natural materials. A druid starts with 1 divine favor and may roll a 1D6 for more. On a 6, the druid gains another point of divine favor. The druid must buy faith and prayer but may only receive 1 free sphere (due to their other powers). Additional spheres may be bought at a cost of 5 creation points each. A druid must have 2D of Wisdom and 3D of charisma (not sure why, yet...). Also, a druid must be played RESPONSIBLY. They are neutral, and are generally 'an eye for an eye' type people. New rules for playing a subset of the Celtic druid types may be added soon. BARD a bard gets a free artistic ability (musical instrument, singing, poetry) @ 5D, a free thief ability @ 5D or 2 thief abilities @ 3D each, the skill identify(INT) for magic items, and read/write common. (NEW)-> A bard ought to start with 1D of Lore, as well. The bard may inspire his companions. For each 5D the bard has in their artistic ability, the party receives +2 pips on all of their rolls while the bard is performing. A bard must have 2D of dexterity and intelligence and 3D of charisma. (In the original rules bards received NO skills or bonuses.) MARTIAL ARTISTS martial artists must abide by the creation rules under the martial arts rules. They must have 2D of strength, dexterity and wisdom, and 3D of constititution (their training is quite rigorous). MERCHANTS merchants start with 5D in bargain/haggle, or 3D in bargain/haggle and 3D in con (unless their base charisma is higher). Merchants must have at least 2D in charisma and perception. *CAMPAIGN-SPECIFIC CLASSES* SOLAR WARRIOR A solar warrior starts with 5D in their chosen weapon and may buy faith and up to 2 priest spheres. If they choose elemental fire, they may also cast fire-based wizard spells as if they were cleric spells. Solar warriors may not wear armor. The code of the solar warriors (the public part) is available for perusal. The private part is available only from the GM. ADDING SKILLS In addition to the skill that may be bestowed upon a certain class, characters are given an additional amount of creation points with which to buy skills. The number of creation points received is based upon intelligence, and can be discovered using the table below. INT CP's +2* 6 1D* 9 1D+1 12 1D+2 15 2D 18 2D+1 21 2D+2 24 3D 27 3D+1 30 3D+2 33 4D 36 4D+1 39 4D+2 42 5D* 45 5D+1* 48 *DEMIHUMAN ONLY. +2 is too stupid to communicate in a spoken language. Normal skills, including thief skills and weapon skills, cost 1 each and start at the level of the attribute they are classified under. Advanced skills cost 6 each (9 each in the original system--the reason for the reduction was that we wanted the characters to be able to do more creative things) and start at a level of 1D, regardless of the attribute they start under. Weapon specialization costs 5 and affects a single weapon of the player's choice. Henceforth, during the course of the game, the player may spend character points to increase the damage, lower the initiative, or fabricate 'special moves' for that weapon. The first instance of this 'specialization' costs 5 cp's, then 10, then 15, then 20, and so on. Initiative may never be reduced below 1/2 the weapon's original value. Skills may be directly increased, by spending 1 cp for 1 pip. The sequence of increase is thus: 1D, 1D+1, 1D+2, 2D. There is no '+3' modifier. Increasing a skill at (X)D+2 yields (X+1)D(+0).