Whats Different

THIS NEEDS UPDATING!

What's different about Future Path? What sets it apart from D20-style TTRPs, or for that matter, any other pen-and-paper game? Well, glad you asked!

1. d20+ System:

This is the resolution system. d20 or d10 systems are named as such because they indicate which primary die is used to resolve conflicts. d20+ is named because players will roll a d20 plus additional dice depending on their level and the situation. This system is based on 3 main concepts.

1. Rolling more unique dice is fun.
2. Rolling less often improves the pace and action.
3. Mitigating static modifiers allows for more dynamic play.

Together, these statements form the base for a lot of decision-making for the game rules. Static modifiers still exist, but primarily for Ability Score, Item bonuses, and Miscellaneous modifiers. While everything else is a die roll of some sort, where the die increases over time, with the occasional static modifier bonus. Dies have levels, and the higher the level, the bigger the die gets. Characters gain access to higher die levels as they level up. There are different level progressions for Skills, Weapons and Advantage die.

2. Advantage and Disadvantage:

This bonus is provided by a Character's Advantage Die which is a Die provided by the Character's Path and improves as the Character levels up. The idea is that as the Character gains experience, they are more likely to take better advantage of opportunities. And in turn, the bigger you are, the harder you fall, so the Advantage Die is also used when a character has a disadvantage for the opposite effect. The important part here is that an advantageous situation, ie, flanking, never stops being useful. In some games, this bonus would be a static +2, which, by the time the character is level 10, is nowhere near as important as it was when they were level 1. This also means that your Character's advantage/disadvantage is variable, as the Player could roll a 1 or higher. Advantage is provided both through the rules as a Character levels up, gaining Affinity or Proficiency, and through environmental factors that the GM can control.

3. Combat:

In FuturePath combat character relay on the Advantage system instead of something like Base Attack Bonus. This is a significant part of why this system is called d20+. Character's accuracy improves over time based on the improving Advantage Die, which is semi-random. The man's goal with Combat Encounters in FuturePath is to improve the pace of the action and make combat scale well, time-management-wise, with the character's level. To this end the following things are different:

3.1 Remove Initiative Rolling

Rolling for Initiative to start combat is removed. Each team has a static Team initiative score, which is determined at the start of play, not at the start of combat. Combat and just start as the GM should know what the opposing team's total Initiative is.

3.2 Group Turns instead of Player turns

Instead of it being a Player's turn, it is a Group's turn. The Player's Character's make up the Team. And that team, as well as the enemy team, is divided up into 2 groups. The Vanguard and Rearguard. The Team that goes first has its Vanguard act as a whole before the enemy's Vanguard. And then it is the Rearguards' turn. Players in each group act together. So, it is a group's turn instead of a Player's turn. This helps keep combat engaging, as you don't have to wait long before it is your turn to act again, and you act as a group with your teammates.

3.3 Tactical Opportunity instead of Attacks of Opportunity

Attacks of Opportunity no longer exist. They have been replaced with Tactical Opportunity, which adds modifiers to the enemy's next turn, avoiding breaking up the flow of combat.

3.4 Extra Damage instead of Extra Attack

Additional attacks do not exist in FuturePath. Instead, it is Extra Damage, and it is determined by the Character Path and Level. Extra Damage is given depending on how much the Character beats the AC of the target. The more they level up, the higher the Advantage Die, and the more Extra Damage is granted. Thus increasing the chance of more damage. This also means that the pace of combat is disrupted by a Player rolling for 4 or 5 different attacks.

3.5 Three Second Rounds instead of Six Second Rounds

Rounds are considered 3 seconds instead of the typical 6 seconds found in the d20 system. This means that players have only one standard action instead of two. This helps reduce the time players spend trying to figure out what to do.

4. Character Path and Class:

In FuturePath Player's choose their Character's Path first. A Path helps provide a general direction and focus. It is not as specific as a Class. It answers the question: "What am I good at?" or "What is my general theme?" Examples are "Strong Hero", "Fast Hero" etc... Paths determine the Character's Ability Affinity, which provides an advantage on saving throws for the Ability. It also determines Hit Die, how an Advantage Die progresses, and when the Character gains Extra Damage. A Path also has themed Talents to choose from. A Path level is the same as the Character level, and a Character cannot multi-path. A level 10 Character that is on the Path of Dexterity is also a level 10 Fast Character. Classes, on the other hand, are a little more specific. They answer the questions "What do I do?" or "What am I capable of?". They only go up to 10 levels. When leveling up, a Character chooses a Class to level up alongside their Path. Classes focus on providing Character's with additional flavor, abilities, combat options etc.. It is encouraged to multi-class.

5. Skills:

Our approach to handling Skills may seem at first glance to be the same old same old. However, there are several major differences. There are 3 types of skills. Natural, UnNatural, and Rank Dependent. The "Rank Dependent" is a new addition to our ruleset. The idea is that the skill's rank determines the best possible outcome. Instead of just helping to beat a DC by adding a modifier to your d20 roll, it also predetermines how good your success is if you do indeed succeed. The best example is with Language. Now, language is handled by having a skill rank for each Language you know. If you have a rank of just 1 in say "Common Human," then your best possible outcome is just being able to tell that what you are reading/listening to is indeed Human speech, and maybe a few words here and there. Even if you succeed with a natural 20. Your Character is just learning the language. The higher the rank, the better the best possible outcome will be. Many rules sets sort of use this with Crafting by restricting how powerful the items a Character can craft based on their Craft rank. This is also the case here.

We also changed how skills level up somewhat. All skills have to be Trained before you can put ranks in them. Class skills are automatically Trained at level 1. However, in order to apply the Character's ability modifier to an UnNatural non-class skill, it must first be trained, which costs a skill point. If the skill is a Natural skill can still attempt the action, but they simply do not add any bonuses to it.

To Learn more please visit the Skills Basics page.

6. Language:

As noted above in the Skill's section we treat language differently. Language is 'Rank Dependent', meaning the Character does not just get a language at every skill level and instantly is fluent in it. The Language skill determines the number of languages a character can have. It is also added to any check involving comprehension of a foreign language. Each language you use has its own Skill and Rank. The rank of that skill predetermines the best possible outcome. At rank 1 of a specific language skill, a player is just learning that language. The ranks are 1 through 5, with 5 indicating that they are fluent in the language to the point that they appear to speak and write it as if it were their first language, and they can manipulate accents. Spending a point on the Language skill automatically grants a new Language that starts Trained at Rank 1.

7. Techniques:

In a lot of Sci-Fi Pen & Paper games, the aspect of casting magic is missing. Well although 'magic' as defined in most Fantasy realms is not present in the Future Path setting a similar game mechanic called Techniques is. This system allows fantastical Sci-Fi elements to take shape and enables Players to enjoy creating Characters who can still perform feats of prowess that, to the untrained eye, may seem like magic.

8. Wealth System:

A lot of P&P (Pen and Paper) game systems use a simplified way of handling wealth. The goal is to streamline gameplay and make it more about the story than about epic shopping. However, this forces the GM and the Player to role-play in a certain way. What if you want to play out attempting to pay for the illegal substance or your new Star Ship. Buying a ship can be a major commitment and achievement for a Player. So why not have Players manage their money? Well... it's difficult when you get into modern finance. Things are more complicated. There needs to be a middle ground. We believe that our Wealth System is a good middle ground that helps to express a Players' Wealth in a way that represents modern money without bogging down gameplay.

We use the Credit system. This allows players to own 'ISC' or Inter-Stellar Credits, have a Credit Score that determines their monthly income (if that applies), and buy vastly more expensive items. However, each time a Character buys something costly, they lose 1 or more Credit Score points. There are only a few difficult ways to get a Credit Score back which means Players will have to choose what expensive things to buy.

Items in the game are all rated by the Procure Difficulty system, which is a way to sum up how both rare and difficult an item is to acquire. And lastly, all items also have an attribute associated with Tech Level. All these attributes when combined, allow GMs an easy way to both control and convey the availability of items to players in an easy and quick way. Making 'epic shopping' experiences much faster. For example, a GM could tell the party when they walk into a weapons depot that there are only Tech Level 1,2 items with 0,1 and 2 Procure Difficulties available. That way the players can look at the list of items and know exactly what they can and cannot get in that store.

9. Campaign Setting:

What initially inspired the creation of this game was the severe lack of a Campaign Setting to explore for d20 Future/Modern. There was no Forgotten Realms or Golarion to explore. Although not wholly a bad thing, it kept the d20 Modern/Future game from feeling complete. The galaxy FuturePath is set in is full of civilizations with varying levels of technology, from alien planets with no sentient life to empires that spread across the stars. However, there are still largely unknown pieces of space with mysteries and dangers. Large amounts of explored space with civilizations all striving to prove themselves, while at the same time, massive amounts of unexplored space and unsolved mysteries. The idea is that a GM can start their players in an established, known part of the world, but then not be creatively tied down, as they can jump into sections of the unexplored universe where unknown alien civilizations can exist.

10. Tech Level:

Technology is so cool! Sci-Fi is surrounded by the neat tech that unlocks wondrous impossibilities and brings them into the palm of a Character's hand. They can bring power and awe. People of lower understanding may simply view someone with advanced technology as a god. Or at least someone of great power that should be feared. This is full of fun storytelling possibilities. Technology and the belief in what is possible are the fuel for Sci-Fi stories and can empower GMs and Players alike. In Future Path Player Characters inherit the Tech Level of the civilization they grow up in. The Tech Level affects what level of items a player can repair/modify/craft. And penalties are given for the use of items with Tech Levels too high for a character to understand. More on Tech Level here. They can also earn the ability to use, repair, and even craft items of a higher Tech level at certain points in the adventure. Giving something for a Character to strive for and the Player to look forward to.