Arcanum/Blue Rose Contributions

First off, let's be horribly unimaginative and simply convert the extant backgrounds to True20 (bear in mind that I'm not 100% sure how True20 works, but then again, converting D20 to True20 can't be too hard).

This probably needs a lot of reworking to get balance and mechanics right, but at least we have something to start with.

Afraid of the Dark:

Race and Gender: Humans and Halflings only

You cannot stand to be in the dark. You stay constantly aware of your surroundings, peering into dim corners and dark shadows to see if something is there. While this has raised your Spot and Search skills by 3 each, you will suffer a panic attack if you are in too dark an area, leading to -1 to Dexterity, Intelligence and Willpower, but you do gain +1 to Strength from the fear.


Agoraphobic

Race and Gender: Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings only

You are terrified of open spaces. As a child, you rarely went outdoors and spent your time reading and studying, gaining a +1 Intelligence. You are fine if you are indoors or even in a thickly forested area, but if you go into an outdoor open area, you suffer a panic attack, losing your Intelligence bonus and leading to -1 to Dexterity, Intelligence and Willpower, but you do gain +1 to Strength from the fear.


Apprentice to a Shopkeeper

Race and Gender: All

Spending your whole childhood in a shop, you gain a bonus to Appraise (+3), but you suffer a penalty to Dexterity (-1).


Army Training

Race and Gender: Humans only

You received some army training during your youth, but you were discharged for having flat feet. You gain bonuses to Strength (+1) as well as a +1 bonus to your attack bonus, but you have a penalty to Dexterity (-1) and also gain a penalty to your AC (-1).


Arsonist

Race and Gender: Humans only

You like fire. No, you LOVE fire! Fire fire fire! You were always picked on as a kid for being scrawny (-1 Strength and -1 Constitution) but you showed them! You studied explosives (+6 to relevant skill???) and you burned their homes! Burned them to the ground! Ha ha! Then you ran away from home and snuck aboard the IFS Zephyr, which seemed highly flammable and an excellent target. You probably would have torched the zeppelin if it hadn't been shot down.


Bandit

Race and Gender: Humans only

You are a gun-toting bandit. You ran afoul of the law and reached the IFS Zephyr just one step ahead of the authorities. You have your gun and some ammo, but you don't have any money.


Barbarian

Race and Gender: All but Half-Ogres

You were raised among a wild barbarian tribe in a far land. No one knows how or why you came to be a passenger aboard to IFS Zephyr, but given your ferocious demeanor, no one tried to find out. You gain +1 Strength and +1 Constitution and a +1 to your Attack Bonus, while suffering -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma, and a -4 to Appraise. You also possess barbarian armor but less money than other characters.


Beat with an Ugly Stick

Race and Gender: All

You are ugly. There is just no other word for it, unless you consider hideous a better word. Children flee from you in terror and even the kindest of souls finds it difficult to stand in your presence for long. As a result of your countenance, you take an extreme penalty to Charisma (-3), but, because you have had to defend yourself from frequent attacks, you gain a bonus to Strength (+1), Dexterity (+1), as well as gaining 3 additional hitpoints at character creation.


Bookworm

Race and Gender: All but Half-Orcs and Half-Ogres

You have spent most of your life reading. You gain a bonus to Intelligence (+1). Unfortunately, myopia has set in, and your Spot and Search skills suffer as a result, receiving a -3 penalty each.


Born Under a Sign

Race and Gender: All

You were born during an astronomical event. As a result, you get critical hits and misses less often, but they tend to be spectacular when you do. The threat range for all weapons are decreased by 1, but you always inflict an additional d20 damage on a critical.


Bride of Frankenstein

Race and Gender: Human Female Only

You were reanimated by a mad scientist to be the bride of his other creation, but somehow you managed to escape before the wedding. You are very well constructed (Charisma +2, Constitution +2, Electrical Resistance 5, fortitude saving throw against poison +2), but slow (Dexterity -2) with a damaged brain-larynx connection (all your dialog skills take a -4 penalty) and a susceptibility to fire (Fire Resistance -5). You also start with no money whatsoever.


Bully

Race and Gender: All but Half-Orcs and Half-Ogres

You were the class bully, big and dumb. Extortion and intimidation have afforded you a bonus to Strength (+1), but getting people to do your homework for you leaves you with a deficiency in Intelligence (-1).


Charlatan's Protégé

Race and Gender: All but Half-Orcs and Half-Ogres

Having been convinced by a traveling salesman to become his apprentice, you have given up your life in the military academy you were enrolled in. You gain a major bonus to Charisma (+3), but lose some physical Strength (-1), Constitution (-1), as well as receiving a -1 penalty to your Attack Bonus.


Child of a Hero

Race and Gender: All

You start with your father's +1 sword, and the reputation 'Child of a Hero.' Unfortunately, your reputation precedes you, and you incur terrible negative reaction for any evil act.


Clanless Dwarf

Race and Gender: Dwarves only

Your parents did not belong to a clan, and would not discuss the reasons why. You gain no Dwarven bonus to Tech skills, but you do start with an excellent Dwarven war hammer.


Dark Elf Follower

Race and Gender: Elves Only

You believe in the philosophy of the dark elves, that technology must be brought down at any cost. This faith has strengthened your resolve (+1 Willpower), but the recent rise f technology has made you bitter (-1 Charisma).


Dark Sight

Race and Gender:

Your eyes are overly sensitive to light.You are nearly blind in daylight, but you can see perfectly in darkness. Therefore all skill lighting penalties are reversed for you.


Day Mage

Race and Gender: All but Dwarves

You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for the sun. During the day (between the hours of 6 AM and 6 PM), you possess a +20% bonus to your Magickal Aptitude, but at night you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.


Debutante

Race and Gender: Females only

Your family is one of the most influential in all of Arcanum. As a young debutante, you have bonuses to Charisma (+2) and all of your dialog skills (+2). Of course, the easy life has made you soft in mind and body. You have penalties in Strength (-1), Dexterity (-1), AC (-1) and Attack Bonus (-1).


Disenfranchised Gnome

Race and Gender: Gnomes only

You are not part of the Gnomish capitalist bourgeoisie and instead grew up as a day laborer. You suffer a significant penalty to Appraise (-6), but gain a bonus to Strength (+1).


Educator

Race and Gender: All

You are a natural teacher. While it takes longer for you to gain levels, (Blue Rose doesn't have XP it seems, so I guess it's left at the discretion of the DM), whenever you have a skill level that is higher than someone else in the party, their skill checks are at an automatic +2 (cannot exceed skill level of teacher) whenever you're present.


Elvish Blood

Race and Gender: Humans, Half-Ogres, Gnomes and Halflings only

Your father's great-grandmother was an Elf. You gain a bonus to Dexterity (+1) as well as an increase in your Magickal Aptitude (+10%), but suffer a -4 penalty to all Tech skills.


Escaped Lunatic

Race and Gender: Humans only

You have escaped from an insane asylum and stowed away aboard the IFS Zephyr. You are extremely resistant to damage (+1 to AC, fire resistance 5, electrical resistance 5, and +2 to fortitude saving throws) but you have no money, you have stolen some cheap clothing, and most people are frightened or repulsed by you (-3 Charisma).


Extreme Personality

Race and Gender: All

You possess an extreme personality. People react more strongly to your presence, and tend to grow to either love or hate you.


Factory Escapee

Race and Gender: Half-Orcs only

You were a slave in a factory, until a recent escape. You have no money, but you gain a bonus to Strength (+1). Factory work has left its toll though, and you take a -3 penalty to Reflex Saves as a result.


Feral Child

Race and Gender: All

As an infant, your parents abandoned you in the middle of the forest. Having been raised by a pack of wolves gives you a considerable bonus to Dexterity (+2) as well as increases in the Thieving skills of Hide (+1) and Sleight of Hand (+1). But, oblivious of table manners and the rules of good society, you receive a sever penalty to Intelligence (-3) as well as decreases in the Social skills of Diplomacy (-1) and Appraise (-1). You begin with half the normal starting wealth.


Foppish Elf

Race and Gender: Elves only

Raised in the city, you lose the Elven bonus to Dexterity, but gain a significant bonus to Diplomacy (+4).


Frankenstein Monster

Race and Gender: Human Male Only

You were reanimated by a mad scientist from various body parts found at gravesites, but somehow you escaped from the laboratory. You are very well constructed (Strength +2, Constitution +2, Electrical Resistance +10, saving throws against poison +2), but slow (Dexterity -3) with a damaged brain-larynx connection (you take a -3 penalty to all your conversational skills) and a susceptibility to fire (Fire Resistance -10). You also start with no money whatsoever.


Freed Bodyguard

Race and Gender: Half-Ogres only

Your Gnomish master recently died, and in his will you were freed from servitude, as well as being left a small monetary gift. You also get a free Weapon Focus feat. You are not very bright, however, and suffer a penalty to your Intelligence (-1).


Halfling Orphan

Race and Gender: Halflings only

Abandoned in a large city as a child, you survived by stealing and never received any education. You gain a significant bonus to Sleight of Hand (+4), but lose some Intelligence (-1).


Hydrophobic

Race and Gender: Humans, Half-Orcs, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings only

You are deathly afraid of water and of drowning. As a child, you constantly made up reasons to avoid entering even shallow water, gaining +4 to Bluff. If you do find yourself in water, you suffer a panic attack, leading to -1 to Dexterity, Intelligence and Willpower, but you do gain +1 to Strength from the fear. You also receive a -2 penalty to all your Swim checks.


Hyperactive

Race and Gender: All

You are constantly busy. Your Dexterity is higher than normal (+1), but most people find you annoying, and your Charisma suffers (-1).


Idiot Savant

Race and Gender: Humans and Human Hybrids only

You were institutionalized at a young age and believed to be mentally handicapped. After several years, the institute lost funding and you were turned out onto the street with nothing more than the clothes on your back. You are brilliant with a keen grasp of numbers and mathematics, but you are barely able to talk. You gain +3 points of Intelligence and +3 to Gambling, but years of being locked away makes you suffer physically and emotionally. You talk as if you had a much lower Intelligence and you suffer -1 to Strength and Constitution, and -1 to Dexterity and Wisdom.


Inheritance

Race and Gender: All

You were orphaned as a young child and inherited a lot of money. The easy life has cost you a penalty to Wisdom (-1). Most of the money has been spent by now, but you begin with four times the normal starting wealth.


Lady's Man

Race and Gender: Males only

Women swoon whenever they are near you. Being unusually good-looking, you gain a large bonus to Charisma (+3). Unfortunately, all that primping and powdering has you lacking in the more manly virtues ... you lose points in Constitution (-2), Strength (-1) and Dexterity (-1).


Mad Doctor

Race and Gender: All

You have performed numerous untested and dangerous medical experiments upon yourself but suffer the adverse effects. You gained a +1 to Intelligence and Wisdom, a +2 to saving throws against poison and electrical resistance 5, and a +4 to healing skill, but you suffer -2 to Charisma, a -1 to Dexterity and a -2 to Constitution.


Magick Allergy

Race and Gender: All but Elves and Half-Elves

You are severely allergic to magickal items, such that touching them causes you pain.Therefore, you have been devoted to technology since a young age and have developed a knack for it. You gain a +10% bonus to Technological Aptitude, but you cannot wield ANY magickal items.


Miracle Operation

Race and Gender

Though born to a wealthy family as a young child, you mysteriously lost your sight. It was discovered that you had contracted a degenerative and always fatal disease. As a blind child,your early development favored indoor activities and development befitting the wealthiest of society. You gained a +2 to Intelligence and Charisma. Your sense of touch, hearing, and smell increased to compensate your blindness, resulting in a +3 to Wisdom. However you suffered physically leading to a -2 strength, -2 Dexterity, and a -3 constitution. As a young adult your parents out of desperation paid for the services of a renown if unorthodox physician,who miraculously restored your sight. The operation cost your family it's fortune so you have set of to make your own.


Nature Mage

Race and Gender: All but Dwarves

You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for nature. While standing on a natural surface, you possess a +20% bonus to Magickal Aptitude. But on a man-made surface, you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.


Nietzche Poster Child

Race and Gender: All

Nietzsche once said "That which does not kill me makes me stronger", and he may have been referring to you. All your life you have been making mistakes, but you always seem to come out better afterwards. In other words, you take a -1 penalty to all your saves but you advance faster than other characters.


Night Mage

Race and Gender: All but Dwarves

You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for the night. At night (between the hours of 6 PM and 6 AM), you possess a +20% bonus to your Magickal Aptitude, but during the day you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.


Only Child

Race and Gender: All

You grew up as the only child of very permissive parents, and you basically always got your own way. As an adult, you expect nothing less than total obedience of those around you (Will saving throw +4, +1 DC to enchantment spells), but your temperament reduces your Charisma by 4 and your Persuasion and Appraise skills by 2 each.


Professional Knife Tosser

Race and Gender: All

You used to work as a knife thrower in a circus, until losing an eye in a freak accident. Sadly, you lose ranks in Spot and Search (-4), but whenever you use a throwing weapon you gain +1 to Attack and Damage.


Raised by Elves

Race and Gender: Humans only

You start with a wonderful suit of Magickal Elven chain mail, but suffer a penalty to all Tech skills (-3).


Raised by Monks

Race and Gender: All

Piety has its advantages and disadvantages. You gain a bonus to Wisdom (+1), but renouncing the material world leaves you with only the clothes on your back.


Raised by Orcs

Race and Gender: All

You were a runaway orphan, homeless and starving, when an Orcish family in the wilderness took you in and raised you. Their brutish ways have left you with increased Strength (+1), Wisdom (+1), as well as a bonus to your Attack Bonus (+1). Unfortunately, your upbringing has also taken its toll on your personality, and you have a severe penalty to Charisma (-3).


Raised in the Pits

Race and Gender: All

Being a veteran in the local pit fights, you gain a bonus to Strength (+1), Dexterity (+1), and an increase in your Attack Bonus (+1). The vicious combat has also taken a toll. Head trauma gives you a severe penalty to Intelligence (-3).


Raised by Snake Handlers

Race and Gender: All

You receive a +4 bonus to saving throws against poison, but suffer a penalty to your Charisma (-1) due to the large number of bite scars on your arms and legs.


Ran Away with the Circus

Race and Gender: All

Having run away with a local troupe of circus performers, you have gained considerable physical Strength (+3), but have serious deficiencies in Intelligence (-2), Wisdom (-3), and all your knowledge skills (-3) do to all of the school that you have missed.


Rare Half Ogre Birth

Race and Gender: Half-Ogres only

You were born to a human mother, who miraculously survived your birth. Having been raised in the city, you gain a considerable bonus to Intelligence (+2). City life has also lessened your ferocity, and you lose points in both Strength (-1) and Constitution (-1).


Sent to a Charm School

Race and Gender: Human Females only

Instead of a general education, you were sent to a charm school. You gain bonuses to both Diplomacy (+2) and Charisma (+1), but you lose points in both Intelligence (-1) and Strength (-1).


Sheltered Childhood

Race and Gender: All

You were cooed and coddled incessantly as a child. As a result of over-protective parenting, you take a severe penalty to Strength (-3), but, being more sensitive, you have bonuses to Intelligence (+2), Wisdom (+2), and Charisma (+1).


Sickly

Race and Gender: All

Mother Nature can be a harsh mistress. Having been born with an extremely week immune system, you have penalties to Strength (-1), Constitution (-2), and Dexterity (-1). But all is not lost. Afternoons spent with a fever and a good book have afforded you unnaturally high Intelligence (+3).


Sky Mage

Race and Gender: All but Dwarves

You were born with a magickal aptitude that has affinity for the open sky. While outside and in clear view of the sky, you possess a +20% bonus to Magickal Aptitude. But while underground, indoors, or even under a heavy forest canopy, you suffer a -20% to your Magickal Aptitude.


Sold Your Soul

Race and Gender: All

You have made a pact with a demon. In exchange for more magickal power, you have dedicated your life to the pursuit of evil. You gain +20% to Magickal Aptitude, but suffer -2 Charisma and will lose your magick bonus should your alignment ever go from evil to good or neutral. Then you must also face the demon you've signed your pact with, or be dragged to hell.


Special Person

Race and Gender: All

You have suffered congenital brain damage. You lack Intelligence (-2), but you receive more praise for doing good deeds, resulting in a 50% increase in all quest rewards.


Super Model

Race and Gender: Females Only

You are a stunningly gorgeous woman, and you have been pampered and coddled all of your life. You gain a tremendous bonus to Charisma (+3) at the cost of Wisdom (-1), Strength (-1) and most of all Intelligence (-2).


Suppressed Orcish Looks

Race and Gender: Half-Orcs only

You do not really look very Orcish, but you're still very surly. You've a bonus to Charisma (+1), but suffer a slight penalty to your social skills (-2). The character will always pass as fully human.


Technophobia

Race and Gender: Humans, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs and Halflings only

You were raised on a potato farm in the rustic backwaters of a distant land. You worked hard (+1 Strength and +1 Constitution), but you never experienced any technology of any kind. Subsequently, you are afraid of technological items and cannot bring yourself to even pick one up.


Tomboy

Race and Gender: Females only

As a little girl, you were always playing games with the boys. As a woman, you can hold your own against any man, and you have avoided the stereotypical female role in society. This background negates the gender effect by increasing Strength (+1) while decreasing Constitution (-1).


Tough Hide

Race and Gender: Half-Orcs and Half-Ogres only

You were born with thick, brutish skin. Although you resist damage more than the average bloke (AC +1), you unfortunately take a penalty to Charisma (-1).


Troll Offspring

Race and Gender: All

The gods frowned upon you when you were born. Cursed with both Trollish looks and mannerisms, you receive severe penalties to Charisma (-4). As everyone seems to thing that you are spawned from monsters or worse, you often find yourself fending off hunters and holy men, and gain bonuses to Strength (+1), Constitution (+1), and Dexterity (+1).


Wild Half Ogre

Race and Gender: Half-Ogres only

You were born to an Ogre mother and lived with an Ogre clan until very recently. After time spent in civilization, you receive a bonus to Wisdom (+1) but you still suffer a slight penalty to your Charisma (-1).

 

Honestly, all I know about Blue Rose and True20 is from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Rose_ ... aying_game)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_20

I've already noticed a few things that are erroneous in my background list, oh well...

I might write the fluff text tomorrow though.

 

Meh, if only you'd be close enough to physically give me that hug. I also lament the fact that I won't ever get to play this when it's finished. Lot's of redundant Earth between Scandinavia and Oz really.

Fluff text probably appears this evening though. Are you dividing this into different eras? If so, we need to invent spell levels 6-8 that are (if I remember correctly) only available in the Ages of Legends and also decide what technology you'd expect at certain time periods.

 

Fluff text didn't happen yesterday.

Magic

I gather that magic spells are bought as feats in True20, and that works nicely with how it's done in Arcanum. However, keeping track of fatigue sounds a bit boring and therefore I'd rather have spellcasting work as for Sorceror's in D&D with the number of casts per day being partially determined by your Constitution. Oh yes, and spell DC's have to be influenced by MA and no other factors, and the number of spells you can have active at a time equals your Int bonus. Easy as pie. I'm stealing heavily from the NWN2 Wiki doing this.

I have one big fat question though. How does damage work in True20?


FIRE

Agility of Fire. : Spell Level 1. Grants the target +2 Dexterity for 1 minute/10 MA. While the spell might be cast multiple times on the same target, the effect does not stack. Mastery doubles duration.

Wall of Fire: Spell Level 2. You conjure a curtain of fire that deals 1d20 points/20 MA of fire damage to any creature that attempts to pass through it. One wall is 30' wide and 6' tall, multiple walls can be combined to build a longer or higher wall. The Wall of Fire lasts for 3 rounds before dissipating. Mastery doubles duration and adds +50% damage.

Fireflash: Spell Level 3. You unleash a fiery projectile that explodes upon all within the area of effect for 1d20 damage/20 MA to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.

You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. (An early impact results in an early detonation.) If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must “hit” the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.

The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.

Mastery increases damage by 50%.

Body of Fire: Spell level 4: By drawing on the power of fire, you cause your body to become pure flame. Fire extends 5 feet in all directions from your body, illuminating the area and dealing 1d20 points of fire damage per 25 MA to adjacent creatures every round. You gain complete immunity to fire, but suffer double damage from any cold based attacks. Lasts for 5 rounds. Mastery doubles duration.


Fire Elemental: Well, maybe I should have better knowledge of the combat system first...

 

Whatever you end up with, make sure the steam punk part remains as thick and juicy as possible, with pressure gouges and steam whistles everywhere.

This bias toward developing the spell casting system is beginning to look unhealthy.

My two cents on balance and magick/tech interaction - try to avoid creating a system like D&D, where mages generally suck at lower levels - offensive spells in general should be able to blow away or cripple most average foes, even at lower levels, and force most animals to flee in terror. Higher levels ought to empower mages to deal with 'special' cases, such as other mages using defensive spells, technologists and magickal/technological creatures. The same goes for technology, firearms and explosives should be lethal in most cases, limited by their reliability against high MA targets. Also tech armor would offer decent protection against these, being so advanced and all.

The neutral side would simply benefit from not relying on either magick or tech - plain arrows ought to fly through a low level mages' shield of protection with ease, being slowed down a bit but still striking the target and mostly staying on course - while a tech-aligned crossbow bolt would likely behave as if shot into water. Same goes for technology, for example a feather weight chainmail would offer little protection against a heavy barbarian blade, while capable of nearly deflecting a feather-weight axe or a charmed greatsword.

In other words, i believe that winding the game mechanics around the MA/TA conflict would create a much more interesting game then one that simply includes some rules for magich/tech interaction.

 

Isn't blue rose some kind of a pen-and-paper RPG ? I realize my ideas may sound as complicated to implement, but that stems from my idea of playing these in a more narrative fashion.

Also an idea about allowing the equivalent of harm-spamming and using other spells in this manner:

A suitable spell may be cast multiple times in the space of one turn, applying penalties to the cast roll, based on the spell's original DC: casting twice, increases the DC to cast it by 3/4 (round down), thrice adding extra 1/2 of it's cast DC (at this point being 225% of original DC) or four+ times, each adding 1/4 of original DC to the roll.

Each additional spell increases the critical fail margin by 2 (ie. casting a spellx3 means a roll of 1-7 would knock out the caster).

On a successful cast roll, spamming spells increases the caster's fatigue level by one (except on a critical success roll), regardless of the number of times the spell was cast.

In case of a failed roll, the fatigue levels are applied as if the spell was cast that number of times, each time failing the fatigue save. Also, the spell is cast according to the rules regarding failed cast rolls, once per each fatigue level until the caster becomes unconscious.

This rule results in lower level casters having the potential to cause much damage, should they get lucky, or simply become exhausted but deal more damage then they normally could. Higher level casters could use this in emergencies, or simply to show off.

 

I definitely like this idea, should you put emphasis on the magick/tech conflict - Maybe not at such high level, but generally giving mages (or meta mages) the ability to extend their MA 'field' and enclose a certain area gives many intersting possibilities. I think meta mages should be able to produce a anti-magic field as well - but never a technological one.

Obviously, it should be dependant on the mages MA, and not capable of going beyond that.

I can't yet think of all the intricacies of how it would affect various targets, but generally that's how I see it:

On technologists, with TA < field's MA, it would have a strongly suppressing effect. Most complicated technological gizmos would go crazy, things like tech armor and weapons would become crude, unbalanced chunks of metal. Firearms would likely misfire, explosives go dud etc.

On technologists with TA >= MA it would simply have a slight disrupting effect, causing equipment to become generally unreliable, making armor more bulky and otherwise being a distraction.

For neutral chars, this would make them vulnerable to magick, for example fireballs wouldn't simply cause (pretty bad) burns, they could easily incinerate a otherwise maickaly helpless creature. All magickal/tech items would receive proper bonuses/penalties, as if the char's MA equaled that of the field.

On magickally inclined characters it would have a twofold effect. one one hand, it could amplify the powers of the spells cast, should the field's MA be higher then the caster's. On the other however, a much higher MA of the field would do more harm then good, as the caster would likely be unable to control such power. Thus, a +1 CP penalty for each 10MA above the caster's. Maybe +1 critical fail margin for each 20MA.

Note that a method of calculating the MA/TA conflict should be developed - I suggest for starters we go with putting the character's alignment first, and based on the difference, apply the effect to items/spells.

The Arcanum method of calculating magick/tech power is quite good IMO, however to allow for effects more complex then simply losing power/increasing the crit fail chance, there should be three stat sets for each magick/tech weapon: at full power, at nominal power and without power.

Each item should have two MA/TA ratings - one indicating the one at which the full power is availiable, and the nominal rating at which the item stays by itself.

When the wielder is at MA/TA >= of the item's full power alignment rating, the full power stats are availiable.

Between that and the nominal rating, a percentage of the full power is availiable.

The item's stats don't go below their nominal values, unless the wielder's alignment goes to the other side of the spectrum. At that point, the points are subtracted until the item's aligment reaches zero. In this case the item's stats decrease from their 'nominal power' to 'without power' levels.

Ok, that's quite complex, but firstly, it's just a detailed description of a general idea a GM should grasp, secondly, this is supposed to reflect the negative effects of MA/TA conflicts.

In a technologist's hands, a balanced sword would be a very deadly and swift weapon, gaining all the 'power' which comes from applying whatever technological metallurgy and mathematical knowledge was used to create it.
In a barbarian's hands, it would likely be a somewhat flimsy, but still quite sharp longsword - after all a sword is a sword.
However if in the presence of a strong magickal field, it would start to lose its balance, become quite dull, possibly even become softer and prone to corrosion.

On the other hand, a technologist picking up an old enchanted axe would likely witness it covering itself with cracks, spots of rust and pieces of it chipping off. Ancient weapons with little magick remaining to sustain them could be reduced to piles of dust this way, within minutes of coming into contact with a tech aura.

Oh, and a note on TA/MA ratings - for any given character, it can never go over 100. 100 should be a LOT. We don't want to have characters going beyond that, because then there would be people making char's that are over 9000.

As it would appear form my proposition, a wielder 'protects' all his items by his alignment. Items laying on the ground have only their alignment to keep them from being damaged by the other force, however items themselves create an aura around them that can enclose other items.

Items also may never go beyond 100 alignment points, and 100 is also a lot - like a BIG steam engine, a advanced train, an ancient elven tree or an artifact of great power. Basically the rule should be, that things that have their _nominal_ alignment higher then 60 are big stationary objects.

Obviously, these objects may break or malfunction when they've less then half their nominal power, due to an alignment conflict. Carrying an item with MA/TA higher then the character may affect the alignment, but won't bring it up to the item's level.

Otherwise, the rule is that the highest alignment in the area affects characters and items in the vicinity, if there's a mix of MA/TA, then the difference of the two is what is to be considered when estimating bonuses and penalties.

A mage doesn't suffer a CP penalty when casting in an area with a higher MA, however his spells are not fully amplified.

 

True, however rules should just be guidelines in a P&P rpg. The idea to remember is simply that below its max power, the item's stats are somewhere between the nominal and max power ratings - anything more complicated then that I would consider overkill for a RP session.

However if strict rules are needed, here's my proposition:

I wouldn't expect the GM to pull out a calculator and tap in the values whenever a char's MA changes - these should be a tool for roleplaying rather then learning math.

Picking some values in between would be a normal solution to the problem, also providing 'power tables' for each item might increase the accuracy for GMs who like to be more precise about their stats.

Table steppings should generally be each 5MA/10MA above nominal rating, up to the max power rating. Of course in case there isn't much happening as MA changes, simply an extra half-power stat would suffice. The same may be provided for the case of items suffering negative penalties, when going below their nominal MA, however the general rule here is that they simply become flimsy and useless.