Let's Chat about House Mechanics and The Manipulator Base Class!
over 4 years ago
– Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 07:07:07 AM
Hey Backers!
We're nearly funded! - Please share our campaign out with everyone you know to help us get across the finish line!
In the meantime, we'd like to share more about our Kingdom House's and House Rules!
TLDR: The House Mechanics make humans and other races get combined with their house giving them unique special abilities and a ton of unique roleplaying opportunities that come with feuding houses across the 10 Kingdoms of Kambria. This impacts your Class/Subclass, Race, and background choices (if you're using it in our Kambria World) or you can port them into your own game and use what you want of course!
Kambrian House Classes
The classes, and associated subclasses of Kambria available to you are limited by the House you are in. Furthermore, a wizard trained in the desert palaces of Ash’Bridge is very different from one trained in the halls of the Arcadian Dominion. Thus, while many Houses have the same classes/subclasses available, how these classes feel are often very different. Each House Chapter thus has an accompanying description for class and subclass available, and how they fit within the House as a whole. Some existing classes and subclasses also have modifications to existing features, and in a few cases new features as well. These changes are only applicable to a member of that class/subclass from the House where the changes are described.
SAMPLE HOUSE CHAPTER HERE
House Boons
In Dragon Thrones, your House is central to your being. The echoes of the Elder Dragons and the Power of the Dragon Thrones who founded each House resonate through time, granting all members of a House one or more special abilities. These House Boons are described in each House Chapter. (See examples in the house chapter above)
(This book assumes you will have access to the Player’s Handbook (PHB), Xanathar’s Guide to Everything (XGE), and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything (TCE), as classes and subclasses from all three books are referenced here.)
Essence
In Dragon Thrones, as an Optional Rule: Essence replaces Inspiration. Unlike Inspiration, Essence can be stockpiled. Essence represents the magical power of the world of Kambria, and its concentration in an individual. The maximum number of Essence a character can store is equal to half their level (round up). You can use any amount of Essence that you want; however, all Essence being spent on a single action must be declared at once.
An Essence can be spent to provide any one of the benefits below. Generally, each benefit costs 1 Essence and multiple Essence can be spent on the same roll, unless the rules for the specific benefit say otherwise:
- Gain Advantage: Gain Advantage on any roll. This includes attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks.
- Upcast a Spell: Cast a spell at a spell slot of 1 level higher. Multiple Essence can be spent to stack this effect; thus, if you spend 4 Essence, you can cast a level 1 spell using a level 1 spell slot, but it has effects as if it were cast using a 5th level spell slot. This only works for spells that can benefit from using a higher level spell. You can upcast spells to a spell slot level higher than what you have access to, but for each spell slot level past what you have access to that you upcast at, you take 1d8 damage.
- Dragon Thrones 5e Power: Activate a special feature. Many House Boons, racial, and class features require Essence to activate, as described in their specific rules.
Of course, the game is still being finalized and playtested - as well as being playtested in our Blockbuster Larp Weekend Dragon Thrones
The Manipulator Base Class
The human walks into battle surrounded by an elite team. With the slightest gesture, they deploy their henchmen with deadly precision. They utter a few choice words and alter the enemy’s course, allowing the team to easily dispatch them.
In a crowded tavern, it is clear everyone is spoiling for a fight. A smile and a conversation causes the mood to shift. A negotiation turns south, but some smooth talking from the party face, and now they are ready to spill their secrets.
The merchant stands up and shakes his head, sweat dripping from his brow. He thought that he would be able to negotiate the deal from a position of perceived strength. He does not understand how his debts were uncovered when he hid them so well.
A charming smile captivates its audience, and information for their investigation spills out like water from a river. When the flow runs dry, a distraction of a more physical nature provides the opportunity to prevent those secrets from getting to other ears.
A bolt flies out of the darkness, piercing the target through the eye. The distracted Citadel guards scramble to find the culprit long after a Ghost Ship has left harbor unseen.
Whatever their House or methods, Manipulators are always one step ahead. They control the battlefield and the people around them like puppets on a string, maximizing every situation to the benefit of themselves and their party. Needing little or no magic, the Manipulator thrives on intellect and charm in equal measure, and is often admired by even those she defeats--for if one has to lose, they might as well lose to a master Manipulator.
More to come!
If you have questions about anything, please ask in the comments!
Thanks so much for all your support!
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