Infinite Incarnations

Welcome to 'INFINITE INCARNATIONS' - a periodic publication for Incarna materials. Inside you will find news, optional rules, commentary, and even milieu and setting companion materilas.

A note about rules presented in this publication: No rules presented herein are considered 'official' until they get published as part of an official suppliement or added to an existing one. The new information and rules are purely optional for Incarna users.

Letters and Questions

Math and Sorcery

How come someone with less aptitude has to learn a really high math skill to gain the same rank of sorcery? It makes no sense once you reach the same lesser math skill that the greater aptitude needs. It seems like offsetting the lack of aptitude is done in the slower rank gain.

Answer: This is actually a very good question. I would be interested in hearing input back on limiting the math level to 6 or offering an detailed explanation.

Main Content

Ability Weighting - Alternate Resolution

As a more visceral approach to gaming, which involves less resolution checks presenting as Skill Weighting. The GM sets a difficulty level and the character must have an ALU equal to or greater to succeed. The player may dynamically put forward other factors, skills, or attributes which have weight in the situation to adjust their ALU. This is a loose and fast system. In combat, things are judged slightly different. Each character starts off a combat with a number of Hits. actions which would normally negate an attack do so a number of times equal to the characters hits. Otherwise it reduces an attack to a single hit. Parry actions reduce attacks automatically in matched CS - the results is the number of hits the target takes. A character reduced to less than 1 hit is unconscious. They can take negative hits equal to iron will - to a max of their positive hit value as a negative. Its simple, fast, vicious, and easy. Any blocking action gains double any normal item bonuses, and is treated as a parry - if it negates an attack it is subject to the same limits (can only be used a maximum number of times equal to base hits in a single combat).

Use in Play: This is just an informal idea and not tested for function or game balance.

Open Mic: A different side to conscientious playing

By Troy Lancaster

I couldn't agree more as to the not circumventing of the system by cheating (in regards to Min/Maxing). No one likes to loose but, sometimes you just have to fail to win eventually. As far as the taking of bad traits just for the points, well it does suck...but, sometimes there is little else to do. I believe in playing a role and, if my character has one, I expect to play it right. [By example] Hareen had a bad temper (short fuse) and hated Djuril with a passion. When I was angry and couldn't (or didn't) want to take it out on someone, I'd hit the training yards to work out my frustrations instad of just killing someone. He/I was also baited into a fight by a hired duelist. I knew he was good with a sword before the fight but, I played my roll and attacked him anyway knowing I was about to get schooled. With Kaleb, He has a fear of snakes (rightfully so after the tourture he endured) and, I plan to play this the way it was intended as well even, if I know it might potentially hurt the group by it being there. That's the flavor of the game and gives the GM something to incorperate into the storyline. I don't expect the GM to take a gross abuse of this trait but, it is there for him to use and for me to play out but, balance should be stressed in this to be fair. No one complains about having good luck or other positive traits (though Mario [rightly] did about everyone having Danger Sense in the new group), every hero should have a weakness (i.e.- Superman) is a classic example of this topic. Now for the Min/Maxing...take your average character of 4's for all attributes and, the only way for there to be much difference in the players is moving those points around to show the diversity of the average PC/NPC in the system. Personally, I like to switch things around and customize my characters this way to balance out my style of play and engagement during the game. Is there room for abuses in this creation style? I think it's pretty well balanced and fair and, sometimes you take the good with the bad. If that's not the kind of game you want to play, well, that's between you and the GM running the game and, should be discussed at the character's creation and, before the campaign starts.

Natural Weapony - Why all PC's are not good

I was asked recently why in a fight, a character floundered so bad - after all, they had grown up with their fist, should they not be familiar with it? The easy answer is to say yes, but in reality its not necessarily true. Having been in a few fights myself, i know from experience that just because you have something like a fist or foot, does not mean you know how to do it. I and people i have known have injured themselves countless times by poor fighting - its easy to damage that hand or foot if it lands in the wrong place on an opponent. And without some knowledge or experience, its really easy to hurt yourself as much as your opponent. So, the average magus, follower, or civilian character would not necessarily have any familiairty or skill in fighting with natural weapons. And if you have ever watched two people without any sort of fighting ability go at it, you'll know exactly what i am saying. It can even be comical without some rudimentary knowledge...

Conversely, for the sake of easy rule use, a GM can easily say all PC's are 'hardened characters' - tougher than most and capable of handling themselves. The rules specifically provide a guideline the opposite of this - but GM rules override any core guidelines. This way characters can at least have the safety of knowing that if they do get into a brawl, they can at least hold their own.

Good and Evil - Codes of Conduct

Often times we want characters to fit a certain ethical outlook in order to enhance the fun of roleplaying. Many game systems also use the ideas of ethics and morality in different ways - especially classic high fantasy. Regardless of the setting, its handy to to have references for both GM and player in order to use as personas for NPC's and PC's alike. Presented here are two basic ideas of iconic 'good', 'evil'. The Incarna Player's Guide has additional archetypal codes of conduct for this idea. Of course these ideas come in many variations, and certainly those presented here are only a start.

Good

• It is better to be loved than feared
• Never take delight in the suffering of others
• There is inherent value in life and it must be protected
• Experience and knowledge have intrinsic value no matter the context
• Aspire to worthwhile goals and ideals which promote growth
• Those of this view are much more likely to give their sworn word

Evil

• It is better to be feared than loved
• The weak, innocent and anonymous are merely cattle to be exploited
• There is no inherent value in life, only what it can be exploited for
• If you cannot keep what you acheive, you do not deserve it
• Personal gain and power for immediate gratification and domination of others
• Maximize any situation, knowledge and experience for your own gain
• Those of this view are much less likely to give their sworn word

Use in Play: The concept of Good and Evil is not central to Incanra itself. It is central to many plot lines, regardless of milieu or genre. These are early concepts and will liekly be developed further in official Incarna designer documentation.

Trait Idea: Mystic Sense

Req Apt: None / Req Attrib: None / Attrib Mod: None / Improved as an attribute

Areas of Familiarity: Mana, Cohesion (psyhcic under development), Synergy, Chi

Mystic Sense gives the character a vague idea of whether or not a specific type of aptitude fuel is being used in the area. The distance is only 5m maximum and the specific direction and strength is not known through this ability. The only way to sense any difference in strength is to be physically touching an object and to use the ability - the results will clearly indicate through a sort of 'charged' feeling if the items touching the character are of the mystic sort. Each use of the sense requires the practitioner specify which fuel they are sensing, and themselves use 10 of that type and make a check - success indicating they successfully detect the presence they are seeking. i.e. if they are sensing for mana use, they must spend 10 mana. This allows characters to detect such items but not any clues of their power, intent, use or aspects other than mere presence.

Use in Play: The mechanics provided here are completely outside the bounds of recommended use. The reason for aptitude divisions is very clear and this crosses the lines of where the balance of power is fundamentally drawn in Incarna. This should only be allowed in circumstances where the GM feels there is a need and ability - certainly non magi should only be allowed a mana sense in a high magic prevelance world. Any other circumstances can only be construed as blatant power mongering, or at best accomplished through some sort of mystic effect itself which allows for it as an exception rather than rule.

Note: This trait developed from a detailed discussion through the playtesters group online in April 2010. Personally, i would probably never allow this mechanic in my own worlds; though some of the play test participants did indicate its nice to have a uniform approach for those who would.
- Kelly Berger

Another Look at Party Leaders

I briefly commented on party leaders in a past issue. This role is often overlooked in game play - especially with experienced gamers which tend to be better at self organizing and have less of a need for a designated leader. In some games, the party leader is simply the guy who, to avoid confusion, organizes the party's reactions and calls to the GM to reduce inefficiency and provide clarity. While in other games, the party leader is the actual in-game person the the rest of the group looks to for direction and to arbitrate any internal disputes. In this role is a 'leader' truly providing leadership. Its a difficult role, as its a balance of trust, decisiveness, caution, resource management, and direction/vision wherein all party values and goals need to be appreciated. IF a player assumes this role and settles into it, there are several drawbacks that are imposed on the character the leader plays. Of course these are balanced out by the power in deciding the future of the party, but still the player typically loses things as a result.

Many times the leader's character loses opportunity as the player tries to not play favorites and over-compensates. They also lose opportunity as the leader is involved at a player level and sometimes thoughts of their own character get lost in trying to keep the party moving and focussed. A good party leader many times ends up with less of a role for their own character in trying to ensure all others get to participate as well. Some additional reward or compensation should be allowed if this is true.

Over time, consider improving the character's charisma if its below a 6; their leadership improves and their voice comes to carry more of an air of command. Also consider letting them grant their use of good luck (if they possess it) to one of the other party members as a source of 'aura of luck' without any cost in being able to do so. Other incentive for being a party leader may come in skill bonsues for things such as persaude. Consider the authority they wield as well, and the bond of the party - in certain situations their commands may be able to counter-act or provide extra resistance of effects which charm or cause others in the party to act against its best interests. Its always best to base this on CHA or WPR of the party leader - a check or perhaps including a resistance bonus for those with values of 6 or more. Encapsulating this can be done as a trait... 'Leadership'; this should only be available to the party leader but may also apply to institutional authorities with great hold over individual PC's as well (religious or otherwise).

Trait Idea: Beginner's Luck

This trait allows for characters to leverage luck into something that aids them in their early survival. Whether blessed by the gods or some higher power or just plain luck, the character's intuitive sense - not yet dulled by experience, pessimism, and pragmatism, is still in full effect. Any time the character fails a check in which their life is in the balance, they may make an INT check to reverse the result to a full success or equivalent. A character with beginners luck may only do this a number of times equal to their CHA in the life of the character. At a certain point, the GM will rule they are no longer a 'beginning' character and any remaining luck will vanish. This point can be based of Challenge Rating guidelines, or a certain event or circumstance that is significant in the campaign. This must be taken at the time of character creation.

Evaluating in Play: The point is to provide a mechanics based effect to aid in the survival of characters. Its just as easy for a GM to fudge rolls in the characters favor, but this puts the fate of the character seeming more into the players hands. There's nothing to stop GM's from doing both... but a player that knows their character cannot die (aside from this scenario being bad role-playing) can easily upset the game balance. This is an obviously unbalanced trait and not meant for mass consumption. It sort of gives the perception the players have a little more say in what happens... but GM's can always fudge dice rolls to allow for that. Its gives a little flavor, nothing more.

Rules Clarifications

Changing Dodge

[Note: This is currently changed for the 3.0 rule set.]

So, dodge uses evasion as a skill, but gets a +1 RS at the skill level. The skill also requires that you be unencumbered... seems to go too far in that regard. Its always stood out as a sort of strange exception mechanic until dodge became a maneuver instead of a skill. It still seems strange that everyone gets the +1 RS. A better mechanic would be to grant the +1 RS if the target attempting a dodge is unencumbered.

Other options are to roll it into chi and leave it, make it a special ability or warrior and/or rogue archetypes (though that may end up killing a lot of characters), keep it available to all the way it is (but hey, why should you get it if you are encumbered and protected?), or something someone can suggest.

The +1 RS has always been there because its difficult to take personal tactics into account and so in some ways represents giving characters the benefit of the doubt of making good decisions in combat with this, the most fundamental of combat related abilities. Now with better armor rules, personal tactics, better skill rules... it seems to stick out as a base skill mechanic as a glaring exception to the rule.

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