onlyme wrote:Quick question after scanning 2e... what is the difference at all? I know some limits, powers, etc are changed. But what makes it different or better?
The stuff I like is mostly subtle, and I highlighted the "big" changes in my earlier post:
Chapter 3: Player Character Classes > Class Descriptions > Priest > Priests of Specific Mythoi
Chapter 3: Player Character Classes > Class Descriptions > Wizard > Schools of Magic
Chapter 3: Player Character Classes > Class Descriptions > Rogue > Thief
Chapter 6: Money and Equipment > Encumbrance > Table 48: Modified Movement Rates
Chapter 9: Combat > Calculating THAC0
Chapter 9: Combat > Initiative
Chapter 11: Encounters > The Surprise Roll
Alethan wrote:The biggest differences, as far as I see it, are in how some of the classes are handled. It's more detailed.
This is part of it. The thief class probably gets the biggest change. Thieves now get base skill percentages and a pool of discretionary points that they can add to these skills however they like (with certain limits). If you don't imagine your thief being a pickpocket, you don't need to add anything to that skill. If you want your thief to excel at hearing noises or hiding in shadows, you can inflate those skills. 2E offers you some additional customization.
Arcane casters are now generic mages (e.g. magic user), or you can become a specialist. The illusionist is an example of a type of specialist. There are schools of magic (illusion being one of them), but there can be other specialists as well.
Divine casters can be a priest (e.g. cleric), or can now be a part of a mythos, like a specialist. The druid is an example of a priest designed for a specific mythos. There can be others, and not all priests are forbidden from shedding blood.
I have never allowed them before, but I'm also temped to allow kits. I'm not planning on reading every single kit, but if a player is interested in creating a character of a particular kit, I will review that kit and decide whether it's something that will fit and something I will allow.
Kits, of those unfamiliar with 2E, are found in the "Complete" books for each class. Just as an example, the following kits are found in the "Complete Bard's Handbook:"
True Bard
Blade
Charlatan
Gallant
Gypsy-bard
Herald
Jester
Jongleur
Loremaster
Meistersinger
Riddlemaster
Skald
Thespian
I have not looked at any of them in detail, but if a player wanted to create a jester, for example, I'd review the details of that kit build and decide whether or not it will be allowed. Think of them, in a way, of being a specialist of a class. You can almost think of it like this:
There are base classes: cleric, fighter, magic-user and thief.
Each class has sub-classes:
Cleric
- Druid
Fighter
- Paladin
- Ranger
Magic-User
- Illusionist
Thief
- Assassin
Everyone is familiar with those, right? Each sub-class has certain advantages, but also has their own weaknesses to keep them balanced. A druid, for example, gets an extra starting spell and can eventually cast clerical spells (advantage); they can only use limited weapons and "natural" armor (weakness). A paladin gets their lay on hands ability (advantage), but can only ever by lawful good, and can only keep a certain amount of treasure (weaknesses). You get the idea.
In 2E, these sub-classes are like specialists of their parent class. Kits, I'm assuming, are just like these sub-classes (but are obviously much less known since they were never published in a core rulebook). I'm still sketchy when it comes to kits, but I might be willing to allow them.
As I've been thinking about it, with the hidden character sheets, these specialists (or kits) could really allow players to branch out and truly be unknowns. They could be cool.
The other "big" differences between 1E and 2E, at least that I pointed out, are more subtle.
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Chapter 6: Money and Equipment > Encumbrance > Table 48:
Modified Movement Rates
I really like the modified movement rate. Instead of having base movement rates of 3, 6, 9 or 12, you now will use the '
Modified Movement Rates' which allows a more gradual drop off. I'm just making these numbers up off the top of my head, but in 1E, can you be carrying 59 pounds and move 12", but adding 1 extra pound (60 total) could drop you all the way down to a base move of 9". In 2E, the drop off would be from 12" to 11"; not 12" to 9".
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Chapter 9: Combat > Calculating
THAC0
I think the THAC0 system is widely enough known to be understood. It's actually very similar to 1E, but, again, allows a more gradual progression. See: '
Calculated THAC0's'
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Chapter 9: Combat >
Initiative
This, honestly, is my biggest complaint about 1E. Instead of having the party roll a d6, and that result represents the segment in which their opponent attacks (so higher is better; the enemy will act later). In 2E, a d10 is used, and lower is better. To this d10 result, each individual characters will apply modifiers (again, lower is better). Weapon speed factors are added (e.g. a thief using a dagger will act before a fighter using a long sword). Casting times are added. There are group and even individual initiative options. It's a bit more complicated (for the DM, as I make all the initiative rolls), but a
far more realistic system.
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Chapter 11: Encounters > The
Surprise Roll
Like initiative rules, I believe how surprise is handled in 2E is superior to the 1E system.
The above, honestly, are the biggest changes. The game itself will play like "normal," but there are more options when it comes to creating characters, and "how" certain aspects of the game are resolved are changed, but the game itself will remain the same.
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Thoughts?
