Design Document
This guide will provide insight on the thought process behind creating a sheet, or a class/playbook/what-have-you.
As an example, let's take a look at Ami's sheet. The suggestion was a mix of investigation, healing, and water-based powers. This gave plenty to work with: when creating a playbook, you'd want to have several capabilities and a cohesive theme in mind.
The first ability I came up with was Critical Eye:
Critical Eye - When you briefly inspect something, you can ask 'what's wrong with it' and/or 'how can it be fixed'? Use this to find something array or suspicious, or as an example find how to fix a car or an injured person.
Gives clear, actionable info on what's wrong and how to fix it. To further cement the theme, I added examples that relate to both fixing things and people. This connects the idea of investigation with healing. A well-themed playbook has several moves/advances like this, which add cohesion!
Next is Snoop...
Local Snoop - You can put on a convincing disguise or hide cleverly within a moment's notice. If the disguise or hiding place is truly tested, spend :blue_heart: or roll+Wits to see if you evade detection.
While basic in application, it adds to the idea of an investigator. Moreover, early on I decided that this playbook's mechanic could be the choice between spending MP OR rolling Wits. I figured using magic could be represented by spending MP, while using tech/insight/or such could be Wits.
Next ability was Font of Life. I needed a healing ability of course. I gave it the typical ability to trade MP for HP but I also wanted to add a proper heal. I consider a proper heal to be one where you can 'generate' more HP rather than simply trade one for the other. For these, I would include some time cost, limited amount of uses, or a roll.
Font of Life - Roll+Wits to heal an ally for two :heart: with medical miracles. Alternatively, you can spend :blue_heart: to heal an ally at range for equivalent :heart: using magic.
Lastly, I need a MP regeneration ability. For full casters / support sluts, you need strong and varied ways to regain MP. With the idea of MP through reading, which seemed thematic for the studious girl, I gave a side-bonus to make it more feasible!
Bookworm - You get the gist of all languages and can read several times faster than normal folks. You get 1 to 4 :blue_heart: when you read new things, like pamphlets or books, depending on their size. Regain all :blue_heart: when you take a short rest of half an hour.
See the rest of the playbook below, attached with my notes for creation.
Ami
<High School Busybody>
Level: 1 XP: 0 Gold: X
Might = -1, Speed = 1, Wits = 2, Charm = 0
MOVES
Critical Eye - When you briefly inspect something, you can ask 'what's wrong with it' and/or 'how can it be fixed'? Use this to find something array or suspicious, or as an example find how to fix a car or an injured person.
Local Snoop - You can put on a convincing disguise or hide cleverly within a moment's notice. If the disguise or hiding place is truly tested, spend :blue_heart: or roll+Wits to see if you evade detection.
Bookworm - You get the gist of all languages and can read several times faster than normal folks. You get 1 to 4 :blue_heart: when you read new things, like pamphlets or books, depending on their size. Regain all :blue_heart: when you take a short rest of half an hour.
Font of Life - Roll+Wits to heal an ally for two :heart: with medical miracles. Alternatively, you can spend :blue_heart: to heal an ally at range for equivalent :heart: using magic.
ADVANCES
[ ] Panacea - Spend 1 :blue_heart: to heal a debuff or 2 :blue_heart: to heal a greater debility using healing water. Alternatively, roll+Wits to heal with the mundane tools of medicine, describe how!
(I added a debuff removal method to make her more of a true healer.)
[ ] Fog of War - Spend 2 :blue_heart: to conceal yourself and all allies with a dense fog. Everyone becomes invisible until their next roll.
(As requested, I went through a few iterations of some kind of cloaking mist ability. I usually balance invisibility by making it break upon attacking or acting, in essence making it an escape or reposition tool.)
[ ] Mermaid's Harp - Spend :blue_heart: to conjure water, up to a pool's worth. If using this to attack, also roll+Wits and the attack deals 'splash' damage to nearby targets.
(As requested, a means to generate water. Of course I'm sure there are clever applications, but I specified that it can be used for a ranged attack to help out with the fact that Full Casters tend to be backline.)
[ ] Scrying Pool - You can roll+Wits to use a large body of water like a mirror to shortly spy on a distant location or target.
(I would say this is the playbook move I'm most proud of. It combines the water theme with a powerful investigative tool. Few other playbooks will likely have a tool like this, which gives this playbook a particular niche and special oomph!
[ ] Technologic - You deeply understand ancient and current technology, and when presented with some piece of it, can ask a question and receive an honest answer from the GM.
(Here's another free question ability, which while still kind of niche, applies to pretty much all tech.)
[ ] Magical Transformation - Once per session, embrace your alter ego! Skip your next action and RP out a transformation, then your next three actions refund :blue_heart: spent, and turn 7-9 Wits rolls into 10+, and missed Wits rolls into 7-9.
(Basically an ultimate! This, Fog of War, and to an extent Scrying Pool are essentially 'power moves', which are admittedly stronger than usual, but offset in the playbook by also having weaker moves like Technologic, Local Snoop, and Critical Eye. Ami was the one who suggested requiring a turn spent to prepare using this ability, which was a welcome change and I felt helped reign it in a little.)
[ ] [ ] [ ] Stat Boost - Raise a stat by +1. Stats cannot exceed 2.
Now then, with that settled, let's touch upon some key points...
When you submit a proposed sheet, you may do so as a fully written one or a list of abilities you'd really like to have.
Your submission should not exceed 2000 characters. We want to be RULES LIGHT so if your concept is too wordy, it will be revised.
