Designing New Templates [Archive] - Wizards Community

Designing New Templates [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
14thWarrior
04-30-04, 03:33 PM I'm wanting to design a series of new Templates, but want to do it at least somewhat properly right from the start. I'm looking for articles, online or otherwise, or any information on how to effectively design Templates.

Does anyone know of any such articles, or information available anywhere?

Any help is appreciated.
Sensei Gith
04-30-04, 05:03 PM Just make sure that their power is about the same as many levels of a class as the character would be required to invest.

What kind of templates are they?
14thWarrior
04-30-04, 07:35 PM Primarily a series of 'Mutant' Templates. I'm working on sort of an adaptation of the TMNT mutation system for d20 system, but I'm leaning towards a more generic treatment; something that people could use in D&D, or d20 Modern, or any other a GM wants to use it in.

I wasn't overly impressed with how mutants were done (as Moreaus) in d20 Modern.
Sensei Gith
05-01-04, 12:21 AM Hmm. Would it make sense for the characters to become more mutant-y and get more mutant powers as the campaign progressed, or would it be all inborn abilities? In the former case, racial levels might work, and I find them easier to work with. I don't really know how to balance straight templates, and I'm not really sure that WotC does, either.
14thWarrior
05-01-04, 01:16 AM My original intent was to develop a feats and skills type system (probably mostly feats) to allow a player to gen the character's race (i.e.: his mutant) using a pseudo-piont-buy method. That way I can develop characteristics similar to the original TMNT system that would lead to a near infinite variety of mutants.

While I still intend to create parts of the system as feats and skills. I was thinking of also developing some kinds of 'mutant' classes (similar to monster or racial levels) to provide options for advancement and progressions as a mutant.

The reason I was thinking of using Templates, was that it would provide a relatively simple avenue of figuring out how to create a mutant without creating some new mechanic (a big reason why I'm a big fan of feat and skill based supplements).

As an example... say I'm running a D&D campaign and I choose to allow mutants. If I manage to design my mutant system as well as desired, character creation would be as simple as choosing a base race, and applying an appropriate template. I decide that a very rare magical accident has happened in an elven settlement and a wizard's apprentice has been magically transformed into a mutant (his dna having been combined with a nearby elven cat). I'd simply apply the Mutant Cat Template to the elf in question, and voila, instant mutant. Ideally, the template would have a list of feats from which the player would select a given number, in order to customize the mutant.

That's the kind of thing I'm going for (in part).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
14thWarrior 04-30-04, 03:33 PM	I'm wanting to design a series of new Templates, but want to do it at least somewhat properly right from the start. I'm looking for articles, online or otherwise, or any information on how to effectively design Templates. Does anyone know of any such articles, or information available anywhere? Any help is appreciated.
Sensei Gith 04-30-04, 05:03 PM	Just make sure that their power is about the same as many levels of a class as the character would be required to invest. What kind of templates are they?
14thWarrior 04-30-04, 07:35 PM	Primarily a series of 'Mutant' Templates. I'm working on sort of an adaptation of the TMNT mutation system for d20 system, but I'm leaning towards a more generic treatment; something that people could use in D&D, or d20 Modern, or any other a GM wants to use it in. I wasn't overly impressed with how mutants were done (as Moreaus) in d20 Modern.
Sensei Gith 05-01-04, 12:21 AM	Hmm. Would it make sense for the characters to become more mutant-y and get more mutant powers as the campaign progressed, or would it be all inborn abilities? In the former case, racial levels might work, and I find them easier to work with. I don't really know how to balance straight templates, and I'm not really sure that WotC does, either.
14thWarrior 05-01-04, 01:16 AM	My original intent was to develop a feats and skills type system (probably mostly feats) to allow a player to gen the character's race (i.e.: his mutant) using a pseudo-piont-buy method. That way I can develop characteristics similar to the original TMNT system that would lead to a near infinite variety of mutants. While I still intend to create parts of the system as feats and skills. I was thinking of also developing some kinds of 'mutant' classes (similar to monster or racial levels) to provide options for advancement and progressions as a mutant. The reason I was thinking of using Templates, was that it would provide a relatively simple avenue of figuring out how to create a mutant without creating some new mechanic (a big reason why I'm a big fan of feat and skill based supplements). As an example... say I'm running a D&D campaign and I choose to allow mutants. If I manage to design my mutant system as well as desired, character creation would be as simple as choosing a base race, and applying an appropriate template. I decide that a very rare magical accident has happened in an elven settlement and a wizard's apprentice has been magically transformed into a mutant (his dna having been combined with a nearby elven cat). I'd simply apply the Mutant Cat Template to the elf in question, and voila, instant mutant. Ideally, the template would have a list of feats from which the player would select a given number, in order to customize the mutant. That's the kind of thing I'm going for (in part).