Bay 12 Games Forum

Personally, the only dog I have in this fight is that when I started playing, I didn't realize that Plate Mail only covered the upper body.  I think a name that obviously reflects this (cuirass is accurate but still slightly obscure compared to breastplate) would be helpful to new players.

I edited the header to include what's come up so far.

I also added a few different Magic Stat systems.  Some of the talk of magic (in the Reqs) has been using it as a plot device rather than an extra weapon for the players.  As such, a component/ritual system is pretty useful.  It assumes extremely powerful, extremely slow magics.  (I.E. No fireballs, but if you kill the dragon and bring the wizard it's head, the wizard can spend three weeks casting a spell to rain fire from the sky on the goblin army)  Anyway, that system gives you plot devices (wizards ask for crazy shit), introduces oddity into the game (it's raining frogs!?!?).  A good balancer for that is to give wizards free firebolts (toned down arrows for no cost whatsoever.)

The second magic system is the old Star Wars system.  You can do the magic for free, it's just hard to do it.  (I.E. sure you can shoot lightning, but it's not that much more efficient than a good crossbow.  Sure you can control the king's mind, but Cleopatra over there is getting the same effect by flirting with him.)  Anyway, that's the Control/Sense/Alter system.  You get a list of effects (a la wrestling) and can try any of them as a standard action.

Mephansteras and Silverionmox... I can't really decide which of your mental suggestions I like more.  I like how they are completely original, and tied to the kinds of things dwarves do.

Uugh, I think permanent stone is kind of crass. A better solution would be:

-"stone density / hardness" eg: Granite is tougher than limestone.
-"stone integrity" A harder concept, but surface limestone that has suffered weathering is easier to mine than oh say granite under pressure with no fractures in it.

Instead of permanent stone, caverns could do the same thing-- If you mine down into a multi z-level cave (maybe with lake) you have to go around. The same goes for magma. Not super realistic, but better than permanent stone.

Also stricter rules about cave-ins could be implemented, and if you drive a hole straight down there should be a chance for "Rock Bursts" then "Collapse", with passage blocking rubble as opposed to rocks.

Rock Bursts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_burst

My dad worked in a mine for 15 years-- He had friends die. This was in a modern Canadian mine. He still has nightmares.

Good link... This fulfills the 'don't dig too deep, it's naturally dangerous' problem. (need/requirement/desire, whatever)

Falls more into new buildings than new physics toys, but I added it up top as 'Dwarf Trainers'.  No reason to limit the thought to combat trainers, could be exercise machines, or spinning 'dodge the violence' trainers.

Personally, I think it sounds more DF to make your military dwarves walk through small weapon traps, but I hate my dwarves and want them to suffer.

or just
For all Goblin Deaths where cause of death is not Dwarf blade or stonefall, avoid that square at a strength of X. 

If a goblin escapes, add the list of squares penalties to the default penalties for future invasions.  Also add stonefalls and blades at this point.

Also, it would be cool if you could do

For all squares that a goblin has never seen, add 5 to it's pathing cost.
That way, they would prefer known routes, until enough had died, then they would start looking for other ways in.

Yes this is prohibitively CPU cycle expensive.  So sue me.

Simple, elegant, useful.

Seeing as DF has already ditched the health bar trope, I see no reason for it to follow the rest of the genre and use mana.  Instead I imagine that casting spells will make you more tired, like everything else, and this exertion will depend on one or more of the magic stats.

Yeah, that's why I like a magical stamina stat.  I'm also a big fan of separating magical prowess from mental prowess.  There's enough going on to support them both.  (Unlike, say.... D&D??)

Stat suggestions so far:

Physical Stats:
        No changes have been suggested.
        Strength
        Agility
        Stamina

Mental Stats:
        Intelligence
        Wisdom
        Perception
        Memory
        Creativity
        Logic
        Analysis
        Detail/Focus
        Wit(s)
        Intuition
        Sanity/Stability/Mental Fortitude
       
Social Stats
        Manipulation
        Appearance (Listed due to the general contempt expressed)
        Leadership
        Charisma

Magic Stats (These could use better names)
        Magic Power/Magic Endurance/Magical Dexterity
        Use Mental (or social) stats
        Chi/Attunement
        Control/Alter/Sense

Magic Systems (not part of the core, but they're intrinsic to magic stats)
        Memorization System (Classic D&D)
        Mana Point System (Classic Console RPG)
        Fatigue System (Roll versus endurance per spell, take damage for failure)
        Component/Ritual system (Cost of spells is time and components.  Magic is slow, not combat useful)

'Personality' Stats   Some stats (food preferences) are set at birth and only exposed through the thoughts screen.
        Appearance (Including body types and body type preference)
        Personality Quirks (Same as body types)
        Mental Fortitude (Hardening goes up, Sanity goes down, but there's an innate resistance to change)
       

*    I'm not endorsing any of these up here, this is just what has been brought up. 
**  Please note that nobody is suggesting all of these at once.  Consensus thus far seems to be a Trio of Trinary stats (3 physical, 3 mental, 3 social) with no extra magical stats
*** Personality Stats were added because some of the discussions lean towards them or associate with them

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Original post follows:

Right now we have 3 stats, Str, Con, and Agi.  They are all physical attributes.

It's pretty much a given that there'll be more in the future.  Anybody have any ideas for what should be added?

I've mentioned before that I like the White Wolf system, with it's three stats for Mental, Physical and Social attributes.

Also, there could be magic stats.  Magical Power(Damage Modifier), Magical Understanding(Number of Spells?), Magical Stamina (Analgous to Mana).  Sure dwarves would have crap for these stats (Am I the only one that would like to see different starting levels compared to the rais you're playing?  (I.E. Goblins start as 'Weak' when viewed from a Dwarf, but 'Strong' but viewed from a Kobold.)

Anyway, I'm curious what ya'll think?