Campaign Power Level

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Campaign Power Levels

Setting your campaign power level is a subtle decision, that will have large impacts on play at lower levels and noticeable impacts even at upper levels. Better stats for player characters are basically like campaign-wide permanent buffs. The very low stat point settings, such as the Low Fantasy game, tends to punish classes that benefit from lots of different good stats, while rewarding classes that rely mainly on a single stat. For example, Fighters want a good to excellent Str, Dex, Con and Wis. Wizards, on the other hand, want a superb Int and a little Dex.

To reflect the fact that there are two different tribes of classes, we have pre-built two classes of 'example' stats below. The 'Balanced' stat array has some good stats and some dump stats, but the buy points are 'spread around' to get as much good stuff as possible. The 'Specialist' stat array goes for the highest high stats, and dumps everything else.

As a point of order, we have carefully chosen and analyzed all of these power levels! 43 points for ManaPunk is not just a random number, and was chosen as a good balance point between high and low stats. Even the 'scary good' Industrial Magic power level still has very definite dump stats, although the other goodies more than make up for it!

The 'balanced' and 'specialist' stat arrays were included as examples, and if referees prefer, they may be given to players to use for their characters. This lets players skip the 'choosing stats' step of character creation, and assures that nobody is going to make any 'whoops' mistakes.

Caution! All of the arrays presented here are built with fairly heavy dump stats! The design goal is to assure that characters are flawed and interesting to play. If players don't want dump stats this heavy, they should assign their own points!

The Grim World

Existence is a wretched struggle, poor nutrition and little to no magic meaning nobody thrives, physically. To be a hero in a Grim World campaign is a big deal!

• Stat Points: 6
  • Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
  • Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
  • No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 14, 13, 12, 10, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 16, 15, 12, 10, 8, 7

• Specialist Array: 16, 10, 10, 10, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 18, 12, 10, 10, 8, 7

Array analysis

• Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +3, total bonus of +6, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +3
• Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +5, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +2
• SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.

Low Fantasy

The world is new, magic is rare, life is brutish, nasty, and short.

• Stat Points: 10
  • Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
  • Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
  • No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 14, 14, 13, 11, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 16, 16, 13, 11, 8, 7

• Specialist Array: 16, 12, 12, 10, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 18, 14, 12, 10, 8, 7

Array analysis

• Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +3, total bonus of +7, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +4
• Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +7, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +4
• SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.

Standard Fantasy

Heroes are rare, adventures are grim affairs, magic is common but usually small in effect and has...downsides.

• Stat Points: 15
• Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
• Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
• No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 15, 14, 14, 12, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 17, 16, 14, 12, 8, 7

• Specialist Array: 18, 12, 10, 10, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 20, 14, 10, 10, 8, 7

Array analysis

• Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +3, total bonus of +9, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +6
• Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +7, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +4
• SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.

High Fantasy

Heroes are not rare, adventures and the world are techni-colored and vibrant. Magic is common and powerful, wizards and monsters stride the earth like titans. .

• Stat Points: 20
• Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
• Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
• No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 16, 15, 14, 12, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 18, 17, 14, 12, 8, 7

• Specialist Array: 18, 15, 10, 10, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 20, 17, 10, 10, 8, 7

Array analysis

• Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +10, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +7
• Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +8, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +5

Epic Fantasy

Heroes are common, magic is everywhere, epic battles happen most summers, adventures spill into other planes, the world bursts with awesome. The assumed 'default' level for Epic Path. Choosing lower or higher levels WILL impact your play experience!

• Stat Points: 28
• Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
• Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
• No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 16, 16, 15, 14, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 18, 18, 15, 14, 8, 7

• Specialist Array: 18, 17, 12, 10, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 20, 19, 12, 10, 8, 7

• Array analysis

Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +12, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +9

Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +10, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +7

Magical Adventure

Magic becomes as commonplace as electricity. Surprisingly less extravagant because it's so common, but when the fighting begins, watch out.

• Stat Points: 35
• Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
• Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
• No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 17, 16, 15, 14, 10, 10

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 19, 18, 15, 14, 10, 8

• Specialist Array: 18, 18, 14, 10, 10, 7

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 20, 20, 14, 10, 8, 7

Array analysis

• Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +12, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -1, and a Net Strength of +11
• Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +12, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +9
• SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.

ManaPunk

Like steam punk/victorian age/gaslight adventures, only with magic. Magic isn't just as common as electricity, it's as common as electricity and better at everything.

• Stat Points: 43
• Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
• Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
• No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 17, 16, 16, 14, 14, 10

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 19, 18, 16, 14, 14, 8

• Specialist Array: 18, 18, 16, 11, 10, 8

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 20, 20, 16, 11, 8, 8

Array analysis

• Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +15, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -1, and a Net Strength of +14
• Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +14, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -2, and a Net Strength of +12

Industrial Magic

Like Star Wars. With magic. Flying ships are the norm, teleporters in houses, miraculous healing is readily available, weaponry is fearsome, there is little want.

• Stat Points: 51
• Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
• Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
• No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.

• Balanced Array: 18, 16, 16, 15, 15, 10

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 20, 18, 16, 15, 15, 8

• Specialist Array: 18, 18, 18, 12, 10, 8

• Racial adjustments typically reach: 20, 20, 18, 12, 8, 8

Array analysis

• Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +16, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -1, and a Net Strength of +15
• Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +15, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -2, and a Net Strength of +13
• SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.