Heroic Paths for Burning Midnight

[Bob Goat]

Hey,

I just joined the Burning Midnight game (http://burningwheel.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=508) the other day and started thinking about the Heroic Paths in D20 Midnight. I think the idea is right and it adds an interesting dynamic. However, there is really no way to directly translate it to BW.

I was thinking that perhaps the best way would be to create Trait Groups, but to give them a more supernatural flare. I was only thinking that the bloodline oriented Heroic Paths would make the most sense (Feyblooded, Giantblooded, etc.)

Has anyone given any thought to this or tried something out? How would you implement it?

Keith

[luke]

can you tell me what Heroic Paths are?

It sounds like it would just be a separate Common Traits package for special hooomaans or something.

-L

[Bob Goat]

Hey,

I'll do you one better. Here is a sample Heroic Path from the Tome of Sorrows Net Book. Basically they give characters either different abilities or bonuses as they go up in level. I think the idea is to give you an epic feel to your character despite low level hinderences in D20.

Variant Mystic Heroic Path
Mystic Abilities by Level
Level Ability
1 Catfall 1/day
2 +1 insight bonus to AC
3 Hustle 1/day
4 Combat prescience 1/day
5 Body equilibrium 1/day
6 +2 insight bonus to AC
7 Combat prescience 2/day
8 Metaphysical weapon 1/day
9 Danger sense 1/day
10 Inertial barrier 1/day
11 Displacement 1/day
12 Metaphysical weapon 2/day
13 +3 insight bonus to AC
14 Biofeedback 3/day
15 Energy barrier 1/day
16 Combat prescience 3/day
17 +3 insight bonus to AC
18 Adapt body 1/day
19 Metaphysical weapon 3/day
20 Inertial barrier 2/day

Keith

[Viper]

so they're kind of like prestige classes? or something that exists independent of your class?

[Bob Goat]

They are independent of class. When you create your character for D20 you choose one of several Heroic Paths. As you go up in character levels, you get more crap from your Heroic Paths.

Keith

[Viper]

Ah, I see. In that case, I'd take the example of the martial arts in the back of the burning wheel book, and treat the heroic path as a sort of skill.

The way the martial arts work, there are different manouvers you can master depending on your skill, more powerful ones have a higher obstacle. There's no reason you have to stick to martial manouvers, though; you could just as easily work up a non-combative style that simply progresses the same way as a martial art. This way, beginning characters can master a few of the lower level abilities, and as they advance their skill, they will get to the higher level ones.

[Kublai]

Something like Viper said would work well. Create a Heroic Attribute (similar to Faith, Grief, or Hatred), which is generated by a Heroic Trait, and which would operate very similar to the new Resources and Circles Attribute. Basically, it works exactly as a skill. You'll need to figure out an advancement method. Perhaps the Obstacle of the effect your going for?

Once you've created the Attribute, the effects become Special Manouvers much like the Martial Arts manouvers. You start with all the powers that have an Obstacle equal to the Attribute's exponent at a cost of 1 Skill Point each. As your exponent advances, you can learn new moves in the same manner as listed in the Rule Book.

The abilities can easily be translated, something like this, but more thought is needed than what I put here:
Obstacle Ability
Obstacle 1 Catfall 1/day
Obstacle 1 +1 die to Block
Obstacle 1 One free simlutaneous action during combat
Obstacle 2 Combat prescience (1 free forfeit) 1/day
Obstacle 2 Body equilibrium 1/day
etc...

[Bob Goat]

Okay, very cool. I'll have to take a look again at the Heroic Paths and try and work something out along these lines and post them when done.

Thanks
Keith