Layonara Specific Feats

[stragen]

Layonara Specific Feats

One of the things that I most like about Layonara is that it is a low magic world, with a limit of +3 items.  More so then most D&D settings, it is the abilities of the character, not their equipment they defines who they are and what they can do.  There aren’t any uber swords of wackiness that will turn a mage into a greater swordsman then a fighter.  I would hope that Layonara keeps the low-magic flavour (no +8 swords please).

However, some of the most useful, and because of that most necessary items in the game are the quest specific items; such as the helmet of Armour I and helmet of Armour II.  Almost every character, with a few exceptions (druids) will use these items, and hold on to them until they gain a better replacement; which may be never.  Thus almost every character in the game has the same abilities, from the same items.

Instead of this, I propose that scripted quest rewards should be Layonara specific feats instead of items.  For each scripted quest there should be two possible feats that a character could have received.  The feat that they do receive is dependent on the choices they make during the quest.  For example instead of receiving a helmet of armour, the would have a choice of gaining a Layonara Specific Feat,
Feat: Kit’s Defensive Training: +1 natural armour    
         OR
Feat: Kit’s Discipline: +3 to discipline skill.

There should be a Layospecific Feat Quest available every 3 levels, giving 10 scripted quests (to level 30) and a total of (at least) 20 Layonara specific feats.

The quests and feats available should be related to the history of Layonara.  At each point the character should be given a choice, between two different but equally useful feats.  Type of feats should include character statistic bonuses, skill bonuses, and other changes to the character as they learn and grow.  It is unlikely that any two characters will choose the same set of feats.

That was the idea.   How this is implemented?  Perhaps this is nearly impossible.  However there used to be potions and items in the (single player/other mods) game that modified the character.  One possibility would be on completing a quest the character receives a single use wand, with a left click grant one feat, and a right click granting the other.  This may mean turning off character checking.  Could someone practice in mod development please post in this thread.

I hope you guys can use these concepts in Layo V3.  If you are interested I can post a list of possible feats.  Though really L would want to keep the feats, secret, or near secret.  So that gaining a new feat would (1) teach the character something new about the world, (2) be a fun surprise!

Happy Musings,

Stragen

[Acacea]

I don't think this is possible. Someone else can comment on the why exactly it is not feasible, but I can think of a couple vague reasons.

As an unrelated note, more high level content in drops, rewards, and areas is going to be added. I understand the whole "so great we only go up to +3," but it is a little different when 15 levels after you first get said item, you're still using the same one, and unable as a master of your craft to do anything better.

I assume these will not be geared towards making wizards better fighters, but rather making wizards better wizards. There will be +8 items but they will be super rare and not drops, but stuff you have to go raid dungeons and collect the hilt of the great tomato and combine it with the shattered parts of the blade in the forgotten tomb of ... you get the idea. So they're adding artifacts and making the wielders Legends, but they won't just suddenly pop into being on Layo. L said like a year before the high end stuff starts appearing at all, and even then only for level 36ish+.

Also, the kind of quests you mentioned are being changed anyway, so hopefully there will be some variety and new things as everything is weeded out and rotated.

[Dorganath]

We can't give bonus feats to people without either making them illegal characters (and we're not going to relax that particular restriction) or start applying the equivalent of subrace skins to every character....which I doubt we'll do, as it's just generally a lot of work, prone to error, etc.
  I'd have to say straight off, giving out feats would be HUGE...It's essentially a permanent bonus that requires no equipment slots, not sacrifice on the part of the character, and as such, they can be very powerful and unbalancing.  Feats and feat-like abilities might be added to items, but I strongly doubt they'll be grafted onto characters.
  I could be wrong, however.
  Edit: And pretty much everything Acacea said too.