[ DTV Spells, Abilities & Weapons ]
Abilities and Spells!
Your DTV is going to need something to fight with, on this page you’ll find what you need in order to create your own abilities, spells, traits, and weapons, or how to modify existing ones from DnD to fit within our system.
The Basics
All classes, spell-casters or otherwise, will start out with 3 spells / abilities with the possibility of getting more as you progress or power up the ones you have!
What is a spell caster without their spells, or a barbarian without their bouts of rage? Abilities and Spells share the same spot in your DTV’s sheet and are things you’ll be able to actively use in combat. You’ll be able to use whatever abilities or spells your DTV has 3 times before having to take a long rest to replenish those uses. During your adventures it’ll be a good idea to keep track of how often you’re using things!
Rather than worrying too much about the mechanics from various schools or elements of magic, everything gets broken down into these four categories:
Ability & Spell Categories:
Melee spells and abilities have a starting max dice of 1d6
This includes anything that causes damage when touching or being in close proximity to an object or creature.
Ranged spells and abilities have a starting max dice of 1d6
This includes anything that causes damage without having to be up close to the intended target.
Healing spells and abilities have a starting max dice of 1d8
This includes anything that restores HP to yourself or others.
Support spells and abilities have a starting max dice of 1d8
This is a kind of catch-all category that includes anything that can cause a buff or debuff to yourself or others, changes terrain aspects, the creation of illusions, etc. But do not cause direct damage like Melee or Ranged spells do.
Making your own abilities and spells
Spells and abilities can fall under one of four categories in our system (Melee, Ranged, Healing, Support), each having their own damage dice to roll and to keep things consistent. You’ll have to decide what category your spell or ability falls under.
Next you’ll need to write out the specifics of your spell or ability. Here’s some stuff to keep in mind when working on them:
What does it do? Here you can give us the flair, describe how your spell works, and how it looks.
When can you cast it? During combat on your turn you will have an action and a bonus action. And not on your turn you will have reactions. You’ll want to specify at which of those points you can use your ability or spell.
Is there a Saving Throw? A saving throw gives your target a chance to try and resist the effects of your ability or spell with a roll. This is usually good for spells that can cause extra damage, or force a buff or debuff on a target.
The difficulty to pass your saving throw is always 8 + either your level -or- the modifier of your spell/ability casting modifier. We’ll default to the latter if you don’t specify it in your description.
Who is it targeting? Let us know who or what you intend to use your spell or ability on.
The most common targets are: Self, Single, Multiple (in this case make sure to specify a number!) and Area of Effect.
How long does its effects last? This is more for support spells, or spells with saving throws that inflict a buff or debuff on a failure, on top of the initial damage they may have caused. Keep in mind the duration of a spell or ability cannot be listed as ‘constant’ and need to have an end at some point. This will be most commonly expressed in a ‘d8 rounds’ or ‘d8 minutes/hours’ format, especially for support spells, where you roll for how long it lasts. If you don’t want to use dice for time, it could be that your spell lasts until your next turn, or any length of time from a couple seconds to a couple hours. (But not exceeding 24 hours)
Converting other RPG abilities and spells
If you’d like to look to D&D, Pathfinder, WoW, or other games for inspiration for your spells and abilities you are certainly welcome to do so! Though keep in mind you may have to modify them a bit to get them to fit within Cafe Phantasia’s system.
Figure out which category it fits under:
You’ll need to figure out which of our four categories your ability would fall under. Melee, Ranged, Healing, or, Support.
Adjust the damage dice:
You’ll need to adjust the damage dice to match the starting maximums of the categories. Melee and Ranged spells will have a 1d6 max. Healing and Support spells have a 1d8 max
Check for and replace mentions of proficiencies
Our system does not use a proficiency bonus, so if the ability or spell utilizes that mechanic, you’ll need to remove or modify that part of the spell to give you advantage instead. (Advantage is when you get to roll twice and pick the higher result!)
Check for and remove level bonuses
If your spell or ability says it’s damage increases automatically when you reach certain levels, that section will have to be removed. But don’t worry, you’ll still be able to upgrade your spells later as you level up in our system.
Check for and remove point pools
Our system does not utilize point pools (i.e. Ki Points, or Sorcery Points) so there’s no spending necessary to use those dope monk abilities or metamagic, however you’ll need to split up said abilities into separate abilities within our system. This helps minimize some of the stuff players and DMs will have to keep track of.
Traits
Traits are minor abilities that are natural to your DTV, things that don’t normally require rolls to be made to use them (but can have an effect on rolls). Including things like known languages, darkvision, waterbreathing, shapeshifting, etc. Are good to put in here! You’ll be able to have up to 4 traits to start, with the potential to make edits or gain more at later levels.
Traits don’t have the necessary 3 uses per long rest rule applied to them, you’re able to use these whenever you please. But because you can use them any time, there’s a limit to how much they can do, here’s a list of what is preferred for traits.
Traits can be physical abilities:
Waterbreathing, flight, darkvision, shapeshifting, good climbing, fast swimming, and natural physical abilities like these can make good traits.
Traits can be minor utility spells:
Spells like detect magic, comprehend language, invisibility, etc. Can usually work for traits! So long as they don’t force damage or a saving throw onto others.
Traits can be resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities:
Some species might be naturally immune or resistant to certain effects or magics. Or might even have a vulnerability to something, providing an extra challenge for your DTV to possibly face.
Traits can be known languages:
There’s no official limit to what languages your character can know, go with your gut on what you feel your character’s DTV would have. If it’s anything other than english/common, be sure to list them.
Traits can affect rolls:
Perhaps your DTV is a particularly smart cookie, so you feel they should get advantage on intelligence checks. Or you're a monk that relies more on finesse when melee fighting rather than brute strength so you’d like to roll attacks with your dex instead of your str modifier. Or maybe you’ve got a silver tongue so insight checks against you are rolled with disadvantage.
Traits can affect stats:
If your DTV is a shapeshifter, you can choose to take on the stats of the creature you turn into as part of your trait, or you’re a tortle who’s thick carapace provides some extra armour. (Though please note, in order to keep an even playing field amongst new players, all lvl 1 characters start off with a 10 in armor class, but you’ll be able to increase your AC through a trait once you’ve reached lvl 2 if you so choose! It’s asked you keep stuff like an AC boost at a +2 or lower though!)
Traits can affect your available combat actions:
Gaining an additional attack provided certain conditions are met, or the ability to cast a specific spell type as a bonus action, or having reactions to assist party members can fall under traits.
Traits should not cause damage or saving throw on others:
If you want stuff to cause damage or trigger saving throws for others, then they’d be better suited as proper spells or abilities!
Starting Equipment.
Weapons
Everyone needs a weapon! Your character’s DTV will be allowed to start with two weapons of their choice! These could be anything, a dagger and a longsword, or maybe a short-sword and a shield, two shields? How about a crossbow and a knife, or a firearm and a spoon? The possibilities are nearly endless! Just...don’t bring in an infinity gauntlet, that’s a little OP.
Homebrew Ruling: Unlike D&D 5e - the use of certain weapons are not locked to class. Meaning if you wanted to, your barbarian could wield a quarterstaff, or your rogue could use a club, there's a lot of chances for character flavour here!
There’ll be plenty of chances for you to buy more weapons in the future from the store or find them during your adventures!
When adding weapons to your character’s DTV, make sure to write what category of weapon you feel they fall under! This will affect what dice you roll when doing damage with your weapon(s).
For more on how your weapons will work and how rolls and stats can affect them, please check :: Dice Mechanics!
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Small Piercing or Slashing Weapons - These are your daggers, knives, claws, small and sharp! They do 1d4 damage.
Large Piercing or Slashing Weapons - Swords, lances, spears, pikes, glaves, battle axes, anything large that can stab or slash your enemies, and probably needs two hands to hold properly. They do 1d6 damage.
Ranged Weapons - Bows, crossbows, firearms, projectiles shot from a distance, even throwing knives, needles or darts. These do 1d6 damage.
Blunt Weapons - Maces, clubs, hammers, quarterstaffs, brass knuckles, whips, etc. Anything that causes blunt-force damage, they roll a 1d6!
Improvised Weapons - Anything from your surroundings that one wouldn’t carry on as a weapon, but use in the spur of the moment, like a glass bottle in a bar fight or a big ladle. They get a 1d4.
Unarmed - Sometimes you just gotta punch a guy, you know ? Or headbutt, or stomp! These roll a 1d4 of damage.
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