Bloodline suggestions

[mhelles]

I have a few suggestions on the bloodline rules. First of all, let's keep them simple and flexible. Second, let's not worry too much about the eternal "game balance" thing. I am sure that Birthright players are not munchkins, and that they can figure out for themselves how to make their game interesting and fun. Sometimes, it's just a lot more fun and interesting to play a non-blooded character!

I don't feel good about the bloodline score having become an ability score. An ability score is something everyone has and that usually has a value between 3 and 18, with 10-11 being the average score.

A bloodline score is not like that. IMO, the bloodline score is a separate and entirely new kind of score. I think its value should range between 0 and 100, as in the old Birthright material.

I'm not sure about Table 2-3: Bloodline Ability Score. First of all, I think we should include both random and fixed determination of bloodline abilities, with one of them being a variant. Conceptually, both random and fixed determination of bloodline abilities make sense.

Secondly, the table is too far from the original material in terms of the number of bloodline abilities given. For example, the King of Thurazor had a bloodline score of 22 (major strength), and two bloodline abilities. Using the conversion rules of the d20 Rulebook he would have no bloodline abilities at all. So the table (or the conversion rules) needs to be fine-tuned a bit further, probably by granting bloodline abilities (a least the minor ones) to less blooded scions.

I like the d20 game mechanics on the bloodline strength, though. It offers some interesing playable ideas - and it helps explains why the banditlord Daen Roesone got the major bloodline strength (he probably started out being tainted or minor). BTW, why has the "tainted" bloodline strength been excluded. IMO, the bloodline strength rank should be tainted, minor, major, great, and true, eith a total of five ranks.

The ECL is a "game balancer" thing. Some DMs might like it and use it. I would ignore it. In my campaign it is perfectly acceptable (by DM and players alike) that some characters simply are more powerful than others. IMO, that in itself is an important part of the Birthright game spirit. Fortunately, a scion template is highly modular concept and can be easily ignored.

[teloft]

I see the ECL only as an XP tool. used by the Dm to give Xp for encounters. its only purpouse is to determen how easely the characters sould be able to handle the encounter.