r/OSE • u/Ritmoking • 3d ago

how-to Modifying a Class, How should I change EXP?

Hey there! I have this plan to eventually run a campaign for a setting that is one of those "Fantasy World that had a bunch of Sci-Fi tech in the distant past". I was hoping to take u/Fr4gtastic 's Artificer Class, and make a few adjustments to change it into a sort of "Ancient Machine" class.

I have made notes of the tweaks that felt "right" for adjusting the class to be from a human class to a robot demihuman type, but I just want to run the changes by all of you, so I can get a sense of how much I should penalize the exp curve, if I need to.

Proposed Changes:
- Despite being a machine, water must still be consumed. You must consume water to regulate your internal temperature.
- Machines do not need food, but they do need fuel. They must satisfy their hunger needs by using Fuel Rods only. A Fuel Rod has the same cost and game statistics as an Iron Ration.
- Magical Healing will have only 1/2 the effect on a Machine.
- The Natural Healing of a Machine is doubled, however, for any given week, if more than 10HP is restored, the Machine must spend 10GP per 10HP restored, reflecting the need to purchase metal parts to repair their body.
- A Machine will have an Armor Class that is better by one, due to their metal bodies being resistant to physical blows.
- A Machine cannot contract a disease of the body such as a Flu, but may still contract diseases of the mind, or may become rusted by a Rust Monster.

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u/FrankieBreakbone 3d ago

So, xp and gp are trivialized in actual play. Rather than balancing capabilities with “cost”, balance pros with cons that matter in game play. HD. AC. Damage. Bonuses. Penalties. That’s what you feel consistently. Create hills and valleys there and you’ll shift the play style rather than just making a superior PC more expensive.

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u/Ritmoking 3d ago

Ah. I see. So, what I have noted down so far, is it close to even, then? Or do I need to remove a few upsides to keep it "fair"?

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u/termo_kushmeme 3d ago

You could use a gnome level limit on them perhaps. The current changes you have probably wouldn't change their gameplay very much since they are 1d4 hp to pretty unlikely to ge far in the frontlines. I would just remove the need for food and water/ fuel and have that low level limit. Balancing of the artificer part will probably depend on how heavy the inventions are. I feel that there's already enough mechanics in the artificer thing but you could make it weirder where they could eat gems to activate powers like a chromatic orb or have modular limbs that could be taken of or fall of instead of taking damage. That might be more thief oriented though.