|
| GM Notes on Metier
|
| Metier (meh'tyay)
means "forte", or specialty, and this sums up this Magic System succinctly.
Rather than a unilateral and monolithic method of practicing Magic, Metier
is more of a meta-system encompassing an ever-expandable collection of specialties, called "Styles",
that are all roughly comparable at their root but with branching and subtle
variations. |
| Practitioners of Metier
are usually referred to by their Style, such as a Grendmeran
(gren-day-MERE-an) or a Selembrin (seh-lem-BRAY-yen), but collectively
can be referred to as Metierans (meh'tyer-ans)
plural and a Metieran (meh'tyer-an)
singular. |
| Casting Model |
| Metier uses the "Suite
Casting" Model, which is a straight forward
implementation of the standard HERO System Multipower Rules, save the
restriction that
each distinct Style of Metier requires a separate Multipower Pool. This
effectively makes it relatively inexpensive to develop one Style of Metier,
but quite costly to develop a broad mastery of Magic. |
| SPELLS |
| Metier does not formally classify their
Spells into Levels or Schools, or similar categorizations. They call their
Magical effects "MATRIXES", which corresponds directly to any Power taken as
a slot in a Metieran Style Multipower. This is covered in more detail below
under Matrixes vs. Spells. |
|
Defining Metier Styles |
| The basic principle of
Metier is a process of defining specific mandatory and restricted Power Modifiers
that all Matrixes of that Style must comply with. Via this method it is
possible to define many different Styles with slightly or significantly
diverse mandatory and restricted Power Modifiers and thus creating new
Styles is very easy. |
| To create a new Style a GM
(or Player if the GM allows) simply defines the specific Power Modifiers
involved with the Style and a flavorful "Signature" of what the Matrixes of
that Style appear like to appropriate Detects, and of course a setting
relevant background for the Style. |
| Detailed guidelines on how
to define a Style are given below, and several sample
Styles are presented in the Metier Styles
document (and referenced throughout this document in examples). |
| REQUIRED SKILL ROLL |
| Each Metier Multipower
must take Requires a Metier Style Skill Roll on the Reserve and all slots in
the Multipower. Thus a Selembri Multipower must take RSR: Selembri
on the Reserve, and each slot must also take RSR: Selembri. |
| It is assumed that RSR will be taken at the
standard (-1/10 AP) level for a -1/2 Limitation, but an individual Metieran
could improve or worsen it at their discretion using the normal options for
doing so described in the RSR Limitation. |
| The Style Power Skill also
serves as a Knowledge Skill for that Style only, and a Profession Skill for
a practitioner of that Style. Thus a Dosaon (doe-SAY-owen) could use
their Power Skill (Dosao) both as a KS: Dosao and a PS: Dosaon if the
occasion arose. |
| In addition to the
mandatory Style Skills, a character could also take KS: Metieran Styles
and/or Analyze: Metieran Styles. The Knowledge Skill provides general
knowledge about Metier as a system, individual Styles, and possibly notable
practitioners current and historical of various Styles. Analyze Metieran Styles could provide combat bonuses in a
duel between two practitioners of Metier. |
| STYLE MECHANICS |
| Mechanically, individual
Styles simply define what Modifiers are Mandatory and Restricted for all
Matrixes in that
Style. |
- Mandatory Modifiers
- At least -1/4 in specific Limitations
on all Matrixes
- At least +1/4 in specific Advantages
on all Matrixes
- The Limitation and Advantage total must be equal
- If a selected Modifier only applies
to specific types of Powers then only Powers
that may use that Modifier are permitted for
the Style
- Restricted Modifiers
- A total of +/-1 in Modifiers that may not be
taken, sympathetically split as desired between Advantages and/or
Limitations.
- This could be -1/2 in Limitations and +1/2 in
Advantages, +1 in Advantages, or -1 in Limitations, or any combination
in between.
- Each Style must Require a Skill Roll: Style
Skill, and a character must have the associated Power Skill.
|
| MANDATORY MODIFIERS |
| Each Style has certain Advantages and
Limitations that must be taken on every Matrix belonging to that Style, and
the total Modifier amount must balance to 0; in other words if a Style
required the +1/2 Advantage Reduced END (0 END) then it must also require
exactly -1/2 in Limitations.
If the Style has +X worth of Mandatory Advantages, then it must also have -X
worth of Mandatory Limitations, where X is the same value. |
| EXAMPLE: A Style that must
take IPE: Sight & Hearing, Hide Effects of Power (+1) would need to take a
total of -1 in mandatory Limitations, perhaps Increased END x2 and Full
Phase (-1). |
| Each Style must declare a
minimum of one +1/4 Advantage and one -1/4 Limitation that all Matrixes of
that Style must take. However, this can be scaled upwards so long as the
Mandatory Advantage total and the Mandatory Limitation total match. Thus a
Style that required +3 in specific Advantages would also have to require -3
in specific Limitations. |
| LIMITED SCOPE MODIFIERS |
| If Power Modifiers that only
apply to specific types of Powers are named as Required Modifiers then only Powers that may use that sort of
Modifier are permitted for that Style. |
| Thus if a Style names
Hardened as a Mandatory Advantage, then the Style can only use Defensive
Powers that Hardened can be applied to.. If Combat Acceleration were named
as a Mandatory Advantage then the Style could only use Movement Powers that
Combat Acceleration can be applied to, and so on. |
| STYLE MULTIPOWER POOLS |
| All of the Mandatory
Modifiers are also applied to the Style Multipower Pool. Combined with RSR:
Style Skill, these are the only Modifiers that may be applied to a Style
Multipower Pool. |
| RESTRICTED MODIFIERS |
| Each Style also defines a total of +/-1 in Modifiers that may not be
taken, sympathetically split as desired between Advantages and/or
Limitations.
|
| Simply put there are only
five possible variations in Modifier values for this purpose; +1 & -0, +3/4
& -1/4, +1/2 & -1/2, +1/4 & -3/4, +0 & -1. |
| Thus a Style that can never use either
Armor Piercing or Autofire, a
total of +1 in Advantages, would not need
any Restricted Limitations since the total of Modifiers is
reached (however note that such a Style would be limited
to only Attack Matrixes that AP or Autofire can be applied to; see below). |
|
Similarly a Style that could not use Extra Time, Incantations, Gestures, or
Concentration, a total of -1 in Limitations, would not need any Restricted
Advantages. |
| VARIABLE MODIFIER VALUES |
| For Modifiers that have differing values
based upon various options, then use the
base or starting value. So for example if a Style cannot use Activation
use the minimum value for Activation (-1/4 for 15-);
if a Style can't use Autofire use the minimum
version of +1/2, and so on. |
| MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE MODIFIERS |
| If the Style requires a
specific Advantage as part of it's Mandatory
Modifiers, then a Limitation that is already disallowed by that
Advantage may not be listed for this purpose.
Thus if a Style required Reduced Endurance (0 END)
as a Mandatory Modifier then Increased END would
not be allowed as a Restricted Modifier as it is mutually exclusive with 0
END. |
| LIMITED SCOPE MODIFIERS |
| If Modifiers that only
apply to specific types of Powers are named as Restricted Modifiers then only Powers that may use that sort of
Modifier are permitted for that Style. Thus if Armor Piercing were named as
a Restricted Modifier, then the Style can only have Matrixes that Armor
Piercing can legally be applied to. |
| STYLE SIGNATURE |
| Additionally, each Style
has a signature which is detectable and recognizable as part of it's SFX;
thus once the mechanical aspects of the Style are defined, the signature of
the Style should also be defined. |
| A simple descriptive
paragraph is sufficient, describing what the Style is known for and what it
"feels" like to appropriate detects. |
|
Signature: This Style is renowned for its
[descriptor]; Matrixes of this Style are
[descriptor], and
feel ["descriptor", "descriptor",
or "descriptor"] to those with Mystic Senses. |
|
Matrixes vs. Spells |
| Metier does not classify
"Spells" as strenuously as some Magic Systems. Instead slots in a
Metier
Style MPP are considered to be "Matrixes". No special significance is tied to
the Active Points or Real Cost of an Effect, and Matrixes are not classed into "Spell
Levels" or any such concept. An individual Metieran's Matrixes can have Active Points of up to their
Style MPP's Reserve, or less
as desired. |
| Matrixes are required to be
Ultra Slots however. Thus it is common for certain background Matrixes to have
less AP than the MPP Reserve so that several Matrixes can be used
simultaneously. |
| Restrictions |
| The following design
restrictions apply to Metieran Matrixes. |
- Only Arcane Magic
- All Matrix Slots must be Ultra Slots
- No Matrix may be on
Charges
- All Matrixes
must Require a Skill Roll to be cast
- All Matrixes must comply with their Style's
Modifiers
|
| ONLY ARCANE MAGIC |
| This is a largely meaningless restriction for
this Magic System (and isn't worth any Limitation value). It basically just
controls the SFX of Metier; it detects as Arcane Magic in settings where
that is a relevant distinction. |
| ULTRA SLOTS |
| Matrixes must be Ultra Slots. Variable Slots
are not allowed. |
| CHARGES |
| Metier is incompatible with Charges. |
| REQUIRED SKILL ROLL |
| As explained previously, both the Multipower
Reserves and all slots in the Reserves must take the RSR: Style
Skill. Limitation |
| STYLE COMPLIANCE |
| Each Matrix must comply with the Mandatory
and Restricted Modifiers that apply to their Style, as explained previously. |
| SPELLCRAFT |
| Metier uses Power Skills
for each Style Skill, and is not compatible with
Spellcraft. In order to use a
particular Style of Metier, a character needs both a Multipower Pool for that Style as explained above,
and the appropriate Style Power Skill. |
| SPECIAL EFFECTS (SFX) |
| Matrixes have very broad Special Effects. In
addition to any specific SFX that a particular Matrixes might have such
Electricity for a Lightning Bolt effect or Fire for Flamebolt effect, all
Metieran Matrixes also automatically have the additional SFX of Magic,
plus Arcane, the Style of Metier the Matrix
is from. These
mandatory SFX cannot be altered by any means, including Variable Special
Effects. |
| NOTE: A
Metier Matrix of the Preciat
Style is always Magic, always Arcane, and always
of the Metieran Preciat
Style. Thus it can be interacted with by any effect that
targets Magic, Arcane Magic, or Metier Magic specifically, down to the
Style. A Detect Magic ability with Discriminatory can determine all of this
information, or a Dispel vs Metier Magic would affect it for example. |
| ENDURANCE |
| Metier Matrixes can cost 0 END, and
in fact some Styles are completely Endurance-less if Reduced END (0 END) is
part of the Style's Required Advantages, but generally speaking Metier is an
END based Magic System. |
| It is recommended that END Reserves
for Metier Matrixes be allowed, and a Metieran with multiple Styles may have
all of their Styles work from the same END Reserve. However, a Metier END
Reserve may not be used for any other effect or Power; only Metier Matrixes
may access the END from the Reserve. |
| ARMOR |
| Practitioners of Metier can use Armor,
but suffer Spellcasting penalties for
doing so as indicated by the following table. All penalties are
cumulative; thus wearing Light Armor, Gauntlets, and a Shield would result
in a net -3 penalty to all Style Skill rolls, while wearing Fully Enclosed Plate
with Gauntlets would result in a net -6 penalty. |
| -1 to Spell Skill Check |
| -2 to Spell Skill Check |
| -3 to Spell Skill Check |
| -1 to Spell Skill Check |
| -4 to Spell Skill Check |
| -1 to Spell Skill Check |
| -2 to Spell Skill Check |
|
| PENALTY SKILL LEVELS |
| Penalty Skill Levels can be purchased at
the 3 point level to offset these penalties for all Style Skill rolls.. |
| PSL: Offset Armor Casting Penalties
With All Style Skills. |
| Real Cost: 3 points per level |
|
SPECIALIST METIERAN |
| All Metieran are effectively "specialists" as they focus
on one or more Styles, and few could afford to have ability in all available
Styles. This has no direct significance, but it does ensure a high degree of
variance between individual Metieran. |
|
CREATING NEW MAGIC ITEMS |
| Metieran can make Scrolls, as described
in the
Magic
Item Creation documents, and this is the most common means by which Matrixes are learned and
proliferated. However they generally don't make any other form of Magic
Items. |
| In settings where Metier is the only,
or one of a very few Magic Systems, it might be appropriate to allow
them the full gamut of Magic Item creation. Check with your GM for their
implementation. |
| NOTE: For
purposes of balancing Metier against other Magic Systems in the
San'Dora setting they are only allowed Scroll Scribing, but individual GM's may differ on this point. |