We’ve talked1 a lot about the various aspects of what defines the individual characters in Haunted: Beyond the Veil, and hinted at yet more in previous DevBlogs, so lets keep the train on the tracks and discuss2 the next way in which customisation of a character is going to be possible…
Talents!
Each and every person you are meet likely has some talent or other, whether they know it or not, celebrate it or hide it, love it or hate it. Regardless of that, it is one of the many things that makes them unique.
We want to be no different with the characters made for Haunted, they should feel like real people with relatable personalities and depth. Of course, our list of talents will be limited and have mechanical impact on the character’s abilities, skills or actions but they will also provide a genuine way to add flavour… or min/max, you know, whatever floats your boat.
Decisions, decisions…
It would be very easy to have all of the talents be re-skins of simple skill boosters but that seems like the opposite of what we are trying to achieve here. Ensuring that there is a range of mechanical benefits available will put the emphasis on the player’s planning a build that suits the overall feel that they are going for with their character.
Do they want a ‘Lucky’ character who may not be the best in terms of skills but has a natural knack for avoiding failure (their chosen talents might allow re-rolls, upgrade rolls that they are weak with or improve their survivability). Maybe they want to create a skill master, one whose talents enhance their abilities in specific situations as well as smoothing out the rough edges of those skills that they aren’t so great at.
In the most basic of mechanical terminology there will be talents to cover most aspects of the games ruleset:
Flat bonuses to skills
Situational, but better, bonuses
Limited use, powerful, boosts
Re-roll options
Roll upgrading
…and many more3
We already have a list forming and will take a deeper look at beta options at a later date, probably in conjunction with a sample character or two, but in the meantime it would be great to hear4 your thoughts, how else could talents operate within an RPG to influence play without breaking immersion?
Until next time…
1 Ok, I’ve written and you’ve read 2 Again, just you reading… sorry 3 Wrenegade Studios cannot be held accountable for a lack of follow-through in this regard 4 Yup, read… you get it by now
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