Considering A Solo/Co-op Game’s System: Classes Part 1

We’ve actually made a few attempts at the game system for our upcoming solo/co-op game. We’ve tried a simplified d6 system somewhat based on the 80’s Star Wars RPGs. And we’ve looked at making something based on the Icons superhero RPG. We’ve also made drafts distilling the Old School Essentials rules.

And we may move back to one of those or add any of them as an alternate. But most folks who play this game will be coming from Dungeons and Dragons 5e or want to pivot to it later. It is the 500lb gorilla of tabletop RPGs.

Because we will be expecting one person to run a few characters and essentially be the GM, we clearly do need to simplify the D&D 5e rules.

Fighter

Primary Ability: Strength or Dexterity
Hit Point Die: 10 + Con at first level, 6+ Con at each other level
Saving Throw Proficiencies: Strength and Constitution
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple and Martial weapons
Armor Training: Light, Medium, and Heavy armor and Shields
Second Wind (1st Level): You have a limited well of stamina you can draw on. As a Bonus Action, you can use it to regain Hit Points equal to 6 plus your Fighter level. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain one expended use when you finish a Short Rest, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Action Surge (2nd Level). On your turn, you can take one additional action. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. Starting at 17th level, you can use it twice before a rest, but only once on the same turn.
Fighting Stance (3rd level): Choose one option for your character:
- Archer: You don’t suffer the normal penalty when firing a ranged weapon at a foe within 5′. At 7th level your penalty when shooting at long range is -2 instead of disadvantage.
- Defender: You add your proficiency bonus to your AC.
- Improved Critical: Your attack rolls with weapons and Unarmed Strikes can score a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.

Extra Attack (5th Level): You can attack twice instead of once whenever you
take the Attack action on your turn.

The fighting stances are a nod to subclasses, although the Archer isn’t rooted in a subclass, so that might not see ‘print’.

Wizard

For the wizard, the description in Lightning 5e doesn’t have much, so we draw heavily on core D&D 5e:

Primary ability: Intelligence
Hit Point Die: 6 + Con at first level, 4+ Con at each other level
Saving Throw Proficiencies: Intelligence and Wisdom
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons
Armor Training: None
Cantrips. You know three Wizard cantrips of your choice. Light, Mage Hand, and Ray of Frost are recommended. Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can replace one of your cantrips from this feature with another cantrip of your choice. When you reach Wizard levels 4 and 10, you learn another cantrip of your choice.
Spellbook. Your wizardly apprenticeship culminated in the creation of a unique book: your spellbook. It is a Tiny object that weighs 3 pounds, contains 100 pages, and can be read only by you or someone casting Identify. You determine the book’s appearance and materials, such as a gilt-edged tome or a collection of vellum bound with twine. The book contains the level 1+ spells you know. It starts with six level 1 Wizard spells of your choice. Detect Magic, Feather Fall, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Sleep, and Thunderwave are recommended. Whenever you gain a Wizard level after 1, add two Wizard spells of your choice to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. The spells are the culmination of your arcane research.
Spell Slots. The Wizard Features table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your level 1+ spells. You regain all expended slots when you finish a Long Rest.
Prepared Spells of Level 1+. You prepare the list of level 1+ spells that are available for you to cast with this feature. The number of spells you may prepare is shown in the Prepared Spells column of the Wizard Features table.