King’s Quest: Aspects
The core functions of King’s Quest are vague and unknown. I wouldn’t say any one function really defines the system. I like to believe that fundamentally, all the mechanics work together to make my system what it is. I hope to eventually talk about every function King’s Quest has to offer, but today I choose one to talk about a part of King’s Quest that I think you, the viewer, could consider a major function. That function is Aspects.
Let me explain… In 5e D&D as well as Pathfinder (another Tabletop RPG) you have what are known as characteristics or attributes. This is your Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, so on and so forth. When you begin creating characters in these systems you roll for each of these stats (also like in King’s Quest.) These stats are known as ability scores, you use these scores to determine what modifiers will get added to your rolls when you go to make any sort of skill check. For example, in 5e, rolling to attack is made using your strength ability score. However, I disagree with this. Swinging a sword around does require some strength, yes, but more so skill. Not only did I disagree with how some stats are used in 5e, but I also had a mechanical conflict that prevented me from just using the stat mechanics from 5th edition. Since King’s Quest, like mentioned before, doesn’t have a class system but still has magic, there needed to be a way for players to still use magic. These problems are why I decided to make my own version of the stat system and not just rip one from the other tabletop RPGs.
In King’s Quest, your stats are Strength, Endurance, Agility, Charisma, Perception, Intelligence, and Wisdom. These are known in the King’s Quest system as the main Aspects. There are also Side Aspects, these are Willpower, Melee, and Ballistics. This makes a total of 10 Aspects for a player to roll scores for. These aspects affect almost every part of your character in some way, they also fix prior problems I had mentioned with 5th editions stat system. In King’s Quest, rolling for an attack is done through either Melee, Ballistics, or if you are a magic user, then you’d use Willpower. Perception was also included as an Aspect in King’s Quest, even though in 5e it is done through your character’s Wisdom attribute which represents experience. I felt, while a character can have good vision and awareness because of experience, a character can also have good perception solely based on their race as well. My excuse is that eagles have really good vision, not because they know what to look for through experience, but just because they are gifted with an analytical brain and good eyesight.
Aspects are a crucial part of King’s Quest, they define the strengths and weaknesses of your character. This is why, I believe you could consider Aspects, a major function of King’s Quest.
Learn more about King’s Quest Aspects here: Aspect & Scores 5.0
Next post will be a little different. I plan to introduce everyone to the on-going campaign I am running, giving you the rundown on the session, characters, DM advice, and a little on how I create campaigns.
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