Classpects and God Tiers

“Somewhere a zealous god threads these strings between the clouds and the earth…”

Developer’s Note (3/23/2020): While we could just repaste the prior edition’s stuff here, this is a topic we’ve stayed hands off on due to the community’s preference for a more freeform sub-system(s). That said, there are concerns that the systems might not mesh well with the updates. We’ll be revamping this section as the year of 2020 rolls on.

Developer’s Note (11/9/2020): And here we are, only several months after the fact, definitely not late at all. The classpect power system given below is deliberately open-ended, only stating its mechanical benefit while what it looks like and what actually transpires in-universe is left to you and the player to fill in. God Tiering also deliberately boosts their Demeanor and other choices they made all the way back at character creation to reinforce a sense of confidence and empowerment in the character and the choices that made them the way they are.

Classpects and God Tiers

Your players’ characters will have a class and aspect just as in canon Homestuck! While they’re free to express to you their thoughts and preferences about their characters’ classpects, ultimately it is up to you as the SM what their classpect will be, and consequently should be kept a secret until their character finds out in-universe.

The Classes and Aspects document details the different classes and aspects as the RPGStuck community has historically used.

The interpretation of classes, aspects, and the bearing titles have on their players is one of the most subjective parts of Homestuck. That said, there are a few parts of the system that are generally agreed upon:

• The class describes what the player does to the aspect, which is an abstract and general concept.
• Classpect powers usually manifest at a gate, a dungeon, a certain level, or a meaningful character development.

Keep in mind two players with the same title may have entirely different power sets. For example, a Knight of Void, one who actively exploits Void, may have the ability to create miniature black holes, or can sneak into the Void to catch enemies by surprise. Both can be explained as exploiting Void in some way, yet come away with different abilities.

On the flip side, two players with different titles may have similar power sets. For example, a Knight of Hope, one who actively exploits Hope, might tap into it to manifest a sword made purely of Hope. A Mage of Breath, one who actively understands Breath, might tap into it to make their bullets fly true. Both of them utilize different aspects in different ways, but the end result of heightened combat prowess is shared by both.

Classpects

Classpects are a perennially complex discussion as to who is which classpect (especially why) and what a player should expect from it. Given there are 144 classpect combinations (master classes, which are a whole nother conversation, are not included in this count), RPGStuck has opted to use a one size fits all approach.

The following is a basic set of classpect abilities and rules that ought to get players through their session. You may add to it at your discretion (or replace it entirely with a system of your own making), but this is meant to be a baseline that can be adapted to just about any session’s players.

Players should unlock these abilities at a narratively appropriate time, when it seems right that the player would start awakening to their latent powers. Moments of duress, or practice, or any examples from canon will suffice.

Aspect Points
Aspect Points are a resource equal to the player’s Proficiency bonus by which they can leverage their aspect. They restore fully on a long rest. Their maximum AP increases by 1 per odd numbered gate completed (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th).

God Tiered players are able to restore 1 AP on a short rest.

AP should be reworded to fit the player’s aspect, e.g. Breath players will use Breath Points, Light players have Light Points, etc.

Abilities
Players with access to their classpect start with the following two abilities:

• Empower: When the player makes an attack roll or skill check, they may spend 1 AP to roll with advantage. If making an attack roll, they add two d8 Aim dice. If making a skill check, they add two d8 Stakes dice. This can be used retroactively on a roll.

  • The player should explain, in-character, how their aspect helps them.

• Afflatus: The player may spend 1 AP to ask a question about the scene, and the aspect answers back, in that aspect’s unique way.

Players may unlock more abilities as they progress through their session, at narratively appropriate times: the conclusion of odd-numbered gates (like max AP increases) would be appropriate, if nothing else comes to mind.

Additional Abilities
Players ought to gain these at narratively appropriate times like odd-numbered gates (same as max AP increases), as said in the Primer. Not every player should get all of these abilities: not every player will have the same need for every ability, nor might their classpect or playstyle lend themselves to using them.

• Assault: The player may spend 1 AP to either reroll their damage dice at +2 die sizes or gain 50% bonus damage to the roll. This may be done once per round.

  • The player should explain, in-character, how their aspect works toward this end.

• Preserve: The player may spend 1 AP to halve all incoming damage for 1 round. This may be done once per round.

  • The player should explain, in-character, how their aspect helps them.

• Succor: The player may spend 1 AP to heal for half their highest stat or twice their Level, whichever is higher. This may be done once per round.

  • The player should explain, in-character, how their aspect does this.

• Defy: The player may spend 1 AP and gain 1 Paradox to perform some miraculous feat that the aspect facilitates.

  • The player should explain, in-character, what it is they intend to do.

• Freestyle: The player might spend 1 AP to perform some action through their aspect.

  • The player should explain, in-character, what it is they want to do.
  • Developer’s Note (11/9/20): This is not so much an ability as it is a signal of sorts to you, the SM. When players consider Stakes and Flaws and what they can leverage to do something or make something possible to do at all, spending Aspect Points is on the table.

Paradox is a representation of the cost of reaching beyond their means and using their power in ways reserved for the god-tiered or those of a similarly empowered temperament. Players start at 0 Paradox. Accumulating 3 Paradox will have consequences, which is your cue as the SM to levy an aspect or narrative appropriate consequence for burning out.

For those reasons, Paradox is a wholly optional part of the classpect system; use it as a check on how often a player might leverage their power to do completely fantastical and over the top shenanigans, if you feel it necessary.

• Indefatigable: The player can short rest in up to 10 minutes instead of 1 hour, and can long rest within 1 hour instead of 8 hours.
  • Developer’s Note (11/17/20): Depending on the nature of your session, by the time the players can rest after god tiering, the events and the stakes of the session may have accelerated to a point that resting is simply infeasible, in-universe. If you expect everything to hit the fan very fast and all at once, give this to your players so they can keep going.

Details and Examples

Where abilities are concerned, the player has free reign to define how their aspect works, though you as SM have the final say on if what they intend matches what actually happens.

Afflatus and Defy are defined by you, the SM. Accordingly, make them as broad or as frequently usable as possible; this framework relies on only a few, broad, frequently used abilities.

Here are some examples:

• Vorwissenachsen (Afflatus, Mind): When deliberating on a choice, you may spend 1 MP to have it coalesce into a vision that presents you with the outcomes of that choice.

  • Developer’s Note (11/1/20): Terezi’s powers from canon come to mind here.

• Introspective Induction (Afflatus, Light): You may spend 1 LP to present a body of facts and pose a conclusion based on those facts. Light shows you where your conclusion is insufficient, incomplete, or otherwise strange.

• Fulmination (Defy, Breath): You may spend 1 BP and gain 1 Paradox to command the winds to perform some miraculous task. It might move great obstacles via hurricane-strong winds, lay waste to an area with a tornado, or use the winds to ferry yourself great distances in short order.

  • Developer’s Note (11/1/20): John’s powers from canon come to mind here.

• Cover Identity (Defy, Light): You may spend 1 LP and gain 1 Paradox to weave a false identity that you can put on and off at will. This false identity causes any who interact with you to see this false identity instead. You do not physically change in any way, but others’ minds will bend where reasonable to rationalize any inconsistencies. Any false identities you create will persist to be called upon as you please unless you voluntarily dissolve them.

• Splendor (Defy, Void): You may spend 1 VP and gain 1 Paradox to briefly strip the non-existence from the formless Void, creating something that just so happens to perform some feat you want done.

  • Developer’s Note (11/1/20): Roxy’s powers from canon come to mind here.

Similarly, you will want to rename these abilities to fit whatever themes or motifs your players have going for them.

God Tiers

God tiering is no small feat; it’s the culmination of your player’s journey in Sburb, after all.

Players automatically resurrect after 1d4 hours, given that their death was not Heroic or Just, regain 1 AP per short rest, and lose 1 Paradox per long rest if Paradox is being used. They also gain +1 maximum AP, and their Demeanor now grants them advantage.

• Developer’s Note (11/1/20): Astute eyes will notice now both Demeanor and Empower grant advantage and two d8 bonus dice. This is intentional.

If players have not yet tried to claim their classpect can be leveraged for a Stakes die, they can do so now as their classpect begins to passively, minutely benefit them without the need for high and mighty miracles.

Furthermore, they gain two upgrades.

One is based on whether they are a psion/hybrid/martial.

• Psion: Gain two additional greater slots, gain the ability to spend 1 AP to regain one greater slot.

• Hybrid: Select three subpowers with lesser slot costs; these subpowers no longer spend lesser slots on use. Additionally, gain a new subpower: once per damage roll, spend one lesser slot to get +2 die sizes to damage (cannot choose this one to be free).

  • If you don’t know three subpowers when you gain this, you can retroactively apply this to newly learned subpowers in later levels.

• Martial: Once per turn, add your Level to a damage roll; if it the attack roll critically hits, add your Level again. Furthermore, you have +1 die size to all damage rolls (not just abilitechs or subpowers).

And the other is based on whether they are a slayer/sentinel/strategist.

• Slayer: Depends on their level 1 milestone choice.

  • Dual Wielding: If both your major and minor actions are used to make damaging attacks, you may make a third attack as a free action that auto-hits for damage equal to half your Strength, Dexterity, or PCS.
  • Combat Precision: Your bonuses from this improve to +2.
  • Heavy Striker: Instead of adding 2P, add twice your Level.

• Sentinel: Gain +1 to AC/resistances. When you roll for hit points at each level (including retroactively), add +2 to the roll.

• Strategist: Gain a second minor action, but this minor action can only be used for actions that would activate Rapidity’s effect. Rapidity always grants +3 to crit range.

There’s also an alternative (replacing one of either kind) for players who don’t see many strifes. Since these are gained at God Tiering, you should have a pretty good idea of whether a given player gets into them frequently, at that point.

• Alternative: If you have Expertise in a skill, any d6 Stakes dice are raised to d8s, and any d6 Flaws dice are lowered to d3s. When making a skill check, if the sum of your stat mod and skill points is not greater than your Proficiency, you gain +1 to the check per Polymath you possess.

It is worth mentioning that full sessions have completed with players doing few or even no strifes whatsoever.

Fraymotifs

Your players’ characters might have fraymotifs available to them just as canon. What is a fraymotif? It’s some sort of musical ability that players can use in a strife, whether it be a simple attack, aiding their allies, or something more esoteric.

Due to the dearth of information about fraymotifs in canon, RPGStuck uses the following to contextualize fraymotifs in-universe:

Paradox Space remembers the sum total of its occurrences across every session, alpha or doomed or otherwise. A fraymotif is a powerful memory of some specific incident considered heroic, insane, or otherwise noteworthy enough to leave a mark in Paradox Space’s memory. From there, it ends up sold by consort shops, where players can draw on the memory in the same way they might draw on their aspect, replicating that memory. Typically to lay waste to their enemies.

Players should be held off from buying fraymotifs until after they’ve alchemized a full set of Tier 1 alchemy for themselves. They’re potent little things, after all, but they’re supplementary to the player’s power, not the core focus.

Now, RPGStuck has dabbled with different forms of fraymotifs, and has cobbled together at least three different versions.

• The current version, 3.2, the current version with which RPGStuck intends to move ahead as of (fill in later). Unlike prior versions, they are premade, but are easier to comprehend for SMs and players alike.
• The simplified version, 3.1, a simplified workshop where SMs can cobble together several types of fraymotifs dependant on utility.
• The advanced version, 3.0, a very complex workshop through which ambitious SMs can come up with fine-tuned fraymotifs.

For the sake of simplicity, the assistant will instruct with the current version in mind.

Fraymotifs cost 1 AP and each fraymotif can only be used once per long rest. Consequently, the player will rarely get to use them; while the mechanical effect is set in stone (or not, as you see fit), what actually transpires in-universe is up to you and the player to fill in, just like the classpect abilities.