Alternate rule system

[G]

With Eric Wujick having passed away as of June 7, 2008 we are never getting changes to ATB. Kevin is too busy.

So if we want changes we have to make them ourselves. I've had a bit of interest lately in my proposed changes, but as I'm unlikely to ever use them myself; I'm creating this post to allow people to contribute to a new set of rules that would make the game better.

Keep it simple. That is the basis of the changes.

My idea is to drop bio-e (for the most part) and have people choose based upon what they want to play with equal bonuses and negatives for each choice, so it won't matter what you choose! The choice will simply be what you want to play.

Size:
Each size level is 1' tall. Ex. SL1=1', SL20=20'. Ignore IQ, Speed & PE columns on the chart. It shouldn't be too hard to put together an accurate weight chart.
-If you are small people have a negative to hit you & have a bonus to PP.
-If you are large you get more sdc & PS.

Looks:
None:
Partial:
Full:
The only difference is how people treat you in the game. People with partial looks can pass for full or none if they have the disguise skill, make-up, dark lighting, etc..but are -4(?) to PB.

Biped:
None: Double your ground speed.
Partial: Your ground speed is 50% faster.
Full:

Hands:
None: If you chose biped none, you get telekensis. Otherwiseyou get ectoplasmic hands.
Partial: I think we drop this choice, all or none is easier. I can't think of a good reason for partial to exist.
Full:

Speech:
None: You get mental speak, sign language & know morse code.
Partial: You get sign language.
Full:

Bio-E:
Everyone gets 30(?) bio-e to buy animal abilities or psionics. You can take disadvantages in order to be able to buy better psionics or animal abilities.

->If I've done this properly you should be neutral on which choice to make from a mechanical standpoint.
1. Have I succeeded?
2. Do you have anything to add?
3. Would you use this system, if not, what change(s) would you make?

[G]

Random Testing Time! Since our other choices are equal, we only need to look at natural weapons, animal powers & disadvantages.

Ground based - Kodiak Bear:
All the advantages cost 80 bio-e.
All the disadvantages give us 40 bio-e.
We would be 10 bio-e short of a regular bear. Perhaps a regular bear doesn't have the biggest claws and teeth. 10 bio-e might help, but so far so good.

Air Based - Bat:
All the advantages cost 90 bio-e.
All the disadvantages give us 50 bio-e, although wings would conflict.
-Hand choices for flyers include arms with separate hands at no cost or wings with hands but you get ectoplasmic hands. The advantage of not having arms (hands on the end of wings), will be a disadvantage worth 10(?) bio-e.

Water Based - Baracuda:
I've learned that ATB has dropped the ball on waterworld...there are no fish in the books. There wasn't even a sourcebook that had all ocean things in it. Considering the percentage of the earth that is water, I find this a big oversight.

Using the below (which I've taken from elsewhere on this board)...All the advantages cost 60 bio-e.
All the disadvantages give us 85 bio-e, but then again this isn't an official animal - so I deem this acceptable.

Barracuda

Original Animal Characteristics
Description: These long, silvery fish are more feared than sharks in many areas. Their
reputation is earned more from their habit of following divers than actually attacking them.
Size Level: 15
Length: to 10 feet long
Weight: to 450 lbs.
Build: long

Mutant Changes and Costs
Total BIO-E: 15
Attribute Bonuses: None

Human Features:
Hands: 5 BIO-E for Partial
10 BIO-E for Full
Biped: None. No legs at all, simply a long tail, character will be able to crawl at 1/4 maximum
speed while on dry land, but gets +2 to parry and dodge while underwater and can swim
twice as fast as normal
10 BIO-E for Partial. Rear fins have mutated into simple limbs.
15 BIO-E for full: rear fins have mutated into perfect legs
Speech: 5 BIO-E for Partial
10 BIO-E for Full
Looks: none: long, very thin body with short arms, silver scales, long face with large,
round eyes and large, pointed mouth filled with sharp teeth, small dorsal fin in middle
of back, webbed fingers and toes
5 BIO-E for Partial: long, thin body, short arms, mouth extends forward noticeably,
large eyes, silvery skin, small ridge in middle in back, slight webbing between fingers and toes
10 BIO-E for Full: very thin body, arms are slightly shorter than average, wide mouth
filled with sharp teeth, small ridge for nose, shiny skin, large eyes, slight webbing between toes

Natural Weapons
5 BIO-E for 1D8 Teeth
10 BIO-E for 2D8 Teeth

Mutant Animal Powers
5 BIO-E for Breathe Underwater
5 BIO-E for Swim Skill equal to 90%
5 BIO-E for Advanced Smell
5 BIO-E for Advanced Vision
10 BIO-E for Brute Strength
10 BIO-E for Nightvision
10 BIO-E for Advanced Vision

Vestigial Disadvantages
-10 BIO-E for Diet: Carnivore
-10 BIO-E for Reptile Brain: Predator
-10 BIO-E for Nearsightedness
-10 BIO-E for Prey Eyes
-15 BIO-E for Aquatic Vestigial Skin (must keep skin moist or it will dry out. Suffers heat exposure for every half hour it is out of water.
-15 BIO-E for Aquatic Respiratory System (breathes water)
-10 BIO-E Temperature Sensitivity: mutant suffers exposure to heat and cold twice as fast as normal. Takes double damage from heat and cold attacks
-5 BIO-E for Webbed Hands and Feet (only if character has both hands and feet)

[G]

Saving a spot for later.

[Soldier of Od]

Hmm... not totally enamoured by your concept, but it's not bad. So what your saying is that you can basically just pick whatever size level and human features you want, there being advantages and disadvantages of picking each one? Sounds good in principle, but unless they are almost perfectly balanced choices, I worry that somewhere there is a best choice that basically ends up with almost every player picking the same size and features every time.

One thing you could add to your hands options that you were struggling with is that perhaps you restrict the claw options to partial or no human hands only, or say they are larger and therefore do greater damage on partial and no hands, i.e. a lion's claws do say, 3D6+2 with no human hands, 2D6+2 on partial and 2D4 on full; cat's do 2D6, 2D4 and 1D6 respectively, etc. Ditto for hooves. I wouldn't offer telekinesis as an option.