Adventurer Conqueror King System: Imperial Imprint Review: Numbers Like the Stars

   Once more into the breach, my friends. We’re reviewing ACKS II piece-by-piece, with the first part of this series a general overview of the system’s scope and scale. Looking practically, of course, our first interaction with the system is typically via generating characters. Before we even cover that, though, we need to tip down all our green visors and look at the core math. So, here we go…
​Green Visor Analysis
   ACKS II, like most fantasy systems in this space, is built primarily around the d20. Terminology is very sensitively worked over to avoid the litigious grasp of Hasbro, so rolls are “throws” most of the time, fumbles are botches, etc, but if you’re familiar with B/X (lineage via Rules Cyclopedia) then you’ll mostly know the core assumptions. If you don’t…well, welcome stranger, I have no idea how you got here but I’m glad you bumbled aboard.
   The rulebook doesn’t assume the reader knows what’s up, explaining not just how to roll, but giving the reasons for rolling different die sizes. When skill and luck have a broad range of outcomes, you throw a d20. When its less of a big luck swing, use a d6. When there’s a bell curve of possible outcomes, use 2d6, etc. Once again this book is rigorous, but all the reasons are given in clean, clear language, with helpful examples and in engaging prose. I really don’t think the “this thing as all numbers” crowd is being fair at all, because this solid darned manual writing.
   As a note on encumbrance, weights are given in “stone”. This mildly bugs me because that’s a proper old English weight near fourteen pounds but here in ACKS-land we assume “ten pounds ish”. There aren’t a lot of places where we’re imprecise like this with numbers, but just note that these do exist and they’re always in service of the verisimilitude of this Fantasy Dominate Rome world. Coins, because this is realistic and not Greyhawkian, weigh about 1/100th a pound, not 1/10th.
   Once we get to characters, you see the kinds of modifiers we’re expecting. Attributes (all standard) provide -3 to +3 modifiers, with only 3 or 18 maxing those out. Standard method of generation is template/array style, so most characters won’t be exceptional or utter dogs. I do like how attribute bonuses are added to % checks at a times-four, so a 16-STR fighter (+2 bonus) is bending bars at a +8. High Key Attributes giving mild XP bonuses to appropriate classes is present, but not at an absurd level. Proficiencies add a little bit of oomph, but nothing like D&D 3 or even D&D 5. It's B/X, but standardized.
   Combat statistics are slightly wonky for those familiar with old-school or new school versions of D&D; armor is ascending but starts at 0, which means different arithmetic for basically normal B/X attack progression results. By default, hit points are “class hit die OR 4, take whichever is higher” at first, then roll all hit die later, which means ACKSmen don’t typically topple over at the first sneeze. In addition to the fairly standard weapon proficiencies, characters also have style proficiencies which enable a given type of fighting without penalty. So if you want to sword-and-board, you need the Weapon and Shield proficiency in addition to proficiencies in said sword and said board. Little niche carve-out there. The rest is normal B/X for attack and damage progression, with the exception of cleave. Yes, your fighter types can keep hitting the next target if their first blow kills their current. This is cool.
   That’s mostly it. There are a lot of tables in the latter portion of this book, but they’re not core to the player experience. For most of the gametime, you’re in a B/X-like math schema with just a little bit of power creep less from any fundamental shift in the engine than just a range of options and setup rules that are player-favored, like the hit point minimums and the added proficiencies. System mastery will boost the performance of a character somewhat but a fighter with 10’s across the board, fighting with a sword and shield, will manage to contribute fine. Not that there aren’t a lot more options…

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​Building Your Toon
   Okay, as is standard for these reviews, I’m going to roll up a guy to test things out, but first we can look at the general set-up for character creation. I’m interested in the way the PC chapters get broken out: Characters -> Classes -> Proficiencies -> Equipment -> Spell. Characters are first established as a mix of attributes, homeland, age, weight, etc before you hop into classes. Our classes are manifold, as is to be expected when any D&D edition accumulates cruft, but we do the B/X thing with race-as-class but also gives multiple classes for dwarves and elves. Level cap is 14 normally. Our baseline human classes each pair with a single attribute, which is neat, and thus slightly awkwardly adds two to the D&D standard four-man-band. We have:
-Fighters (STR): Standard issue fighting-man. All arms, all armor, best hit die, best attack, you know his deal.
-Explorer (CON): Kind of a ranger. All arms but medium to lighter armor, d6 hit die, can “ambush” for a mild extra damage die, otherwise pretty Aragony.
-Thief (DEX): Less crap than most thieves, with okay arms, light armor, d4 hit die, backstab, but a lot better skill success than a lot of others. CHEAP leveling XP.
-Mage (INT): It’s your magic-user, you know what that means. Wizard as a standard wizard, including the massive XP cost to level up.
-Crusader (WIS): Cleric but we’re scared of WotC lawyers. I actually like the name better, it makes it more obviously martial.
-Venturer (CHA): This is the unique one to ACKS, and I like it. Traveling merchant with meh arms/armor and average hit die, but TONS of special trading and business-owning abilities. Could be a party face in a dungeon crawl but it ties in to the domain side early and often. Awesome.
Demi-Human classes are some nice varieties:
-Dwarven Craftpriest is a Cleric Dwarf, limited to level 10 and with a spellbook. Neat.
-Dwarven Vaultguard is a Fighter Dwarf, limited just to level 13 but otherwise just good and solid.
-Elven Nightblade is a MU/Thief Elf, maybe more assassin, limited to level 10.
-Eleven Spellsword is a MU/Fighter Elf, also limited to level 10  
   Technically there are a couple human versions too with specific races’ classes, but I’d add them to the “campaign class” bucket. These are the weirdo hybrids that players always want, with added extra specializations to make other variants. Those are…(deep breath):
-Assassin: Like a thief that specializes in the murder-stab parts of the package.
-Barbarian: Like a fighter/explorer, you know the type.
-Bard: Standard-issue annoying jerk, not a full caster but has inspiration and can use magic wands.
-Bladedancer: Female-exclusive cleric who likes swords and hates wearing clothes.
-Paladin: You know the paladin. He’s a normal paladin, just peeved by the cleric’s “crusader” name.
-Priestess: Female-exclusive cleric who trades the fighty bits for slightly better spellcasting.
-Shaman: Basically, the druid, a cleric with an animal pet who can turn into that animal.
-Warlock: Mage who likes looking gross and evil and who your party will absolutely hate.
-Witch: Female-exclusive mage with a more earthy twist to her casting.
-Nobiran Wonderworker: MU/Cleric mix who can cast from both, limited to level 10.
-Zaharan Runeguard: Evil magic-fighter who gets bonuses if he turns undead.
   All the campaign classes are fine, probably slightly subpar vs. the Big Six but players love that crap and they do a pretty solid job of filling out archetypes often requested. These baseline classes all get further modded by random packages which grant free proficiencies and different starting gear packages.
   Oh, right, I should mention proficiencies: They’re feats. Like, D&D 3E feats, but if they were all created by a designer who was actually numerate and understood game balance. Obviously there are still trap choices, but those traps are much less punishing than the 3.P paradigm, and the proficiencies aren’t quite as “must plan out the tree” to get good stuff, either. I like them, but I like Pathfinder stuff too, so take that as you will.

Meet Dave (again)
   Okay, I’ve now spent far, far more time and brain cells on character options than any player even will in the history of all of mankind, so let’s conclude today by rolling up a guy. I’m thrilled to see if we get a zero or a hero. Let’s go line-by-line per the rulebook:
   Attributes. It’s 5d6 drop lowest 2, 2x 4d6 drop lowest, then 3d6, pre-picked. I’m going to skew martial here, so Dave’s got:
STR: 5d6 -> [1,4,6,2,3] -> 13, meh
CON: 4d6 -> [4, 1, 2, 6] -> 12
DEX:  4d6 -> [5, 4, 1, 2] -> 11, heh
INT: 3d6 -> [2, 2, 1] -> 5 LOL
WIS: 3d6 -> [5, 4, 3] -> 12
CHA: 3d6 -> [3, 5, 4] -> 12
   Okay, Dave’s pretty dang dumb (-2 mod), but he’s otherwise pretty average. Strength of 13 is just enough for a +5% XP bonus on a Strength-primary-attribute class, which means…Fighter. Hah. Okay, sure thing buddy. Dave the Fighter. That means I’ll roll hit points:
d8 -> 6, great. But no CON bonus.
   Starting age doesn’t make much difference, but magic aging is still a thing and there’s at hint that some campaigns will be doing the whole “decades pass” thing, so for Dave that’s:
17+1d6 -> [1] -> 18. Nice. Dave the Dimwit is also VERY wet behind the ears.
   Dave’s assumed to be 15 stone by default, and he’s too dumb to be anything but Lawful, so let’s go to class and see what we get next. On to templates:
3d6 -> [4, 6, 4] -> 14, so that’s a Gladiator.
   Being a gladiator nets us Weapon Focus (swords and daggers) and Seduction, plus 2 swords, heavy arena armor, a plumed and visored helmet, tunic and pants, sandals, small sack, amphora of oil (for polishing body), 1 week’s iron rations, and 38gp in arena winnings.
   Oh. Dave is a himbo. That gives me so much to work with. Despite the terrible INT and only one score above 12, this is still somehow a viable PC with a bright future ahead of him losing his last three neurons at the front of the party. I can dig this.
   Of course, there’s still equipment to look at and spells to select if we’re a magician, so that’s what we’ll focus on next time. Assuming Dave can find his way out of the arena…