Achievements

Think back to some of the memorable games you've played. What do remember? Killing that dragon, plundering the treasure, capturing the mad wizard, etc. This is true for me, and my friends at least. Someone on the OD&D boards pointed out that's what the point of the game is (at least for him, and myself now that I think about it). Do you remember your character's THAC0, his special abilities, or what spells he had prepared?

That's what I want Arcane Adventures to be about. A game about achievements, great feats, tall tales, and adventurous stories. A game about what your character has done, not what he can do. Furthermore I want interesting character abilities, not long lists of bonuses and features. I want one or two things that really make a class or race stick out. Something substantial. Not some modification to a specific rule, or a set of abilities that allow them to perform some special case combat maneuver.

That's what I love about the 1E Ranger. He has some of those minor traits, but what really sticks out to me is his ability slay giants, and his 50% chance of stealth. Not slightly improving skills, that only apply to specific situations like "hiding in shadows" or "moving silently. Nope, just a straight 50% chance at catching monsters off-guard.

That's all I'm going to write for now, because it's a really simple concept, and I have to go right now. Hopefully you understand what I'm getting at.