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Togath
2012-07-15, 06:12 AM
After trying to look into a few other rpgs out there, in order to get a better idea of how rpgs other then dungeosn and dragons run, mechanics wise, I ran into a problem: I can't seem to find any things like the SRDs for pathfinder, dungeons and dragons, or d20modern for other rpgs.
Are there any?, Or is the open game content a quirk of dungeons and dragons based games?

Craft (Cheese)
2012-07-15, 07:09 AM
FATE (http://www.faterpg.com/resources/) has the 2e core document for free, as well as an SRD for the fate-based Spirit of the Century and some partial content from the Dresden Files RPG.

Ars Magica (http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=AG0204) is currently offering its 4th edition core rulebook for free[/url]. All 5th edition content and 4th edition supplements are still not-free though.

Wushu (http://wiki.saberpunk.net/Wushu/WushuOpenRules) also has its core rules for free.

There's also plenty of other roleplaying systems in our own homebrew section, nearly all of which are available for free. Most of these systems are D&D-likes (with many of them being actual variants of the d20 rules) though. Final Fantasy d6 and Heroes Against Darkness are two such systems off the top of my head.

NikitaDarkstar
2012-07-15, 01:12 PM
GURPS Lite (http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/) comes to mind. It's apparently a 32-page distilled version of GURPS core rules.

ShadowRun (http://www.shadowrun4.com/wp-content/uploads/Downloads/Shadowrun/20Quick-Start/20Rules.pdf) has it's Quick-Start rules (warning the link leads directly to the .pdf sorry about that, but there wasn't much I could do about it.)


The key really is to just look for systems you're interested in, many of them will have a free quick-start or beginner version or whatever. And yes I found several others, but I'm not linking them since I have no idea of their quality since I havn't looked at them or the system itself before. :)

1337 b4k4
2012-07-15, 01:23 PM
Traveller: http://www.travellersrd.com/

CET
2012-07-15, 02:09 PM
Open d6 (http://opend6.wikidot.com/) - traditional/rules medium system based on the old West End Games

Additional Resources:
West End Games RPGnow page (http://www.rpgnow.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=468) (has free RPG books for Space, Modern/Adventure, Fantasy, etc)

Ravens_cry
2012-07-15, 02:26 PM
Pathfinder (a d20 variation) has a butt load of OGL content, and the d20pfsrd (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/) has a lot of it, as well as 3rd party Pathfinder material.
Just what is 3rd party Pathfinder in regards to d20, 6th party?

Zale
2012-07-15, 03:03 PM
You can download the d20 Modern SRD here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd).

Or look at it on the web here (http://systemreferencedocuments.org/resources/systems/pennpaper/modern/smack/srdhome.html).

Here (http://www.d20herosrd.com/home) is the OGC content for 3e Mutants and Masterminds.

Oh, and the 3.5 D&D SRD is here (http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm).

Enjoy!

Togath
2012-07-15, 07:58 PM
Thank you for helping me find various srds, it'll really help when making a homebrewed rpg to know more about rpgs outside of dungeons & dragons/pathfinder.
this also does remind me; a lot of d100 games have a "roll under target to suceed" method, are there any which use a "roll equal to, or over, target to suceed" method like many d10, d20, and d6 games?

1337 b4k4
2012-07-15, 08:58 PM
d100 games tend to do that because you're rolling percentages. If you have a 25% chance of success, you want to roll 25 or less on a d100. Roll higher means you have to do more math for the roll, essentially 100 - % chance.

erikun
2012-07-15, 10:35 PM
this also does remind me; a lot of d100 games have a "roll under target to suceed" method, are there any which use a "roll equal to, or over, target to suceed" method like many d10, d20, and d6 games?
Eclipse Phase is a d100-add-bonuses system; not one for free, though.
It pretty much looks like a d20-add-bonuses system but with 01-100 values, as you might expect.

The Dark Fiddler
2012-07-16, 07:58 AM
this also does remind me; a lot of d100 games have a "roll under target to suceed" method, are there any which use a "roll equal to, or over, target to suceed" method like many d10, d20, and d6 games?

The problem with that is that a lot of the d% games that use the "roll below target" use your stat or skill rating as a target. If you try to roll over, then it gets more difficult as your gain power (though, as another person noted, you could then do 100-skill for the target, but that's more math).

NoldorForce
2012-07-16, 11:36 AM
Eclipse Phase is a d100-add-bonuses system; not one for free, though.
It pretty much looks like a d20-add-bonuses system but with 01-100 values, as you might expect.Just as an aside, Eclipse Phase can legally be found for free if you check the designers' blogs - they released it under a noncommercial form of the Creative Commons license.

For actual content, Legend (http://www.ruleofcool.com/) is available for free. I've not played it but some other folks here seem to like it.

Togath
2012-07-16, 11:38 AM
ah, that explains it, I had thought it was like trying to beat an monster's ac, or succeed on saving throw from a d20 game would be(for things like that in d20 games you usually have the target being unrelated to your abilities, and instead having it based on the abilities of the enemy or challenge), I suppose if things were based on your stats it could make more sense to se a roll under system.
One thing I had considered for the system I was making was possibly having(for attacks at least) a roll on both sides(one roll being to not get hit, and the other roll to hit the target trying not to be hit) and having whoever has the highest result succeeding. Do you think this would make the game i was trying to make to complex and/or too random?
edit; I'll check out legend as well, and see if i can find Eclipse Phase like you mentioned, this did also remind me; is there an srd or something for exalted?

NX_Phoenix
2012-07-16, 03:04 PM
+1 Eclipse Phase and d6 Space

For a hard sci-fi variant of FATE with some interesting subsystems I'd suggest the Diaspora SRD (http://www.vsca.ca/Diaspora/diaspora-srd.html).

In the realm of free pdf RPGs, off the top of my head I can think of Witchcraft (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/692/CJ-Carrella%27s-WitchCraft) (Unisystem urban fantasy), Cascade Failure (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/96589/Cascade-Failure) (d20-based post-apocalyptic sci-fi), Renaissance D100 Black Powder SRD (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/97426/Renaissance---D100-black-powder-SRD) (BRP/CoC variant for black powder-era settings...or black powder-like settings), Stars Without Number: Free Edition (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/86467/Stars-Without-Number%3A-Free-Edition) (retro d20-based post-apocalyptic sci-fi but generic enough for a variety of sci-fi styles, has a number of free, short supplements), Lady Blackbird (http://www.onesevendesign.com/ladyblackbird/) (narrative-based airship pirates), and Dungeons: The Dragoning (http://lawfulnice.blogspot.com/) (great homebrew with a setting I describe as "yes").

Togath
2012-07-17, 12:57 AM
I'll look into some of your suggestions as well, probably mainly Dungeons; the dragoning, and witchcraft. Also, is there a list of, or something with definitions, of what sorts of genres there are in rpgs?(I can get a sort of vague idea of what the terms mean[urban means houses or cities and fantasy means fantasy things of some sort, and blackpowder means something from an era with firearms{which is still fairly vague}, but I cant tell whether the terms are meant to be vague or not), It's something I just now wondered about, as I dont understand many of those terms(urban fantasy for example, I also dont understand terms such as hard scifi very well, or "blackpowder era")
edit; never mind about witchcraft, it doesn't look like the sort of thing I'm looking into, dungeons : the dragoning might be closer though, if i can find it.

NX_Phoenix
2012-07-17, 03:41 PM
I'm sorry about being vague. Black powder era is the developer's term to describe the part of history where black powder weapons were heavily used in Europe. The late Middle Ages and before the American Civil War seem to be the ends of the era. The system can also do fantastical versions of those eras and it should be noted this SRD is the basis for a full steampunk RPG (Clockwork and Chivalry). On a side note, the basic system (Basic Roleplaying) has been used for a number of different types of RPGs.

Urban Fantasy has a couple definitions, but the way I personally describe it is magic in the modern day (although it is usually, but not always, hidden).

Hard sci-fi is a general term for science fiction that usually doesn't violate current scientific understanding. It's more of a sliding scale ranging from paying attention to science to there is NO violation of known science. In the case of Diaspora there are a couple hand waves (faster than light travel being the most notable) but in general "no one breaks physics."

If you want to look for definitions in the future or do a sort of reverse look up of genres to RPGs I'd suggest TVtropes...but that will consume hours of your life. Wikipedia is another decent source, but dryer and more generalized.

Oh, and the blog where my Dungeons: The Dragoning link lead has the most up to date version--it's the developer's blog. Just scroll down for the post with mediafire links.

Hylas
2012-07-17, 04:33 PM
One thing I had considered for the system I was making was possibly having(for attacks at least) a roll on both sides(one roll being to not get hit, and the other roll to hit the target trying not to be hit) and having whoever has the highest result succeeding. Do you think this would make the game i was trying to make to complex and/or too random?

Quick answer: The more rolling you do the slower things become.

Long answer: Believe it or not, d20 (and by extension D&D, Pathfinder, d20 modern, Legend (I think, I haven't looked at Legend in a long while and never played it)) uses this exact system, only the AC is always "taking a 10" for their roll. If you remove the initial base 10 AC and have them roll a d20 then you get the same effect that you're thinking of. Since you're familiar with d20 systems the effects of this should be immediately familiar. One thing I did once is have players roll their AC and all of the monsters had a fixed attack value (which is equal to their regular attack +11) using the above method. If they rolled equal to or exceeded the monster's value then they avoided, blocked, or deflected the attack. There are methods of number crunching to determine which of these happened if you're so inclined. The effects of having players roll AC (while having the monsters fixed) gives a feeling of empowerment to the players as they're "doing something" rather than just standing there as a DM rolls hidden dice saying they do or don't get hit.

Two systems which I've played plenty of, and are pretty popular, are GURPS and Warhammer (Fantasy or a 40k varient, I'll be using fantasy for reference) use something called "active defense." Both systems use a "roll under" method (disclaimer: this method of determining success is my favorite and I am highly biased to it. I will go into lengths as to why I like it best if provoked) to determine if they hit. The target of the attack can use an active defense if the attack is successful in hitting to try to negate the attack.

In WFRP:
Attacker makes a Weapon Skill test and tries to roll under their weapon skill stat.
If successful the defender can either try to dodge or parry. Only people who are trained in dodge can dodge. Only people in a parrying stance or with an off-hand weapon can try to parry (shields count as off-hand weapons and give a bonus). Only one dodge and one parry can be done per round, and you can only attempt one per attack.
It's not generally easier or harder to do one or the other active defense, as it's mostly based on your stat.

In GURPS: (I don't remember specifics since it's been 2 years since I played)
Attacker makes an attack using their skill in the associated weapon, which uses DX as a base stat.
Defender can attempt a dodge, parry, or block. Anyone can try to dodge. Only people with a weapon can try to parry, using their skill for their own weapon, modified by how good they are at parrying. Only people with a shield can block.
In general it is easier to block than parry and easier to parry than dodge. Blocking will transfer damage to your shield which will need to be replaced after taking so much punishment. Parry usually won't damage your weapon unless you're using a small knife to parry a greatsword, which will usually end up sundering it. Dodge can let you avoid ranged attacks if you're really good, but is usually unreliable.

I like dissecting RPGs and dice systems to see what makes them tick. I've even been working on an RPG system that uses colors instead of numbers with a friend, but life has been getting in the way.

On a note that I mentioned a few paragraphs up, having players roll dice instead of the DM is a lot more fun for the players. Yes, having the DM roll hidden dice is nice, and if used well will increase immersion, but if you're doing a dungeon crawl or something then the players should be in control of their character. If you have a bad or controlling DM then you end up with, for example, D&D games where you roll your d20, shout out a number, and then wait for the DM to pass judgement on whether that attack hits or not, depending on their mood. In systems where the players have a target number written on their character sheet there's a much better sense of agency. "I have a 40% chance to hit someone in normal circumstances" means a lot more than "+8 to attack". The DM can give out bonuses and penalties because it's foggy, the target is far away, or you're drunk, but the player gets a much better sense for what they can do.

There's also the problem of the DM getting to pick target numbers in a "roll higher than this number to succeed" because, really, it's all on a whim. Me and a bunch of players just tried out a new system, Maid RPG, and it uses a method very similar to Serenity or D&D where you roll a fist full of dice and see if the number is high enough to make the DM happy. Sure there's suggestions like "1-4 is poor, 5-10 is good, 11-16 is amazing, 17+ is god-like" but when we start regularly rolling numbers higher than 10 then those successes stop becoming successes as the DM, usually unintentionally but sometimes intentionally, modifies the table so that a 15, instead of nearly being the best in the world, becomes average and our characters begin doing poorer despite leveling up and becoming stronger. Perhaps you've heard the phrase "well, it's not that good for you though" when you roll a 25 on a bluff check but the d20 said 5 and you had a +20. If anyone else in the group, who is untrained, rolled a 20 then they could've talked their way out of anything, but your silver-tongued rogue begins failing all of those smooth-talking instances whenever the dice shows less than an 11, even though he has a ton of training in it. As a player there's little you can do because the DM sets the DC for it, and doesn't even need to tell you what it is.

In "roll under" systems all the DM can do is modify the roll, giving +'s and -'s to the character's modifier, which help keeps power in check and challenges appropriate.

The best campaign I was ever in was using GURPS ("roll-under") and the DM rolled everything except for damage. All we would do is say what we want to do and he'd say what happened. There's a lot of immersion when you don't need to worry about numbers and don't meta-game your results. This requires a lot of trust between the DM and the players and isn't for everyone, but can be very rewarding.

Kiero
2012-07-18, 07:06 AM
In WFRP:
Attacker makes a Weapon Skill test and tries to roll under their weapon skill stat.
If successful the defender can either try to dodge or parry. Only people who are trained in dodge can dodge. Only people in a parrying stance or with an off-hand weapon can try to parry (shields count as off-hand weapons and give a bonus). Only one dodge and one parry can be done per round, and you can only attempt one per attack.
It's not generally easier or harder to do one or the other active defense, as it's mostly based on your stat.


You left out the third whiff-gate in WFRP: the damage roll. If you fail to beat the target's Toughness bonus + armour, you do no damage.

This is the trifold whiff of WFRP which makes it's combat tedious in the extreme.