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8BitNinja
2016-03-10, 02:38 PM
I have made a total of two Role Playing Games and One board game. To be honest, it's hard, and I have had so many ideas for games that I will never make

Have you had any ideas for your own RPG? I'm not talking about a slight modification to D&D rules, I mean your own (inspiration of any kind is still accepted). If so, post here, anything about it. This includes but is not limited to: story, mechanics, materials, world lore, monsters, items, races, and classes.

do note that I will probably not turn these into games, most likely not. But any writer with enough time on their hands are free to take any of these ideas, my one suggestion is that if you do, give credit to the creator of that idea.

Gallade
2016-03-11, 12:00 PM
Well, who hasn't? I think the real question is "how SERIOUS was your idea?"

Personally, I made a...rather serious attempt at making a boardgame when I was...don't really remember, ten? Twelve?
I had just finished the old Fire Emblem games on GBA and wanted to make it more... feely. So I wrote up some basic rules (heavily influenced by Fire Emblem, but much more minimalist) and even made some little cardboard figurines which represented the heroes and their troops, like zombie hordes, giant beasts and soldiers.
...of course I had nobody to play it with and ditched the entire thing.

Lalliman
2016-03-11, 01:06 PM
I'm in the process of making one. It's exhausting, as you say, but I can't help myself.

It's another generic fantasy RPG, meant to be a simpler and more accessible alternative to D&D. I started it because, when my real-life new-to-TTRPGs friends asked me to DM for them, I realized I didn't want to put them through the mess that is 3rd edition. So I wrote up a highly-simplified version, they loved it, and I continued building upon it. By the time 5e (which I like much better than 3e) came out, it had evolved from "simplified D&D" to "Standalone game that solves a lot of the issues I have with D&D", that's why I still use it.

I'll present it to the Hivemind sometime when I reach a point where it's relatively finished and I'm satisfied with how it looks.

8BitNinja
2016-03-11, 01:35 PM
I originally made the game Sidequest a long time ago, I didn't know about the Tabletop Gaming medium, and I saw some people playing a TRPG (I'm pretty sure it was Dungeons & Dragons) and I thought it was a cool idea, so I wrote one out. The original version was a horrible mess. Each class had 10 abilities which I made up on the fly (I was the DM), The races and classes were unbalanced, some stats were useless, and there was no monster list. The thing was, when I made it, I never played a TRPG. The only thing I had for reference were JRPGs that I played. The original 8 races and classes were

Warrior: Was a fighter, great melee offense, good defense, but nothing much else
Ranger: Was fast (that meant he got a better spot in the turn order) and was good in ranged combat
Inventor: High intelligence, debuffed enemies, nothing much else
Rogue: Really fast, not good at combat
Knight: Originally going to be Paladin, but we(my brothers) scrapped the idea and went with Knight. Paladin is my current version, as a prestige class for the knight
Guard: Tanked hits, nothing else really
Fighter: Heavy hitter, nothing else really
Minstrel: Medic/buffs, he wasn't that cool

Human: A normal human
Elf: A normal Elf
Golem: Robot
Hobbit: a normal Hobbit, now halfling
Half Elf: Half human, half elf
Humanoi: Now called "Mingars" they're basically Klingons
Dwarf: A normal Dwarf
Reptillian: A reptillian, they were basically the Argonians from The Elder Scrolls before I knew what The Elder Scrolls was

so yeah

mikeejimbo
2016-03-11, 03:38 PM
Occasionally, but nothing I came up with was anything that couldn't be done houseruling other games. The one I had an idea for that was very different was going to be an Alice in Wonderland RPG, where the characters were from Victorian England and got lost in Wonderland. It was going to have stats like Charisma, Creativity, and Cleverness, but then I got caught up in the alliteration. Encounters would involve reciting poetry but fumbling it into parody. (The closest to that I got was when, in another game, a species of bird people would only communicate in anapestic hexameter, and only understand you if you also spoke in it, which basically meant a freestyle contest between me and the only player who could pull that off.)

Talakeal
2016-03-11, 05:13 PM
Occasionally, but nothing I came up with was anything that couldn't be done houseruling other games.

Whether to homebrew or house rule is quite a conundrum.

I usually house rule every game I run fairly extensively, and it got to the point where I realized I was better off just making my own systems than spending so much time and effort trying to patch other people's systems.

But then I realized it is almost impossible to find players for original games which don't already have an established fan base.


(Also, see my signature if you are curious about my RPG design).

8BitNinja
2016-03-11, 05:52 PM
I've had an idea for a Western RPG, based in post civil war Arizona.

But the idea involves multiple types of damage instead of just lethal and nonlethal. Oh, and it would be super hard to survive, as you may have no chance for recovering from getting shot depending on how you roll, and the many types of diseases that could be worse than death

The West was really wild

Belac93
2016-03-11, 07:15 PM
I once made an entire game focused around being minions in a dungeon. It ended up not working well, mainly because I'm terrible at designing RPGs, and also because the characters got too powerful. They were just supposed to be weaklings, and it ended with just: 'D&D with goblins and plant-hobbits instead of elves and dwarves.'

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-11, 07:28 PM
(Also, see my signature if you are curious about my RPG design).

Will do.

Personally I'm writing a Science Fiction game. The premise began as 'what would happen if you could escape the eye of the government', moved to 'space opera' and then to 'settlers of the final frontier'. The idea is essentially people relatively bored in a near-post scarcity but non-utopian society moving to the edges in order to feel free. This is one of the reasons for why the game currently has hacking rules planned (as part of the 'Mesh' section), as well as AR rules, but nothing for on the legality of items and actions (it's assumed it'll vary by settlement).

There's also the idea that anybody can go down to a single lucky shot, and very few weapons won't kill an ordinary person in a couple of hits. Armour is basically a requirement if players want to be in a fire fight, especially if one side pulls out lasers (which have an extremely high accuracy), unless they end up investing lots of points into dodging*. Medical technology is also relatively bad at curing wounds, simply doubling or tripling natural healing.

Did I mention damage dice are the only exploding dice in the system? Wear armour, and try to avoid fair fights.

Plus be ready to use the correct equipment to survive on some combats. In addition you'll want to patch up fast after combat, it's saves by the minute to avoid infection, and alien diseases can be really nasty.

The basic system is simple, roll 3d6 and add modifiers. 666 or 111 are criticals. Any damage comes from Hit Points (for physical) or Focus Points (for rare mental attacks). Lack of focus means no critical successes. Generalised knowledge is represent outside the skill system with profession and interest traits.

Currently includes:
-Attributes (Strength, Agility, Constitution, Reason, Cunning, Willpower)
-Skills (41 at the moment)
-Character Traits
-Basic Equipment
-Augmentation

Still to add:
-Rules for Allies, Contacts, and Employees
-Full rules for combat
-Mesh rules
-Disease rules
-Lots more equipment
-Lots more augmentation
-Many many positive and negative traits
-Bot/AI rules (equipment, the setting doesn't include sentient AI)
-Spaceship rules (boy, I need to do lots of research for this)
-Possibly alien rules

It stretches eight pages for the stuff that has avoided being cut from the very basics. The original version included psionics but I decided that there was enough tech to fill the magic role. It's essentially in very early alpha, with me attempting to get it to a playable version before adding in all the extra pieces of equipment, traits, and additional systems.

Of course, there are no classes, it's skill based. It's assumed that any character can attempt anything by rolling with the right Attribute or Skill, and traits simply modify what you can already do.

* Yeah, fun fact, that runs off a mental stat.

Arbane
2016-03-11, 08:28 PM
I've got tons of party-baked ideas, but I haven't made a serious effort at designing an RPG in years - it's just too much work, and I've got dozens of games by actual professionals to steal from adapt.

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-11, 09:19 PM
I've got tons of party-baked ideas, but I haven't made a serious effort at designing an RPG in years - it's just too much work, and I've got dozens of games by actual professionals to steal from adapt.

I think it comes down to what you want. I could cut out a lot of work and write out my game as a GURPS homebrew setting, but not only would I require 4-5 books (both Basic Set books, Ultra-Tech, Space, and probably Spaceships), the rules would be less efficient than the ones I'm creating. I also think needing several books scares people off of systems, so I want to see if I can get something that works in 100-200 pages.

8BitNinja
2016-03-12, 12:38 AM
Will do.

Personally I'm writing a Science Fiction game. The premise began as 'what would happen if you could escape the eye of the government', moved to 'space opera' and then to 'settlers of the final frontier'. The idea is essentially people relatively bored in a near-post scarcity but non-utopian society moving to the edges in order to feel free. This is one of the reasons for why the game currently has hacking rules planned (as part of the 'Mesh' section), as well as AR rules, but nothing for on the legality of items and actions (it's assumed it'll vary by settlement).

There's also the idea that anybody can go down to a single lucky shot, and very few weapons won't kill an ordinary person in a couple of hits. Armour is basically a requirement if players want to be in a fire fight, especially if one side pulls out lasers (which have an extremely high accuracy), unless they end up investing lots of points into dodging*. Medical technology is also relatively bad at curing wounds, simply doubling or tripling natural healing.

Did I mention damage dice are the only exploding dice in the system? Wear armour, and try to avoid fair fights.

Plus be ready to use the correct equipment to survive on some combats. In addition you'll want to patch up fast after combat, it's saves by the minute to avoid infection, and alien diseases can be really nasty.

The basic system is simple, roll 3d6 and add modifiers. 666 or 111 are criticals. Any damage comes from Hit Points (for physical) or Focus Points (for rare mental attacks). Lack of focus means no critical successes. Generalised knowledge is represent outside the skill system with profession and interest traits.

Currently includes:
-Attributes (Strength, Agility, Constitution, Reason, Cunning, Willpower)
-Skills (41 at the moment)
-Character Traits
-Basic Equipment
-Augmentation

Still to add:
-Rules for Allies, Contacts, and Employees
-Full rules for combat
-Mesh rules
-Disease rules
-Lots more equipment
-Lots more augmentation
-Many many positive and negative traits
-Bot/AI rules (equipment, the setting doesn't include sentient AI)
-Spaceship rules (boy, I need to do lots of research for this)
-Possibly alien rules

It stretches eight pages for the stuff that has avoided being cut from the very basics. The original version included psionics but I decided that there was enough tech to fill the magic role. It's essentially in very early alpha, with me attempting to get it to a playable version before adding in all the extra pieces of equipment, traits, and additional systems.

Of course, there are no classes, it's skill based. It's assumed that any character can attempt anything by rolling with the right Attribute or Skill, and traits simply modify what you can already do.

* Yeah, fun fact, that runs off a mental stat.

Nice, when can I download it?

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-12, 05:52 AM
Nice, when can I download it?

Possibly when I hit early beta. It's hideously incomplete at the moment, there's still an entire equipment type without rules (nanoswarms), combat is only rules on attacking and damage, and I haven't worked out an advancement system yet.

ImNotTrevor
2016-03-12, 10:39 AM
I've got a development journal going to record the creative process behind the system I'm currently working on, called SCIENCELAB 2020!
(The all caps and exclamation point are included)

Basically the theming inspiration comes from stupid B-movies and shows like Star Trek that are full of Redshirts.

It is mechanically based on the idea of "Why don't the players play as some of those faceless NPCs? Could I make that fun?" So that's what I'm trying.

Basically, the Players play as entire departments within a secret Science Lab/Fortress in some extremely hostile environment. Their primary character is the Head of whatever department they have. At any point they can deploy a faceless member of their department as cannon fodder, and if they end up liking their personality they can slap on a name and give them a slight boost to make them a Secondary Character. In any case, most of these characters will probably die to wacky Hijinks caused by SCIENCE!!! Which is fine because Character creation should take 30 seconds or less after session 1. (Which gives most of the core data for everyone.)

Morty
2016-03-12, 11:16 AM
Well, who hasn't? I think the real question is "how SERIOUS was your idea?"

This, basically. Getting ideas about your own system is very common for gamers, but actually making a system is a lot of work for one person. It's all well and good to turn over ideas in your head, but at some point you need to get down and hammer out all the tiny little details. Most people lose steam at that point. I know I did.

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-12, 11:37 AM
I've got a development journal going to record the creative process behind the system I'm currently working on, called SCIENCELAB 2020!
(The all caps and exclamation point are included)

Basically the theming inspiration comes from stupid B-movies and shows like Star Trek that are full of Redshirts.

It is mechanically based on the idea of "Why don't the players play as some of those faceless NPCs? Could I make that fun?" So that's what I'm trying.

Basically, the Players play as entire departments within a secret Science Lab/Fortress in some extremely hostile environment. Their primary character is the Head of whatever department they have. At any point they can deploy a faceless member of their department as cannon fodder, and if they end up liking their personality they can slap on a name and give them a slight boost to make them a Secondary Character. In any case, most of these characters will probably die to wacky Hijinks caused by SCIENCE!!! Which is fine because Character creation should take 30 seconds or less after session 1. (Which gives most of the core data for everyone.)

Sounds like a great idea, I hope you can finish it. I personally don't like to give PCs cannon fodder because I know that they'll be used to Zerg Rush in my groups, although I can see it working in the right group. Maybe a limit on how many secondary characters a player can have (and maybe on faceless members as well, 'Extras' as the term for them?)


This, basically. Getting ideas about your own system is very common for gamers, but actually making a system is a lot of work for one person. It's all well and good to turn over ideas in your head, but at some point you need to get down and hammer out all the tiny little details. Most people lose steam at that point. I know I did.

Yep, part of the reason I haven't lost steam at starting to hammer out all the details with my current attempt is because it's my first attempt at making a system for a setting I really like (I suppose I should give the name, Infinity Drive, although the setting was going to be called Demonflight before I put the two together).

Another thing is people don't realise how quickly rulesets and tiny details grow. You can start off with just the idea to make a list of skills and attributes and slap on a resolution mechanic, but then you realise that you want a more detailed combat ruleset and add a few pages, you decide you want detailed weapons and armour and so that adds at least a page, you then add a list of example equipment on top of that for another three pages, you decide to add hacking and that's another two pages, then you have to decide if hacking works in combat (I decided no, simply to keep the section down), then you write a couple of paragraphs on AR overlays, you realise the biomonitor rules would work better in the equipment section and do a quick reorder, some skills turn out to be more or less useful and so you start combining and splitting, it turns out that buying Attributes is more efficient than buying skills and so have to adjust experience costs, about 5 traits turn out to be overpowered and you have to adjust them, then someone comes up with the idea of making a software bot to brute force hack while he does other stuff and you have to decide if those rules are worthwhile, it turns out that Dermal Armour is too good and you have to decide between weakening it and making it more expensive. Then you realise you forgot to actually include the spaceship rules and that'll mean you have to do another playtest and probably adjust everything again.

It becomes easy to see why many people stick to houseruling.

Knaight
2016-03-12, 03:44 PM
This, basically. Getting ideas about your own system is very common for gamers, but actually making a system is a lot of work for one person. It's all well and good to turn over ideas in your head, but at some point you need to get down and hammer out all the tiny little details. Most people lose steam at that point. I know I did.

There's a reason I have small handful of finished very rules light games that depend heavily on GM discretion, and a small handful of totally unfinished projects which died somewhere in the details zone. There's some very functional frameworks that can be effectively playtested, but only if I'm GMing to patch things as they go. There's no complete games with any real heft.

ImNotTrevor
2016-03-12, 04:24 PM
Sounds like a great idea, I hope you can finish it. I personally don't like to give PCs cannon fodder because I know that they'll be used to Zerg Rush in my groups, although I can see it working in the right group. Maybe a limit on how many secondary characters a player can have (and maybe on faceless members as well, 'Extras' as the term for them?).

Well, the game is meant to be pretty silly, and would be a VERY diffrent kind of game from most. Since the players have to actually ROLEPLAY each member of their faceless horde when it comes up, and most players I know are very averse to playing more than one character in the first place, and the system is focused mostly on hijinks and "Administration says that one or two members of each department should be sent on a diplomatic mission to converse with the highly hostile Chug Munga, because we need access to their Tubatree sap supply." Possibly with requirements for at least halfnthe squad being Secondary characters and at least 2 being Department Heads.

So, yeah. If someone tries to send their entire horde out, things will go wrong at the base. Very wrong. Engineering is gone? Guess when the reactor goes critical? Security is half gone? Guess when the largest enemy swarm on record shows up?

It's hijinks. Administration (the GM) will be highly encouraged to seek out weak points in the Labfortress and create trouble there. And also to just cause trouble in general.

Mind you, this system is very veey nascent I don't even have a core rolling mechanic yet.

Cluedrew
2016-03-12, 09:19 PM
I have made several board games (4 that I can think of, none of which were very good/polished) and 2 RPGs. Plus a bunch of other things that never even left concept stage.

The smaller one was just a proof of concept, it was just an accumulation of ideas over... several years. Then one day I had enough to actually had enough to create a core system. So I did, ran a single play test and then put it away. It was sort of aimed at non-gamers, had an extremely rules light system, got the entire system + character sheet on a two sided piece of paper, that had no numbers in it at all (besides choose two of type things).

The larger one is still in "pre-alpha" in that I am still hammering out the core resolution system. Half dozen versions and I still am not entirely sure I will not have to throw out what I have got and start again. There is a very particular set of qualities I am looking for and I just haven't quite gotten it yet. Luckily I don't have to make money off of this, or I would be very hungry (or much more motivated).

Satinavian
2016-03-13, 12:59 PM
I considered for some time to write a RPG inspired by the HoMM-series. PCs as leaders, not adventurers. Complex mass battle system, only miniscule personal combat rules. Basebuilding. Diplomacy. Magic system theme-based with powerful but rare rituals. I intended to cut most of the normal adventuring and everyday stuff found in many RPGs to keep it somewhat rules light while still being detailed enough in all topics the game is about. I also decided to keep it level based and to work with broad featlike abilities instead of any skills and to avoid all of the classic attributes (no strength, dexterity, intelligence etc.)
Thinking about how level and ability scaling should work and how to adept it to very different kind of campaigns or scenarios, i ended up deciding to use some kind of gestalt like levelling process, where one side includes all army and stronghold improving stuff and all strategic options scaling in power with available ressources, the other side being only about personal small scale abilities without strategic use. I couldn't really get rid of all the small scale abilities without loosing appeal, but i also couldn't allow to shift levelling ressources between those areas. Also it is better that way for NPC design and when allowing different levels for both sides of the progressions the game can handly far more setting premises.


I know, there are a lot of games with base building and diplomacy and reign-your-own-land rules, but i didn't like any of them. Either too clunky or too unbalanced or not universal enough or too focused on the narrative.

OTOH i know how difficult building a system is and without a genuine need and a lot of time, i won't really start writing it.

Milo v3
2016-03-13, 06:59 PM
If anyone remember the 3.5e homebrew subsystem of gramarie, me and a guy were making a RPG based on that (since 3.5e is a very bad fit for it).

Where you play as a group of gramarists, people who use magic scientifically, and basically use your knowledge to build things and reshape the world around you while sending teams outfitted in the technology you've made and creatures you've created through biollurgy out to attack enemy groups.

It also has guidelines for playing individual gramarists/agents with supertech/bio-abominations/AI's/God-like beings using science magic to it's extremes, but those are guidelines and some parts do suggest ways to modifying other gamesystems to suit the situation.

8BitNinja
2016-03-13, 09:10 PM
I once had an idea for an espionage RPG, where each person was assigned an organization to work for, with it's allies and enemies. It would've been set in the cold war

That was the farthest extent of the idea

Kami2awa
2016-03-14, 03:12 AM
I wrote a superhero RPG once, with an extensive list of powers. It ran off a tri-stat system (physical, mental, social) and I think it worked quite well.

8BitNinja
2016-03-14, 10:05 AM
I wrote a superhero RPG once, with an extensive list of powers. It ran off a tri-stat system (physical, mental, social) and I think it worked quite well.

Is there an electronic version available, I would like to read it

Belac93
2016-03-14, 10:33 AM
I'm, at the moment, designing an RPG slightly inspired by Don't Rest Your Head. In the game, your character has some sort of mental effect that would normally be inhibiting, but for them it also gives them magic powers. So, insomnia lets you put people to sleep, ADHD gives you superspeed, and voices lets you gain information. It operates on a system based off of World of Darkness's 1d10 system, but slightly altered to work with 6-sided dice.

Incanur
2016-03-14, 01:00 PM
I've been working a roleplaying system and associated fantasy world for about fifteen years. I don't know when, if ever, I'll get to some point of completion. You can see the game world in my fiction, linked in my signature.

The system has three chief inspirations beyond 3.x D&D: historical warfare (especially in 15/16th-century Europe), historical epics/romances (Tale of the Heike, Orlando furioso, La Gerusalemme liberata, etc.), and superhero comics. I want rules for mudanes that stand consistent with martial treatises, rules for larger-than-life heroes like Orlando, and rules for cosmic powers along the lines of Adam Warlock. Yes, I'm ambitious. :smallsmile:

I use d20 mechanics. Prowess measures martial skill, ranging from -2 (born bumbler) to 10 (legendary master like Miyamoto Musashi) for mundanes. Prowess functions like base attack bonus in 3.x/PF, except that you add it to defense class as well, which starts at 11. So your typical skilled soldier or fencer with prowess 5 fighting an equal opponent would roll 1d20+5 vs. 16 defense. Rolling equal to the defense (11 here) to four above it (15) means a light hit, five to nine over (16-20) means a solid hit, ten over means hitting the body area you want, and fifteen over means hitting an even smaller specific area (right eye, for example). For light hits and solid hits, you roll a wound table to see where the attack lands. A light hit is roughly half power, glancing, or a shallow thrust. A solid hit is more-or-less full power. Each combatant can choose to fight defensively or aggressively, increasing to hit at the expensive of defense or the other way around. A prowess 5, a character could take up -7 on attack for +7 on defense or +7 on attack for -7 on defense. Weapon length and grip (one or two handed), shields, and so on add modifiers to attack and/or defense.

Armor covers specific parts of the body, protecting those parts depending on its strength. Tempered steel plate makes a combatant nearly invulnerable to blows from mudanes, though thrusts to gaps, heavy blows to the head, and grappling can those in full harness.

Heroic characters have superhuman strength as well as extraordinary weapons and armor. Physical abilities like strength get doubled by prowess 15, then again at 20, and regularly ever 10 points after. So prowess 20 character can lift 1,200-1,600lbs, depending on initial strength. Speed increasing accordingly, based on the cube root of the strength increase, so our prowess-20 character can sprint at about 40 mph. This is average-showing Captain-America level in comics terms.

Extraordinary weapons and armor cut/pierce or resist better. Heroes almost always have extraordinary gear, both because battle tempers blades and because fine weapons/armor seem to seek out worthy wielders. Our aforementioned prowess-20 character would typically have 3x sword and 12x armor. A 3x sword effectively deal three times the damage to opposing defenses, while a 12x armor requires twelve times more damage (measured in energy for convenience) to defeat. So with a baseline of 400 J to thrust through a hardened breastplate, the prowess-20 character could manage an effect 1,440 J or so with a two-handed thrust on foot, because of his 4x strength and 3x sword. This piercing the breastplate and comes out the through the backplate if desired. His own breastplate, however, would require around 4,800 J to defeat with a thrust.

This just a taste of the combat system. I'm still struggling with various details.

8BitNinja
2016-03-14, 01:35 PM
I've been working a roleplaying system and associated fantasy world for about fifteen years. I don't know when, if ever, I'll get to some point of completion. You can see the game world in my fiction, linked in my signature.

The system has three chief inspirations beyond 3.x D&D: historical warfare (especially in 15/16th-century Europe), historical epics/romances (Tale of the Heike, Orlando furioso, La Gerusalemme liberata, etc.), and superhero comics. I want rules for mudanes that stand consistent with martial treatises, rules larger-than-life heroes like Orlando, and rules for cosmic powers along the lines of Adam Warlock. Yes, I'm ambitious. :smallsmile:

I use d20 mechanics. Prowess measures martial skill, ranging from -2 (born bumbler) to 10 (legendary master like Miyamoto Musashi) for mundanes. Prowess functions like base attack bonus in 3.x/PF, except that you add it to defense class as well, which starts at 11. So your typical skilled soldier or fencer with prowess 5 fighting an equal opponent would roll 1d20+5 vs. 16 defense. Rolling equal to the defense (11 here) to four above it (15) means a light hit, five to nine over (16-20) means a solid hit, ten over means hitting the body area you want, and fifteen over means hitting an even smaller specific area (right eye, for example). For light hits and solid hits, you roll a wound table to see where the attack lands. A light hit is roughly half power, glancing, or a shallow thrust. A solid hit is more-or-less full power. Each combatant can choose to fight defensively or aggressively, increasing to hit at the expensive of defense or the other way around. A prowess 5, a character could take up -7 on attack for +7 on defense or +7 on attack for -7 on defense. Weapon length and grip (one or two handed), shields, and so on had modifiers to attack and/or defense.

Armor covers specific parts of the body, protecting those parts depending on its strength. Tempered steel plate makes a combatant nearly invulnerable to blows from mudanes, though thrust to gabs, heavy blows to the head, and grappling can those in full harness.

Heroic characters have superhuman strength as well as extraordinary weapons and armor. Physical abilities like strength get doubled by prowess 15, then again at 20, and regularly ever 10 points after. So prowess 20 character can lift 1,200-1,600lbs, depending on initial strength. Speed increasing accordingly, based on the cube root of the strength increase, so our prowess-20 character can sprint at about 40 mph. This is average-showing Captain-America level in comics terms.

Extraordinary weapons and armor cut/pierce or resist better. Heroes almost always have extraordinary gear, both because battle tempers blades and because fine weapons/armor seem to seek out worthy wielders. Our aforementioned prowess-20 character would typically have 3x sword and 12x armor. A 3x sword effective deal three times the damage to opposing defenses, while a 12x armor requires twelve times more damage (measured in energy for convenience) to defeat. So with a baseline of 400 J to thrust through a hardened breastplate, the prowess-20 character could manage an effect 1,440 J or so with a two-handed thrust on foot, because of his 4x strength and 3x sword. This piercing the breastplate and comes out the through the backplate if desired. His own breastplate, however, would require around 4,800 J to defeat with a thrust.

This just a taste of the combat system. I'm still struggling with various details.

This game sounds really great, I hope you finish it

Cluedrew
2016-03-15, 09:36 PM
The system has three chief inspirations beyond 3.x D&D: historical warfare (especially in 15/16th-century Europe), historical epics/romances (Tale of the Heike, Orlando furioso, La Gerusalemme liberata, etc.), and superhero comics.After the first two, did not expect the third.


This just a taste of the combat system. I'm still struggling with various details.And in that space, you will find both God and the Devil.

Incanur
2016-03-15, 09:56 PM
After the first two, did not expect the third.

Yeah. :smallredface: Orlando furioso is approximately a 16th-century superhero comic, though, and Beowulf an 8th-11th-century equivalent. The Ramayana comes even closer. In my fantasy fiction and this RPG system, I'm trying to think through beings with superhero-style powers that operate rationally and consistently rather than shifting according to the needs of the plot or the rule of cool. The various power tiers involved don't interact much in my world. Legendary champions along the lines of Orlando mark the rough end of the mortal tier, and they're utterly impotent against the mightier entities. In this conception, Superman vs. Batman isn't even a fight, as Batman doesn't register on Superman's scale.

I apply kindred analysis to the significantly modified 3.P version of the Forgotten Realms I'm actually running right now, albeit with more sympathy for goofy comics tropes.


And in that space, you will find both God and the Devil.

Indeed.

8BitNinja
2016-03-15, 10:35 PM
I apply kindred analysis to the significantly modified 3.P version of the Forgotten Realms I'm actually running right, albeit with more sympathy for goofy comics tropes.

I love having comical games

my game Sidequest is loaded with references and has many a joke

Cluedrew
2016-03-17, 06:58 AM
Yeah. :smallredface: Orlando furioso is approximately a 16th-century superhero comic, though, and Beowulf an 8th-11th-century equivalent. The Ramayana comes even closer. In my fantasy fiction and this RPG system, I'm trying to think through beings with superhero-style powers that operate rationally and consistently rather than shifting according to the needs of the plot or the rule of cool. The various power tiers involved don't interact much in my world. Legendary champions along the lines of Orlando mark the rough end of the mortal tier, and they're utterly impotent against the mightier entities. In this conception, Superman vs. Batman isn't even a fight, as Batman doesn't register on Superman's scale.

I apply kindred analysis to the significantly modified 3.P version of the Forgotten Realms I'm actually running right now, albeit with more sympathy for goofy comics tropes.



Indeed.Glad you liked it. Although another thing I could add is that is where most of the work is as well. Original systems are hard simply because of the amount of work required. Actually in addition to the two I mentioned I got a list of RPG ideas I will probably never come back to because, even if I had the time, it isn't worth it to me to put all the hours in to actually make them. The one is and that is why I have been working on it for so long.

Question, how do people feel they approach the whole design process? On a general level I'm usually "throw all the cool stuff together". But when I get down to a certain aspect of the system I usually create a more formal set of rules and goals for myself.

On a different note in addition creating a new system just modifying an existing system there is another thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?481594-Have-you-ever-used-different-systems-for-different-components-of-a-game) out right now about mixing existing systems. They aren't really discussing it in terms of making an RPG but really you are and depending on how much you took from each it may not resemble any of your source systems very much.

ImNotTrevor
2016-03-17, 07:34 AM
Glad you liked it. Although another thing I could add is that is where most of the work is as well. Original systems are hard simply because of the amount of work required. Actually in addition to the two I mentioned I got a list of RPG ideas I will probably never come back to because, even if I had the time, it isn't worth it to me to put all the hours in to actually make them. The one is and that is why I have been working on it for so long.

Question, how do people feel they approach the whole design process? On a general level I'm usually "throw all the cool stuff together". But when I get down to a certain aspect of the system I usually create a more formal set of rules and goals for myself.

On a different note in addition creating a new system just modifying an existing system there is another thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?481594-Have-you-ever-used-different-systems-for-different-components-of-a-game) out right now about mixing existing systems. They aren't really discussing it in terms of making an RPG but really you are and depending on how much you took from each it may not resemble any of your source systems very much.

I tend to begin with goals for a few things:

1. What kinds of stories should this system tell? In what Genre?

2. Now that I know what Genre I'm working with, consume that genre of media like crazy. Consume and deconstruct to find its base themes. Look into the general consensus about the core themes of the genre. Write this stuff down like crazy. Pay special attention to the sources of tension.

3. Knowing what I know now about the genre: How do I want playing the game to feel? What should the average play session look like (in very broad terms such as "Start by introducing shenanigans, end when the shenanigans are dealt with."

4. Figure out the mechanics needed to support that feeling from top-down.

5. Continue until done.

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-17, 08:45 AM
Question, how do people feel they approach the whole design process? On a general level I'm usually "throw all the cool stuff together". But when I get down to a certain aspect of the system I usually create a more formal set of rules and goals for myself.

I generally go Genre->Story->Theme, wrote out a setting brief, and a core mechanic.

I then make lists. At the core a list of Attributes and Skills, and then I make a basic equipment list. I then write some basic rules, mainly checks and the like, and then go back and alter the Skill list. I probably make a list of secondary characteristics now that remind me of rules I intend to add. Some basic combat and character creation rules make PCs appear thin, which leads me to create a system to better differentiate them, so now it's time to make a list of those traits.

At this point I make a list of all systems and subsystems I want, and start writing both them and equipment for them. Combat expands from a few lines to a decent subsystem, and I add the rules for physical and mental health. Lots of tweaking as I decide weapons or armour are too weak or too strong, that X should work more like Y, and so on.

Out of interest, does anybody have advice for working out how to cost Advancement systems, especially in the Attribute/Skill ratio department? For the record, I have 6 Attributes and 40 Skills that can be bought with XP.

8BitNinja
2016-03-17, 09:57 AM
For some reason, I am much better at writing the story and universe than the mechanics.

For example, people look at my RPGs and tell me how flawed it is, and they are 100% right, but I have an entire world my games take place in called the Questverse (maybe I can add this as a free form setting here). The world of Futurequest takes place in the entire universe, which is our one, and other planes that aliens come from. My fantasy game, Sidequest, takes place on a planet which is banned from exploration due to not wanting to speed up technological progress to quickly called Cherubim VII. There is also a game in the brainstorming process that will probably never take off that's a historical fiction game, but exists within the past of the Questverse, with the history somewhat altered, such as America secretly building a rocket in 1942 and sent 250 people to another galaxy in case Japan lost, so America could be preserved forever. Then the Germans and Japanese got a hold of the same tech and sent their own groups of people after them. These time periods are accessible, but only through time rifts, which are very rare occurrences in the world that is a hole through the space-time continuum. One appears about every year, but besides that, time travel is impossible. The world has it's own cultures and religions too.

But the mechanics of the games suck

Talakeal
2016-03-18, 04:17 PM
Yeah. :smallredface: Orlando furioso is approximately a 16th-century superhero comic, though, and Beowulf an 8th-11th-century equivalent. The Ramayana comes even closer. In my fantasy fiction and this RPG system, I'm trying to think through beings with superhero-style powers that operate rationally and consistently rather than shifting according to the needs of the plot or the rule of cool. The various power tiers involved don't interact much in my world. Legendary champions along the lines of Orlando mark the rough end of the mortal tier, and they're utterly impotent against the mightier entities. In this conception, Superman vs. Batman isn't even a fight, as Batman doesn't register on Superman's scale.

Might I ask what your goal is here?

I personally don't like settings which have a built in "caste" system. In my mind it seems antithetical to the whole idea of heroic fantasy, but you seem to be taking it one step further.

If you are intentionally saying that a Batman / Superman crossover can never happen in your world that seems to be cutting off a lot of potential stories for very little benefit.

It also seems extremely hard to balance mechanically; like a level 9 wizard vs. a level 30 monk in 3.5 D&D. They are on totally different levels of power, but neither one can discount the other completely.

I also have trouble picturing a setting where this works. Say, for example, you had Augustus Caesar, Thomas Edison, and Captain Marvel, all in the same world. All of them reshape the world in their own way, even though in their respective fields they completely outclass the others, but all of them can have an impact on the other's lives and can't be ignored.


Personally I think it would be easier to just set up the system so that different "tiers" exist in different settings rather than try and shoe horn them all into the same game. I think you will inevitably get into a situation where a player will try and act outside of their tier and either fail and be frustrated with the game or succeed and throw all of the GM and designers preconceived notions out the window.

Incanur
2016-03-18, 05:31 PM
Might I ask what your goal is here?

My goal is a consistent framework for worldbuilding, primarily. Thinking about this system helps with my fantasy writing.


I personally don't like settings which have a built in "caste" system. In my mind it seems antithetical to the whole idea of heroic fantasy, but you seem to be taking it one step further.

In part I am intentionally challenging genre conventions. My fantasy writing puts the larger-than-life heroes in the background. I'm exploring is what it means to be a mundane human in a setting where magic and superhuman prowess exist. This focus doesn't necessarily apply to the system itself, but it surely influences me.


If you are intentionally saying that a Batman / Superman crossover can never happen in your world that seems to be cutting off a lot of potential stories for very little benefit.

In simplified terms, the idea is that the various tiers have separate spheres. Mortal heroes operate within a human world based on 15th/16th-century Earth. Some become powerful enough rout armies of common soldiers. A few ascend to immortality and depart for adventures across the planes. In setting, the death deity bans immortal beings from the mortal world. Various folks in the mortal world and from outside it struggle against Death, but so far with limited success.


It also seems extremely hard to balance mechanically; like a level 9 wizard vs. a level 30 monk in 3.5 D&D. They are on totally different levels of power, but neither one can discount the other completely.

Mechanically, I have different rules for the different tiers. They're theoretically convertible: 100 Epic Strength equals 10,000 Heroic Strength, 100 Immortal Strength equals 10,000 Epic Strength, 100 Mythic Strength equals 10,000 Immortal Strength, 100 Exalted Strength equals 100,000 Mythic Strength, and so on. In practice, beings from higher tiers have little or nothing to fear from beings below, except perhaps in sufficient numbers.


Personally I think it would be easier to just set up the system so that different "tiers" exist in different settings rather than try and shoe horn them all into the same game. I think you will inevitably get into a situation where a player will try and act outside of their tier and either fail and be frustrated with the game or succeed and throw all of the GM and designers preconceived notions out the window.

That's close to what I'm doing, as described above. I do like the option of jumping between tiers and of profoundly changing the setting. (This should only happen by design, rather by accident of the mechanics along the lines of Pun-Pun.) That's actually what happened in the 3.5 Forgotten Realms campaigns I ran. Various PCs are now gods. One merged with the Overgod Ao. (Ao used this PC as a lich uses a phylactery.) We now have legacy campaign operating in a Faerun transformed, with the old PCs in a separate but connected cosmic campaign that we return to every once in a while.

8BitNinja
2016-03-18, 05:40 PM
I've always wanted to see how social classes could become a mechanic in RPGs

Deffers
2016-03-18, 06:52 PM
My idea was attempting to be a modular, rules-lite sort of synthesis of class systems and point-buy systems. The idea was that instead of picking a class, you'd pick a development track, which was a way your character leveled up. For example, one development track was about being able to pick up two or three stats as favored stats that shot up quickly, while the rest of your stats increased at a crawl, while another track was balanced but you didn't get a single over-the top stat boost. There were tracks where you got a lot of skill points to pick skills at level up, but your stat increases were sluggish. Then there were really unorthodox tracks where all your stats and skill points increased dismally but your number of actions per turn just kept shooting up as you leveled.

The idea, then, was that you'd use your skills at level-up to define abilities that might be a part of a class. So you could pick up swordsmanship, then pick up special maneuvers beyond that to do things like disarms. Then you could use your skill points to get into magic and shoot fireballs. Or get into lockpicking. Or get really good at falling. Things like that.

I didn't quite give up, and I even programmed out a spreadsheet that let me keep track of the development tracks on a per-level basis, but I haven't touched it in a few years. With no play testers and so many points of balance, though, there really was no chance to ever get this in a playable state.

The end-goal was to produce a free core system, and then be able to sell modules that had new sets of skills, damage types, and maybe even development tracks for the big modules, along with your standard things like monsters and fluff to build off as well.

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-18, 07:13 PM
I've always wanted to see how social classes could become a mechanic in RPGs

For Infinity Drive I just have recommendations for various social classes (e.g. the lower classes have far more baselines than the other classes, because it's still fairly pricey). It's not really important, an upper class PC might spend resources to begin play with allies and contacts, but so might a criminal, and so it's mainly a background detail.

8BitNinja
2016-03-20, 02:55 AM
My idea was attempting to be a modular, rules-lite sort of synthesis of class systems and point-buy systems. The idea was that instead of picking a class, you'd pick a development track, which was a way your character leveled up. For example, one development track was about being able to pick up two or three stats as favored stats that shot up quickly, while the rest of your stats increased at a crawl, while another track was balanced but you didn't get a single over-the top stat boost. There were tracks where you got a lot of skill points to pick skills at level up, but your stat increases were sluggish. Then there were really unorthodox tracks where all your stats and skill points increased dismally but your number of actions per turn just kept shooting up as you leveled.

The idea, then, was that you'd use your skills at level-up to define abilities that might be a part of a class. So you could pick up swordsmanship, then pick up special maneuvers beyond that to do things like disarms. Then you could use your skill points to get into magic and shoot fireballs. Or get into lockpicking. Or get really good at falling. Things like that.

I didn't quite give up, and I even programmed out a spreadsheet that let me keep track of the development tracks on a per-level basis, but I haven't touched it in a few years. With no play testers and so many points of balance, though, there really was no chance to ever get this in a playable state.

The end-goal was to produce a free core system, and then be able to sell modules that had new sets of skills, damage types, and maybe even development tracks for the big modules, along with your standard things like monsters and fluff to build off as well.

So... Similar to Elder Scrolls

Deffers
2016-03-20, 04:47 AM
Enh. Kinda, but not really at the same time. In MW, I remember you had to pick a fixed number of skills to choose as your favored ones and they'd get a bonus at levelup. But you always had to have... two, or three, I forget how many. Here you can have none but your stats boost a little bit per level. Or you can just move, like, a stupid amount of times per round. Or, my personal favorite-- be bad at everything and not even get that many actions per turn, but make *tremendous* quantities of move actions per turn. The Rincewind track.:smalltongue:

8BitNinja
2016-03-20, 11:40 AM
Enh. Kinda, but not really at the same time. In MW, I remember you had to pick a fixed number of skills to choose as your favored ones and they'd get a bonus at levelup. But you always had to have... two, or three, I forget how many. Here you can have none but your stats boost a little bit per level. Or you can just move, like, a stupid amount of times per round. Or, my personal favorite-- be bad at everything and not even get that many actions per turn, but make *tremendous* quantities of move actions per turn. The Rincewind track.:smalltongue:

These characters sound like the characters in my game

Arbane
2016-03-20, 12:37 PM
I've always wanted to see how social classes could become a mechanic in RPGs

It's been done. Traveller (way back in the 1970s) had Social Status as a stat, right next to Strength and Dexterity (IIRC). Legend of the Five Rings is set in a society with a rigid class system (though all the PCs are presumably going to be of the samurai class). I know it's been done in other games, too. (GURPS has Status as an advantage/disadvantage, etc.)

Talakeal
2016-03-20, 02:05 PM
I've always wanted to see how social classes could become a mechanic in RPGs

Riddle of steel had a social class system.

Being a high social class cost your character a lot of power at creation, and I always thought it was funny that the people in charge were always the least competant as a result.

I imagined some sort of Conan system where every kindgom is ruled by some barbarian who took over by force because the actual nobility isnt strong or skilled enough to oppose them, and I always wondered how the game would handle social mobility over the course of play.

8BitNinja
2016-03-21, 01:01 AM
I imagined some sort of Conan system where every kindgom is ruled by some barbarian who took over by force because the actual nobility isnt strong or skilled enough to oppose them, and I always wondered how the game would handle social mobility over the course of play.

I could see the most common conflict being between the Horde of the New Order and the Knights of the Old Order

Change Horde and Knights to whatever you wish

neonchameleon
2016-03-21, 10:07 AM
I've always wanted to see how social classes could become a mechanic in RPGs

*Hands you a copy of both Apocalypse World and Sagas of the Icelanders*.

8BitNinja
2016-03-21, 01:28 PM
*Hands you a copy of both Apocalypse World and Sagas of the Icelanders*.

It's already been done

I thought I was making original work

neonchameleon
2016-03-21, 01:54 PM
It's already been done

I thought I was making original work

Fair enough. But a lot of things have already been done - which in no way means that your take on them is useless. Pendragon also has its own answers, and so does Chivalry and Sorcery (I really wouldn't advise the C&S way (http://mrlizard.com/tag/chivalry-sorcery/))

ImNotTrevor
2016-03-21, 03:21 PM
I'm finding that one of the greatest abilities of TRPGs is the ability to mechanise Vagueness.

In AW for instance, the moves are defined somewhat vaguely on purpose.

The Hardholder has a move where you Name Your Exit and roll +Hard.
Basically, you're in a situation and you want to not be, you can roll to see if you just get out. But you have to say how you're escaping.

This could be mechanized SPECIFICALLY, but it would be way more clumsy. By purposefully being vague, the GM and Players have more creative freedom over the narrative.

Honestly, I'm starting to prefer systems that are relatively vague with a solid mechanical core. Flexibility is the biggest advantage TRPGs have, and so I tend to favor that over other things in a system. I don't think Generic systems are the way to go, since they always feel generic, but darn if I don't like having lots of narrative tools.

8BitNinja
2016-03-21, 06:40 PM
I'm finding that one of the greatest abilities of TRPGs is the ability to mechanise Vagueness.

In AW for instance, the moves are defined somewhat vaguely on purpose.

The Hardholder has a move where you Name Your Exit and roll +Hard.
Basically, you're in a situation and you want to not be, you can roll to see if you just get out. But you have to say how you're escaping.

This could be mechanized SPECIFICALLY, but it would be way more clumsy. By purposefully being vague, the GM and Players have more creative freedom over the narrative.

Honestly, I'm starting to prefer systems that are relatively vague with a solid mechanical core. Flexibility is the biggest advantage TRPGs have, and so I tend to favor that over other things in a system. I don't think Generic systems are the way to go, since they always feel generic, but darn if I don't like having lots of narrative tools.

Similar to bardic lore?

ImNotTrevor
2016-03-21, 09:25 PM
Similar to bardic lore?

I am not sure how you mean this, so I'm not sure how to respond.

Bardic Lore is somewhat vague, yes. And abilities like it offer a better narrative range for the answers (or even possibilities for the failures and red herrings.)

So I guess it is kinda similar? But that statement doesn't give me enough to go on to answer for sure. (Ironically enough, given the subject matter.)

Cluedrew
2016-03-21, 09:37 PM
Do you mean are the rules of Bardic Lore similar to the type of flexibility in Apocalypse World?

Well I'll admit that I don't know the rules for Bardic Lore off the top of my head (I played a bard once, but not for very long). But I can tell you a bit about the rules of Apocalypse World.

If I recall the rules for the escape rule (which I don't perfectly) it goes like this:
10+: You make a clean escape.
7-9: You escape but (choose 1): you leave something important behind, something bad comes with you, [a few others]
Otherwise you get caught in the middle.

I like to focus on the weak hit (7-9) because that is what takes this from a binary system to something a little more varied. Also in this example it is does something else, which is it lets the players define what success (or partial success) actually means in a situation. For instance I use the escape move when I'm alone and have nothing one me it is hard to leave something important behind, but one of my attackers you manage to follow me.

So Bardic Lore might look something like this in Apocalypse World:
When you think on a subject roll + Sharp. (the thinking stat)
10+: Choose 3 of:

You recall a song about the subject.
You know some recent rumours about the subject.
You have studied the subject.
You understand the markings or symbols on the subject.
7-9: Choose 1 of the above.
Otherwise you have some jumbled ideas that inhibit further study.

That is my best attempt to write it up as a Apocalypse World skill in... wow has it been 20 minutes. OK I'm going to stop now. Hope that helps.

ImNotTrevor
2016-03-21, 11:16 PM
Do you mean are the rules of Bardic Lore similar to the type of flexibility in Apocalypse World?

Well I'll admit that I don't know the rules for Bardic Lore off the top of my head (I played a bard once, but not for very long). But I can tell you a bit about the rules of Apocalypse World.

If I recall the rules for the escape rule (which I don't perfectly) it goes like this:
10+: You make a clean escape.
7-9: You escape but (choose 1): you leave something important behind, something bad comes with you, [a few others]
Otherwise you get caught in the middle.

I like to focus on the weak hit (7-9) because that is what takes this from a binary system to something a little more varied. Also in this example it is does something else, which is it lets the players define what success (or partial success) actually means in a situation. For instance I use the escape move when I'm alone and have nothing one me it is hard to leave something important behind, but one of my attackers you manage to follow me.

So Bardic Lore might look something like this in Apocalypse World:
When you think on a subject roll + Sharp. (the thinking stat)
10+: Choose 3 of:

You recall a song about the subject.
You know some recent rumours about the subject.
You have studied the subject.
You understand the markings or symbols on the subject.
7-9: Choose 1 of the above.
Otherwise you have some jumbled ideas that inhibit further study.

That is my best attempt to write it up as a Apocalypse World skill in... wow has it been 20 minutes. OK I'm going to stop now. Hope that helps.

I wouls write it as

To see if you have relevant bardic knowledge about a subject, roll +sharp
On a 10+, you know a song, story, or significant piece of information about the subject.
On a 7-9 you don't know anything yourself, but you know just the person to talk to.
On a miss, you either have no information or egregiously wrong information (MC chooses.)

8BitNinja
2016-03-21, 11:39 PM
Do you mean are the rules of Bardic Lore similar to the type of flexibility in Apocalypse World?

Well I'll admit that I don't know the rules for Bardic Lore off the top of my head (I played a bard once, but not for very long). But I can tell you a bit about the rules of Apocalypse World.

If I recall the rules for the escape rule (which I don't perfectly) it goes like this:
10+: You make a clean escape.
7-9: You escape but (choose 1): you leave something important behind, something bad comes with you, [a few others]
Otherwise you get caught in the middle.

I like to focus on the weak hit (7-9) because that is what takes this from a binary system to something a little more varied. Also in this example it is does something else, which is it lets the players define what success (or partial success) actually means in a situation. For instance I use the escape move when I'm alone and have nothing one me it is hard to leave something important behind, but one of my attackers you manage to follow me.

So Bardic Lore might look something like this in Apocalypse World:
When you think on a subject roll + Sharp. (the thinking stat)
10+: Choose 3 of:

You recall a song about the subject.
You know some recent rumours about the subject.
You have studied the subject.
You understand the markings or symbols on the subject.
7-9: Choose 1 of the above.
Otherwise you have some jumbled ideas that inhibit further study.

That is my best attempt to write it up as a Apocalypse World skill in... wow has it been 20 minutes. OK I'm going to stop now. Hope that helps.

So this rule is not similar to bardic lore

Okay

Cluedrew
2016-03-22, 07:00 AM
I wouls write it as

I like that especially your weak hit. In fact I think I like it more than the actual Bardic Lore skill. Now Apocalypse World don't have a Bardic Lore skill, but Dungeon World, the D&D port into the Apocalypse World system, does:


Bardic Lore

Choose an area of expertise:
Spells and Magicks
The Dead and Undead
Grand Histories of the Known World
A Bestiary of Creatures Unusual
The Planar Spheres
Legends of Heroes Past
Gods and Their Servants

When you first encounter an important creature, location, or item (your call) covered by your bardic lore you can ask the GM any one question about it; the GM will answer truthfully. The GM may then ask you what tale, song, or legend you heard that information in.My problem with this one is the aspect of specialization, which doesn't really fit with Bardic Lore in my option. Maybe I would use this effect as the strong hit and let you use it on any of the subject areas? Not exactly sure. I would work it out if I was actually making this system, but I'm not.

Leewei
2016-03-22, 10:18 AM
I have a couple of games knocking around in my head at the moment.

Intended as a PbP roleplaying game. It is fairly unique from existing RPGs.
-Everything on the character sheet - including the character name - has a mechanical game use.
-The character sheet requires no numbers.
-PCs compete for wealth, status, and magical power.
-Challenges are resolved by virtual coin toss.
-Players periodically select their leader, who gains a special benefit.
-A player selected as leader three times wins the game.

A darkly humorous card game. Each player is an archetypal fantasy movie villain. The object of the game is to amass the most points by gathering mooks, gaining magic power, marrying/imprisoning the prince/princess, turning into a snake/dragon/wolf, and so on, before ending play by getting violently killed by a hero. I like the mechanics of Gloom, but I'd want this to be distinct.

8BitNinja
2016-03-22, 10:27 AM
I have a couple of games knocking around in my head at the moment.

Intended as a PbP roleplaying game. It is fairly unique from existing RPGs.
-Everything on the character sheet - including the character name - has a mechanical game use.
-The character sheet requires no numbers.
-PCs compete for wealth, status, and magical power.
-Challenges are resolved by virtual coin toss.
-Players periodically select their leader, who gains a special benefit.
-A player selected as leader three times wins the game.

A darkly humorous card game. Each player is an archetypal fantasy movie villain. The object of the game is to amass the most points by gathering mooks, gaining magic power, marrying/imprisoning the prince/princess, turning into a snake/dragon/wolf, and so on, before ending play by getting violently killed by a hero. I like the mechanics of Gloom, but I'd want this to be distinct.

I would love to play both of these games

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-22, 10:41 AM
I have a couple of games knocking around in my head at the moment.

Intended as a PbP roleplaying game. It is fairly unique from existing RPGs.
-Everything on the character sheet - including the character name - has a mechanical game use.
-The character sheet requires no numbers.
-PCs compete for wealth, status, and magical power.
-Challenges are resolved by virtual coin toss.
-Players periodically select their leader, who gains a special benefit.
-A player selected as leader three times wins the game.

All I can think about is making Madness Tarrasqueslayer as a character.

8BitNinja
2016-03-22, 10:44 AM
All I can think about is making Madness Tarrasqueslayer as a character.

Would the Thing Thing count as one?

He single-handed took down three cybernetic monstrosities

Anonymouswizard
2016-03-22, 11:00 AM
Would the Thing Thing count as one?

He single-handed took down three cybernetic monstrosities

Madness Tarrasuekiller, the level 1 commoner who can kill the Tarrasque (Madness Tarrasquekiller).

Vinyadan
2016-03-22, 11:53 AM
Yeah. :smallredface: Orlando furioso is approximately a 16th-century superhero comic, though, and Beowulf an 8th-11th-century equivalent.

I think this sentence could be used as an argument in favour of how incredibly variegate superhero comics are. :smallbiggrin:

8BitNinja
2016-03-22, 04:33 PM
Madness Tarrasuekiller, the level 1 commoner who can kill the Tarrasque (Madness Tarrasquekiller).

Oh, I thought you were talking about the madness creatures from the flash series of the same name