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The Fury
2018-01-20, 01:30 AM
I've been kicking around ideas in this vein for a while, and I was hoping for some feedback. I've been working on a comic for a friend that takes place in a fantasy RPG universe and I've been sort of coy on specifics. Though things like character classes and experience points are stated to exist. So what I've been trying to do is come up with a unique RPG system as something of a background element. It's possible that I'm way over-thinking this, I'll admit.

Mainly I wanted something functional but easy to understand quickly. Character stats work like this:

Intelligence
Strength
Guts

Each of the stats is on a scale of 1-10. "1" being awful, "5" being average, "10" being exceptional. Outliers also exist, such as people that have stats as high as 12, but those would be considered superhuman.

I imagine that hit points would be a function of Strength and Guts. Just for the sake of keeping it simple, probably either multiplying or adding them together. I think the deciding factor for which would be how damage is calculated.

Similarly, I imagine a characters resistance to mental control or fear would be a function of Intelligence and Guts.

Advancement Points would be awarded at each character level. I'm think that they can be saved but only spent whenever a character gains a new level.

Spellcasting works differently depending on what class of caster you're playing. For a wizard, "casting" is a little bit more like item-crafting. Basically, you craft a tool that has the desired magical effect. For example, a shield that can be levitated and can be directed at will, a harmonica that allows you to teleport and such. I'm thinking that the Advancement Points spent on magic might be the determining factor for how many magical effects a wizard can know, while Character Level might be the determining factor of how potent a spell is, (how many shields can you levitate, what kind of range your teleport has, and so on.)

A Warlock uses a different form of magic. There are three different types:

Frostflame Warlocks can use their right hand to produce heat and fire, and their left to produce intense cold.

Lightninghand Warlocks can generate electricity, their right hand acting as a positive terminal, and their left being the negative.

Brightshadow Warlocks can generate light with their right hand and darkness with their left.

I imagine that the range and potency of Warlock abilities would be affected by either Character Level or Advancement Points, I'm still not quite sure how I'd break it down. A low-level Warlock would need to be close enough to touch a would-be target in order to use their powers, a higher level one might be able to target something from across the room.

Combat skills are something I'm sure that Advancement Points can be spent on. I imagine that Character Classes like Knight would have access to most of them, including but not limited to:

Swords, Shields, Polearms, Fisticuffs, Axes, Clubs, and Bows

Aside from the obvious, (if you have points in that skill, you can use that weapon,) I'm thinking that the number of Advancement Points spent would play a part in calculating the weapon damage, (probably a function of Advancement Points in Skill, Weapon Value and Strength.) Again, for the purpose of keeping things easy to understand, maybe just adding them together.

Crafting Skills are something else that Advancement Points can be spent on. I'm thinking that not all Character Classes will have access to all crafting skills. I still haven't hashed out much in Character Class specifics, so I'll come back to that one. Beyond the general "making stuff" skills, Potions specifically are a Crafting Skill as well.

Potions work as very short-term status buffs. The names effects and flavors of some of them:

Spring Elixir: Allows drinker to jump high, tastes like licorice.

Snooze Booze: Induces sleep, tastes like cough syrup.

Strong Sauce: Makes drinker much stronger, (+5 Strength,) tastes like chile salsa.

Night Vision Fizz: Allows drinker to see in the dark, tastes like carrots and is fizzy.

Warp Water: Causes drinker to teleport a random direction and random distance, tastes like sweaty feet and is somewhat oily in consistency.

Ygdrassil Draught: Cures disease, tastes piney.

Fin Gin: Turns drinker into a mer-person temporarily, tastes salty.

Speed Mead: Makes drinker fast and energetic, tastes like sugary coffee.

So that's what I have for right now. It's admittedly not yet close to a workable system, and it's a little too obvious that I've never tried to make anything like this. Anyway, thoughts? Feedback?

jqavins
2018-01-22, 04:19 PM
As I see it, there are two distinct reasons for creating a system like this. One is as a guide to the comic writing, and the other is as a system for game play. They are different, and sometimes incompatible. So since your stated purpose is to guide the writing, I'd suggest you disregard all considerations of playability. Not that one system which does both is impossible, but it's difficult, limiting, and unnecessary.

As to specifics, I have only a few.

Character stats work like this:

Intelligence
Strength
Guts

Each of the stats is on a scale of 1-10. "1" being awful, "5" being average, "10" being exceptional.
Nit pick: Five is not the midpoint between 1 and 10. It could be the average, but that would mean the distribution is asymmetrical; for a 1d10 distribution the average is 5.5. For an integer average of 5, use zero to 10. If you care.


I imagine that hit points would be a function of Strength and Guts. Just for the sake of keeping it simple, probably either multiplying or adding them together. I think the deciding factor for which would be how damage is calculated.
There's more math to consider here. If you use the sum then the range of HP is from 2 to 20, and the effect of adding one to either strength or guts is always the same. If you use the product, the values range from 1 to 100, with the larger values spread far apart, and adding to the lower score has a greater effect than adding to the greater one. For example:

Abe, Beth, and Carl have similar scores, and are under the additive system. Their strength and guts scores are 4 and 7, 5 and 7, and 4 and 8 respectively. Abe has 11 HP, Beth has 12, and Carl also 12.
Deb, Ed, and Fran have the same scores as Abe, Beth, and Carl, but are under the multiplicative system. Deb has 28 HP, Ed has 35, and Fran has 32.

If it were me, I'd use the sum, but that's entirely your call, obviously. The swingy results of multiplying may be a feature you want.

And remember that, whichever you choose, damage can be scaled appropriately, so I wouldn't let the damage calculation dictate the method for HP, but rather the reverse.


Potions work as very short-term status buffs. The names effects and flavors of some of them:
The fanciful names and specified flavors for potions is a very cute idea; I like it!


Speed Mead: Makes drinker fast and energetic, tastes like sugary coffee.
Why not like honey?