Cazero
2022-05-05, 03:15 PM
I'm revamping a system I made from scratch... around 14 years ago? Geez, I'm old.
Anyway, I'd like to have some feedback on it. It feels overcomplicated right now, but every bit seem important to me.
Several subsystems (for combat, social interaction, investigation and maybe magic) should be coming up eventualy.
Continued in other posts :
Combat rules (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25455837&postcount=4)
Investigation rules (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25462971&postcount=7)
Characters
Any entity with some form of agency can be made to be a character. They are defined by skills, attributes, trainings and traits. Characters may also be affected by conditions.
Skills
Every character has various skills associated with a number. They measure how competent said character is when performing a variety of tasks.
Having a high number in a skill make it more reliable; you can consistently perform at your best.
The list of skill available can be adapted for specific games, but it is meant to be exhaustive with as little overlap as possible.
Fitness : general physical prowess
Lore : everything knowledge related
Cunning : noticing and guessing things
Influence : the ability to affect the behavior of others
Dexterity : tool use, sleight of hands and other fine manipulations
Reason : infering and analysing things
Magic : changing the world in supernatural ways
Attributes
Every character has various attributes associated with a number. They measure the limits of their abilities.
Having a high attribute allows you to do more and better. Character with an attribute higher by even a single point can completely outclass other weaker characters, even if they have higher skills.
Like skills, attributes can be adapted to specific settings, and are meant to be exhaustive and non-overlapping.
A distinction is made between physical, mental and sensory attributes.
Vigor (physical) : general strength and stamina
Agility (physical) : flexibility and fine motor control
Speed (sensory) : reaction time and sense of rythm
Awareness (sensory) : covers all senses
Memory (mental) : ability to learn and recall things
Will (mental) : staying focused and knowing what you want
Trainings
Every character may have various trainings associated with their skills. They are used as keywords to improve a character's performance every time they're relevant.
Trainings are always beneficial. They can be as broad or as specific as you want them to, and frequently overlap. Their benefits stack with a diminutive return.
A character cannot have more trainings in a skill than the numerical value of that skill.
There is no list of trainings.
Traits
Traits describe a character peculiarities. Much like trainings, they are keywords used to impact a character performance.
But unlike trainings, traits can be beneficial or detrimental. Some can go either way depending on circumstances. They are not listed with skills even when they would thematicaly fit one.
There is no fixed list of traits.
Conditions
Characters will receive various conditions during play. Conditions are much like temporary traits
Most conditions are meant to be detrimental, but like traits, they could go either way depending on the specific circumstances.
Some conditions may have a numerical value.
You are free to imagine any conditions you want or change the proposed conditions to suit your campaign's needs. With that said, sticking to pre-established conditions greatly helps streamlining the game.
Conditions are either minor or major, based on how difficult it is to recover from them.
Checks
During an adventure, how successful characters are at the various actions they perform will be determined by checks.
Before rolling the dice, it is important to define the check properly. Every check is done using a skill, under an attribute, against a difficulty and with a complexity. To overcome the check, the character will accumulate edges.
The basics
The player rolls a D10, add the relevant skill of their character to the roll, then compares the result to their relevant attribute and keep the lowest. That final result is compared to the check difficulty; if it's higher or equal, the check is a success.
Edges
Edges represent every little things that a character can do to stack the odds in their favor. They are gained and spent before rolling the dice.
You can spend edges to push your limits. For each edge spent, increase your relevant attribute by 1 for this check.
Every edge you have remaining when rolling allows you to roll a bonus D10 and choose the result you keep.
You can gain edges for any of the following reasons (and more) :
Favorable circumstances.
Using specialized tools. You can pick a lock with a hairpin, but using an actual lockpick will give you an edge. This doesn't apply to tasks that can't be done without tools, like driving a car.
Overqualification. Having more trainings than required for the check complexity gives you edges. Every new edge require one more extra training than the previous one. You need 1 extra training for your first edge gained this way, 3 for the second edge, 6 for the third, etc.
Taking your time.
Taking a risk. You can choose to receive a penalty later (sometimes immediately after the check) for gaining an edge right now.
Following a plan. If the action you are taking was predictable enough that you planned for it, you will have an edge. More elaborate planning may reward additional edges.
Overcoming complexity
To overcome the check complexity and do the check with no penalty, a character needs at least as many relevant trainings as the check complexity. The trainings don't have to be associated to the skill of the check.
Each relevant negative trait increase the check complexity by 1. Each relevant positive trait or condition can be used as a training.
If the character fails to overcome the check complexity, they receive the two following penalties :
The character receives a penalty on their skill equal to twice the check complexity. If their modified skill is negative, the check is an automatic failure.
For each missing training, discard one of your highest dice result. If you have no more dice, the check is an automatic failure.
Combined checks
Sometimes, an action requires to do different things at the same time. Sometimes, the result of different actions are inextricably connected. Sometimes you're just multitasking. In all of those cases, the different checks are combined.
When making a combined check, define each individual check, add up all of their edges together, then roll the dice. You may now assign one dice for each individual check and resolve it normaly.
If you don't have enough dice for every check, the diceless checks use the value 0 for their dice roll unless you failed to overcome the check complexity, in wich case it is an automatic failure as usual.
When spending edges to increase an attribute in a combined check, that attribute is increased for every check.
Opposed checks
When a character faces another character, the situation is resolved with an opposed check.
In an opposed check, each character rolls as usual, except that instead of being a fixed number, the difficulty is equal to the result of their opponent.
Opposed checks are often combined with a check establishing a base difficulty and complexity for the task. Failure on that check causes an automatic failure on the opposed check.
Group check
When a group of character work together to pass a check, make a single roll with the following modifiers :
Use the highest skill available, then add 1 for each other character with a skill of 5 or more.
Use the highest attribute available.
Add up all relevant trainings, trait and conditions from every characters, including duplicates.
Add 1 to the check complexity for each character with no relevant training, trait or condition unless the check has basic complexity.
Rolling against conditions
When a negative conditions is relevant to the check, the check is combined with a check against that condition. The check difficulty is generaly equal to the value of the condition, and the check complexity depends of the condition.
The consequences of failure on a condition check depends of the condition.
Receving and merging conditions
Most conditions are the result of a failure to pass a check. In such cases, the value of the condition is equal to the margin of failure of the check.
When receiving a condition that you already have, the conditions are merged together. Make a check against the higher value condition. If the check is succesful, your new condition value is equal to the higher condition plus one. If the check is a failure, your new condition value is equal to the sum of both.
How hard should a check be?
When determining the difficulty and complexity of a check, start byb asking yourself what kind of people can reliably succeed at them and consulting the difficulty range and complexity range below. Then increase complexity by one for each complicating circumstance.
0-2 : Trivial. Those actions can be done without even thinking about them.
3-5 : Easy. Well within the reach of most people.
6-8 : Challenging. Even though experts can aces those consistently, failure at such checks is commonplace.
9-11 : Hard. These simply can't be done by accident, and only qualified people can expect to succeed at them regularly.
12-14 : Heroic. Those checks are simply beyond the ability of the vast majority of people.
15+ : Epic. Such feats are thought to be impossible, and performing one in public will make you famous overnight.
0 : Basic. Most people learn how to do such tasks simply by growing up.
1 : Simple. These task can be made easier with the right skills, but are still manageable without it.
2 : Tricky. Requires very specific knowledge to perform properly.
3 : Sophisticated. It takes an expert to get any results at all.
4+ : Convoluted. Such complexity is generaly the result of circumstancial complications.
When to make a check
Basicaly anything you do can be represented by a check. But given how the mechanics work and for a better flow of play, trivial and easy checks should be treated as automatic success unless the character can't overcome their complexity.
Anyway, I'd like to have some feedback on it. It feels overcomplicated right now, but every bit seem important to me.
Several subsystems (for combat, social interaction, investigation and maybe magic) should be coming up eventualy.
Continued in other posts :
Combat rules (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25455837&postcount=4)
Investigation rules (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25462971&postcount=7)
Characters
Any entity with some form of agency can be made to be a character. They are defined by skills, attributes, trainings and traits. Characters may also be affected by conditions.
Skills
Every character has various skills associated with a number. They measure how competent said character is when performing a variety of tasks.
Having a high number in a skill make it more reliable; you can consistently perform at your best.
The list of skill available can be adapted for specific games, but it is meant to be exhaustive with as little overlap as possible.
Fitness : general physical prowess
Lore : everything knowledge related
Cunning : noticing and guessing things
Influence : the ability to affect the behavior of others
Dexterity : tool use, sleight of hands and other fine manipulations
Reason : infering and analysing things
Magic : changing the world in supernatural ways
Attributes
Every character has various attributes associated with a number. They measure the limits of their abilities.
Having a high attribute allows you to do more and better. Character with an attribute higher by even a single point can completely outclass other weaker characters, even if they have higher skills.
Like skills, attributes can be adapted to specific settings, and are meant to be exhaustive and non-overlapping.
A distinction is made between physical, mental and sensory attributes.
Vigor (physical) : general strength and stamina
Agility (physical) : flexibility and fine motor control
Speed (sensory) : reaction time and sense of rythm
Awareness (sensory) : covers all senses
Memory (mental) : ability to learn and recall things
Will (mental) : staying focused and knowing what you want
Trainings
Every character may have various trainings associated with their skills. They are used as keywords to improve a character's performance every time they're relevant.
Trainings are always beneficial. They can be as broad or as specific as you want them to, and frequently overlap. Their benefits stack with a diminutive return.
A character cannot have more trainings in a skill than the numerical value of that skill.
There is no list of trainings.
Traits
Traits describe a character peculiarities. Much like trainings, they are keywords used to impact a character performance.
But unlike trainings, traits can be beneficial or detrimental. Some can go either way depending on circumstances. They are not listed with skills even when they would thematicaly fit one.
There is no fixed list of traits.
Conditions
Characters will receive various conditions during play. Conditions are much like temporary traits
Most conditions are meant to be detrimental, but like traits, they could go either way depending on the specific circumstances.
Some conditions may have a numerical value.
You are free to imagine any conditions you want or change the proposed conditions to suit your campaign's needs. With that said, sticking to pre-established conditions greatly helps streamlining the game.
Conditions are either minor or major, based on how difficult it is to recover from them.
Checks
During an adventure, how successful characters are at the various actions they perform will be determined by checks.
Before rolling the dice, it is important to define the check properly. Every check is done using a skill, under an attribute, against a difficulty and with a complexity. To overcome the check, the character will accumulate edges.
The basics
The player rolls a D10, add the relevant skill of their character to the roll, then compares the result to their relevant attribute and keep the lowest. That final result is compared to the check difficulty; if it's higher or equal, the check is a success.
Edges
Edges represent every little things that a character can do to stack the odds in their favor. They are gained and spent before rolling the dice.
You can spend edges to push your limits. For each edge spent, increase your relevant attribute by 1 for this check.
Every edge you have remaining when rolling allows you to roll a bonus D10 and choose the result you keep.
You can gain edges for any of the following reasons (and more) :
Favorable circumstances.
Using specialized tools. You can pick a lock with a hairpin, but using an actual lockpick will give you an edge. This doesn't apply to tasks that can't be done without tools, like driving a car.
Overqualification. Having more trainings than required for the check complexity gives you edges. Every new edge require one more extra training than the previous one. You need 1 extra training for your first edge gained this way, 3 for the second edge, 6 for the third, etc.
Taking your time.
Taking a risk. You can choose to receive a penalty later (sometimes immediately after the check) for gaining an edge right now.
Following a plan. If the action you are taking was predictable enough that you planned for it, you will have an edge. More elaborate planning may reward additional edges.
Overcoming complexity
To overcome the check complexity and do the check with no penalty, a character needs at least as many relevant trainings as the check complexity. The trainings don't have to be associated to the skill of the check.
Each relevant negative trait increase the check complexity by 1. Each relevant positive trait or condition can be used as a training.
If the character fails to overcome the check complexity, they receive the two following penalties :
The character receives a penalty on their skill equal to twice the check complexity. If their modified skill is negative, the check is an automatic failure.
For each missing training, discard one of your highest dice result. If you have no more dice, the check is an automatic failure.
Combined checks
Sometimes, an action requires to do different things at the same time. Sometimes, the result of different actions are inextricably connected. Sometimes you're just multitasking. In all of those cases, the different checks are combined.
When making a combined check, define each individual check, add up all of their edges together, then roll the dice. You may now assign one dice for each individual check and resolve it normaly.
If you don't have enough dice for every check, the diceless checks use the value 0 for their dice roll unless you failed to overcome the check complexity, in wich case it is an automatic failure as usual.
When spending edges to increase an attribute in a combined check, that attribute is increased for every check.
Opposed checks
When a character faces another character, the situation is resolved with an opposed check.
In an opposed check, each character rolls as usual, except that instead of being a fixed number, the difficulty is equal to the result of their opponent.
Opposed checks are often combined with a check establishing a base difficulty and complexity for the task. Failure on that check causes an automatic failure on the opposed check.
Group check
When a group of character work together to pass a check, make a single roll with the following modifiers :
Use the highest skill available, then add 1 for each other character with a skill of 5 or more.
Use the highest attribute available.
Add up all relevant trainings, trait and conditions from every characters, including duplicates.
Add 1 to the check complexity for each character with no relevant training, trait or condition unless the check has basic complexity.
Rolling against conditions
When a negative conditions is relevant to the check, the check is combined with a check against that condition. The check difficulty is generaly equal to the value of the condition, and the check complexity depends of the condition.
The consequences of failure on a condition check depends of the condition.
Receving and merging conditions
Most conditions are the result of a failure to pass a check. In such cases, the value of the condition is equal to the margin of failure of the check.
When receiving a condition that you already have, the conditions are merged together. Make a check against the higher value condition. If the check is succesful, your new condition value is equal to the higher condition plus one. If the check is a failure, your new condition value is equal to the sum of both.
How hard should a check be?
When determining the difficulty and complexity of a check, start byb asking yourself what kind of people can reliably succeed at them and consulting the difficulty range and complexity range below. Then increase complexity by one for each complicating circumstance.
0-2 : Trivial. Those actions can be done without even thinking about them.
3-5 : Easy. Well within the reach of most people.
6-8 : Challenging. Even though experts can aces those consistently, failure at such checks is commonplace.
9-11 : Hard. These simply can't be done by accident, and only qualified people can expect to succeed at them regularly.
12-14 : Heroic. Those checks are simply beyond the ability of the vast majority of people.
15+ : Epic. Such feats are thought to be impossible, and performing one in public will make you famous overnight.
0 : Basic. Most people learn how to do such tasks simply by growing up.
1 : Simple. These task can be made easier with the right skills, but are still manageable without it.
2 : Tricky. Requires very specific knowledge to perform properly.
3 : Sophisticated. It takes an expert to get any results at all.
4+ : Convoluted. Such complexity is generaly the result of circumstancial complications.
When to make a check
Basicaly anything you do can be represented by a check. But given how the mechanics work and for a better flow of play, trivial and easy checks should be treated as automatic success unless the character can't overcome their complexity.