Draz74
2022-07-10, 08:42 AM
I'm back to working hard on my homebrew system, Z-Wolf (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?630445-Z-Wolf-RPG). Mostly because I'm practicing my website-building skills and it's a good subject material for a feature-rich website. I'll certainly share the site here when it's in a reasonably complete state.
One of the biggest challenges I face in creating this System, however, is organizing all the fragments of Rules that I've written in various places over the past 15 years.
It would be a help to me if anyone could assist in brainstorming an outline of all the rules that are needed for a full D&D-like system. This is just the Rules; I can handle the game's "Library" (descriptions of indiviudual Monsters, Kits, Feats, Talents, Gear, and Magic Items) in another area of my site.
I'm thinking something like the following:
Chapter 0: Introduction
Chapter 0.1: Tabletop RPG Basics (storytelling, RPG glossary)
Chapter 0.2: Dice Mechanics (normal checks, natural die results, stacking and overlapping modifiers, boosted & dragged checks, coasting, roll replacement, capped checks)
Chapter 1: Character Creation
Chapter 1.1: Character Basics (level, concept, languages, strongest saving throw)
Chapter 1.2: Skills (trained skills, skill ranks, limited skills, synergy bonuses)
Chapter 1.3: Kits
Chapter 1.4: Feats
Chapter 1.5: Talents
Chapter 1.6: Complications
Chapter 1.7: Equipment (wealth score, buying and selling stuff, other methods of gaining or losing wealth)
Chapter 1.8 (optional): Character Sheet Tour (what different character stats mean, how the website calculates them)
Chapter 2: Exploration
Chapter 2.1: Travel (overland speeds, travel activities)
Chapter 2.2: Tasks (things you can roll dice to try to accomplish, including their Target Numbers)
Chapter 2.3: Adverse Environments (difficult terrain, natural & artificial traps)
Chapter 2.4: Character Conditions (Stamina Points, resting, slow poisons & diseases, gaining and spending Karma Points)
Chapter 3: Combat
Chapter 3.1: Initiative Order (and action economy; surprised status)
Chapter 3.2: How to Use Your Actions (dominant actions, maneuver actions, actions, reactions, free actions)
Chapter 3.3: Battlefield Placement and Tactical Movement
Chapter 3.4: Attacking (attack Impact, off-guard status, saving throw to resist, consequences table, inflicting Hazards)
Chapter 3.5: Momentum
Chapter 3.6: More Character Conditions (wounded/dying track, unconsciousness, fear, fast poisons)
Chapter 4: Social Interactions
Honestly I'm not sure what to put in this chapter, that wouldn't already be covered by Chapter 2.2, but that's partially because I'm still struggling (after 15 years) to find structured Social Combat rules that I like
Chapter 5: Downtime
Chapter 5.1: Earning Money the Traditional Way
Chapter 5.2: Re-Training
Chapter 5.3: Strongholds & Governance Responsibilities
Chapter 6: Magic
Chapter 6.1: Spells (seeds of magic, basic spells, the Suffused status and advanced spells)
Chapter 6.2: Rituals
Chapter 6.3: Magic Items (perks, querks, attunement)
Chapter 7 (optional): Designer Notes
Chapter 7.1: Why Z-Wolf is a Great System
Chapter 7.2: Places I've Gotten Inspiration From
Critiques? I'm very open to re-organization.
One of the biggest challenges I face in creating this System, however, is organizing all the fragments of Rules that I've written in various places over the past 15 years.
It would be a help to me if anyone could assist in brainstorming an outline of all the rules that are needed for a full D&D-like system. This is just the Rules; I can handle the game's "Library" (descriptions of indiviudual Monsters, Kits, Feats, Talents, Gear, and Magic Items) in another area of my site.
I'm thinking something like the following:
Chapter 0: Introduction
Chapter 0.1: Tabletop RPG Basics (storytelling, RPG glossary)
Chapter 0.2: Dice Mechanics (normal checks, natural die results, stacking and overlapping modifiers, boosted & dragged checks, coasting, roll replacement, capped checks)
Chapter 1: Character Creation
Chapter 1.1: Character Basics (level, concept, languages, strongest saving throw)
Chapter 1.2: Skills (trained skills, skill ranks, limited skills, synergy bonuses)
Chapter 1.3: Kits
Chapter 1.4: Feats
Chapter 1.5: Talents
Chapter 1.6: Complications
Chapter 1.7: Equipment (wealth score, buying and selling stuff, other methods of gaining or losing wealth)
Chapter 1.8 (optional): Character Sheet Tour (what different character stats mean, how the website calculates them)
Chapter 2: Exploration
Chapter 2.1: Travel (overland speeds, travel activities)
Chapter 2.2: Tasks (things you can roll dice to try to accomplish, including their Target Numbers)
Chapter 2.3: Adverse Environments (difficult terrain, natural & artificial traps)
Chapter 2.4: Character Conditions (Stamina Points, resting, slow poisons & diseases, gaining and spending Karma Points)
Chapter 3: Combat
Chapter 3.1: Initiative Order (and action economy; surprised status)
Chapter 3.2: How to Use Your Actions (dominant actions, maneuver actions, actions, reactions, free actions)
Chapter 3.3: Battlefield Placement and Tactical Movement
Chapter 3.4: Attacking (attack Impact, off-guard status, saving throw to resist, consequences table, inflicting Hazards)
Chapter 3.5: Momentum
Chapter 3.6: More Character Conditions (wounded/dying track, unconsciousness, fear, fast poisons)
Chapter 4: Social Interactions
Honestly I'm not sure what to put in this chapter, that wouldn't already be covered by Chapter 2.2, but that's partially because I'm still struggling (after 15 years) to find structured Social Combat rules that I like
Chapter 5: Downtime
Chapter 5.1: Earning Money the Traditional Way
Chapter 5.2: Re-Training
Chapter 5.3: Strongholds & Governance Responsibilities
Chapter 6: Magic
Chapter 6.1: Spells (seeds of magic, basic spells, the Suffused status and advanced spells)
Chapter 6.2: Rituals
Chapter 6.3: Magic Items (perks, querks, attunement)
Chapter 7 (optional): Designer Notes
Chapter 7.1: Why Z-Wolf is a Great System
Chapter 7.2: Places I've Gotten Inspiration From
Critiques? I'm very open to re-organization.