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View Full Version : Reliability as a game mechanic



beachhead1973
2008-07-10, 06:27 PM
hi, haven't been on here in a while, but real life has kept me pretty busy.

anyway, i've been working on my own RPG system based off SPECIAL for some time now and it's really come along and seems to work well.

I am developing this as an aim towards creating as slectively-realistic system my friends and i can use in multiple settings. so far, it seems to work very well with the baseline system or a simple tool of it creating most desired and normally lacking effects.

critical hits, armour, penetrating weapons, ect.

one tool we desire to have on hand is weapon reliability. i have a god mechanic for it, but how often should it come into play?

once a turn? weapon use?, some random time? GM's call?

i'm pretty divided on this. i want it to be a major factor in the game, but i also want it to add to it, not detract

Hawriel
2008-07-10, 11:19 PM
Id keep it simple. Star wars D6 had a simple complication system. It ran from just a penalty on your roll to blaster backfired. A situational complication could pop up even if a player made a roll, but fumbled the wild die. For example a player in a high speed chace hits the target number for a turn but botches the wild die. They made the turn just bairly but drifted into on coming trafic.

If you want item reliablility have it pop up when a botch, fumble or what have you turns up. A botch on a firearm skill could be a simple to fix jam, a clog do to enviornment, a bad malfuntion like a slam fire, weapon brakes due to over heating or it explodes. Some weapons are more reliable.

An AK-47 will last alot longer in a harsh enviornment than an M16 befor cleaning is needed. You dont need to force your characters to clean a rifle every single time they do somthing. Have them be aware of a time table of a mission its enviornment and let them plan a down time for things like cleaning weapons. If time is short they may not have the chance, wich would increase that type of a failer if a botch is rolled. The AK-47 may have a bonus on the check to clear a jam, or resist a jam. Its a very rugged weapon it may also have less chance of being damage when struck in some way. An M16 may use the base numbers or get a penalty for the same senario.

For some armor may be easyer. X armor has a hardness/resistants up to Y force up to Z hits/damage taken. The armor covers chest, abdomen, and back. On the real weapons and armor thread Swordguy and Crow where talking about this the other day.

Some things are even easyer. Radio Z has a better range than radio M. However radio Z does not handle wet enviornments as well as M.

Keep the level of realism to whare the players are awair of it. Although not to the extect that the players develop OCD trying to make sure they covered every little thing that can go wrong with their stuff. having complications when bad rolls happen. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of equipment, peaple and animals will help keep it real. Hell D&D does have rules for fatigue and encumbrence.