Simple Realism System

[Conners]

I'm trying to construct the SRS (Simple Realism System) for my own and general use. This'd be it's own RPG from the ground up, made for two purposes: Realism in a fantasy DnD-like setting, and simplicity that won't burden play.

Any help I could get would be very welcome. Someone on another forum has been kind enough to help me get started (he has some IRL combat experience).
The things I'll need help with largely are balancing (well, as balanced as real life gets, anyway), content (I don't know all the ways you can get cut up or their detailed effects, as an example), and getting statistics close to the real-thing.

Here's what I have so far:

Character Creation:

Attributes/Stats:

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For each attribute, I'd say 10 would be the average for a human. The stats are as follows:

Strength: Damage, to-hit, carrying things, climbing rock-sides, swimming, etc..
With strength, it'd add to the damage modifier of the varying levels of success. 10 would add nothing, 12 would add 0.2, 8 would subtract 0.2, etc..
Also, each point over 10 would reduce the Cut-off Point[CP] (making success easier). Below 10 increases the cut-off point making it harder).

Agility: To-hit, dodging, dancing, archery.
Like STR, AGI reduces the Cut-off Point[CP], making it easier to hit. Each point over 10 reduces your CP by 0.5 (so you'll need 12 AGI to get any effect).
Each point of AGI over 10 increases your Defence.

Constitution: Health, healing, resistance to disease and toxins, more stamina.
You start with 20(?) Max HP and gain 1 point of Max HP for every point of CON over 10. If it's under 10, you lose at the same rate.

Intelligence: Knowing lots of skills, academic-minded matters, more hints for players with high INT.
Perhaps this could lower the cost for learning skills? Such as, it costs 5 points to learn Stiltering normally, but with 20 INT it only costs 2 points. Just an idea at this point.
It'd also be the skill for knowledge checks, like in 4E, which are pretty useful.

Perception: Spotting/hearing enemies, telling lies from truths, ability to notice subtle details and skills like tracking, archery.

Charisma: Relations with the people around you, lying ability, convincing, getting cheaper prices, charming people.

Skill: Rather like your "Level". This is how skilled you are as a warrior, the raw experience and know-how you've picked up over many fights you survived. This'd add to just about everything combat-related.

Combat

The Basic Roll:

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We have two men fight, with no bonuses or penalties to anything. For the attack, roll 1d100. Since they're equal and non-exceptional, the "Cut-off Point"[CP] is 50. Rolling less than 50 is good for the defender, rolling more is good for the attacker. 51 is a scratch, 49 is a near-miss, and 90 is a massive critical.

Now, what if guy A was 10 points better (at dodging and attacking) than guy B. The cut-off point for A is 40, and for B it is 60. "B" needs to roll 60 or more to hit, "A" needs 40 or more.

Note that you don't need 1d100. Use a d20, simply by dividing all the stuff here by five (cut-off point becomes 10, 18 for massive critical, etc.). Or you can use a d10 by dividing by 10 (cut-off of 5, 9 for massive critical). Will take some extra simplification, though.

Levels of Success:

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There are various levels of success based on how much you roll over the cut-off point. I'm not certain of how much force can be modified, realistically, by a success of the hit. So, I'll probably limit it to something like three times the force, for the highest critical, as a place-holder.

[Success Level]  [Roll] [Damage modifier]

Perfect Hit: 	  100	3x damage
Massive Critical: 98+	2.75x
Critical: 	  95+	2.5x
Minor Critical:   91+	2.25x
Great: 	 	  86+	2.0x
Good:		  81+	1.75
Square: 	  76+	1.5x
Decent Hit:	  71+	1.25x
Hit:		  60+	1.0x
Half-Hit:	  56+	0.5x
Scathe:		  51+	0.25x
Scratch: 	  50	0.1x damage
Near-miss:	  49	0 damage
Miss:		  48-	0 damage
Fumble:		   1	Unbalanced till end of next turn.

Strength would also add to the multiplier.
That's what I have currently. Might need to be changed around, in damage amounts, with more levels of success, have more stuff for rolling under, or perhaps something else.

Weapons and Damage:

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Weapons can have up to four properties:

Damage (dmg): This is the damage rating, which is modified by the success of the hit roll.
Armour Penetration (AP): This is the weapon's ability to ignore and penetrate armour.
Accuracy (ACR): If it effects the to-hit roll. Bigger, slower weapons have less chance of hitting--light, long weapons like rapiers have more chance.
Blocking (BLK): If it effects the enemy's to-hit roll. A butcher's cleaver wasn't designed to parry with--a sword with a large, steel hand-guard is good to parry with.
There'd also be Weapon Mastery, where if you aren't versed in the weapon you take penalties, and if you're skilled with the weapon you get bonuses.

As for damage, I'll try to keep the hit point numbers and damage ratings low, for simplicity.

Armour and Penetration:

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Weapons have a damage value, and a armour penetration value. Here's how it works against armour:

Narg the orc has a pick-hammer, and is fighting Dansen the elf, who is wearing full-plate.

Narg gets a total of 10 Damage, on his first attack. The Hammer's penetration value is 2x. 10 damage x 2 AP (armour penetration) vs. Dansen's armour of 30. 20 - 30 = less than 0, no damage is done.

Narg swings around, out of reach of Dansen. He steps forward with a second attack, getting a total of 20 damage this time. 20 damage x 2 AP = 40, vs. 30 armour.
Dansen winces with pain, 10 points of damage being a nasty wound.

The fight ends there. Narg is surprised to see the elf lie dead, so quickly. His pick, very luckily for him, pierced the elf's heart, though the damage was little. All should beware of combat, for a small wound can be your undoing.

A second elf steps through the ranks, wearing hardened-leather with 5 armour. Narg parries the elf's swing, countering with his own upward blow of 10 damage. 10 x 2 = 20 vs. 5 armour = 10 damage. Armour Penetration can't raise the actual damage of the attack, so it hurts this poor elf no more than if he was stark naked.

Backing away, barely dodging another strike as he tried to regain his composure. The elf, Gahdrim, didn't come here to die fighting orcs. Readying his longsword, AP 0.8x, one thunderous leap brought him at the Narg with a vengeance!

Thrusting hard, Gahdrim's strike is worth 15 damage, but it's against the orc's formidable splint mail, 10 armour. 15 x 0.8 = 12 vs. 10 = 2 damage.
The thrust is ineffective, most of the impact sliding off the splints of metal.

As for what happened in that battle, we'll leave that for another time. Gahrim would live to see great things, you shall see.

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Optional Rule

Tin-Hammering:
If an attack does no damage due to armour, but is adds up to half or more of the armour value, do 1 point of non-lethal damage.

You can have this for a quarter or more of the armour value, instead. Or you could have 1 damage for any successful hit.

This rule is handy if you find your players, or NPCs, having a grisly amount of trouble with fully armoured characters. It's still realistic, in that if people keep bashing you around, even if it doesn't get through your armour, it'll sure as heck disorientate you.

Movement:

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The movement is rather interesting. Take a grid, or a hex, doesn't matter. At the start of each round, everyone who can move picks a place they want to move to, as well as the action they want to perform ("I move south-west and slash at the orc!"). Then, you move everyone at the same time. If someone moves out of range of their target, they can't attack them that turn.

If multiple people try to move into the same spot, there'd be something like an Agility roll to see who gets there first. A tie could result in them both moving there, and colliding. Might need consideration.

Stances

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There's be a few Stances you could take up.

Offensive: Raises your Offensive skills by 20%(?).
Defensive: Raises your Defensive skills by 20%(?).
Mobile: Lets you move one extra square before the attack phase, decreases Offensive and Defensive skills by 10%(?).
Power Striker: Adds 0.25x(?) to the Success/STR damage modifier. Decreases Offensive skills by 5%(?) and Defensive skills by 10%(?).

You can only have from 0 to 2 stances active at the same time. They are chosen at the beginning of each round, before anything is done.

After stances are declared, they are no hidden from the NPCs or the players. You could, through this, take a Defensive Stance to make it look like you're going to retreat and be defensive, when actually you plan to step forward and slice them with a Counter.

We might also have it that you are required to take a certain stance to do certain things. Such as, you need to be in the Mobile stance to gain a dodge bonus against missiles. Just an idea.

Double Strike Engagement:

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In fights, it often happens where not one, but BOTH opponents strike a hit. Some duels ended with both participants on the end of a sword.

Initiative would be a Derived Stat from maybe Agility and Perception. When several characters land hits on each other, roll initiative to see who struck first. A blow of 5(?) or more points of damage, regardless of armour (even if it'd reduce the damage to 0), will stop the other character's attack.

If you roll a draw on initiative, you both strike each other at the same time.

Jobs/Skills:

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Skills will be kept as simplistic as manageable. There's a similar cut-off point mechanic. However, rather than 50 as the cut-off point, it tends to be 60 or 70, based on how difficult the skill is.

Weaving artistic quilts for someone who hasn't trained in weaving, would be very hard to succeed. So we'd have something like 70.
Climbing difficult rock faces is something more straight forward, at least, so it might get 60.
Brain Surgery can't be done by someone who isn't versed in it. If for some reason you want to let a character attempt such a skill, it'd be 100 CP--though I don't recommend even bothering to roll such a thing.

You could also improvise with skills. Try to do surgery with your large knowledge of First aid, receiving 1/4 of your usual bonus, kind of thing.

Mostly that sort of thing could be on-the-spot common sense, with a chart given for examples sake.

Special Moves:

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Where the real strategy would come in, is the special moves. Rather like 4e DnD, except completely different.

Specials would be things like "Shield bash", to try and unbalance your opponent, "Flurry", to attack with several weaker hits, "Multi-Attack" for attacking multiple opponents in one turn, etc..

These would be largely based off the weapon you're using, and your mastery with that weapon. Rather than feats purchased at level ups.
Print-out cards would be handy for these, keeping the effects unique but simple.

This is what I'm thinking for how to do them:

[Name:] [Proficiency level needed of X weapon] [Skill level needed]
Cut-off Point(CP) change, what subtracts/adds to CP.

Requirements to use this technique, like a shield for shield-bash.
Extra details on the Technique, such as losing your shield bonus for the round when using shield bash.

Effects of the Technique
Write your bonus/penalty down here, to make it easy to look up and use.

Shield Bash None. [0]
60CP - (STR Bonus x2) - (Skill) + Target's Defence

Requires: Shield.
No Shield-Bonus the round you use this.

Opponent is Unbalanced on success. Minor Critical to Perfect Success knocks enemy down.

-Blank Space for Writing-

[Flurry [3] [2]
70CP - (AGI Bonus x2) - Skill - WPN Mast + Target's Defence

Requires Weapon(s).
Lose WPN Mast bonus to Defence, for the round this is used.

You make three attacks, each at half the Damage Modifier (so a Perfect Hit would do 150% damage).]

[Draw-Strike [4] [2]
65CP - (AGI Bonus x2) - Skill - WPN Mast + Target's Defence

Requires Sheathed Weapon on hip opposite to main hand. Must be one-handed or smaller.

Make an attack as you draw your weapon.]

[Swift-Blow [0] [1]
60CP - (AGI Bonus x1.5) - (STR Bonus x0.25) - Skill - (WPN Mast x0.5) + Target's Defence.

Nothing.

+5 Bonus on any Initiative rolls against that target for that round.]

[Seize [3] [3]
80CP - (AGI Bonus x2) - (STR Bonus x 1.5) - Skill - (WPN Mast Unarmed) + Target's Defence

Requires an empty hand.
-10 to Defence.

Grappling with opponent upon success. Can automatically stick behind them, avoiding their attack for that round if you won initiative. Proceed to Grappling rules as the Advantaged combatant.]

[Weapon Knock-away [3] [2]
65CP - (STR Bonus x1.5) - (AGI x0.5) - Skill - (WPN Mast) + 1/2 Target's Defence + (Target's WPN Mast)

None.

Opponent can't attack with the targeted weapon next round, or this round if you won iniative. They lose thier WPN Mast and WPN BLK bonuses/penalties to Defence.

Levelling Up
Firstly, rather than levels, you have Attributes, and your Skill (Experience). Skill (experience) adds to most everything fighting related, so it's pretty much your Level.

Haven't decided on how to do handing out yet. For now it'd probably be something the GM gives out when appropriate, to an extent that makes sense.
Doing it at the end of each session is sensible for an in-person game, so that you only need to re-write the bonuses/penalties once at the start/end of each session.


Bleeding:
I'm thinking this won't be much of a problem to do. Unless someone's artery gets chopped, people can generally manage quite a while before fluid-loss kills/knocks them down. It is more awkward to fight, though, since you need to hold your blood and/or organs in. Could inflict penalties to fighting ability when badly wounded, easily enough.

Wounds:
There'd be a neat variety of wounds you can take. These could occur randomly, or occur always upon a critical or massive critical. Or both.



Well, that's most of the stuff I have so far. I'm trying to work out the rest of the details. Again, I appreciate any help you can give to improve upon this system. I'm very interested in views or advice you can give me on this, as well as facts as to realistic combat which I could consider.

I hope for this to be a dangerous but highly fun adventuring system, much like Dwarf Fortress' adventure mode, nethack, and 1st addition dnd, but with simplicity that makes it easy to approach.

Thanks very much.