Alternate mechanics [all systems]

[true_shinken]

OK, I'm looking for problem-resolution mechanics that are not just 'roll a die, add X, get greater than Y'.
I saw someone mentioning a system like this and I'd like to have a look.
I'm not talking about combat, I want alternate mechanics to out-of-combat tasks, basically.

[The Rose Dragon]

Dice pool mechanics?

Basically, you roll a number of dice, and you count the successes that come up.

[true_shinken]

Dice pool mechanics?

Basically, you roll a number of dice, and you count the successes that come up.

That's not exactly what I'm looking for, but thanks.

I'm basically looking for systems where combat works in one way and non-combat works in another way.

[The Big Dice]

Dice pool mechanics?

Basically, you roll a number of dice, and you count the successes that come up.

That's one type of dice pool. Another is roll X number of dice and add them up. Yet another is roll X number of dice, the number of dice that roll the same is the width, the number on the faces of those dice that roll the same is the height. A certain height x width is required to perform tasks, number set by the GM or opposed if it's combat. Yet another is roll X number of dice, keep Y number out of that amount and add the total.

There is also the yin/yang dice. Roll 2D10 and subtract the lower from the higher.

[true_shinken]

A certain height x width is required to perform tasks, number set by the GM or opposed if it's combat. Yet another is roll X number of dice, keep Y number out of that amount and add the total.

I... don't get it. Could you explain it slowly? I'm kind of an idiot.

There is also the yin/yang dice. Roll 2D10 and subtract the lower from the higher.

Hm, never heard of that. What is the purpose of this mechanic? Is it from a specific game?

[Kaje]

Super Awesome Action Heroes has the Sweet Move, wherein the player describes his action and everyone votes its success based on how awesome it is.

[Zaq]

There's the system used in Kobolds Ate My Baby. If a task has a difficulty task of x, roll xd6 and try to get the total under a certain number, usually one of your stats. Since KAMB is very rules-light, fast talking can help you subtract (or add, if you're bad at it) dice, or change what your target number is, but that's not inherent to the system.

[tyckspoon]

I... don't get it. Could you explain it slowly? I'm kind of an idiot.

That'd be the Yahtzee version of a dice pool, basically- instead of rolling to beat a certain number (either #of dice that beat a target number, or summed score of all the dice you roll) you are rolling to get matched faces showing on the dice, with the exact number being potentially irrelevant- so, for example, if your pool was 6d6 and you rolled 1 2 3 4 5 6.. your score is only 1, because you have all unique numbers (presumably this would be the system equivalent of a critical failure.) If you rolled 1 1 1 1 1 1 instead, you'd have 6 successes.

The 'yin/yang' kind of roll is usually used to add a controlled random element, so you can have games where character skill is the primary factor of success but it's still random enough that a player cannot be completely certain how a tough task will turn out- compare with things like the d20 system, where your roll on the d20 completely dwarfs the influence of your character's abilities until higher levels.

[The Big Dice]

I... don't get it. Could you explain it slowly? I'm kind of an idiot.

It's what the One Roll Engine (ORE) works off. The idea being that rolling high is good, but so it rolling lots of the same number. There's much more detail in Godlike, the system it was first used in.

Hm, never heard of that. What is the purpose of this mechanic? Is it from a specific game?

The Yin/Yang dice is from Qin The Warring States, possibly one of the most elegant and stylish games ever writtern. And it's French!

[Eldan]

I vaguely remember a, German I think, roleplaying game where you would draw a Tarot card and interpret it depending on the situation to see if it your action was a success or not.

[Xefas]

Primetime Adventures uses a deck of playing cards. You flip a number of cards equal to the number representing how Plot-Relevant your character is at a given point, and you can spend Fan Mail to temporarily boost your character's relevance to the plot (presumably representing the writers writing you into more interesting situations to appease your fans). Then you just compare the highest numbers flipped, and whoever had the highest fulfills their motivation for the scene. The Director can also spend a certain resource (the name of which I don't recall off the top of my head) to make a scene more difficult in order to inspire greater suspense in the audience.

[true_shinken]

Godlike and Qin seem like exactly the sort of thing I want, thanks a lot. I'm trying to find a friend who has the books or a place where I can order them.

[The Big Dice]

Godlike and Qin seem like exactly the sort of thing I want, thanks a lot. I'm trying to find a friend who has the books or a place where I can order them.

You can get a free trial version of Godlike on the site I linked. Plus there are a few other games that use ORE to do their thing. There's even Star Ore which is a fan made Star Wars game using the One Roll Engine. Fair warning is given, the link goes right to the pdf.

[Oracle_Hunter]

Hucksters (read: warlocks) in original Deadlands would draw from a deck of playing cards - the better their poker hand, the greater the result.

An add-on for oWoD Mage was a deck of Tarot Cards which were suggested to be a storytelling aid. It even gave rules for using them to resolve scenes!

[The Big Dice]

Hucksters (read: warlocks) in original Deadlands would draw from a deck of playing cards - the better their poker hand, the greater the result.

Everyine used cards, poker chips and dice in Deadlands. It was novel, but in the end it made a great game a bit clunky and confused.