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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    I have found that level based systems all turn into super hero PCs, and I would love to find something with an SRD that I could easily get my players into.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Eldritch Horror in the Playground Moderator
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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    FATE, maybe?

    SRDs for games aren't very common - one of the things that catapulted WotC into the leading market share for 3.x was specifically the OGL, particularly coupled with their brand identity. Fate is the only other game I've heard of with an SRD.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Scots Dragon's Avatar

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Mutants & Masterminds 3rd edition has a system reference document available here

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    Eldritch Horror in the Playground Moderator
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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Heh. Oddly appropriate, actually. If level-based games turn into superhero RPGs, skip the middleman and just play a superhero RPG.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DruidGirl

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Quote Originally Posted by Robinson View Post
    I have found that level based systems all turn into super hero PCs, and I would love to find something with an SRD that I could easily get my players into.
    I was going to say Gurps (100pt characters) but i don't know if thats remotely srd, can i ask what prompted this?

    Its just that it might be better to know what you'd like to run as well as know what happened to make you start looking.
    Last edited by Hopeless; 2012-06-13 at 10:29 AM.

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    Titan in the Playground
     
    Knaight's Avatar

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Do you need a SRD specifically, or is a free .pdf adequate? If it is the second, I strongly recommend Fudge, which is actually released under the OGL. It does require a bit of work on the part of the GM to get started, but it should be easier to transfer from D&D to it than from D&D to FATE.
    I would really like to see a game made by Obryn, Kurald Galain, and Knaight from these forums.

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  7. - Top - End - #7
    Troll in the Playground
     
    OrcBarbarianGuy

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    What about a house rule that keeps all PCs at level 1 for all purposes except increases in skill points and maximum ranks? Sort of an E1 variant of E6?

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  8. - Top - End - #8
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    The OGL is a pretty unique feature of the d20 gaming system. There are some free RPG's out there, but the OGL implies a lot more(notably the ability for others to make content for the system at no fee).
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  9. - Top - End - #9
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    EvilClericGuy

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Quote Originally Posted by Hopeless View Post
    I was going to say Gurps (100pt characters) but i don't know if thats remotely srd, can i ask what prompted this?

    Its just that it might be better to know what you'd like to run as well as know what happened to make you start looking.
    GURPS Lite is available for free download from e23.sjgames.com.

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Skill-based? I think you mean point-based. Considering FATE isn't even close to skill-based, yet it's pretty much what you're looking for.
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  11. - Top - End - #11
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Knaight's Avatar

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jade Dragon View Post
    Skill-based? I think you mean point-based. Considering FATE isn't even close to skill-based, yet it's pretty much what you're looking for.
    The central feature on FATE character sheets is a gigantic skill pyramid, chock full of skills. It's hard to get more skill based than that.
    I would really like to see a game made by Obryn, Kurald Galain, and Knaight from these forums.

    I'm not joking one bit. I would buy the hell out of that.
    -- ChubbyRain

    Current Design Project: Legacy, a game of masters and apprentices for two players and a GM.

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Titan in the Playground
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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    Quote Originally Posted by Knaight View Post
    The central feature on FATE character sheets is a gigantic skill pyramid, chock full of skills. It's hard to get more skill based than that.
    Really? Well, I only have experience with Strands of Fate.
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  13. - Top - End - #13
    Troll in the Playground
     
    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    I've always been a fan of Chaosium's "Basic RolePlaying System" aka RuneQuest (Chaosium then Avalon Hill), Call of Cthulhu, Elric (and all the other Michael Moorcock-based variants) etc.

    Now BRS is NOT open content, but reading on the web the why of Mongoose RQ being a new system it looks as if some designers have copied it fairly intact so it may have lost its protected status.
    For those who never played RQ1-3 the Mongoose version is very close (as they were trying to copy BRS without copying it) and that is (according to Wikipedia) a skill-based system.

    So basically MRG should be an OK skill-based system which is available OGL...
    In checking that the above is true I found this bulletin board post http://basicroleplaying.com/basic-ro...rd-files-2337/ with links to the downloads.

    Caveat - personally I found MRQ close enough to be annoying and not close enough to work for me - I am running some RQ3 with some BRS thrown in for a campaign right now.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Pixie in the Playground
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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    How about Open d6?

    Core mechanic: your skills have a rating (eg. 3D+2), roll that rating (3d6+2) and if it beats the difficult number (or your opponent's roll) you succeed.

    It's based on the old system West End used for their Star Wars games, and has spawned a number of free variants (Mini 6, d6 space, etc) complete with plenty of player-generated content.

    edit: dumb typo
    Last edited by CET; 2012-06-25 at 03:19 PM.
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  15. - Top - End - #15
    Librarian in the Playground Moderator
     
    LibraryOgre's Avatar

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    Default Re: Is there an OGL skill-based system out there?

    I would also suggest Open D6. It's a good system, and you can easily integrate stuff from old Star Wars supplements.
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