Need a point based system

[Grug]

I'm preparing a game for the Fall, and d20 would not fit. It's a modern day game where the players suddenly develop mental powers and become aware of various psychic anomalies and creatures invisible to everyone else. There will be a great emphasis on madness and the surreal.

Today I realized that a points-based system would allow a unique mechanic. If the player is ever defeated (whether by injury or psychic trauma) rather than death they will lose a certain number of points, and would have to refund stats and perks to make up the deficit.

The system I was originally considering was BESM, as it is points based and since you can buy stuff like Relationships, a player may lose Those. Are there any other options? No one in the group has had any experience outside of d20, so simpler would be best. I own Hero System 6 books but it seems very, very complicated. Free is preferred, though if a system would be very good for the setting I may purchase. Lightweight is best, I don't need to get into the nitty-gritty.

[Knaight]

I'd go with Fudge. The Objective Character Creation system is point based (the other two are not), and Fudge is a comparatively light system - the core rulebook is 107 pages, whereas the core 3 in D&D are pushing 1000 in 3.5 and 4e, and there are several chapters (Magic, Superpowers) that you can just skip for this game. If Fudge is a little too light, go with GURPS instead, though GURPS isn't free.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Today I realized that a points-based system would allow a unique mechanic. If the player is ever defeated (whether by injury or psychic trauma) rather than death they will lose a certain number of points, and would have to refund stats and perks to make up the deficit.

How set are you on this mechanic? Except for this, you're pretty much describing the game Don't Rest Your Head. It's a surreal horror game where the PCs are all ordinary people who, one day, "woke up", and became aware of the existence of the Mad City, which is a strange mockery of our own world. Their madness and their exhaustion (because all PCs are also having sleeping problems, which led to their "waking up"; as a side note, falling asleep is almost worse than dying in the system) give them powers; their exhaustion just makes them good at mundane stuff, but their madness gives them access to supernatural powers. Then again, thinking about it, each player only gets a single Madness Power, so they'd all be very limited in their psychic powers... so, it may not be the perfect system for you, but if you can find a copy of the rules for cheap, I'd take a look. There might be some nice flavorful stuff you could borrow.

Also, why no d20? Mutants and Masterminds might work well enough, for this. It's designed to be a Superhero game, but it's pretty flexible.

[erikun]

World of Darkness seems like it would fit your idea pretty well. Mutants & Masterminds would probably work as well if you're planning on handing out powers to the characters. (It is a point-based d20 system.)

HeroQuest would probably model everything you've asked for, and even has build-in penalities for defeat much like you are talking about. You get a temporary penality for any loss, such as -3 or -9, which sticks around for as long as appropriate; generally until a victory. The biggest problem, perhaps, is that it is highly narrative-focused and so may not fit how you want a gritty survival game to play.

Fudge is also possible, although you'd need to work with putting together the appropriate skills and such. It is point-buy, so taking away from stats and giving them back as points would work in the system just fine.


I can't help but wonder how well Burning Wheel / Mouse Guard would work for your needs, from being character-focused to progressing skills from use to easily incorporating social skills. The fact that you'd need to rework the system a bit to fit the madness concept (not to mention not being point buy) means that it probably isn't an ideal fit.

[Partysan]

If you like WoD-like systems, Witchcraft is a game similar in rules and tone and I believe the core book is free.

[kyoryu]

I've gotta second GURPS in this, I think it would work very well.

Burning Wheel would probably work, too, though I'd be more tempted to model madness for your scenario as an Emotional Attribute.

[18th Avenger]

I've heard how GURPS Lite had made life very accessible for new players, so give that a whirl.

And in the same vein as the guy who suggested Fudge, I suggest FATE. 'Nuff Said.