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My friend group's homemade RPG! What are your thoughts?
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My RPG group and I (mostly the latter) have spent the past few months working on a setting-generic RPG system. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! I'm quite proud of it as I haven't really seen very many dice systems like this. The system has character specialization (some are better at things than others) without any modifiers or math, just comparison! # Creating a Character Players need only decide two things when creating their characters: their action die and their approach die. A character’s “action die” broadly describes their physical attributes, skills, and talents. - Intelligent, thoughtful, and quick-witted characters use a six-sided action die. - Charismatic, charming, and attractive characters use an eight-sided action die. - Agile, dexterous, and swift characters use a ten-sided action die. - Strong, powerful, and tough characters use a twelve-sided action die. A character’s “approach die” broadly describes their outlook on the world and how they go about executing their skills. - Sharp, perceptive, and attentive characters use a six-sided approach die. - Forceful, reactive, and fiery characters use an eight-sided approach die. - Disciplined, courageous, and willful characters use a ten-sided approach die. - Calm, level-headed, and careful characters use a twelve-sided approach die. # Attempts Characters may do any of four things to interact with their environment: engage, consort, finesse, or exert. These are known as “actions.” - To “engage” is to interact with an object or place using intense focus and care. - To “consort” is to persuade, deceive, or otherwise communicate with others. - To “finesse” is to maneuver one’s body in a precise, swift, and calculated manner. - To “exert” is to use raw, physical strength. Characters may go about an action any of four ways: sharply, forcefully, boldly, or calmly. These are known as “approaches.” - To be “sharp” is to be perceptive, keen, and attentive. - To be “forceful” is to explode with reckless power and speed. - To be “bold” is to overcome one’s fears or anxieties. - To be “calm” is to remain composed under pressure or threat. If ever a player wishes to do something, they must first describe it to the narrator, who will then determine the action and approach that best fits. Players will automatically succeed in most of their endeavors, but the outcome of riskier or more unpredictable ones is determined by rolling their two dice and counting successes. This is known as an “attempt.” For a die to yield a success, the number rolled must fall within the corresponding range for that category. (This is supposed to be in table form but most front-ends don't support Markdown tables.) - Engage/Sharp: 3--6 - Consort/Forceful: 4--8 - Finesse/Bold: 5--10 - Exert/Calm: 6--12 Zero successes result in the attempt failing, one success results in the attempt succeeding, and two successes result in the attempt critically succeeding. If ever the manner in which a character does something has no effect on its outcome, the player may roll two action dice and no approach die. If ever only the manner in which a character does something has an effect on its outcome, the player may roll two approach dice and no action die. If the narrator believes that a player’s attempt should be easier or harder than usual, they may increase the number of dice the player rolls. If it is to be harder, the number of required successes increases. If it is to be easier, it does not. # Combat Many direct competitions require more mechanical structure to ensure every party has a fair chance at victory. In situations such as these, “combat” may be initiated. Combat is divided into rounds, during each of which, all participating characters make an attempt to win. As the attempts are being made, the narrator writes them down in a list, using the number on the approach die of each to order them from lowest to highest. To end the round and begin another, the narrator reads through their finalized list and describes to the players what happens. If ever a previous attempt—such as the killing of a character—prevents the current attempt—such as that character striking back—from occurring, it automatically fails. # Wounds & Stress If ever a character is inflicted with some sort of physical injury or mental affliction, they must roll their action or approach die, respectively, and then scratch that number from the corresponding list on their character sheet. This is known as taking a “wound” or “stress” on that number. In the future, if ever an action die rolls a number with a wound, or an approach die rolls a number with a stress, it automatically yields a failure, regardless of whether or not it would normally fall within the succeeding range. If ever a player receives a wound and no longer has a possible succeeding action roll, they die. If ever they receive a stress and no longer have a possible succeeding approach roll, they go insane. Both permanently remove the character from the game. When determining how many wounds or stresses an event inflicts, it is important for narrators to note that one character may be killed in only six wounds, and another twelve. The same attempt should have the same effect on both of these characters. A successful attempt may result in zero-to-two wounds depending on the context of the attempt, and a critically successful one may result in two-to-four. A failure always results in zero. # Non-Player Characters Non-player characters (NPCs)—especially unintelligent or narratively unimportant ones such as goons, objects, animals, and the environment—function differently to the players’ characters. Rather than being limited only by the creativity of the narrator, each NPC has a unique list of specific actions and approaches, each with their own, unique succeeding ranges. This is known as their “attempt table.” During combat, NPCs have no volition; what they do is randomly determined by rolling and indexing into their attempt table. # Downtime In between important or especially grueling scenes, players may choose to have downtime. During “downtime,” rather than describing their exact actions in the present moment, the narrator and players broadly discuss what they are doing over a matter of days, weeks, or even months. This could include purchasing new equipment, training, searching for information, or taking time to recover from an injury. Players are given special agency during downtime; they should be allowed to affect the narrative in ways they wouldn't normally be able to during play. A player might come up with a piece of information they would like their character to find or create an individual they would like them to meet. However, the narrator always has the final say and must agree to what the players propose before it becomes canon; not everything can fit into their existing narrative.
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R rpg shared this topic
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My RPG group and I (mostly the latter) have spent the past few months working on a setting-generic RPG system. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! I'm quite proud of it as I haven't really seen very many dice systems like this. The system has character specialization (some are better at things than others) without any modifiers or math, just comparison! # Creating a Character Players need only decide two things when creating their characters: their action die and their approach die. A character’s “action die” broadly describes their physical attributes, skills, and talents. - Intelligent, thoughtful, and quick-witted characters use a six-sided action die. - Charismatic, charming, and attractive characters use an eight-sided action die. - Agile, dexterous, and swift characters use a ten-sided action die. - Strong, powerful, and tough characters use a twelve-sided action die. A character’s “approach die” broadly describes their outlook on the world and how they go about executing their skills. - Sharp, perceptive, and attentive characters use a six-sided approach die. - Forceful, reactive, and fiery characters use an eight-sided approach die. - Disciplined, courageous, and willful characters use a ten-sided approach die. - Calm, level-headed, and careful characters use a twelve-sided approach die. # Attempts Characters may do any of four things to interact with their environment: engage, consort, finesse, or exert. These are known as “actions.” - To “engage” is to interact with an object or place using intense focus and care. - To “consort” is to persuade, deceive, or otherwise communicate with others. - To “finesse” is to maneuver one’s body in a precise, swift, and calculated manner. - To “exert” is to use raw, physical strength. Characters may go about an action any of four ways: sharply, forcefully, boldly, or calmly. These are known as “approaches.” - To be “sharp” is to be perceptive, keen, and attentive. - To be “forceful” is to explode with reckless power and speed. - To be “bold” is to overcome one’s fears or anxieties. - To be “calm” is to remain composed under pressure or threat. If ever a player wishes to do something, they must first describe it to the narrator, who will then determine the action and approach that best fits. Players will automatically succeed in most of their endeavors, but the outcome of riskier or more unpredictable ones is determined by rolling their two dice and counting successes. This is known as an “attempt.” For a die to yield a success, the number rolled must fall within the corresponding range for that category. (This is supposed to be in table form but most front-ends don't support Markdown tables.) - Engage/Sharp: 3--6 - Consort/Forceful: 4--8 - Finesse/Bold: 5--10 - Exert/Calm: 6--12 Zero successes result in the attempt failing, one success results in the attempt succeeding, and two successes result in the attempt critically succeeding. If ever the manner in which a character does something has no effect on its outcome, the player may roll two action dice and no approach die. If ever only the manner in which a character does something has an effect on its outcome, the player may roll two approach dice and no action die. If the narrator believes that a player’s attempt should be easier or harder than usual, they may increase the number of dice the player rolls. If it is to be harder, the number of required successes increases. If it is to be easier, it does not. # Combat Many direct competitions require more mechanical structure to ensure every party has a fair chance at victory. In situations such as these, “combat” may be initiated. Combat is divided into rounds, during each of which, all participating characters make an attempt to win. As the attempts are being made, the narrator writes them down in a list, using the number on the approach die of each to order them from lowest to highest. To end the round and begin another, the narrator reads through their finalized list and describes to the players what happens. If ever a previous attempt—such as the killing of a character—prevents the current attempt—such as that character striking back—from occurring, it automatically fails. # Wounds & Stress If ever a character is inflicted with some sort of physical injury or mental affliction, they must roll their action or approach die, respectively, and then scratch that number from the corresponding list on their character sheet. This is known as taking a “wound” or “stress” on that number. In the future, if ever an action die rolls a number with a wound, or an approach die rolls a number with a stress, it automatically yields a failure, regardless of whether or not it would normally fall within the succeeding range. If ever a player receives a wound and no longer has a possible succeeding action roll, they die. If ever they receive a stress and no longer have a possible succeeding approach roll, they go insane. Both permanently remove the character from the game. When determining how many wounds or stresses an event inflicts, it is important for narrators to note that one character may be killed in only six wounds, and another twelve. The same attempt should have the same effect on both of these characters. A successful attempt may result in zero-to-two wounds depending on the context of the attempt, and a critically successful one may result in two-to-four. A failure always results in zero. # Non-Player Characters Non-player characters (NPCs)—especially unintelligent or narratively unimportant ones such as goons, objects, animals, and the environment—function differently to the players’ characters. Rather than being limited only by the creativity of the narrator, each NPC has a unique list of specific actions and approaches, each with their own, unique succeeding ranges. This is known as their “attempt table.” During combat, NPCs have no volition; what they do is randomly determined by rolling and indexing into their attempt table. # Downtime In between important or especially grueling scenes, players may choose to have downtime. During “downtime,” rather than describing their exact actions in the present moment, the narrator and players broadly discuss what they are doing over a matter of days, weeks, or even months. This could include purchasing new equipment, training, searching for information, or taking time to recover from an injury. Players are given special agency during downtime; they should be allowed to affect the narrative in ways they wouldn't normally be able to during play. A player might come up with a piece of information they would like their character to find or create an individual they would like them to meet. However, the narrator always has the final say and must agree to what the players propose before it becomes canon; not everything can fit into their existing narrative.It sounds a lot like Fate Accelerated, except more complicated. I'm not sure I understand the dice sizes. Looks like some types just are weaker?
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It sounds a lot like Fate Accelerated, except more complicated. I'm not sure I understand the dice sizes. Looks like some types just are weaker?
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How so? The ranges get smaller as they approach 0, so each die is very roughly just as good at their specialty. The “bard-y” dice are slightly worse at their specialty but are slightly better at their non-specialty, but that was on purposeI think I'd need to see more examples to understand this better. If I'm a thoughtful (d6) wizard and I want to carefully open this portal, what do I roll? What if I'm trying to do so but the building is on fire? It really does seem a lot like Fate Accelerated. You've both got four actions (though they theirs are more general purpose. create an advantage, overcome, attack. defend). Their approaches are (by default) careful, clever, flashy, forceful, quick, sneaky.
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It sounds a lot like Fate Accelerated, except more complicated. I'm not sure I understand the dice sizes. Looks like some types just are weaker?I agree, feels a lot like Fate. Well, the no-stats approach using different dice is interesting and worth to be noted. I'd try it on a few random scenes just to test it and to see what question would emerge. But yeah, I already foresee quite a few. I also like the galton-board stress approach. I used a similar thing in my latest game. It's not necessarily better than any other system but it's a bit of fresh air and a pretty little mechanic which is rarely (never?) used.
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My RPG group and I (mostly the latter) have spent the past few months working on a setting-generic RPG system. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! I'm quite proud of it as I haven't really seen very many dice systems like this. The system has character specialization (some are better at things than others) without any modifiers or math, just comparison! # Creating a Character Players need only decide two things when creating their characters: their action die and their approach die. A character’s “action die” broadly describes their physical attributes, skills, and talents. - Intelligent, thoughtful, and quick-witted characters use a six-sided action die. - Charismatic, charming, and attractive characters use an eight-sided action die. - Agile, dexterous, and swift characters use a ten-sided action die. - Strong, powerful, and tough characters use a twelve-sided action die. A character’s “approach die” broadly describes their outlook on the world and how they go about executing their skills. - Sharp, perceptive, and attentive characters use a six-sided approach die. - Forceful, reactive, and fiery characters use an eight-sided approach die. - Disciplined, courageous, and willful characters use a ten-sided approach die. - Calm, level-headed, and careful characters use a twelve-sided approach die. # Attempts Characters may do any of four things to interact with their environment: engage, consort, finesse, or exert. These are known as “actions.” - To “engage” is to interact with an object or place using intense focus and care. - To “consort” is to persuade, deceive, or otherwise communicate with others. - To “finesse” is to maneuver one’s body in a precise, swift, and calculated manner. - To “exert” is to use raw, physical strength. Characters may go about an action any of four ways: sharply, forcefully, boldly, or calmly. These are known as “approaches.” - To be “sharp” is to be perceptive, keen, and attentive. - To be “forceful” is to explode with reckless power and speed. - To be “bold” is to overcome one’s fears or anxieties. - To be “calm” is to remain composed under pressure or threat. If ever a player wishes to do something, they must first describe it to the narrator, who will then determine the action and approach that best fits. Players will automatically succeed in most of their endeavors, but the outcome of riskier or more unpredictable ones is determined by rolling their two dice and counting successes. This is known as an “attempt.” For a die to yield a success, the number rolled must fall within the corresponding range for that category. (This is supposed to be in table form but most front-ends don't support Markdown tables.) - Engage/Sharp: 3--6 - Consort/Forceful: 4--8 - Finesse/Bold: 5--10 - Exert/Calm: 6--12 Zero successes result in the attempt failing, one success results in the attempt succeeding, and two successes result in the attempt critically succeeding. If ever the manner in which a character does something has no effect on its outcome, the player may roll two action dice and no approach die. If ever only the manner in which a character does something has an effect on its outcome, the player may roll two approach dice and no action die. If the narrator believes that a player’s attempt should be easier or harder than usual, they may increase the number of dice the player rolls. If it is to be harder, the number of required successes increases. If it is to be easier, it does not. # Combat Many direct competitions require more mechanical structure to ensure every party has a fair chance at victory. In situations such as these, “combat” may be initiated. Combat is divided into rounds, during each of which, all participating characters make an attempt to win. As the attempts are being made, the narrator writes them down in a list, using the number on the approach die of each to order them from lowest to highest. To end the round and begin another, the narrator reads through their finalized list and describes to the players what happens. If ever a previous attempt—such as the killing of a character—prevents the current attempt—such as that character striking back—from occurring, it automatically fails. # Wounds & Stress If ever a character is inflicted with some sort of physical injury or mental affliction, they must roll their action or approach die, respectively, and then scratch that number from the corresponding list on their character sheet. This is known as taking a “wound” or “stress” on that number. In the future, if ever an action die rolls a number with a wound, or an approach die rolls a number with a stress, it automatically yields a failure, regardless of whether or not it would normally fall within the succeeding range. If ever a player receives a wound and no longer has a possible succeeding action roll, they die. If ever they receive a stress and no longer have a possible succeeding approach roll, they go insane. Both permanently remove the character from the game. When determining how many wounds or stresses an event inflicts, it is important for narrators to note that one character may be killed in only six wounds, and another twelve. The same attempt should have the same effect on both of these characters. A successful attempt may result in zero-to-two wounds depending on the context of the attempt, and a critically successful one may result in two-to-four. A failure always results in zero. # Non-Player Characters Non-player characters (NPCs)—especially unintelligent or narratively unimportant ones such as goons, objects, animals, and the environment—function differently to the players’ characters. Rather than being limited only by the creativity of the narrator, each NPC has a unique list of specific actions and approaches, each with their own, unique succeeding ranges. This is known as their “attempt table.” During combat, NPCs have no volition; what they do is randomly determined by rolling and indexing into their attempt table. # Downtime In between important or especially grueling scenes, players may choose to have downtime. During “downtime,” rather than describing their exact actions in the present moment, the narrator and players broadly discuss what they are doing over a matter of days, weeks, or even months. This could include purchasing new equipment, training, searching for information, or taking time to recover from an injury. Players are given special agency during downtime; they should be allowed to affect the narrative in ways they wouldn't normally be able to during play. A player might come up with a piece of information they would like their character to find or create an individual they would like them to meet. However, the narrator always has the final say and must agree to what the players propose before it becomes canon; not everything can fit into their existing narrative.I'm going to have to see an example of play that highlights the various subsystems here. I can't make heads or tails of how to use this as-is.
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My RPG group and I (mostly the latter) have spent the past few months working on a setting-generic RPG system. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! I'm quite proud of it as I haven't really seen very many dice systems like this. The system has character specialization (some are better at things than others) without any modifiers or math, just comparison! # Creating a Character Players need only decide two things when creating their characters: their action die and their approach die. A character’s “action die” broadly describes their physical attributes, skills, and talents. - Intelligent, thoughtful, and quick-witted characters use a six-sided action die. - Charismatic, charming, and attractive characters use an eight-sided action die. - Agile, dexterous, and swift characters use a ten-sided action die. - Strong, powerful, and tough characters use a twelve-sided action die. A character’s “approach die” broadly describes their outlook on the world and how they go about executing their skills. - Sharp, perceptive, and attentive characters use a six-sided approach die. - Forceful, reactive, and fiery characters use an eight-sided approach die. - Disciplined, courageous, and willful characters use a ten-sided approach die. - Calm, level-headed, and careful characters use a twelve-sided approach die. # Attempts Characters may do any of four things to interact with their environment: engage, consort, finesse, or exert. These are known as “actions.” - To “engage” is to interact with an object or place using intense focus and care. - To “consort” is to persuade, deceive, or otherwise communicate with others. - To “finesse” is to maneuver one’s body in a precise, swift, and calculated manner. - To “exert” is to use raw, physical strength. Characters may go about an action any of four ways: sharply, forcefully, boldly, or calmly. These are known as “approaches.” - To be “sharp” is to be perceptive, keen, and attentive. - To be “forceful” is to explode with reckless power and speed. - To be “bold” is to overcome one’s fears or anxieties. - To be “calm” is to remain composed under pressure or threat. If ever a player wishes to do something, they must first describe it to the narrator, who will then determine the action and approach that best fits. Players will automatically succeed in most of their endeavors, but the outcome of riskier or more unpredictable ones is determined by rolling their two dice and counting successes. This is known as an “attempt.” For a die to yield a success, the number rolled must fall within the corresponding range for that category. (This is supposed to be in table form but most front-ends don't support Markdown tables.) - Engage/Sharp: 3--6 - Consort/Forceful: 4--8 - Finesse/Bold: 5--10 - Exert/Calm: 6--12 Zero successes result in the attempt failing, one success results in the attempt succeeding, and two successes result in the attempt critically succeeding. If ever the manner in which a character does something has no effect on its outcome, the player may roll two action dice and no approach die. If ever only the manner in which a character does something has an effect on its outcome, the player may roll two approach dice and no action die. If the narrator believes that a player’s attempt should be easier or harder than usual, they may increase the number of dice the player rolls. If it is to be harder, the number of required successes increases. If it is to be easier, it does not. # Combat Many direct competitions require more mechanical structure to ensure every party has a fair chance at victory. In situations such as these, “combat” may be initiated. Combat is divided into rounds, during each of which, all participating characters make an attempt to win. As the attempts are being made, the narrator writes them down in a list, using the number on the approach die of each to order them from lowest to highest. To end the round and begin another, the narrator reads through their finalized list and describes to the players what happens. If ever a previous attempt—such as the killing of a character—prevents the current attempt—such as that character striking back—from occurring, it automatically fails. # Wounds & Stress If ever a character is inflicted with some sort of physical injury or mental affliction, they must roll their action or approach die, respectively, and then scratch that number from the corresponding list on their character sheet. This is known as taking a “wound” or “stress” on that number. In the future, if ever an action die rolls a number with a wound, or an approach die rolls a number with a stress, it automatically yields a failure, regardless of whether or not it would normally fall within the succeeding range. If ever a player receives a wound and no longer has a possible succeeding action roll, they die. If ever they receive a stress and no longer have a possible succeeding approach roll, they go insane. Both permanently remove the character from the game. When determining how many wounds or stresses an event inflicts, it is important for narrators to note that one character may be killed in only six wounds, and another twelve. The same attempt should have the same effect on both of these characters. A successful attempt may result in zero-to-two wounds depending on the context of the attempt, and a critically successful one may result in two-to-four. A failure always results in zero. # Non-Player Characters Non-player characters (NPCs)—especially unintelligent or narratively unimportant ones such as goons, objects, animals, and the environment—function differently to the players’ characters. Rather than being limited only by the creativity of the narrator, each NPC has a unique list of specific actions and approaches, each with their own, unique succeeding ranges. This is known as their “attempt table.” During combat, NPCs have no volition; what they do is randomly determined by rolling and indexing into their attempt table. # Downtime In between important or especially grueling scenes, players may choose to have downtime. During “downtime,” rather than describing their exact actions in the present moment, the narrator and players broadly discuss what they are doing over a matter of days, weeks, or even months. This could include purchasing new equipment, training, searching for information, or taking time to recover from an injury. Players are given special agency during downtime; they should be allowed to affect the narrative in ways they wouldn't normally be able to during play. A player might come up with a piece of information they would like their character to find or create an individual they would like them to meet. However, the narrator always has the final say and must agree to what the players propose before it becomes canon; not everything can fit into their existing narrative.I'm seeing the fingerprints of Blades in the Dark on this one! I'm always a fan of interesting dice systems, how have you found this one works in practice? Seems like it might be a bit slow to determine successes until you memorise the success range for each die.
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I'm seeing the fingerprints of Blades in the Dark on this one! I'm always a fan of interesting dice systems, how have you found this one works in practice? Seems like it might be a bit slow to determine successes until you memorise the success range for each die.> I'm seeing the fingerprints of Blades in the Dark on this one! Yup! One of our favorite games
> ...how have you found this one works in practice? Seems like it might be a bit slow to determine successes until you memorise the success range for each die.
This is VERY true. Our first session with the resolution system in its current state was slow an clunky. However, sessions two and onward were super quick, much quicker than D&D's d20+modifier+modifier+modifier+modifier+modifier+... system, lol. I think that's to be expected with any new die system, though. And what's nice is you only really need to memorize which dice specialize in which things, and then the corresponding ranges are the upper half of that die.
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I'm going to have to see an example of play that highlights the various subsystems here. I can't make heads or tails of how to use this as-is.My character: *Sir Loan, the meat-headed knight of Wellington. I use a d12 action die (strong) and d10 approach die (courageous).* The scene: *Sir Loan and his entourage approach the mighty Chateau Blanc, the lair of some evil witch or something idk it doesn't matter for this.* **Narrator (as they are called in our game):** "As you approach the magnificent, pearly gates, you find that they are locked. However, beneath your feet, you see strange symbols and number. Perhaps it's a cl-" **Me:** "No puzzle. Sir Loan smash." **Narrator:** "Ok... And you're not gonna even take a look at anything before doing so?" **Me:** "Nope!" **Narrator:** *sighs* "Alright... I suppose that would be an attempt to forcefully [4--8] exert [6--12]." **Me:** *rolls and gets two nines* "I succeed, but not critically." **Narrator:** "Amazing. As you enter the courtyard, you see three guard charging towards you. Perhaps looking around may have been beneficial. Everybody, prepare for combat!" **Me:** *makes an attempt to sharply exert* "I critically succeeded in thrusting my blade through one of their visors." **Party Member:** *makes an attempt to forcefully finesse* "I tried to sprint around them but failed." **Narrator:** "Awesome! What were the initiatives for those?" **Me:** "3." **Party Member:** "9." *this continues for each character* **Narrator:** "Alright, Sir Loan, you begin the round by rushing up to a guard and thrusting your blade through his helm. He screams and falls to the ground. Party Member, you follow behind him with your dagger, adeptly dogging arrows coming from another guard. However, seeing the gore in front of you, you promptly faint and faceplant into the ground."
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I think I'd need to see more examples to understand this better. If I'm a thoughtful (d6) wizard and I want to carefully open this portal, what do I roll? What if I'm trying to do so but the building is on fire? It really does seem a lot like Fate Accelerated. You've both got four actions (though they theirs are more general purpose. create an advantage, overcome, attack. defend). Their approaches are (by default) careful, clever, flashy, forceful, quick, sneaky.You will *always* roll the same approach and action die when making attempt. If you are a thoughtful (d6) and careful (d12) wizard, you will *always* roll a d6 for your action and a d12 for your approach. Because of the possible outcomes of these die, your character will be good at engaging (3--6; 4/6 chance) and being calm (6--12; 7/12 chance), but bad at other things.
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> I'm seeing the fingerprints of Blades in the Dark on this one! Yup! One of our favorite games
> ...how have you found this one works in practice? Seems like it might be a bit slow to determine successes until you memorise the success range for each die.
This is VERY true. Our first session with the resolution system in its current state was slow an clunky. However, sessions two and onward were super quick, much quicker than D&D's d20+modifier+modifier+modifier+modifier+modifier+... system, lol. I think that's to be expected with any new die system, though. And what's nice is you only really need to memorize which dice specialize in which things, and then the corresponding ranges are the upper half of that die.Definitely the kind of thing that if you were mass producing you could sell custom dice with just pass/fail on each side (instead of numbers/pips), and colour-coded for each action/approach
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My character: *Sir Loan, the meat-headed knight of Wellington. I use a d12 action die (strong) and d10 approach die (courageous).* The scene: *Sir Loan and his entourage approach the mighty Chateau Blanc, the lair of some evil witch or something idk it doesn't matter for this.* **Narrator (as they are called in our game):** "As you approach the magnificent, pearly gates, you find that they are locked. However, beneath your feet, you see strange symbols and number. Perhaps it's a cl-" **Me:** "No puzzle. Sir Loan smash." **Narrator:** "Ok... And you're not gonna even take a look at anything before doing so?" **Me:** "Nope!" **Narrator:** *sighs* "Alright... I suppose that would be an attempt to forcefully [4--8] exert [6--12]." **Me:** *rolls and gets two nines* "I succeed, but not critically." **Narrator:** "Amazing. As you enter the courtyard, you see three guard charging towards you. Perhaps looking around may have been beneficial. Everybody, prepare for combat!" **Me:** *makes an attempt to sharply exert* "I critically succeeded in thrusting my blade through one of their visors." **Party Member:** *makes an attempt to forcefully finesse* "I tried to sprint around them but failed." **Narrator:** "Awesome! What were the initiatives for those?" **Me:** "3." **Party Member:** "9." *this continues for each character* **Narrator:** "Alright, Sir Loan, you begin the round by rushing up to a guard and thrusting your blade through his helm. He screams and falls to the ground. Party Member, you follow behind him with your dagger, adeptly dogging arrows coming from another guard. However, seeing the gore in front of you, you promptly faint and faceplant into the ground."I still have no idea. "I critically succeed." How? Why? With what? There's a reason why rule books are larger than half a page of A4. I genuinely have no clue how this works even with an example. Because there's no *explanation*. Your example needs to be "explain like I'm five"-grade. YOU know how this works. WE don't.
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You will *always* roll the same approach and action die when making attempt. If you are a thoughtful (d6) and careful (d12) wizard, you will *always* roll a d6 for your action and a d12 for your approach. Because of the possible outcomes of these die, your character will be good at engaging (3--6; 4/6 chance) and being calm (6--12; 7/12 chance), but bad at other things.But... but... So a thoughtful (d6) character that tries something forceful (4--8) would have 1/2 chance to succeed (with 4, 5 or 6 on their die) while a strong character (d12) would have 5/12 chances to succeed (with 4-8 on their die). It means that a strong character is mathematically weaker at attempting something with their strength than a less thoughtful character.
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But... but... So a thoughtful (d6) character that tries something forceful (4--8) would have 1/2 chance to succeed (with 4, 5 or 6 on their die) while a strong character (d12) would have 5/12 chances to succeed (with 4-8 on their die). It means that a strong character is mathematically weaker at attempting something with their strength than a less thoughtful character.
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My RPG group and I (mostly the latter) have spent the past few months working on a setting-generic RPG system. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it! I'm quite proud of it as I haven't really seen very many dice systems like this. The system has character specialization (some are better at things than others) without any modifiers or math, just comparison! # Creating a Character Players need only decide two things when creating their characters: their action die and their approach die. A character’s “action die” broadly describes their physical attributes, skills, and talents. - Intelligent, thoughtful, and quick-witted characters use a six-sided action die. - Charismatic, charming, and attractive characters use an eight-sided action die. - Agile, dexterous, and swift characters use a ten-sided action die. - Strong, powerful, and tough characters use a twelve-sided action die. A character’s “approach die” broadly describes their outlook on the world and how they go about executing their skills. - Sharp, perceptive, and attentive characters use a six-sided approach die. - Forceful, reactive, and fiery characters use an eight-sided approach die. - Disciplined, courageous, and willful characters use a ten-sided approach die. - Calm, level-headed, and careful characters use a twelve-sided approach die. # Attempts Characters may do any of four things to interact with their environment: engage, consort, finesse, or exert. These are known as “actions.” - To “engage” is to interact with an object or place using intense focus and care. - To “consort” is to persuade, deceive, or otherwise communicate with others. - To “finesse” is to maneuver one’s body in a precise, swift, and calculated manner. - To “exert” is to use raw, physical strength. Characters may go about an action any of four ways: sharply, forcefully, boldly, or calmly. These are known as “approaches.” - To be “sharp” is to be perceptive, keen, and attentive. - To be “forceful” is to explode with reckless power and speed. - To be “bold” is to overcome one’s fears or anxieties. - To be “calm” is to remain composed under pressure or threat. If ever a player wishes to do something, they must first describe it to the narrator, who will then determine the action and approach that best fits. Players will automatically succeed in most of their endeavors, but the outcome of riskier or more unpredictable ones is determined by rolling their two dice and counting successes. This is known as an “attempt.” For a die to yield a success, the number rolled must fall within the corresponding range for that category. (This is supposed to be in table form but most front-ends don't support Markdown tables.) - Engage/Sharp: 3--6 - Consort/Forceful: 4--8 - Finesse/Bold: 5--10 - Exert/Calm: 6--12 Zero successes result in the attempt failing, one success results in the attempt succeeding, and two successes result in the attempt critically succeeding. If ever the manner in which a character does something has no effect on its outcome, the player may roll two action dice and no approach die. If ever only the manner in which a character does something has an effect on its outcome, the player may roll two approach dice and no action die. If the narrator believes that a player’s attempt should be easier or harder than usual, they may increase the number of dice the player rolls. If it is to be harder, the number of required successes increases. If it is to be easier, it does not. # Combat Many direct competitions require more mechanical structure to ensure every party has a fair chance at victory. In situations such as these, “combat” may be initiated. Combat is divided into rounds, during each of which, all participating characters make an attempt to win. As the attempts are being made, the narrator writes them down in a list, using the number on the approach die of each to order them from lowest to highest. To end the round and begin another, the narrator reads through their finalized list and describes to the players what happens. If ever a previous attempt—such as the killing of a character—prevents the current attempt—such as that character striking back—from occurring, it automatically fails. # Wounds & Stress If ever a character is inflicted with some sort of physical injury or mental affliction, they must roll their action or approach die, respectively, and then scratch that number from the corresponding list on their character sheet. This is known as taking a “wound” or “stress” on that number. In the future, if ever an action die rolls a number with a wound, or an approach die rolls a number with a stress, it automatically yields a failure, regardless of whether or not it would normally fall within the succeeding range. If ever a player receives a wound and no longer has a possible succeeding action roll, they die. If ever they receive a stress and no longer have a possible succeeding approach roll, they go insane. Both permanently remove the character from the game. When determining how many wounds or stresses an event inflicts, it is important for narrators to note that one character may be killed in only six wounds, and another twelve. The same attempt should have the same effect on both of these characters. A successful attempt may result in zero-to-two wounds depending on the context of the attempt, and a critically successful one may result in two-to-four. A failure always results in zero. # Non-Player Characters Non-player characters (NPCs)—especially unintelligent or narratively unimportant ones such as goons, objects, animals, and the environment—function differently to the players’ characters. Rather than being limited only by the creativity of the narrator, each NPC has a unique list of specific actions and approaches, each with their own, unique succeeding ranges. This is known as their “attempt table.” During combat, NPCs have no volition; what they do is randomly determined by rolling and indexing into their attempt table. # Downtime In between important or especially grueling scenes, players may choose to have downtime. During “downtime,” rather than describing their exact actions in the present moment, the narrator and players broadly discuss what they are doing over a matter of days, weeks, or even months. This could include purchasing new equipment, training, searching for information, or taking time to recover from an injury. Players are given special agency during downtime; they should be allowed to affect the narrative in ways they wouldn't normally be able to during play. A player might come up with a piece of information they would like their character to find or create an individual they would like them to meet. However, the narrator always has the final say and must agree to what the players propose before it becomes canon; not everything can fit into their existing narrative.I enjoy the way this game plays with dice- it's nice to see a designer who's thinking about them as physical objects and trying out novel ways of employing them. Over-all, I think this game is very cute- I like the way wounds/stress is represented and I think the variable dice sizes are fun. They put me in the mind of the [Devil City and it's 77 Vicious Princes](https://dukerino.itch.io/vicious-princes). While I admire the creative and thoughtful exploration of dice as a tool, I do feel like this project seems a bit aimless. It think as a project it feels more like a personal thought experiment than a game, not because of a lack of complexity, but because of an unclear intention. I would be pleased to see other things they make, because I think their ideas show promise.
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I agree, feels a lot like Fate. Well, the no-stats approach using different dice is interesting and worth to be noted. I'd try it on a few random scenes just to test it and to see what question would emerge. But yeah, I already foresee quite a few. I also like the galton-board stress approach. I used a similar thing in my latest game. It's not necessarily better than any other system but it's a bit of fresh air and a pretty little mechanic which is rarely (never?) used.I like it too, but I think I would rearrange the dice so that the stress mechanic works more like hit points. Currently the advice is that characters with larger dice should receive more wounds - but if you remove this then the size of your die effectively acts as an hp pool of sorts. If you do this, though, you would probably want to rearrange the mental stack so that the characters with the largest mental dice are the 'sanest' or most mentally stable.