There was a lot of traffic regarding my last post about incorporating playing cards as a game mechanic. I didn't think it would have generated that much interest, so I was a bit surprised when I saw this. It's definitely a mechanic I'll continue to dabble with here and there when I have time, and there's even a setting that would fit in very nicely to accommodate the unique system.
Other than that, I've been doing more system work and writing for the setting. The setting is post-apocalypse science fantasy, set roughly 100 years after a planetary disaster. Magic has been wiped out, but traces of it can be found here and there. Survivors have started rebuilding, and search for forgotten technology. Humans, robots, and a couple of new species are the norm for the game, along with swords and the occasional sidearm. I plan on giving some more details about the setting in upcoming posts, so be on the lookout!
Regarding mechanics, I've been toying around with the idea of further simplifying the dice pool. Here's the proposal:
Pools of d6, where the numbers have the following values -
1-3 Hit
4 Null
5-6 Block
When attacking, your objective is to score Hits, and when defending, you want Blocks. Blocks remove Hits in opposed rolls, and leftover Hits are added to a weapon's damage rating to determine any damage. As of right now, I included more Hits than Blocks to speed up combat; less chance of stalemates and/or no damage. Damage can be reduced by wearing armor, so it won't necessarily be "deadly". I figured that I would simplify the rolls for success, while allowing more creative range with weapons and armor.
I'm looking to play test this new mechanic with my group soon, but as always, finding the time is key. Once I've seen how it works in play, I can determine if it's worth making it a permanent change, or to remove it altogether. As usual, sound off and let me know what you think!
Monday, April 2, 2018
Friday, February 16, 2018
Midnight Rambler
I'm always open to new systems, and what they bring to the table (pun intended). New mechanics are very interesting to me, whether they are heavy crunch, or narrative focused. I do admit that I'm partial to "old school" when it comes to mechanics; I'm very much a product of early TSR, so sometimes the newer narrative-based systems feel "off" to me. Still, I endeavor to learn as much as I can, and see what's out there.
One particular mechanic that I've been interested in is playing cards. There's a whole list of games that utilize playing cards in some fashion or another, so I won't bore you with the details. The thing that draws me to cards as a mechanic is the potential depth. Suits, color, face cards, jokers, discard pile, draw, hands, and number value can all be used in a game (or not). It's possible to use just the numerical value of the cards, but that would be such a waste.
I've dabbled with using a playing card system in the past, but never committed to it. It just didn't seem like the right path at the time, although I can't tell you why nowadays. Maybe because it was different, or not the comfortable route. Say what you want, but familiarity is a selling point, and a big one at that.
Now I'm starting to come back around to cards. I have some basic ideas so far, nothing too mind blowing. Ace(1) through 10, face cards count as special abilities, Jokers are GM devices, that sort of thing. I was considering using a player's Hand Size as their stamina/health, which can be increased through experience. A character takes damage, and their hand size is temporarily reduced.
Players would play a card from their hand to beat a TN set by the GM. If the Suit matches the skill being played, they get to play another card from their hand. Players also have the option to play from the top of the deck, but that can hold some potential consequence. Not sure about the discard pile, and how that would come into play.
Another idea is that a player starts off with a set number of cards in their deck, and they can buy cards with experience. You would only be able to buy a rank higher than your current rank in a suit, so no skipping over to the higher number cards. Face cards would activate some kind of special ability that was purchased, such as a second attack, or a distraction that gives an enemy a negative modifier.
One thing I'm struggling with is target numbers (TN). I'm either going with an approximation of a d10, or a d13; face cards either cap out at 10, or increase in value up to 13. Since I haven't made up my mind, I'm not sure what a good range for easy, average, and hard difficulties would be for players.
So, whatcha think? Good idea, bad idea, or indifferent to the whole thing?
One particular mechanic that I've been interested in is playing cards. There's a whole list of games that utilize playing cards in some fashion or another, so I won't bore you with the details. The thing that draws me to cards as a mechanic is the potential depth. Suits, color, face cards, jokers, discard pile, draw, hands, and number value can all be used in a game (or not). It's possible to use just the numerical value of the cards, but that would be such a waste.
I've dabbled with using a playing card system in the past, but never committed to it. It just didn't seem like the right path at the time, although I can't tell you why nowadays. Maybe because it was different, or not the comfortable route. Say what you want, but familiarity is a selling point, and a big one at that.
Now I'm starting to come back around to cards. I have some basic ideas so far, nothing too mind blowing. Ace(1) through 10, face cards count as special abilities, Jokers are GM devices, that sort of thing. I was considering using a player's Hand Size as their stamina/health, which can be increased through experience. A character takes damage, and their hand size is temporarily reduced.
Players would play a card from their hand to beat a TN set by the GM. If the Suit matches the skill being played, they get to play another card from their hand. Players also have the option to play from the top of the deck, but that can hold some potential consequence. Not sure about the discard pile, and how that would come into play.
Another idea is that a player starts off with a set number of cards in their deck, and they can buy cards with experience. You would only be able to buy a rank higher than your current rank in a suit, so no skipping over to the higher number cards. Face cards would activate some kind of special ability that was purchased, such as a second attack, or a distraction that gives an enemy a negative modifier.
One thing I'm struggling with is target numbers (TN). I'm either going with an approximation of a d10, or a d13; face cards either cap out at 10, or increase in value up to 13. Since I haven't made up my mind, I'm not sure what a good range for easy, average, and hard difficulties would be for players.
So, whatcha think? Good idea, bad idea, or indifferent to the whole thing?
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Moon Is Up
I figured that if there's a Super Blue Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse, then there's no reason I can't post a short entry. ;)
This is more of a, "get in the habit of posting" post than anything. As you can tell from my anemic post count, I'm not used to posting a lot on social media. I don't have a Facebook account, or Twitter, and I read more than post on G+. I've only recently discovered Reddit, which is sad, but true. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
So no real RPG update at this time, just me trying to be more consistent. Hi!
This is more of a, "get in the habit of posting" post than anything. As you can tell from my anemic post count, I'm not used to posting a lot on social media. I don't have a Facebook account, or Twitter, and I read more than post on G+. I've only recently discovered Reddit, which is sad, but true. I could go on, but I think you get the point.
So no real RPG update at this time, just me trying to be more consistent. Hi!
Monday, January 15, 2018
Dancing with Mr. D (Part II)
I've received some feedback from a few of you, requesting more information about the core system I've been working on. I appreciate the feedback, and am more than happy to oblige! I've separated this into two parts; the original core mechanic, and the revised core mechanic. Please read on for more detail, and ask questions.
Original Core Mechanic
System uses pools of six-sided dice. The numeric value of a d6 holds a different value, listed below:
1 - Miss
2 - 2 Misses
3 & 4 - Null
5 - Hit
6 - 2 Hits
Hits determine success in a die roll. The greater number of Hits, the greater the success. A player must roll a minimum of one Hit to succeed in a task.
Misses remove dice in an opposing pool, increasing the chance for success. Dice are removed on a die-for-die basis, so a 2 (2 Misses) cannot remove two single Hits (5, 5). A single Miss (1) can reduce a 2 Hit (6) to a single Hit (5).
Nulls do not contribute directly to a player's dice roll, but may activate a special ability.
Dice pools cannot exceed a total of 10.
1 - Hit
2 - 2 Hits
3 - 3 Hits
4 - Null
5 - Miss
6 - 2 Misses
Hits are utilized the same way.
Misses remove ONLY Hits in an opposing pool.
Nulls are the same.
Dice removal is handled a bit differently. Instead of the back-and-forth style gameplay, the Active player removes all dice at once. Play then goes to the Reactive player, who then uses their Misses to remove all dice at once from their opponent.
FAQ
This is a VERY basic outline of the mechanic. I haven't included special abilities, skill use, powers, and so on. Why? Well, because that would be exhaustive. I don't think a blog post could hold a book.
This is also a work in progress. Rules are subject to change (and already have!)
Why uses Misses? Misses are just like Hits, and the numbers come out to be the same.
I've heard this a good number of times. Misses are important because of the potential of Critical Success. Normally a player must score at least 1 Hit to succeed in a task. If the opposing pool is reduced to zero dice, then the player succeeds in their task, no matter the die type left.
There's also the potential for re-rolls for skills, but that's for another post.
What are you trying to accomplish with this mechanic?
I had this idea of combining the "To Hit" process with damage, so everything is done at once. There are plenty of games out there like that, but I wanted to make the dice actually mean something in the game. The number of dice in a pool expresses how skilled you are, how difficult a task is, how strong you are, and so on. Plain numbers do the same in other systems, but I wanted to express everything with dice.
How did it play test?
Playtesting went fairly well, with players picking up on the mechanic easily. Players did mention that combat could be slow, with the dice removal taking up the most time. I realized that I needed to speed things up, so I made the revision. I've tested it a couple of times, and it's made a big difference.
What type of setting will you be using?
I have a few settings in mind, which I plan on releasing (eventually!). Right now I'm focusing on a Post-post-apocalyptic science-fantasy western. Say that five times fast!
Hopefully this sheds a little more light on things, and I plan on discussing more of the system as time goes on. Feel free to fire back in the comments.
Original Core Mechanic
System uses pools of six-sided dice. The numeric value of a d6 holds a different value, listed below:
1 - Miss
2 - 2 Misses
3 & 4 - Null
5 - Hit
6 - 2 Hits
Hits determine success in a die roll. The greater number of Hits, the greater the success. A player must roll a minimum of one Hit to succeed in a task.
Misses remove dice in an opposing pool, increasing the chance for success. Dice are removed on a die-for-die basis, so a 2 (2 Misses) cannot remove two single Hits (5, 5). A single Miss (1) can reduce a 2 Hit (6) to a single Hit (5).
Nulls do not contribute directly to a player's dice roll, but may activate a special ability.
Dice pools cannot exceed a total of 10.
The player is Active when
acting on their initiative turn, while all other players are considered
Reactive. The Active player can take an
action on their turn, such as using a Skill, move, and so on. When engaging in combat, the Active player
acts first against their designated opponent.
As a result they remove dice first.
The
Active player must score at least one Hit to succeed in their action. A result of Nulls or Misses does not
constitute success.
The Active and Reactive
players determine their actions and roll the appropriate number of dice. The Active player may then use a Miss die
to remove a die from the Reactive player’s pool. Only one die may be removed at a time. Once the Active player has removed dice or
passed, play passes to the Reactive player, and they may then use a Miss die to remove a die from
the Active player’s pool.
Dice
removal continues until either players pass, or no more dice are left to
remove.
Revised Core Mechanic
System uses pools of six-sided dice. The numeric value of a d6 holds a different value, listed below:1 - Hit
2 - 2 Hits
3 - 3 Hits
4 - Null
5 - Miss
Hits are utilized the same way.
Misses remove ONLY Hits in an opposing pool.
Nulls are the same.
Dice removal is handled a bit differently. Instead of the back-and-forth style gameplay, the Active player removes all dice at once. Play then goes to the Reactive player, who then uses their Misses to remove all dice at once from their opponent.
FAQ
This is a VERY basic outline of the mechanic. I haven't included special abilities, skill use, powers, and so on. Why? Well, because that would be exhaustive. I don't think a blog post could hold a book.
This is also a work in progress. Rules are subject to change (and already have!)
Why uses Misses? Misses are just like Hits, and the numbers come out to be the same.
I've heard this a good number of times. Misses are important because of the potential of Critical Success. Normally a player must score at least 1 Hit to succeed in a task. If the opposing pool is reduced to zero dice, then the player succeeds in their task, no matter the die type left.
There's also the potential for re-rolls for skills, but that's for another post.
What are you trying to accomplish with this mechanic?
I had this idea of combining the "To Hit" process with damage, so everything is done at once. There are plenty of games out there like that, but I wanted to make the dice actually mean something in the game. The number of dice in a pool expresses how skilled you are, how difficult a task is, how strong you are, and so on. Plain numbers do the same in other systems, but I wanted to express everything with dice.
How did it play test?
Playtesting went fairly well, with players picking up on the mechanic easily. Players did mention that combat could be slow, with the dice removal taking up the most time. I realized that I needed to speed things up, so I made the revision. I've tested it a couple of times, and it's made a big difference.
What type of setting will you be using?
I have a few settings in mind, which I plan on releasing (eventually!). Right now I'm focusing on a Post-post-apocalyptic science-fantasy western. Say that five times fast!
Hopefully this sheds a little more light on things, and I plan on discussing more of the system as time goes on. Feel free to fire back in the comments.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Sittin' On A Fence
The past few months has brought some changes to my core mechanic. This has forced me to take a hard look at the system as a whole, and re-evaluate my work thus far. In effect, it was time to, "Kill my darlings." This is never an easy task, especially if you've hitched your wagon to a particularly sweet mechanic, which you're convinced is The Greatest Thing Ever (Monte Cook be damned!).
So what brought about this change? Basically, speed. There's a bit of back-and-forth for resolution, which slows the game down quite a bit. It's a neat concept, but doesn't belong in a game where people roll dice often. As badly as I wanted to keep this mechanic, I couldn't fool myself any longer; it was time to do some slashing, and speed things up.
Instead of back-and-forth die removal, I decided to go with a sweeping resolution. The player removes an opponent's dice, then the opponent gets to remove their dice. A simple enough solution that nets results in a fairly quick manner. Although this mechanic did improve speed, it added new wrinkles to the core mechanic as well.
I had to re-calculate the value of the dice, and how often successes should occur. Before any changes were made, the amount of Hits equaled the amount of Misses that could be rolled on a die. I increased this number slightly, but I had to make yet another change to do so. Once again, I had to cut a favorite of mine, or at least, trim it down.
Strengths and Weaknesses had to be tweaked into something a bit different. I had to separate them into distinct categories, and redefine their meanings. They would no longer be two sides of a coin, but separate abilities that can be purchased. I'm still playing around with them, so it's not completely written in stone.
As you can see, one change can make sweeping revisions in a core mechanic. I found it necessary to make the game move faster, and ultimately, more enjoyable. Next up is play testing the new revision, to determine how deeply it effects the system. I have a feeling that it may have inadvertently made the game more deadly, so I'm interested in seeing the results.
So what brought about this change? Basically, speed. There's a bit of back-and-forth for resolution, which slows the game down quite a bit. It's a neat concept, but doesn't belong in a game where people roll dice often. As badly as I wanted to keep this mechanic, I couldn't fool myself any longer; it was time to do some slashing, and speed things up.
Instead of back-and-forth die removal, I decided to go with a sweeping resolution. The player removes an opponent's dice, then the opponent gets to remove their dice. A simple enough solution that nets results in a fairly quick manner. Although this mechanic did improve speed, it added new wrinkles to the core mechanic as well.
I had to re-calculate the value of the dice, and how often successes should occur. Before any changes were made, the amount of Hits equaled the amount of Misses that could be rolled on a die. I increased this number slightly, but I had to make yet another change to do so. Once again, I had to cut a favorite of mine, or at least, trim it down.
Strengths and Weaknesses had to be tweaked into something a bit different. I had to separate them into distinct categories, and redefine their meanings. They would no longer be two sides of a coin, but separate abilities that can be purchased. I'm still playing around with them, so it's not completely written in stone.
As you can see, one change can make sweeping revisions in a core mechanic. I found it necessary to make the game move faster, and ultimately, more enjoyable. Next up is play testing the new revision, to determine how deeply it effects the system. I have a feeling that it may have inadvertently made the game more deadly, so I'm interested in seeing the results.
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