Manbearcat
Legend
I've been working on a Cortex Plus Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Game hack for D&D. While I was at it, I figured I'd take a run at composing a quick, 4e compatible, ToTM, dice pool combat resolution system for "trash" combats. I'm still in the process of kicking the tires on it but this is what I have so far.
* Player Action Dice Pools
- The default dice pool is 2d6
- Add your highest and lowest dice for your Roles; Defender, Striker, Leader, Control (each player has one Role at 1d10, a second at 1d8 and the other two are at 1d6). Encounter setup (Role vs encounter layout, Role vs enemy unit Roles and synergy) may step up or step down one or more Role dice at the beginning of the encounter.
- Add 1d10 or step up 1 die for each Action Point or Daily expenditure.
- Add 1d6 or step up 1 die for any scene element (terrain, lighting, hazards, obstacles; use DMG1 guidelines as reference pgs 54-55 Monster Roles and pg 62 Terrain and Roles) that you can make a good case for your character to interact/stunt with. ** See Leaders in Role/Team Tactics below.
- Step up any one dice for one Encounter Power that is particularly effective against the enemy unit setup or in leveraging the encounter layout or terrain elements.
* Enemy Reaction Dice Pools
- The default dice pool for a standard encounter (whatever that is for your group...eg my group is Level + 2) is 3d6. For a + encounter, change the dice to d8s.
- Enemy Unit Dice Pool: A shared dice pool that all enemy action rolls may take advantage of until it is exhausted. It defaults to 3d6 for a standard encounter and 4d6 for a + encounter. This is for 4 – 5 players. Add 1d6 to this pool for 6 -7 players, 2d6 for 8-9 players, 3d6 for 10 +. At any point when a player rolls a 1 in their dice pool, the DM can take a dice from this collective pool and move it to the current Enemy Reaction Pool as an extra die or to step up an existing die.
* Combat Resolution
- Each PC is working against a baseline of 2 Healing Surges expended to defeat the enemy unit.
- One turn for each player with their action dice pool versus a reaction dice pool for the enemies.
- Leaders go first, Defenders go second, Strikers go third and Controllers go last. In the case of a tie, the character with the highest Initiative bonus goes first.
- Role/Team Tactics:
** Leaders - Leaders always get a stunt/scene element die; 1d6. This die is given to a player of the Leader's choice at the beginning of play. This die can be used to step up 1 die before they’ve rolled or to remove a 1 after they’ve rolled.
Controllers - One time during the encounter, before an enemy reaction pool is rolled, Controllers can take 1d6 out of that enemy reaction dice pool or step down 1 enemy die.
Strikers - Strikers use 3 dice (rather than just 2) for their total. If this dice rolls a 1 it still counts toward the Striker's total but also still triggers the Enemy Unit Dice Pool.
Defenders - After resolution of all pools, Defenders can assume one allie's surge loss and subtract 1 from that total.
- Turn Resolution:
1 - Player declares Role/Team Tactic when applicable.
2 - Player adds dice to their default dice pool or steps up dice (eg; from d6 to d8) from Roles, Action Points, Dailies, Stunts, Enounter Powers, Role/Team Tactics.
3 - Player rolls their dice pool and sets aside any dice that come up 1 (at the GM's discretion, these may trigger the Enemy Unit Dice Pool for the Enemy Reaction Roll).
4 - Player declares which 2 dice (3 for Strikers) they want to use for their total and which die they want to use as their Effect Die.
5 - The GM gathers the Enemy Reaction Dice Pool, possibly using any 1s the player rolled to pull a dice from the Enemy Unit Dice Pool.
6 - The GM rolls the dice pool and declares which 2 dice are being used for the Enemies' total and which die for their Effect Die.
7 - Compare dice pools and which side wins and mechanical effects:
A: If the reaction total is equal to or less than the the player's total, the player's action succeeds.
B: If the winner's total exceeds the loser's total by 5 or10, the winner step ups their Effect die by 1 or
2 respectively.
C: If the loser's Effect die is greater than the winner's Effect die, the winner steps back their Effect die by
1.
D: If the player wins and their Effect die is a d4 or d6, they lose the baseline 2 Healing Surges, Effect die
d8 = 1 HS, Effect die d10 = 0 HS. If the player's Effect die is a d12, they lose 0 Healing Surges and
can remove 1 lost Healing Surge from an ally.
E: If the Enemies win and their Effect die is a d4 or d6, the player loses the baseline 2 Healing Surges,
Effect die d8 = 3 HS, Effect die d10 = 4 HS, Effect die d12 = 5 HS.
8 - The winner of the total, player or GM, has narration rights.
* Quick Example of a Striker's Turn
- Lurker Rogue: Heavy skirmishing, control, sneaking in and out of shadows and ambushing enemies for high nova damage. d10 Striker, d8 Controller, d6 Defender/Leader
- Terrain/Encounter Elements: Tight alley packed with crates, barrels, refuse. Walls of adjacent buildings are climbable with a switchback staircase on one. Plenty of difficult and blocking terrain to hide behind and two easy choke points. Dimly lit with plenty of shadows. This is a Standard Encounter with several toughs from the local Thieves' guild (Brutes) shaking down a house pharaoh dealer who was supposed to fix a game for them. This is perfect for this particular Striker's forte so that will step up to d12. Step up Defender here due to easy choke points and close quarters. Step back ranged controllers, ranged strikers and leaders given the cramped, poorly lit conditions making it difficult to coordinate and keep track of allies. That will force his Leader back to d4.
- He's going to spend his Action Point to add a d10 to his dice pool.
- There are plenty of scene elements for this character to engage with. Perhaps he takes advantage of his climbing and skulking ability and interacts with the stairs to get stealth and a good sniping position and at the same time coordinate with his allies by calling out enemy movements and locations. He'll use this to step that d4 from Leader back up to a d6.
- Rogue has the level 7 Encounter Power Killer's Ambush which lets him unleash a high damage attack from stealth, shift and hide again. Perfect for this scenario. He'll step one of his 3 d6's up to a d8.
- Total dice pool; 1d12, 1d10, 1d8, 2d6
- Rolls 9, 4, 2, 1 & 6
- The Rogue gets to keep 3 dice for his total (Striker) rather than 2. He will keep the 9 from the d12, the 2 from the d8 and the 6 from one of the 2d6s, keeping the d10 that rolled only a 4 as his Effect Dice. That is a total of 17; extremely high. However, he did roll a 1, triggering the Enemy Unit Dice Pool.
- The GM elects to spend one of the dice from the Enemy Unit Dice Pool (now a 2d6 pool as this is a 4 man group) to step up one of the 3d6 in the Enemy Reaction Pool to a d8.
- Total dice pool; 1d8, 2d6
- Rolls 3, 3 & 6
- The GM keeps the d8 result of 3 as his Effect dice. the 2d6 total is 9.
- The Rogue beat the Enemies total by 5 or more but less than 10 so he can step up his Effect Dice to a d12. He loses 0 Healing Surges, can remove a lost Healing Surge from an ally and he gets narrative rights for his turn!
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I hope that all makes sense. It may not read simple but its extremely so. Generating a dice pool and resolving a turn shouldn't take more than a minute or so. With 5 players, it would probably be between ~ 7 minutes for a full combat with no table handling time for setting up the combat grid. I'll post an example of play for a 4 man group tomorrow.
* Player Action Dice Pools
- The default dice pool is 2d6
- Add your highest and lowest dice for your Roles; Defender, Striker, Leader, Control (each player has one Role at 1d10, a second at 1d8 and the other two are at 1d6). Encounter setup (Role vs encounter layout, Role vs enemy unit Roles and synergy) may step up or step down one or more Role dice at the beginning of the encounter.
- Add 1d10 or step up 1 die for each Action Point or Daily expenditure.
- Add 1d6 or step up 1 die for any scene element (terrain, lighting, hazards, obstacles; use DMG1 guidelines as reference pgs 54-55 Monster Roles and pg 62 Terrain and Roles) that you can make a good case for your character to interact/stunt with. ** See Leaders in Role/Team Tactics below.
- Step up any one dice for one Encounter Power that is particularly effective against the enemy unit setup or in leveraging the encounter layout or terrain elements.
* Enemy Reaction Dice Pools
- The default dice pool for a standard encounter (whatever that is for your group...eg my group is Level + 2) is 3d6. For a + encounter, change the dice to d8s.
- Enemy Unit Dice Pool: A shared dice pool that all enemy action rolls may take advantage of until it is exhausted. It defaults to 3d6 for a standard encounter and 4d6 for a + encounter. This is for 4 – 5 players. Add 1d6 to this pool for 6 -7 players, 2d6 for 8-9 players, 3d6 for 10 +. At any point when a player rolls a 1 in their dice pool, the DM can take a dice from this collective pool and move it to the current Enemy Reaction Pool as an extra die or to step up an existing die.
* Combat Resolution
- Each PC is working against a baseline of 2 Healing Surges expended to defeat the enemy unit.
- One turn for each player with their action dice pool versus a reaction dice pool for the enemies.
- Leaders go first, Defenders go second, Strikers go third and Controllers go last. In the case of a tie, the character with the highest Initiative bonus goes first.
- Role/Team Tactics:
** Leaders - Leaders always get a stunt/scene element die; 1d6. This die is given to a player of the Leader's choice at the beginning of play. This die can be used to step up 1 die before they’ve rolled or to remove a 1 after they’ve rolled.
Controllers - One time during the encounter, before an enemy reaction pool is rolled, Controllers can take 1d6 out of that enemy reaction dice pool or step down 1 enemy die.
Strikers - Strikers use 3 dice (rather than just 2) for their total. If this dice rolls a 1 it still counts toward the Striker's total but also still triggers the Enemy Unit Dice Pool.
Defenders - After resolution of all pools, Defenders can assume one allie's surge loss and subtract 1 from that total.
- Turn Resolution:
1 - Player declares Role/Team Tactic when applicable.
2 - Player adds dice to their default dice pool or steps up dice (eg; from d6 to d8) from Roles, Action Points, Dailies, Stunts, Enounter Powers, Role/Team Tactics.
3 - Player rolls their dice pool and sets aside any dice that come up 1 (at the GM's discretion, these may trigger the Enemy Unit Dice Pool for the Enemy Reaction Roll).
4 - Player declares which 2 dice (3 for Strikers) they want to use for their total and which die they want to use as their Effect Die.
5 - The GM gathers the Enemy Reaction Dice Pool, possibly using any 1s the player rolled to pull a dice from the Enemy Unit Dice Pool.
6 - The GM rolls the dice pool and declares which 2 dice are being used for the Enemies' total and which die for their Effect Die.
7 - Compare dice pools and which side wins and mechanical effects:
A: If the reaction total is equal to or less than the the player's total, the player's action succeeds.
B: If the winner's total exceeds the loser's total by 5 or10, the winner step ups their Effect die by 1 or
2 respectively.
C: If the loser's Effect die is greater than the winner's Effect die, the winner steps back their Effect die by
1.
D: If the player wins and their Effect die is a d4 or d6, they lose the baseline 2 Healing Surges, Effect die
d8 = 1 HS, Effect die d10 = 0 HS. If the player's Effect die is a d12, they lose 0 Healing Surges and
can remove 1 lost Healing Surge from an ally.
E: If the Enemies win and their Effect die is a d4 or d6, the player loses the baseline 2 Healing Surges,
Effect die d8 = 3 HS, Effect die d10 = 4 HS, Effect die d12 = 5 HS.
8 - The winner of the total, player or GM, has narration rights.
* Quick Example of a Striker's Turn
- Lurker Rogue: Heavy skirmishing, control, sneaking in and out of shadows and ambushing enemies for high nova damage. d10 Striker, d8 Controller, d6 Defender/Leader
- Terrain/Encounter Elements: Tight alley packed with crates, barrels, refuse. Walls of adjacent buildings are climbable with a switchback staircase on one. Plenty of difficult and blocking terrain to hide behind and two easy choke points. Dimly lit with plenty of shadows. This is a Standard Encounter with several toughs from the local Thieves' guild (Brutes) shaking down a house pharaoh dealer who was supposed to fix a game for them. This is perfect for this particular Striker's forte so that will step up to d12. Step up Defender here due to easy choke points and close quarters. Step back ranged controllers, ranged strikers and leaders given the cramped, poorly lit conditions making it difficult to coordinate and keep track of allies. That will force his Leader back to d4.
- He's going to spend his Action Point to add a d10 to his dice pool.
- There are plenty of scene elements for this character to engage with. Perhaps he takes advantage of his climbing and skulking ability and interacts with the stairs to get stealth and a good sniping position and at the same time coordinate with his allies by calling out enemy movements and locations. He'll use this to step that d4 from Leader back up to a d6.
- Rogue has the level 7 Encounter Power Killer's Ambush which lets him unleash a high damage attack from stealth, shift and hide again. Perfect for this scenario. He'll step one of his 3 d6's up to a d8.
- Total dice pool; 1d12, 1d10, 1d8, 2d6
- Rolls 9, 4, 2, 1 & 6
- The Rogue gets to keep 3 dice for his total (Striker) rather than 2. He will keep the 9 from the d12, the 2 from the d8 and the 6 from one of the 2d6s, keeping the d10 that rolled only a 4 as his Effect Dice. That is a total of 17; extremely high. However, he did roll a 1, triggering the Enemy Unit Dice Pool.
- The GM elects to spend one of the dice from the Enemy Unit Dice Pool (now a 2d6 pool as this is a 4 man group) to step up one of the 3d6 in the Enemy Reaction Pool to a d8.
- Total dice pool; 1d8, 2d6
- Rolls 3, 3 & 6
- The GM keeps the d8 result of 3 as his Effect dice. the 2d6 total is 9.
- The Rogue beat the Enemies total by 5 or more but less than 10 so he can step up his Effect Dice to a d12. He loses 0 Healing Surges, can remove a lost Healing Surge from an ally and he gets narrative rights for his turn!
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I hope that all makes sense. It may not read simple but its extremely so. Generating a dice pool and resolving a turn shouldn't take more than a minute or so. With 5 players, it would probably be between ~ 7 minutes for a full combat with no table handling time for setting up the combat grid. I'll post an example of play for a 4 man group tomorrow.
