As suggested to me in a recent thread, I've decided to split up a massive role playing project I've been working on into tiny, bite-sized chunks.
As a part of my project I've been experimenting with new ways to use success-based dice pools (like in Shadowrun or World of Darkness) that I'd appreciate help in refining. I'm looking to use a system that hasn't quite been trademarked, so I might be able to avoid any possible legal troubles in the future.
Generally, I'm planning on using ability scores ranged from 1-6, with 3 being the baseline human average. The dice used in the pool would be d12s, and you would start with two dice in your pool for an untrained skill, and then add a die to your pool for every rank in a skill you have. Skill ranks would max at 6, capping the dice pool at a size of 8.
In one variation I simply have 12 be the "magic reroll - counts as a success, add another die to the pool temporarily" number, and the other numbers that count as a success would be the relevant ability score and lower. I've crunched the numbers and really like the chances for success that this yields, and the way skills and ability scores play off of one another, but it's not very modifier friendly and not very flexible, especially for creatures who should theoretically have a strength score that no human should ever be able to meet.
Another variation I'm toying with: Numbers 9-12 all count as successes, with 12 as the reroll number again. Your ability score + modifiers would be a pool of points you can use to change die results that aren't successes into successes - if you had an ability score of 3, you could turn a 6 into a 9 for an extra success, for instance. There would be the limitation of not being able to add more to a single die than your relevant ability score, to help limit it. While very flexible, this would further slow down the game in an already slow-to-roll system and I really don't think that's a good idea.
I'm planning on there being a lot of opposed rolls, but instead of the opposed roll being soak dice, it would be an opposing skill, such as dodge, block or parry. I'm also considering upgrading the dice used in the pool to d20, because of the d12's rarity.
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions? Again, I'm trying to avoid trademarked systems, but if one of you knows of a dice pool system that uses small number ability scores that's in the public domain, I'd love to hear about it.
(As an asides: Avid readers may remember my original Aarn thread *insert cross-thread link here* though much of that information is now out of date, and a more complete collection of up to date info can be found at my blog for the project *insert off-site link here* )
As a part of my project I've been experimenting with new ways to use success-based dice pools (like in Shadowrun or World of Darkness) that I'd appreciate help in refining. I'm looking to use a system that hasn't quite been trademarked, so I might be able to avoid any possible legal troubles in the future.
Generally, I'm planning on using ability scores ranged from 1-6, with 3 being the baseline human average. The dice used in the pool would be d12s, and you would start with two dice in your pool for an untrained skill, and then add a die to your pool for every rank in a skill you have. Skill ranks would max at 6, capping the dice pool at a size of 8.
In one variation I simply have 12 be the "magic reroll - counts as a success, add another die to the pool temporarily" number, and the other numbers that count as a success would be the relevant ability score and lower. I've crunched the numbers and really like the chances for success that this yields, and the way skills and ability scores play off of one another, but it's not very modifier friendly and not very flexible, especially for creatures who should theoretically have a strength score that no human should ever be able to meet.
Another variation I'm toying with: Numbers 9-12 all count as successes, with 12 as the reroll number again. Your ability score + modifiers would be a pool of points you can use to change die results that aren't successes into successes - if you had an ability score of 3, you could turn a 6 into a 9 for an extra success, for instance. There would be the limitation of not being able to add more to a single die than your relevant ability score, to help limit it. While very flexible, this would further slow down the game in an already slow-to-roll system and I really don't think that's a good idea.
I'm planning on there being a lot of opposed rolls, but instead of the opposed roll being soak dice, it would be an opposing skill, such as dodge, block or parry. I'm also considering upgrading the dice used in the pool to d20, because of the d12's rarity.
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions? Again, I'm trying to avoid trademarked systems, but if one of you knows of a dice pool system that uses small number ability scores that's in the public domain, I'd love to hear about it.
(As an asides: Avid readers may remember my original Aarn thread *insert cross-thread link here* though much of that information is now out of date, and a more complete collection of up to date info can be found at my blog for the project *insert off-site link here* )
