Looking for a certain type of RPG...

[half-dragon dragon]

I have a pretty simple question (I think), and I figured somebody here might have the answer.

Is there any RPG (pen & paper) out there that has, what I like to call, a Unified Conflict Resolution System (tm)?

By this I mean a game where everything is handled in (roughly) the same manner, from combat, to negotiating, to tracking down an elusive villain, to... well you get the idea. The best example I can give is Risus in which everything is sort of a battle of attrition, and while it is a great game, I'm hoping to find a system with a little more "meat" to it than that.

One last detail that would be great to know is if the game is genre neutral or not, like HERO or GURPS.

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[jdrakeh]

Honestly, I can't think of too many other systems that use the same resolution method across the board. Lots of systems (e.g., Burning Wheel, d20, Exalted, GURPS, Savage Worlds, etc) use the same basic mechanic as the foundation for all conflict resolution but add several very specific exception-based rules to that mechanic for different types of conflict, resulting in different overall methods of resolution for said types of conflict.

Systems that are very close to what you describe that I can think of include Maelstrom Storytelling (and Story Engine) and Prime Time Adventures. The former is a more traditional game (albeit one with a heavy emphasis on Narrativist principles) and the latter is what people commonly refer to as a Story Game. Also, I think that my own Bronze fits the mold (though I admit that it needs refinement when I can get around to it).

 

[glass]

I have a pretty simple question (I think), and I figured somebody here might have the answer.

Is there any system out there that has, what I like to call, a Unified Conflict Resolution System (tm)?

Dogs in the Vineyard and HeroQuest are two that come to mind.

The former has a system of opposed die rolls to resolve any conflict -you roll any and all skills and other traits (everything is rated as dice) that are relevant to the situation at hand and then spend dice from you pool to perform actions or counter your opponent's actions. Escalating the conflict (from words to fists, or from fists to guns) allows bringing new skills (and dice) to the table but increases the consequences of losing.

The latter also brings multiple skills and talents into the calculation, but in this case you have one primary skill and some submultiple of the others (1/10th, perhaps, I can't remember). You tot up your skills in this way and count one success for every 20 it adds up to. You roll a d20 against the remainder and if you roll under that is an additional success. Then you compare successes with you opponent -whoever has most wins. That is a simple conflict. The game also has extemnded conflicts, but at the few con games I have played none of the GMs ever bothered with it so I don't know how it works.


glass.

 

[half-dragon dragon]

Thanks for both of your replies. I suppose I should have been a little more explicit in that I was looking for a pen & paper RPG.

After looking up Dogs in the Vineyard, it looks like an interesting game, but I was just curious Glass, if you happened to know how easy it might be to convert the game to other genres and such?

 

[kobold]

Heroquest is a tabletop RPG, you are likely thinking of the old board game of the same name. It is a single conflict resolution- and a darn good one. It would easily convert to any game you wish.
Dog's would convert with more work.
In a Wicked Age has a single resolution mechanic, and convert easily- but may be a little esoteric for most.
And just for the record D20 is pretty much a universal mechanic

 

[Jaeger]

HeroQuest fits the bill... Just type in Heroquest in the review search field and you'll get lots of reviews: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/

Fate3.0 or fudge might also fill the need - but I think that it's worth pointing out that while all three use a truly universal resolution system - they are also different than many other RPG'S. In all three the player defines thier "stats&skills" and it may take a bit to wrap your head around the systems. But they still use the player/GM set up so it shouldn't be too jarring.

When it comes to d20 and similar systems, I must voice my agreement with jdrakeh's post on the subject.


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[half-dragon dragon]

Ah my bad about Heroquest, and thanks for the clarification. I just looked it up on wikipedia and it came up with the board game version.

When it comes to d20 I'm pretty familiar with it and its offshoots, and while I love many of the systems under (especially M&M) the fact the fact that combat is always significantly different from any other subsystem within the game has led me to try and find a game like I've described.

I have, in fact, actually downloaded the old free version of FUDGE and at first glance glance it looked like it would work as well, I just haven't gotten around to reading through it all since I find reading on a computer for extended periods of time rather annoying.

It looks like Heroquest is the game I'm looking for. Thanks again for all your help and insight.

 

[Mark Hope]

Torg does this. It uses the same table and resolution system to handle everything. It is both genre-neutral and genre-specific. Genre-specific as in the published game focuses on 6 or 7 genres (fantasy, horror, cyberpunk, near-future, pulp, sci-fi, modern and a couple of others) but genre-neutral in that it can easily be adapted to any other genre as well, either by one of a number of fansites online or by modding it yourself.

 

[Yair]

FUDGE arguably does this, but this is more like a toolkit to make a game. One of the recommended combat resolution methods is to have the characters say what they intend to do, then make the relevant skill rolls and the DM rules what happened up to an arbitrary point - from deciding the entire battle with that single roll, to some arbitrary point.

See here:

Here is a long example of story element style of combat:

Gunner, separated from the other PCs, surprises five
members of a rival gang in a garage. The player
announces that Gunner will shout and charge the rival
mob, carrying his Tommy gun as if he’s about to fire —
they don’t know it’s irreparably jammed. He hopes to see
them run away, hit the dirt, or freeze in fear. He’ll then
use his Tommy gun as a club, starting at the left end of
their line. He’ll keep his current opponent in between
him and the others as long as possible. He hopes to then
roll up their line, one at a time, keeping the wall to his
left side as he charges.

The GM makes a Situational roll for the mob: Mediocre.
The mob members don’t recover quickly from their surprise,
so she gives Gunner a +1 to his Brawling skill of
Good for this plan. She also decides that one mobster
will run away and the others won’t draw their guns until
Gunner has already engaged the first enemy. His Running
skill is Great, so she gives him another +1, since he can
cover ground quickly. Total modifier for Gunner is +2,
bringing his Brawling skill to Superb for this combat.
Since this is a fairly long action and she doesn’t want a
single unlucky roll to ruin Gunner’s chances, she asks
him for three Brawling skill rolls (at the +2 modifier), and
to use the median roll.

Gunner rolls a Good, Superb, and Great result, in that
order. The median roll is Great, and the GM decides this
is good enough to have downed the first two mobsters,
and describes the battle so far in entertaining detail. Now
Gunner is facing the last two thugs, who finally have
their pistols out and could probably plug him before he
charges that far. The GM asks, “What does Gunner do
now?”

Gunner hurls the Tommy gun into the face of one gunman
while making a low diving tackle for the other, hoping
to dodge under any bullets. The GM calls for a single
roll against Brawling to cover this whole action: Gunner
gets a Fair result. The GM rules that Gunner throws the
Tommy gun well enough to distract one gunman, but not
harm him. He does, however, manage to tackle and subdue
his other foe, whose shots all go wild.

At this point, the GM rules that the mobster grazed by
the thrown Tommy gun now steps over and points his
pistol to Gunner’s head while he’s kneeling over the
other mobster. Gunner wisely heeds the call to surrender
and hopes his friends can rescue him…

 

[jdrakeh]

Thanks for both of your replies. I suppose I should have been a little more explicit in that I was looking for a pen & paper RPG.

Maelstrom Storytelling and Prime Time Adventures are both pen and paper RPGs