Action! System 2.0 - an OGL pioneer returns 20 years later

[NeonNecromancer]

The Kickstarter campaign for the Action! System™ 2.0 is now live!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neonnecromancergames/action-system-20

The Action! System™ was the second commercially-supported set of tabletop RPG rules ever to be published under the first edition of the Open Game License (OGL). It was originally released by Gold Rush Games in 2001 and used by multiple publishers between the years 2001 and 2005. It is a generic system that was designed to be incredibly similar to a variety of late-90s RPGs, specifically to ones that were used in anime RPGs.

After using it for some home games starting in 2013, Neon Necromancer Games finally bought the rights to it in 2020 intending to publish a second edition for its twentieth anniversary and then, well... gestures broadly to the news events of the past couple years.

Now that a certain company is being evil [censored]holes about the Open Game License, we feel it is necessary to revive this OGL pioneer. The intention is that A!S 2.0 will be released both under the original OGL 1.0a as well as Paizo's new Open RPG Creative License (ORC) once it is ready and released.

The Action! System is a universal, class- and level-less, attribute + skill + 3d6 system. It's a meat-and-potatoes system without any gameplay gimmicks such as special dice, dice pools, etc.

The Action! System does not mimic any single, specific game system. It is not a "clone" or a drop-in replacement for any game. That said... the game systems the Action! System most closely resembles are: Fuzion (Bubblegum Crisis/VOTOMS/DBZ/Sengoku/etc.), Interlock (Cyberpunk/Mekton/etc.), HERO (Champions), and Tri-Stat (Big Eyes, Small Mouth)

Multi-genre, crunchy tactical combat, late-'90s-style!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neonnecromancergames/action-system-20

 

[Thomas Shey]

Are you guys still using the knock-off (and this doesn't mean as negative a thing coming from me as it sounds) BESM power rules?

 

[NeonNecromancer]

Are you guys still using the knock-off (and this doesn't mean as negative a thing coming from me as it sounds) BESM power rules?

No.
Back in the day another company did release a book that provided rules for powers for Action! System based on BESM d20, but those weren't in the official Core Rules. We don't use those because all text in the new edition was written from scratch to get around any issues with copyright and the OGL. However, those rules did influence a couple things in the new edition.

We do have a couple drafts for more in-depth power rules that we intend to release those as official extensions/variants eventually, but those probably won't make it into the new Core Rules.

 

[Thomas Shey]

No.
Back in the day another company did release a book that provided rules for powers for Action! System based on BESM d20, but those weren't in the official Core Rules. We don't use those because all text in the new edition was written from scratch to get around any issues with copyright and the OGL. However, those rules did influence a couple things in the new edition.

Just as well, honestly. Since it was derived from BESM, it didn't scale well with the way you guys had done damage and such for the core book.

We do have a couple drafts for more in-depth power rules that we intend to release those as official extensions/variants eventually, but those probably won't make it into the new Core Rules.

I understand why, but it does limit the utility to comparatively mundane campaigns.

 

[Horacio]

Fuzion was one my favorites systems in the latter 90s earlier 00s. I really loved Champions: The New Millennium, my favorite superhero game. And if I recall correctly, Action! System is almost an OGL clon of Fuzion.

So, hell, yeah, I am in!

 

[TreChriron]

As an early supporter of the system, I believe one of the hardest things about supporting the game back then was a lack of a magic/powers system. I believe including one would go a long way to garnering more support for the system. Also, examples of the new layout and clarifications being provided (for us grognards who already own a copy...).

I'm actually using Action! System right now in a modern-sci-fi mashup game at the game club in Seattle. I'm using the Atomik generic add-ons for the supernatural stuff and none of my players are using supernatural stuff. Keeps thing simple. My players did grok this more thoroughly than GURPS 4e, and it scratches many of the same itches -- just less complex.

A!S has one of the coolest damage systems! Could use some better explanations and clarity. The wound levels have that gritty escalation that makes A!S combat terrible and exciting.

 

[Thomas Shey]

The above poster has a good point, honestly. The percentage of campaign types most people use that are entirely lacking in some kind of paranormal abilities is probably tiny out there. As such, a game wanting to hit the generic toolkit market is kind of crippled when it doesn't have at least some kind of support there.

(As an aside, while the Atomik plugins are potentially viable here, you have to be willing to engage with their complexities (and in the case of Atomik Magik some of the casting time issues) baked into them which is probably beyond most of the systems someone would want to use them with).

 

[TreChriron]

...

(As an aside, while the Atomik plugins are potentially viable here, you have to be willing to engage with their complexities (and in the case of Atomik Magik some of the casting time issues) baked into them which is probably beyond most of the systems someone would want to use them with).

Also, they are not licensable (I inquired) and are not OGC, so you could recommend them and perhaps advertise for them in the core book, but otherwise it's up to each GM to customize for their game.