Friday Chat: What Mechanics Do You Steal From A Game To Use In Another?
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kronovan
Adventurer
The Journeying system from Adventures in Middle Earth. I've used it with Dragon AGE, 13th Age w/Midgard and Savage Worlds w/Beasts & Barbarians. I've always had good results with it, albeit I've needed to make some adjustments as at its default it's understandibly targeted at Middle Earth. I haven't used it with a SciFi RPG, but I can imagine it working well for any in which ground journeying takes time and is challenging. Could definitely see it working well for post apocalyptic.
Voadam
Legend
I used 4e monster solo/elite/normal/minion rules in my 3.5 and pathfinder 1e and 5e games. That would probably be my current favorite cross system rule.
I remember throwing an alien NPC from palladium into a 1e game, full mechanics like he got parries while the PCs had regular AC, he had a 6d6 frag grenade which worked fine with a breath weapon save for half, etc. It worked smoothly as a one off to give a different experience in the game.
I used GURPS cyberpunk/Cthulhupunk physical and psychic enhancement drugs in my AD&D 2e Ravenloft campaign which worked great for two PCs who made drug dealing/smuggling and drug using parts of their backstories and the mechanics worked fairly straightforward across systems as they ran down their supply of "potions."
As a DM in 5e I allow inspiration to do flashback type stuff to explain how a system works out to a PCs advantage ("Roy, is that you? You are working as a guard here now?" Or flashback to bribing the guard earlier, or to having packed the piece of equipment they need right now, or similar. I know second hand that games have mechanics like this, Blades in the Dark I believe and I would presume Leverage, but I have not really delved into those games for their specifics, I just really like the heist scenes in Netflix's Shadow and Bones.
I also prefer 5e D&D inspiration to be an after the fact reroll instead of a spend it on a guess ahead of time for an advantage the way it is in 2014 5e. I am sure that is mimicking some hero point type option from somewhere.
I remember throwing an alien NPC from palladium into a 1e game, full mechanics like he got parries while the PCs had regular AC, he had a 6d6 frag grenade which worked fine with a breath weapon save for half, etc. It worked smoothly as a one off to give a different experience in the game.
I used GURPS cyberpunk/Cthulhupunk physical and psychic enhancement drugs in my AD&D 2e Ravenloft campaign which worked great for two PCs who made drug dealing/smuggling and drug using parts of their backstories and the mechanics worked fairly straightforward across systems as they ran down their supply of "potions."
As a DM in 5e I allow inspiration to do flashback type stuff to explain how a system works out to a PCs advantage ("Roy, is that you? You are working as a guard here now?" Or flashback to bribing the guard earlier, or to having packed the piece of equipment they need right now, or similar. I know second hand that games have mechanics like this, Blades in the Dark I believe and I would presume Leverage, but I have not really delved into those games for their specifics, I just really like the heist scenes in Netflix's Shadow and Bones.
I also prefer 5e D&D inspiration to be an after the fact reroll instead of a spend it on a guess ahead of time for an advantage the way it is in 2014 5e. I am sure that is mimicking some hero point type option from somewhere.
LuisCarlos17f
Legend
Transhumanism (mind-upload and digital ego) from "Eclipse Phase".
Special game mechanics for supernatural creatures from World of Darkness and Chronicle of Darkness.
Sanity/Mental Health system from Unknown Armies.
Special game mechanics for supernatural creatures from World of Darkness and Chronicle of Darkness.
Sanity/Mental Health system from Unknown Armies.
1QD
Game Creator Extraordinaire
I try to never steal mechanics from other games. Mechanics are creative interpretation, and even though , thankfully , they can not be copyrighted, having gone through multiple copyrighting processes myself, by default I respect the authors work and try to be original. Naturally there will be crossover between systems that can not be helped. I am sure that there is to some degree a general consensus as to what feels right amongst Players and GM's alike.
I would hope that authors at the very least give credit to where they ...took... their ideas from, or at least give a nod to their inspirations. For example DnD 1rst and 2nd ed were my major influences. There will be some people who perhaps recognize elements within my own game. And to that end, it is sometime unconscious influence that inspires people with a great idea. I understand there are a great many, DnD clones that most likely demonstrate this concept.
All in all I think stating something like, Adapted from the "So n So gaming ruleset " would go a long way to show respect to those you ....take ....ideas from. While I understand it is part of the culture, I do not support a free-for-all mentality. I understand it happens, but I personally would support acknowledging the inspiration.
Edit: I would like to note that my perspective is as a game designer. As a GM however, it is your call, and what ever works is legit. In fact my expansions are being written to allow people from other systems to use them.
I would hope that authors at the very least give credit to where they ...took... their ideas from, or at least give a nod to their inspirations. For example DnD 1rst and 2nd ed were my major influences. There will be some people who perhaps recognize elements within my own game. And to that end, it is sometime unconscious influence that inspires people with a great idea. I understand there are a great many, DnD clones that most likely demonstrate this concept.
All in all I think stating something like, Adapted from the "So n So gaming ruleset " would go a long way to show respect to those you ....take ....ideas from. While I understand it is part of the culture, I do not support a free-for-all mentality. I understand it happens, but I personally would support acknowledging the inspiration.
Edit: I would like to note that my perspective is as a game designer. As a GM however, it is your call, and what ever works is legit. In fact my expansions are being written to allow people from other systems to use them.
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Escalation Die from 13th Age for my OSE game.
In the past, my groups experimented with using Star Fleet Battles Impulse Movement charts for D&D/PF combat. It can really change the tactics when each character only moves 1 hex/square per impulse. And can 'fire' any time they want, assuming they have a non-move action left.
It has the side effect of keeping every player engaged most of the time. No more "Well that's my turn, I am running to the corner store for a snack, anyone want anything?" while the rest of the table plods through the initiative chart.
It has the side effect of keeping every player engaged most of the time. No more "Well that's my turn, I am running to the corner store for a snack, anyone want anything?" while the rest of the table plods through the initiative chart.
overgeeked
Open-World Sandbox
Clocks, Countdowns, and Fronts from Powered by the Apocalypse, Blades in the Dark, and Daggerheart. Such a simple and elegant idea. Removes so many convoluted subsystems and saves so much space.
Mothership’s Death Saves. Absolutely brilliant take on the idea. Like so much in Mothership. When you hit zero HP, the referee rolls a die in a cup and covers the result with the cup. No one knows what the result is until someone checks the body.
Delta Green’s Lethality. Some weapons have a percent chance to simply kill you outright. Works for falling, too. Roll 1d100. You want to roll over the number of feet you fell. If not, you die.
Call of Cthulhu 7E’s Idea Roll. If the PCs are well and truly stuck, have the PC with the highest INT make a roll. If successful, the referee moves the story ahead to where they reexamine clues and get a massive hint dropped in their lap. If failed, the referee moves the story ahead to where they get the massive hint along with a gaggle of cultists or similar dropped in their lap.
5E’s Dis/Advantage. I'm never going back to endless lists of tiny modifiers, thanks. Replace all that nonsense with “roll an extra die, take the better/worse.”
Mothership’s Death Saves. Absolutely brilliant take on the idea. Like so much in Mothership. When you hit zero HP, the referee rolls a die in a cup and covers the result with the cup. No one knows what the result is until someone checks the body.
Delta Green’s Lethality. Some weapons have a percent chance to simply kill you outright. Works for falling, too. Roll 1d100. You want to roll over the number of feet you fell. If not, you die.
Call of Cthulhu 7E’s Idea Roll. If the PCs are well and truly stuck, have the PC with the highest INT make a roll. If successful, the referee moves the story ahead to where they reexamine clues and get a massive hint dropped in their lap. If failed, the referee moves the story ahead to where they get the massive hint along with a gaggle of cultists or similar dropped in their lap.
5E’s Dis/Advantage. I'm never going back to endless lists of tiny modifiers, thanks. Replace all that nonsense with “roll an extra die, take the better/worse.”
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SteveC
Doing the best imitation of myself
This is something that a lot of experienced GMs out there may say "duh" about, but I steal how PbtA does scene play and the Conversation. I think it was a game of Dungeon World with an excellent GM that sold me on this way of playing.
First, I break the game into scenes where there's something the group wants to do. When they have done it, we move to what happens next, based on how it was resolved. That means I start with a narration of the situation, and then when things are resolved, I just move to what's next instead of spending a lot of time on things that are less important.
And in the scene, I run the game as a Conversation. That is with a capital C, so it has to be important. What I mean by that is I start by setting the scene and then I just ask "what do you do now?" And I have the players just tell me what they want to do, using natural language. Not telling me about powers or spells, just what they're doing.
Now if I need to know about how they're doing something I'll ask them, and then they can tell me about the special powers they have (that is if I don't remember it, which I can pick up on pretty fast). If there's a doubt, I frame it as a Task, and then make a Check on it. And when we're done, we just go back to me saying what the situation is now, and asking them what they do next.
I also have a lot of room for them to ask questions and what their character knows about a situation. I run a lot of APs, and they typically have tons of background info that is just worthless if you don't get it out to the players, so if a character is skilled at something, I tell them about the situation. Otherwise all that info is just stuck as something I read.
I know that may not sound like much, but following this simple process has made whatever game system I'm running so much better. It just becomes second nature. To me, this gives the players maximum agency, while keeping the game's pacing. Where is the game going? We're going to find out by playing.
It does make the game more challenging, especially with an AP, where there are certain expectations for what happens next. Improvising and making sure my players bought in on the game's premise is how I do that. I run on Foundry and there is a module to quickly grab maps or item tokens, so I can quickly setup a scene when they decide to do something I hadn't planned. That's Moulinette for those of you who also use Foundry.
So that' what I do. Again, if you're experienced as a GM you have your own way of doing this, but playing and reading PbtA games made that all just click with me.
First, I break the game into scenes where there's something the group wants to do. When they have done it, we move to what happens next, based on how it was resolved. That means I start with a narration of the situation, and then when things are resolved, I just move to what's next instead of spending a lot of time on things that are less important.
And in the scene, I run the game as a Conversation. That is with a capital C, so it has to be important. What I mean by that is I start by setting the scene and then I just ask "what do you do now?" And I have the players just tell me what they want to do, using natural language. Not telling me about powers or spells, just what they're doing.
Now if I need to know about how they're doing something I'll ask them, and then they can tell me about the special powers they have (that is if I don't remember it, which I can pick up on pretty fast). If there's a doubt, I frame it as a Task, and then make a Check on it. And when we're done, we just go back to me saying what the situation is now, and asking them what they do next.
I also have a lot of room for them to ask questions and what their character knows about a situation. I run a lot of APs, and they typically have tons of background info that is just worthless if you don't get it out to the players, so if a character is skilled at something, I tell them about the situation. Otherwise all that info is just stuck as something I read.
I know that may not sound like much, but following this simple process has made whatever game system I'm running so much better. It just becomes second nature. To me, this gives the players maximum agency, while keeping the game's pacing. Where is the game going? We're going to find out by playing.
It does make the game more challenging, especially with an AP, where there are certain expectations for what happens next. Improvising and making sure my players bought in on the game's premise is how I do that. I run on Foundry and there is a module to quickly grab maps or item tokens, so I can quickly setup a scene when they decide to do something I hadn't planned. That's Moulinette for those of you who also use Foundry.
So that' what I do. Again, if you're experienced as a GM you have your own way of doing this, but playing and reading PbtA games made that all just click with me.
