Idea and Exercise, stripping down the SRD

[Meatboy]

So I have this odd desire to create a super streamlined version of 3.x. I know I am not the first to do so but I have changes I want to make to. This is, as the title states, more of a mental exercise than anything. (my work is boring so thinking about stats and rules keeps me sane!) I don't expect to really play this game but I want to see if I can take something that at its core occupies close to 600 pages over 3 books and still have a workable game in say 50 pages.

First I want to outline some design goals I have for this exercise.

-no classes. I don't think, for this game anyway, that we need dozens of classes. I want to create a handful of game style archetypes that can be customized to create the feel of a variety of classes.

-No power bloat. Though I want character's to progress and be able to do more as they play I want to avoid massive numbers and modifiers as the game goes on. I don't want 1000s of HP and modifiers higher than the roll of the dice.
I want the pcs to gain versatility as the grow, not numbers.

-I want all rolls to be done with the d20.

-reduced skill list. I want a small set of generic skills that can be broadly applied to a variety of situations.

So there are my ideas so far questions and comments are welcome. I'll be posting more stuff as I go.

 

[Thanael]

Do you know Microlite20 | The smallest thing in d20 gaming ?

 

[Meatboy]

Yep! I heard about it yesterday actually. Like I said this is mostly an exercise in imagination and rules fiddling really.

Now that I have thought about it for a few days there are other shifts I'd like to make too. I'll have to see what comes.

Thanks for the heads up though!

 

[Meatboy]

Actually now that I think about Microlite20 is almost too light. This idea of mine I think is to create something that has some of the... robustness of full on DnD with out being dragged down by a tonne of superfluous things. What I consider superfluous anyway.

 

[Umbran]

I want the pcs to gain versatility as the grow, not numbers.

That doesn't sound to me like a "stripping down", so much as a full on redesign of the skill and class ability systems.

-I want all rolls to be done with the d20.

Including damage?

 

[Aus_Snow]

Sounds quite a lot like True20, though of course a published game is never(?) going to meet every single one of anyone's very exacting requirements.

Things that might not appeal: Not so much fewer HP, as no HP at all; the number of skills is nearly the same as in 3e; levels still going from 1 to 20 or thereabouts, though I would say there's less extreme a difference between lower and higher. . . and possibly a few other points I can't recall atm.

Still, it does have a lot of what you seem to be wanting in a game. Perhaps you might want to check out the free 'lite' ruleset, and see if it's worth pursuing.

 

[Meatboy]

@Umbran

Now that you mention it yeah pretty much. I am looking to try to create something that has all its rules in a very tight package. Stripping down was the wrong choice of words.
Yes even d20 for damage. I was thinking maybe giving weapons a damage modifier then depending on how well you rolled on your to hit gaining a bonus on your damage mod too. Or something similar.

@Aus_Snow

Yeah one of my friends has that and I looked through it a while back. Its a very neat cohesive system. That being said I'm not looking for a game to actually play. I am just seeing what I can come up with based on my ideas and design goals. This is more than anything just an exercise in creativity.