Meta-Mechanics Worth Stealing

[Fanaelialae]

A lot of inspiring mechanics have been mentioned. Great idea for a thread!

I love Enlightened Grognard's idea of representing temporary bonuses and penalties with pools of tokens. (http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/299297-introducing-enlightened-grognard.html)

I also like EG's approach of granting most class abilities via feats grouped by type. Classes receive greater or lesser access to these groups, akin to 2e's clerical domains. It offers a good compromise between numerous character options, class niche protection, and ability reuse.

From an old-school perspective, there's a lot that I feel The Arcanum does right. I really wish I'd known about this supplement as a kid. For example, despite being a point buy system, you only have a 10% chance to purchase your racial maximum; otherwise you're stuck at one point lower. An interesting solution to the complaint of "all fighters have 18 strength" common to point buy systems.

WFRPG's stance and party cooperation meters are also really interesting mechanics. The first rewards characters differently depending on whether they take an aggressive or defensive stance in combat. The second rewards a party for cooperating.

 

[mmadsen]

WFRPG's stance and party cooperation meters are also really interesting mechanics. The first rewards characters differently depending on whether they take an aggressive or defensive stance in combat. The second rewards a party for cooperating.

It sounds like The One Ring, the latest Lord of the Rings RPG, borrowed some ideas from Warhammer 3. In combat, characters choose a stance: high-risk, high-reward forward stance, open stance, defensive stance, through rearward stance. The party also has a shared pool of fellowship points that any player can use with a majority vote.

Also, The One Ring borrowed and built on Pendragon's notion of a Winter Phase between adventures.

One simple idea from The One Ring that other games could use almost immediately is its philosophy on encumbrance. It's not that some classes can or cannot wear heavy armor, or that everyone has a specific amount they're allowed to carry. Instead, hit points have been redubbed endurance, and when your endurance drops below a certain threshold, based on your encumbrance, you become weary, with various disadvantages.