Please explain Other Gaming Systems

[Verequus]

In this thread http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=156993 , several other gaming systems have been mentioned, whose names I've never heard of - or some, which I know only by name. I'd like to know, what those systems do differently from D&D considering their mechanics. I don't want to choose any names, because I'm sure, that there are EN Worlders, who don't know the same systems like me. So please choose one system, you know well, imagine, that you've given me a pre-statted character and explain me briefly, what I can do with the char.

As an example: In D&D, I would explain the attributes, the modifiers, classes, skills, combat, magic, as those are the most important things from the top of my head.

Thanks in advance!

 

[GrumpyOldMan]

Explaining games is like explaining life, there are lots of different sorts and some surprising, and unlikely ones survive by finding their own little ecological niche.

The basics:

Not all games use d20.

Not all have artificial gaming constructs like ‘classes’ and ‘levels.’

Many do, but call them something else (like ‘circles’).

DnD is one of very few where the amount of armour you wear affects your chance of being hit (in most games it reduces the damage you take).

Not all have hit points.

The DnD magic system would be unique, but for the Dying Earth RPG which uses the Vancian Magic System as it was originally intended. I can think of no other system with such a restriction on spell use.

 

[Verequus]

GrumpyOldMan, you are missing somewhat my point. It isn't about, what could be different from d20, but has been done? Alone the task resolution differs: IIRC, Shadowrun uses exploding dice - get a 6, roll again, add everything up and if you get over the threshold, you succeed. World of Darkness has with its successes and failures and botches again another mechanic, which is different from d20. That is, what I'm interested in.

 

[Lorgrom]

Lets start with a system that is very diffrent from D20, Hero System aka Champions. This is a point based system. Which means you spend your experiance points to do character improvements. You start off with a base amount of points (in a Heroic setting like most DnD games, you get 75, if you play a standard Super Hero setting you get 100 points). All of your stats (they have more then DnD, but once you read the rules, you understand why) start off at a base. You then ether spend points to increase them, or lower them and gain more points to spend elseware. From there you pick you skills (you can learn any skill in the game, as long as the DM allows them). This process continues until you have ether spent all your points (and gotten more by getting Disadvatages). It is a system where even before character generation, the DM has to lay out the guidelines for many things (ie character development, power level of the game, what the max starting levels someone can get, how many Disadvantages, etc). Then it is best for the player to think of the character they want to play. Put it in words, then work to make the mechanics fit. Lastly unless the DM has ether made or bought a setting with "Classes", there normaly is nothing like classes in the game. It is all free form. Creation, advancement, etc. It is also a system that uses only d6's. Personaly I like this kind of system more then D20, becouse the player and the DM have much more control over how the character develops. The down side is that character creation takes forever (even for someone who knows the rules), and if you have experianced player with a new DM. It is very easy for them to abuse the rules.

 

[jdrakeh]

The Window

Character Creation

Traits

By deafult, The Window utilizes 5 basic traits as follow:

• Strength (Just what it sounds like)
  
  
• Agility (Again, just what it sounds like)
  
  
• Health (An abstraction of a character's overall physical health)
  
  
• Knowledge (A 'catch-all' knowledge skill representing non-specialized knowledge)
  
  
• Perception (Just what it sounds like)

Basic traits are those traits that all living creatures in a given settign are assumed to possess. Note that the list may be expanded or trimmed down however you see fit, in order to better model your campaign world.

Skills

Skills represent specialized areas of knowledge or training. Choose whatever skills you want for your character (ideally ones that best fit your character concept). All are subject to approval by the Storyteller.

Assigning ratings to Traits and Skills

Traits and skills are both rated with die types ranging from d4 (Incredible) to d30 (Poor). For example, a character who suffers from a degenerative muscle disease and is wheelchair bound my have a Health rating of d30 (Poor), while an olympic wieght lifter may have a Strength rating of d8 (High).

Assign some a single die type to each trait and skill that your character possesses (again, these will ideally model your character concept). All ratings are subject to Storyteller approval.

[Note: There are, despite claims to the contrary, very specific definitions of the adjectives used to describe die types (and, thus, competency levels).]

Equipment

There aren't any rules for equipment, as equipment is reduced to the status of 'prop' (much as it is in written fiction or film). When you fire a pistol at somebody in The Window, how much damage you do has more to do with hwo skilled you are, as opposed to how big your gun us. Characters are assuemd to possess equipment, of course - it simply has no real mechanical function (which makes equipemnt a lot of fun in some regards). Define some equipment for your character.

Doing Stuff

Basic Action Resolution

When you want to do something, roll a single die of the type associated with the trait or skill being tested and beat a difficulty assigned by the Storyteller (you want to roll low). The default difficulty is '6' (Average). The Storyteller may assign a higher difficulty for easier actions, or a lower difficulty for higher actions. For example:

Your olympic weight lifter is attempting to squat the back end of a small car. He has a High (d8) Strength. The Storyteller decides that this is an above average task, ans so secretly assigns a difficulty fo 4 to the action. You must roll a 4 or less on a d8 to successfully lift the car.

Combat Stuff

It's Just Action!

Seriously - combat actions are resolved just like any other action. The difference between combat action and other action isn't in how many dice you roll or squares you mark off on a board, but in how it's described.

Getting Hurt

When you fall down or get struck by a sword in the gut, you'll probably get hurt. Make a Health check per the rules for basic action. If you succeed, nothing happens. If you fail, you reduce your health rating by one die type (i.e., a d6 becomes a d8, a d8 becomes a d10, a d10 becomes a d12, etc) until the damage heals. If your character has a Health rating of d30 and fails this roll, they die.

Incorporating D&D Spells

The Magic Trait

Expand the list of 5 basic traits to include 'Arcane Magic' or 'Devine MAgic' if you want your character to cast either arcane magic or divine magic. Obviously, what trait you choose (if either) will have a lot to do with what kind of D&D character you're trying to model.

Casting Magic

To cast a spell from D&D, make a 'X Magic' trait check per the rules for basic action. The Storyteller will assign a difficulty (8 - D&D Spell Level, disregard results lower than 1) that you must meet or beat to cast a spell. If you succeed, the spell is cast normally. If you fail this roll, the spell is not cast (i.e., it fizzles) and your magic trait rating is reduced by one die type until you rest for 8 hours.

[Note: If you repeatedly fail spell casting attempts, lowering your magic trait rating to below d30, you pass out and don't wake up for 8 hours, at which time your trait rating is restored to normal.]

Where to Get More Window

Links To More Window Stuff

While you can conceivably play a few adventures with the rules presented here, the full rules provide many more options (including character advancement, advice for creating engaging characters, rules for superhuman trait ratings, better magic rules, etc). You can find them here.

Additionally, several unique settings and rule expansions (including point-based character creation rules and a Window LARP system) can be found for free download in PDF format at the Yahoo Group.

Final Notes

The preceding D&D spell conversion rules were written as I typed this post. This is why I love the Window - because it's rediculously easy to mold it to any setting that you can think of. I could have gone the extra mile and made spell casting automatic (i.e., not trait-based) as D&D does, but that really doesn't require much conversion - and besides, I like trait-based magic

Have fun with this sawed off 20-Minute Fantasy Window. Download the whole thing if you have fun with these cut-down, fan-created, rules (it's a lot better).

 

[Verequus]

Lorgrom, how do you do skills checks in Hero? How do you solve combat? Does the sustained injury have any effect on the characters before they die?

 

[Lorgrom]

Lorgrom, how do you do skills checks in Hero? How do you solve combat? Does the sustained injury have any effect on the characters before they die?

Skill checks start at a base dificulity of 11+ (you roll 3d6 + your levels in the skill), which is them modified by the situation. A natural roll of 18 is always a success, while a natural 3 is always a failure. Combat runs the same, but you get to add your OCV (offensice combat value) while you subtract your targets DVC (defensive combat value. Once you determin if you hit, you roll damage then subtract your targets armor values. Unlike DnD you have two "HP pools" called Body and Stun. Once your Stun is reduced to 0 or less you are knocked out. Once your Body reaches 0 or less you are dead.
Your question if sustained injuries have any affect on the character before the die, is depends if the DM is using those rules or not (hit location table). If so then yes, of not then no.
The mechanics for handling just about everything is the same as the skill checks.

 

[Verequus]

Skill checks start at a base dificulity of 11+ (you roll 3d6 + your levels in the skill), which is them modified by the situation. A natural roll of 18 is always a success, while a natural 3 is always a failure. Combat runs the same, but you get to add your OCV (offensice combat value) while you subtract your targets DVC (defensive combat value. Once you determin if you hit, you roll damage then subtract your targets armor values. Unlike DnD you have two "HP pools" called Body and Stun. Once your Stun is reduced to 0 or less you are knocked out. Once your Body reaches 0 or less you are dead.
Your question if sustained injuries have any affect on the character before the die, is depends if the DM is using those rules or not (hit location table). If so then yes, of not then no.
The mechanics for handling just about everything is the same as the skill checks.

Do attributes have any influence on the skill check? What is their typical range of numbers?

 

[Lorgrom]

Do attributes have any influence on the skill check? What is their typical range of numbers?

Yes they do, though I don't recall exactly how right now. As for what is their typical range. That depends on the setting. If you (or the setting) has the Disadvantacge of Nornal Human Maxium, then they range from 1-20. Though in a Super Hero setting and many Heroic settings. There is no real upper limit (except for points spent). The DM typicaly sets the max a stat can start at when they develope the setting. BTW Body is a Attribute, while Stun is a figured Attribute (the diffrence being is figured attributes use the other attributes to figure its base, then you can ether increase or decrease that number). It is not unheard of in a Super Heroic camapign (don't confuse Super Heroic campaign with playing Super Heroes. Epic level play in DnD would be a Super Heroic campaign, though it would have slightly higher creation maxs then a Heroic campaign) for stats to go well over 100.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Logrom has taken many words out of my mouth...I'm also a HERO nut. HERO is a generic system that allows you to model ANY PC you want...within the framework of the point totals your GM gives you to build your PC.

Attributes figure into your skill checks by altering your base chance of success.

Example: A normal human has a Dex of 10. If you take a level of the skill Riding (creatures like horses), you have a base chance of succeeding at a normal task of 9 + (Dex/5). So a Normal guy would have a base chance of succeeding on a Riding Roll of 11 or less on 3d6.

A heroic level warrior might have a Dex of 15, so his base success level at Riding would be 12-.

The maximum stat for a normal human is 20, so someone who is a world class athelete with a Dex of 20 would have a base chance of success of 13-

A superheroic martial artist might have a Dex of 25-30 or more, so his base success at Riding would be 14 or better.

And you can buy additional skill levels, to reflect training with the skill, or general competence.

While it is possible to have a base chance of success of 19 or more (on 3d6), that doesn't mean you automatically succeed. It means that basic use of the skill might not require a roll, but more difficult tasks still would...

If you know D20, you're familiar with this- its an opposed skill check.

As for the funky stuff...building special abilities is a process in which you choose to mix and match effects, advantages (think Metamagic Feats) and disadvantages (think bad Metamagic Feats) to model the ability you want.

Example: Fireball, a staple of D&D could be:

Energy Blast (or Ranged Killing Attack) with Area Effect Radius and/or Area Effect Explosion and/or Increased Knockback and/or Homing and/or Armor Piercing and/or Increased Range and/or Limited Uses/day.

and so forth...

Depending on the GM's campaign, each spellcaster's Fireball spell could be unique to him, but teachable. The more D6 damage it does, the more expensive it is. The more advantages it has, the more expensive it is. The more disadvantages it has, the less expensive it is.

The same process would be used to make spells, special abilities, racial attributes, and so forth.

The reason it takes a long time to design a PC is 2-fold: 1) There is no one way to do anything, as you can see from the Fireball example, so you wind up doing a lot of tweaking with your build points, and

2) Everything the game book and the GM don't predesign must be designed by you from scratch, so you wind up doing a lot of tweaking with your build points.

For the record, Mutants & Masterminds is the D20 equivalent to HERO. In a very real sense, it is halfway between HERO and D20, having nearly HERO's flexibility, but using D20 mechanics to do it.