Simply6 Simply6: A Fast, Light Universal RPG

Simply6 is a fast, light tabletop roleplaying game for 2 or more players which you can play using just six-sided dice. I put this together over the last couple of days in my spare time (based on something I was playing with in the forums a while back) and have uploaded it to DTRPG. It's only about 20-pages long, and will likely be tweaked and updated after I get some feedback.

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[dave2008]

Looks interesting. I'll probably pick it up once I remember by login info!

 

[Baumi]

- Magic changed from health cost to a countdown pool.

It's awesome to see the fast changes/improvements to the game 8D

I do like the countdown pool more than costing health, but it is way to hard now to use Magic. Even if you give all your starting dice into Magic, you still only have a ~50/50 Chance to casting a spell if you use ALL your dice for the day.

 

[Morrus]

It's awesome to see the fast changes/improvements to the game 8D

I do like the countdown pool more than costing health, but it is way to hard now to use Magic. Even if you give all your starting dice into Magic, you still only have a ~50/50 Chance to casting a spell if you use ALL your dice for the day.

50/50 is the chance most people get for most things — it’s the standard difficulty. You have a 50/50 chance to pick a lock, bust down a door, shoot most things, etc.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

The other option is to borrow WOIN's countdown mechanic. You cast your spells, but any 6s you roll get removed from the dice pool, until you have no dice left and can no longer cast until it replenishes at dawn.

Another is actually pretty thematic for how magic is often described in fiction: To cast without lots of health loss, the mage needs to spend time gathering mana. This can be an action of some sort, possibly a roll. However, Health can be substituted for mana, meaning that if the mage wants to nova it's possible to substitute Health for gathered mana.

 

[jmucchiello]

50/50 is the chance most people get for most things — it’s the standard difficulty. You have a 50/50 chance to pick a lock, bust down a door, shoot most things, etc.

I would have (perhaps an advanced rule) where all unattended items have one skill: Universal 3d6 (10). And the GM can decide some items have higher or lower values for this skills. So you might have a Lock that is Universal 5d6 (17) and thus it is harder to pick with thievery, or break with Fighting.

EDIT: The other benefit of a Universal skill for unattended items is it co-insides with, say, using Magic to create a wall of fire. The wall becomes an unattended item whose dice size is the same as the Magic skill used to create it.



Oh, and you said everything is 50/50. But it isn't 10+ on 3d6 is 58/42. If you wanted 50/50 odds, everything would be 3d6 (11).

 

[Morrus]

Oh, and you said everything is 50/50. But it isn't 10+ on 3d6 is 58/42.

Yeah, it's slightly better than 50/50.

 

[Baumi]

50/50 is the chance most people get for most things — it’s the standard difficulty. You have a 50/50 chance to pick a lock, bust down a door, shoot most things, etc.

Yes, but you have to spend all your Character-Creation Dice to get those 3d6 and then you also have only one Roll/day and these are spent. Thats harsher then even Old Shool D&D (where you only had one Spell, but this was a extremly potent one and works automatically).

 

[jmucchiello]

I haven't really addressed equipment yet... in the same way that all attacks do 1 damage, I wouldn't differentiate with armour. Basic equipment would just be part of your character description; the only thing that would need calling out is special items.

So what happens when you don't have your equipment? (I suppose you get -1d6 but your FAQ is missing this.)

 

[jmucchiello]

Yes, but you have to spend all your Character-Creation Dice to get those 3d6 and then you also have only one Roll/day and these are spent. Thats harsher then even Old Shool D&D (where you only had one Spell, but this was a extremly potent one and works automatically).

You only lose the dice if you roll a 6 on the die. And you don't have to put all 3 dice into magic. Not everyone starts as a trained wizard.

Or maybe your GM will let you have an extra die for an extra disadvantage (that can be bought back later).

 

[Baumi]

You only lose the dice if you roll a 6 on the die.

Ohhh ... that's quite an important part that I overlooked! Thanks!

 

[Morrus]

Yes, but you have to spend all your Character-Creation Dice to get those 3d6 and then you also have only one Roll/day and these are spent.

Nah, you've misunderstood it. The countdown doesn't work like that.

You roll 3d6 and get 3,4,5 = 12. Success.

Later you roll 3d6 again and get 1,2,5 = 8. Failure. Oops.

Later again your roll 3d6 and get 2,6, 4 = 12. Success again. But this time one's a 6. So next time...

... you roll 2d6.

 

[Morrus]

So what happens when you don't have your equipment? (I suppose you get -1d6 but your FAQ is missing this.)

Improvised equipment is -1d6 (pg2). But honestly for attacks, all attacks do 1 damage, so you'd just punch instead! It's quite abstract. You're that good at fighting with whatever, but if you have a magic sword you get +1d6.

 

[jmucchiello]

Improvised equipment is -1d6 (pg2). But honestly for attacks, all attacks do 1 damage, so you'd just punch instead! It's quite abstract. You're that good at fighting with whatever, but if you have a magic sword you get +1d6.

I assume there will be a lot of Hitting Harder going on throughout the system. Which is why I recommended moving that to the core mechanic section. The old magic system just about required using Hitting Harder if you wanted to heal yourself.

My only problem with the new magic system is it doesn't model Superpowers as well any more. Recovery in supers games is rarely tied to waking up the next morning.

 

[Morrus]

I assume there will be a lot of Hitting Harder going on throughout the system. Which is why I recommended moving that to the core mechanic section. The old magic system just about required using Hitting Harder if you wanted to heal yourself.

My only problem with the new magic system is it doesn't model Superpowers as well any more. Recovery in supers games is rarely tied to waking up the next morning.

Gotta admit, I wasn't thinking about superpowers at all. I think that would require a different approach.

 

[Morrus]

Just playing with some magic items. Just a few basic obvious ones. A wand or staff boosts your Magic skill, a magic sword boosts your Fighting skill etc.

 

[jmucchiello]

Speaking of Supers, I suspect such a game would have to introduce a new chargen option: Powers. Things that you can do that no one else can do that you pay for in dice at chargen:

• Growth (Cost 2d6) You can make yourself very big. When you are big: If two enemies are adjacent you can attack each one with a single Fighting roll. Add 1d6 to Fighting, Athletics, and Fortitude rolls. Subtract 1d6 from Dodge rolls.
• Incorporeal (Cost 2d6) You can make yourself immaterial. While you are incorporeal, you are immune to physical attacks
• Invisibility (Cost 2d6) You can make yourself invisible. While you are invisible, you add 1d6 to Dodge, Fighting, and Thievery rolls.
• Shrinking (Cost 1d6) You are very small. Add 1d6 to Dodge and Trickery rolls. Subtract 1d6 from Athletics rolls.
• X-Ray Vision (Cost 1d6) You can see through solid objects.

Etc.

 

[jmucchiello]

Stunts.

You can declare a special maneuver as a stunt. Something beyond the normal use of skill. When you declare your action the GM might tell you you can only do that as a stunt. If you still do it, roll normally. Any 6s on the dice remove those dice from your poll.

Magic rolls are always stunts.

EDIT: The knight's charge ability could be done be a PC by does a Fighting Stunt, for example.

 

[77IM]

[MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION], what's the pitch? In a world with thousands of "Simple, lightweight, fast" RPGs, how does this one stand out?

 

[jmucchiello]

Just playing with some magic items. Just a few basic obvious ones. A wand or staff boosts your Magic skill, a magic sword boosts your Fighting skill etc.

What do you roll against to teleport? Or flight? Dragons have 6d6 flight. But when would you roll that? In place of Athletics?

Hmm. Dragons also have Appraisal. How does that work?

 

[Morrus]

New version v1.2 uploaded to add a page on Equipment. Nothing big.