Universal RPG's not Universal?

[Moon_Goddess]

Most important, fun, easier to control, etc. The first RPG just so happens to be Dungeons & Dragons ... not Papers & Paychecks.



Perhaps you think the core rulebook would have everything you need for all the other genres.

Technically on the core rules level, it has everything you need when it comes to resolving whatever situation that may encounter during the session, whether it is resolving combat or a pass/fail test (skills, ability, etc.).

But you want more, like the stats of a laser sword or an obsidian blade. The "trappings" that define a certain genre. It's going to take more volumes to give you everything you want, whether you're interested in a certain genre or not. Give them time. Even GURPS didn't have their collection of worldbooks done overnight.

No, I don't really demand that every genre be supported in the core rules, just that if more arn't then fantasy not be. If your only gonna support one genre does it have to be magic every time?

What are you specifically looking for in a prehistorical-genre RPG?

Not sure, just like dawn of man, 10,000 BC trailer inspired me. Guess I can just use anything and make a list of stuff to leave out.

 

[Jim Hague]

No, I don't really demand that every genre be supported in the core rules, just that if more arn't then fantasy not be. If your only gonna support one genre does it have to be magic every time?

Thing is, in the Core book, there's at least 2 sci-fi settings, so I'm not sure where you're going here...?

Not sure, just like dawn of man, 10,000 BC trailer inspired me. Guess I can just use anything and make a list of stuff to leave out.

True20 works remarkably well without supernatural stuff, I've found, or in low-Power settings like Conan. I'm going to second the reccs here and say that with Core, maybe you could grab D20 Past, an appropriate GURPS book, maybe Dark Sun for inspiration and be off to the races...

You may also want to check out the True20 Forums; plenty of helpful, knowledgeable folks there, too.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Another one to check out would be Iron Heroes.

Combined with DarkSun, that could be a pretty gritty game!

 

[Ranger REG]

No, I don't really demand that every genre be supported in the core rules, just that if more arn't then fantasy not be. If your only gonna support one genre does it have to be magic every time?

No, not necessarily.

Just because my d20 Modern core rulebook have magic FX, does not mean I'll use it in my military RPG campaign.

Not sure, just like dawn of man, 10,000 BC trailer inspired me. Guess I can just use anything and make a list of stuff to leave out.

Just pick and choose. You don't need to use EVERYTHING that is in the book.

 

[Scribble]

No, I don't really demand that every genre be supported in the core rules, just that if more arn't then fantasy not be. If your only gonna support one genre does it have to be magic every time?

It seems like games need to have some sort of opening setting to make them appealing "right out of the box" so to speak.

Fantasy, being so popular, is apparently the one most choose...

It's a way to give people an idea of what you can do with the rules, while being a popular concept as well.

If they didn't put it in, then it would just be a collection of random rules, that while experienced gamers might have no trouble understanding, newbies might pass up in favor of something where all the work is done.


p.s. true 20 bugs me for the same reason gurps and WOD and the d6 starwars always end up bugging me... They only use one type of die... The others look so lonely sitting there on the table not being rolled...

 

[ZombieButch]

Not to mention that magic/superpowers/psi/what have you are, for a lot of systems, hard as heck to make up on your own without a big investment of time. As long as there are some kind of vehicle rules, I can probably come up with something for spaceships, and as long as there are firearms, I can whip up blasters. But if there's no system for powers, unless I'm playing Risus it's gonna take awhile to put them together. Better to have them and not need them than not have them and have to either a) buy another book just to get them or b) have to make 'em all up on my own.

 

[Roudi]

p.s. true 20 bugs me for the same reason gurps and WOD and the d6 starwars always end up bugging me... They only use one type of die... The others look so lonely sitting there on the table not being rolled...

You say that now, but what do you do in a d20 Modern game and you can't take shots with your rifle because the GM lost his d8's? Or when some poor schmuck steps on a caltrop d4?

Besides, in True20, your other dice still have a role - improvised miniatures.

"The d12 hits you with the greataxe - roll your Toughness save."

 

[Ace32]

Besides, in True20, your other dice still have a role - improvised miniatures.

"The d12 hits you with the greataxe - roll your Toughness save."

I have dibs on the d100 then .

I think there have been some good points made about 'universal rpgs' in regards to needing to cater to the primary base. If you can reason that most settings are going to use some kind of superpowers, it seems like a wise decision to base 1/3 of your character classes on it. At the same time, space travel rules really aren't that necessary for game balance. Handwave it until something comes out that suits you or make something up - but most people aren't going to fret that much if they don't know how many days it takes to travel to Mars (and can't be bothered to work out some math for it). If its not essential to the game's balance, its probably better suited for a supplement IMO.

As for mutations - you could feasibly cover these with powers...

Primitive settings are really more about restrictions and flavor text than anything else. You could run core D&D and eliminate half the gear and probably get by just fine... unless you want specific rules on starvation, chasing game across the plains, and knowing when to migrate your society to take advantage of changing climate!

Edit: Fixed my smiley

 

[Desdichado]

True20 proposes to be a universal rpg yet has no rules for space travel, mutations, primitive cultures?

The book has only 3 classes, yet one of them is entirely devoted to magic. That's one third of character creation used for something most genres will not include.

Even d20 Modern has huge amounts of information devoted to magic.

Does anyone else see way too much attention devoted to magic in supposedly universal rpgs? Is this laziness on the part of devolopers, just throwing in work already created and not creating other work to balance it out? Or do others just prefer an over importance on fantasy rather than other genres?

I find it odd that you attack it for not having rules for space travel or mutations, while also attacking it for having rules for magic. I think magic is likely to get used by many more people than rules for mutations, for example. True; a truly universal system should reasonably cover most bases in terms of rules and whatnot, but that means you can't exactly take magic out, doesn't it? If it didn't include magic, that would be a much worse gaming hole than not including mutations or primitive cultures.

?!

 

[Roudi]

Well put, Ace32.

Sadly I'm still using percentile dice (two d10s with one listing 10, 20, 30, etc) rather than a full-fledged d100. Besides, wouldn't a dice so big be reserved for giants and mechs?