What is the most simple RPG?
- Thread starter WSmith
- Start date
Breakstone
First Post
Not that this has to do with the topic at hand, but your talk about Cops & Robbers has reminded me of a game I used to play during lunch in Elementary School.
Monster Tag
It started with ordinary Tag. The person who was "It" was a monster-spider, who could shoot a web. Anyone near the spider had to freeze for about 5 seconds.
Anyone who was not it was a Horned Toad. They could shoot 2 "blood shots" from their eyes (one for each eye). If the spider was hit with a blood-shot, he had to freeze for 5 seconds.
'Twas a fun game.
Monster Tag
It started with ordinary Tag. The person who was "It" was a monster-spider, who could shoot a web. Anyone near the spider had to freeze for about 5 seconds.
Anyone who was not it was a Horned Toad. They could shoot 2 "blood shots" from their eyes (one for each eye). If the spider was hit with a blood-shot, he had to freeze for 5 seconds.
'Twas a fun game.
Bonehoard Taffer
First Post
This is the simplist rpg I know, it is for the Empire of the Petal Throne/Tekumel game. These are the complete rules.
Kashtlanmüyal
An alternative Tekumel roleplaying game
This is a quick and simple game system that allows players to maximize their imagination and roleplaying without having to rely on constant dice rolls. Dice are only used when the Referee decides a roll would add drama to a situation. It is possible to play the game without ever rolling a dice.
Attributes
Each character is rated in Strength, Health, Speed and Intellect. Scores in these attributes range from 1 to 10. An average man has a score of 5 in all attributes. The Referee assigns attribute scores in consultation with his players, or they can be generated randomly (roll 2d10 and halve the total).
Skills
Skills take precedence over attributes. Thus a character who is trying to dodge a falling rock, for instance, uses ACROBATICS rather than Speed. Only consult attributes when a feat is attempted that does not fall under any of the ten skills, or when two characters of equal skill-level are competing. The ten skills are:
ACROBATICS
COMBAT
MARKSMANSHIP
SEAMANSHIP
SORCERY
STEALTH
SURVIVAL
THIEVERY
TRACKING
A character's ability in each of the skills is rated according to four levels: Basic, Advanced, Master or Grandmaster.
Normally the Referee will simply pre-assign a level of difficulty to any task, and only characters at that level of ability have any chance of success. For example: the player characters are searching for someone lost in the Foreigners' Quarter of Jakalla. The referee decides this calls for TRACKING to at least Master level.
Use of dice is optional, but may be preferred in life-or-death circumstances - a daring leap from an upper window, etc. Dice can be used to see if a character utilizes his skill (or attribute) effectively. The player rolls 2d6. The roll needed for success depends on the skill-level: Basic 2-4, Advanced 2-6, Master 2-8 and Grandmaster 2-10.
Melee procedure
First compare the COMBAT skill-levels of the two fighters; the higher wins.
If they both have the same skill-level, compare attribute scores - Speed in case of weapons, Strength if a fistfight. If both have the same attribute score, compare the weapons being used (a sword is better than a dagger, dagger better than a cudgel, etc).
For circumstances involving more than one combatant, assume that each skill-level is twice as good as the one below it. (Thus a Grandmaster warrior would be exactly a match for eight Basic warriors, other factors being equal.)
Wounds
Both combatants lose a set amount of Health depending on the opponent's weapon: fists 1, cudgel 2, dagger 3, sword 4, two handed sword 5.
The winner of the melee has the option to increase the loser's injury by 1 point for each skill-level that his COMBAT exceeds the loser's. Alternatively, if he has a shield, he can reduce the injury he takes himself.
Luck Points can then be spent to reduce damage.
Lastly, armour reduces the injury: 1 point for light, 2 points for medium, 3 points for heavy.
Missiles
At Basic Level, MARKSMANSHIP allows you to automatically hit a stationary target in good light at short range. Each higher level allows you to cope with one more negative factor from this list:
poor light
small target
moving target
long range
undergrowth
Damage is sustained off Health, ranging from 2 points for a thrown dagger, 3 points for a javelin, 4 points for an arrow, 5 for a crossbow bolt. (Check to see if armour is effective by rolling a d6: 1 for light, 1-2 for medium, 1-3 for heavy.)
Luck
Luck Points are awarded by the Referee when a character achieves fulfillment of a vow, has great success in an adventure, does something clever, receives a blessing or magical boon, gains the respect of others, etc.
Luck Points are spent to achieve tasks that would not normally be possible for the character, such as hitting a target at long range if you're only a Basic Level in MARKSMANSHIP. Luck Points can also be spent defensively - to throw off someone else's aim so they miss you, for example.
Used Luck Points only recover at the rate of 1 a month, so you can't afford to push your luck too far!
Magic
SORCERY in this system generally takes longer to use than in most roleplaying games, but with effects more like you would expect in fantasy literature. For instance, given long enough a Grandmaster could teleport himself from city to city. Being opposed by the will of another sorcerer makes a spell more difficult.
Basic level effects include (eg) silent mirages that disappear when touched. Higher skill-levels then allow improvements up to full solid illusions at Master. The number of spells a sorcerer can maintain is one at Basic, two at Advanced, etc. Note that SORCERY can always be used to achieve an effect equivalent to another skill two levels lower. For instance, a Master can employ magic that achieves the effect of Basic TRACKING, MARKSMANSHIP, etc.
Kashtlanmüyal
An alternative Tekumel roleplaying game
This is a quick and simple game system that allows players to maximize their imagination and roleplaying without having to rely on constant dice rolls. Dice are only used when the Referee decides a roll would add drama to a situation. It is possible to play the game without ever rolling a dice.
Attributes
Each character is rated in Strength, Health, Speed and Intellect. Scores in these attributes range from 1 to 10. An average man has a score of 5 in all attributes. The Referee assigns attribute scores in consultation with his players, or they can be generated randomly (roll 2d10 and halve the total).
Skills
Skills take precedence over attributes. Thus a character who is trying to dodge a falling rock, for instance, uses ACROBATICS rather than Speed. Only consult attributes when a feat is attempted that does not fall under any of the ten skills, or when two characters of equal skill-level are competing. The ten skills are:
ACROBATICS
COMBAT
MARKSMANSHIP
SEAMANSHIP
SORCERY
STEALTH
SURVIVAL
THIEVERY
TRACKING
A character's ability in each of the skills is rated according to four levels: Basic, Advanced, Master or Grandmaster.
Normally the Referee will simply pre-assign a level of difficulty to any task, and only characters at that level of ability have any chance of success. For example: the player characters are searching for someone lost in the Foreigners' Quarter of Jakalla. The referee decides this calls for TRACKING to at least Master level.
Use of dice is optional, but may be preferred in life-or-death circumstances - a daring leap from an upper window, etc. Dice can be used to see if a character utilizes his skill (or attribute) effectively. The player rolls 2d6. The roll needed for success depends on the skill-level: Basic 2-4, Advanced 2-6, Master 2-8 and Grandmaster 2-10.
Melee procedure
First compare the COMBAT skill-levels of the two fighters; the higher wins.
If they both have the same skill-level, compare attribute scores - Speed in case of weapons, Strength if a fistfight. If both have the same attribute score, compare the weapons being used (a sword is better than a dagger, dagger better than a cudgel, etc).
For circumstances involving more than one combatant, assume that each skill-level is twice as good as the one below it. (Thus a Grandmaster warrior would be exactly a match for eight Basic warriors, other factors being equal.)
Wounds
Both combatants lose a set amount of Health depending on the opponent's weapon: fists 1, cudgel 2, dagger 3, sword 4, two handed sword 5.
The winner of the melee has the option to increase the loser's injury by 1 point for each skill-level that his COMBAT exceeds the loser's. Alternatively, if he has a shield, he can reduce the injury he takes himself.
Luck Points can then be spent to reduce damage.
Lastly, armour reduces the injury: 1 point for light, 2 points for medium, 3 points for heavy.
Missiles
At Basic Level, MARKSMANSHIP allows you to automatically hit a stationary target in good light at short range. Each higher level allows you to cope with one more negative factor from this list:
poor light
small target
moving target
long range
undergrowth
Damage is sustained off Health, ranging from 2 points for a thrown dagger, 3 points for a javelin, 4 points for an arrow, 5 for a crossbow bolt. (Check to see if armour is effective by rolling a d6: 1 for light, 1-2 for medium, 1-3 for heavy.)
Luck
Luck Points are awarded by the Referee when a character achieves fulfillment of a vow, has great success in an adventure, does something clever, receives a blessing or magical boon, gains the respect of others, etc.
Luck Points are spent to achieve tasks that would not normally be possible for the character, such as hitting a target at long range if you're only a Basic Level in MARKSMANSHIP. Luck Points can also be spent defensively - to throw off someone else's aim so they miss you, for example.
Used Luck Points only recover at the rate of 1 a month, so you can't afford to push your luck too far!
Magic
SORCERY in this system generally takes longer to use than in most roleplaying games, but with effects more like you would expect in fantasy literature. For instance, given long enough a Grandmaster could teleport himself from city to city. Being opposed by the will of another sorcerer makes a spell more difficult.
Basic level effects include (eg) silent mirages that disappear when touched. Higher skill-levels then allow improvements up to full solid illusions at Master. The number of spells a sorcerer can maintain is one at Basic, two at Advanced, etc. Note that SORCERY can always be used to achieve an effect equivalent to another skill two levels lower. For instance, a Master can employ magic that achieves the effect of Basic TRACKING, MARKSMANSHIP, etc.
--Cops and Robbers. Most certainly the simplest, cheapest game on the market. Anyone can understand the rules.
And still, you get munchkins -
"I shot you!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Yeah, well, I'm wearing a bulletproof vest!"
"I shot you with a bazooka!"
"It's bazookaproof, too!"
....--
Ahh the good old days
. Thats damn funny.
A simple RPG game is Heroes Quest, which is a board game if u didnt know. it was fun, b4 i began dnd (age 10ish)
why cant i find my quote button....
And still, you get munchkins -
"I shot you!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Yeah, well, I'm wearing a bulletproof vest!"
"I shot you with a bazooka!"
"It's bazookaproof, too!"
....--
Ahh the good old days
. Thats damn funny.A simple RPG game is Heroes Quest, which is a board game if u didnt know. it was fun, b4 i began dnd (age 10ish
)why cant i find my quote button....
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Hmm, I learnt to game with the old "Dragon Warriors" books by Dave Morris & Oliver Morris. Published by Penguin Books they were small, reasonably simple (at least early on) and I can remember the hours of fun playing it.
Getting a hold of it those days is nigh on impossible.
Getting a hold of it those days is nigh on impossible.
WSmith
First Post
Re: Re: Re: What is the most simple RPG?
I probably have half the work done already. It just isn't typed.
Thanks for the replies so far everyone. I knew the cops and robbers LARPing would come up. Actually, my first incarnation of playing D&D was when I was 8 or 9 was actually pretending to play D&D like most kids play cops and robbers. I gave the whole story on the Necromancer boards. If I can find it I will post it.
I never heard of Prince Valliant RPG. I did see a Prince Valliant TV show a couple of weeks ago, Sunday morning, with the most beautiful Kathrine Heigl.
I do have the Basic D&D red book on my book shelf. I grab it quite often when I take a ride on the porcelin bus. It is great reading material. I love it. But just checking out what else is out there.
GURPS Lite, I downloaded it a couple of years ago. I don't like GURPS, but I figured the DL ws free so I will give it a shot. I didn't like the Lite version, because it was more of a tool for an experienced GURPS GM (which I am not) to teach new players. There is nothing wrong with that, other than it just wasn't for me.
Bonehorde T., that actually is pretty interesting. Funny thing though, it left me wanting more or with more questions. Not too bad though. What is the Empire of the Petal Throne? Never heard of it.
Ah, Hero'sQuest. Why didn't I just loose the ubber macho gamer attitude back then and buy it. Shame on me.
Funny thing, everytime someone here uses the abreveation for Traps & Treachery, I think the are talking about Tunnels and Trolls. (T&T)
I never played WEG d6. Opposed roles only? That seems rules lite, enough. What is the deal with this bucket of dice everyone keeps talking about?
Valaxion, never heard of Over the Edge. I will have to look around.
Any others folks?
Thorvald Kviksverd said:
...or mmadsen's much anticipated re-write of the D&D Adventure Game.
BTW, I'm serious...so get to work!
I probably have half the work done already. It just isn't typed.
Thanks for the replies so far everyone. I knew the cops and robbers LARPing would come up. Actually, my first incarnation of playing D&D was when I was 8 or 9 was actually pretending to play D&D like most kids play cops and robbers. I gave the whole story on the Necromancer boards. If I can find it I will post it.
I never heard of Prince Valliant RPG. I did see a Prince Valliant TV show a couple of weeks ago, Sunday morning, with the most beautiful Kathrine Heigl.
I do have the Basic D&D red book on my book shelf. I grab it quite often when I take a ride on the porcelin bus.
It is great reading material. I love it. But just checking out what else is out there.GURPS Lite, I downloaded it a couple of years ago. I don't like GURPS, but I figured the DL ws free so I will give it a shot. I didn't like the Lite version, because it was more of a tool for an experienced GURPS GM (which I am not) to teach new players. There is nothing wrong with that, other than it just wasn't for me.
Bonehorde T., that actually is pretty interesting. Funny thing though, it left me wanting more or with more questions. Not too bad though. What is the Empire of the Petal Throne? Never heard of it.
Ah, Hero'sQuest. Why didn't I just loose the ubber macho gamer attitude back then and buy it. Shame on me.
Funny thing, everytime someone here uses the abreveation for Traps & Treachery, I think the are talking about Tunnels and Trolls. (T&T)
I never played WEG d6. Opposed roles only? That seems rules lite, enough. What is the deal with this bucket of dice everyone keeps talking about?
Valaxion, never heard of Over the Edge. I will have to look around.
Any others folks?
Re: Re: Re: Re: What is the most simple RPG?
That's funny. I just posted my similar story on another thread (freeform D20). Here it is again:
I started playing "diceless D&D" in 1981. My elementary school banned D&D, which was fine with us since we couldn't figure out how it worked anyway, so I played DM and players described what they did and I described what they saw, fought, how the fights went, etc. One time, at a sleep over, I even took the players through Shrine of the Kuo Toa without knowing the rules or using dice. Then I moved to Hawaii after 5th grade and thought that it was all over. Then one day -- I don't know how it got started -- in 6th grade, I started playing with a friend of mine at school. Pretty soon I had 4 players.
After that we switched to playing D&D w/dice after school. But we kept playing "diceless" during school (until the end of 6th grade).
Diceless? We practically invented it!
WSmith said:
That's funny. I just posted my similar story on another thread (freeform D20). Here it is again:
I started playing "diceless D&D" in 1981. My elementary school banned D&D, which was fine with us since we couldn't figure out how it worked anyway, so I played DM and players described what they did and I described what they saw, fought, how the fights went, etc. One time, at a sleep over, I even took the players through Shrine of the Kuo Toa without knowing the rules or using dice. Then I moved to Hawaii after 5th grade and thought that it was all over. Then one day -- I don't know how it got started -- in 6th grade, I started playing with a friend of mine at school. Pretty soon I had 4 players.
After that we switched to playing D&D w/dice after school. But we kept playing "diceless" during school (until the end of 6th grade).
Diceless? We practically invented it!
Bagpuss
Legend
ColonelHardisson said:
Hmm but what about all the expansions? Cyber-TWERPs, etc... sure TWERPS Basic is pretty rules light.
Only kidding even with all the expansions it has to be the most rules lite game I've ever come across.
Although Prince Valiant has to come a close second, and you only need a handful of pocket change to play.
Although I think "The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen" has them both beat (and would be the shortest rulebook at least if it wasn't for all the Baron's digressions).
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LostSoul
Adventurer
Re: Re: Re: Re: What is the most simple RPG?
The "bucket o' dice" that people talk about refers to the number of dice you roll (six-siders) when you're playing. Your skills are listed as xD6, so, for example, you might have a Blaster: 6D skill. This means that you roll 6 dice when you use your Blaster. When you've got 12D in a skill and you spend a Force Point to double the amount of dice you roll, you end up rolling a bucket of dice.
(I've never had a problem with too many dice; whenever we rolled 10+ dice, we usually had fun seeing how high the result was.)
I may have been misrepresenting d6. There is at least one other rule in D6; it's a chart which lists your degree of success. Usually used when you deal (or take) damage. Then there are other rules about this or that, like how much stronger an AT-AT's hull is compared to a Wookie's hide. All those "rules", though, are just guidlines based on the opposed roll & graduated success chart; changing any or all of them will not change the way the game works.
WSmith said:
The "bucket o' dice" that people talk about refers to the number of dice you roll (six-siders) when you're playing. Your skills are listed as xD6, so, for example, you might have a Blaster: 6D skill. This means that you roll 6 dice when you use your Blaster. When you've got 12D in a skill and you spend a Force Point to double the amount of dice you roll, you end up rolling a bucket of dice.
(I've never had a problem with too many dice; whenever we rolled 10+ dice, we usually had fun seeing how high the result was.)
I may have been misrepresenting d6. There is at least one other rule in D6; it's a chart which lists your degree of success. Usually used when you deal (or take) damage. Then there are other rules about this or that, like how much stronger an AT-AT's hull is compared to a Wookie's hide. All those "rules", though, are just guidlines based on the opposed roll & graduated success chart; changing any or all of them will not change the way the game works.
