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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hella_Tellah" data-source="post: 4600335" data-attributes="member: 52669">I know a lot of people balk at the New World of Darkness for destroying the universe of oWoD, but it does fix both of those problems.  Dicepools are now easily calculated, and initiative is as simple as D&D 3e.  It also has a "just mortals" book, the core book.  Not a lot of material for doing a period piece, but if you swap out a couple of skills (computer, drive, maybe science) then you've got a fine system for any occasion.  They recently released a source book for running Vampire during the late Roman Empire, and it has almost no rules changes whatsoever.  You would be a bit hard-pressed to provide your playyers with a big list of period weapons and armor, however.The magic system, assuming you'd use Mage, has all kinds of consequences for using magic badly--paradoxes that summon demonic entities from the Abyss, scar the caster for life, etc.--but smart mages can stay subtle and safe, mainly.  It is enormously deep, though.So, examining nWoD from your criteria:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> A sense of simulation that allows for handwaving but does not assume it.  Pretty much.  Mostly it's all down to ad-hoc penalties, though.  Mage in particular can be very nitty-gritty, but more in a gamist sense than simulationist.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Math is fast.  Roll a handful of dice, look for anything bigger than an 8. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Defender gets to actively roll to defend from being attacked.  There are fighting styles and particular tactics (especially Mage spells) that supernaturals can use, but most defenses are passive.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Characters can grow in power to fight armies.  No, definitely not.  The most powerful characters in nWoD destroy armies from their living rooms, not from the battlefield.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Lots of minis without using lots of time.You could.  It's not specifically written for minis, but I've seen them used.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Being hit is bad, not assumed. The hits you don't dodge or soak should hurt.  Very much so.  Getting sliced with a sword will incapacitate or kill most of the time, and getting wounded to any significant degree makes further harm much more likely.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Any hit could kill but probably won’t unless the attacker outclasses the foe, in which case the foe probably will die.  That's the case here.  All damage is a matter of how many successes the attacker gets, so a good defense makes an attack less forceful, but a good attacker will usually kill someone not specializing in defense.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> “Damage” is easy to track, but specific injuries are possible.  Easy and fun!  Taking damage can easily lead to gaining a flaw, like bad vision or a permanent limp.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Falling hurts.  Oh yes.  A fall of 30+ yards is an almost guaranteed kill for anyone.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Magic is hazardous to the wielder.Dangerous only to mages who go asking for trouble.  Spells are covert or vulgar, and vulgar ones (flashy, physics-destroying spells) are likely to backfire.  It's also more dangerous when performed in front of non-mages, called Sleepers.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Magic is not an “I Win” button or a guaranteed success.It's an "I Win" button in investigations.  Mages are ultimate detectives, at least in their chosen fields of study, and woe-betide the GM who tries to keep information out of their hands.  In most other situations, magic only aids the mage's mundane skill set. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Character power not tied to gear.  Gear is almost non-existant in nWoD.  Characters can invest in Resources and buy anything they like, but it's not going to fix all of their problems. </li> </ol></blockquote>

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