Neonchameleon
Legend
PCs add the round number to their To Hit rolls meaning they get better as the combat goes on. And learn about the enemy.
Your Favorite Core Mechanic sans Setting?
- Thread starter Khaalis
- Start date
PCs add the round number to their To Hit rolls meaning they get better as the combat goes on. And learn about the enemy.
CarlZog
Explorer
I'm still a big fan of Alternity's core mechanic. Roll less than your skill value on 1d20 +/- a second "situation die". The difficulty of the task determines the value of the second die (d4, d8, d12 or d20) and whether it is added or subtracted.
Replacing a wealth of fixed die modifiers with a single second roll created a little more variation, but still had a mesa-looking dice curve compared to multi-dice pools.
Bonuses and penalties are expressed as steps up and down a scale of the possible dice combos starting in the middle at 1d20+d0.
Replacing a wealth of fixed die modifiers with a single second roll created a little more variation, but still had a mesa-looking dice curve compared to multi-dice pools.
Bonuses and penalties are expressed as steps up and down a scale of the possible dice combos starting in the middle at 1d20+d0.
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My favorite core mechanics are:
1. Fate Core - each roll is Skill+4dF; invoke aspect(s) for +2; stunts offer +2 bonus or a rule exception in specific situations
2. Powered by the Apocalypse - each move has a trigger in fiction ("to do it, do it"); each roll is 2d6+[stat]; 10+ is a full success, 7-9 is a "yes, but...", 6- is a trouble (hard move - painful consequences you can't avoid)
3. Cortex Plus - roll a number of dice, taking one from each category on your character sheet (if it fits what you do in fiction); compare the sum of your 2 highest dice to the sum of opposition's 2 highest dice; rolled "1" are complications
1. Fate Core - each roll is Skill+4dF; invoke aspect(s) for +2; stunts offer +2 bonus or a rule exception in specific situations
2. Powered by the Apocalypse - each move has a trigger in fiction ("to do it, do it"); each roll is 2d6+[stat]; 10+ is a full success, 7-9 is a "yes, but...", 6- is a trouble (hard move - painful consequences you can't avoid)
3. Cortex Plus - roll a number of dice, taking one from each category on your character sheet (if it fits what you do in fiction); compare the sum of your 2 highest dice to the sum of opposition's 2 highest dice; rolled "1" are complications
Skytheen
Explorer
Totally agree. I came here to say this, too.
Bagpuss
Legend
While I tend to agree, it has issues with things like learning new skills, or improving skills that are very low to begin with so never get a tick for successful use. Or improving skills that are rarely used but critical when they are like demolitions, etc.
I think Runequest 6 made some nice improvements on it, with it's experience rolls system, that allowed you to improve not just skills but characteristics, buy new skills and improve what you like, not just what you were successful with.
Iron Sky
Procedurally Generated
Epic RPG is my current favorite.
Core mechanic is 2d10+skill, with difficulties at 5/10/15/20, etc. Same range as d20 but with a nice bell curve.
Stats are -10 to +10. Physical stats effect things like your health, how much you can carry, and damage while Mental effect how easily you advance in skill levels. Generation is d100 on a bell curve, so a -10 is 01, -9 is 02-03, -8 is 04-05, while a +0 is something like 35-75 so really good (or terrible) stats are really special and rare. To determine your starting skills, you roll what your parent's did, a random event that happened while you were a kid, where you were apprenticed, and a random event that happened while you were an adolescent. These weave an interesting story into your background right off the bat.
One of my favorite parts of the whole system is how you increase skills: any time you roll a critical fail (1 1) or critical success (10 10), you get to make a Progression Check. Roll 2d10+the related attribute, success means your skill increases by 1. This gives a little hint of gamble to every roll and even critical fails are exciting. It also means the only skill you advance in are the ones you use (or the ones you seek out a trainer to teach you). All advancement comes from in-world action.
At skill levels 3/5/7/9 you can take specialties that give you bonuses with blades, a certain school of magic, climbing vs running, etc.
At skill level 5 (starting characters generally have 10ish 1s and maybe a 2) you can take a Skill Mastery in your specialty that lets you break the rules in some way when using that specialty - multiple attacks, casting low level spells for free, climbing at full move speed, etc. At skill level 9 you can take a Grandmastery that is generally Epic. Both of these require finding someone that already has the Mastery/Grandmastery in-game to teach you, and generally spins off a mini-arc focused on your character while they track down a teacher and go through some trial to achieve their Mastery.
The magic system is pretty rad too with each type of magic being very distinctive while still using the same 2d10+skill unified mechanic:
Philtrology is kinda "magical herbalism" lets you make potions, salves, poisons and the like.
Alchemy has you you making proto-chemistry concoctions that explode, melt metals, turn iron into gold, create glues or sticky foam, etc.
Mentalism is psychic powers - mind control, suggestion, etc.
Metaphysics lets you alter the natural scientific laws in the local area - turn light into gravity, heat and cool things, increase/decrease air pressure, etc. This on is neat as it's pretty damn scientifically accurate.
Theurgy is what most people would be familiar with split into Curses and Hexes, Evocations (usually centered around your familiar), and Divinations (reading moles, phrenology, casting stones, etc).
Shen is super kung-fu - think Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon style running on bamboo leaves, punching through walls, paralyzing limbs, and kicking people's armor off.
Sample spells are things like summoning a shackle anchored to something nearby and an opponent's limb, summoning wind armor that makes it harder for you to be hit (or for you to attack), a cloud that rusts your opponents' armor and weapons, suddenly making your opponent ravenously hungry so their blood sugar drops, making people forget how to walk, reversing entropy in an area, x-ray vision via neutrino bombardment, summoning creatures like your familiar then turning them into bombs, etc, etc.
Instead of character classes they have Organizations that you join. These are all unique to whatever the setting is, so instead of being a Bard that's a member of the Harpers, your Profession would be "Harper". Each one has a set of skills they get, a particular skill that is the "Core skill" - your rank in the skill determines your rank in the organization - as well as a Secret Mastery and a Secret Grandmastery for the Core skill that replace the usual Mastery and Grandmastery with some ability or power unique to that organization.
This last bit really grounds your characters, giving them implicit contacts, responsibilities, goals, allies, enemies, reputations, and immediately giving them a role in the world.
In combat, your attack roll is your damage roll +/- your weapon's Impact. For example, if you roll 15 to hit and your opponent doesn't parry or evade it, your base damage is 15. If you hit with a dagger (Impact -5) you dealt 10 damage. If you hit with a great axe (Impact 8) your damage is 23. The drawback: you subtract your weapon's weight from your Order(initiative): If I rolled 15 for Order, my dagger (weight 1) would drop it to 14 while my great axe (weight 8) would drop it to 7.
It's all pretty sweet.
Core mechanic is 2d10+skill, with difficulties at 5/10/15/20, etc. Same range as d20 but with a nice bell curve.
Stats are -10 to +10. Physical stats effect things like your health, how much you can carry, and damage while Mental effect how easily you advance in skill levels. Generation is d100 on a bell curve, so a -10 is 01, -9 is 02-03, -8 is 04-05, while a +0 is something like 35-75 so really good (or terrible) stats are really special and rare. To determine your starting skills, you roll what your parent's did, a random event that happened while you were a kid, where you were apprenticed, and a random event that happened while you were an adolescent. These weave an interesting story into your background right off the bat.
One of my favorite parts of the whole system is how you increase skills: any time you roll a critical fail (1 1) or critical success (10 10), you get to make a Progression Check. Roll 2d10+the related attribute, success means your skill increases by 1. This gives a little hint of gamble to every roll and even critical fails are exciting. It also means the only skill you advance in are the ones you use (or the ones you seek out a trainer to teach you). All advancement comes from in-world action.
At skill levels 3/5/7/9 you can take specialties that give you bonuses with blades, a certain school of magic, climbing vs running, etc.
At skill level 5 (starting characters generally have 10ish 1s and maybe a 2) you can take a Skill Mastery in your specialty that lets you break the rules in some way when using that specialty - multiple attacks, casting low level spells for free, climbing at full move speed, etc. At skill level 9 you can take a Grandmastery that is generally Epic. Both of these require finding someone that already has the Mastery/Grandmastery in-game to teach you, and generally spins off a mini-arc focused on your character while they track down a teacher and go through some trial to achieve their Mastery.
The magic system is pretty rad too with each type of magic being very distinctive while still using the same 2d10+skill unified mechanic:
Philtrology is kinda "magical herbalism" lets you make potions, salves, poisons and the like.
Alchemy has you you making proto-chemistry concoctions that explode, melt metals, turn iron into gold, create glues or sticky foam, etc.
Mentalism is psychic powers - mind control, suggestion, etc.
Metaphysics lets you alter the natural scientific laws in the local area - turn light into gravity, heat and cool things, increase/decrease air pressure, etc. This on is neat as it's pretty damn scientifically accurate.
Theurgy is what most people would be familiar with split into Curses and Hexes, Evocations (usually centered around your familiar), and Divinations (reading moles, phrenology, casting stones, etc).
Shen is super kung-fu - think Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon style running on bamboo leaves, punching through walls, paralyzing limbs, and kicking people's armor off.
Sample spells are things like summoning a shackle anchored to something nearby and an opponent's limb, summoning wind armor that makes it harder for you to be hit (or for you to attack), a cloud that rusts your opponents' armor and weapons, suddenly making your opponent ravenously hungry so their blood sugar drops, making people forget how to walk, reversing entropy in an area, x-ray vision via neutrino bombardment, summoning creatures like your familiar then turning them into bombs, etc, etc.
Instead of character classes they have Organizations that you join. These are all unique to whatever the setting is, so instead of being a Bard that's a member of the Harpers, your Profession would be "Harper". Each one has a set of skills they get, a particular skill that is the "Core skill" - your rank in the skill determines your rank in the organization - as well as a Secret Mastery and a Secret Grandmastery for the Core skill that replace the usual Mastery and Grandmastery with some ability or power unique to that organization.
This last bit really grounds your characters, giving them implicit contacts, responsibilities, goals, allies, enemies, reputations, and immediately giving them a role in the world.
In combat, your attack roll is your damage roll +/- your weapon's Impact. For example, if you roll 15 to hit and your opponent doesn't parry or evade it, your base damage is 15. If you hit with a dagger (Impact -5) you dealt 10 damage. If you hit with a great axe (Impact 8) your damage is 23. The drawback: you subtract your weapon's weight from your Order(initiative): If I rolled 15 for Order, my dagger (weight 1) would drop it to 14 while my great axe (weight 8) would drop it to 7.
It's all pretty sweet.
Skytheen
Explorer
Cool! I hadn't heard of Epic before. Thank you.
