[USR] OUTBREAK RPG - Ideas & an Outline

This post contains my initial ideas about the design and layout of the OUTBREAK RPG.  Of course, all of this stuff is subject to change.

 

Introduction

The rules will open with a transcript from a news report or a 911 call from a hysterical citizen screaming about zombies.  The news anchor/operator will be skeptical but by the end of the conversation it will be clear that something is not right.  This should continue on in other sections or at random spots in the book with a lab report, a police report, a journal entry or whatever else seems appropriate.

 

Included in the introduction will be a subsection on What You Need that will cover the same list in USR and also point people to the USR core.  I am making a supplement to the rules, not replacing them.

 

Character Creation

Players will be free to create a character that is appropriate for the modern world in a zombie apocalypse.  There will be examples of how to assign the Attribute Dice and Specialisms to come up cops, teachers, scientists, detectives, military personnel, and other character types.  There might even be the option to play a character somewhat similar to project Alice from the Resident Evil movies.

 

The Campaign

This section will cover various aspects of the game world.  This section will include a short history and background of the game world, information on weapons, equipment, encounters, the virus, and other information as well.   

 

Weapons & Equipment

A list of weapons and equipment stats will need to be provided.  Of course, the characters will also be scavenging for weapons, ammo, and fuel in many situations so there should be some scavenging tables.

 

Encounters

Not only will the characters have to contend with monsters brought to life but also other survivors.  Some of these other survivors may not be "good guys" so that could lead to conflicts. 

 

Bio-Weapons

This section will give details about the monstrosities the characters will encounter during the game.  What the general populace believes to be zombies are actually the result of an experiment by a weapons manufacturer.  There will be various types of bio-weapons with zombies being the most basic type. 

 

The Virus

This section will explain about the development of the virus and what specifically led to the outbreak.  At this point, I am thinking that there were several weapons manufacturers in a heated competition for government funds.  One of them got a significant advantage which led to one of the others looking for revenge.  It took years but they were able to get an insider into the leading manufacturer and sabotaged one of their plants - instant zombie epidemic.

 

This section will also explain how the virus is spread, how long it takes for the infected to turn, and the probability of a positive outcome from being infected.

 

The Antidote

Is there one?  The rumors of such a substance will definitely be the motivation behind some game sessions.

 

Organizations

There will be several organizations at work behind the scenes in this campaign.  This section will detail the creators of the virus, opposing organizations, militia groups, safe havens, etc.

 

Adventure

The plan here is to have several adventures in this section that will start a campaign shortly after the initial outbreak and progress up to the epidemic over several sessions.  The characters can learn rumors in some of these sessions and may hear about safe zones that they may attempt to reach, antidotes, or some other information that will serve to spark further adventure.

 

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That seems like a good start for now.  I am sure that I forgot something somewhere but I will get more detailed in the coming posts...

 

Dungeon Grind

 As gamers, we have all been faced with a playing session where one or more of the participants can not attend due to something unexpected.  It could happen for any number of reasons.  In some of these situations, there are other options that will allow the game to continue - DM can control the character, another player can control the character, the character could sit out for a session, or the remainder of the group could pull out a board game or something else.  Under any of these circumstances, game night can continue on.

There are also other times that an absence or two can have a tremendous impact on a game session so it would be best to just cancel.  Maybe the campaign is at an important crossroads?  Maybe several players have to cancel for the night?  Regardless of the reason, game night is officially cancelled and you are left with some new free time for recreation.  Sure, you could pull out a video game or a movie but that is not going to satisfy the itch.  You are really in the mood for some fantasy gaming, so what do you do in this situation?

My solution for this problem is a proposed game I call Dungeon Grind.  Admittedly, the experience will be different from playing a role playing game with a group of people and closer to something like a rogue-like game.  Although the experience will be limited in scope, it will still offer the basics of the role playing experience. 

The Concept Explained





The game rules will allow a single player to take a party of characters on an adventure through a dungeon, maze, etc.  Creating the party of adventurers is the first step in playing.  The player will have 4 slots in the party to fill with warriors, mages, priests, thieves, etc.  It is entirely up to the player how the party is made up.  Something similar to the characters produced in Searchers of the Unknown would be ideal; in fact, SoTU will serve as a great blueprint for many of the features of Dungeon Grind.  After the characters are created the party is ready for adventure. 

The player now sits down with dice, pencil, graph paper, party sheet, and rules to play the game.  The party always starts at room one on level one of the dungeon.  Using charts and tables in the rules as a guide, the player will generate the rooms and corridors of the dungeon.  The rules will also help determine monsters, treasures, and stairs down.  As the game progresses, the map gets drawn out on the graph paper.  You can keep playing and keep going further down in the dungeon for as long as you are alive or until you get bored.  If you got tired of drawing the dungeon as you go, you could swap a dungeon with another player and play through theirs.  A site that shares all of these dungeons could also be set up; people could download and play them. 

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I do not know if I would ever get around to doing anything with this but I might someday.  The idea just came into my head and I needed to get it out.  There is the basic idea. 

[Old Gaming Notebook] Fantasy Board Game Project II

I posted my initial thoughts for this board game design here; the original name of the post was Dungeon Crawl  I have not added to that initial post in a while but after posting the video for Hero Quest, Dark Tower, etc. I got the itch to expand upon the idea.

Name
This design will be temporary known as the Fantasy Board Game Project.  Yeah, I know that is real creative and all but I just need something to call this project for the time being.  That name pretty much sums up my intentions so that is what the name will be.  I originally wanted Dungeon Crawl but there is already a similar product with that name.  I also wanted Dungeon Delve but I believe that is taken as well.  I know there is another product by the name of Dungeon Quest so that is out too.  Maybe I will come up with something in the process of designing this thing...

Modes of Play
The ultimate goal is to provide a satisfying play experience in several modes of play:

• solo: single player sets up the game board with monsters, treasures, etc. and goes through the adventure alone.
• group:  multiple players - either cooperative or competitive - play through the adventure.
• quasi -RPG: an almost full on role playing game with a GM and a group of players.

Task Resolution
I think a simple, easy to follow universal task resolution method would be the best fit for this game.  I think the Action Result Table detailed in this post could serve the purpose well.  The ART could be put on a corner area or some other convenient spot on the board.

Characters
Characters will be defined by a simple set of statistics such as Melee, Ranged, Move, and a few others.  The character class will also have a special ability such as a thief being able to find and remove traps or a wizard being able to read magic scrolls found in the dungeon.

Game Components
In addition to the rule book, there would be a game board or several game boards in the initial core set.  These game boards could be mocked up pretty easily by using some of the boards found in the chess or checkers sets at any of the dollar stores.  Everything else in the game would be represented with a counter.  Each character would have a counter to use on the board while there would also be a matching character card with an illustration and game statistics for the player to reference during play.  All monsters, traps, treasures, etc. will be represented by a counter placed on the board.

Expansion Materials
There is a potential for a lot of expansion past the basic game.  There could be solo sets based on avoiding a  minotaur in a twisting maze or something similar.  Any expansion would include the necessary boards, counters, and rule information included.

The above is just some initial ideas.  More later...

2D6 or 2Dx?

I have come up with an idea about how to eliminate the Action Result Table (ART) from the game.  I am somewhat fond of the ART but I am also fond of this idea.  I can not take full credit for this idea because I came up with it after reading the latest post over at Back to the Dungeon! about a D6 - D6 resolution mechanic.  I liked the basic idea but put my own twist to it; details below.

Most of the ideas I have brainstormed for a 2D6 chart based game system will still work with these changes; it should only require minimal tweaking.  How about a 2D6 task resolution system with one positive die and one negative die?  You roll the two dice together, subtract the negative from the positive, add in any modifiers from attributes/skills/etc., and get a total.  If the final result is 1 or above, the attempted action is a success.  If it is 0 or below, the attempted action fails.  That would be for any standard difficulty tasks under the ART.  Do you want to simulate a Hard difficulty task?  The negative die is now a D8 and you roll with a positive D6.  Do you want to simulate a Very Hard difficulty task?  The negative die is now a D10 and you roll with a positive D6.  The necessity of the ART is now eliminated.

It seems pretty easy and elegant to use to me.  Of course, that is just a first impression with no play testing whatsoever.  Any suggestions?  What would you do - keep the ART or switch to 2Dx?  

2D6: Talents

Talents in the 2D6 system are the equivalent of skills in other games.  Each talent will be associated with a corresponding attribute.  A proposed grouping is listed below.

(MIGHT)

Climbing

(PROWESS)

Acrobatics

Riding

(KNOWLEDGE)

Literacy
Lore
Streetwise

Survival

(WILL)

Leadership

(There will also be other talents that are related to the role of the character.)

(Melee)
Berserker Rage
Two Weapon Fighting

(Ranged)
Double Shot
Quick Shot

(Magic)
Fast Casting


Again, this is just a placeholder for a list of ideas.  There will be more added during the design process.  More later...

2D6: Boons & Banes (partial list)

Just as a point of reference, here is some ideas for some of the individual boons and banes.

Boons

Ambidexterity

Charismatic

Fearless

Lucky

Photographic Memory

Strong

Very Strong

Banes

Clumsy

Forgetful

Hatred

Phobia

Unattractive

Unlucky

Weak

Very Weak

Just a short list to get the creative process moving.  I will add to this list and keep refining it through the design process. More later...

2D6: Boons & Banes

Okay, I am still working on a makeshift list of talents.  It is coming along but not quickly.  In the meantime, I will present a little bit of information about another area of the rules: boons and banes.  Many other games have rules corresponding to boons and banes but they just call them something different; advantages, disadvantages, edges, and flaws are just a few examples.  

Boons (aka advantages and edges)

Put simply, a boon affects a character or the situation in a positive manner.  They differ from talents by the fact that they represent something other than just training or skills.  Some examples might include security clearance, lucky, and fearless.  One of the mechanics involved will be rolling a 3D6 for any task related to the boon and the player picks which two dice to use for the task.  A second idea for a mechanic involves rolling the normal 2D6 but only picking one die for the total while assuming a 6 was rolled on the other die; this would be for a minor boon.  A major boon would use the assumption of a 6 on on die while rolling 3D6 and the player chooses which of the dice to use for the total.  All fo these methods give a chance for a higher roll and that is what a boon is good for.

Banes (aka disadvantages, flaws, and hindrances)

In a nutshell, banes are the opposite of boons and affect the character or situation in a negative or adverse manner.  Some examples might include phobia or unlucky.  Of course, they would work in the opposite manner of a boon and some would come in two levels - minor and major.  A minor bane would work with the assumption of an already rolled 1 and the player rolls 2D6 and keeps the lowest roll.  A major bane would work the same except involve rolling 3D6  while keeping the lowest result.

There are the basic ideas for how boons and banes might work.  Of course, it is all subject to change because it is just the rough draft.  More later...

2D6: Class, Role, etc.

After a player selects the race of their character and generates the attribute ratings, the next step in the character creation process is the selection of character class or role.  In my 2D6 system, this class or role will basically be a bundled together group of talents and a few other options that help to mold the character into a more focused direction.

I am attempting to detail the classes or roles in a manner that does not straight jacket the character into being useful in only limited situations.  Yes, I want the characters to be "better" or "best" in certain situations BUT I also want there to be situations where other classes would better handle the situation so the team aspect is encouraged.  

My initial impression on how the class or role information will be formatted is detailed below.

Name: The name of the class or role followed by a few sentences explaining the functions of that class.

Talents: The bundle of talents that will be the core building blocks of that class or role.

Other: A short list of special abilities, bonuses, and penalties related to characters playing this class or role.  This will include stuff like clerical healing, the ability to detect evil, or other similar abilities.  (This should be where the difficulty columns of the Action Result Table get the most use.  For instance, on a successful roll in the Hard column against knowledge, a mage can decipher a magic scroll.)

I would like a healthy amount of variation among the classes or roles so the players will have plenty of options to choose from.  A few ideas for the list of classes or roles are listed below:

Barbarian: a warrior of the wild that is prone to fly into an uncontrollable rage during combat.

Bard: a traveling minstrel type character desiring fame and fortune.

Cleric: a warrior-priest.

Druid: a nature priest.

Elementalist: a mage that uses the forces of the elements to aid him.

Knight: a noble warrior.

Mage: a worker of arcane magic.

Monk: a spiritual warrior that commonly groups together in a monastery.

Paladin: a holy warrior.

Ranger: a warrior of the woods; typically prefers bows.

Thief: an adventurer typically from the "wrong side of the tracks".

Warrior: a typical sword for hire.

Witch: a misunderstood magic user that is often thought to be evil.

That is just a basic list showing the general idea; not much detail yet and I am sure that much of it will eventually change.  I just needed to get it out there.  Besides, I still have a list of talents to complete.  More later...

2D6: Decisions and (some) Details

The last few days of work have been pretty demanding of my spare time but I am back at work on my 2D6 based game system.  First of all, I do appreciate the comments and suggestions made by all that did so; even if they went in directions that different from mine.  The responses ensured that I looked at differing views and design intentions instead of just simply deciding on something out of thin air.  If I do not wind up using your idea in my design do not take that as a slight on your part; it boiled down to a difference of opinion or point of view and not a judgment on quality or usefulness.  Feel free to continue with suggestions in the future - suggestions are always helpful to me - or, even better, take your ideas and start making your own game; I would love to give some input!  The information below contains the basic ideas I have decided to use for this design.

Narrow Focus

I believe there was some initial talk on my part of just trying to start with a system and then fine tune it to each genre.  That plan has changed.  The focus of the game will now be on the fantasy genre.  I feel that by limiting the focus to just one genre that it would be easier to complete.  I may move on to other genres in the future.

Task Resolution

The 2D6 fantasy game will use a single, unified Action Result Table to determine the outcome of all actions in the game; regardless if the attempted action is striking with a sword, searching for a trap, deciphering a code, etc.  I know many games have different mechanics for different actions in their rules - some of my favorites are guilty of this - but I am getting to the age that I would rather play than worry about cross referencing this rule on page 48 with that rule on page 210 while keeping in mind that I need to remember the optional method detailed on page 58.  You get the idea.  I hope to have clear, concise rules that do not need to referenced every time a player has his character perform an action in the game.  One of the ways I will accomplish this is by putting the ART on the character sheet.

Attributes

Each character will be defined in the most basic physical and mental sense by the use of a short list of attributes.  I have went back and forth on the number of attributes to include in the game.  I am still not 100% sure but after reading some of the previous comments I have figured out that it would probably serve me best to come up with a make shift list of attributes and see how the talent list interacts with them.  Once that is determined, I can adjust the number or definitions of the attributes to suit the game.  At this moment, I am trying out 4 attributes:

Might [M]: a measure of the character's physical strength, constitution, and overall health.

Prowess [P]: a measure of the character's balance, coordination, and reflexes.

Knowledge [K]: a measure of a character's ability to store, understand, and use information.  

Will [W]: a measure of a character's mental toughness and ability to fight off stress.

The attributes will be rated on a simple scale that is easy to follow.  Negative numbers (-1,-2, etc.) are considered below average, zero (0) is considered average, and positive numbers (+1, +2, etc.) are considered above average.

I have tried several different methods for attribute generation ranging from point distribution, archetype selection, to random rolls.  I wanted race to play a role in the determination of attribute ratings but I did not want to do the typical modifier to a roll.  Instead, I came up with a chart of weighted rolls that will tend to create characters matching the typical adventurers of that race; at least, I hope that is what the following chart does.

              Might 

If your roll is a...	Dwarf	Elf	Human
2	-1	-2	-2
3	-1	-2	-1
4	0	-1	-1
5	0	-1	-1
6	0	-1	0
7	+1	-1	0
8	+1	-1	0
9	+1	0	+1
10	+2	0	+1
11	+2	0	+1
12	+2	+1	+2

This table is just an example and not the finished results but you get the idea.  Of course, I just realized that the chart is not set up to have the middle range of rolls be the most common results.  I *think* that would make a difference BUT I am no mathematician so I really do not know if it matters or not.

Talents

Talents will be the skills of this game system.  They will get a rating similar to attributes and work in much the same fashion. I am working on the talents now.

Boons

Boons are advantageous abilities that will also serve to help further individualize and customize your character.  Normally, a character with a Might +1 is basically equally as strong and tough.  A boon of Strong makes him physically stronger.  I have two ways I am evaluating to simulate this.  First, the boon could be slightly strong (+1) or very strong (+2).  You would simply apply this bonus on top of Might when you are doing a task that is related to strength.  Second, the other option I am looking at just gives you a bonus D6 to roll.  I am not sure if you get to pick the 2 rolls you want to keep OR assume a 6 is there and you get to roll 2D6 and use the highest.  

Final Thoughts

That is it for now.  It seems to be coming together a little bit now.  I will continue working on the talents list to see where I stand on the attributes.  If anyone has any input, feel free to share. 

 

2D6: Attributes

One of my design goals with the 2D6 system is to keep the details to a minimum.  Part of that involves streamlining the list of attributes.  I have come up with a list of 3 broad attributes:

Might [M]: a measure of the character's physical strength and fatigue potential.

Prowess [P]: a measure of the character's balance, coordination, and reflexes.

Intellect [I]: a measure of the character's learning potential and reasoning ability.

I like the fact that the list is short and to the point.  I am not 100% sure that only 3 attributes will serve the purposes of this system.  I am unsure if I need to add another attribute that measures some form of mental toughness and stress resistance.  I think that social attribute stuff can be handled with talents or advantage type stuff.  I am designing outside of my comfort zone so I am sure it will take several attempts to get it right.

I am thinking that the race of the character will help determine the attribute ratings. I probably will not go with mechanical modifications to the initial scores that are rolled but something different.  Maybe a roll of 2D6 for each attribute on a chart in the race description.  This specific chart will be weighted to generate a rating in line with typical members of that race.  For example, an elf might have a might generation chart that looks something like this:

Roll            Score

2                 -2

3 to 8          -1

9 to 11         0

12               +1

It is easy to see that the majority of elf characters will have either a -1 rating or average rating.  Of course, selection of class/role/etc. could also change this rating in some manner also.  

More later...

2D6: Some More Ideas...

As I grow older and find myself with all of these real world commitments, I desire smaller sets of rules to learn and use during my play time.  I just do not want hundreds of pages of rules to reference and argue about.  The 2D6 design I am working on is a possible remedy to that situation.  I am pretty happy with the ART presented in previous posts; it may need some modification later but I think it is a good start.  It can be put on the bottom of the character record sheet for easy reference also.  In keeping with my goal of simpler game design, further possibilities are presented below:

Character Classes & Races

My original concept was to follow tradition by having the players select a race and class out of the ones provided in the rules.  Of course, the race and class selection might alter the attributes, skills, etc. of the character.  Instead, the players will now just simply state the class and race of their character.  For instance, Thomas Lightbringer is a Human Cleric of Karnak.  There you have the name, race, and occupation of the character.

Attributes

This is another area that I am trying to break with tradition.  Most games have a list of 6 to 10 attributes with labels such as Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility, Intelligence, Will, Wisdom, Charisma, Luck, Perception, etc.  These attributes fill a specific purpose in their game system.  I would like to go with a condensed list of only 3 or 4 broad attributes such as Might, Reflexes, Intellect, and Will or maybe Physique, Mind, Spirit, and Influence.  I am not sure if either of those will be the list but that is the basic concept of what I want to express with the attributes.

If I have not made it clear yet, the attributes will not have a numerical listing but will have a rating expressed as -2, -1 (for below average), 0 (average), and +1, +2 (for above average).  

Talents

Talents will be skills, knowledge, etc. that give a character a specific focused advantage in certain circumstances.  Maybe a minor talent will be +1 to +2  and a major talent will be +3 or +4 BUT it will be specialized and applied ONLY in situations involving the use of that talent.  Some possible talents include  chivalry, computer programming, etc.

More thoughts later...    

Check Out Project BTR

One of my favorite blogs to read is Project BTR by Doug Wall.  The "BTR" in the title stands for Better Than RIFTS.  In his blog, Doug examines the RIFTS rules and setting with the intent of designing a new system and setting that is inspired by RIFTS but "better".  Sure, "better" is a subjective term related to opinion and all that but this guy is doing some serious examination of the rules, setting, and assumptions of RIFTS.  I have not been a long time follower but I look forward to new posts there because Doug is not just another RIFTS-hater but a fan of the game that wants things (rules, setting, etc.) improved.  If you have ever been frustrated with the rules or setting of RIFTS, I highly recommend that you head over to Project BTR and give it a look.  Doug has my attention and I hope to hold his printed game in my hands some day.    

2D6: Expanded ART (proposed)

Based on a suggestion by Darius, I am fiddling with the idea of an expanded ART that will include difficulty categories into the table; the table still functions the same but opens up a little more variety.  The proposed changes are presented below.

Using the Action Result Table

1. The GM sets the difficulty of the attempted action; this determines the column to use in the ART.

2. Compare the character's Skill or Attribute Rating against the opposing Skill, Attribute, or Challenge.

2. Take the difference (positive, negative, or even zero) and apply it to a 2D6 roll.
 3. Refer to the appropriate column in the chart below to see the outcome of the attempted action.

Special rolls: There are two special rolls that are handled somewhat differently from the procedure outlined above. If a player rolls double 1s then the attempted action is an automatic failure with no further rolls needed. If a player rolls double 6s the roll is not modified by as in step 2 above. Instead, the dice are rolled again, added to the previously rolled 12, and then the modifier is added to the roll. Even if a task seems impossible a lucky roll just may be what it takes to save the day.

      Action  Result Table

Standard	Hard	Very Hard
2 or less	4 or less	6 or less	Mishap
3 to 5	5 to 7	7 to 9	Failure
6 to 11	8 to 13	10 to 15	Success
12 or more	14 or more	16 or more	Critical

The following guidelines may be used when interpreting the results from the Action Result Table.
Mishap: The attempted action not only fails but has unexpected consequences such as the character drops or breaks his weapon, accidentally injures himself, the spell backfire, or some other similar outcome. The decision is in the hands of the GM to determine the details of the mishap in correlation to the attempted action.
Failure: The attempted action fails to achieve the intended results.
Success: The attempted action succeeds and achieves the intended results; this could be anything from a moderate to success to a complete success depending on the circumstances. The higher the roll, the better the outcome.
Critical: The attempted action not only succeeds but also has unexpected benefits such as a major wound inflicted on the target, a bulls eye shot, or some other similar outcome. Again, it is the duty of the GM to determine the details of the critical in correlation to the attempted action.

It might still need a little tweaking but that's the general idea...

2D6: A New ART & New Direction

I have been brainstorming on the Single D6 design lately and I am temporarily suspending further design of it until I explore the possibilities with a 2D6 based game system.  I was fiddling around with the Action Result Table and came to the conclusion that  2D6 based ART would give much more variety and options for growth. The updated ART and information is presented below.

Using the Action Result Table

1. Compare the character's Skill or Attribute Rating against the Difficulty of the Action.
2. Take the difference (positive, negative, or even zero) and apply it to a 2D6 roll.
3. Refer to the chart below to see the outcome of the attempted action.

Special rolls:  There are two special rolls that are handled somewhat differently from the procedure outlined above.  If a player rolls double 1s then the attempted action is an automatic failure with no further rolls needed.  If a player rolls double 6s the roll is not modified by as in step 2 above.  Instead, the dice are rolled again, added to the previously rolled 12, and then the modifier is added to the roll.  Even if a task seems impossible a lucky roll just may be what it takes to save the day.

Action Result Table

If you roll a	The result is
2 or less	Mishap
3 to 5	Failure
6 to 11	Success
12 or more	Critical

The following guidelines may be used when interpreting the results from the Action Result Table.
Mishap:   The attempted action not only fails but has unexpected consequences such as the character drops or breaks his weapon, accidentally injures himself, the spell backfire, or some other similar outcome. The decision is in the hands of the GM to determine the details of the mishap in correlation to the attempted action.
Failure:   The attempted action fails to achieve the intended results.
Success:  The attempted action succeeds and achieves the intended results; this could be anything from a moderate to success to a complete success depending on the circumstances. The higher the roll, the better the outcome.
Critical:   The attempted action not only succeeds but also has unexpected benefits such as a major wound inflicted on the target, a bulls eye shot, or some other similar outcome. Again, it is the duty of the GM to determine the details of the critical in correlation to the attempted action.

A Single D6... (Part 2)

After my earlier post and the comments left by some readers, I had some more thoughts come to mind about  a role-playing game designed around using a D6 for all task resolution during play.  Some of these ideas are mine and some were taken from the comments left on the other post; no worries, I will give credit to any and all who contribute ideas in this continuing brainstorm process.

Inspiration and Concept

The inspiration and concept for this idea came from this comment on my post with the idea of using LEGO Heroica dice in an RPG:

Eldrad Wolfsbane said, "What about an entire RPG based on a single D6? Could it be done?".

After reading the comments on my original post and reading the suggestions made about such a design, I got a few more ideas of my own and decided to move forward with a little more design work on this game.  An additional design goal is for the number 6 to be important to the game in other areas of the game also.  For instance, I want the core rules to be done in 6 pages and all supplemental material to be done in 6 pages also.  I know that goal is limiting but it should make for a fun and interesting design challenge deciding what gets included and what gets removed.

Name
I still have not settled on a decent name for the underlying rules system. Some of the labels I came up with for this project include uno6, single6, unoDie, solo6, just6, and simple6. I am not sure if any of those are near as "cool" as I would like but they do get the point across.  I am probably leaning towards just6 or simple6 but I am still officially undecided.

Format
I am designing the rules with the intent of each rule book being no longer than 6 pages; in fact, if I can ensure that all rules and supplements are exactly 6 pages of content then that would be extra neat.  My plan is to do a core rule book, maybe a supplement of left out or optional material, a fantasy book, fantasy expansions, and then stretch out to other genres.

Core Rules

Since the goal is only 6 pages of rules the focus should be on including only what is essential to the game.  I think it might be best to have a player book and a game master book for the core rules.  I just do not think that character creation, combat, and gm stuff can all be included in just 6 pages.  If I discover otherwise, then I will go with a six page consolidated core rule book.

Characters
I would like character creation to be limited in detail but still offer a little bit of variety.  This is probably not a game system where campaigns could could last years unless advancement was slow.  It would be best to keep the defining aspects of characters to a minimum.  Something like this might work:

races: human only in the core rules.
stats:  Physique (physical power & toughness), Reflexes (balance and dexterity), Intellect (smarts), and Will (mental toughness).
talents: simple and broad skills that might pertain to play of the game
boons: advantages
banes: disadvantages

Task Resolution
Again, Eldrad Wolfsbane suggested doing a tiered set of values to show expertise and strike chances:

Unskilled 1 in 6
Average 1-2 on 6
Skilled 1-3 on 6
Very Skilled 1-4 on 6
Expert 1-5 on 6

Combat
Of course, combat would be handled with rolls of D6 also.  Ideas by Eldrad Wolfsbane include:


1 What you were trying to do goes very wrong.
2 What you were trying to do goes wrong.
3 What you were trying to do barely succeeds.
4 What you were trying to do succeeds.
5 What you were trying to do goes very well.
6 What you were trying to do goes far better than expected.

MODIFIERS

Hand to hand subtract -2
Clubs -1
Blades and Bullets
Large Blades and Bullets +1
Explosions +2

Armor
Light -1
Heavy -2

Agile -1
Very Agile -2

Talent level would also add subtract.
Unskilled -1
Average 0
Skilled +1
Expert +2
Master +3

This version of combat is completely simple BUT it would make the players and enemies think twice about combat.


A few sample enemies

-Town Guard with Spears and Muskets wearing Light -1 Armor.

-Expert +2 Assassins with Two Handed Swords +1 Wearing heavy Armor -2. That would be a total of +3 to hit and -2 to be hit.
Everyone gets six skill points. You may only put 3 in one skill only. After 6 adventures you get 1 point, then after 7 adventures you get another point and so on.

I kinda played with this system above.

Very deadly but kinda fun.

Blood everywhere!

Two normal guys Fed and Barney going at each other with swords both roll the highest get first hit a natural 6 (Fred) and the looser gets a 3 (Barney). Barney dies in a pool of blood as Fred cheers!

One roll to determine to hit, initiative, and damage. Very fast system!

There could be a simple speed modifier that adds to the roll only to determine if the character goes first and not for damage purposes.

Quick +1
Very Quick +2

On the roll above Barney's effective place in the round would have been a 5 if he were Very Quick. Still too slow for Fred's quick hit with a sword.

Armor and Agility BTW subtracts from the attacker's dice roll.

Fantasy Rules
Three races covered in base fantasy rules - dwarf, elf, and half-elf.

A set of classes to include warrior, mage, rogue, and maybe a few others.

Weapon damage would be handled as suggested by the Zenopus Archives:

short weapons 1d6-1
med weapons 1d6
long weapons 1d6+1
two-handed weapons 1d6+2

Other areas that would need detailing for a fantasy version would be monsters, magic, and treasure.


Other Genres
The base stuff could very easily be used for most genres with no problem but then you run into problems such as how do you have firearms all use D6 and all choices still be viable?  That is definitely something to consider.  I would like to maintain the 6 pages of rules - no more or no less - in each rules pamphlet.  You might need several pamphlets for one genre, though.  For example, you might need Fantasy, Magic, and Campaign Setting pamphlets to play in a fantasy setting.  All of them would be 6 pages each so the rules would only total 18 pages for fantasy and 6 for core.


Next?
I am going to try and consolidate all of these ideas together into a coherent set of core rules and maybe some fantasy rules to follow...

A Single D6... (Part 1)

This entire post was inspired by this recent comment here in response to my post about using LEGO Heroica dice for a role-playing game:

Eldrad Wolfsbane said, "What about an entire RPG based on a single D6? Could it be done?".

My initial thoughts were that such a game would probably be very limiting and would not be played very much at all.  After thinking about it for a while, I am starting to wonder if that initial reaction is wrong.  Could a role-playing game based on the roll of a single six sided die occupy the players with a satisfying play experience?  It might seem limited at first but I think it might be worth investigating to see what can be done with a game designed around that idea.  A little brainstorming on my part produced the following thoughts.

Goal

An RPG design that uses only a single D6 for all task resolutions in the game.  Damage immediately comes to mind as the only area that needs to use different dice than just a standard D6.  There are, however, other options that will maintain the D6 only resolution mechanic.

Damage could be a specific set amount for each weapon. For example, a club could do a static 3 points of damage. To offer some variety, the damage of each weapon could be altered by the character's strength adjustment.  For example, the previously mentioned club that does 3 points of damage could do 5 points of damage in the hands of a character with a +2 strength adjustment.  Now there is a method to do damage that does not negate the design goal of a single D6.

Name

All role-playing games should have a decent name for their underlying rules system.  I like attaching cool labels to projects so a few I came up with include uno6, single6, unoDie, and solo6.  I am not sure if any of those are near as "cool" as I would like but they do get the point across.

Genre

The best bet would probably be to avoid genres - such as supers or science fiction - that provide the opportunity for a very wide character power range.  The genre should be more limited in power and could probably be done with a single D6 for western, horror, modern, or maybe even fantasy.  

Task Resolution

I am thinking that a simple chart similar to the one in the Talislanta rules might be the best option.  A player would roll and apply any attribute or skill modifiers to the roll.  Then the GM would call for any adjustments based on the situation or opponent and then consult the chart.  There would be differing levels of success or failure based on the total of the roll.  A quick playing simple system would probably be for the best.  

Final Thoughts

The ideas expressed above are just my initial thoughts on a single D6 role-playing system.  I honestly do not know if I will further develop it at all.  I just wanted to get these ideas out of my head.  It has been my experience that many campaigns are shorter than they were in the old days so I think a satisfying play experience could be realized from a simple set of rules with these ideas if it was done properly and characters did not drastically improve over a short period of time and the power level was kept at the appropriate level.