Game Mechanic musings 1

Something I wrote when becoming fustrated with Oblivion, wishing it had more freedom like a tabletop RPG but without the class stigma of traditional DnD.

Game Mechanics

Goal
To create a series of rules and parameters within which a scenario or campaign can be played out in a RPG. The rules themselves will utilise a mechanic that can be incorporated or extrapolated into a full table top wargame as well. The mechanics of the game will be able to lend itself to any genre and or setting that a game could take place in.

Tools
The base parameter in the mechanic will be attributes and abilities set as constants throughout the game for probability tests involving dice as random values to test against.

Players
The mechanics will allow for variable elements to test against. The players will have developed Characters to enact tests against. The characters will be the products of the Players design and choices in creation. Each character will have predetermined ability strengths and or weaknesses. The detail of the characters will determine how a game can progress and or limit player character ability. The level of detail will be predetermined by players and referee (commonly referred to as a Game Master).

Game Master
The setting, plot, opposing tests and adversaries are all governed by the Game Master. The Game Master will have at his disposal a number of guides and rules to govern player utility. The GM will also be able to create settings and environs that will provide further tests for the characters. Ultimately the GM will be able to implement any setting environ and character race or profession that they wish with ease under the rules in the Game mechanic.

The Characters
Ultimate discretion is with the GM here. With any open ended system, there will be permutations beyond the foreseeable permutation. The character limits will be decided upon before creation of the characters as appropriate to the game setting. The Characters will have a set of core attributes as designated by point allocation or random dice roll and or racial modifiers. The GM will decide how to implement further characteristics into the Player characters by choosing available “qualities” for character creation which in turn will be influenced by the scenario and setting.

Adversaries
The antagonist to the players protagonist. These will be the GM's tool for drama in game. As such the Non Player Character will be scaled against the Player Character for various tests. The GM will decide the attributes, qualities and level of detail accordingly. Tables will be available for the GM to help determine strengths of adversary used in the game planning.

Player Tests or Game Mechanics
Tests against environ and NPC will utilise a simple mechanic initially, though the GM will have the option of increasing the complexity involved at game setup.



Characters
The game system caters for differing levels of complexity for character creation with a complimentary complexity in the game played. While this may appear a waste of time to some, the onus is on the GM to appreciate where his players patience is regarding the complexity tipping point. All the character detail levels are listed with applicable creation rules. Note that a complex PC will require creation starting at “simple” progressing all the way through to “complex”

Simple Characters

Primary Attributes
PC's will be primarily governed by 9 attributes that will in turn determine further PC qualities. The attributes themselves are capped at a maximum score of 12 and minimum score of 3* for Human PC's. Other races can have higher or lower caps placed upon attribute values, there will be a guide presented for generic races across multiple game settings and the tools to create a racial type not explained can be utilised if so desired as well.

Intellect
The ability to find solutions. Not to be confused with book smarts.
Charisma
Speed of thought and wit. Not to be confused with physical beauty.
Wisdom
Common sense. Not to be confused with book smarts.
Resolve
Mental strength/toughness, stubbornness.
Strength
How strong the character is.
Agility
Physical dexterity, nimbleness. Not speed.
Physique
Body size. Initial Hit points.
Endurance
Physical resolve.
Speed
As it states, speed. How fast the character can move from point to point.

OPTIONAL: Physical Beauty.
There is a 10th attribute that can be applied if you so wish: Physical beauty. The Physical Beauty attribute is not necessary for the game as a whole but if you desire it there, so be it. The attribute is governed like so...

(Speed + Endurance + Strength + Charisma + Wisdom) / 5 = Physical Beauty (rounded down).

DETERMINING THE ATTRIBUTE SCORE
Two methods. Roll 2d6 for each attribute (but not for physical beauty, that attribute is decided by another method). OR from a pool of 55 points allocate scores accordingly.

*NB. An ability score cannot be lower than 3 on a rolled score, so if a 2 is rolled, give that role a value of 3 not 2. However if the attributes scores are allocated from the point pool, an attribute can be any value up to but not exceeding 12.


Subsidiary Attributes
After the scores for the primary attributes have been designated, the scores for the subsidiaries can be determined. These scores are detailed and built as follows...

Initiative
Initiative is determined by adding together Charisma + Agility
The score to determine PC action turn occurrences and reactions.
Dodge
Dodge is determined by adding together Wisdom + Speed
The score to resolve whether a PC can avoid physical damage.
Well
Well is determined by adding together Resolve + Endurance
The score that shows how many actions a PC can handle for a game turn. Also used to determine tests not physical (Magic or Psionic).
Strain
Strain is determined by adding together Physique + Endurance
The score to determine how much stress through indirect or direct means a PC can handle over a game turn.
Perception
Perception is determined by adding (Initiative + Strain) / 2 + Wisdom
The score to determine a PC's ability to perceive a detail or threat, and react against it.
Melee Attack
Strength + Speed + Endurance – Physique.
Ranged Attack
Charisma + Agility + Well – Physique.

Skills
To find out how many skills a character can select, divide the Charisma attribute by two and round up to the next number. This number will reflect how many basic skills a character can select at PC creation.

Skills are broken into differing genre sets so that starting skills reflect the setting. There will be some instances where skills can apply to other genres, ultimately whether or not they can be used and applicability is the GM's discretion.

Archery
Blacksmithing
Fletching
Melee Combat
Ranged Combat
Unarmed Combat
Climbing
Athletics
Thrown Weapons
Animal Care
Medicine
Reading and Writing
Astrology
Etiquette
Bluff and Intimidate
Slight of Hand
Piloting
Vehicle Maintenance
Energy Ranged Weapons
Kinetic Ranged Weapons
Meele Combat
Unarmed Combat
Diplomacy
Athletics
Biology
Vehicle Mounted Weapons
Languages Spoken
Languages Written
Engineering
Navigation
Trade
Etiquette
Firearm Maintenance
Biology
Recent History
Riding
Automotive Petrol
Automotive Diesel
Automotive Maintenance
Ranged Weapons
Firearms
Meele
Climbing
Athletics
Survival
Etiquette



Each PC starts the game with one point denoted to each skill. Every skill point is worth one D6 for skill tests. At creation nominate the basic skills as denoted by the Charisma attribute toward skills chosen by the PC. A maximum of 3 points only for PC's at creation.


Genres
available for these rules are as follows...
Classic Fantasy
Swords, Magic and mythical creatures.
Classic Science Fiction
600 years forward. Buck Rogers esque. Ray guns, Jet packs, Ship to Ship combat and Alien monsters.
Near Future Apocalyptic
Post nuclear disaster. 50 years after the bombs were dropped. Mutants and differing technology scales.

Rolling Initiative & Combat
Combat involves initiative tests before the actual combat testing occurs. A combat round is broken into a 5 second list of activities denoted by PC and NPC actions/movements. After initiative is rolled and weighted, a list action by PC and NPC order is made to determine actions and action dice. By rolling a D20 and adding the result to their initiative score PC's (and NPC's) determine their position in the list denoting order.

Jimbo the Dwarf has rolled a 3 on his initiative roll, adding it to his initiative score (11) making a total of 14. The GM rolls a 7 for his human theif Helbe adding it to his initiative score (15) making a total of 22. Helbe will have the first action in the order of actions.

After rolling and determining order sequence the GM will have to list Well points next to each PC to show how many dice are allotted to the entire turn sequence and PC's.
Helbe has a total of 8 dice for his Well and Jimbo has a total of 11 dice for his Well.
With the well points against each PC, the GM will have to track the action sequence and the amount of dice (Well points) still in play for the initiative round. After all the PC's have used their dice, initiative is rolled again and the process repeated until combat is resolved.

The Well attribute and its permutations
The Well is the centre point of all characters for resolving conflict. It directly represents the amount of dice a PC has over an initiative sequence. The Well can never be increased after creation and as such will limit players and reward players. A high Well doesn't necessarily mean a potent PC and a weak well does not mean a PC becomes a target. In building the score the PC nominates two primary attributes for the build. Resolve and Endurance. Resolve is attributed to thought related tasks requiring a physical component and Endurance is attributed to being a secondary factor in physical tasks. Whilst considering the PC build a player will have other attributes requiring attention to offset point nomination in the Well.






OPTIONAL: Magic & Psionic Mechanic

Magic and Psionics use the same mechanic for application to simplify their use. They are an optional part of the game and will not effect the balance of PC vs NPC in the game without being there. They're application centres around the Well and is reliant on the amount of dice available to the PC/NPC over the action sequences. So there is limitations set against the character utilising Magic or Psionics or both.

As the mechanic of the action sequence is limited only by the versatility of each PC/NPC well. So it rings true for each action the characters take. A player cannot take an action without utilising its Well. And if the Well is empty, then the PC/NPC is incapable of any actions.

It will cost a permanent loss of a single point from the WELL to enable a PC with Magic or Psionics (one only, if choosing both, another point should be removed).

Sequence of Actions required to utilise Magic or Psionics
1.Declaration
2.Well and Action spend.
3.Effect calculation/permutations- Saving throws.

Depending on the potency of the desired effect a PC can and will lose actions from the Well to fire off the effect, leaving them prone for awhile. This is the deliberate weakness of Magic and Psionics.