The Forge Archives

It's going on about two years in development, and I'm finally ready to release the outline for the book for public dissection.¹ Please, please, please take a look and pepper me with questions, suggestions, asshat bickering, and criticism regarding organization, content, or anything else that pops into your head.

1.0   Introduction²

1.1   Role-Playing Games
1.1.1   Overview
1.1.2   Game Moderator
1.1.3   Players
1.1.4   Implements of Play

1.2   Using the Text
1.2.1   Organization
1.2.2   Layout
1.2.3   Language and Usage

1.3   The Bullseye System
1.3.1   Overview
1.3.2   Design Goals
1.3.3   Strengths
1.3.4   Weaknesses
1.3.5   Comparison to d20

2.0   Conflicts

2.1   Checks
2.1.1   Process
2.1.2   When To Roll
2.1.3   Yield
2.1.4   Yield Table
2.1.5   Target vs. Opposed³

2.2   Modifiers
2.2.1   Modifier Table
2.2.2   Qualities
2.2.3   Situation
2.2.4   Impairment
2.2.5   Sample Modifiers [aid, equipment, lack of training]
2.2.6   As Comparative Measurements
2.2.7   Cumulative vs. Redundant

2.3   Targets
2.3.1   Target Table
2.3.2   Generation
2.3.3   In Relation to Modifiers

2.4   Spread
2.4.1   Spread Table
2.4.2   As Base Damage
2.4.3   Damage Modifier Table
2.4.4   Depletable Qualities

2.5   Quick 10

2.6   Summary

3.0   Player Characters

3.1   Generally

3.2   Mechanical Elements

3.3   Qualities
3.3.1   Quality Table
3.3.2   Forms
3.3.3   Setting-Specific

3.4   Accents

3.5   Color

3.6   Creation
3.6.1   Character Concept
3.6.2   Modifier Qualities
3.6.3   Modifier Accents
3.6.4   Depletable Qualities
3.6.5   Packages

3.7   Summary

4.0   Depletable Qualities

4.1   Generally

4.2   Relevant Checks

4.3   Depletion

4.4   Impairment

4.5   Restoration

4.6   Individual Pools vs. Group Pools

4.7   Multiple Depletable Qualities

4.8   Sample Depletable Qualities
4.8.1   Health
4.8.2   Sanity
4.8.3   Faith
4.8.4   Time

4.9   Summary

5.0   Character Actions

5.1   Timing
5.2   Order
5.3   Movement
5.4   Exotic Actions

6.0   Complex Conflicts

6.1   Generally
6.2   Sample Complex Conflicts
6.2.1   Combat
6.2.2   Grappling
6.2.3   Debate
6.2.4   Seduction

7.0   Injury

7.1   Hazards
7.2   Damage
7.3   Conditions
7.4   Impairment

8.0   Game Moderation

8.1   Calling for Checks
8.2   Clarifying Tasks
8.3   Setting Targets
8.4   Negotiating Modifiers
8.5   Interpreting Results
8.6   Character Advancement
8.7   Breaking Rules
8.8   Managing Players

9.0   Campaign Management

9.1   Settings
9.2   Adventures
9.3   Encounters
9.4   Opponents [NPCs]
9.5   Scaling
9.6   Selecting Depletable Qualities
9.7   Building Character Packages
9.8   Building Rules Sub-Systems^x
9.8.1   Magic
9.8.2   Superpowers

10.0   Variants

10.1   Alternate Dice
10.2   Bullseyes
10.3   Plot Points
10.4   Shifting Scales
10.5   Free-Form Character Creation

Appendix A: Glossary of Game Terms and Abbreviations
Appendix B: The Master Table
Appendix C: Character Sheet
Appendix D: Limited License for Derivative Works
Index

Essays⁴
"Everything Matters" – The nature and goals of role-playing and the methods of achieving those goals. Communication and social contract.
"A Game by Any Other Name" – Terminology and jargon and their importance.
"Conflict Resolution vs. Task Resolution: A False Dichotomy"
"Says Who?" - Narration Rights
"Salute the Flag" - Identifying and using Flags

Notes
¹I've touched on this before in other topics, but I employ a fairly odd method of design. Short version: I think and think and think and think some more. When I finally get ready to put pen to paper it goes pretty quickly. I have lots of notes and a few sections already drafted, but it's about 90% in my head.
²Part of the design paradigm for Bullseye is that I'm designing it as a transparent text along the lines of a computer instructional manual. The outline will be the table of contents. Each section will start on a new page. No illustrations whatsoever. That sort of thing.
³I really hate these terms. (Representing checks made against target numers versus opposed checks.) They're not particularly descriptive. They're not even parallel. Any suggestions for alternates would be greatly appreciated. More generally, using the "perfect" word for each game term is one of my nigh-unattainable goals. Comments regarding my choice of terminology are also greatly appreciated.
⁴In my never-ending quest to make Bullseye as unappealing as possible, I'm including a series of theory-related essays. I'm hoping they'll be both helpful for play and informative of the design philosophy. Any ideas for additional essay would be greatly appreciated.

A little background for reference:

Bullseye is a multi-genre (i.e., generic) system that is an organic growth from the system I used in Passages[/]>, which, in turn, is based on d20. It starts with d20 at its most fundamental. But I've taken it completely apart, stripped out everything but the core mechanic, and rebuilt it from the ground up to suit my needs.

The system itself is d20 + relevant modifiers vs. target number or opposed roll. All of the overwrought sub-systems are gone, e.g., grappling, special maneuvers, magic, etc. Everything is "skill" based. That's in quotes because there aren't skills anymore either. No feats. Characters are collections of bonuses and penalties that are relatively free-form in style ala SotC aspects. So, instead of Strength 16, a character might have "Strong as an ox +3" or, more appropriate to say a tall-tale setting, "Strong as Blue Babe +3". Everything is defined by bonuses and penalties, including setting-specific sub-systems, e.g., magic, psionics, super-powers, etc.

The other big mechanical change is spread and depletable resources. Spread is the difference beween the yield of the roll and the target number or opposed check. In conflicts involving appropriate stakes (e.g., combat), spread represents base damage as further modified by weapon lethality and armor. But the game also allows for depletable resources other than health points (i.e., hit points). You could have a game about faith. In which case, characters don't have health points but faith points (or possible both). So, if a conflict involves appropriate stakes (e.g., apostasy), spread would represent depletion of faith points.

My design paradigm is to release the ruleset for free in pdf format, at cost in print format, and then release settings as able. I've been "collecting" really cool setting ideas. It's inspired by (though not entirely similar to) the FATE release paradigm.

Any other questions? Anything else needed to facilitate a response?