Action Tales! System Mechanic

[lictor]

Hello All,

I have working on a Pulp themed game 'Action Tales', and due to creative issues have moved from using an open licence System to an in house system and would like some feedback on the basic mechanic.

There are 3 Stats: Rated 1-5. The value in the Statistic is the number you must roll equal too or less on a d6 to score a success.  Your level in your Skills/Talents is the number of dice you roll when making a test. The difficulty of the action will modify your trait directly.

The more successes you have, the better your roll.

Thats the basics, what I want to know is if it is 'too basic'?

Feedback is welcome.

Ray

[Jeph]

Hi Lictor, and welcome to the Forge!

I would really appreciate it if you could tell us more about your game, in order to better help us help you. The rolling mechanics tend to not have much effect on an RPG, and those as you have presented are perfectly fine. However, if you tell us a few more specifics, including what you imagine the premise as being and how a typical session would go, you will probably recieve much better advice.

Good luck,
--Jeff

[Matt Wilson]

Hey Lictor:

I'm of the opinion that there's plenty of room for a well-done "basic" pulp game.

As for the mechanic itself, it's not too different from the basic concept behind both The Riddle of Steel and Arrowflight.

[lictor]

Thank you both for your comments.

And to address them...

From the beginning I wanted a game that allows for and even encourages heroic, cinematic style action. I don't want the flow of the story to be bogged down with complicated mechanics or chart reading, not that there is anything wrong with either mind you, its just that I want a game session to 'flow' like a good pulp story.  It should always be moving forward, and and when the time for action comes, I want it to be swift and easy.

I envision a typical campaign to be run Serial style, where each session has a rising action which leads to a climax of some sort where the big threat of the moment is defaulted/resolved, with a cliffhanger that leads into the next session.

The settings has many cities which are analogs of Real world cities, such as Empire City (New York) , Bay City (San Francisco) , and Capitol City (Chicago).

Here is  sample blurb from my website that sums up the feel I am trying for.

Action Tales! is the premier role-playing game of two-fisted Action, Adventure, and Derring-do, inspired by the pulp serials of old. In Action Tales, players portray Adventurers and Mystery Men who stand on the precipice of danger, jumping into the fray of bullets, broads, and barroom brawls, staring down death while safeguarding the innocent every day.

Please let me know if Im not addressing your question as well as you would like.

R.

[MachMoth]

It's a solid, tried and true mechanic, with a goal and setting that I have a strong affinity for.  What you've got here is beautiful.  

Personally, I'm curious about what mechanic(s) you intend to use to encourage the high-flying, action, as opposed to playing it safe.  While, you could go with "cool moves get bonuses," I find more creative high-action mechanics to be big draw in this type of game.

[lictor]

Wow, that was more then I was expecting [Blush]...

As to answer your question, I'm working on using a bonus point system called (maybe) a Moxie pool.  The more 'pulpy goodness' a chacacter displays, the more Moxie is added to the characters pool. Moxie is used to bump die rolls, for dramatic editing, and to power 'gimicks' which are nifty abilitys a character might have.

Its not that Heroic Stunts are any easier, but the system rewards their use.

I know its not amazingly innovative, but I think it will get the job done.

R.

[Matt Wilson]

Lictor:

The one thing I'll bug you about is what in this game is going to differentiate it? It's okay if you have a familiar mechanic, and a karma-point system, but those two things alone won't get me to put down my copy of Adventure, cuz it already gots 'em.

I'll give you some examples:

Donjon instead of the zillion fantasy games: I get to create my character's abilities, and there's a nifty fact-generating mechanic, to name two things.

Trollbabe instead of the zillion fantasy games: there's a built in story seed. You don't really fit in anywhere. Plus a really elegant set of rules that prompt players to think about creating a good story rather than the best tactical solution.

Those two games will almost guarantee an experience you won't have playing D&D.

[lictor]

That is a very good point you make, and one I have to wrestle with every time I take pen to paper (or fingers to keys in reality).

The big reason I decided to come up with Action Tales in the first place is that I didn't think that there was a game on the market that modeled the pulp genre the way I'd like it to be...which is quick and easy.

I too own Adventure! and love playing it, but like most WW games the system is tied to the setting. Sure you can hack at the system, and tack on your house rules to make the game more to your likeing, but that never really satisfied me.

Danger Inc, another good game is, well its the hero system, and while its great, few games get more complicated then it.

Im looking to make a game where it is as easy to create a character as in Feng Shui, and has a flexible enough mechanic that I dont need to have pages upon pages of rules to cover hundreds of possible actions a player might attempt.

I'll be honest, I dont have a good answer as to what makes this game special, other then that it is being developed by someone who refuses to make a bad game. I've been reluctant to design my own system because...frankly its sort of scary, but I have begun work on a Fudge (FATE varient) version, and an Action System version, and had to dismiss both because they didn't work as well as I would like them too. Dag nabbit I will go right back to the drawing board if this system doesn't work either.

To end my rant, my goal is to make a game that pulp fans will enjoy reading, AND want to play.

R.

[Mike Holmes]

One clarification: you say that difficulty affects the "trait". Is that the Stat, or the skill? That is, does difficulty increase the target number, or does it decrease dice?

Have you addressed the range issues? For example, if the difficulty increased the TN past 6 or dice below zero what happens? What about "contested" actions? How does opponent ability affect the difficulty? Do you have all of this stuff covered?

Mike

[lictor]

Currently I am having the difficulty affect the Stat, making the target number higher or lower. Thus far it really only allows for HARD  -1, Normal -0, and Easy +1.

Hope that clears it up.

R.

[lictor]

Wow, I have been away for a really long time...but as of last night, I am done with school and will be picking up with renewed enthusiasm where I left off before.

</rant>

[kenjib]

What are you thinking of for your reward system and how does it encourage the kind of bold, larger-than-life, play you want?

[lictor]

Marketing shpeel aside...

The plan is to give the players some sort of hero point bonus (in this case Moxie) and be generous enough with it to encourge its use.

Moxie can be used to get bonus dice, buy off wounds, activate gimmicks and more.

In order to use moxie, the description of the action must contain enough 'pulpy goodness'. Punching the mook, no action, leaping backwards off the 2nd floor balcony while shooting between your legs, only to crash down on the pooltable below... That takes Moxie!

One way players get more moxie is by having their character flaws activated, thereby giving up a certain degree of freedom for that scene (Yes I lifted that idea from FATE)

It is also given as a general reward for good roleplaying, and the occasional 'wow that was cool' award.

The main point is I WANT the players to use their Moxie, and not hold onto it just to buy off damage.

I hope that answers your question.

</rant>

[kenjib]

Do characters have a means by which they can improve their skills/talents?

[lictor]

They will, but the jury is still out on how I will handle it. I wanted to stay away from an XP system, but I also dont want players to cash in moxie to raise traits, as that would encourage them to save the points rather then use them during the course of the game.

One option I was thinking about has having the players set goals for their characters, and when those goals are achieved they will gain points to raise their traits or buy new gimmicks.