Pieces of Eight

[Jared A. Sorensen]

No, this isn't a collection of snippets from my doomed fantasy RPG. *sigh*

On the way home, I had an idea for some funky die mechanic. Usually, die mechanics bore me...I mean, they're all mostly the same. But anyway, this kinda grabbed me for some reason. BTW, this is going to be a rambling, disjointed mess of a post, but hey...it's my damn forum.

The following dice are used:

d2 (either make one using a six-sider or use a coin. Heads = a result of 2)
d4
d8

Four dice are rolled at once to get a result.

Die results of 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 are always ignored.

A die result of 2 is called a Minor.
A die result of 4 is called a Mid.
A die result of 8 is called a Major.

Each 2, 4 or 8 is a success.

Dice can be added together to get a better result (at the cost of less instances of a certain result). Frex, two Minors can be combined to make one Mid (2+2=4). Four Minors combine to make one Major (2+2+2+2=8). Two Mids also combine to make one Major (4+4=8).

Obviously, it's hardest to roll a Major, especially if it's a natural 8. Rolling four Majors (roll four eight-sided dice and have them all turn up 8's) is the best result possible. And not only are 8-siders the only dice that can roll a Major (without combining dice), they're more apt to score a successful result (ie: a 2, 4 or 8).

Abilities are measured with two values:
1) The # of sides per die (ex: d2).
2) The number of like-sided dice (ex: one roll of two d2's and 2 d4's).

I'm thinking that the Majors warrant more extreme results in play...while the Minors warrant less extreme results (but there is a greater chance of getting more successes). But what is a success? In the case of combat, perhaps a success = a hit. While the result (Major, Mid, Minor) describes the severity of the hit. So you could score a bunch of Minors against an enemy...but they're not as effective as a single Major.

Obviously this has some similarity to Godlike in that width and depth are both measured. If anyone has any ideas how (and if) this idea should be used, please let me know! :) I have a feeling a fun little dice game could arise out of this, but I haven't given it enough thought.

[xiombarg]

Well, if used in an RPG, you could take a page out of Donjon, and each success = a statement you can make about the success. But the Major, Minor, etc. determines how "extreme" that statement can be.

Or you could do a Pool-style thing with the successes. Normally you have, say, 4d2 and 2d4 in your pool for an attribute. You can either use the successes to peform well on the task being evaluated, or add a die to that attribute's pool for later. Minor = another d2, Mid = another d4 and Major = another d8. That way a weak character could use his successes in an arena to build up his power until the climax of the session, and then goe balls-out with a bunch of d8s he's accumulated. Such a setup might be good for any game where the goal is to build up to a climax, with small successes along the way.

[Paul Czege]

Hey Jared,

Die results of 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 are always ignored.

So, what happens if I roll all odds?

It's possible in the http://www.123.net/~czege/nicotinegirls.html">Nicotine Girls rules, if you roll all blanks or all blanks plus a number of minuses less than your Method, which means those minuses get discarded, to end up with a wholly non-determinative result. No one asked about it. They asked about things that blindsided me instead. I was prepared to answer about all-blank results:

Something happens so the conflict goes unresolved in the short term. Hulk and Thor are separated when the roof of the large sewer drain they're in collapses between them. The fight between Pammy and Mitch over the five dollars she took from his wallet is interrupted by a phone call from his buddy Steve, who injured himself with his circular saw and needs a ride to the emergency room.

Paul

[Jared A. Sorensen]

To be honest, I didn't give it any thought. I don't plan on doing anything with it...

[Bankuei]

Two things spring to mind:

•UA's 3 tiered magic system,
•The difference between training and talent...

The first part, is just a comparison, so food for thought.

The second, intrigues me.   Say, the number of dice equal training(more likely to succeed), while the type of dice indicate the talent(better type of success).  What I typically use to illustrate the idea is the tourist trap sort of portrait artist that whips out a portrait in 5 minutes compared to a master.  The first type of artist is highly trained, but his art is consistant, if not spectacular.  The second type isn't consistant, but his art is incredible.

Chris