Any Book: a 4 page FRPS

[Kester Pelagius]

Greetings All,

This is one of those "rummaging around in old folders" kind of re-discoveries.  Apparently I started this last November/October and forgot about it.  So, after cleaning it up a bit for the past hour or whatever (somewhat of a semi-complete mess) and finishing the odd section or three, here it is.

Let me know if you think this is worth PDFing and putting up.

Anyway I thought this might be of use to those here wondering where to start in developing a system.  Sorry about the length.


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius

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The Any Book™ Role Playing System

Copyright © 2002, 2003 By C. Demetrius Morgan


1.0 What is Any Book?

Any Book™ is a template FRP system providing a method to use any book as a role-playing game.  Role-playing is a social activity and will require friends to play.

1.1 Why Any Book?

Simple.  While developing my RPGs I have, however unconsciously, found myself more often than not using a simple system to create character types; or rather to distill and define character types within the context of the rules system that I have developed.  Many times such efforts required heavy wrangling yet, from time to time, certain character archetypes transferred almost effortlessly.  At some point I took note of this and realized that, beneath everything I was doing, there was a simple methodology at work which, if it could be put into words, anyone could use to create their own RPG environment.

1.2 What is the purpose of Any Book?

To allow others access to one possible method of distilling their favorite novels into playable games.  Of course the process requires work, treat Any Book as a guide and let it help you develop the basics.


2.0 The Basics

Step 1. Identify Character Types

Character types are can be distilled in simple terms as anything thing that is a "noun" such as: Soldier, Astronaut, Enchantress, Witch, Space Marine, Vampire, and etcetera.

Step 2. Identify Traits and Abilities

Traits and Abilities can likewise be reduced to simple terms, namely anything that is an "adjective" or "verb":  Adjectives, being descriptors, thus primarily translate into Traits. While verbs, being words expressive of action, best translate into "Abilities".

2.1 Choose a Book

Now that you know the basics choose one of your favorite books and try it out.  Go ahead, it's not that difficult, just grab a book off the shelf!

2.2 How to Use the System?

Let's say you want to play in a western style setting.  It's been bugging you for days, but you don't have any role-playing games set in the good old Wild West.  But you really want to play in a western, and that means you're going to have to create one!

But how to define and set up a Cowboy within the context of a RPG environment, especially if you had to do it from scratch?

One way, obviously, might be to grab a dictionary or your favorite novel and try to put together details as best you can.  With Any Book this process becomes much easier.  To start let us examine the following definition from Webster's Third New International Dictionary (Unabridged):

"cowboy  1: a boy that tends cows  2 a: one of a band of loyalist guerillas and irregular cavalry that operated mostly in Westchester county, New York, during the American Revolution ... b: an outlaw or gangster in the early days of the U.S. West."
Of course everyone who has every seen a Cowboy Movie could probably add a number of factoids such as Cowboys use guns, they ride horses, wear cowboy hats, etcetera.  Now let us reduce this into a character template.

Now it's time to apply the basics as outlined above. . .

Step 1: Character Type?

This one is obvious enough, Cowboy.

Step 2: Traits?

Cowboys are quick, courageous, and often cunning.  Thus we could give them physical attributes such as Reflexes, Bravery, and Sense.  (Or we could just give them the Traits of Courage, Quickness, and Cunning!)  If you don't like the examples provided in the text you can always change them real easy.  Just grab a thesaurus!

For instance in our above example Sense could easily be redefined as Wisdom, Intellect, Brains, or. . . well you get the idea I'm sure.  It's really that simple.

The main rule of thumb in choosing your naming conventions is to try to keep within the familiar terms of the genre in which your game is to be set.  This is where your favorite novels will come in handy; in fact you should have on in front of you already!  Grabbed one?  Good.  Open the book.  As you read see what the writer has used as common terminology, take notes, and start building up from here.

Step 3. Abilities?

Again this one is easy enough.  A few abilities for the typical cowboy might be, Riding (Horses), Bronco Busting, Cow Herding, Roping (lasso), Gun Fighting, and etcetera.  Not all that difficult is it?

It's really amazing simple once you realize all that you need to do is describe what makes a character who they are in order to define them within the context of the Any Book™ FRP system.  Of course there is a bit more to it than this, obviously.


3.0 Rules of Play

The range of scores Any Book™ uses for Traits and Abilities should range from -6 to +6 with 0 indicating that the character is considered to possess this Trait or Ability as average and everyday.  These are your characters statistics, modifiers, and skill at what they do.  How is this determined?  By using rules that are quick, simple, and relatively painless to apply.

3.1 The Set Up

Every game needs a set up and to be set up.  Obviously this means that it will be necessary to decide on what sort of game is desired to be played, this can be as easy as choosing a favorite novel or brainstorming on a basic concept based on a movie or television show.  Of course all of this will go for naught unless you have an actual physical place to get together to game.  So be sure you have somewhere to set up for play and a set up for what is going to be played!

Step 1. The Gaming Group

To begin get together with your gaming group to discuss the characters as you create them.  Not only with your fellow gamers help conceptualize your character concept they will have helpful insights and ideas and, most important, keep you from over or under balancing your character.  Once you have everyone at the gaming table it's time to consider the character you are creating.  First, will it be a he or a she?  Second, are they very good at some specific thing but maybe bad at others?

Step 2. Defining the Character

Always start with gender if only because this is the easiest part of your character to define.  If not certain just choose one.  Next, consider the Traits and Abilities.  How good (or bad) would you say the character is at that trait on a scale of 1 to 6?  Mark this numerical value down as either a '+' or '-' on your character sheet.

What do you mean I didn't mention character sheets?  Ok, take a deep breath; you can use that bit of scratch paper you should have been taking notes on.  Alternatively grab some scratch paper or an index card and transfer the Traits and Abilities you have settled on for your character concept on them.  When done take a look at what you have.

Step 3. Goals

Simply put this is defining the reason why you are playing.  If you're not sure ask yourself a few simple questions like:  What are the characters after?  Is there something special about the setting in which your newly created characters are going to play that compels them to do something?  If so does the game end when the objective is achieved?

For instance a group of cowboys may have a goal of going after rustlers, finding lost cattle, or just about anything that you've seen in a western.  Conversely, if you had just watched a Hammer Horror marathon and were taken by the idea of playing a Vampire Hunter then your characters goals are not likely to remotely involve cattle or rustlers!

Remember the golden rule of Any Book™ is: Maintain Genre Expectation.


3.2 The Important Bits

Every game requires some method to randomly determine what the players are able to accomplish.  Like most board games Any Book uses standard six sided dice, two of them to be precise.  In fact you may want to rummage around your closet and grab a few.

Ok, now that you have your dice, take a look as your character sheet.  Those statistics will be applied to all dice rolls as either positive or negative modifiers, depending of course on what you recorded.  If you recorded a stat as '0' then you will have to rely upon the auspices of change and the die roll.

All actions in Any Book are base on rolls vs. a TN, where the TN is represented by Difficulty and the roll based on Achievement.  Achievement represents how easy a task is to achieve in X# of dice (xD) to be rolled against Difficulty.  Difficulty and Achievement to be set by group consensus in accordance with the context of the story as it unfolds.

Note:  Difficulty ranges from 2-12.  Achievement rolls are made OVER the TN.

For instance if a Cowboy has been called out for a High Noon face off, and they decide they want to attempt to quick draw and shoot the gun out of their opponents hand the group may decide this is a Achievement of 2 based on the characters previous actions, but assign it a basic Difficulty of 9.  Thus the player would thus roll 2D6, adding any relevant modifiers.  She rolls an 8.  But has a +1 to Quickness.  The group determines by a group vote of 3 to 1 that she can apply this bonus to her roll thus indicating success!

And there you have it.  Any Book™ the Fantasy Role-Playing system.  Enjoy!

[Mike Holmes]

A couple of technical notes. The system says you roll "over" the TN for success, but the example says that all you need to do is equal the TN.

I assume that if the difficulty is low enough that the dice plus stats make the roll academic, that you just don't roll, right?

And just to be clear, you're suggesting that the players all vote for Dice, TN, and what bonuses apply on each and every roll?

I see no reason not to make a PDF of any system. Do you mean to sell? What are your goals for the system?

Mike

[Simon W]

AnyBook AnyFilm AnyTVShow more like.

Works for me.

Except 'generic' systems are never truly generic. You'll always think of another rule to cater for that odd little something that a new book throws up.

Look at GURPS (I hate that system). But then your Anybook system does start from a much simpler basis. So I still like it.

Gideon
The Truly British Game Designer!

[Kester Pelagius]

Greetings Mike,

A couple of technical notes. The system says you roll "over" the TN for success, but the example says that all you need to do is equal the TN.

Should be equal to the TN or over.

I assume that if the difficulty is low enough that the dice plus stats make the roll academic, that you just don't roll, right?

Good question.

As I see it one could rule that any action whose base DIE roll would equal the TN would be considered an automatic action.  Unless the group wanted to implement fumbles of some sort.

And just to be clear, you're suggesting that the players all vote for Dice, TN, and what bonuses apply on each and every roll?

More or less.  Basically the group will be establishing the precedant for rolls as the game develops and evolves.  Granted this may not work with groups who like to argue about minutia, but that can easily be fixed by allowing for the calling of a group vote.  (Or relying on the arbitration of the group's GM, providing one is designated.)

What sort of situation did you have in mind?

I see no reason not to make a PDF of any system. Do you mean to sell? What are your goals for the system?

The honest answer: If anyone were to offer me money to print it in their magazine. . .  Sure!  :)

It's short enough to be a article yet it's also a game.  Yet is could also be used as a introduction to the basics of setting up a game, establishing setting, and creating characters.  Probably could benefit from some expanding here or there though?

As to the systems goals:  Provide players a quick and easy way to adapt their favorite book (or whatever) for play.  Meaning, if not one has any suggestionsf or revisions, I'd probably give the document a quick once over for obvious errors, PDF it, and put it up at the Yahoo group I set up?

Unless anyone knows of a RPG magazine that might be interested in a article/game such as this?


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius

[Kester Pelagius]

Greetings Gideon,

AnyBook AnyFilm AnyTVShow more like.

Works for me.

Yep, the just about anything RPS.  That's Any Book!  :)

Except 'generic' systems are never truly generic. You'll always think of another rule to cater for that odd little something that a new book throws up.

True.  Might need to include a paragraph or two on how to handle that?

Look at GURPS (I hate that system). But then your Anybook system does start from a much simpler basis. So I still like it.

Thanks!


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius

[Kester Pelagius]

Greetings,

Alrighty then if no one has any further comments or suggestions I'll be going over what I have then PDF it and put it up at the ever so secretive Yahoo group that can be accessed via my sig.


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius

[Thomas Tamblyn]

I like it - I must admit that at first I thought it was another of the million and one generic task resolution systems out there, but I like the way that yours is specifically for turning a book/film into an rpg.

As for notes on how to expland the rules - don't bother, I can't think of anything not covered under what you have here.

It probably won't take the world by storm, but it knows what it does and it does it well.

[Kester Pelagius]

Greetings Mr. Tamblyn,

First, for those interested, a PDF of the rules is now up at the super secretive Yahoo of mine.  Just be aware I've been playing around with OpenOffice so it's probably an example of the worst use of graphics in a PDF since, like, ever.  *rolls eyes*

I like it - I must admit that at first I thought it was another of the million and one generic task resolution systems out there, but I like the way that yours is specifically for turning a book/film into an rpg.

Thanks.

As for notes on how to expland the rules - don't bother, I can't think of anything not covered under what you have here.

It probably won't take the world by storm, but it knows what it does and it does it well.

Yeah, there probably isn't much more that can be added, aside from examples of how to use the rules.  Though I think what would even be better are links to sites like Gutenberb, Blackmask, and maybe a bookseller or two since having a book in front of you is really the best way to use AnyBook.

Of course other eyes and minds tend to pick up on the little things, glaring errors and ommissions, authors grow so accustomed to seeing they overlook and fail to see, even though to others they leap off the page.

Glad to know I didn't have any.  ;)


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius