My estranged game: Fragments of Imagination

[Shadeling]

Yes it is estranged in some ways...

I have been working on an RPG like the rest of us here...not to necessarily publish, but first and foremost for the sheer enjoyment of writing. I will probably just publish it to the web as a .pdf.

Now, I have had the hardest time creating a system mechanic that works for my setting.

The game takes place in a world that is undergoing an industrial revolution. It is also a fantasy world, with various races (no humans). Magic is eeking back into the world after a cataclysm eons ago. However, this magic is in the form of special items which people have to bond with in order to use the magic.

So it is an industrial fantasy game, with some victorian overtones. Exploration is really big too-people seeking to explore the deep jungles, the highest peaks, and what not...and of course to find the items to gain magic.

Have I given enough premise here?

Anyhow, I am having a difficult time as I have said, and I wanted to bring this before all of you here.

I wanted to try to have a cinnematic system, where weapons were still quite deadly, but in or out of combat, dramatic feats could be attempted.

Anyhow, I have scrapped the systems I have been trying to create, many times now.

First I had attributes (ranged -10 to +10) and skills (ranged 1-10), which were added to the roll of a d12 and you had to hit target numbers...I scrapped that.

Then I had only skills, and they were percentile. I scrapped that.


But note, I don't want it too heavy in system mechanics...I want the action to be quick and smooth.


So I have the setting, but no system to match and it is driving me crazy!

Anyhow, comment, critique, and suggest away. Anything can help.

Thanks!

[Paul Czege]

Hey,

Roy Penrod started a thread a while back that lays out a design approach that, although I haven't used it, I think is particularly compelling. Essentially, it starts with you writing an example of play like you see in most non-indie roleplaying games. Read his thread here:

http://indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1896

I'm only aware of one public attempt to use the method, by Christoffer (Pale Fire), but I was impressed at how well it worked to expose his priorities and get people talking about mechanics that support them. Read it here:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1926

Paul

[Mike Holmes]

What about using some available system? For example, is there any reason FUDGE wouldn't work for what you want? Start with that, and then tack on some stuff to represent the bonding rules (which really seem to me like the unique part of what you're describing). Then, if the ruleset you selected doesn't seem to work you can backtrack and change what's wrong with it, or replace it as the other mechanics take shape.

You can't just start with nothing, unfortunately.

Can you describe the magic item concept in more detail?

Mike

[Shadeling]

What about using some available system? For example, is there any reason FUDGE wouldn't work for what you want? Start with that, and then tack on some stuff to represent the bonding rules (which really seem to me like the unique part of what you're describing). Then, if the ruleset you selected doesn't seem to work you can backtrack and change what's wrong with it, or replace it as the other mechanics take shape.

You can't just start with nothing, unfortunately.

Can you describe the magic item concept in more detail?

Mike

I actually did think on using established systems. Like when throwing the % skill rules together, I had thought on BRP.

In regards to magic:

Well, in the time before, the gods destroyed themselves-shattering into millions of 'fragments'. People are finding Fragments, which contain a piece of the divine essence of a god or the powerful servants of said gods. A person must 'attune' to a fragment, in a sense bonding with it, in order to use the mystical power within. However, there are ways to use the power in a Fragment without fully attuning to the Fragment, but this can exhaust and eventually burn out the Fragment. One of the world's races has made use of the power within Fragments in technology. From Fragment powered power-plants, to sky-ships, to even fragment powered firearms (I call them bolter-arms in my game).
Anyhow, as I said those who do attune bond with a fragment. They can learn the secrets it has, and learn to use its power without burning the fragment out-by in a sense sacrificing their own strength to fuel the powers.

Am I sounding clear?

Any other q's?

[Paul Czege]

Hey,

Any other q's?

You skipped my productive suggestion and focused on Mike's non-productive one. His FUDGE suggestion was a throw-away; there's no way he can know if FUDGE or any system will meet your needs. And even the new description of the magic item concept isn't enough information about your vision for the game that folks will to be able to offer targeted, productive suggestions. What you're likely to get instead now is a fairly unstructured series of questions, people asking about character types and whatnot, for more detail about aspects of the game, trying to get a feel for what you're after with it. I'm serious, it won't be as effective for you as the example of play method would be. You should reconsider it. You'd get much more targeted and accurate recommendations of existing sytems, as well as people suggesting entirely original mechanics for consideration.

Paul

[Shadeling]

Hey,

Any other q's?

You skipped my productive suggestion and focused on Mike's non-productive one. His FUDGE suggestion was a throw-away; there's no way he can know if FUDGE or any system will meet your needs. And even the new description of the magic item concept isn't enough information about your vision for the game that folks will to be able to offer targeted, productive suggestions. What you're likely to get instead now is a fairly unstructured series of questions, people asking about character types and whatnot, for more detail about aspects of the game, trying to get a feel for what you're after with it. I'm serious, it won't be as effective for you as the example of play method would be. You should reconsider it. You'd get much more targeted and accurate recommendations of existing sytems, as well as people suggesting entirely original mechanics for consideration.

Paul

I didn't skip it, just hadn't commented on it yet. I already know how the entire setting is. I also already know how I want things to work-just don't know how to make them work. Following what that link proposes can help...but I am not stuck on the setting, and working through it will not necessarily help me with the system-I have written part of a story that goes with my setting. To me it is an example of things I want to happen in play...so me doing what you have proposed would be just like writing more fiction. I can show anyone the story if they want.
Am I being clear? I am a little tired right now, sorry.

[taalyn]

Here's how I went about figuring out Aisling's mechanic. Maybe it will help (I can sooo sympathize, as I went through the same agony as you're going through now). What would be the most characteristic randomizing act you could perform, in-game? For me, the question was, how would Fairies bet? I already had the motes in place, so they offered the key. For you, the question might be how do Victorian explorers with magical god-bits gamble? Of course, this method tends towards a non-dice method. And also mechanics imbued with flavor - Tasty Mechanix (tm)!

Other than that, you've got a lot of other questions to answer: rules lite or not? Lots of dice types, or not? Lots of traits, skills, characteristics, etc., or not? gritty or not? These might help us suggest things that might meet your needs. Otherwise, it's merely a matter of listing every mechanic every used until you find one you like.

Aidan

[Shadeling]

Here's how I went about figuring out Aisling's mechanic. Maybe it will help (I can sooo sympathize, as I went through the same agony as you're going through now). What would be the most characteristic randomizing act you could perform, in-game? For me, the question was, how would Fairies bet? I already had the motes in place, so they offered the key. For you, the question might be how do Victorian explorers with magical god-bits gamble? Of course, this method tends towards a non-dice method. And also mechanics imbued with flavor - Tasty Mechanix (tm)!

Other than that, you've got a lot of other questions to answer: rules lite or not? Lots of dice types, or not? Lots of traits, skills, characteristics, etc., or not? gritty or not? These might help us suggest things that might meet your needs. Otherwise, it's merely a matter of listing every mechanic every used until you find one you like.

Aidan

Good point. Thanks for the idea. I need to think about that.
To answer your questions:

Well I don't want it too rules heavy...but not so rules-lite it is like Everyway.
I don't want alot of dice types.
I do want a fair selection of abilities.
And I want combat results to have the possibility of deadly.

[greyorm]

I also already know how I want things to work...I have written part of a story that goes with my setting. To me it is an example of things I want to happen in play...

Then your task is to figure out how to make what occurs in the story happen using dice and a system. No one here can invent a system for you that works for your game.

Hence, my advice: sit down, read your story, make it into a play-account rather than fiction. Why? Because fiction and game-play are not the same thing by any stretch. The most obvious example of this is that the social issues of play (interaction among the group, character ownership, etc) and action-from-rules do not occur in authored fiction.

Wherever dice would be rolled or a system mechanic illustrated or explained, just make a note "dice rolled" or "mechanical event" to keep track of things you'll later want to focus on.

[Shadeling]

I also already know how I want things to work...I have written part of a story that goes with my setting. To me it is an example of things I want to happen in play...

Then your task is to figure out how to make what occurs in the story happen using dice and a system. No one here can invent a system for you that works for your game.

Hence, my advice: sit down, read your story, make it into a play-account rather than fiction. Why? Because fiction and game-play are not the same thing by any stretch. The most obvious example of this is that the social issues of play (interaction among the group, character ownership, etc) and action-from-rules do not occur in authored fiction.

Wherever dice would be rolled or a system mechanic illustrated or explained, just make a note "dice rolled" or "mechanical event" to keep track of things you'll later want to focus on.

Well I wasn't asking people to invent a game for me...that would be silly. Just wanted advice.

I will look at what you have said.

Thanks.