New Game: Base Stats

[WhiteTiger]

Hey there,
I'm new here and I've been workin' on trying to make my own game for a while now.  This, essentially, is the gist of my gaming system:

Stats:
Stats are your character's basic abilities; How smart they are, how strong they are, how fast they are, all of this is determined by these stats.  You get 80 points to allocate between the different stats, but you must allocate at least 1 in each one.  A stat of 10 is average.
Strength: Your character's physical strength. (Str)
Power: Your character's spell/energy strength. (Pwr)
Stamina: Character's physical toughness. (Sta)
Reflex: Ability to react. (Ref)
Speed: The ability to out maneuver and dodge. (Spd)
Technique: Overall skill- From Cooking to Sewing to Art to Martial Arts. (Tec)
Intellegence: Intelectual strength; "Smarts". (Int)
Charisma:   People skills. (Cha)
After each lvl you gain, you gain another stat point.

Vitality:
Your Vitality is basically how much damage you can take and how much you can resist.  They also tell how much mana you have for magic before you have to rest.
Hit Points-How much damage you can take before you go unconcious.  Reach your HP at a negative number and you die.  ([Str+Sta]/2 + Lvl)
Energy-How much energy your character has to cast his/her spells.  ([Pwr+Int]/2 + Lvl)
Damage Resistance-How much damage you can shrug off every day (Sta/2)
Shock-The amount of damage you can sustain from each attack before you becomed stunned (Sta/2)
Init-Initiative; determines your order in battle ([Spd+Ref]/2 + Lvl)

Skills:
Skills are your character's talents; what your character is able to do, learn, or understand.  Your character has an amount of skill points equal to their Technique + Intellegence.  The total amount of the skill cannot exceed your Intellegence or Technique score.  When attempting to use one of your skills, you must roll d%.  The base number you have to roll in order to succeed at a skill without any points is 5+(Related Stat) or lower.  For every point in the skill you have, you increase your chances of succeding by 5 points.  If you roll a 96 or higher, you automatically fail the check.  Certian situations may increase or decrease the base check number.  EX:  Gil's using his Diplomacy skill to talk over some ladies.  He has a Charisma of 12 and 5 points in Diplomacy.  Gil would have to roll a 42 or lower (5+12 Cha+25[5 Diplomacy*5]) to succeed at gathering any information from the ladies.  If the ladies find Gil attractive, the GM might decide to give him a bonus.  If Gil is trying to smooth talk a biker who he just walked into, he would probably get a penalty.

Attacking and Defending:
Instead of having to roll to see if you hit by getting under a certian #, both players roll their attack/defense and adds up all the bonuses.  If the attcker's total is higher, the attack connects.  If the defender's total is higher, the defender escapes with no damage.  A roll of "00" is the best in the game.  If the attacker rolls a "00" and their total is greater than their opponent's, it is considered a critical hit and the attack would do double damage.  If the defender rolls "00" and their total is higher than that of the attacker, the defender has the opportunity to perform a counterstrike on that same turn.  For purposes of the game, "00" in combat equals 100, while in any other instances, "00" is 0.

This is the basics of it.  I still need to work on a spell/ability system, so if you guys have any suggestions, please let me know!  Thanks.

[Nathan P.]

Hi there, and welcome to the Forge!

Before addressing your mechanics, I'd like to ask some "standard Forge questions" about your game. What is it about? That is, what do the characters do? What does the GM do, or is there a GM? Whats gonna make your game fun to play? How do you envision a session of play going?

What games have you played? How many different kinds? Are there any that you're looking to for inspiration here, or any that you're trying to get away from?

Your answers will help us give you some good, critical feedback.

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya!

Welcome to the Forge!  Like Nathan said, before we can really help you with your stats and mechanics, we do need to know what "the point" of your game is.  When I designed my first comercial RPG, I made the same assumtions you did: "Stats come first in the books, so I should establish the stats for my game first."  

Stats, skills, spells, and all that sort of thing are great but they tend to be the kind of stuff you develop towards the middle of your design.  First you need to think about things like why do the characters exist?  What's their motivation?  Is there an all-encompassing issue facing the world or are the PCs just adventurers out for fortune and glory?

Peace,

-Troy

[WhiteTiger]

So, you're saying that I should think about what the purpose of the game is before I get into the mechanics?  Alright, here it goes...

What is it about?
-Essentially, what I had in mind, is that it's a modern world with fantesy abilities like Magic or Ki.  However, the system is open for different genres, but I'll be refering to a modern/fantesy setting.

What do the characters do?
-The main purpose for the characters is probably to either gain even more power or to figure out how they got their powers.

What does the GM do, or is there a GM?
-The GM leads the players down the path to his world and through his/her story.  Eventually, the GM will give vital information and tack on little twists here and there.  Such as a goal that has been set and is within reach only to find that it's only the beginning, and that the adventure continues outside the confines of the city.

Whats gonna make your game fun to play?
-I think the fact that the characters are modern and yet they have abilities like that of their favorite fantesy/video game characters.  Remeber that age old question, "If you had the chance to get any super power in the world, what would it be?"  Now they have to ask themselves, "If I were given the powers of my choice, how would I use them?"

How do you envision a session of play going?
-Little dice rolling, they only cloud up the storyline.  However, the dice are nessesary to determine successes when the characters get into a fight with the local bully, a drunk, or even a mystical demon that came out of no where.

What games have you played?
-As far as RPGs go, I've played DnD(TT), Phantesy Star Episode 1 & 2(GC), Diablo 2(PC), Werewolf and other WhiteWolf games(TT), and Everquest(TT & PC).

How many different kinds?
-Table Top, PC, Video Game Systems

Are there any that you're looking to for inspiration here, or any that you're trying to get away from?
-I'm looking to WhiteWolf mainly for insperation, but when it comes to specific stats, DnD is what I look to.

Why do the characters exist?
-That's for the players to figure out.  It could be to save the world, to do a corrupt government's dirty work, or to figure out why every body is shunning them or trying to capture them.

What's their motivation?
-In most cases, their motivation would probably be to survive till the next day.  However, this can vary from the hero/heroine trying to save their family/friends to trying to foil someone else's plot out of pure spite.

Is there an all-encompassing issue facing the world or are the PCs just adventurers out for fortune and glory?
-There will definatly be an encompacing issue.  Wheither or not the character will be able to do anything about it depends on the issue and what the character's abilities consist of.

And BTW, do you guys know of a TCG Creating forum?  I've been working on trying to make a TCG but my last idea was taken by my friend so he can use it for his RPG's combat system.

[Troy_Costisick]

So, you're saying that I should think about what the purpose of the game is before I get into the mechanics? Alright, here it goes...

==Yes indeed, and it looks like you're off to a good start.

What is it about?
-Essentially, what I had in mind, is that it's a modern world with fantesy abilities like Magic or Ki. However, the system is open for different genres, but I'll be refering to a modern/fantesy setting.

==Either way is great, but if I had to make a recomendation, I'd go ahead and solely focus it on modern fantasy.  If you choose internet resources or suppplements can add on more later.

What do the characters do?
-The main purpose for the characters is probably to either gain even more power or to figure out how they got their powers.

==Okay, great!  I see this as a good blend of Gamism (getting more power) and Narrativism (figuring out how/why they got thier powers).  The two are mutually exclusive play styles and should both be rewarded by the mechanics in your system.

What does the GM do, or is there a GM?
-The GM leads the players down the path to his world and through his/her story. Eventually, the GM will give vital information and tack on little twists here and there. Such as a goal that has been set and is within reach only to find that it's only the beginning, and that the adventure continues outside the confines of the city.

==Okay, this is where you might have some issues, so I'd like for you to ellaborate a bit on this.  Does the GM write the story from begining to end including what paths, clues, and choices the PCs will have to make? Or does he just come up with specific events that must happen, but let the PCs have control on how they get there?  For more information see "The Impossible thing Before Breakfast" in the Provisional Glossary

Whats gonna make your game fun to play?
-I think the fact that the characters are modern and yet they have abilities like that of their favorite fantesy/video game characters. Remeber that age old question, "If you had the chance to get any super power in the world, what would it be?" Now they have to ask themselves, "If I were given the powers of my choice, how would I use them?"

==That's a very good premise.  I like it.

How do you envision a session of play going?
-Little dice rolling, they only cloud up the storyline. However, the dice are nessesary to determine successes when the characters get into a fight with the local bully, a drunk, or even a mystical demon that came out of no where.

==So your system will involve skill rolls only when it comes to combat?

What games have you played?
-As far as RPGs go, I've played DnD(TT), Phantesy Star Episode 1 & 2(GC), Diablo 2(PC), Werewolf and other WhiteWolf games(TT), and Everquest(TT & PC).

==I might suggest Sorcerer and GURPS supplements as good resource material for you.  At the very least, it will give you some ideas to work with.

What's their motivation?
-In most cases, their motivation would probably be to survive till the next day. However, this can vary from the hero/heroine trying to save their family/friends to trying to foil someone else's plot out of pure spite.

==IMHO, surviving to the next day isn't all *that* compelling.  I would encourage you to work on this concept some.

Is there an all-encompassing issue facing the world or are the PCs just adventurers out for fortune and glory?
-There will definatly be an encompacing issue. Wheither or not the character will be able to do anything about it depends on the issue and what the character's abilities consist of.

==I like the first part of your answer, but not the second.  Should the stats really dictate a character's ability to explore his situation?  What kinds of stats might prevent him from finding the "evil dudes" who are trying to enslave all the magic users in the world?  If he can't "do anything about it" can he still advance?  Is there some way to do something about it, and yet not change the overall nature of the setting?

And BTW, do you guys know of a TCG Creating forum? I've been working on trying to make a TCG but my last idea was taken by my friend so he can use it for his RPG's combat system.

==Hmm, can't help ya there.  Though, I do believe at least one person on this site is creating a TCG.

==I have a few more questions now :)  Are all characters in your game magic users? Why or why not?  Is there any way a charcter can reach a "state of happyness" or "state of protection" from the Big Bad Evil Force other than defeating it (eg Guilds, Sanctuaries, Remote Paradise)?  What role, if any at all, does religion play in your world or is such a thing even necessary?  

==That's enough for now.  Im sure others will chime in with even better and more though provoking questions and answers than I have.  I look forward to what you come up with.

Peace,

-Troy

[Eero Tuovinen]

As for system, I suggest considering whether you really need a new one. From what you've told it seems that your game would fare passingly fine with, for example, Hero system, which does character powers and getting more of them quite well, without restricting GM in any way. Classic participationist system.

By using an existing system you can concentrate on creating your campaign arc and color content much better.

[TonyLB]

Hi WhiteTiger!  Let me joint the chorus of greeting.

It seems (to me) that you've got some unexamined assumptions about what a game must be.  If, to the contrary, you've come to your opinions after serious thought then I will, of course, stand corrected.

What does the GM do, or is there a GM?
-The GM leads the players down the path to his world and through his/her story.

Why?  What makes the GM's story better than the story that a player figures out and tailors to suit their character?  And, particularly, what makes either of those better than a story that is made up of contributions from everyone at the table working together?

How do you envision a session of play going?
-Little dice rolling, they only cloud up the storyline.  However, the dice are nessesary

First, dice are not the enemy of story.  Rules systems that aren't designed with story in mind are the enemy of story.  Dice are just their tools.  Games like My Life with Master and Inspectres turn the dice into tools of drama.  I strongly recommend a thorough read through (and play session of) at least one of those.  They're well designed systems where the rules help foster story.  A little time playing, and seeing how that mechanic evolves, is a great investment for anyone planning to design for story.

Second, dice are not necessary.  Nobilis, just to name a comparatively main-stream product, has no random element of any kind.  The unpredictable nature of the game arises from the unpredictable nature of the players around the table and the characters they play.

Those assumptions having been nit-picked, I'll say that I'm in agreement with Eero.  The style of play you're describing seems (to me) very well served by the mainstream industry.  Shop around.  There are games out there that will do exactly what you're looking for.  You don't need to reinvent the wheel.

[WhiteTiger]

Alright, Let me take another shot at some of these.

What does the GM do, or is there a GM?
-The GM leads the players down the path to his world and through his/her story. Eventually, the GM will give vital information and tack on little twists here and there. Such as a goal that has been set and is within reach only to find that it's only the beginning, and that the adventure continues outside the confines of the city.

==Okay, this is where you might have some issues, so I'd like for you to ellaborate a bit on this. Does the GM write the story from begining to end including what paths, clues, and choices the PCs will have to make? Or does he just come up with specific events that must happen, but let the PCs have control on how they get there?

-How about, the GM sets up events that, depending on the players' actions, may or may not happen.  It is also the GM's responcability to take the motivation of all the players' characters and find ways to allow them to accomplish this.

How do you envision a session of play going?
-Little dice rolling, they only cloud up the storyline. However, the dice are nessesary to determine successes when the characters get into a fight with the local bully, a drunk, or even a mystical demon that came out of no where.

==So your system will involve skill rolls only when it comes to combat?

-I messed up my answer on this.  I ment dice rolling would have little part in story but are using to determine successes depending on how the characters choose and select their skills, which can range anywhere from art to combat.

What's their motivation?
-In most cases, their motivation would probably be to survive till the next day. However, this can vary from the hero/heroine trying to save their family/friends to trying to foil someone else's plot out of pure spite.

==IMHO, surviving to the next day isn't all *that* compelling. I would encourage you to work on this concept some.

-Yeah, that was a stupid answer.  The motivation of a character is determined purely by the player.

Is there an all-encompassing issue facing the world or are the PCs just adventurers out for fortune and glory?
-There will definatly be an encompacing issue. Wheither or not the character will be able to do anything about it depends on the issue and what the character's abilities consist of.

==I like the first part of your answer, but not the second. Should the stats really dictate a character's ability to explore his situation? What kinds of stats might prevent him from finding the "evil dudes" who are trying to enslave all the magic users in the world? If he can't "do anything about it" can he still advance? Is there some way to do something about it, and yet not change the overall nature of the setting?

-In my defense, I was tired, lol.  Anywho, yes, there will be an encompacing issue, but the issue, depending on the ages of the characters and their affiliations if they have any, could be city-wide, state-wide, or world-wide.

As for your other questions:

Are all characters in your game magic users?  Why or why not?
-This is a hard question to answer.  I guess this would to be determined by the player.  The thought of being able to use magic is amazing.  However, I'm sure that other people would be just as happy using a sword to slay a demon, no matter how flashy a big ball of fire is.  On the other hand, the character may like doing things mundanly, but could also possess magical powers that they can fall back on, so...yeah, I guess all the characters are, more or less.

Is there any way a charcter can reach a "state of happyness" or "state of protection" from the Big Bad Evil Force other than defeating it (eg Guilds, Sanctuaries, Remote Paradise)?
-Guilds/Affiliations could be built for the characters to have resources at their disposal, but if the "Big Bad Evil Force" knows the location of one such place, I would imagine that even if there were major security measures, they wouldn't do much good.

What role, if any at all, does religion play in your world or is such a thing even necessary?
-Religon's roll in the game is determined by the players.  Religon could be a factor that the characters don't want to think about on top of everything else happening around them, or it could very well bve the source of their powers.

[daMoose_Neo]

*raises hand*

Card game designer, right here. Ask away, PM or what ever.
No I know of no resources for specifically devloping CGs. Unlike RPGs, CGs require a significant investment and thus, I believe, many CG designers are in the 'dreamer' stage many homebrew RPGS were a decade or so ago.
HOWEVER, the Forge here is an invaluable resource for independant publishing. Mediums and requirements are different, but there is a great deal of advice and several avenues available here that are quite useful  ^_^

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

-How about, the GM sets up events that, depending on the players' actions, may or may not happen. It is also the GM's responcability to take the motivation of all the players' characters and find ways to allow them to accomplish this.

-That works for me.  Just so long as you make it clear that it is the players that provide a part of the story and it is the GM that provides part of the story.  Neither has sole control over the events, order, and consiquences.

-I messed up my answer on this. I ment dice rolling would have little part in story but are using to determine successes depending on how the characters choose and select their skills, which can range anywhere from art to combat.

-Cool.

-Yeah, that was a stupid answer. The motivation of a character is determined purely by the player.

-Nah, don't beat yourself up.  If the motivation is to be provided by the players, will there be a mechanic to help them do so?  Or at the very minimum, at least a list of ideas?  (I think if you could make some mechanic for it, that would really make your game strong.  But that's just me, take everything I say with a grain of salt.)

-In my defense, I was tired, lol. Anywho, yes, there will be an encompacing issue, but the issue, depending on the ages of the characters and their affiliations if they have any, could be city-wide, state-wide, or world-wide.

-Great!  So is player-character advancement tied to confronting the Antagonists or is it something separate or is a blend?

Are all characters in your game magic users? Why or why not?
-This is a hard question to answer. I guess this would to be determined by the player. The thought of being able to use magic is amazing. However, I'm sure that other people would be just as happy using a sword to slay a demon, no matter how flashy a big ball of fire is. On the other hand, the character may like doing things mundanly, but could also possess magical powers that they can fall back on, so...yeah, I guess all the characters are, more or less.

-I just wanted to ask because it sounded like the Big Bad in your game was interested in collecting magic users.  Therefore, I thought maybe all PCs used magic and were therefore valuable to him.  I just wanted to make sure I understood what your setting was all about.  On a side note, perhaps the non-magic users function as body guards for the magic users?  Also, one quick thing.  You mention using a sword to slay a demon.  This is a more "modern" time period, correct?  So are demons and such only vulnerable to swords? Or other certain kinds of weapons?

-Guilds/Affiliations could be built for the characters to have resources at their disposal, but if the "Big Bad Evil Force" knows the location of one such place, I would imagine that even if there were major security measures, they wouldn't do much good.

-That's fine.

-Religon's roll in the game is determined by the players. Religon could be a factor that the characters don't want to think about on top of everything else happening around them, or it could very well bve the source of their powers.

-If the characters aren't going to want to think about it, then you as the designer probably don't want to either.  I just threw it out as something for you to consider.  It is NOT necessary for religion to be included in your game in any way, shape, or form.  And if you think it would clutter things, then forget I ever brought it up :)

Peace,

-Troy

PS: You're doing a fine job.  After we get done hashing all this out, I suggest you make a separate post about your resolution mechanics.  But nail one thing down at time, though.  :)

[WhiteTiger]

If the motivation is to be provided by the players, will there be a mechanic to help them do so? Or at the very minimum, at least a list of ideas?
-Sure, I wouldn't know where to begin withthe mechanics, but a list would probably be provided.

So is player-character advancement tied to confronting the Antagonists or is it something separate or is a blend?
-I think it would be a blend.  Of course, a system would have to be set up for it, but not all experience should be from combat; You don't just learn things by fighting thugs.

On a side note, perhaps the non-magic users function as body guards for the magic users?
-That sounds plausable.

This is a more "modern" time period, correct? So are demons and such only vulnerable to swords? Or other certain kinds of weapons?
-Nah, that's just what came to the top of my head...I'm a fan of swords.  Especially double swords, I think they are pretty awesome...but that's niether here nor there, is it?

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

If the motivation is to be provided by the players, will there be a mechanic to help them do so? Or at the very minimum, at least a list of ideas?
-Sure, I wouldn't know where to begin withthe mechanics, but a list would probably be provided.

-Suggestion: Perhaps a mechanic that gives them a small bonus while they are addressing their motivation, and a small penalty while they are not.  While the penalties would have a minimal but noticeable effect on the character's overall effectiveness, it would have a major effect in the player's motivation to stay on task.

So is player-character advancement tied to confronting the Antagonists or is it something separate or is a blend?
-I think it would be a blend. Of course, a system would have to be set up for it, but not all experience should be from combat; You don't just learn things by fighting thugs.

-Okay, that's cool.  I won't pursue that line any more with ya.  We'd get into award system specifics and that should be in a separate thread.  Good answer tho.

On a side note, perhaps the non-magic users function as body guards for the magic users?
-That sounds plausable.

-This might be pretty cool.  The bodyguard's motivation would be to protect the magic user- thus (if you use the mechanic above) he would almost always have his bonus.  It would be up to the magic users to determine the direction of the party.  It might really work for ya.

-Anyway, I think you're off to a good start.  I really like your ideas so far and am sure they would make an excellent starting point. :)

Peace,

-Troy

[tldenmark]

Hey there,
I'm new here and I've been workin' on trying to make my own game for a while now.  This, essentially, is the gist of my gaming system:

Stats:
Strength: Power: Stamina: Reflex:Speed:Technique: Intellegence: Charisma:

Vitality:
Hit Points; Energy;Damage Resistance; Shock;Initiative

Skills:

Attacking and Defending:

This is the basics of it.  I still need to work on a spell/ability system, so if you guys have any suggestions, please let me know!  Thanks.

Like everyone else here my first thought was "what for?" as in what is the setting or point of the game. But my second thought was "why so many stats?". I personally design from a minimalist point of view, I only put something in a game if it really needs to be there. I'll take that concept so far that I'll try to collapse as many things into as few elements as necessary. Then I build up from there only what is needed.

For example to a player is there really going to be that much difference between Reflex and Speed? Is it going to come up so often in the game that it is necessary? Perhaps just having 1 of these, say Reflex, is enough. And if a player needs a distinction for his particular character concept there could be skills or abilities that modify that.  For example a "Running" skill which would be based off of Reflex but do what "Speed" does.

td