Mechanic Suggestion!

[Pangaea]

If I may ask a question of you all of what system you would prefer out of the two.

Mechanic #1
2d10 Open Ended System: Re-rolls on any 10.
Average Roll: 12.222
Solid Range from 2-28 with limitless high end success but fall below 1% after 28.
Skill Resolution: Roll 2d10+skill vs. Target Number
Combat Resolution: Roll 2d10+ability+melee Opposed vs. Opponents Roll of 2d10+ability+block
Difficulty Increase by raising the Target Numbers

Mechanic #2
d100 Percentile System: 01-100
Stats % + Skill % = Total % to hit unmodified.
"Roll Under" basis for success.
Skill Resolution: d100 + skill vs Target Number.
Combat Resolution: Roll Under attack % for successful hit vs Target Roll under defense % for successful block.
Difficulty Increase: Apply % penalties to your checks. Example: -20% from 60% success change would yield a 48% chance of success.

[Arturo G.]

Hi, Pangea! Welcome to The Forge!
What's you real name?

Your question is imposible to be answered if you don't provide us with information about what you want to achive with the system. Every system is better for some things and worse for others.
I'm not talking about the game setting or if it is a grim world or something like this. I'm talking about what kind of enjoyment you want to deliver to the players and how.

The best way to make us understand your objectives is to begin posting in the "actual play" forum about one of your last playing experiences, telling us what did you liked and what did you disliked. Specifically what were your expectations, if they were fullfiled or not, and how were the interactions with the other players.

I hope this helps you,
Arturo

[Pangaea]

Well this is for my game I have been working on for quite some time. The current mechanic is uses is Mechanic #2.
It is more of a Dungeon Crawler than it is an RPG, it does have some RPG aspects to it that I have bolted on, but all in all it has a dungeon crawl setup along with being based heavily on combat and fighting your way through monsters.

The current way it works is "roll under your %" to succeed. Then your opponent rolls under his % to succeed a defense to avoid being hit.

This is good for a fast easy way of knowing your target number. In some cased your opponents can get special abilities to knock down you'r %s to hit and defend against it.

The thing is when you roll real low and real well, your opponent doesn't suffer any extra penalties to his %.

This opposed roll system is what I have always used, I am never a fan of having a SET AC, or DEFENSE score. I feel every player should have a roll to prefend from being hit. It gives the feel that you are controlling your own fate.

The 2d10 open ended system is what I was thinking of using. The rare explosions of numbers can cause for drama, and I can easily convert the opposed rolls over to "who ever rolls highest wins" so the better I roll to hit you, the harder it is for you to defend theory. So that is what I was going with it.

[Matt Wilson]

Hey Mister Pan:

Like Arturo says, it'd be hard to choose unless we had some insight into what play is like and what kind of experience you want to have as a player. Even among 'dungeon crawl' games there's a lot of variety.

You would totally benefit, believe me, if you posted an account of your last game over in actual play. Like, who said what, what kinds of rolls were made, how often, how fast did the game go and what was satisfying and not satisfying, etc. Or post in the Playtest forum with a link to a rules draft or an overview.

I can't tell you enough how much more useful it is to get feedback based on the game in play vs. the game on paper.

[apeiron]

Welcome!

Mechanic #1
2d10 Open Ended System: Re-rolls on any 10.
Average Roll: 12.222
Solid Range from 2-28 with limitless high end success but fall below 1% after 28.
Skill Resolution: Roll 2d10+skill vs. Target Number
Combat Resolution: Roll 2d10+ability+melee Opposed vs. Opponents Roll of 2d10+ability+block
Difficulty Increase by raising the Target Numbers

i like this better, i have never liked % systems.  And yeah, we'll ask you for a context for this mx, as "system matters".  Every rule is a statement about the universe, it intends to dictate or change behavior, and will cause an emergent behavior. 

[Pangaea]

Mechanic #2 is the only Mechanic that has been played to date. Since it is a combat driven game when you crawl dungeons, I will give you a simulation of a fight between to people. I have left out character creation and details on how they get thier %s but I am giving you a break down in the battle structure.

Things to know
Mortal Blow: A "mortal blow" is a physical hit doing enough damage in 1 strike to kill your character instantly.  That damage limit is different depending on where you get hit. The amount of Life Force that you possess when you take this hit doesn't help. Only toughness will increase the threat range up +1 or +2 depending on toughness.
Mortal Blow Chart         
Head and Neck:5 (6 with +1 toughness and 7 with +2 toughness)
Torso and Groin: 6 (7 with +1 toughness and 8 with +2 toughness)


Malachai: The Human Defender of Paridonia.
Life Force (HP): 12
Strength (LF 1/2): 6 (strength always rolled on a die nearest to strength value, in this case a d6)
Physical Hit: 75%
Physical Defense: 80%
ARMOR:

• -6 Wooden Shield (success on 1-3 on d6)
• Full -2 Soft Leather
• Full -4 Hard Leather
• -6 Open Face Helm

Weapon:

• +4 Long Sword [Slashing / Piercing], Speed: d8, Range +1 (weapons class based on side of weapon from dagger +1 to great sword +6)

VS

Panthios: The Orc Pillager
Life Force (HP): 23
Strength (LF 1/2): 11 (strength always rolled on a die nearest to strength value, in this case a d12, reroll 12)
Physical Hit: 70%
Physical Defense: 75%
Toughness: +1
ARMOR:

• Full -2 Soft Leather
• -4 Chainmail Shirt
• Full -4 Hard Leather

Weapon:

• +5 Large Axe [Slashing/Blunt], Speed: d6

The Combat
Both combatants roll an initiative to see who gets the jump on the other person first.

1. Initiative
Whenever you come in contact with a monster, there must be a determining factor that specifies which side gets the first sight of the other. Who ever gets initiative is usually the person or thing that can first make an action in battle, before speed even comes into play. The initiative value is determined by rolling a D10, and then you must add your initiative modifiers to obtain the final value.

The winner of initiative gets one free move action and one free attack action against a target.

Malachai Rolls: 5
Panthios Rolls: 4 (+2 initiative against humans due to thier smell) : Total = 6

Initiative Round
Panthios moves in on his human target ready to attack. Since Panthios does not have a ranged weapon he will have to move adjacent to foe.

Since Malachai has a +1 range sword he can get 1 free attack of opportunity on any targets moving within his range so long as he is not already engaged with other foes.

As Panthios moves in Malachai rolls to see if he hits.

Malachai Rolls d100%: 23 (Malachai hits)
Panthios must made his defense roll to avoid/block the attack
Panthios Rolls d100%: 83 (Panthios misses)

Malachai rolls damage and location:
Malachai Rolls Strength: 2 + 4 = 6 Damage (Damage = Strength Roll + Weapon Class)
Malachai Rolls Location on d100: 74 (Left Hip)

Panthios' chain mail shirt doesn't cover the hips, and hard heather doesn't cover joints. Only his soft leather will protect him from damage.
Damage Dealt 6, reduced by -2 from leather = Final Damage of 4

Panthios suffers damage: 4 points of damage (-4 off his Life Force)
Panthios suffers pain: -5% off stats for every point of damage dealt (Total -20%)

Panthios' Stats
Life Force (HP):19
Strength (LF 1/2): 9 (strength always rolled on a die nearest to strength value, in this case a d10, reroll 10)
Physical Hit: 50%
Physical Defense: 55%

Panthios now has his opportunity to attack.
Panthios rolls d100%: 58 (misses because after pain deductions he is not a 50% to hit)

Now normal turn structure begins.

2. Speed Roll
After the initiative round is done. Every character that chooses to act in combat must then roll a mental or physical speed. The speed of your character is based on the type of weapon you are using.

Malachai Rolls Speed: 4 (d8)
Panthios Rolls Speed: 5 (d6)

Top of Turn order of combat is Panthios then Malachai.

Panthios is up again and gets two attack actions on Malachai.
Action 1
Panthios rolls to see if he hits: 37 (He Hits)
Malachai rolls to see if he defends: 02 (He Defends)
Action 2
Panthios rolls to see if he hits: 49 (He Hits)
Malachai rolls to see if he defends: 89 (He Gets Hit.)

Panthios rolls damage and location:
Panthios Rolls Strength: 8 Strength (Strength reduced to 9 cause of damage, d10 reroll 10) + 5 for Large Axe = 13 Damage (Damage = Strength Roll + Weapon Class)
Panthios Rolls Location on d100: 32 (Left Side of Chest)

Malachai has full soft leather (-2) and full hard leather (-4) (Malachai can only reduce 6 of the 13 damage from armor alone, he will suffer 7 points to the chest and die from a mortal blow if he does not use his shield.
Malachai Rolls to see if he uses his Wooden Shield: 2 (1-3 on d6) Malachai uses his Shield.

-6 Wooden Shield Reduces the initial blow by -6 making the total damage to Malachai's chest: 7
Since the wooden shield's class was more than DOUBLED by damage the shield is destroyed.
Malachai's hard leather and soft leather reduce the damage by -6.

Malachai suffers damage: 1 point of damage (-1 off his Life Force)
Malachai suffers pain: -5% off stats for every point of damage dealt (Total -5%)

Malachai's Stats
Life Force (HP):11
Strength (LF 1/2): 5 (strength always rolled on a die nearest to strength value, in this case a d6, reroll 6)
Physical Hit: 70%
Physical Defense: 75%

Malachai is now up to get two attack actions against Panthios
Action 1
Malachai rolls to see if he hits: 64 (He Hits)
Panthios rolls to see if he defends: 75 (He Gets Hit.)

Malachai rolls damage and location:
Malachai Rolls Strength: 1 + 4 = 5 Damage (Damage = Strength Roll + Weapon Class)
Malachai Rolls Location on d100: 45 (Right Elbow)

Panthios' full leather is the only armor covering the elbow.
-1 full leather reduces the damage to 4

Panthios suffers damage: 4 points of damage (-4 off his Life Force)
Panthios suffers pain: -5% off stats for every point of damage dealt (Total -20%)
Panthios suffers complications: 50% chance of loss of wielded weapon in that arm. Roll: 42(Panthios dropped his axe)

Panthios' Stats
Life Force (HP):15
Strength (LF 1/2): 7 (strength always rolled on a die nearest to strength value, in this case a d8, reroll 8)
Physical Hit: 30%
Physical Defense: 35%

Action 2
Malachai rolls to see if he hits: 17 (He Hits)
Panthios rolls to see if he defends: 41 (He Gets Hit.)

Malachai rolls damage and location:
Malachai Rolls Strength: 2 + 4 = 6 Damage (Damage = Strength Roll + Weapon Class)
Malachai Rolls Location on d100: 11 (Throat)

Panthios has no armor on his throat.

Panthios suffers damage: 6 points of damage (-6 off his Life Force)
Panthios suffers pain: -5% off stats for every point of damage dealt (Total -30%)
Panthios suffers complications: D6 blood loss to the throat. Roll: 4 (Panthios looses 4 more Life Force.)

Panthios' Stats
Life Force (HP):5
Strength (LF 1/2): 2 (strength always rolled on a die nearest to strength value, in this case a d4 /2 )
Physical Hit: 0%
Physical Defense: 5%

Panthios can not hit any longer and due to that he is considered incipacitated, bleeding and dying.

Malachai would sure end his suffering but the blood pours heavy from Panthios' throat.
Malachai's shield is destroyed and his has a good gash on his chest that will scar him as a rememberance of this deadly battle.

[dindenver]

Hi!
  Well, this is just personal preference. But I feel that flat rolls fit better in tactical games. You know what your odds are, and you can easily calculate your chances. I think with open-ended rolls you might have to worry about the "lucky hit" factor. But that's just me.
  Think about if what dice you roll really effect the experience you are creating for your players and base your decisions and time spent on this topic, on your answer...

[Pangaea]

Hi!
  Well, this is just personal preference. But I feel that flat rolls fit better in tactical games. You know what your odds are, and you can easily calculate your chances. I think with open-ended rolls you might have to worry about the "lucky hit" factor. But that's just me.
  Think about if what dice you roll really effect the experience you are creating for your players and base your decisions and time spent on this topic, on your answer...

Exactly, I was just not so sure about the flat roll in this sense. Even though we have been using it for along time, when I try to flesh out the penalties and and complications I come across challanges on how to apply them.  Since your %s may stay flat regardless of what you are against. The idea for penalties I had was to reduce a % of your total.

For Instance. To call a shot to a targets arm or legs you will suffer a -70% penalty, not that you reduce it by 70, but 70% of your total.
So a 70% of a 80% to hit is 24.

So you have to roll under 24% too hit arms or legs.

[Pangaea]

The thing is.. with the way it is being developed it looks like it is falling into a close match with the Warhammer Fantasy Role Play game.

Same type of % ranges. but different in a way.