Basic Mechanics

[signoftheserpent]

Cut and pasted from Word (yay), here are the base mechanics for a Heroes-inspired (ie people that aren't superheroes - nosiree - with superpowers in the real world) rpg I'm working on. All critiques are welcomed; I need an objective opinion here.

These rules don't delve into the superpower stuff, however powers are grouped according to type and work from a power pool (spend points/roll dice) and a base attribute). What is presented here then are rules that work for ordinary people on their scale, the way the WoD corebook intends. Thus they are supposed to be more realistic and less rules light than is perhaps the norm - for me at least. Here is presented the basic action reosolution mechanic and the health/damage mechanic, which references effects I haven't designed yet (such as unconsciousness). The goal with the latter in particular was to come up with something different rather than tracking hit points or whatever, thugh Ifear I have ended up doing that. Thanks for reading.

Traits:
Characters are initially defined by a set of attributes as follows:
Agility, Strength, Endurance, Willpower, Intelligence (all of which are tied to powers), and Charisma. A character's attributes are rated as modifiers, which is how they function in play. Across the board a characters attribute values will total 0, which is the norm. In general characters don't start with anything greater than -2 or +2 and may not have more than one attribute at -2.
Characters also have skills, rated 1-5. This scale is part of the backbone of the system. Skill scores form a dice pool used when resolving actions.

Actions:
Players roll a dice pool equal to the skill in question against a number of Difficulty dice; all dice rolled are d10's. Score 1 success for every dice that rolls at least equal to the highest result among the dD – Difficulty dice (that number is known as the target number). Roll Difficulty dice according to the needs of the situation:
Level playing field          1dD
Gremlins in the engine          2dD
Dancing on stilts             3dD
Tugging on Superman's cape    4dD
When rolling, the player modifies his dice by the current related attribute modifier. This modified value is then compared to the target number.
Any roll of an unmodified 10 is considered to open-end meaning that the player counts that as a success (since the difficulty dice can only roll 10 as the highest, a roll of natural 10 is always +1 success) and may roll it again. Subsequent 10's again open-end and there is no limit to the number of times this may happen.

Health:
Characters' health status is tracked via the Endurance modifier. Regardless of starting values, it can change during play (though it cannot exceed the character's start level without superhuman intervention). As the character is injured, it will likely decrease. Alone it will not determine if the character lives or dies.
When a character suffers a successful attack, he makes a roll to determine the effects thereof. The dice pool is resolved as normal; the pool is equal to the number of successful hits the attacker scored (the number of successes), and is modified by the character's current Endurance. However there are a few differences in resolution:
There are no difficulty dice (dD), instead the character has a fixed difficulty equal to the highest individual roll (including modifiers) among all hits scored against him; this defaults to a maximum of 10.
If the character scores no successes he becomes unconscious and likely needs urgent attention.
If the character scores all successes (see below) he is hit with no damage or trauma and carries on.
If the character scores anything between he carries on as normal but subtracts one from his Endurance (-1).
Scoring 'all successes' is defined as a result at least equal to the number of hits (after modifications) the attacker scored. Dice are open ended here as normal.
During play, a character's Endurance can keep lowering without per se limit. However, aside from impacting the health rolls made above, having a low Endurance impinges on the ability of the character of function regardless.

Exhaustion:
Aside from health checks, players monitor the continuous state of their character's ability of function by the Exhaustion track, which is rated on the same scale as most traits. Characters begin with a resting (their base and starting value) Exhaustion equal to 5 + their empowered related attribute value. During play it will decrease, one point at a time, whenever any of the following happens:
Each time a player runs out of power.
If a character has to make at 3 health checks in a turn (and after that each instance that subsequently happens that turn).
Each time a player is rendered unconscious (see below).
Each time a player loses Endurance – however this only applies if Endurance is already less than 0 (including starting values).
Exhaustion doesn't exceed the starting maximum and is regained naturally by rest. Each night of rest and proper sleep alone will return Exhaustion to maximum, unless it was at 1 at the time in which case it increases by a single point.
If a player loses all points of exhaustion he collapses, spent. The character is rendered unconscious, but won't incur further penalties for being unconscious as regards Exhaustion rules. Though unconscious technically, the character is in no further medical danger other than in desperate need of rest.
In game terms Exhaustion serves to cap all skill and active trait values while performing actions. Any dice pool thus made cannot exceed the characters overriding Exhaustion level. At anything above 1 Exhaustion, characters are only impeded in this way during physical activities. However while their Exhaustion is that low all activity is thus affected.
If an effect would cause a character to lose more than one point of exhaustion and reduce his level to 1, he must make a health check using 1 die against a target number equal to that loss.

[Ken]

Traits:
Actions:
Players roll a dice pool equal to the skill in question against a number of Difficulty dice; all dice rolled are d10's. Score 1 success for every dice that rolls at least equal to the highest result among the dD – Difficulty dice (that number is known as the target number). Roll Difficulty dice according to the needs of the situation:
Level playing field          1dD
Gremlins in the engine          2dD
Dancing on stilts             3dD
Tugging on Superman's cape    4dD
When rolling, the player modifies his dice by the current related attribute modifier. This modified value is then compared to the target number.
Any roll of an unmodified 10 is considered to open-end meaning that the player counts that as a success (since the difficulty dice can only roll 10 as the highest, a roll of natural 10 is always +1 success) and may roll it again. Subsequent 10's again open-end and there is no limit to the number of times this may happen.

So, is this a very skill-inensive system? Can characters attempt anything that they don't have a skill for? Do characters have to have a skill for everything? What about characters with high levels of aptitude but no formal training; do they get no dice?

Maybe you could allow a half-die for those attempting something that they are not specifically trained at, but could logically figure out; this would still allow their traits to help, but would prevent them for getting an open-ended success.

Also, since you are tracking the number of successes scored on a roll, do they have a specific effect? Do you need so many successes to achieve something, or do extra successes just make the character look really impressive?

Looking forward to seeing more.

Take care,

Ken

[signoftheserpent]

Traits:
Actions:
Players roll a dice pool equal to the skill in question against a number of Difficulty dice; all dice rolled are d10's. Score 1 success for every dice that rolls at least equal to the highest result among the dD – Difficulty dice (that number is known as the target number). Roll Difficulty dice according to the needs of the situation:
Level playing field          1dD
Gremlins in the engine          2dD
Dancing on stilts             3dD
Tugging on Superman's cape    4dD
When rolling, the player modifies his dice by the current related attribute modifier. This modified value is then compared to the target number.
Any roll of an unmodified 10 is considered to open-end meaning that the player counts that as a success (since the difficulty dice can only roll 10 as the highest, a roll of natural 10 is always +1 success) and may roll it again. Subsequent 10's again open-end and there is no limit to the number of times this may happen.

So, is this a very skill-inensive system? Can characters attempt anything that they don't have a skill for? Do characters have to have a skill for everything? What about characters with high levels of aptitude but no formal training; do they get no dice?

Maybe you could allow a half-die for those attempting something that they are not specifically trained at, but could logically figure out; this would still allow their traits to help, but would prevent them for getting an open-ended success.

Also, since you are tracking the number of successes scored on a roll, do they have a specific effect? Do you need so many successes to achieve something, or do extra successes just make the character look really impressive?

Looking forward to seeing more.

Take care,

Ken

Unskilled attempts are things that games don't deal very well with I find. It is intended to be a skill intensive system. The short answer is that I haven't figured out what to do with these aspects yet.

THe minimum required to succeed is 1 success. Since difficulty is already catered for, requirng also a certain number of successes is too much. The degree of success is used to modify or at least judge the results of the effort. It may well have little practical bearing most of the time.

[Ken]

Health:
Characters' health status is tracked via the Endurance modifier. Regardless of starting values, it can change during play (though it cannot exceed the character's start level without superhuman intervention). As the character is injured, it will likely decrease. Alone it will not determine if the character lives or dies.
When a character suffers a successful attack, he makes a roll to determine the effects thereof. The dice pool is resolved as normal; the pool is equal to the number of successful hits the attacker scored (the number of successes), and is modified by the character's current Endurance. However there are a few differences in resolution:
There are no difficulty dice (dD), instead the character has a fixed difficulty equal to the highest individual roll (including modifiers) among all hits scored against him; this defaults to a maximum of 10.
If the character scores no successes he becomes unconscious and likely needs urgent attention.
If the character scores all successes (see below) he is hit with no damage or trauma and carries on.
If the character scores anything between he carries on as normal but subtracts one from his Endurance (-1).
Scoring 'all successes' is defined as a result at least equal to the number of hits (after modifications) the attacker scored. Dice are open ended here as normal.
During play, a character's Endurance can keep lowering without per se limit. However, aside from impacting the health rolls made above, having a low Endurance impinges on the ability of the character of function regardless.

Not sure if I have this straight:

The target rolls a number of dice equal to their current End score, right? What if the character End is zero, or negative. As End decreases, how far does it go, since you allow negative stats?

It looks like the damage, or difficulty pool is based on the successes from the attack roll, is that right? If so, is there a mechanism in place to modify damage based on the potency of the attack?

Do I have this right, or am I missing something?

Ken

[signoftheserpent]

When the attacker hits, the number of successes generated becomes the size of the dice pool the target rolls with the highest singe result therein becoming the target number. the End modifier reduces the value of every result thus rolled by the target.

[Ken]

When the attacker hits, the number of successes generated becomes the size of the dice pool the target rolls with the highest singe result therein becoming the target number.

Now, when you are making an attack roll, you base the dice pool on your skill rating, and the modifier on your stat; does the potency of the attack modify the dice pool when rolling for effect?

Ken

[Ken]

Hi- 

Jumping tracks here. So, is this kind of in the spirit of Heroes? Do characters usually sport just one ability, or can they possess several? Given you task resolution rules, is it safe to assume powers work along the same lines (skill + power level)? Do your powers stay on the low end of fantastic, or is there the possibility of having some epic high-level stuff?

Also, your health rules didn't mention death; is mortality subjective in this game?

Looking forward to hearing more.

Ken

[signoftheserpent]

When the attacker hits, the number of successes generated becomes the size of the dice pool the target rolls with the highest singe result therein becoming the target number.

Now, when you are making an attack roll, you base the dice pool on your skill rating, and the modifier on your stat; does the potency of the attack modify the dice pool when rolling for effect?

Ken

No. Such modifiers would affect the attack roll only. At thispoint the attack roll has been made, succesfully.

[signoftheserpent]

If you score a complete absence of successes on the health roll you are basically dying. You are unsconscious through wound injury and are basically in need of serious medical attention. How that resolves is as as yet undetermined. Outright kills are unreasonable to include.

[Ken]

When the attacker hits, the number of successes generated becomes the size of the dice pool the target rolls with the highest singe result therein becoming the target number.

Now, when you are making an attack roll, you base the dice pool on your skill rating, and the modifier on your stat; does the potency of the attack modify the dice pool when rolling for effect?

Ken

No. Such modifiers would affect the attack roll only. At thispoint the attack roll has been made, succesfully.

I guess I didn't separate my thoughts well enough; my question was:

After a successful attack has been scored (by throwing dice based on skill rating and modified by stat level), you have a damage pool equal to the successes of the attack roll. You roll those dice to determine the difficulty number that the target has to beat to keep from taking damage. Now, does the damage roll get a bonus based on the potency of the attack at hand?

I only ask that because in super games there are a multitude of attacks and sources of damage, and these attacks range from the nominal to the insanely epic. Really I'm just curious, but also trying to help, if you haven't included this in your system yet.

Outright kills are unreasonable to include.

Does that go for all characters; NPCs & PCs? I'm curious why a  straight-up kill doesn't have a place in your game. Is it more comic-booky than realistic? Again, just curious.

Ken

[signoftheserpent]

It's possible the the dice pool used for the health check may be modified (icnreased or decreased) due to the nature of the attack/damage done. That has yet to be resolved.

Instant kills are not necessarily a bad thing against NPC's, but against player characters it's a bad idea. This doesn't preclude players placing themselves in situations where they would be killed. But in respect of the health check rule, there is no instant kill result simply because that should not be decided by a simple dice roll. It's entirely a different thing however if the player steps out of a plan at 15,000 feet or jumps under a bus or whatever.

[signoftheserpent]

This is another resolution mechanic. I'm finding my original idea rather superfluous.

Here attributes and skills are rated from 1-6. Dice rolled are six-sided. The player's dice pool is equal to his skill. Each result no lower than the difficulty number generates 1 success +1 per multiple for every die whose result is a full multiple of the difficulty.
Difficulty is measured in three steps, the harder the activity the lower the number:
4 – Average, routine activity.
5 – Tough, a bit more challenge involved.
6 – Extremely challenging.
A character may claim proficiency in any skill whose value exceeds the related attribute. When making a roll with such skills, the player may shift the die type up one step (one polyhedral instance, such as d6 to d8) and roll that die type as his pool. D6 is the default, starting type to shift from. However, if he does so, his dice pool is equal to his attribute instead, not his skill.
For example: I have Intelligence 2 and Computers 3, this gives me proficiency in the latter. As such I can either roll 3d6 when using that skill, or I can roll 2d8 since the difference between my skill and the attribute allows me to shift once from d6 to d8. I roll 2 dice not 3 because that's the score of my attribute. if my Computers was 4, I could roll 2d10 instead of 2d8.
All I have to do is decide which approach would be more effective in this instance, but that I have the choice is the point of this idea.

[Callan S.]

Perhaps the character could have a 'change of heart' description on their sheet - some way in which his/her view of the world will change if they have a near death experience. The change of heart is quite a change in character perception. But at the same to preserve some sort of narrativist value, the player decides how it's played out (it's not a 'ha ha, you died, now the GM gets to play your character' mechanic). Of course if that player finds he can take suggestions on part of what the perception change might change character in character actions, he can ask for suggestions from others, but not by default a given.

there is no instant kill result simply because that should not be decided by a simple dice roll. It's entirely a different thing however if the player steps out of a plan at 15,000 feet or jumps under a bus or whatever.

No, it's not an entirely different thing - run it under the same rules as normal. What may be entirely different is the player - they may be trying to play some other game by doing this. You can't make game rules that tell them what game they should play. Don't make this precident for when you can GM fiat a death, make this precident for deciding who you will and wont invite to the game.

[signoftheserpent]

This won't change. If a gm wants to fiat something like a pc death then rules are unnecessary. However I simply do not believe that a dice roll alone should determine if a character immediately dies. Understand also that failing the health roll means you are in serious danger and you may well die. It just doesn't mean you aren't immediately killed. That I think is too powerful an effect. It has nothing to do with who plays the game and everything to do with providing a reasonable game experience. If this compromises some people's views of 'reality' or what should happen in a game or in a realistic game, then that's where we will have to agree to disagree.

[Ken]

Here attributes and skills are rated from 1-6. Dice rolled are six-sided. The player's dice pool is equal to his skill. Each result no lower than the difficulty number generates 1 success +1 per multiple for every die whose result is a full multiple of the difficulty.
Difficulty is measured in three steps, the harder the activity the lower the number:
4 – Average, routine activity.
5 – Tough, a bit more challenge involved.
6 – Extremely challenging.

? You meant the higher the number, right? Anyway, a set difficulty scale may be more stable than randomizing the difficulty number and the skill check.

A character may claim proficiency in any skill whose value exceeds the related attribute. When making a roll with such skills, the player may shift the die type up one step (one polyhedral instance, such as d6 to d8) and roll that die type as his pool. D6 is the default, starting type to shift from. However, if he does so, his dice pool is equal to his attribute instead, not his skill.
For example: I have Intelligence 2 and Computers 3, this gives me proficiency in the latter. As such I can either roll 3d6 when using that skill, or I can roll 2d8 since the difference between my skill and the attribute allows me to shift once from d6 to d8. I roll 2 dice not 3 because that's the score of my attribute. if my Computers was 4, I could roll 2d10 instead of 2d8.

Neat idea, but this doesn't pay off for characters with a rating of 6 in a stat and a skill. Would you allow a character with a 6 stat/6 six choose to trade dice to amp up the dice type for the remaining dice? That may be interesting; trading quantity for quality. Do you still plan to have open-ended successes?

Maybe, your stat rating could indicate the number of dice rolled, and skill rank determines the type of dice you roll. At this point you may decide to change the range of stat/skill ranks, which may not be a problem, since you can just recalibrate your difficulty number to line up with the odds of the new dice rolls. This could get messy, with having to stockpile a bunch of different die type, and then determine which ones to use when. This is just an idea.

Or, you could switch your original formula around a bit; have the stat rank determine number of dice rolled and make skill ranks a modifier made to each die result. Then you would calibrate your difficulty numbers higher so that performing an unskilled  task is tougher. Since its a super game, maybe you could using the sliding dice type idea for super stats (this may also reduce the frequency of using special dice).

As far as extra successes; maybe you could have system where characters can buy limited narrative control. You could give the extra successes a snazzy name or something and level them according to potency, allowing characters who score a ton of successes to pull off some amazing collateral effects. Maybe 1 extra success for minor control, 2 for medium and 3 or 4 for major. The levels would change scope, just severity in the immediate area. Your damage/effect system already uses these extra successes for determining effect; I would keep that.

This won't change. If a gm wants to fiat something like a pc death then rules are unnecessary. However I simply do not believe that a dice roll alone should determine if a character immediately dies. Understand also that failing the health roll means you are in serious danger and you may well die. It just doesn't mean you aren't immediately killed. That I think is too powerful an effect. It has nothing to do with who plays the game and everything to do with providing a reasonable game experience. If this compromises some people's views of 'reality' or what should happen in a game or in a realistic game, then that's where we will have to agree to disagree.

I can get with that. Having a system where a character dies because it makes sense to all involved makes for a happier group overall, and can really deliver more impact on a game. For NPCs and such, I think (again) whatever makes the most sense given the circumstances is the way to go.

Still looking good. Keep it up.

Ken