Refugee from D&D Land

[Tequila Sunrise]

What exactly separates the different Titles/Ranks? Access to abilities, a la 4e?

Legendary PCs get their own home bases, ala 2e D&D. Other than that and the tweak to untrained skill bonuses, the titles might not mean anything.

Now time for some nitty gritty about combat:

Actions ala 4e D&D: Standard, Move, Minor.

Attacks: 2d10 + Combat skill + Dex + your weapon's attack bonus.
Damage: Weapon's base damage die + Str.
Full Defense: 12 + Combat skill + Dex + your weapon's defense bonus.
Partial Defense: 12 + Combat skill + 1/2 Dex + your weapon's defense bonus.
Damage Reduction: Armor grants DR.

Spells work on the same mechanic, but target one of these defenses:
Fortitude: 12 + Level + Str
Reflex: 12 + Level + Dex
Will: 12 + Level + higher of Wit and Cha

Marks: I got this idea from a WotC poster before 4e came out, and it's brilliant. Each combatant can mark one opponent at a time. Against that opponent, you make attacks normally and you use Full Defense. Against other opponents, you only get 1/2 Dex to attacks and Defense. This makes low level hordes much scarier than they are in D&D, and it replaces Flanking. Marks will be one of the major experiments of my game, once I actually play it.

Hit Points
31-45: Healthy
16-30: Lose 1 HP each round from blood loss
1-15: Lose 2 HP each round from blood loss
0: Dead

Stamina Points
(4/5+1) - Max: Ah, life is good!
(3/5+1) - (4/5): A love a good work-out! Take -1 to all rolls and DCs.
(2/5+1) - (3/5): Man, these goblins are quick! Take -2 to all rolls and DCs.
(1/5+1) - (2/5): Damn, this sword is getting heavy!  Take -3 to all rolls and DCs.
1 - (1/5): *Gasp* Take -4 to all rolls and DCs.
0: *Faints*

Weapons: Includes shields. Weapons come in broad categories like Two-Hand Melee and Bow, and have these stats: Dex Cap, Reach, Range, Attack Bonus and Defense Bonus.
Armor: Armor comes in three categories: Light, Heavy and Super Heavy. They have these stats: Dex Cap, Str penalty and Damage Reduction.
(Dex Cap: This works like Max Dex in 3e D&D, but is relative to Str. For example Light armor's Dex Cap is 2, so your Dex is effectively capped at two higher than your Str for all purposes as long as you wear it. So if you have +8 Dex and +5 Str, your Dex is effectively +7 while you wear light armor. Weapons apply the same concept, but only to attack rolls and Defense DCs.)
(Str Penalty: This is a flat penalty to Str-related checks.)

[Welkerfan]

Just to point out, Awesome Adventures is the title of a drift of Spirit of the Century, published by Willow Palacek.

[AJ_Flowers]

It looks like the blood loss and stamina loss mechanics mean fights get really deadly after a few rounds.  It also makes it harder for players to have a comeback from a difficult protracted fight. I know you're going for realism here, but I would probably use one or the other, not both. Is there any way to mitigate the blood loss from low HP?  Like a useful item or getting bandaged or taking a quick recovery break?  It seems honestly like something players would forget to 'tick off,' if you're going for speed of play, too.

[Tequila Sunrise]

I knew the AA name was taken by an rpg somewhere, I just didn't know which one. I'm still working on a good name, have any suggestions? I'm thinking Burrows & Bunnies, but it sounds strangely familiar...

It looks like the blood loss and stamina loss mechanics mean fights get really deadly after a few rounds.  It also makes it harder for players to have a comeback from a difficult protracted fight. I know you're going for realism here, but I would probably use one or the other, not both. Is there any way to mitigate the blood loss from low HP?  Like a useful item or getting bandaged or taking a quick recovery break?  It seems honestly like something players would forget to 'tick off,' if you're going for speed of play, too.

They might end up being more a pain than they're worth, but I do want to try HP and SP loss. During combat, magic is the only way to prevent blood loss. Out of combat, first aid works too.

[Tequila Sunrise]

I've got it!

The Setting Sun RPG

Earth is ancient beyond reckoning. Countless empires have risen and fallen since the birth of civilization, and the historians measure human history in billions of years--aeons. Humanity is an aged and nearly senile creature. Some spend their days in toil and torment, some in wild revelry, and some in the pursuit of nightmare monsters and waking dreams. The bloated red sun staggers across the sky every day, like a myopic graybeard shuffling to his bed. Some day soon, the sun will set for the last time, and who knows what will remain?

[mjbauer]

Setting Sun

I like it, but it could be a little too general.

[MacLeod]

That's a pretty sharp hook you've got there. =) I like it.

[whiteknife]

I don't know. I like the name. And the hook text is pretty cool.

[Tequila Sunrise]

Glad you like it. Now, what I could really use some help with is ideas for combat maneuvers. Like I said I want them to be in the realm of real life possibility without getting too silly. (AKA that 4e rogue power that temporarily blinds the target by splashing blood in their eyes. Really, why don't I just aim for the eyes and blind them permanently? 'Silly' also refers to way-over-the-top anime style maneuvers that deserve a magical element.) I'm thinking about grouping combat maneuvers by related skills. For example, the assassin's death attack maneuver would be related to stealth. Tying maneuvers to skills creates theme, but successful rider effects will likely require a skill check too. Anyway I need ideas for:

Assassin: Stealth, Bluff
Pugilist: Acrobatics, Athletics
Berserker: Athletics, Intimidate
Soldier: Athletics, Insight
Archer: Perception
Duelist: Acrobatics, Insight

The related skills aren't set in stone.

Setting Sun

I like it, but it could be a little too general.

You mean just the setting name? How so?

[mjbauer]

Setting Sun

I like it, but it could be a little too general.

You mean just the setting name? How so?

Is Setting Sun referring to something about what the system does or how it works (does it refer to "the end" of something)? Or is it supposed to refer to the setting? If so, I don't think it's distinct enough. It could as easily be a western setting as it could medieval, or modern. I'm trying to think of other game names and unless they are generic systems, the names seem like they are pretty specific to the setting or the system itself.

Just my opinion, if you have some better reasons then I'd like to hear them.

[Tequila Sunrise]

Is Setting Sun referring to something about what the system does or how it works (does it refer to "the end" of something)? Or is it supposed to refer to the setting? If so, I don't think it's distinct enough. It could as easily be a western setting as it could medieval, or modern. I'm trying to think of other game names and unless they are generic systems, the names seem like they are pretty specific to the setting or the system itself.

Ah, I see. 'The Setting Sun' refers only to my vaguely conceptualized world setting. So yeah, it's vague and unlikely to become any more specific anytime soon because:

1. I'm focusing on mechanics right now, and even when I actually start playing it'll likely be a very dungeon-crawly game, so setting tone and theme aren't of paramount importance. Besides, you could use my rules to run a western game. You'd just have to add stats for guns.
2. I'm a sucker for titles that imply a lot of possible concepts, but have no clear meaning.
3. Also, my little world blurb and game name are partly inspired by Vance's Dying Earth. (A really, really, really old world where anything is potentially possible even though civilization is mostly regressed to an ancient form.)

So what I'm trying to say is, I'm not married to The Setting Sun, and I might even think of or steal a different title. But it's not on my top 10 list of things to do, and I am fond of it.

[Dr. Velocity]

I strongly suggest the OP checks out Warhammer Fantasy Role Play if at all possible, it strikes me as similar in many ways to what the OP is going for, so might have some useful ideas or examples that can be adapted. There are also a ton of other free RPG's people have made and put up online that each have their own approach which could help inspire you - John Kim's Free RPGs on the Web, 1KM1KT, The Free RPG Compendium, The Free RPG Blog.

[Adam Dray]

Hey there, Tequila Sunrise. Do you have a real name we can use to refer to you? Bring things back to reality and all?

You say that D&D isn't quite your thing. Doesn't satisfy your simulationist streak. Do you mind talking about that a bit more? Maybe give us an example of some real, actual play that you were involved in that didn't satisfy you, and explain what was "broken" for you?

Because that is the real root of your game design bug, right? Dissatisfaction with what's out there? You played some games -- especially D&D -- and it didn't do what you wanted it to do, so now you're making your own thing.

You say you have no intention to publish this. That's fine! But do you intend to play it? Run it for friends and stuff?