Abyssmal Earth System Mechanics

[Gwen]

My roleplaying game of Heaven, Earth and Hell (which I am tentativly naming Abyssmal Earth) seems to be nearing completion in its basic state, but I still need a system.

I was going through the Forge and thought I might try to use Pollies, but I wanted to find out who came up with the idea and make sure it was ok first.  There are some things in Pollies I would like to change for my game, so I wanted to make sure that was alright before I went on with that too.

[Andrew Martin]

My roleplaying game of Heaven, Earth and Hell (which I am tentativly naming Abyssmal Earth) seems to be nearing completion in its basic state, but I still need a system.

Why not describe a short session of Abysmal Earth to give people an idea of how it's supposed to run? Try not to write mechanical details (like I roll 3D180, add my Superior Faith Skill divided by my Child-like innocence, and crossreference the enemy's Evil forces power on this 300 page table). Instead just describe the experiences the players (and may be the GM) have. That way people on this forum can zero in on the desired experience wanted and suggest some suitable game systems, or determine the characteristics of a new system that most suits.

[Gwen]

Sounds good!  Ill put up and example:

A group of three, recently dumped on the European shores.  An American Bishop, an American Soldier and a Russian Psychic.

GM:  Alright, as the Soldier sets up camp, what do the rest of you do?

Bishop:  I'm going to bless the ground around us and then bless the campfire to keep away deamons.

(rolls high)

GM:  Okay, you all feel safer and the campfire turns white.  It should keep away most of the mid-powered deamons.

Psychic:  I'm going to try to sense the area for life.

(rolls low)

GM:  Alright, you sense some life, but you assume it's the natural wildlife around you.

Soldier:  Okay, camp is all set up.  I'm going to start eating rations.

GM:  As you open your MRE, you think you hear leaves rustling, but you can't tell if it was leaves or the plastic on the MRE.  Roll your listen skill.

(rolls.  Soldier rolls high.)

GM:  Soldier, you're pretty sure you heard leaves moving behind you.

Soldier:  I tell the other two there's noises behind me as I go for my gun.

Bishop:  I Illuminate the woods behind him.

(This is an easy roll.)

GM:  Ok, the woods glow and you see a dark deamon temporarily blinded by the Holy Light.

Psychic:  I'm going to grab him with my mind and hold him in place!

(rolls low.)

GM:  He feels your attack and runs off to the side.

Bishop:  I keep Illuminating the woods trying to keep him in view.

(rolls high)

GM:  The deamon is blinded again.  (Rolls low for the deamon.)  He runs full-tilt into a tree.

Soldier:  I unload into him with my assault rifle!

(rolls high)

GM:  Okay, you hit him, but he's getting up and absorbing the damage.

Soldier:  Now bishop!

Bishop:  I bless the gun!

(Rolls high)

GM:  Alright, you bless the gun and the bullets start doing Holy damage.  They rip through the deamon and black tar leaks from his wounds.

Psychic:  I want to tear his wounds open more.

(rolls low)

GM:  I'm afraid his scales are too tough to tear through.

Bishop:  I pick up a stick from the campfire and stick it into the deamon.

(GM rolls)

GM:  As you head towards the campfire, you notice two small imps cowering from the Holy campsite.

Bishop:  I kick them into the fire.

GM:  They explode and get black clood everywhere.[/list][/code]

[ethan_greer]

Hi Gwen,
Pollies will be posted on my website tonight in a more polished version than has appeared on the Forge thus far.  Thanks for the extra incentive to get it done! :)

I'll start a thread with the link when it is available.  If someone other than me is going to do something with Pollies, I'd like it to be some kind of open-source arrangement, but I need to do a little research into what that entails.  The details will be posted along with the rules, and if you have any questions from that point feel free to email me.

Thanks!
Ethan

[Andrew Martin]

From what Gwen's written so far, my superficial opinion is that any generic system would be suitable. It would be preferable that the system had support for modern weapons, Psionics, and Clerical magic/miracles. Systems such as JAGS, Fuzion, Fudge, GURPS, Pollies, my S system, and a number of others could be suitable. Perhaps even modern D20.

I'm concerned about the player of the Russian Psychic. The example showed that the player failed to succeed in several attempts at actions. I'm wondering if this is desirable behaviour?

[Gwen]

The Russian Psychic failed mostly because he was a low-powered psychic.  Basically, I was trying to stress the fact that psychic, holy, or evil powers are not a catch-all failsafe and that other combat skills would be necessary to stay alive.

[kevin671]

Were it completed, I would offer my own system for your use as well.  I do rather like the concept that you've come up with...... I have a question, though.....Is this going to be a combat heavy game or a role playing oriented game?

[Gwen]

Combat or roleplaying?

As I see it, the dark forces of hell have a job to do and probably won't be up for the idea of working this out diplomatically, so combat will be a big element there.

However, as supplies run slim and troops end up in foreign countries, there will certainly be a good opprotunity for roleplaying there.

Also, there should be a fair amount of rolelaying with traitors and espionae going on with the Anti-Christ, his legions, the cultists, the clerics and the psychics.

As well as some roleplaying elements when it comes to trying to track down peices of the Collection.

I suppose either could become the focus, mainly depending on what the GM wants for his players.  (and what the players want from the GM)

:)

[Marco]

Hi Gwen,

I don't believe that in a situation-oriented game (judging from the description of play) that it's an either-or scenario. Morrows Project was certainly "heavy combat" from the text but all the scenarios I ran or played in were heavy on the non-combat interaction and character development.

The mix will be whatever the GM and players decide to do.

-Marco
Tip o' the hat to Andrew for suggesting JAGS in the list. JAGS is a multi-genre rules-heavy, point-based RPG with rules for everythign you're looking for. It's not dissimilar to GURPS in some philosophical ways. If you're interested in it as a system, let me know.

[Gwen]

im not familiar with JAGS, but i'd like to take a look at it!

[Andrew Martin]

im not familiar with JAGS, but i'd like to take a look at it!

JAGS: http://jagsgame.dyndns.org/jags/index.jsp