Been working on designing games for a while, but I’ve finally got one I’m kind of groovin’ on. Before my questions though, here’s a quick rundown of the system. As per Jared Sorensen’s tips about this, here’s the big three:

1. What’s it about?

This game is about the gray areas of morality. It’s about Laws: yours and society’s. When do the rules apply, when don’t they, and what are the consequences?

2. How is it about that?

Crime (working title) is about this, obviously enough, by taking on the roles of Criminals. Not completely heartless scum, but the kind of criminals you can identify with, who break the law for understandable, if questionable reasons. No sex offenders. More like thieves and scoundrels.

3. How does the game enforce that?

The actual system works like this: Characters have three basic stats: Needs, Charges, and The Line. Needs are the motivations that push them into crime. I have a list, but in short at least one of these is Noble. Things like Justice, Freedom, or Love. Charges are the actual rap sheet of the characters. They consist of the actual crime, the degree, and a number of counts. The Line is that character’s actual moral code. It has two types of statements, directly related to their charges. Things like “Never commit this crime, except under these circumstances” or “Only commit this crime under these circumstances”.

The conflict resolution system uses a multiple d6 base. Players start with a dice pool equal to one of their Needs plus the Degree of one of their Charges. Every round they can either roll some dice from their pool, or add dice to their pool based from one of their Charges. When they add dice to their pool, they have to incorporate that Charge into their narration, and they have to mark off a Count. When they roll dice from their pool, they can also re-roll any unsuccessful dice from their previous turns. Successes are generated by getting a seven between two dice, basically like craps. Conflicts are over when one side runs out of dice in their pool, so the more dice you spend out of the pool every round, the shorter the conflict will be.

The game enforces the moral code through putting characters On the Line. Whenever a character’s Needs come into conflict with their moral code (The Line), they can either choose to follow their code, or go after what they want, consequences be damned. If they Stay the Line, they lose dice from their pool and get some reward, probably something like exp. If they Cross the Line they get to keep all of their dice, but they also accumulate Debt.

Debt (as in the ‘to society’ variety) is the backhand of fate and conscience. It’s the character’s conscience and Karma actively working against them. Until it reaches the level of their Need, it doesn’t do anything. After that, the GM can call on it to impose a penalty on the players. Also, the players can Call their Debt and narrate the character’s struggling with their conscience. When they do that, they erase their Debt, but give the GM some bonus dice to use, which go away once they result in a success.

That’s most of it, though I have a bit more in-depth explanation on my website here: www.thinkbolt.com/projects/crime.html and I’ll post the full text soon. In the meantime, my main questions are:

1. How well does this system address my basic concept?

2. Does is sound like it’s fun to play, or has it grown to complex?

Any other comments are more than welcome as well. Thanks.

It does sound fun to play but the system seems rather undeveloped. It doesn't seem too complex. The web link is broken.

The biggest question I have is about the conflict resolution system. You describe essentially a player-versus-player system here. Each "side" has a dice pool. Sure, one of the sides might be the GM but you don't explain where the GM gets his dice pool. What if there isn't a statted NPC in the conflict? "Conflict: Do I come to terms with the death of my sister, or do I freak the fuck out?"

What the heck is a Count? (Five! Five dice! ah-ah-ahh... *thunder and lightning*)

What does bringing in a new Charge really signify? What is the character doing when the player does this? Say I bring in (making up this Charge since I can't see the rule website) "2nd Degree Murder" during a conflict. Does that mean I have to kill someone? I assume you can only bring in a Charge if you can reasonably explain how it's used. Does the GM have province over what is reasonable here?

The Debt mechanic is pretty cool. Why wouldn't a player Call his Debt? Is there any drawback to doing this?

terribly sorry about the bad link. Extra 'L' on the end. The correct link should be:
www.thinkbolt.com/projects/crime.htm

The GM has his own system, built on the same mechanics. I didn't go into it before, but here's the brunt of it. Instead of Needs, the GM has Forces of the world. Power groups, if you will. These are derived straight from the players Needs and are: The Law, The Underground, and the System. Instead of Charges, the GM has Faces: NPCs that can be used to personify these forces in the game.

The Conflict you proposed probably wouldn't happen in game, as it's all internal in the character. If someone's trying to make you freak out, the GM will get a dice pool based on what NPC is involved in it (if any), and what power group is at work. If the Mob wanted you to freak out about it to manipulate you into something, the GM would use the rating of The Underground, plus the rating of whatever NPC he's using as a Face for the Mob. The GM's power is pretty limited in this way, but he also has Debt he'll be getting from the players, and can put them on The Line, which is pretty big.

A Count is a measure of how many times (abstractly) a character has been charged with a crime. "Three counts of Assault, Two counts of Battery" That kind of thing. Though I like the whole 'thunder and lightning' sesame street thing. . .

You pretty much got what bringing in a charge represents. One mechanic I didn't cover is the difference between a Charge and a Conviction. If it's a charge, they get the base number of dice (the degree) and can incorporate the Crime however they like. For example, if you were charged with second degree homicide, your character would have to try and kill someone, or use his knowledge of killing people somehow, and you'd get two extra dice in the conflict. If they were convicted of 2nd-degree homicide, then someone's gonna die. They also get four dice in the conflict, but more debt (equal to the degree of the charge). Oh, and yeah, the GM has province over this. Anytime something needs approval in the game (use of a charge, being on the Line, etc) it has to be approved by the GM and at least one other player.

Players probably will Call their Debt, but they don't have to. Just having it isn't a problem until it reaches the level of their Need. Even then, it's a minor annoyance, and only when the GM uses it. When they Call it, it actively works against them, and in a much more powerful way.