I’m trying to wrap my brain around a ton of ideas and techniques for reducing GM prep time that I got from the thread HERE and HERE.

Seems to me the best way to do it is to run it up in play and see what people think.

First post will be a D20’esque task resolution system with a choice between using 1d20 or 3d6 for any given roll.

Second post I’m going to try to use my new conflict resolution system.

Comments would be appreciated. I lookking specifically for how y'all feel about the systems in Play and if one seems better than the other and why.

Specifically I am trying to support a role-playing experience with:

• tight Character identification
• exploratory emphasis on setting
• Player power is constrained by a set of consistent rules
• The GM is the Player with the imposing task of maintaining the setting and non-Player CHaracters using the “consistent set of rules”, not final authority and arbiter of those rules

In short:
The Players play their Character “In Character” and the GM plays the World and all of it’s non-Player Characters “In Character”.

I am working fast with two game systems that are right now a kludge and a background that is so far over the edge of Singularity that much is getting built in Play as I go along so if you get lost, ask me and I’ll fill in the blanks…if I can.

Situation: Slavers are rerouting Kicker traffic to an ambush so that they can pick up humanoid labor that can be used on the world of Drak, a planet with an Angelnet so constrictive that nothing more advanced than medieval technology works.

The only problem is that these Slavers finally screwed up and grabbed the wrong pigeons. The PCs are Rangers.

Here we go.

C. S. Bone

This is the first system. D20’esque task resolution system with a choice between using 1d20 or 3d6 for any given roll.

[hr]
Player Characters
Arin: A Feral (Think a small Razorclaw Shifter from Eberron or halfling Crinos Werewolf from White Wolf). She has a light personal Angelnet, spiderwire armor and slipknives. Small Size, Agility: +3, Brawn: +1, Toughness: 14, Physical Vitality: 10, Physical BAB: +3(Agility)/+1(Brawn), Physical Defense: +5 (+1 from Size, +3 from Agility, +2 from Angelnet), Knowledge: -1, Perception: +1, Will: 15, Mental Vitality: 4, Mental BAB: +0, Mental Defense: +1 (+1 from Perception) Charisma: 0, Diplomacy: -2, Self: 10, Social Vitality: 6, Social BAB: 0, Social Defense: 0 (0 from Self)

Gron: A Crunk (Think Large sized Warforged from Eberron or an Earth Elemental from Rifts). He has a light personal Angelnet, Diamondoid plate armor and wears Cesta. He carries Flash Spikes. Large Size, Agility: -1, Brawn: +4, Toughness: 14, Physical Vitality: 10, Physical BAB: -1 (Agility)/+4(Brawn), Physical Defense: 0 (-1 from Size, -1 from Agility, +2 from Angelnet), Knowledge: +1, Perception: +1, Will: 12, Mental Vitality: 5, Mental BAB: +1, Mental Defense: +1 (+1 from Perception) Charisma: +2, Diplomacy: +3, Self: 14, Social Vitality: 8, Social BAB: +2(Charisma)/+3(Diplomacy), Social Defense: +2 (+2 from Self), Cesta Specialization.

Ping: A Boing (A Softball sized fluffball with one eye, that bounces like a superball and has a whiplike barbed tail like a ray). Special integrated light Angelnet, tail spike has been turned into a slipknife. Tiny Size, Agility: +4, Brawn: -2, Toughness: 10, Physical Vitality: 10, Physical BAB: +4(Agility)+1when attacking Medium or larger/-2(Brawn), Physical Defense: +8 (+2 from Size, +4 from Agility, +2 from Angelnet), Knowledge: +2, Perception: +1, Will: 12, Mental Vitality: 8, Mental BAB: ++2, Mental Defense: +1 (+1 from Perception) Charisma: 0, Diplomacy: -1, Self: 11, Social Vitality: 4, Social BAB: 0, Social Defense: 0 (0 from Self)

Tools
Angelnet: +2 Defense bonus, Stops all explosive and ballistic effects, doubles jumping distances, acts as a personal spacesuit. Also called an X-er because it is usiallyworn as an “X” shaped harness.
Slipknife: Two dimensional blade designed for combat with an Angelnetted target.
Slowbolter Rifle: Fires “Bolts which are small autonomous attack vehicles with limited payloads. Once fired they track their target for 3 rounds. If they fail to hit in that three rounds they return to their firing rifle for recharge if they can make it back in one round or fall to the ground expended.

• Stunbolts: Save vs Toughness or –2 to all actions, Multiple hits are additive

Flash Spikes: Ultrabright flash bang grenades that affect only the person hit if he/she is wearing an Angelnet. Save vs Toughness or –2 to all actions next round and –1 to all actions the following round.
Kicker: Quantum travel device that uses a gravitational pulse to temporarily lock a person in a stasis and “Kick” that person to another location. Travel is instantaneous for any distance but not particularly comfortable. If you are Kicked from one location with a transmitter to another location with a transmitter it is only mildly uncomfortable as everything is perfectly calibrated. If you go someplace else…it sucks.

GM Prep
Slavers:
4 with Slowbolter rifles carrying both Stun bolts and Blast bolts
4 with net throwers.
All have light personal Angelnets, spiderwire armor and slipknives
Stats: Medium humanoids (All are nearbaseline humans), Agility: 0, Brawn: 0, Toughness: 10, Physical Vitality: 8, Physical BAB: +1(Agility)/0(Brawn), Physical Defense: +2 (0 from Agility, +2 from Angelnet), Knowledge: 0, Perception: 0, Will: 10, Mental Vitality: 4, Mental BAB: +0, Mental Defense: 0 (0 from Perception) Charisma: 0, Diplomacy: 0, Self: 10, SocialVitality: 6, Social BAB: 0, Social Defense: 0 (0 from Self)

[hr]
GM: The Kicker jumpshock is excruciating. Roll Save vs Toughness Target Number 12 to keep from folding over in agony.
Arin: 3d6, I roll 10+2=12. WTF?!
Gron: 3d6, I roll 11+2=13.
Ping: 1d20, I roll 15.
GM(making it up as he goes along): you are in a sandy depression surrounded by rocks and boulders some of significant size, reminds you a little of pictures of Mars. You hear the familiar <chuff><SHHH> of Slowbolter fire from all around you.
Arin: Shit, shit, shit! I start charging toward the biggest concentration of fire pulling my slipknives as I run.
Gron: I’m probably the biggest target,  I power up my Cesta and get ready to catch and smash Slowbolts.
Ping: I follow Arin.
GM: two Slowbolts are tracking Arin, Two are targeting Gron. (quickly sketches the location on a pizza knapkin) You all see two shots coming from on top of one of the bigger boulders, here (pointing at sketch) and Two more from here (pointing at sketch) You also see 4 guys at ground level hefting large rifles which you can identify as Netcasters.
Arin: Right. Ping go after these two Slowbolters (pointing at sketch) and I’ll take these two (pointing at sketch) Gron, Work on the Netters. I don’t know whats going on but this was not the day to mess with me.
Gron: Sounds good to me I start charging at the closest Netter.
Ping: Cool! I pound along the ground in short bounces dodging towards the gunners.
GM: Initiative. Bad guys roll 3d6 (rolls out in the open), get 10.
Gron: I don’t want to slow down, lets do group.
Ping: Sounds good to me.
Arin: Party poopers.
Gron: 3d6, opps 6.
Arin: <audible sigh>That could have gone better.
Ping: What are you complaining about, I’m faster than you!
Arin: Heh! True enough. The got initiative, what do they do?
GM: Gunners on the boulder fire another round of Slowbolts at Arin and Ping, and the Netters try to get into positon to tangle up Gron. First set of Slowbolts make it to Gron and Arin. First two Gron, second two Arin (rolling d20 in the open) 5, 11, 11, 4. Ones aimed at Ping won’t lock on a Tiny Target.
Arin: Defense roll, 12, no love! I dodge left, skim through them and keep pounding for the gunners.
Gron: Defensive roll, 15! The slow bolts shoot past me like I’m not even the target…they must have some lousy targeting software!
GM: Two of the netters try to hit Gron (Rolling d20) 2, 6. The other two are charging across the sand toward Gron.
Gron: 10! They miss by a mile. My charge must have shaken them up.
GM: your intiative, fastest to slowest
Ping: I bounce up to the boulder (pointing to the sketch and the Gunners that are his target) and jump up to the top.
GM: (thinking, shouldn’t be a problem, Say Yes) no worries you’ll be on them next initiative. Arin?
Arin: Could I attack the Slowbolts as I ran past?
GM: Absolutely. One attack on one Slowbolt unless you want to slow down.
Arin: I ain’t slowing down. (Roll d20) 6 +3 for Agility, 9 total, that sucked.
GM: Defense for the Slowbolt…20! Can I back it? 1?! The bolt seems to slide like a snake over your slipknife and strikes right at your hand missing by the breadth of a hair. You can feel the crackling energy of a Stunbolt but somehow it didn’t discharge.
Arin: Whew! Thought I was a goner, I scream “Stunbolts!” as I run.
Gron: Can I reach one of the Netters?
GM: You’re there!
Gron: Cool. I’m going to try to hit him with a Cesta. (rolls d20) 4, you’re kidding! Oh well, add 4 for Brawn and 1 for Specialization…9.
GM: (Rolling d20) 11. He ducks your punch, drops the Netter and you see a slipknife form as his fist closes. Initiative.
Ping: Lets do individual. I want to get my targets before they can react.
Gron: Works for me.
Arin: OK.
(Players roll)
Arin: 3d6, 11+3- 4…9.
Ping: 3d6, 9+4…11.
Gron: d20, 18-1…17. I think we are going first.
GM: Could be.(rolls 3d6)…8. Yep.
Ping: I guess it doesn’t matter which one of these yabos I hit. I attack the one on the left. D20…8 + 4 for Agility, +1 for Natural Weapon, +1 for Specialization…14.
GM: (rolls d20)…3. You hit for 11 points. He’s got 8 Vitality and 10 Toughness.
Ping: Yeah! I rip him across the face and slash him down the arm. He’s at –1 for any future actions ‘cause I got through his Vitality, right?
GM: Correct he also needs to make a Save vs Toughness because you did more than his Toughness in a single hit. (Rolls 3d6)…9. He stumbles backward trying to ward you off with the slipknife blade on the butt of his rifle and passes out from shock. The other one trys to bayonet you on his rifle (rolls d20) 17!
Ping: (Rolls 3d6)…10+8. He’s not even in the same county!
GM: Close but no cigar! Arin, you’re up!
Arin: Being chased by 4 Slowbolts I spin to a stop at the bottom of the cliff to kill a few.
GM: OK. I’ll roll their attacks. (Rolls d20) 17, 16, 1!? and 2. One slams into the cliff and dies.
Arin: Hope I roll well on Defense! 10?! +3 ,Nope I get hit by two.
GM: As you surmised, Stunbolts. First Jolt makes you –2 to all actions, second bolt makes you –4.
Arin: Man, this is going to SUCK!
Gron: I’m going to smash the idiot with the slipknife. (rolls D20)…18+4+1. How does 23 sound?
GM: (Rolling d20)…8. 15 points of damage. Save? (Rolls d20)…8. Nope.
Gron: I smash him in the face and launch him about 15 feet as I spin to the next one.
GM: Three Stunnets get fired right at you at almost point blank range. (rolls d20)17, 8, 1!? The net of the one on the right catches on it’s own launcher and tumbles to the sand.
Gron: My lucky day. (rolls d20 for Defense)…15-1…14. One misses, 1 hits.
GM: Yep. One net sails over your head the other entangles you and you can feel the energy  from the stun charge coursing through you. –2 to all future actions.
Gron: <dripping sarcasm> Goody.
GM: Initiative.
(Players roll)
Arin: 3d6, 9+3…12.
Ping: 3d6, 12+4…16.
Gron: d20, 1-1…-1. Guess I’m going last.
GM: Yuh think?(rolls d20)…2…but not by much.
Ping: Right. I say to the other one, “Want to die? Or do you want to drop that?”
GM: Social conflict?
Ping: Sure! I can still attack him if it doesn’t work, right?
GM: Yep.
Ping: (Rolls d20)…14.
GM: (Rolls d20)…1! Blows right through his Social Vitality, (rolls 17) doesn’t double and screw himself, tries to save (rolls d20) 10 –1 for being in Self…9, fails.Yeah, that worked. He drops his rifle and dives to the ground screaming like a little girl, “Don’t hurt me!”
Ping: Well that worked. I’m going to use the slipknife in my tail to make the rifles unusable.
GM (decides that instead of rolling for breakage to just Say Yes and keep it moving because it should work.) Works. It’ll take a round. Arin?
Ping: Okay.
Arin: Stopping to kill Slowbolts was kind of silly so I’m going to let my swarm chase me up the cliff as I jump to the top to get the Gunners.
GM: Well, you did kill one.
Arin: By accident.
GM: You make the top of the cliff and the Slow bolts attack as two more are fired at you.
Arin: What is this? Pick on the Feral Day.
GM: (Rolling d20) 13, 2, 1, 19, 16.
Arin: (Rolling d20)…5- 4…1+5 …6 total. Might have just as well stood there. Ouchy, ouch, ouch.
GM: Well, two did miss…you are now –10 to all actions. With one Slowbolt still active. The other smashed itself on the boulder.
Gron: I’m going to tear the net off. (Rolls 1d20) 18 + 4 for Brawn +1 for Cesta
GM: +1 for size, these nets were made for Meduim size targets.
Gron: …-2 for being stunned…22 total.
GM: (Rolling d20)…20.
Gron: Right. Never mind.
GM: The three Netters feverishly reload. Initiative.
(Players roll)
Arin: 3d6, 12+3-10…5.
Ping: 3d6, 7+4…11.
Gron: d20, 13-1…12.
GM: (Rolls d20)…10. Guess Gron goes first.
Gron: Wonder how that happened? Trying to rip off net…again. 4 + 4 for Brawn +1 for Cesta +1 for size, -2 for being stunned…8.
GM: (Rolls d20) 13…looks like you are netted good….and about to be netted worse. (Rolls d20)…13, 17, 2.
Gron: (Rolls d20 for Defense)…13 – 2, well at least one missed. How hard is it to break a net?
GM: Since the nets are diamondoid they require 20 points of damage from a single hit or 40 points of damage total but pulling one off only takes 10 points of damage…if you make a good attack roll. BTW, you are now –6 to all actions.
Gron: Nice to know, thanks.
Ping: I’m going afte the other Gunners on that boulder. (looking at the diagram) can I make the leap in one jump or do I need to bounc to the ground and then across. I’d like to attack this round if possible.
GM: (looking at sketch) you can make the jump in one…next round…disabling rifles, remember?
Ping: Can I scratch that and attack instead?
GM (Say Yes): you could pop the clips and still make the leap.
Ping: Okay. Cool I pop the clips, jump across and attack one of the other Gunners! (Rolls d20) 14 + 4 +2…20.
GM: Gunner tries to defend (Rolls d20) 13. You do 7 points of Damage.
[hr]
This is the first one. It works, but it isn’t particularly fast and there is a LOT of steps. Still, I can easily visualize what is going on because I’m used to the system.

C. S. Bone

This is the second one. This is the conflict resolution system I designed for my Ronnie submision "Space Ranger" based on the System from "There is no spoon" .
[hr]
Player Characters

Arin: A Feral (Think a small Razorclaw Shifter from Eberron or halfling Crinos Werewolf from White Wolf). She has a light personal Angelnet, spiderwire armor and slipknives.

• Small Size: +1 Edge vs Medium or Larger opponents in physical conflicts
• Gift: Agile: +1 to Trait roll when doing anything that requires speed or dexterity
• Trait Base 3
• Edge Base 2
• Vitality 4

Stealthy (+1 Trait when hiding or moving silently)
Slipknife Expert (+1 Trait with Slipknife)
Expert Climber (+1 Trait when climbing)

Gron: A Crunk (Think Large sized Warforged from Eberron or an Earth Elemental from Rifts). He has a light personal Angelnet, Diamondoid plate armor and wears Cesta. He carries Flash Spikes.

• Large Size: -1 Edge vs Medium or smaller opponents in physical conflicts, +1 Vitality
• Gift: Large: +1 to Edge roll when doing anything where size or strength might be an advantage
• Trait Base 3
• Edge Base 2
• Vitality 6

Cesta Expert (+1 with Cesta)
Intimidating (+1 in social conflicts)
Strong (+1 in physical conflicts)

Ping: A Boing (A Softball sized fluffball with one eye, that bounces like a superball and has a whiplike barbed tail like a ray). Special integrated light Angelnet, tail spike has been turned into a slipknife.

• Tiny Size:+1 Edge vs Small or Larger opponents in physical conflicts, -1 Vitality
• Gift: Tiny +1 to Edge roll when small size is an advantage
• Trait Base 3
• Edge Base 2

Slipknife Mastery (+2 Trait with Slipknife in tail)
Master Hacker (+2 Trait when “Hacking” computers)

Tools
Angelnet: +1 Vitality, Stops all explosive and ballistic effects, doubles jumping distances, acts as a personal spacesuit. Also called an X-er because it is usually worn as an “X” shaped harness.
Slipknife: One dimensional blade designed for combat with an Angelnetted target.
Slowbolter Rifle: Fires “Bolts" which are small autonomous attack vehicles with limited payloads. Once fired they track their target for 3 rounds. If they fail to hit in that three rounds they return to their firing rifle for recharge if they can make it back in one round or fall to the ground expended.
Flash Spikes: Ultrabright flash bang grenades that affect only the person hit if he/she is wearing an Angelnet. Save vs Toughness or –1 to all actions next round .
Kicker: Quantum travel device that uses a gravitational pulse to temporarily lock a person in a stasis and “Kick” that person to another location. Travel is instantaneous for any distance but not particularly comfortable. If you are Kicked from one location with a transmitter to another location with a transmitter it is only mildly uncomfortable as everything is perfectly calibrated. If you go someplace else…it sucks.

GM Prep
Slavers:
4 with Slowbolter rifles carrying both Stun bolts and Blast bolts
4 with net throwers.
All have light personal Angelnets, spiderwire armor and slipknives
Stats: Medium humanoids (All are nearbaseline humans), Agility: 3, Brawn: 2, Toughness: 2, Physical Vitality: 3 (3 Base), Physical Edge:  3 (2 Base, +1 Angelnet) Knowledge: 3, Perception: 3, Will: 2, Mental Vitality: 3 (3 Base), Mental Edge: 2 (2 Base), Charisma: 3, Diplomacy: 3, Self: 3, Social Vitality: 3 (3 Base), Social Edge: 2 (2 Base).
[hr]
GM: The Kicker jumpshock is excruciating. Make a Standard Roll to keep from folding over in agony.
Arin: 2,5.One Trait success. WTF?!
Gron: 5,3. No successes.
Ping: 6,1. One Edge success.
GM (making it up as he goes along): Gron,  you fold over in pain oblivious to your surroundings as you try to reorient from the jump shock. Ping, Arin, that sucked but you can see that you came out of the Kicker in a sandy depression surrounded by rocks and boulders some of significant size, reminds you a little of pictures of Mars. You hear the familiar <chuff><SHHH> of Slowbolter fire from all around you.
Arin: Shit, shit, shit! I start charging toward the biggest concentration of fire pulling my slipknives as I run. My goal is to kill or incapacitate the shooters.
Gron: I’m probably the biggest target,  I power up my Cesta and get ready to catch and smash Slowbolts. My goal is to draw fire onto me.
Ping: I follow Arin. My goal is the same as Arin.
GM: Alright Gron’s gaol is to draw all of the fire, Arin and Pings’s goal is to attack and kill. Arin, Ping do you want to combine or work separate.
Arin: Separate.
GM: OK. (quickly sketches the location on a pizza knapkin) You all see two shots coming from on top of one of the bigger boulders, here (pointing at sketch) and two more from here (pointing at sketch) You also see 4 guys at ground level hefting large rifles which you can identify as Netcasters. If Gron succeeds in his conflict he’ll take any damage from Arin and Ping’s attackers. If he fails you take your own damage and he takes damage from his attack too.
Arin: Sounds reasonable.
Ping: OK.
Gron: Let me have it. I roll 4 for Trait and 4 for Edge. Trait Base 3 I’ve got Intimidation and Large size on my side so 5 or less will do it. Edge Base 2 and I’m a big target so in this case 3 or less will do it. One Trait success.
GM: Right. Shooters. Trait Base 3 They outnumber you, they have superior position and superior range. I’d say +3. So 5 or less Trait and 3 or less Edge. 6, 1. Blow the Trait, get the edge. Gron you take a hit and they win the conflict. What happens.
Gron: They see me but they realize that I’m not their biggest problem. Still two stunbolts slam into my Angelnet and light me up.
Arin: Okay, my turn…Trait 2, Edge 1! Two successes!
GM: Trait 4, Edge 4. Same thing for them so you have an Edge success and they take a hit.
Arin: I race across the sand dodging slowbolts, leap to the top of thebolder and tear into them like a bandsaw!
GM: Cool! Ping. I roll Trait 5, Edge 5. One Trait success.
Ping: (Rolls)Trait 5, Edge 6. Base Edge is 3, +2 for Tiny, +2 for Mastery. 5 is good and I am +2 on Edge…which doesn’t matter because I rolled a 6. So one Trait success, no advantage. I bounce like a furry superball right at the gunners and try to make their lives interesting.
GM: Righto. Next round. Gron do you want to change your conflict?
Gron: Yeah. I want to smash one of the Netters on the ground .
GM: Okay. Everybody is going to kill somebody. Works for me. Gron 6/5(Trait/Edge), no sucesses. Arin2/4, one Trait success. Ping 2/5, one Trait success.
Gron: 5/4. One Trait success. The four on the ground are a single unit, right?
GM: Yep. 3 Hits +1 for each additional person, 6 hits total.
Gron: Great. I smash one to the ground like swatting a bug and charge at another one.
Arin: 4/4. Alright, Base Trait 3, +1 for Expert +1 for Agility. 5 or less for Trait rolls. Edge 2 +1 for size. 3 or less for Edge rolls. One Trait success. I dodge and twist between the two shooters making it impossible for them to draw a bead on me.
Ping: 4/6. One Trait success. I bounce and dodge between the two gunners trying to get in a hit without myself getting hit.
GM: Next round. Gron 3/3, two successes.. Arin 1/2, two successes. Ping 4/4, one Trait success.
Gron: 1/2. Double successes. I chase, they scatter
Arin: 5/6. One Trait success. I dodge left trying to make the two shooters get in each other’s way but I miss a beat and one of them slices me with a slipknife bayonet. 
Ping: 6/3. One Edge success. I finally figure them out and start cutting them to ribbons.
[hr]

Well this is the system I designed from TinS. It works, and it resolves fast with few steps but I find it hard to keep the narration exciting. The resolution seems so flat.

Having the same scenario with two different systems, the question now becomes how can I make the first one faster and easier (prep took twice as long for the characters) or how can I make the second one more exciting?

Or do I need to scrap the whole thing and start again from scratch?

What do y'all think?

C. S. Bone

Well, CS, you don't seem totally wedded to either one, yet.  So I'd say continue to refine *both*.  Preferably get 'em out and playtest them, too.  The right balance ought to fairly leap out at you.  However, it's probably easier to add complexity to TINS than it is to take it out of the other system.  Maybe changing die types and tightening the turn structure a little will help - you get more granularity and it's possible to structure movement.  Ten second combat rounds give you a lot of options for drama - but you can only move so far and shoot so much in that space so fights can get drawn out a little more.