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Author Topic: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On  (Read 1982 times)

Araph

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Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« on: November 25, 2011, 04:46:39 pm »

So... For the past month or so, I've been plugging away at this. It's a tabletop RPG similar to D&D, but a more to my liking; spells are hard to cast, combat tends to be deadly, and healing spells are practically non-existent. It isn't even near done yet, but I got a lot written and was hoping that my fellow Bay12ers would be willing to offer comments and suggestions on the game.

The intent of the game is to be sort of a combination of D&D, Dwarf Fortress, The Elder Scrolls, and maybe a few other games. Those are the main ones, at any rate. The core mechanic is similar to in Dungeons and Dragons, but it's split up into simple and complex tasks; some actions use the roll of a d20, others use d10s. Combat uses a system like in Dwarf Fortress, with targeting and injury being separate to a certain degree. Leveling is done by using skills and roleplaying to gain experience, as opposed to killing things indiscriminately. Magic is hard to use and dangerous, both for the caster and the target. Divine intervention (as well as divine magic) are an extremely rare occurrence. Whether or not these are actually good is up to the reader I suppose, but I tried to make it have just enough logic and realism to make it more appealing to my mind.

I haven't gotten to writing some of the sections; the skill perk trees and level perk trees come to mind, as well as the spell and class lists. I have trouble thinking up a wide variety of any of those at a time, so I was hoping you all might be willing to suggest things for them. Also, everything written is tentative and subject to change, so please mention things you think should be different. Finally, I apologize for the messy format of the text. I plan on making it neater, but I just needed to get everything into writing.
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Hitty40

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2011, 04:57:37 pm »

Looks good to me.
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Levi

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2011, 05:19:48 pm »

I'm not a big tabletop roleplayer, but wouldn't deadly combat be kind of annoying for the players?  Who wants to constantly make new characters after getting killed over and over?
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shadenight123

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2011, 05:22:42 pm »

mmm can i test roll it with my players? (by this i actually want to ask: is it "testable" by converting stuff from other places (like d&d monsters) to it?)
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“Well,” he said. “We’re in the Forgotten hunting grounds I take it. Your screams just woke them up early. Congratulations, Lyara.”
“Do something!” she whispered, trying to keep her sight on all of them at once.
Basileus clapped his hands once. The Forgotten took a step forward, attracted by the sound.
“There, I did something. I clapped. I like clapping,” he said. -The Investigator And The Case Of The Missing Brain.

Araph

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2011, 05:44:16 pm »

I'm not a big tabletop roleplayer, but wouldn't deadly combat be kind of annoying for the players?  Who wants to constantly make new characters after getting killed over and over?
The idea was to make people avoid combat a bit more; it doesn't provide that much benefit to the players and it has consequences. I thought it'd be cool to have a game that wasn't totally combat oriented.

mmm can i test roll it with my players? (by this i actually want to ask: is it "testable" by converting stuff from other places (like d&d monsters) to it?)
Not quite. I mean, enough rules are in place to allow combat, but not all DnD variables match up to this game's stats. For example, you could convert, say, a goblin from DnD to this as-of-yet unnamed game, but a troll wouldn't quite work due to the current lack of supernatural abilities (such as regeneration). Generally, you could; if you change some racial abilities into skill points and auto-castable spells, it would work.
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Levi

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2011, 05:48:28 pm »

I'm not a big tabletop roleplayer, but wouldn't deadly combat be kind of annoying for the players?  Who wants to constantly make new characters after getting killed over and over?
The idea was to make people avoid combat a bit more; it doesn't provide that much benefit to the players and it has consequences. I thought it'd be cool to have a game that wasn't totally combat oriented.

Ah, that make sense.
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Virex

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2011, 06:31:18 pm »

mmm can i test roll it with my players? (by this i actually want to ask: is it "testable" by converting stuff from other places (like d&d monsters) to it?)
Not quite. I mean, enough rules are in place to allow combat, but not all DnD variables match up to this game's stats. For example, you could convert, say, a goblin from DnD to this as-of-yet unnamed game, but a troll wouldn't quite work due to the current lack of supernatural abilities (such as regeneration). Generally, you could; if you change some racial abilities into skill points and auto-castable spells, it would work.
Say hi to DM liberty ;)
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Araph

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2011, 11:39:42 pm »

mmm can i test roll it with my players? (by this i actually want to ask: is it "testable" by converting stuff from other places (like d&d monsters) to it?)
Not quite. I mean, enough rules are in place to allow combat, but not all DnD variables match up to this game's stats. For example, you could convert, say, a goblin from DnD to this as-of-yet unnamed game, but a troll wouldn't quite work due to the current lack of supernatural abilities (such as regeneration). Generally, you could; if you change some racial abilities into skill points and auto-castable spells, it would work.
Say hi to DM liberty ;)
You mean, like, DMs sort of winging it and hoping if it works?
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shadenight123

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2011, 02:20:42 am »

i'm a masterful dm encased in adamantium who menaces with spikes of awesomeness.
if you do give permission i'll have a test roll with my pc's against a bunch of goblins.
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“Well,” he said. “We’re in the Forgotten hunting grounds I take it. Your screams just woke them up early. Congratulations, Lyara.”
“Do something!” she whispered, trying to keep her sight on all of them at once.
Basileus clapped his hands once. The Forgotten took a step forward, attracted by the sound.
“There, I did something. I clapped. I like clapping,” he said. -The Investigator And The Case Of The Missing Brain.

Hitty40

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2011, 09:55:35 am »

i'm a masterful dm encased in adamantium who menaces with spikes of awesomeness.
if you do give permission i'll have a test roll with my pc's against a bunch of goblins.

I'll do this too.
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Ho Ho Ho! I'm going to be sticking economic stone so far up your stockings, you'll be coughing up gemstone windows!
Quote
You see, when the devil comes on to your forums and begins dropping F bombs and shouts 'GIVE ALL YOUR WOMEN!', he's in a happy mood.
Quote
if there's lots of g's and z's, it's gobbo. If you don't really recognize it, it's human. if it's called Urist, it's dwarf.

Araph

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Re: Tabletop Game I've Been Working On
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2011, 11:54:26 am »

i'm a masterful dm encased in adamantium who menaces with spikes of awesomeness.
if you do give permission i'll have a test roll with my pc's against a bunch of goblins.

I'll do this too.
By all means, go ahead!

Spoiler: Converted Goblins (click to show/hide)
If you want to use that, it should be fairly accurate to D&D's goblins. If you'd prefer to convert some other monster, feel free.

Spoiler: Weapon Information (click to show/hide)
Because I haven't gotten around to items yet, here's a few placeholder weapons. If there's one I didn't put that one of the players would like, just tell me and I'll put it in.

Armor is actually not finished in the rules because I just changed how it works, so you'll have to do without. Unless I finish that before you play, in which case what I just said is irrelevant. For unarmored fighters, dodging is the equivalent skill; dodge and armor usage checks are interchangeable.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2011, 04:05:48 pm by Araph »
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