Discussion thread for any but GURPS
Systems
>Savage Worlds
>Cypher System
>Fate
>OpenD6
>WaRP
>Risus
Feel free to list any others I've missed. Which do you prefer? What are its Pros and Cons?
Universal Systems
Carson Bailey
Other urls found in this thread:
tao-games.com
atlas-games.com
evilhat.com
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
theunspeakableoath.com
arcdream.com
twitter.com
Justin Jackson
Actually that reminds me: Is there a universal system that allows for reactions during combat, or is everything "Take turn, do standard action, move, swift/whatever, end turn."
I need something with more control and action during combat, not this shit that's stuck in the past.
Cooper Diaz
I use this when I want to run things on the fly: tao-games.com
It's a 1d6 system, the rules describe it as a generic fantasy, but it's so rules-lite that adapting it to anything is a piece of cake. It actually manages to get things right in a 1d6 system, changing the interpretation of the roll rather than settting a target number, so the system doesn't break down when players get a +2 bonus in such a narrow field of numbers.
I'm currently adapting it to a JoJo 1d6 system.
Julian Brown
Savage Worlds does combat well. Character creation is pretty simple and fast when you know what you want to do with it as well.
It doesn't handle roleplaying heavy elements well though. What I mean by that is Charisma checks and shit are broken as hell and should just not exist, if you want to get into character and spend a night barely touching dice and just acting like a bar crawling bard or something? It doesn't do that well at all.
It is combat and action focused and if that is your bag it is a great system if a bit wacky because of the exploding dice mechanic.
Fate is a pain in the ass. It isn't too difficult to understand but it is a total pain in the ass to keep everyone on the same page as to what their character can do, what enemies can do, and what the environment can do. The best Fate based game would probably be the Dresden Files RPG because the first session is the entire group establishing the universe, what does what, the roles they will have, people of interest, places of interest, and so on and so forth. It is collaborative world creation and there is a way to list it all and since the whole of the group was in on the creation of it everyone is on the same page. Unfortunately that work is just that, work. The first session is neat, but not fun in any real way.
Evan Adams
I forget which system, but there was talk of a system where every action takes effect in a single turn. However, players roll initiative, and the Slowest unit goes first, allowing players who are faster to react to the series of events as a whole.
Ayden Gonzalez
Not exactly a universal system, but Apocalypse World is pretty easily adaptable to other concepts. Not well mind you, but it does it.(looking at you DW)
Actually, I'm attempting to adapt Bunnies and Burrows to AW. Procrastinating because B&B is a Wall of Text, both flavor and mechanics.
Ayden Perry
I remember reading about that. Think it was some guys homebrew thing.
There should be a universal system out there that gives more activity in combat without being needlessly complex or broken. I've played d20 stuff, d100 stuff and d10 stuff but nothing seems to work.
Honestly it seems like the companies that own the rights to their RPGs are too busy trying to keep their rights and their money. Change your system too much, you can lose players.
Is it too much to ask for a system that makes sense?
Brody Wood
I really like ORE because it mods so easily.
Unlike most games with different settings it doesn't just change skills and equipment but the entire dynamic.
The core mechanism is a pool rolled once per round. Into that pool can go many things, starting with stats and skills, but just as easily the pool can get boosted with relationships, powers, or whatever else you want your setting to pay attention to. And by having it all in one pool it's really simple to balance.
Then it resolves really fast - one roll - and really precise: per limb stun or kill damage is standard. It also has a great game dynamic when several characters try to disrupt each other's multiple actions in a round, like in combat.
You have to build or learn each ORE game separately. They have a lot in common, but assumptions will mislead you. Every ORE game is its own game with its own rules and individual table dynamic. From the mad Nemesis over the cute Monsters and Other Childish things and the fun Better Angels all the way to the imposing Fantasy epic Reign. There's the moral A Dirty World, the gritty Godlike and Wild Talents, and of course the System Toolkit and rough drafts like StarORE and ORE Mecha.
ORE is fast and fun, will do narrative focus or simulationist precision, but at its heart it is gamist and does any game dynamic you would want really well and easily.
If you want truly generic rules that are the same for pirates or astronauts then use BRP. The Call of Cthulhu quick start is free and has all you need to get started. Tune down sanity, double HP, and come up with some options for spending luck to underline your setting.
Brandon Sullivan
Also, Champions/HERO System. Useful for fantasy, pulp, supers, and SF.
Juan Brown
There's also True20, and that crazy-ass Basic d20/BURPS system.
Oh, also: Cortex Plus (though it's like Fate in that it's often depicted with an assumed setting).
Ryder Thompson
Marvel Heroic/Cortex Plus does this.
TL;DR: you can spend easy-to-get metacurrency to have an effect (damage or otherwise) trigger off of your defense/resistance roll, be it against enemies or just circumstances.
Asher Powell
You can do non-superhero stuff in Mutants and Masterminds relatively easily.
Jaxon White
Savage Worlds, Strike! and FAE are my go to RPGs. I can't think of an RPG where the whole "dedicated games can have mechanics that actually fit the setting better!" thing is actually relevant.
That I'd like to play, at least. I mean, I heard Necronica has some systems that fit with playing an undead loli really well, but I'd rather not.
Grayson Taylor
>Universal Systems
"No, I don't want to play your homebrew"
Brody Wood
>WaRP
What's that?
Evan Butler
HeroQuest 2. I still see it pop up online occasionally but it sounds like its fans are really quiet since it's just a rare thing in some obscure message board when I google it.
Pros: Quick, emulates a story (pro for me, con for some), simple mechanics.
Con: Very little crunch. Emulating a story sounds antagonistic to traditional gaming lessons of making a world and putting characters in it. Books are released slowly. Not much 3rd party support
Jonathan Kelly
James Jackson
The Pace rpg; truly universal, diceless and indescribably brilliant in it's simplicity. It's so simple that it seems simplistic at first, but playing it quickly shows just how elegant the system really is. If you're looking for crunch and deep tactical rules, then keep looking. However, if you're more interested in a narrative system that allows you to play any type of character in any type of setting, with no randomness, then this is your bishi right here.
Wyatt Myers
>with no randomness
I don't want to sound condescending, but why would you want this? Doesn't everything feel so sterile if you know what's going to happen before it happens?
Henry Evans
Not in this case.I meant no dice-based randomness rather than no randomness at all. Pace works with a point economy. If it's an unopposed task you simply spend a certain number to do it. (In fact, if you have a relevant attribute, you automatically succeed on basic tasks, although you may want to spend points for a more impressive success for whatever reason.) However, if it's an opposed test, such as dueling with a town guard, then it's points versus points, and the outcome will be based not necessarily on who has the most to spend, but on who wants it the most. Not only might a person decide to hold back a few points for later use, but they can also choose to go into debt for extra points to use. That may help you at the moment, but it will cause you problems later on because the GM also gets an equal number of points to use against you later. (Or, vice versa if the GM is the one who decides to go into debt for points to use in the moment.) Plus, points aren't a constantly regenerating thing. If you want more than what you have you have to pay for them, either by the way I just mentioned, or by intentionally failing at a task, which will give you points for later use, as well as trouble card that the GM can use against you.
It really is a good system for people who prefer story to tactical gaming. Check it out.
Elijah Anderson
That actually does sound really neat. And only 19 pages. I would probably never play it because I have one player that I know for a fact hates meta currency. Not because it's meta, but because he doesn't like the idea of having to choose when and how much to spend and that sounds like the entirety of this game.
Gabriel Sanchez
Yeah, that's always a problem. I have a similar one. One of my best friends is a die-hard tactical gamer while I'm on the narrative end of things, so we really can't game together much.
Elijah Powell
Not OP, but I'm the person who usually shills WaRP every chance I get on Veeky Forums. It's a rules lite and narrativist system. All stats are traits based on the character's backstory, so there is a lot of creativity to be had in both chargen and gameplay. It uses a small-scale dicepool as a resolution mechanic, and is over all simple and adaptable. One can make combat more complicated if wanted, but at its core it's easy but balanced
Ian Roberts
It's for situations like this that I would really love to marry a narrative (I think it's supposed to be 'dramatist' nowadays?) game with some more... tactical influence, largely through some rocks-paper-scissors elements.
Angel Murphy
Take a look at Strike!
It's probably not what you want, but the tactical module could be helpful.
Jayden Phillips
There are games out there that fall in-between the two poles. It's really a problem with approach, though. I want to delve into character and story, he wants to crunch numbers and work tactics. Nothing wrong with either, but it does mean that neither of us can be happy GMing for the other in the long run.
I have Strike! It's got its flaws, but overall it's not bad at all. However, as I said above, our problem is one of approach rather than with the rules themselves. (That said, though, I still hold that D20 and most of it's variants are overworked garbage not fit for human consumption.)
Gavin Lopez
>overworked garbage not fit for human consumption
This is actually a prefect description of Strike.
Bentley Hall
Strike! is underworked, not over.
Austin Taylor
Either way, I think it needs more playtesting and refinement. Talk to me when the next edition comes out.
Owen Gonzalez
OpenD6 works this way.
Jonathan Thomas
I did a thing. It can be used for most things.
Chase Gonzalez
>All stats are traits based on the character's backstory
Sounds like HeroQuest 2. Have you read into that game? What are some differences between HQ2 (or HQ: Glorantha) and WaRP?
Kevin Morris
I've read about it, but I haven't read the actual thing, nor have I played it, so I can't say I know for sure, but it seems similar at least. I find the whole cycle-narrative-thing for scaling encounters really interesting
Adam Anderson
Oh, and HQ2 seems more fleshed out. WaRP isn't even 30 pages
Joshua Evans
D20
ORE
Adam Hughes
V20 (and possibly classic White Wolf games, I cant remember) does something like this. Low initiatives say what they're going to do so high initiatives can make an informed decision whej they say what they'll do. By default, high initiatives execute their actions first, unless they're reacting to a specific event.
And at any time during the actual turn execution, anyone can roll Willpower to change their action, so slow characters can still react.
Jaxon Gonzalez
I can't remember if nWoD/CofD does this, but my group uses this turn system anyways for Vampire: The Requiem.
And nWod/CofD is something of a universal system wannabe.
Hunter Lee
>Which do you prefer?
GURPS
Savage Worlds is laughable
Connor Sanders
why is it laughable?
Christopher Howard
Stop shilling Strike!
Why does Veeky Forums keep shilling Strike!?
Ian Davis
Risus is probably my favorite even if all the characters end up feeling like a cardboard box with a noun written on it. I generally use the Evens Up rule (success-based system by the amount of even numbers that come up per die roll + rolls of 6 explode) to mitigate differences between cliche levels and I've been experimenting with Minute Made Magic for a fantasy game.
What I'm not big on is how some people will make all these complex subsystems when there's a perfectly good set of rules already there to re-use. You don't need a bunch of hull and armament rules for vehicles and piloting them when you can just say it's a Husky Mk. III Wanzer (3) with a Sunowl Missile Launcher (2), then let the pilot team up with the vehicle and make the Wanzer the team leader. Better pilots will contribute more 6's to the machine's raw power.
Jaxson Nelson
I'm having some trouble coming up with a magic system for my FATE game so I'd like some help.
The problem is that I need Magic to be mechanically different from just normal skills and stunts because they have a really high cost to them in the setting. The best way to describe them is: Think of Bioshock's Plasmids, but the mutations are even more severe to the point that people become horrible Cthulu-esque monsters if they go too far.
At first I was thinking of lifting Dresden File's rules because it's one of my favorite magic systems ever, but after thinking about it I don't know if it would really work with the style of magic present. Anyone got any idea to help me make these powers worth it for the high cost it demands?
Easton Brooks
Stop whining about Strike!
Why does Veeky Forums keep whining about Strike!
It's just another game system, man. Some people like it. I don't see you complaining about People shilling Savage Worlds, which also get's brought up every time a thread like this is made. Or D6 and its variants. If you don't like Strike! that's fine, but we all know that you're only really bitching about it because it makes you feel superior to the supposed "shills".
Blake Sanchez
One of my favorites. Give it a try if you like diceless gaming.
Josiah Ortiz
Mini Six bump.
Aaron Gomez
I was in a game where magic maybe didn't do what you want (in fact I don't really remember in game what it did except make portals) but had a potentially really severe consequence. When you did magic one of your dice was a d6 instead of a fate die. You could adjust for more of them to be d6 up to your level. But for every number on the die you had to take that wound in whatever wound boxes were applicable.
Made magic almost always go off but always came with a price. I'm sure you could do something similar with sanity or humanity or however you want to track your "Bad Things Cometh."
Benjamin Brooks
I prefer GSS: it's the same idea and doesn't gives Evil Hat any of my time.
Bentley Jones
Does anyone have a pdf with better formatting? That OGL pdf is the worst thing I saw in months.
Asher Powell
>why is it laughable?
Because it isn't GURPS. Don't bother with the memester, m8.
Alexander Phillips
That's more or less how the Dresden Files work. The problem is that it might make magic a bit too...underpowered unless you gamble really big with it. And even then, a guy with a sword could just stack two aspects and roll a +2 and do +9 Shifts while your scrawny mutant ass will have to cuck out just to get a +7. It works for Dresden Files since Evocations are kind of like mage's PANIC button and most magic is prepared beforehand, but like Plasmids people can use Mutations a lot more than Evocations.
Henry Hernandez
Didn't know that. I guess it isn't that helpful then, that was the only FATE game I played. The system didn't really wow me. But on the other hand that was right before I started seeing a therapist for some depression so maybe it would be better now.
Jayden Bell
Amusingly, I have been considering making a sort of SW/Strike! fusion. I'm just not sure about the balance.
Eli Hughes
I'd like to be updated on this, seems like a cool idea.
Angel Morris
Make a separate stress track for magic, and allow them to use consequences to get boosts to thier rolls. Your arm may be a writhing mass of testicles but you did manage to do that thing with magics and the stuff-things yeah?
Dominic Johnson
>writhing mass of testicles
Adrian Brown
Did he fucking stutter
Parker Price
The idea is to keep the "no modifiers" rule, but have distinction between stats by giving it different dice, which is more granular than advantage/disadvantage.
Right now in my mind the following thoughts are:
4 stats (instead of the usual 5 for SW, the role of strength and vigor fused into one): Power, Finesse, Intellect and Spirit. They go by dice from d4 to d12.
Skills are optional. If not used, edges that affect them still play, they just only apply when you'd be using that skill.
In combat you roll finesse for attack (regardless if it's melee or ranged, you need to beat enemy finesse/2 to hit, hitting it exactly is a "graze", raising is a crit) and roll power for damage (you roll as many of your strength dice as the damage of the power, only the ones above enemy power/2 go through, half everyone's health to compensate). You roll Spirit for any saving throw (4+ saves), and Intellect modifies how many powers you have.
Ethan Foster
I came here to ask if there is any news on GURPS: Vehicles for 4e yet. My group really wants to play as a WW2 tank crew but I don't want to until that comes out.
I managed to distract them with a Warcraft GURPS game I threw together, but there is only so many years I can milk that one for.
Tyler Howard
Are you retarded, user?
Carson Rodriguez
this pasta is not really helpful - too vague. Please be more specific. Can you give solid gameplay examples? Thanks!
Ryder Martinez
Yes, chum, he did. We always hear about 'writhing mass of tentacles' - never ever do we hear about a writhing mass of 'TESTICLES', tho. That's good shit, and some fucked up imagery.
Carter Moore
Check the general thread.
Colton Ortiz
>Can you give solid gameplay examples?
Monsters and Other Childish Things - Simplifies skills. Game is about playing children and their monsters that only they know about.
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
A Dirty World - Don't know what it does different Mechanically - Noir
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
Wild Talents - Supers
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
Better Angels - Supers but you get powers from a demon who needs to agree to let you use them. Other players play your demon.
actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com
Nemesis - Horror - Has a madness meter similar to UA (same author for each) - Nemesis is also free (as in beer, not open).
theunspeakableoath.com
Christian Harris
Thanks for those links, user!
Hunter Ramirez
No worries. I have a ~25-30 minute commute one way for work and I like to listen to podcasts instead of morning radio.
Connor Murphy
what do i need to play a savage worlds in fantasy?
Ryder Walker
Basically just SW Deluxe (the core book), and supplements of your choice (the fantasy supplement honestly isn't that great, but it still has some stats). I recommend the Savage Armory fan supplement for a bit less retarded melee weapons. Also, probably use "each spell is a skill, each point of cost is a -2 to the roll" system instead of the mana systems, they aren't great imo.