What's your dream system Veeky Forums? Could you create it?

You've just described every new system released in the last 10 years, have you tried playing something that isn't Shadowrun?

I once ran a game with little to no numbers, levels, experience poins, descriptive combat etc.
Its superior to dnd approach, but you need adequate players who are willing to let GM make all these questionable decisions

Is there a chance you could post it? You have gained my curiosity.

I want a ridiculously crunchy generic fantasy, D&D is light as fuck compared to what I'm used to in other genres.

yeah man the key is to dream small

2d6+mod instead of d20, but pretty much used the same. Very simple equipment and shit. Tri-stat, "classless" and "raceless"; because both of those are just for flavor and minor RP advantages. Wounds instead of HP, combat's fast and deadly.
Simple Perk and levelup system. Card-game multi-GM gauntlet - one GM runs one encounter(card), when the encounter's done, the next GM runs his card. This way everyone can be a GM and have a GMPC.
"Power Word"-based abilities that let a player make any kind of spell for his PC, say a Fireball is "Fire, Burn, Area of Effect", a rallying cry is "Remove Debuffs, AoE, Heal Friends", lay on hands is "Touch, Heal Friend 2W", and so on.

Anyone serious, experienced or good wouldn't want it, I think, but most of my friends are neither one of the three, and so this system fits our needs fine.

I just play Barbarians of Lemuria. Its really easy to fix problems and add new content, and it runs well regardless of skill level.

Song of Swords but with good non-combat mechanics

I considered meshing the system with Burning Wheel

Also my running philosophy is KISS, can children play it and can drunk people play it. And IMO, might've helped a fledgling GM or two with the encounter generation cherry. Very proud of my shitpile.

How does combat work in SoS? Ive been curious to try it.

I'm currently in the process of going one last time over the rules, spellchecking and doing proper formatting, because I'm a hypercritical fuck. Readability is less of an issue if the author is sitting at the table or only a text message away, but I want it to be concise and clear when I put it online for the world. The language barrier might be a problem, though, because it's in German. I'm planning to translate it, but first I have to get a proper grip on LaTEX or some other software to properly format the thing.

It's based around two things: the flow of combat, and mind-games/betting.
Flow of combat comes from how one person will attack, and then likely lose initiative; then the next person will attack, and then likely lose initiative. And so on.
Mind games/betting comes from how you have a limited dice pool which can be split up between attacking and "defending" however you like, so you could suicidally pump it all into attack and hope you go first and incapacitate first, or you could try to simply defend if you don't want to hurt the person.

This is while having a bunch of detailed manoeuvres depending on your weapon, like hooking the enemy's knee with the backside of a lucerne hammer.

Unfortunately, the non-combat mechanic is just "roll relevant dice-number, count successes".

Advanced tactical simulation, also strategic simulations.

We have the technology these days that they didn't have in the 1970's but we don't even use it properly. Interactive simulation games like RPGs have been simplified and dumbed down to broaden the audience and speed up play. The main reason to speed up play and to eliminate math from games is to trigger similar dopamine responses we see in use of social media and gambling. I admit that this strategy in design makes perfect sense and will increase popularity and sales. On the other hand for someone that isn't quasi-addicted to repetitive experiences it's a shit game with little to no depth nor surprises.

With computer technology it should have been possible for companies to create programs or now apps that would function as simulation engines for the game world. The depth of play would be able to go much further than rolling dice, but you wouldn't need to remove dice entirely either.

Any game that purely uses some form of only dice and static modifiers is always going to be derivative and unnecessary remixing of established games. People that don't understand that just don't understand highschool math.

Maybe?

Something where magic is not a"level" thing.
Example: you see four bandits charging you. Your a lv 1 mage. You choose to cast a form of magic missile at each of them.
>I cast a bolt of energy at each of them
>Dm: ok, let's call when that a DC 16
>Rolls an adjusted 14
>Dm: you fail to harness the needed mana/power, the spell goes off, but it drew on your life force. You take 2d4 damage, and the bandits die.
>But...that puts me at zero health!
>Dm: yeah, overcasting is risky, you knew that when you chose mage

Or something similar.

That's just obfuscation, your still limiting magic behind a mechanism that for all intensive purposes is equivalent to levels.

Play barbs. Magic is very limited, and if you dont plan rituals and preparations for your more powerful spells ahead of time your only choice is to either dump all your arcane power for the day, or risk taking pretty hefty damage.

Disagree.

I want to remove the shackles off of mages, and make them self-regulate.
Lv1, wanna cast a 10d6 fireball? Fine, it's going to kill you tho.

I want the effect to be the costly part.

I'll check that out.

I don't want a book of specific spells...just basic rules covering a DC scale.

My dream system is 7th Ed Hero System + open gaming license.

6th is great, a couple tweaks and it would be perfect. It's unfortunately pretty obscure.

The way barbs does things there are three levels of spells. T1 are like your average harry potter spell: they can generally effect something with limited scale for a temporary period. T2 are more powerful and can have permanent or major effects that last longer. T3 let you re-write the laws of nature and are generally reserved for villains and are cast once in a lifetime.

Each spell has hard and soft requirements which alter its cost, and each mage should be given their own global soft requirements they can buy into to make casting easier under special circumstances.

It requires a smart GM to use it well, but it works better than any other magic system I know.

Ive heard mixed things about Hero, how does it play?

I'm not going to lie, I care more about the game rules then the setting... I allays wanted a setting where every class had a gimmick that makes them feel super unique, my problem is, how to make that work when you are playing with dice and paper...for example a idea I had was

The legend: You start off as a sup par warrior class, better then a run of the mill guy with a sword, but not by much, you then get a sheet of achievements to go with your character sheet that unlocks new powers and what not like
>Slayer: Kill 10 foes without help during a single adventurer = more attack damage
>True friend: Take a hit for a team mate that would have killed them = more hit points
>Honor bound: fight a foe one on one when it was much safer to gang up on him = more CHA or something

things like that, you start off weak but slow and surely become the hero of your own tale, another neat idea would be a king/leader/mayor or something, so one of the players could pretty much be playing a kingdom management card game where you have to balance tax's and what not, while playing cards to help the party like

>"Call the guard!: this card cost's x amount of tax and adds 5 well armed guards to the party's next adventure"

you know, strange stuff like that. that sounds neat.

Definitely checking this out. Thx m8.

My system is very advanced. Okay get this, instead of rolling a d20 you roll a d12 and then subtract 3.

In case of a tie both sides roll 3d6 which has a bell curve and the highest wins. If they tie again each time they add another d4 to their 3d6 and roll again.

It's complete point buy system. You build your own powers and feats. It lets you build/play anything (within your point value and GM's permission) without forcing you into classes/tropes.

Play wise it's pretty far into simulationist territory, but I've played it with players who love freedom/narrativist stuff without issues because the rules are tight enough to cover just about everything. It does take a lot of work up front for character creation.

It's also a bit math heavy, so if your gm is not great with numbers I might stay away.

I love it though. I've used it for fantasy/survival horror/ SciFi/ super heroes you name it.

I actually came up with this for an RPG Maker project, but I can't into programming so fuck it.

Something really simple, using 3 stats and d6 pools. I call it the 3S system.
STATS
>Strength: Physical stats
>Soul: Spiritual/magical strength and resilience; if magic is not involved, could be applied to social stats instead
>Skill: Theoretical/practical knowledge of non-magical things
>Each point adds 1d6 to checks with that roll (for example, 1 point of Strength uses 1d6, while 2 uses 2d6, etc.)
>Stats cap at some point (15 maybe?)
CREATION/ADVANCEMENT
>Either roll 1d6+3 and allocate as you want (although you have to have a minimum of 1 in each stat) or point-buy
>Get a +1 modifier to a stat of your choice when you level up; when you get up to a +6 modifier, you can choose to get another die instead; stats can only have up to a +6 modifier

I'm not sure how to determine things like defenses and attack order, mostly because I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible. Help plz.

I think what would really fix all your problems is if instead of using d6 you used 3d4.

You need to add SOMETHING. Traits on a point-buy most likely. Systems with nothing but situational modifiers always fail to produce suitably differentiated characters.

>those digits
3d4 it is then. Besides, I've been looking at things with AnyDice and it seems that once you level up enough to get another die, you actually fall back a bit. You have to wait 3 levels and put them into the stat with the new die before you can get a mean on par with what you got if you stayed.
>CAPTCHA: ROAD CLOSE
Maybe this system isn't that good after all.

This is 3e BESM, right? I always wanted to try.

This is just bare-metal stuff right now. I haven't gotten into anything like skills or "feats" or anything like that. I just want to make sure the math works out first, which would be easier if I didn't suck at math.

In that case Id recommend going with a much simpler 2D6 with 9 being the target. Ive run tons of systems over the years, and thats the one I find returns the right balance of success and failure.

Shadowrun's idea of cyberpunk and fantasy, but without it being a clusterfuck.

I'm actively working on it with a friend.

I think you'll find that with 3d4 it will completely transform your system in to an entirely new game. There aren't many designers using the d4 anymore so this will really make you stand out from the rest.

>adding up four separate numbers

UGH

>four numbers
>on 3d4

plus your stat obviously

What if you roll 3d4 but only add them all up if you roll 4+4+4, like a slot machine, this is vastly superior to mono die systems.

Oh sweet, make the dice variable but only count if you roll max, so the smaller your dice the better!

It'd be different so must be good!

I disagree 2d6 + modifier is a much better system and has more roleplaying potential.

That seems inefficient.

Made it OP. Made 2
First is a take on 70's dungeon dives. Simple attribute and skill test system. Complexer combat system: brutal, random, Fun.
It is light and a great way for me to explore a setting I have cooking up.

Second is my take on the narrative dice system (FFG's StarWars/genesys system). It has potential but I am butting it to sleep for the time being to see how Genesys pans out.

Do you think it would be better if it used d8's instead?

Single roll has all sorts of problems.

I wouldn't call the system I'm working on my dream system, just a method to give the players and GM more agency over their actions

Uses action points, scaling dice results based on success level, favors players using actual strategies to gain combat modifiers, flexible combat maneuvers, improves skill usage both in and out of combat, static initiative system, allows for flexible one upgrade at a time character advancement and the damn system can be used for any setting, purge HP bloat, which solves another problem of mine, needing to know several different game systems.
Rules in place for easily handling hundreds of enemies on the field, but also for less than a dozen just as well using the same rules. Can be played on hex, square or just with a tape measure.
Reworking weapons and armor to all have their use, no one weapon or piece of armor to shine as the best about the others, ect
Oh yea and magic, bringing it in par with all other weapons and abilities. It's hard to be perfectly balanced, actually probably impossible, but you can get close.
My playtest players took out something like 50 gobbos in less than 10 minutes using the rules.
And it's not based on nor copying any other game system. Just like all other game systems, I may be inspired or slightly mirror some minor aspects of other game systems, why break what isn't broken?

I've never played Shadowrun. I've run Unknown Armies and Barbarians of Lemuria tho.

This.
My big anger with d&d is exactly this.

>Lv 20 fighter specialized with longsword for 20 levels
>20 kneeling, tied up prisoners in front of him
>Fighter attacks each one, with his +20 bonus, plus other modifers...
>He kills 19, and fumbles his sword (or worse), on one

Wat? Just fucking no.

You can easily run Barbs as streampunk. Easily.

Gotcha so 5d8 - 20?

Probably 4E but with the AC and to hit leveled like 5E, and martials change their power structure so they can use encounters and dailies based on combat triggers instead of uses. They could use one encounter power the turn immediately following the turn where they killed a none-minion opponent, and dailies are used when a martial crits. Now they don't have stupid at-will, encounter, daily limits but get them about as often.

Critical miss was never an official rule but it's good you feel so strongly about something so we will pretend it was.

What's wrong with 2d6?

I recall BoL doesn't have much in the way of options beyond "I stab him" for combat unless you're spending hero points.

2d6 really doesn't work for what I need, 4d3 would be better..

Sure you dont mean 3d4 like before? I have no real problem with that over d8.

There are several stances, defence, offense, armor pen, not to mention specific weapon uses that are written into the game. It may seem like a copout but BoL is specifically written so that if you can argue that something should work a certain way, it does. Thats explicitly in the rules.

3d4 is completely different to 4d3.

Sorry, you were just talking about 3d4 before. What makes 4d3 attractive to you?

I'm a proponent of the notion that different systems run different kinds of games best, and as such don't really have a single "dream" system.

I'm actively working on a system which is based around academies designed to train individuals to deal with the various supernatural threats of the world, where character progression is mostly handled through picking a set of courses each quarter, with each course conferring certain skill increases and giving access to abilities. The end result is that it's a classless system with nonlinear progression, without suffering from some of the issues that strictly point-based progression does, as the courses tend to give you tangential benefits which lead to more well-rounded characters. Other features include:
-2d10+Mod vs Target Number for most rolls
-HP represents bruises, small cuts and physical exhaustion. Wounds represent debilitating injuries. These are tracked and healed separately. Lower HP means more likely to get Wounds.
-All stats useful to some degree to all characters, no dump stats
-Supernatural abilities gained the same way as non-supernatural (via courses). Spells aren't learned in a different way. This means the Wizard will generally have the same number of abilities as somebody building a rogue-type character, just different stuff.
-What I hope are passable social rules

Does that sound like the sort of thing people would be interested in trying?

4d3 has much greater power of expression and versatility to other dice, for much deeper systems and cleaner design. Unlike inferior dice has beens such as 3d4, 2d6, 2d8, 1d12, 2d10, and 1d20.

Why do this? What do you gain by trolling a conversation about dice?

>Fate
>Genre specific
>Combat options

Heh? Fate is awesome, I'd recommend it to anyone. I really feel like it is the perfect role playing system. But it's not simulationist. There are no combat options other than invoking an aspect on your Fight roll.

To be fair, though, I think you could graft Fate onto most more crunchy system to great effect. Maybe not Runequest, but I'm certainly planning on using it with Hero System in he future.

Dude, get your hands on Fate. That system is robust af.

Why would it be trolling? Most people define their systems by the dice they choose, it's important to be different to the 2d6 crowd.

>4d3 has much greater power of expression and versatility to other dice

Completely accurate.

It's been a while since I read it; I just recall being disappointed in the combat system. Maybe I'll have to reread it.

I'd say Fate is somewhat genre-specific in that it's a pulp game (or at least derived from a pulp game) and shows it.

Its definitely not Song of Swords, but combat isnt really the entire point of the game. I fixed it in homebrew by adding more stances and more attack options which isnt really that hard at all.

>4d3 has much greater power of expression and versatility to other dice
What does this actually mean? What is "power of expression" in this context? How is 4d3 more "versatile" and other dice systems (Such as dice pools counting successes, where you can have interesting effects like changing what constitutes a success, having rules for conditional results, etc.)? All 4d3 does is give a result from 4-12 with a very steep preference towards the average result of 8 (23.46%). The combination of tiny variation and huge curve also means that a +1 difference in modifiers is a huge deal (if you're using a system with modifiers, I suppose) and as such there is very little granularity in skill levels, which doesn't strike me as "expressive" or "versatile".

>Most people define their systems by the dice they choose
Since when? The dice mechanic is important, sure, but it's by no means the single most defining feature of a game.
>It's important to be different
Why? Plenty of games are successful using tried-and-true dice systems. You don't need to come up with an entirely new system just for the sake of it. Don't make rules unless they directly reinforce the core engagement of your game.

4d3 also has the downside of being an absolute pain the butt to roll, as you're rolling 4d6, then doing the d6->d3 conversion in your head, and then adding them. I don't see what possible advantages 4d3 has to warrant that kind of annoyance and game-slowing.

He's just trolling. Quit feeding him walls of text and (you)s. Its what he wants.

Just look at the bell curve and you'll understand.

What? 60% of the results occupying only 3 values. Thats a great mechanic you've got there. Not significantly different from 1d3, mechanically.

An in-depth campaign system for a skirmish game, complete with resource management and base-building. HoR already has elements of this, and they're pretty good at it, but I'd like something just a little more.

Join the discord out of the SoS general and ask for Rhade or Dion and they'll run you a test fight in the SoS Roll20

You're retarded, but we'll pretend you've actually played d&d.

1's always miss. 20's always hit. This has been a thing since 1st.

There's a difference between "you roll a 1; your attack misses" and "you roll a 1; you drop your sword, fall over, and stab yourself in the cock". The first one is the RAW one that's been around since the beginning. The second is a meme that has gone on far too long.

CDG exists solely to satisfy this, you idiot. Im the one you're responding to and even I think your point makes no sense.

>1's always miss
That isn't a "critical miss" though. A "critical miss" is the idea that rolling a 1 means you stab yourself in the leg, break your sword, or some other similarly stupid action.

Fumble your sword is critical fail eh?

No. It's a way of describing your miss. The post had nothing to do with crits you stupid fucktard. Only about missing 1/20 regardless.

But do go on flicking your bean as you mumble about crit memes.

Don't use a d20 simply because it has caught on as the normie bazinga t-shirt dice

Real hipsters use stat + 2d12

No shit?

Wow. That's interesting. The faggot arguing the post was the only one saying "crits".

>generic d20 heartbreaker
Stop.

OSR is great. Keep at it. Love the homebrews and house rules.

Fate is garbage if you aren't a storygame hugboxer.

>It's a Fallout system that's as close to the original games as possible
Interesting.

>Perfect mix of the philosophies of gurps, fate and pbta.
>gurps, fate, and pbta
This will either be ingenious or an abortion.

BoL is bretty good.

>The main reason to speed up play and to eliminate math from games is to trigger similar dopamine responses we see in use of social media and gambling.
Breh, I'm an adult (manchild). I don't have time to spend hours with a calculator to fill out a character sheet.

>With computer technology it should have been possible for companies to create programs or now apps that would function as simulation engines for the game world. The depth of play would be able to go much further than rolling dice, but you wouldn't need to remove dice entirely either.
It is possible. It's also pretty fun to just have some buds at the table and a hand-drawn map.

>intensive purposes
End yourself.

Please stop.

Check out OpenD6. It's pretty usable.

Get in it to win it with anime goodness.

>rolling an attack in a situation where you cannot miss
>not understanding what hit points are
>failing to apply the rules properly
>critical fumble meme
Your GMing is shit, and you're basically a fucking retard.

>Stop.
Cry harder, faggot.

A simple, easy to learn rule set that let me use the Exalted setting without using the insane rules.

3e is at least more playable than 2e was!

3e is loopy, but not nearly as interesting as Exalted.

Wait, how is Exalted 3e less interesting than Exalted? I'm confused.

>rolling to attack someone who's tied up and helpless

>and fumbles his sword (or worse)
that's just retarded DMs

And if he's not really in combat, then he shouldn't even have to roll the attack, just the damage. However, if he's attacking as fast as he can, like using his iteratives each round to kill multiple prisoners per round, then okay, I could see him missing one due to chance. Otherwise its just a coup de grace for each one.