Veeky Forums Presumably each one of us has played several games/rpgs. What are some statistics, traits, mechanics that you like from your the games you’ve played? Go ahead and mention anything you like, any system, and don’t worry that two or more may contradict. Even if it’s something from a non-rpg that you think would work well in an RPG: Armor in 40K or something similar if that’s your jam.
Guidelines? Try listing only your top three favorite stats. Ideally try listing from different games if you are able. Maybe a brief description why you like it so much?
- Mechanic: Only players roll dice. Few games do this but I love it. It lightens the load on the DM, and keeps players in the game at all moments.
- Stat: Resource Stat. After enough years of playing, I’m really sick of keeping track of credits or money, not getting enough as a player or doodling out too much as a DM. Plus rolling is fun that shit is fun.
- Stat: Luck stat on PCs. Rolling this stat as a player is the best thing in the world, and lets you contribute a little to your DMs world, or lets you hand wave things you've forgotten to detail as DM. Love it.
I like them. I've never been into bean counting as a fun passtime. Doesn't mean there can't be tracked resources, just that the numerical complexity should not interrupt planning the next new shenanigans. And any complex calculations should occur either before, or after a gaming session.
I like the following things in my games: Character Point Buy: Allows me to make my character the way I want them.
Non numeric talents/abilities: Improves my character by allowing them to do something they couldn't before. Always fun.
Interesting mechanics for non combat resolution: Allows for more varied gameplay and stories if interesting MEANINGFUL CHOICES exist outside combat.
There's more but that's my top 3.
Lucas Gonzalez
Depends entirely on the scope of things, I think. Playing a single normal(ish) person? It's a bit silly. Gauging the accessible, liquid funds of a Rogue Trader dynasty? Abstraction makes so much more sense.
Asher Ward
For my money it doesn't get any better than when a game designer uses his own proprietary dice to try to differentiate his product without realizing that all the outcomes will be shitty anyway because of how he encapsulated conflicts/success. I can't wait to fill my garage with these fuckers, that really gets my stool moving in the morning.
Christopher Mitchell
>High degree of situationality. It's not exactly a mechanic but more of a design philosophy for a set of mechanics, but I rarely see it done well. I like games where getting behind the other guy means a massive bonus when you try to attack him, and the difference between a high powered character and a low powered one is their ability to maneuver around and stab the other guy in the back, not so much bigger attack bonuses and more hit points and flashier attack moves.
Levi Cooper
>Stat: Resource Stat. Fucking hate this shit. Love watching myself be unable to afford a candybar only to turn around and buy 4 luxury sports cards.
Robert Hill
Sounds like you'd like genesys
Nicholas Thompson
Sorry what
Julian Peterson
Mechanic: GM fudges dices rolls and determines the success of an action based on how funnily the player presented it. (Paranoia)
Matthew Moore
good base/keep/town/buisness building mechanics. 5e which is the system I and my group use is waaay to barebones. I currently use a homebrew for how my players businesses go but I think its a bit too generous, especially at low levels, however the mechanics in the book are god awful and more than likely will lead to a business being a drain on a players coffers which defeats the purpose imo
Jaxon Campbell
Random tables. Shitloads of random, well-considered, well-planned tables for generating adventures, cities, equipment, spells, characters...
Random tables for everything. I don't even give a shit about the rules of the game. Maybe I'll like it and maybe not. But if it has random tables that'll inspire my adventures and locations? I'm in.
Stars without number was awesome about this. It keeps coming up with OSR games and I love it.
Also? Good formatting. Bad formatting ruins an RPG faster than an anime girl on the cover with a skin-tight outfit and puffy labia right in the center.
Sebastian Scott
>Advance abilities/skills by using them. Preferably with some condition, like requiring both number of successful and failed test, or only counting test above certain difficulty. >Post session roleplaying reward group discussion Did your traits get in you trouble? Did you express you Ideal/heritage/etc? That kind of thing. Really helps focus people one expressing what's written on their character sheet over making "optima" decisions.
Anthony Fisher
You're playing Burning Wheel, or you should.
Dominic Garcia
Lethality from Delta Green. Powerful weapons will roll a d100 and compare it to a set lethality rating; a hand grenade has a 10% lethality rating, a nuclear weapon has a 90%, and so on. If you roll under the rating, the attack instantly kills the target. Simplifies things and makes it more cinematic.
>Few games do this but I love it. It lightens the load on the DM, and keeps players in the game at all moments.
Is this not normal? Our groups always had everyone roll for themselves regardless of game.
Jordan Mitchell
Your reading comprehension leaves much to be desired.
Luke Jenkins
Plentiful mechanically meaningful character options not tied to race or class.
Mason King
He mean GM never roll dice, like in pbta games. GM presents fiction, players react and roll dice.
Xavier Roberts
I really, REALLY wish more things did progression that way. It's hands down my favorite thing about the system, but my group is too combat-minded to play the game. Too many years of dnd.
Gavin Evans
>I like games where getting behind the other guy means a massive bonus when you try to attack him, and the difference between a high powered character and a low powered one is their ability to maneuver around and stab the other guy in the back, not so much bigger attack bonuses and more hit points and flashier attack moves. Dark Souls.vidya
Michael Hernandez
Do post your rules user.
Juan Ramirez
Meta currency. I love it. I know it's not for every game, but when it's done well it's so much fun.
Nathaniel Nguyen
Back when DnD 3rd Edition was still a thing, and 3.5 hadn't hit the shelves yet, they released a sourcebook for Wheel of Time.
It didn't have very many earthshattering concepts introduced in it, but it did have a Reputation stat. Some of the classes picked it up faster than others, and you could use it to Intimidate harder or pick up followers more easily, because lots of people know who you are.
It also had a slightly better version of the Fighter in it that they weirdly decided to call an Armsman.
The rest of it was largely garbage, given how much of it was rooted in 3rd Edition's problems, but that was neat.
Michael Collins
>likely will lead to a business being a drain on a players coffers Maybe that’s the intent. Keep adventurers adventuring.
Matthew Taylor
>Veeky Forums Presumably each one of us has played several games/rpgs You are very wrong to presume this. The yearly survey and several confession threads have show that there's a substantial amount of people here who've never played an RPG.
Cameron Young
But what's the reason/benefit PCs keep it then?
Hudson Parker
I think they're assuming it'd add a modifier to a roll so it's totally random whether you can buy something.
Austin Carter
Most resource stats I've played with automatically allow you to purchase things "In your Bracket", if only when you are over extending do you need to roll. So this can't buy a Candybar thing can never happen, and buying 1 luxury car is not likely.
Bentley Thomas
Yeah, I usually have a game to play, no session today so only reason I came to Veeky Forums
Eli Wood
Deals with godly patrons, you can, at any point in time, cry out for a deal from any number of gods (in my setting all the gods are real through some warp like shenanigans.) The chance of them answering comes down to how interesting you are to said gods, how specific you're being, and how good if a servant you would make. The power ranges from a second chance at life, to phenominal cosmic power.
