Game Fundamentals
Very Gamey/Heavily Loot Driven
Strong Player Narrative
Minimal GM Intervention

The Concept
Digital Dungeons would be narrative reimagining digital MMOs/RPGs. The players would play characters who are in turn playing one of these games. The game itself will be driven by the GM setting a scene, all rolls are then player facing. Where this differs from a regular RPG will be the set up. Once a dungeon has been fully explored it remains static and resets. So a player can go and re-run a dungeon to grind for experience/loot. This shouldn't bog down gameplay though since the player will go do all the rolling, they'll know if they hit, got hit, succeeded at a skill check, all without the GM needing input since the scene has been fully established previously. The player then writes up a narrative post to reflect how well/poorly this run went.

So to summarize:
The first time a player encounters new 'content' the game will play much like a traditional RPG. But that content then remains available and can be run again in the future.

Game Goal
Provide a fast paced, reward driven game which allows players to have a great deal of control over the pacing and provide self-sustaining activities to do between GM posts. The game will likely become wildly unbalanced due to the frequency of rewards, but I'm aiming to build something fun rather than balanced.

Pacing Idea
Limit to 1 dungeon run per day? Or 20 dice rolls? Some other limiting factor to keep the pacing reasonable and ensure that slower posting players aren't left in the dust.

Dungeons
While the monsters and loot of the dungeon will be fixed, each dungeon will offer a powerful 1 time reward for completion. XP requirements/gold costs will increase significantly so farming a level 1 dungeon isn't a worthwhile use of time when you're level 10.

Levels:

01 - 0
02 - 5xp (+1 to attack rolls)
03 - 15xp (+3 to HP)
04 - 30xp (Bonus Use of one Major power)
05 - 60xp (Enhance one major power you currently possess)
06 - 120xp (+5 to HP)
07 - 240xp (+1 to attack rolls)
08 - 480xp (Bonus Use of one Major power)
09 - 960xp (Enhance one major power you currently possess)
10 - 1,920xp (+3 HP, +1 to attack rolls, Bonus use of one Major power)

All Player Facing Rolls
Using 1d20 system, all armor classes, skill check difficulties, monster HPs and other important stats will be disclosed to the player. This way they'll immediately know if they hit or missed and can incorporate that detail into their post. Monster attacks will also be determined based on these rolls. For example:

Easy Monster - If you miss the monster by more than 5, then they hit you.
Moderate Monster - If you miss a monster by more than 3, then they hit you.
Hard Monster - If you don't exceed their AC by more than 2, then they hit you.
Overwhelming Monster - If you don't exceed their AC by more than 4, then they hit you.

If there are multiple monsters in a room, then the player would roll an "Attack" roll against monster 2, 3, 4, etc. It would hit them if the above criteria is not met (Though no attack would be made unless they had an ability that allowed more than 1 attack.)

Multiple PCs in a Fight
If there are more than 1 PC in a fight, they'll make multiple rolls, they'll label them as Round 1 Attack (Possible Round 1, Attack 2), then Round 2 Attack, Round 3 Attack. They'll then compare their rolls and damage. If their combined damage in Round 1 was enough to defeat the monster, then the rolls for Round 2/3 are disregarded.

Note: Dungeons won't adjust based on number of players, so cooperation ensures they'll be easier, though it does come with a tradeoff that it means some slow downs with posting. (Though players could also preemptively do a number of rolls prior to the dungeon and then incorporate those to try and offset that slow down.)

Major Rewards
These are only available upon completing a dungeon for the first time.

Path of Violence
Multi-Strike - You may attack the enemy twice in a single round of combat (Requires 2 separate rolls) Usable once per encounter
Multi-Attack - You may attack two different enemies in a single round of combat (Requires 2 separate rolls) Usable once per encounter
Block - You may block up to 3 damage from an enemy blow. Usable once per encounter.
Taunt - If another player is hit you can redirect the hit to yourself and lower the damage by 2
Weapon Focus - Pick a weapon. While using said weapon you have +1 to hit and +1 to damage.
Cleave - Apply a single attack roll to striking two enemies, you can choose to cleave after seeing the results of the roll. (Usable once per dungeon.)
Armor Master - While wearing armor you further reduce all damage you take by 1 atop the bonuses already granted by the armor.
Swashbuckler - Make an attack, the enemy is unable to attack back regardless of your results. (Usable once per encounter.)

Path of the Arcane
Elemental Affinity - Grant your attack an elemental affinity (Fire, lightning, necrotic, thunder (Does double damage to enemies weak to that element) (Usable once per encounter)
Arcane Shield - If your attack would allow a monster to strike back at you, treat it as being +4 higher) (Usable once per dungeon)
Arcane Intervention - If a party member you're with is struck, you may add +2 to their attack and possibly stop the monster from hitting. (Only applies defensively.) (Usable once per encounter.)
Blast - Attack every enemy in a room with a single attack roll. You deal half your normal damage.
Arcane Lance - Strike at a distant foe who is otherwise unreachable. (Usable once per encounter) You also add +2 to the attack roll made.
Impose Weakness - Use arcane forces to create a weakness within your enemy, lasts the remainder of the encounter. (Once per dungeon.)
Shackle - Your target loses a turn, they can't attack back regardless of the roll, all attackers gain +3 to their attack rolls made that round. (Usable once per dungeon.)

Path of the Expert
Stealth - You may bypass one encounter per dungeon (No rewards for the encounter are obtained.) If with another player, you may instead get 2 attacks at the start of the fight. Usable once per dungeon.
Quick Hands - You gain 10% bonus gold from the dungeons final gold reward. (Minimum 1) This doesn't diminish other players gain.
Knife to the Gut - Make your damage roll two additional times (3 total). Can only be used if you started combat with a successful combat roll. (Usable once per encounter) Can be used an additional time in an encounter if couple with Stealth (Which also spends Stealth)
Survivalist - You may immediately succeed at one non-combat physical skill check. (Climbing, jumping, running, etc) (Usable once per dungeon) You also gain +1 to a non-combat skill of your choice.
Pick Lock - You immediately succeed at picking a lock. You also gain +1 to the Lock Pick skill.
Favored Foe - Pick one type of enemy (See D&D 5e enemy types) Against that enemy type you gain +2 to attack, +2 to damage and +2 to any social interactions.
Utilize Terrain - Use a feature of the terrain to your advantage, may immediately defeat a single Easy monster. (Once per dungeon.)

Path of the Esoteric
Sacrificial Rites - Make your attack deal half damage, in return you heal 2 HP on. Can only be used on a successful hit. (Usable once per encounter.)
Conjure - Raise up a minion, it can be either offensive, defensive, or skilled. It has half your HP and adds +3 to either the attack roll to hit, the roll regarding monster chance to hit, or to overcoming skill challenges. (Usable once per dungeon.)
Blood for Blood - Damage yourself for 2, treat the enemy has having a weakness to your next type of attack. (Once per dungeon)
Subdue - If your enemy is undead, a monstrosity or a construct, you may either bypass the encounter, or force it to fight for you for that encounter (Once per dungeon.) The subdued creature uses your attack roll, but its own damage modifiers.
Redirect Blow - When an enemy would land a hit on your or an ally, make it strike another enemy instead. (Usable once per encounter)
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:54, Fri 30 Sept 2022.