SYSTEM

Many of my ideas come from the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition ruleset. However, I have my own particular way of doing things, as the system can be very cumbersome, and I'm more interested in telling a good story than doing a lot of bookkeeping.

Hit Dice

Characters begin play with a d6 hit dice. This means that they have a maximum of six hit points, which can be reduced through various different means, but usually through some effect that inflicts damage upon them.

A character may increase their hit dice through advancement, from d6 to d8 to d10, and finally d12. Once a character reaches a d12 hit dice, they may no longer advance their hit dice.

However, they may increase their hit points through other means, usually through features and effects.

Proficiency

Characters begin play with a +4 proficiency bonus.

The application of this bonus is determined by the character's prior training and experience, reflected in their background. A player may offer any reasonable explanation for why a proficiency may apply to a roll, though the GM is the ultimate arbiter on the application of a bonus.

For example, the player of a character with the noble background could reasonably argue that the proficiency bonus should apply to a check to secure an audience with the king. The player should be encouraged to explain in specific terms how the character's background applies. Not simply "I'm a noble," but "I spent three years before starting my adventuring career serving as my family's ambassador to the court, and this sort of thing is second nature to me now."

A character may increase this bonus through advancement.

Offence and Defence

Characters may inflict damage upon one another through offensive attacks. They may apply their proficiency, if applicable. For example, if the character is skilled with swords, they may apply their proficiency bonus. However, if a character is not skilled in unarmed combat, they must roll without their proficiency bonus.

Likewise, they may dodge or absorb damage from offensive attacks, applying their proficiency bonus as necessary.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Sometimes an effect will say that a player has advantage or disadvantage on a check or roll. When that happens, the player rolls a second d20 when making the roll. On advantage, the higher of the two rolls is used; the lower roll is used on disadvantage.

If multiple effects grant advantage or disadvantage, only a single additional d20 is rolled.

If multiple effects grant both advantage and disadvantage, then it is as if you have neither advantage nor disadvantage and you only roll a single d20.

Features

In order to facilitate a modular approach to gameplay, I like to utilize something I call ability blocks, or more appropriately, features.

These are tables that group together many different things into themes. They contain both a thematic description to tie the feature together and evoke a sense of the game's story. They also contain a collection of effects.

Depending on the genre of the game, characters may begin the game with any number of features.

Effects are a catch-all term to denote special actions within the game. They can represent skills like Lore or Sword; racial traits like Hobbit Ancestry; special abilities like Thievery or Sense Evil; friendships with certain tribes of magical creatures; or even magical powers. Sometimes they grant bonuses during certain situations.

Most of all, effects grant narrative permission to do something. This means that the player doesn't need to ask for permission on whether they can perform this or that action.

Languages

Language and communication are a large part of the games I run. It's interesting to me for characters to have to overcome barriers of language, to find tomes and inscriptions written in languages they don't necessarily understand.

Characters may know up to four languages at the beginning of play, depending on their background. This number may be increased through advancement.

Inventory

It is my view that the game should not be about bean-counting. Characters and scenes can revolve around items and artifacts and things external to the characters. But the characters should not try to stock up on whole inventories in order to prepare for any eventuality. That is more properly covered by checks and other challenges.

Therefore, characters can have six items on their person before they are encumbered and cannot carry anymore.

Characters may increase this number through advancement.

Item scarcity/fragility

Some items have a die next to them, which may represent anything from a limited supply of the item on your person or the fragility of the item in question.

Every time the item is used, the player rolls the indicated die. On a 1, the die converts to a lower die. Typically, the transitions go: d12 to d10 to d8 to d6 to d4. After a d4, the item is destroyed and removed from the character's inventory.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:06, Tue 21 Nov 2023.