I'm an old-school D&D guy from the 80s & 90s and was very disappointed with the direction D&D has gone, so I wrote my own fantasy RPG with a lot of rules inspired by numerous games. There are so many great ideas out there for chases (Dungeon Crawl Classics), panic/insanity (Cthulhu), class features (Pathfinder), character descriptions (Knave), backgrounds & momentum/doom (Conan d20), character connections (Traveler), & more. RUclips gives great access to reviews & explanations.
One of the most useful combat mechanics I ever got from a game is from D&D 4E, and it is something that this edition introduced first. There are enemy types in this version of D&D that are called minions. They only ever have 1 hitpoint and do flat average damage on every hit they land, so as a DM, I never have to track HP for them, and I also do not have to roll damage if they hit. I only have to roll for whether they hit the pcs or not. This allows me to set up battles with many combatants without having to track HP for every single one. I modified this rule for tougher fights with just as many combatants into "tough minions" - they can get hit 2 times before they die, or if the initial hit is a critical or does more damage than a certain threshold, the tough minion is killed instantly. Otherwise the first blow "bloodies" the tough minion, and he is able to continue fighting until hit again. I still employ standard opponents alongside minions, but they are few, so I never have to keep track of too many HP bars during any given round of combat - 2-4 enemies with HP bars and a supplement of minions or tough minions usually does the trick.
@@francescospuntarelli7369 Thanks! Just to clarify, though: It's not so much a second hitpoint, it's rather that no matter the damage dealt by the PC, the tough minion only ever gets bloodied (what would usually happen when going below 1/2 of their max hp) - unless, of course, the PC deals either max damage or a critical hit. The second blow, then, definitely and always kills them. That makes them tougher than 4th edition minions (who are weak and best used as mobs in large groups) but just as easily manageable.
One thing I haven't seen (I'm a TTRPG noob) is an incorporation of a Press Your Luck element to gamify the dice themselves. a) You can roll your d20 or d10 as many times as you like for a roll and sum the total, but if you go OVER 25 (or whatever), you fail. (like black jack) b) Adapt system like Zilch dice game; in Zilch, you have 6d6, take out counters and decide whether to risk rolling the remainder dice; if player manages to collect all 6 dice as counters, gets to reroll all 6 dice, but if player anytime rolls and gets no counters, they get no points and turn is over. This sort of system would mean a player can actually improve at rolling their dice for better outcomes.
I’ve used the Contact system from Shadowrun to add “I know a guy” to the game, as well as sci-fi/horror elements to keep the players guessing. I’ve had to home brew (so far) 26 monsters based on movies, mythology, and other fiction, so drawing from non-D&D is easy when you put the time in. Plus it keeps meta-gaming down when even the experienced players don’t know what they’re up against
The best thing I stole for my D&D game was the contacts system from Shadowrun. So helpful; it sparks storytelling and role-playing, links the PC to the world-building and helps enormously in creating solve-the-mystery or city-based plot lines. Just change barkeep to innkeeper, gang member to guild thief, etc. Higher charisma means more contacts, bards get bonus contacts.
This is pretty much what my "D&D" looks like these days. I'm using elements of OD&D, 1eAD&D, Hackmaster, and Dungeon/Mutant Crawl Classics. For my players this means they have a character sheet for a few things I don't want to keep track of and no books for them as much as possible. I want as little "nose in book" as possible as well as to just keep the game moving. It's working pretty well and means less distractions for the players and more fun for me because they don't have to be rules lawyers because they don't know where any of it comes from.
My favourite mechanics: -Exploration mechanics and travel in the wilderness from Forbidden Lands -Initiative system based on Advanced D&D but reworked in the way: weapon damage die is also rolled every round to determine the initative, plus casting spell is d12, other actions d6. This opens up tactics based on the different speeds. -Armor mechanics taken from Symbaroum/Mörk Borg or some other games that uses damage soaking instead of mere AC. -Minions from D&D4e -Chases mechanics - Blades in the Dark or Savage Worlds
I stole the failure = xp thing from Dungeon World and instead of getting xp for killing monsters, I give out 50xp (in 5e D&D) to the entire group whenever someone fails a roll. I should add that I don't let people roll for things that are just impossible for them to do but give a lot of fudge room in the classes and backgrounds to justify being able to even try something. This prevents someone from rolling someone useless (like you can in Dungeon World) and just power leveling off of failure. I've also stolen the Jenga tower mechanism from Dread on occasion. Specifically, when the players are in the hells or the Shadowfell. The tower might represent death, but often it represents eminent battle looming on the horizon or an aspect of the landscape that hangs in the balance. Such as the actual ceiling of a cave, unstable and crumbling, that will shake loose when the tower falls.
A mechanic I really like is Surrender or Sacrifice from Fabula Ultima. If your character hits 0hp you're given a choice: do you surrender, upon which your character will survive but possibly wake up in a bad situation if the rest of your party doesn't succeed; or do you sacrifice, killing your character but going out in a blaze of glory.
I never learned to play other games so I haven't borrowed other rules. I have, however, made up some of my own. One of my favorites is rolling a d34 to determine the intensity of a situation or random encounter. I haven't found any D&D rule that says all random encounters or situations must be bad. Not all encounters must be monsters that need to be killed. Roll a d34. (similar to luck points) I decided 30-34 = exceptionally bad. You found a dragon. 1-5 = exceptionally good. You found some one with valuable information or willing to join the party. For situations, you trip a trap that causes the ceiling to fall & you can't decide how much stone falls on the party. 1-5 = every one managed to get out of the way. 30-34 = every one takes maximum damage. Of course, estimate variable results for everything between 6-29.
You don't need to play other games, but if you want to explore the hobby there are many games that are better than D&D for a range of different reasons. Devising your own rules can be an excellent way as well.
AD&D had a reaction table with bonus to the roll for having a high charisma or a penalty for having a low charisma , it also had a moral score for monsters ( any encounter ) that the DM could roll against to see if the monsters will flee or continue to fight unlike 3.0 and up that have neither of those things
I feel the same way. For instance, I don't like the vancian magic system, but I like spell points systems. I also think spell components and XP costs are interesting. I want to blend that kind of thinking instead of the excessive material component costs of Pathfinder.
I hate the Vancian magic system too. I have started to rethink spellcasting and am looking for something that will make a low magic flavor while keeping spellcasting elements. I want something like Conan rather than high magic spellinging. It’s been a challenge for a long time.
I approached magic in different ways for different types of magic. Verbal and Gestural magic requires some kind of energy reserve that gets depleted. Symbol (scrolls) magic requires you take the time to actually write the spells and learn the various different glyphs and symbols. Metalurgical magic (weapons and armour) requires forging and reforging weapons, knowledge of ingredients etc to build magical artefacts. Musical magic requires proficiency with instruments. Ritual magic requires cooperation and discipline. The notion that you know a spell and then you don't and have to learn it again is a bit illogical (even though I grant that magic itself is illogical).
@@QuestGivers I'm also fond of the optional ritual system provided by Sword & Sorcery Studios. Not only does the system provide its own ritual spells, it provides a means for spellcasters and nonspellcasters to cooperate when working with otherwise normal magic.
@@QuestGivers Btw, thanks for pointing out those perspectives on magic. While I've heard of the idea of glyphs, the system I'm aware of is that of Palladium, which generally also requires a reserve of spell points to use. It's interesting though to approach a form of scroll/glyph spellcasting similarly to how an alchemist approaches potions. Requiring a bard (or, theoretically, perhaps a song mage) to use a musical instrument to work his magic is interesting too. I'm glad I saw this video and talked for a minute, it was actually refreshing to talk to someone who thinks about games in a flexible manner. Good day :)
Speaking of stealing monsters, I'm in the process of creating a Pathfinder adventure inspired by Resident Evil. Not the scifi elements, but definitely the concepts of human experimentation with disease gone horribly wrong. Unlike Umbrella, the villain I created ends up learning he is NOT in control of his creations.
If you wanted to do SciFi there is StarFinder. You should definitely include some mechanism to show the PC's being corrupted by disease. This creates a wonderful sense of urgency and allows you to use "cures" as lures to get the players to go where you need them to go.
@@QuestGivers I might make use of it anyway, as the mechanics of the fantasy setting would probably support the Starfinder disease idea. I've already written the brunt of the initial plot, the villain didn't work to get his weapon, it was a Faust deal, which is why it eventually went to hell for him (ironically enough, I do mean metaphorically, as the deal was actually to take more from him than just his already condemned soul). EDIT: I glimpsed the Starjammer SRD on the Open Gaming Store web site. Even at first glance the improvement on existing disease rules is just too obvious not to try. And I could come up with antiplague vials for those players unfortunate enough to get the wasting disease that would mutate them into an undead abomination. A slow-working effect like this would be perfect.
It’s funny the guy at around 13:30 talks about using Sherlock Holmes. A few minutes earlier I was thinking he sounds like Jared Harris-the actor who played Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes, A Game Of Shadows.
Before the video even starts. I am running a game where a character is currently fighting for control of her body with the spirit of a succubus. Now the way I’m doing this is with opposing Wisdom rolls for points of dominion, which I’m borrowing from the rules for harrowed characters from Deadlands.
@@QuestGivers In this case it's a battle of wills with an actual antagonist that wants to permanently move in to her body, so the Harrowed Rules would be more appropriate.
In the campaign I'm running the one Mini boss: Kremor who was a Lycanthrope, in his dying moments bites one of the characters in which they have to roll constitution to control their body. At least I'm not the only person who did this.
@@jesternario it is really just, well in my perspective, the luck of the dice. But it is good to see that that character is winning. If you have suggestions I'll be happy to here 'em.
Some of the mechanics I like are, Damage reduction for armor instead of ac bonus. I also like the way spells are constructed in The Hero's Journey 2nd ed. I love the way Lion & Dragon Medieval-Authentic treats HP and skill advancement when you level up. You start out with a small amount of HP and every time you level up you get to roll twice on you character's class table where you can get more hit points, attribute points or various combat and non combat skill points. It's a really cool way to do. For the crashed ship. I've never run that type of adventure outside of Barrier Peaks back in the 80's but in the late 90's I ran a low magic, low fantasy campaign where the only demi humans were "Orcs" These Orcs and been seeded by the survivors of a crashed ship from many generations before. After all there advanced tech had finally died they devolved a bit technologically. While being set back to swords, spears, bows, ect. they were well known for the quality of weapons their smiths turned out. They were decedents of Klingons!
I'm looking now for a mini-game where, in between adventures, the players take on the role of nobles vying for power and conducting intrigue against each other. They would win points of luck that their characters can use on adventures, and it would produce the rumors and events that drive a broader narrative in the campaign world.
From the game Dragonslayers. You have combat stats, like Melee attack, in which you add your Body to your strength and add your weapon bonus. You roll a d20 for combat, but it's a roll under system, and the amount you roll under your target number is the amount of damage you do, unless you roll a 1, which is a critical and is considered to match your maximum target number result, so as to do maximum damage. The target then gets a defense roll with a defense stat, with armor bonus added, and they subtract their roll from your damage. So if Rolled a 12 to hit with a target number of 14, my target has 12 damage coming at it. It then defends and rolls a 6 for defense, subtracts it from 12 and takes 6 damage. I like it, because it takes your attack roll success factor as how well you hit. I hate nothing more in a game when you roll a critical, and then roll damage dice and do minimum damage, which they then shrug off. That and it trims the amount of rolls you need for attacking. Ranged and magic work the same way.
I prefer a situation when you get to choose when a critical occurs and how that plays out. The randomness of some mechanics does lead to some bizarre scenarios at times.
Lots of great ideas on an interesting topic.. 2 stood out for me... the story coins and Kemps xp progression... ive been wanting to use FAGE stunt system but hasnt clicked yet for d20s
I was going to just generally post this, but thought you might like to see it. I have homebrew rules compendium that integrates a lot of the big ideas from FATE, most importantly Aspects and FATE points. I've been playtesting them for a year, and am pretty proud of them. It's gone over quite well at my table! www.gmbinder.com/share/-L8ryRAi_yn2ijYB2Zb8
@@AdamBucceri really nice work! looks really interesting... went straight to the pool section for invoking aspects and stunts... i was looking for more of on the moment from a roll like fantasy age... unless i'm misreading it.. i like the idea of a lil extra burst in combat not knowing when the next one is gunna happen... feels like momentum in a way
0:18 sounds like voice over Pete kinda Also I like to take some ideas from games like vampire the masquerade and call of Cthuhulu for my horror based games...
im just really happy with my combat system. Its one roll per participant per round, which yes, makes it chaotic and unfair... but thats combat^^ You roll your stuff, you get offense and defense modifiers and then you can decide who to attack with your offense vs their defense. Highes offense acts first. Every time you get attacked, your base result (so both the modified ones) get reduced by one. Weapons have tables on what damage they do for what advantage (how much you are over your opponents def) and armor is flat damagereduction. there are a few more rules (piercing damage ignores parts of armor, slashing damage is weaker but inflicts dot and so on) but that stuff is non essential and having every round of combat be one diceroll per party and the rest a quick back and forth of "offense 17 what does the shaman have?" -"10, but 13 because of the shield" - "4 advantage, 8 damage" - "hes got 3 armor so he takes 5" once for each player ... just imagine getting through a 10 turn combat against a group of similar strength and size to the PCs ... in about half an hour. With a bunch more tactical depth than "yeah i keep hitting him" Also if it actually comes to blows, weapons trump magic by a lot in my system. Magic shines in doing weird stuff from setting people on fire from afar to more useful things like freezing water or levitating people. DPS wise its melee > ranged > magic even for a maxlevel mage. Then again, melees dont tend to just turn into water and flow overboard^^
@@QuestGivers It's a mistake to overdo things. Rules are good for staying organized, grids work for the sake of simplifying position, but not letting roleplaying or adventure gaming be themselves because you like this or that takes the fun out of it. The point is friends getting a night of entertainment, not winning an Emmy or rolling dice. I like having a balanced approach and making it fun. My group strives for that, even that player who treats it like a stage. He can get annoying, but he's a friend and we all learn from each other.
I think I invented this but please tell me if this exists elsewhere. I'm in the middle of creating my own RPG in case my D&D players were sick of D&D called Nightmare of Aubrey, an adaptation of Bloodborne and as you discover the secrets of Aubrey you get a status effect called FEAR which once it reaches 100 your character dies which causes immense implications about discovering secrets.
It is similar to the mechanics of Darkest Dungeon the computer game and the humanity mechanic in Vampire the Masquerade. Essentially mental hit points. Most mechanics in roleplaying games are about the economic attrition of some arbitrary stat, which either can, or cannot, be replenished. This can be coins, hit points, experience in some cases. It works because it is a finite resource of some kind that the players have to consider, or maintain, as part of their strategy when playing the game. You could also view "successes" on dice rolls as a finite resource which players try their best to maximise with bonuses and dice modifications. You could even argue for the removal of dice entirely and just have a pool of "successes" which players can assign at will, but eventually run out of, so they have to choose when to be successful and when to fail without dice rolls. In a horror game this would heighten the "risk" factor as the players know exactly how many times they can succeed going forward, but each time they succeed they approach complete failure.
@@QuestGivers Thank you soooooo much. It was after I sent the comment that I realised "Hey wait! Doesn't Darkest Dungeon have that status effect." Like I say I cannot thank you enough for coming back to me it really is a more trial and error thing. If you can give more ideas I'm happy to take them into suggestion.
In a horror game you want tension and severely limited supplies. You could give player characters secret goals that are at odds with each other. Severely limit ammunition and the ability to heal (to the point where it is almost impossible). Also track light sources fuel / power and constantly test for the light to go out.
Check out Chronicles of the Outlands. ruclips.net/video/d9I3EaPtdHo/видео.html How to use Tarot Cards to create Adventures. ruclips.net/video/Z90PzhZ6w38/видео.html
Man imagine going through all the work and effort to making a game system that isn't DnD or pathfinder and then just having the days or even weeks you've spent on a ruleset and mechanics just to have someone not buy your book and just nick the mechanic. Kinda surreal to think about.
@@QuestGivers your average game dev isn't pizo or WOTC. Bad for your average dev Is way less bad for them. It isnt good for anyone, but there is a degree of magnitude to consider.
For a real battle you need two things: tension and disorder. Use a timer to create tension. Give the battle a variable number of turns (like 2d4) and count down to a "conclusion". The battle should be a struggle, so make sure enemies move around and use the terrain and give them them objectives to complete (disarm the leader, knock out the wizard, tie up the healer, crowd the fighter, etc)
Forget about initiative entirely and just act in order. Players then m monsters, but only apply damage and effects at the end. Everything is considered "simultaneous".
The Initiative system in 'Shadow Of The Demon Lord' is nice. It cuts out the rolls and establishes turn order via players stating what they're going to do. Those just attacking go first while those moving and attacking go after, for example. Easy and can make for some tough decisions to be made instead of dice rolls.
I'm an old-school D&D guy from the 80s & 90s and was very disappointed with the direction D&D has gone, so I wrote my own fantasy RPG with a lot of rules inspired by numerous games. There are so many great ideas out there for chases (Dungeon Crawl Classics), panic/insanity (Cthulhu), class features (Pathfinder), character descriptions (Knave), backgrounds & momentum/doom (Conan d20), character connections (Traveler), & more. RUclips gives great access to reviews & explanations.
One of the most useful combat mechanics I ever got from a game is from D&D 4E, and it is something that this edition introduced first. There are enemy types in this version of D&D that are called minions. They only ever have 1 hitpoint and do flat average damage on every hit they land, so as a DM, I never have to track HP for them, and I also do not have to roll damage if they hit. I only have to roll for whether they hit the pcs or not. This allows me to set up battles with many combatants without having to track HP for every single one. I modified this rule for tougher fights with just as many combatants into "tough minions" - they can get hit 2 times before they die, or if the initial hit is a critical or does more damage than a certain threshold, the tough minion is killed instantly. Otherwise the first blow "bloodies" the tough minion, and he is able to continue fighting until hit again. I still employ standard opponents alongside minions, but they are few, so I never have to keep track of too many HP bars during any given round of combat - 2-4 enemies with HP bars and a supplement of minions or tough minions usually does the trick.
The minions rule is pretty good.
Good idea for the second hit point idea.
@@francescospuntarelli7369 Thanks! Just to clarify, though: It's not so much a second hitpoint, it's rather that no matter the damage dealt by the PC, the tough minion only ever gets bloodied (what would usually happen when going below 1/2 of their max hp) - unless, of course, the PC deals either max damage or a critical hit. The second blow, then, definitely and always kills them. That makes them tougher than 4th edition minions (who are weak and best used as mobs in large groups) but just as easily manageable.
@@blablubb4553 good to know
Minions are the best thing 4e introduced, by far.
One thing I haven't seen (I'm a TTRPG noob) is an incorporation of a Press Your Luck element to gamify the dice themselves.
a) You can roll your d20 or d10 as many times as you like for a roll and sum the total, but if you go OVER 25 (or whatever), you fail. (like black jack)
b) Adapt system like Zilch dice game; in Zilch, you have 6d6, take out counters and decide whether to risk rolling the remainder dice; if player manages to collect all 6 dice as counters, gets to reroll all 6 dice, but if player anytime rolls and gets no counters, they get no points and turn is over. This sort of system would mean a player can actually improve at rolling their dice for better outcomes.
This is a really interesting idea! I love risk/reward or gambling type mechanics, and this stands out to me as very unique.
I’ve used the Contact system from Shadowrun to add “I know a guy” to the game, as well as sci-fi/horror elements to keep the players guessing.
I’ve had to home brew (so far) 26 monsters based on movies, mythology, and other fiction, so drawing from non-D&D is easy when you put the time in. Plus it keeps meta-gaming down when even the experienced players don’t know what they’re up against
The best thing I stole for my D&D game was the contacts system from Shadowrun. So helpful; it sparks storytelling and role-playing, links the PC to the world-building and helps enormously in creating solve-the-mystery or city-based plot lines. Just change barkeep to innkeeper, gang member to guild thief, etc. Higher charisma means more contacts, bards get bonus contacts.
This is pretty much what my "D&D" looks like these days. I'm using elements of OD&D, 1eAD&D, Hackmaster, and Dungeon/Mutant Crawl Classics. For my players this means they have a character sheet for a few things I don't want to keep track of and no books for them as much as possible. I want as little "nose in book" as possible as well as to just keep the game moving. It's working pretty well and means less distractions for the players and more fun for me because they don't have to be rules lawyers because they don't know where any of it comes from.
Game by feel rather than by design
Your players read the rules..?
My favourite mechanics:
-Exploration mechanics and travel in the wilderness from Forbidden Lands
-Initiative system based on Advanced D&D but reworked in the way: weapon damage die is also rolled every round to determine the initative, plus casting spell is d12, other actions d6. This opens up tactics based on the different speeds.
-Armor mechanics taken from Symbaroum/Mörk Borg or some other games that uses damage soaking instead of mere AC.
-Minions from D&D4e
-Chases mechanics - Blades in the Dark or Savage Worlds
In what page is the soaking damage in symbaroum?
I stole the failure = xp thing from Dungeon World and instead of getting xp for killing monsters, I give out 50xp (in 5e D&D) to the entire group whenever someone fails a roll. I should add that I don't let people roll for things that are just impossible for them to do but give a lot of fudge room in the classes and backgrounds to justify being able to even try something. This prevents someone from rolling someone useless (like you can in Dungeon World) and just power leveling off of failure.
I've also stolen the Jenga tower mechanism from Dread on occasion. Specifically, when the players are in the hells or the Shadowfell. The tower might represent death, but often it represents eminent battle looming on the horizon or an aspect of the landscape that hangs in the balance. Such as the actual ceiling of a cave, unstable and crumbling, that will shake loose when the tower falls.
I use XP on "use of skills" or "use of weapons" in 7DSystem. So you have to use a skill to begin to get bonuses in it.
What do you think about xp burns on massive darkness DC or old advanced D&D magic item craft?
Wow, the jenga tower part is incredible, that's like combining two games
A mechanic I really like is Surrender or Sacrifice from Fabula Ultima. If your character hits 0hp you're given a choice: do you surrender, upon which your character will survive but possibly wake up in a bad situation if the rest of your party doesn't succeed; or do you sacrifice, killing your character but going out in a blaze of glory.
I never learned to play other games so I haven't borrowed other rules. I have, however, made up some of my own. One of my favorites is rolling a d34 to determine the intensity of a situation or random encounter. I haven't found any D&D rule that says all random encounters or situations must be bad. Not all encounters must be monsters that need to be killed. Roll a d34. (similar to luck points) I decided 30-34 = exceptionally bad. You found a dragon. 1-5 = exceptionally good. You found some one with valuable information or willing to join the party.
For situations, you trip a trap that causes the ceiling to fall & you can't decide how much stone falls on the party. 1-5 = every one managed to get out of the way. 30-34 = every one takes maximum damage.
Of course, estimate variable results for everything between 6-29.
You don't need to play other games, but if you want to explore the hobby there are many games that are better than D&D for a range of different reasons. Devising your own rules can be an excellent way as well.
AD&D had a reaction table with bonus to the roll for having a high charisma or a penalty for having a low charisma , it also had a moral score for monsters ( any encounter ) that the DM could roll against to see if the monsters will flee or continue to fight unlike 3.0 and up that have neither of those things
Thanks for continuing this series guys. Some of us out there really love it. Cheers!
Thank you for saying that. Is there anything specific you would like addressed.
I feel the same way. For instance, I don't like the vancian magic system, but I like spell points systems. I also think spell components and XP costs are interesting. I want to blend that kind of thinking instead of the excessive material component costs of Pathfinder.
I hate the Vancian magic system too. I have started to rethink spellcasting and am looking for something that will make a low magic flavor while keeping spellcasting elements. I want something like Conan rather than high magic spellinging. It’s been a challenge for a long time.
I approached magic in different ways for different types of magic. Verbal and Gestural magic requires some kind of energy reserve that gets depleted. Symbol (scrolls) magic requires you take the time to actually write the spells and learn the various different glyphs and symbols. Metalurgical magic (weapons and armour) requires forging and reforging weapons, knowledge of ingredients etc to build magical artefacts. Musical magic requires proficiency with instruments. Ritual magic requires cooperation and discipline. The notion that you know a spell and then you don't and have to learn it again is a bit illogical (even though I grant that magic itself is illogical).
@@QuestGivers I'm also fond of the optional ritual system provided by Sword & Sorcery Studios. Not only does the system provide its own ritual spells, it provides a means for spellcasters and nonspellcasters to cooperate when working with otherwise normal magic.
@@QuestGivers Btw, thanks for pointing out those perspectives on magic. While I've heard of the idea of glyphs, the system I'm aware of is that of Palladium, which generally also requires a reserve of spell points to use. It's interesting though to approach a form of scroll/glyph spellcasting similarly to how an alchemist approaches potions. Requiring a bard (or, theoretically, perhaps a song mage) to use a musical instrument to work his magic is interesting too. I'm glad I saw this video and talked for a minute, it was actually refreshing to talk to someone who thinks about games in a flexible manner. Good day :)
Speaking of stealing monsters, I'm in the process of creating a Pathfinder adventure inspired by Resident Evil. Not the scifi elements, but definitely the concepts of human experimentation with disease gone horribly wrong. Unlike Umbrella, the villain I created ends up learning he is NOT in control of his creations.
If you wanted to do SciFi there is StarFinder. You should definitely include some mechanism to show the PC's being corrupted by disease. This creates a wonderful sense of urgency and allows you to use "cures" as lures to get the players to go where you need them to go.
@@QuestGivers I might make use of it anyway, as the mechanics of the fantasy setting would probably support the Starfinder disease idea. I've already written the brunt of the initial plot, the villain didn't work to get his weapon, it was a Faust deal, which is why it eventually went to hell for him (ironically enough, I do mean metaphorically, as the deal was actually to take more from him than just his already condemned soul).
EDIT: I glimpsed the Starjammer SRD on the Open Gaming Store web site. Even at first glance the improvement on existing disease rules is just too obvious not to try. And I could come up with antiplague vials for those players unfortunate enough to get the wasting disease that would mutate them into an undead abomination. A slow-working effect like this would be perfect.
It’s funny the guy at around 13:30 talks about using Sherlock Holmes. A few minutes earlier I was thinking he sounds like Jared Harris-the actor who played Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes, A Game Of Shadows.
Before the video even starts. I am running a game where a character is currently fighting for control of her body with the spirit of a succubus. Now the way I’m doing this is with opposing Wisdom rolls for points of dominion, which I’m borrowing from the rules for harrowed characters from Deadlands.
There is also the "humanity" system in the older version of Vampire the Masquerade
@@QuestGivers In this case it's a battle of wills with an actual antagonist that wants to permanently move in to her body, so the Harrowed Rules would be more appropriate.
In the campaign I'm running the one Mini boss: Kremor who was a Lycanthrope, in his dying moments bites one of the characters in which they have to roll constitution to control their body. At least I'm not the only person who did this.
@@ethanviktor The fun part: My player is currently winning, though that can change very quickly.
@@jesternario it is really just, well in my perspective, the luck of the dice. But it is good to see that that character is winning. If you have suggestions I'll be happy to here 'em.
Some of the mechanics I like are, Damage reduction for armor instead of ac bonus. I also like the way spells are constructed in The Hero's Journey 2nd ed. I love the way Lion & Dragon Medieval-Authentic treats HP and skill advancement when you level up. You start out with a small amount of HP and every time you level up you get to roll twice on you character's class table where you can get more hit points, attribute points or various combat and non combat skill points. It's a really cool way to do.
For the crashed ship. I've never run that type of adventure outside of Barrier Peaks back in the 80's but in the late 90's I ran a low magic, low fantasy campaign where the only demi humans were "Orcs" These Orcs and been seeded by the survivors of a crashed ship from many generations before. After all there advanced tech had finally died they devolved a bit technologically. While being set back to swords, spears, bows, ect. they were well known for the quality of weapons their smiths turned out. They were decedents of Klingons!
I'm looking now for a mini-game where, in between adventures, the players take on the role of nobles vying for power and conducting intrigue against each other. They would win points of luck that their characters can use on adventures, and it would produce the rumors and events that drive a broader narrative in the campaign world.
Is there any boardgame or rpg with really good companion mechanics?
The mechanics for allies/companion NPCs in "Hackmaster 5th Edition" are fantastic.
Character creation from Harnmaster 3.5 and GURPS 4e
From the game Dragonslayers. You have combat stats, like Melee attack, in which you add your Body to your strength and add your weapon bonus. You roll a d20 for combat, but it's a roll under system, and the amount you roll under your target number is the amount of damage you do, unless you roll a 1, which is a critical and is considered to match your maximum target number result, so as to do maximum damage. The target then gets a defense roll with a defense stat, with armor bonus added, and they subtract their roll from your damage. So if Rolled a 12 to hit with a target number of 14, my target has 12 damage coming at it. It then defends and rolls a 6 for defense, subtracts it from 12 and takes 6 damage. I like it, because it takes your attack roll success factor as how well you hit. I hate nothing more in a game when you roll a critical, and then roll damage dice and do minimum damage, which they then shrug off. That and it trims the amount of rolls you need for attacking. Ranged and magic work the same way.
I prefer a situation when you get to choose when a critical occurs and how that plays out. The randomness of some mechanics does lead to some bizarre scenarios at times.
Lots of great ideas on an interesting topic.. 2 stood out for me... the story coins and Kemps xp progression... ive been wanting to use FAGE stunt system but hasnt clicked yet for d20s
I was going to just generally post this, but thought you might like to see it.
I have homebrew rules compendium that integrates a lot of the big ideas from FATE, most importantly Aspects and FATE points. I've been playtesting them for a year, and am pretty proud of them. It's gone over quite well at my table!
www.gmbinder.com/share/-L8ryRAi_yn2ijYB2Zb8
Thanks mate. Combination bonuses could be a consideration
@@QuestGivers thats my second mechanic steal i wanted to do... like chrono cross... any system you know of that does it or some variation?
@@AdamBucceri really nice work! looks really interesting... went straight to the pool section for invoking aspects and stunts... i was looking for more of on the moment from a roll like fantasy age... unless i'm misreading it.. i like the idea of a lil extra burst in combat not knowing when the next one is gunna happen... feels like momentum in a way
I think Open Legend does
Any rules for automating enemy actions? Can you say how MMOs make enemies choose their targets?
Bushido has a great system for the players taking part in a mass battle.
Those are really good advices to start game design.
0:18 sounds like voice over Pete kinda
Also I like to take some ideas from games like vampire the masquerade and call of Cthuhulu for my horror based games...
im just really happy with my combat system. Its one roll per participant per round, which yes, makes it chaotic and unfair... but thats combat^^
You roll your stuff, you get offense and defense modifiers and then you can decide who to attack with your offense vs their defense. Highes offense acts first.
Every time you get attacked, your base result (so both the modified ones) get reduced by one.
Weapons have tables on what damage they do for what advantage (how much you are over your opponents def) and armor is flat damagereduction.
there are a few more rules (piercing damage ignores parts of armor, slashing damage is weaker but inflicts dot and so on) but that stuff is non essential and having every round of combat be one diceroll per party and the rest a quick back and forth of "offense 17 what does the shaman have?" -"10, but 13 because of the shield" - "4 advantage, 8 damage" - "hes got 3 armor so he takes 5"
once for each player ... just imagine getting through a 10 turn combat against a group of similar strength and size to the PCs ... in about half an hour. With a bunch more tactical depth than "yeah i keep hitting him"
Also if it actually comes to blows, weapons trump magic by a lot in my system. Magic shines in doing weird stuff from setting people on fire from afar to more useful things like freezing water or levitating people. DPS wise its melee > ranged > magic even for a maxlevel mage. Then again, melees dont tend to just turn into water and flow overboard^^
For the chase cribbage would be perfect
Basically the concept behind the creation of D20 System & the OGL.
Cyberpunk 2020 has very fast combat system.
You guys rule!
As for grids, I'm neutral. I play a game, not a theater production. But the grid is a positioning tool and not to make a chessboard.
Shhh quiet, the grid people will hear you!
@@QuestGivers Lol. They just might! :)
They are a rowdy bunch of squares!
@@QuestGivers It's a mistake to overdo things. Rules are good for staying organized, grids work for the sake of simplifying position, but not letting roleplaying or adventure gaming be themselves because you like this or that takes the fun out of it. The point is friends getting a night of entertainment, not winning an Emmy or rolling dice. I like having a balanced approach and making it fun. My group strives for that, even that player who treats it like a stage. He can get annoying, but he's a friend and we all learn from each other.
Really more fun to watch you together. .... Hope the channel survive the waves of yutube dust of disappearence
I think I invented this but please tell me if this exists elsewhere. I'm in the middle of creating my own RPG in case my D&D players were sick of D&D called Nightmare of Aubrey, an adaptation of Bloodborne and as you discover the secrets of Aubrey you get a status effect called FEAR which once it reaches 100 your character dies which causes immense implications about discovering secrets.
It is similar to the mechanics of Darkest Dungeon the computer game and the humanity mechanic in Vampire the Masquerade. Essentially mental hit points. Most mechanics in roleplaying games are about the economic attrition of some arbitrary stat, which either can, or cannot, be replenished. This can be coins, hit points, experience in some cases.
It works because it is a finite resource of some kind that the players have to consider, or maintain, as part of their strategy when playing the game.
You could also view "successes" on dice rolls as a finite resource which players try their best to maximise with bonuses and dice modifications. You could even argue for the removal of dice entirely and just have a pool of "successes" which players can assign at will, but eventually run out of, so they have to choose when to be successful and when to fail without dice rolls. In a horror game this would heighten the "risk" factor as the players know exactly how many times they can succeed going forward, but each time they succeed they approach complete failure.
@@QuestGivers Thank you soooooo much. It was after I sent the comment that I realised "Hey wait! Doesn't Darkest Dungeon have that status effect." Like I say I cannot thank you enough for coming back to me it really is a more trial and error thing. If you can give more ideas I'm happy to take them into suggestion.
In a horror game you want tension and severely limited supplies. You could give player characters secret goals that are at odds with each other. Severely limit ammunition and the ability to heal (to the point where it is almost impossible). Also track light sources fuel / power and constantly test for the light to go out.
@@QuestGivers That actually is a really good idea. I'll see what I can do to implement it into my system. Thank you.
Call of Cthulu has a sanity point mechanic.
give more examples please
Check out Chronicles of the Outlands. ruclips.net/video/d9I3EaPtdHo/видео.html
How to use Tarot Cards to create Adventures.
ruclips.net/video/Z90PzhZ6w38/видео.html
Man imagine going through all the work and effort to making a game system that isn't DnD or pathfinder and then just having the days or even weeks you've spent on a ruleset and mechanics just to have someone not buy your book and just nick the mechanic. Kinda surreal to think about.
Everyone nicks D&D and Pathfinder...so brigands are already on the roads
@@QuestGivers your average game dev isn't pizo or WOTC. Bad for your average dev Is way less bad for them. It isnt good for anyone, but there is a degree of magnitude to consider.
Mechanics have to be unforgiving. Otherwise the players start to bend the rules.
Chase rules from SWADE
Who know a good system to eliminate initiative and turn order? I want it to feel like a real battle
For a real battle you need two things: tension and disorder.
Use a timer to create tension. Give the battle a variable number of turns (like 2d4) and count down to a "conclusion". The battle should be a struggle, so make sure enemies move around and use the terrain and give them them objectives to complete (disarm the leader, knock out the wizard, tie up the healer, crowd the fighter, etc)
Forget about initiative entirely and just act in order. Players then m monsters, but only apply damage and effects at the end. Everything is considered "simultaneous".
One of my all time favorites ruclips.net/video/IgiSwXcpSj8/видео.html
The Initiative system in 'Shadow Of The Demon Lord' is nice. It cuts out the rolls and establishes turn order via players stating what they're going to do. Those just attacking go first while those moving and attacking go after, for example. Easy and can make for some tough decisions to be made instead of dice rolls.
About monsters: why 4th edition monsters were so worse than 3 and 3.5?
The nemesis Mechanic... Oh wait 🙁
"Making" crits for d&d from merp is the best comparison I cuold think about
Steal this mechanic, hoss... Crimson Escalation! ;)
Pathfinder has decent parts on economics and city management while D&D castles cost 50k bucks... no sorry may be I didn't read their junk about it.
When you incorporate crits from a near to merp system in your d&d
This how people Live now in this world 🌎. Controlling (Domination)
DD sucks, no warrior can't have more endurance than a horse or an elephant or a dragon.
What part of "fantasy" do you not understand?