[note]I've been working on this project for a couple of years now. I've started and scrapped dozens of ideas, and I think I'm finally nearing completion on a usable game. I'm reserving the first however many posts for various aspects of the rules. Discussion goes here. (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?62110.last)[/note]
Introduction
This is Beejazz's Homebrew System (for now... it needs a better name). My goal is to make a relatively easy introductory game with easy character creation, detailed and brutal combat, and a high level of flexibility on all fronts.
Character Creation
Character creation has been heavily streamlined. The driving philosophy is that players should be able to pick the abilities they want off a list or two and be done with it. Skills are either trained or untrained, and there is a system resembling feats for all unique abilities (including what would normally be race or class features). The flexibility comes from the fact that characters are not restricted by class, so that it's easy to pick a mixed skill set from the get go.
Leveling Up
Leveling up is also fairly simple. You pretty much get +1 to everything and a new perk every level.
Characters start at level 0 with 3 perks and 5-10 skills (either 7 or their int score... I haven't decided). Every level, all their skills and raw abilities get +1 and they get one new perk.
You level up after completing a number of adventures equal to the level you're going for. Low levels fly by, but things slow down as you get higher in level.
Dice and Difficulty
In order to succeed at a task, you must roll d10s under a relevant attribute or skill. How many d10s you must roll depends on the difficulty of the task.
Combat Overview
In combat, characters can roll as many dice as they want to attack. If they roll under their skill, they deal damage equal to their dice roll plus their weapon value. More dice mean greater potential for damage at the expense of accuracy. Fewer dice mean greater accuracy at the expense of damage.
There is an active defense mechanic as well. Characters can attempt to evade one attack per round (barring special circumstances), and can't evade attacks that would catch them off guard. It pays not to be surrounded or otherwise careless.
Massive damage thresholds are used to determine critical hits. If an attack is a critical hit, it inflicts a random wound. Wounds can be anything from KO to bleeding to a severed arm.
Magic Overview
Magic is skill based. Anyone can use rituals with the magic skill, but especially skilled mages can cast rituals in seconds rather than minutes or hours. There is no limit to how many times you can cast a spell, but it becomes more difficult to concentrate the more spells you currently have active.
Abilities and Raw Abilities
The six abilities in this system are strength, dexterity, intelligence, charisma, perception, and will.
[spoiler=strength]Strength represents physical prowess. Use your strength to swing a sword, climb a cliff face, or take a punch like a champ.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=dexterity]Dexterity represents grace, reflexes, and coordination. Use your dexterity to dodge, fire an arrow, or walk a tightrope.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=intelligence]Intelligence represents deductive reasoning and the body of knowledge you posess. Use your intelligence to speak foreign languages, cast spells, and know it all.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=charisma]Charisma represents wit, charm, and social skill. Use charisma to flatter, bully, and talk your way out of (or into) all kinds of trouble.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=perception]Perception represents awareness of one's surroundings. Use perception to track, investigate, and find hidden things.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=will]Will represents determination and the ability to avoid manipulation. Use your will to face fears, concentrate, and be a stubborn bastard.[/spoiler]
Determining Raw Ability Scores
You have 6 scores to distribute among your raw ability scores for your starting character. These are 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Determining Ability Scores
Your ability score in each category is equal to 5 + your raw ability score + your level.
Derived Stats
I've tried my best to limit the number of derived stats. I use raw abilities for most things because it's convenient, but it wasn't feasible for the few derived values I did end up keeping, and you'll see why later.
[spoiler=Hit Points]Hit points are equal to 10 x (strength score).[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Damage Threshold]Your damage threshold is equal to your strength score.[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Initiative]Initiative is equal to Raw Perception plus Raw Dexterity.[/spoiler]
Skills
Characters are either untrained or trained in skills, and this is the primary factor in determining how competent they are (besides level and abilities). Trained characters may also take skill focus and other relevant perks to improve their capabilities.
[note]Skill Types
Some skills have skill types. This is for convenience's sake, so later in the rules I can just refer back to "movement skills," "attack skills," and "defense skills."[/note]
Untrained skills are equal to the relevant raw ability score plus the character's level.
Trained skills get +5 on top of that.
Skill focus gives a skill an additional +5.
Starting characters can have skills ranging from 5 to 20.
[spoiler=Skill List]
[note]I've tried to use verbs in naming skills as much as possible. Just a matter of personal preference.[/note]
[spoiler=alchemy (int) (magic)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=befriend (cha)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=black magic (will) (magic)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=blue magic (will) (magic)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=bluff (cha)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=climb (str) (movement)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=craft (int)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=dodge (dex) (movement)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=fly (dex)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=focus (will)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=green magic (will) (magic)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=heal (int)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=intimidate (cha)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=jump (str) (movement)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=knowledge (int)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=language (int)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=melee (str) (attack)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=parry (dex) (defense)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=profession (int)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=ranged (dex) (attack)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=red magic (will) (magic)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=ride (dex)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=rituals (int) (magic)] (description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=shield (dex) (defense)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=sneak (dex) (movement)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=swim (str) (movement)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=track (per)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=train animal (int)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[spoiler=white magic (will) (magic)](description comes soon)[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
Perks
[spoiler=Perks List (incomplete)]
Troll
Troll Powers
Goblin
Goblin Powers
Elf
Elf Powers
Dwarf
Dwarf Powers
Robot
Skill Focus
Armor Training I
Armor Training II
Armor Training III
Improved Trip
Improved Disarm
Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Improved Feint
Improved Grab (not sure I'll use)
Effortless Dodge
Effortless Parry
Effortless Shield
Save Bonus
Far Jump
Fast Swim
Rapid Climb
Quick Stealth
Spell
[/spoiler]
COMBAT
InitiativeRoll dice under your inititiative to determine if you can act in the first round of combat. The difficulty is 1 if you have surprised your opponents, 3 if they have surprised you, and 2 if neither circumstance applies.
Characters act in order of the highest number rolled, with the exception that those who rolled over their initiative do not act in the first round.
Action Types
There are six action types, each of which is described below.
[note]Trading Down
You can always take a less significant action using a larger action type. For example, you could take two minor actions by forgoing your main action or take three reactions in a round if you had forgone your main and minor actions. You could also take a free action out of turn using a reaction. [spoiler]full > main > minor > reaction > free> non[/spoiler][/note]
Main Action: You get one main action every round. You can only take a main action on your turn.
Minor Action: You get one minor action every round. You can only take a minor action on your turn.
Free Action: You get as many free actions as you'd like in a round, but you can only use them on your turn.
Reaction: You get one reaction every round. You may take reactions out of turn.
Non-Action: You get as many non-actions as you'd like in a round, and you may take them out of turn.
Full Action: You may take one full action in a round. You can only take one full action on your turn. You may only take a full action by forgoing both your main and minor action.
[note=Wounds]If your damage exceeds your foe's massive damage threshold, you inflict a wound on your foe. Roll randomly to determine how your foe is wounded.
1: Right Arm (Limb)
2: Left Arm (Limb)
3: Right Leg (Limb)
4: Left Leg (Limb)
5: Bleed
6: Knockback
7: Stun
8: Vitals
9: +1 Wound
10: +2 Wounds
On your character sheet, each type of wound has three boxes indicating varying degrees of severity. Boxes that indicate instantaneous results are already blacked out (all of knockback and stun 1'¦ vitals 3 is death and it doesn't get a box). Only the highest wound to any track applies (they overlap rather than stacking).
Bludgeoning and piercing weapons cannot deal three wounds to any limb. Treat any result of three wounds to a limb as two instead.
Arms:
1) Take a penalty of 2 to all actions that require the use of this arm or both arms. You drop anything this hand is holding.
2) Your arm is disabled. You cannot use this arm. You take a penalty of 2 to all actions that require the use of both arms. If both arms are disabled, you can do nothing that requires the use of either arm or both.
3) Your arm is severed. It is disabled permanently. Additionally, inflict a wound to bleed 2.
Legs:
1) Take a penalty of 2 to all actions that require the use of this leg or both legs. Your speed is reduced to one-half. You fall prone.
2) Your leg is disabled. You cannot use this leg. You take a penalty of 2 to all actions that require the use of both legs. Your speed is reduced to one-half. If both your legs are disabled, you can do nothing that requires the use of either leg or both, and you cannot move.
3) Your leg is severed. It is disabled permanently. Additionally, inflict a wound to bleed 2.
Bleed:
1) You lose 1d10 hit points per round at the start of your turn.
2) You lose 2d10 hit points per round at the start of your turn.
3) You lose 3d10 hit points per round at the start of your turn.
Knockback
1) You are knocked prone.
2) You are knocked prone and forced back one square away from your attacker.
3) You are knocked prone and forced back two squares away from your attacker.
Stun:
1) You are stunned for one round.
2) You are stunned for one round and you are staggered. You lose your minor action each round, though you can still take a minor action using your main action.
3) You are knocked unconscious.
Vitals:
1) You are stunned for one round and you are staggered. You lose your minor action each round, though you can still take a minor action using your main action.
2) You are knocked unconscious.
3) You are dead.
+1 Wound: Roll again and deal +1 wound to whatever you hit.
+2 Wounds: Roll again and deal +2 wounds to whatever you hit.[/note]
Basic Attack (Main Action)
You attack by rolling as many d10s as you'd like under your melee or ranged attack skill. If you roll at or under your skill, you hit your foe unless he or she successfully defends. You deal damage equal to your roll on the dice plus a modifier based on your weapon.
Your attack may be penalised by certain circumstances. If this is the case, roll d6s as indicated by the penalty along with the d10s. Add the d6s to your roll for the purpose of determining success or failure, but not damage or difficulty to defend.
Defense (Reaction)
When someone successfully attacks you, you may use one of your defense skills (dodge, parry, or shield) to negate the attack. The difficulty is equal to the number of d10s your foe rolled. Penalties may apply, including a 1d10 penalty to dodge a melee attack or parry a ranged attack.
Saves (Non-Action)
Many special attacks and maneuvers can be negated by a save. A save is an ability check, made as a non-action, to negate or lessen the effect of an attack or maneuver. The difficulty is typically the number of d10s rolled in the attack or maneuver.
Gear
Magic
Monsters
MISCELLANEOUS