The Campaign Builder's Guild

[note]Hi everyone, your friendly neighborhood never-around founder here. This is a master thread for my game system project. Ever since I started playing 3E D&D, I have mucked around with the rules. I am never fully satisfied with a system. Whether it is my perceived mechanical imbalances, lack of symmetry within the rules, or things that I just don't find believable, I inevitably end up making house rules. Also, my own setting requires a few assumptions within the system, so it is only natural that I create a system. Originally, I wanted to make a broad system that could work for any setting. I may still do that, but I won't kid myself; this is primarily a project to create what I see as the perfect system for my setting. This thread will go over generalities for my system, and will be for discussion of the system as a whole. I may need help setting up a wiki for it in the future.[/note]"Xev20" is the placeholder name for a system I am cobbling together for use with my setting, "Endless Horizons" (formerly "Three Worlds"). At its core, the system will be using the base mechanics for the "Legend of the Five Rings" game, which was recently updated to its 4th Edition. The system is a dice pool system, using d10s. The core rolling mechanic is a roll/keep system, using expressions like 4k2; this means roll 4d10 and keep 2. 10s explode, meaning you roll them again and add 10 to the new result. I am choosing the system as my base because it has elementalism built into it (9 ability scores, 8 of which are paired with the 4 elements, and one which is for the fifth element), and elementalism is a core concept in my setting. It is also a skill based system, with levels separate from any ability caps, and I have been growing more and more interested in these types of setting. There is less I need to change with this system than there is with others, so I am assuming I am using Roll/Keep as my base system.

I will need to rewrite the schools, probably by cannibalizing the existing schools for abilities and then reconfiguring them into something akin to talent trees of larger classes. I will need to study the alternate races and create stats for my setting's non-humans, using the current non-human races as baselines. I may also adjust the skill list itself, as my games will focus less on court intrigue and more on exploration. Equipment may need to be adjusted, especially the treatment of armor and the lack of shields. Lastly, I need to address magic.

It is possible that I may rewrite equipment and magic entirely, so as not to favor the katana or rely upon vancian spell slots. Some of these posts will deal with broader game theory issues, which will be easier to discuss than a system that people may not be familiar with.

Action Economy: Here I consider different methods of structuring rounds and actions, milling over possibly using a two-action system to better support two-weapon fighting and gishes.

Quote from: Xeviat
my games will focus less on court intrigue and more on exploration

You might want to take a look at the 7th Sea RPG. It uses the d10 roll&keep system as does L5R, but it's a game about age of sail pirates & swashbucklers rather than pseudo-samurai.

I will definitely take a look. Do you know of any non-theft resources online I could look at to give me some info on the game?

Game reviews might be worth a look. And you can probably find old forum threads about it on rpg.net if you're willing to scour through those.

The compendium is free on drivethrurpg.com

Unfortunately it doesn't give very much information ...