This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Author Topic: ∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG  (Read 2108 times)

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« on: December 15, 2014, 09:38:14 AM »
I posted about this before, but Real Life came calling, and I had to pause for a while. It's time to get back to it. (As it's been a long while and I'm starting all over from the beginning, I decided I should start a new thread.)

∞ Infinity Design Goals

I’m a long-time tabletop roleplayer, building my own game for use with several different original settings. The system is known as the ∞ Infinity Gaming System or ∞ Infinity.

The chief setting is Infinity ∞ Files. In Infinity ∞ Files, our world is being invaded by other Realities, like a fantasy world and a steampunk world. What is impossible in our world becomes possible where they invade (and what is possible in our world sometimes becomes impossible there). Such incursions have been happening for millennia, and the player characters are agents (from our world and others) who investigate and drive them back.

As the setting can involve characters from several RPG genres interacting at the same time, the rules must support this. Magic, miracles, pulp powers, and so forth will all be part of the system, eventually.

∞ Infinity is an Action Movie system, true to the fast pace and kinetic scenes of the very best action movies. Die Hard, The Expendables, and John Wick are all direct inspirations.

The last design constraint is this: I’m building it to be backwards compatible with another system, out of print for 20 years. I’m part of the fanbase for that game, and the mechanics for ∞ Infinity are built so people can easily translate equipment and characters from that game to this one.

So, design guidelines:

1 Action Movie RPG system
2 Trans-genre mechanics
3 Backwards compatibility

The game is being designed to match these requirements. I'll post rules next, starting with the core mechanic.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2014, 11:10:23 AM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
Core Mechanic
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2014, 11:29:15 AM »
This mechanic is the basis for the entire system. Everything else is this, or a modification of it. The core mechanic is very simple:

• Characters have a Skill Rating (or Skill), which determines how well they can do certain things like pick a lock or shoot a gun. Higher is better.

• Various tasks have a Challenge Rating (or CR), which represents how hard that Challenge is. Higher is more difficult.

• The dice are used to represent vagaries of chance.

The player rolls the dice to determine how well the character did, then compares this Skill Total to the Challenge Rating. Equal or higher represents Success (the higher the Total, the more successful the attempt was), and lower means Failure.

Skill Total 10 v CR 10 = Success

Skill Total 15 v CR 10 = Better Success

Skill Total 5 v CR 10 = Failure

Everything in the game is based on this.

• Casting a spell has a Challenge Rating, the more powerful or complex the spell, the higher the CR. The player rolls the character's spellcasting Skill Rating, if the Total equals or beats the CR, the spell goes off.

• Picking a lock has a Challenge Rating, the better the lock, the higher the CR. The player rolls the character's burglary Skill Rating vs this, equal or better means he Succeeded.

Combat works the same way, with an added step: rolling for damage. Success equals a hit, then the player rolls the Damage Rating of the weapon and compares it to the target's Toughness. Equal to or higher means the weapon did damage (the higher the result, the more damage), less than means no damage.

Obviously there are complexities (including other mechanics, like the Action Deck and Resolve), but all of them play into this mechanic:

Skill Total - CR = Success or Failure.

Damage Total - Tou = Damage or no.

I'll cover the dice mechanic next.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2014, 11:33:23 AM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

TristramEvans

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8440
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2014, 01:47:17 PM »
How would opposed rolls be handled? Or how are you setting the CR in combat?
"Playing Role-Playing Games counts as partying."
-Andrew WK

Visit my website at Pariedolia
Come visit Doodling D&D's new home!

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2014, 02:00:03 PM »
Quote from: TristramEvans;804641
How would opposed rolls be handled? Or how are you setting the CR in combat?

If two characters are directly opposing each other, such as running a race, they both roll their Skill. The higher Total wins, and equal Totals are a tie.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2014, 02:03:43 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2014, 06:15:45 PM »
Rolling the Dice

∞ Infinity uses two differently colored ten-sided dice, numbered 1-10 (or 0-9, the 0 representing 10). One color is the Hot die, the other the Cold die.

Players can use any color pairs they like (white and black, green and yellow), but for the sake of the rules we assume red and blue, red being Hot, and blue being Cold.

Depending on circumstances, players may be rolling either die by itself or both dice together.

If rolling only the red or Hot die, known as rolling Hot, the player adds the number rolled to the character's Skill. (This number is known as the Bonus Number.)

Example: Skill Rating 10, the roll is a red 3, the Bonus Number is +3, Skill Total = 13.

If rolling the blue or Cold die by itself, known as rolling Cold, the player subtracts the rolled number from the Skill. (Again, this number known as the Bonus Number.)

Example: Skill Rating 10, the roll is a blue 10, Bonus Number is -10, Skill Total = 0.

When the player rolls the two dice together, which is the case most of the time, he discards the higher die, and the lower roll determines the Bonus Number. So if he rolled a blue 10 and a red 3, he ignores the 10 (the higher roll), making the Bonus Number +3. If the two rolls are tied, the Bonus Number is 0.

Examples
Red 3, blue 1 = -1 Bonus Number.
Red 10, blue 10 = 0 Bonus Number.
Red 7, blue 8 = +7 Bonus Number.

When the player rolls normally, his Bonus Number will be from -9 to +9. When he rolls Hot, it can be as high as +10, but when he rolls Cold it can be as low as -10.

This dice mechanic is essentially instantaneous: people can distinguish color almost instantly and can tell which of the dice is higher instantly. It feels a little odd at first, but becomes second nature after a few minutes of play.

[Note: Damage rolls use the same basic roll, with a couple of caveats. Players never roll Hot or Cold on damage rolls, for example. Damage will be covered more fully in the rules on Combat, later.]
« Last Edit: December 16, 2014, 06:18:08 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2014, 12:15:13 PM »
Attributes

As in most RPG's, ∞ Infinity characters have a number of Attributes, which represent innate abilities of the character (whereas skills are learned abilities). The six Attributes are Dexterity, Strength, Endurance, Intellect, Influence, and Spirit.

Each Attribute has a number of associated skills. Dexterity skills include acrobatics and climbing; Strength, lifting and melee weapons; Influence covers charm and persuade.

Attributes provide a small bonus to associated skills and influence how easy it is to improve those skills. In addition, each Attribute has certain inherent uses.

Dexterity

This represents flexibility, fine motor skills, reflexes, eye-hand coordination, running speed, and other related areas. Characters with a high Dexterity are gymnasts and athletes of every sort, escape artists, stage magicians, parkour aficionados, and martial artists.
Mechanic: Dexterity is used in Initiative. The higher the Dexterity, the faster one reacts.

Strength

This represents a character's physical prowess: how much they can lift and carry, how hard they punch and swing a sword. Characters with a high Strength are weightlifters, circus strong-men, and so forth.
Mechanic: Strength determines the amount one can lift and carry and the base amount of damage with hand-to-hand weapons.

Endurance

Endurance describes a character's health: their ability to resist poisons and disease, to endure physical stress and exertion, and other related areas.
Mechanic: Endurance resists damage, poisons, etc.

Intellect

A high Intellect makes a person "smart". They learn faster, have a deeper understanding, retain more information, react quicker, and notice more. Scientists, college professors, inventors, engineers, and so on all have a high Intellect.
Mechanic: Intellect determines bonus skills during character creation.

Influence

Influence is the ability to successfully affect others socially. People with a high Influence are persuasive, charming, and adept at fitting in with others and building strong relationships. Salesmen, con men, politicians, rock stars, actors, the popular kids, and serial killers all have high Influence.
Mechanic: Influence determines the base attitude of strangers, i.e. how well they treat you.

Spirit

Spirit is the mental and spiritual strength of a character. A high Spirit entails self-reliance, confidence, a strong will, and stubbornness.
Mechanic: Spirit resists mental damage.

Next post, I'll cover Attribute Ratings.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2014, 12:34:53 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #6 on: December 19, 2014, 01:40:31 AM »
Attribute Scale

Attributes are rated numerically, with higher values representing more potent Attributes. For normal adult humans, Attributes range from 5 to 15, with 10 being average. (Crippling injuries can lower Attributes below a 5, and children or infants are often lower.) 5 represents a sadly deficient rating, while a 15 is emblematic of the greatest heroes in legend and history.

The higher the Attribute Rating, the larger the bonus it provides to associated skills.

Code: [Select]
Attribute Rating Description Bonus
5 Deficient +1
6-8 Weak +2
9-11 Average +3
12-14 Exceptional +4
15 Legendary +5


[There is no cap to the Attribute scale, so this pattern repeats itself indefinitely. An Attribute of 30 gives a +10 bonus to associated skills, for example. This is especially important for superhero settings.]

[Using the ∞ Infinity scale, the Earth itself has a Toughness of (roughly) 126 and the Death Star's main cannon has a Damage of around 152, enough damage to destroy a planet the size of Earth. (By way of comparison, a 9mm pistol does Damage 17.)]

5 = Deficient (+1) - The lowest normal Attribute level. This is the Dexterity of a total klutz, the Strength of a 98-pound-weakling, the Endurance of a sickly recluse. For normal people, it doesn't get any worse than this.

6-8 = Weak (+2) - You're below average, and everyone probably knows it. You drop things a lot, need help lifting a backpack full of books, and catch every bug that's going around.

9-11= Average (+3) - Honestly, this isn't that bad. Sure, you're no superstar, but the majority of people are no better than you, and many are worse off. You may not be destined to win international competitions, but you can still do extraordinary things, if you're willing to work harder than those who are more gifted but less motivated.

12-14 = Exceptional (+4) - You stand out in the crowd. You run faster than most, are more popular, get better grades. You're not the best of the best of the best, but not many things are beyond your reach, if you're willing to work at it.

15 = Legendary (+5) - An attribute typical of the famous (or infamous). Napoleon had a legendary Influence, Einstein legendary Intellect, Winston Churchill legendary Spirit.

Training and experience in skills are measured in Skill Points. I'll talk about those next.
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2014, 01:13:50 AM »
Skills, The Basics

Skills — such as firearms, athletics, or charm — represent specific areas of a character's expertise. The firearms skill represents the character’s ability to shoot (e.g.) pistols and shotguns, athletics their ability with physical sports like mountain climbing or swimming, and charm their ability to ingratiate themselves with others. Nearly every action one wishes to attempt will have an associated skill.

Skills are measured in Skill Ratings (higher is better). To get a character's Skill Rating you take their Skill Points (which represents knowledge, practice, and experience in the area) and add their Attribute Bonus (which represents innate capacity).

Some skills can be attempted even if the character has no Skill Points ("Untrained"). In such cases, their Attribute Bonus by itself is their effective Skill Rating. Some skills penalize Untrained use, and a rare few are Trained-Only, you must have at least 1 Skill Point to attempt a Challenge using those skills. The skill writeup will give the details.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2014, 01:21:31 AM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #8 on: December 21, 2014, 12:59:25 AM »
Skill Points

Skill Points represent the sum total of a character's knowledge, practice, and experience in the area covered by the skill. 1 Skill Point represents minimal understanding, 9 represents a solid grasp of the subject, and 29 total mastery.

0 = Untrained. You know essentially nothing about the skill.

1 – 3 = Familiarity. You've learned the basics of the skill, but little else. There are massive gaps in your understanding, but you don't fully appreciate that fact yet.

4 – 8 = Competency. You have mastered the basics, but struggle with intermediate concepts. You make mistakes that beginners probably won't catch, but those more knowledgeable will.

9 – 13 = Proficiency. You have a solid grasp of the theory and practice of the skill. Advanced concepts can be challenging, but at this level you know how incompetent you are.

14 – 18 = Accomplished. You have become capable in many advanced areas, though there are many others you haven't yet acquired.

19 – 23 = Expertise. You have mastered nearly all advanced concepts in the field, though there are esoterica beyond even your learning.

24 – 28 = Mastery. You are very skilled, conversant with nearly all of the esoterica in the field, though there are a few incredibly obscure topics still beyond your grasp.

29 and higher = Superiority. There is essentially nothing you don't know about the subject matter.

Characters receive a certain number of Skill Points during character creation, to spend on their initial skills. (Intellect provides a bonus.) Characters can purchase more later with earned Experience Points (XP). There are limits to the number of Skill Points that can be bought in any one skill, described in the Character Creation and Advancement sections later.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2014, 08:49:31 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #9 on: December 21, 2014, 11:19:09 PM »
Skill Ratings

Attribute bonuses are added to Skill Points to get a character's Skill Rating (often abbreviated as "Skill"). Skill Ratings can be used to gauge how competent a character is in a specific skill:

2-4 is a Novice, a raw recruit or an inexperienced beginner. Brand new employees, like the trainee trying to learn to flip burgers at a fast food joint, are Novices.

5-9 is an Apprentice, someone employable in a field at an entry level. Telemarketers and Tech Support employees are typically Apprentices, as are most interns.

10-14 is a Journeyman, someone prepared for an intermediate position in the field. Most people just graduating college with Bachelor’s degrees are Journeymen. Graduates of the US Army Infantry School or US Marine School of Infantry are typically Journeymen.

15-19 is a Professional, a person in the prime of their career. Usually they possess a post-graduate degree or equivalent in on-the-job experience. Your general physician is a Professional, as are veteran soldiers.

20-24 is a Master, a standout in the field, cited and respected by their peers, but typically unknown to the general public. Writers of specialized books (such as textbooks or reference works) are usually Masters.

25-29 is World Class, one of the best in the world. (As the name implies.) Olympic athletes, for example.

30-34 is a Genius, "The Best There is at What I Do". Geniuses are revolutionaries and innovators on a grand scale, they push their chosen field forward. Physicist Stephen Hawking, as a real-world example.

35+ is a Legend, one of the best who’s ever lived. Legendary figures are those who dominate history — their works live on long after they die and their names become synonymous with their field of expertise. Shakespeare, da Vinci, Einstein: these are all Legendary figures.

[Note: With a hard cap of "Attribute x2" (see Advancement), 30 Skill Points is the limit for those with the maximum normal human Attribute of 15. So with a +5 Attribute bonus from a 15, a 35 is the highest Skill Rating a normal human can possibly achieve.]
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2014, 07:53:18 PM »
Attribute and Skill Ratings, Design Notes

[Note: I have been shuffling some labels around. The labels below don't exactly match those in the Skill Points and Skill Ratings posts, but are correct.]

One of my design goals is to make mechanics that can easily be understood and described in relatable terms. The idea is to give labels and information which can easily be compared to people’s real-life experiences.

This begins with the Attributes, which are described with labels people can easily grasp. We all know what Average is, we know Exceptional people, we know people who are Weak in something.

It’s relatable.

This idea is carried into the skill system, in this case Skill Points (which represent learning, practice, or experience). We’ve all been Unskilled in an area (and are right now in fact). We’ve studied and become Familiar, when something is new and even the basics are a struggle. We know of people who are Proficient and even Expert at what they do.

We can relate the abstract numbers to real world experiences. This makes the game feel real.

The Skill Rating labels and descriptions serve the same purpose. But, as they are a combination of Attribute bonuses and Skill Points, there’s some internal logic to how the three relate.

The bonus for an Average attribute is +3. With basic Familiarity, 1 Skill Point, Average people have a Skill Rating of 4 (1 +3), which makes them Novices.

An Average person with barest Familiarity is a Novice.

This is a common-sense, easily understood measurement. People with very little experience are Novices. But let's look at the rest of the chart.

• Average people (+3) who have achieved Competency (4 Skill Points) are Apprentices (Skill Rating 7). They are Competent, if only just, and can be employed in their field.

• Average people (+3) who become Capable (9 Skill Points) are Journeymen (Skill 12). Capable people advance in their fields, they become lower management or better paid freelancers.

• Average people (+3) who have attained Proficiency (14 Skill Points) are Professionals (Skill 17). By becoming proficient in their area, they can sustain a respectable career in their field.

• Average people (+3) who have gained Expertise (19 Skill Points) are Masters (Skill 22). When you've become an expert in an area, by definition you are a standout in your field.

The most Skill Points a person with an Attribute of 11 (Average) can acquire in any one skill is 22, so for our next category we'll talk about characters with an Exceptional Attribute.

• Exceptional people (+4) who have become Accomplished (24 Skill Points) are World Class (Skill 28). An Accomplished person knows more about their specialty than nearly anyone, which makes them one of the best in the world.

• A person with an Attribute of 14 (+4) is Exceptional, and the most Skill Points he can ever acquire in a skill is 28, Accomplished. A Skill Rating of 32 makes him a Genius. He has developed his abilities to their outermost bounds, and is almost certainly the foremost living expert in his field.

• Legendary people (15/+5) who have achieved Superiority in a subject (29 Skill Points) are also Geniuses (Skill Rating 34), but they are almost Legends. It takes that extra bit of virtuosity to become one of the greatest in history.

Again, all of these are straightforward and make sense. You can easily understand why Expertise would make one a Master.

This is deliberate. Gamemasters can translate mechanics into real-world equivalencies and vice versa. Moreover, players and gamemasters can easily relate game mechanics to the real world.

Given a Skill Rating, they can easily think of real people or characters who were that skillful (or incompetent). This makes the game world feel more real.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2014, 08:48:58 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #11 on: December 26, 2014, 08:48:31 PM »
Challenges

Challenges are the bread-and-butter of the system. When a character attempts something significant, their Skill Rating (modified by a die roll) is compared to the Challenge Rating. The Challenge rating (or CR) is a numerical representation of how difficult a task is; it ranges from -5 to 50.

Odds: When a character's Skill Rating is equal to the Challenge Rating (Skill 10 vs CR 10, for example), they have a 55% chance of Success. The character succeeds more often than not, but they still find it a struggle. (Hence the name "challenge".)

Rules: A character automatically succeeds at Challenges with a CR 10 points lower than his skill (as the lowest possible Bonus Number is -10). Conversely, he cannot succeed at Challenges with a CR 11 points higher. (Absent heroic luck in the form of Action Deck cards.)

Gamemasters pick appropriate Challenge Ratings based on the following table:

CR -5, Trivial: "Anyone can do that." A task so easy, one barely notices performing it.
Rule: No one ever has to roll for Trivial Skill Challenges.

CR 0, Routine: "No sweat." A task anyone with training can accomplish effortlessly.
Rule: Trained characters never have to roll for Routine Challenges (no matter their Skill), but Untrained do.

CR 5, Easy: "That shouldn't be too hard." Entry-level employees find this difficult.

CR 10, Moderate: "That’s complicated." The inexperienced struggle with these.

CR 15, Difficult: "This isn’t a job for greenies." Veterans find it challenging.

CR 20, Formidable: "We need a specialist." Experts quail at such endeavors.

CR 25, Grueling: "Only 6 people in the world could make that shot." Something so difficult, even a world champion has to strive to overcome it.

CR 30, Monumental: "Only one man for the job." The foremost living expert finds this stressful.

CR 35, Heroic: "Even you would find this difficult, I think." When attempting this, even a DaVinci or Napoleon often fails.

CR 40, Astounding: "How did you do that?" A task that pushes the outermost limits of what humans are capable of.

CR 45, Nearly Impossible: "I don't believe it. I saw it, but I don't believe it." Something so difficult, that for a mere human to succeed is almost miraculous.

CR 50, Superhuman: This is literally impossible without superhuman abilities or supernatural assistance.
Rule: Un-augmented humans can't even roll against Challenges with a base (or unmodified) CR of 50 or higher, no matter what cards are at their disposal. They simply fail. Miracles, magic, super-powers, cyberware, or other extraordinary tools or abilities are required even to attempt it.
« Last Edit: December 26, 2014, 09:05:07 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #12 on: December 29, 2014, 07:43:48 PM »
Success Levels

Challenges are tests of a character's abilities, they represent the character attempting to do something. "I want to search for the Cardinal's letter." "I want to repair the car's engine." "I want to shoot at the griffin with my bow."

The third critical component of Challenges (after the Skill Rating and Challenge Rating) is Success Level. To get this, you roll the dice, which gives you a Bonus Number. You add this bonus to your Skill Rating.

Examples:
Skill 10, bonus 0 = 10 Total
Skill 10, bonus -3 = 7 Total
Skill 14, bonus +5 = 19 Total

That's your Skill Total. Compare this to your Challenge Rating to get a result.

Examples:
Total 10, CR 5 = result 5.
Total 5, CR 5 = result 0.
Total 4, CR 5 = result -1.

In other words, Skill Total - CR = result. What does this mean?

Well, the higher your result, the better you did. The lower, the worse you did.

Negative results (-1 or lower) represent Failure: you didn't do whatever it was you attempted.

Anything higher — 0 or better — represent Success. You did what you attempted.

In many cases, that's all you need to know: Success or Failure. But sometimes, how well you did matters. Which is where Success Levels (SL) comes in.

To get SL, we count the result by 3's: a result of 3 or better is a Success Level of 1. A result of 6 or better is 2 SL. A 9 or better is 3 SL. And so forth, on indefinitely.

(This can also be represented by "result divided by 3, round down". Or it can be represented by a table. Up to you.)

Success Levels are used in many places, but most especially in combat. When you roll damage, each Success Level is a Wound. They're also used in Interaction results, Knockout Attacks, Skill Challenges, and so forth.

Success Levels are the core of the system. If you can count by three, you can play the game.
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #13 on: December 30, 2014, 04:45:34 PM »
A Little Bit of ∞ Infinity Design Theory

Most role-players play to interact with the imaginary game world, as described by the gamemaster.

"At the end of the street is a tall building, old and dilapidated. The yard is overgrown with weeds, the paint is peeling away in wide strips, and you can see several holes in the roof. You hear cicadas and the wind is picking up. The streetlight by the house is burnt out. What do you do?"

"Well," the players say, "we park well up the street and…"

Through his descriptions, the GM brings the world to life. Through their character's actions and reactions, players interact with that world.

Game mechanics exist solely as a framework for gameplay. But every mechanic every written is subsidiary to the interplay between the GM and his players, the GM describing the world and its NPC's, and the players describing what their characters do.

This is where the game comes alive, and game designers can't really make it better (though bad design or writing can certainly interfere). A group does what it wants to do, plays the way it wants, and the game designer has no control and should have no control. The best a game designer can do is get out of the way.

∞ Infinity game mechanics are designed to help GM's know what to describe, then leave the description up to them. Give them the raw material to make the world come to life, and get out of the way.

With Attributes, Skill Points, and Skill Ratings, the mechanics are written as they relate to the real world. Knowing that a Strength of 12 is above average, but not stupendous, the GM can describe a character that way.

The same holds for Skills: they are described in real world terms, so GM's know what they're narrating when they describe the world. A bumbling Novice, a sure Professional, an imposing Genius: the rules give the GM hints so he knows what to describe.

Success Levels serve the same purpose: the game mechanic exists primarily to give the GM hints about what to describe. As noted, they don't always apply. But they can always be used as a guide to describing the game world.

I'll give those rules next post.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2014, 04:57:00 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab

Daddy Warpig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1986
∞ Infinity Gaming System: Tabletop Action Movie RPG
« Reply #14 on: January 03, 2015, 09:48:08 PM »
Skill Challenges and Success Levels

Success levels have two purposes. The first is mechanical: the number of Success Levels has a direct mechanical effect. With damage, each SL is a Wound.

Skill Challenges are, much of the time, binary: you Succeeded or Failed. For those times when extra Success matters, we use Success Levels.

Code: [Select]
Result Success Level
-1 or lower Failure
0-2 Success
3-5 1 SL
6-8 2 SL
9-11 3 SL
12-14 4 SL
15-17 5 SL
+3 +1 SL

In those cases, Success Levels are used to determine how well the character did, beyond just Succeeding. Higher SL may mean the task took less time than expected, that the character got some additional benefit, and so forth. Specific rules for this are included with each skill writeup.

The second purpose is descriptive. Success Levels can be used by GM's as a guide to describe how well the character did.

Code: [Select]
Success Level Outcome Description
Failure Failure "You failed."
Success Success "You barely squeaked by."
1 SL Solid Success "It's done."
2 SL Superior Success "Incredible!"
3 SL Spectacular Success "One of the best I've ever seen."
4+ SL Spectacular Success+ "There aren't words to describe it…"

A Failure means the character Failed at the Challenge, and suffers whatever penalties result from that (if any).

With a Success the character barely succeed, by the skin of his teeth. Failure loomed large, and for a moment he was sure he failed, but at the last second he pulled it off.

1 SL is a Solid Success. He did competently, neither bad enough nor good enough to get noticed.

2 SL is a Superior Success. The character did well to earn compliments.

3 SL is a Spectacular Success, the kind of outstanding work that earns admiration and envy.

4+ SL is a Spectacular Success+. This is a once in a lifetime achievement, something that earns awards and accolades.

I'l talk about this a little more next post.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2015, 09:59:22 PM by Daddy Warpig »
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
"Ulysses" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Geek Gab:
Geek Gab