Greeting fellow members, I have a few questions I hope you can answer.
Much to my shame I have very limited experience with any RPG system outside of d20 (D&D, d20 modern, M&M 2nd), WHFR, and the Serenity RPG, and I have two games in the works I doubt would be suited to any of those
systems.
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The first is a near(ish)-future setting in which my four players would take on the role of military officers planning and executing objectives in a mission-by-mission format. For instance 'move armor through this valley while avoiding ambush' or 'determine ideal firing position for artillery strike on enemy airbase, then cover retreat' etc. Being an engineer I have a soft spot for mecha and want to include them, but take umbrage with them being 40ft tall and replacing tanks and fighters. I would use d20 modern but my understanding is that the mecha rules are terrible, and I know from experience that the conventional vehicle combat had the potential to be horrific. I suppose I'm looking for something that works well for characters on foot interfacing with anything from power armor up to light tanks. My players are fairly experienced so complexity is not a huge issue.
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The second is a simple solo game for someone new to the table-top, more-or-less and introduction (also gay...apparently:)).
Found a copy of the RisUS (http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm) rules on my hard drive, looked like it would work in a pinch, but I'm afraid it would lack utility even when modified, and might be more confusing for my player when I have to adjudicate practically everything on the fly. Also not going straight-humor, so I'm sure there is a better simple, universal system out there.
Not really sure on theme yet, but the player expressed interest in playing a dragon :idunno:
Anyone have suggestions for systems? Help would be greatly appreciated.
For the second, if Risus sounds good but too lighthearted or just too lite, D6 might be for you. Risus is very similar (basically D6 Lite), only instead of cliches you have the more familiar Attribute + Skill breakdown, along with the also familiar hit points (called body points). The basic mechanic is the same, roll some D6s and try to beat a target number.
Can't think of anything to help you with the first, unfortunately.
What genre for the solo game? Fantasy? Sci-fi?
Quote from: Mythmere;309341What genre for the solo game? Fantasy? Sci-fi?
Was considering blending modern with fantasy; save a school bus, then befriend a beholder kind of thing.
http://www.peginc.com/downloads.html
Quote from: Kord's Boon;309338Not really sure on theme yet, but the player expressed interest in playing a dragon :idunno:
Couldn't you just pick a system that has stats for dragons, and have all the enemies at an appropriately high level?
For the first you might be interested in In Harm's Way: Wild Blue (http://jalan.flyingmice.com/wildblue.html). It's for modern mercenaries, but would fit well for near future SF.
-clash
Robotech works fine with either mechas or guys on foot, and even the two of them mixed, and has place for tanks, jets and other more "realistic" war machines. It can be something of a pain to learn, being a little crunchy, but is works fine. Just select the non-transformable mechas (if that's your objective) and it's cool. The system is directed toward military action, and the skills and stuff reflect this, and the fluff is wonderfully easy to ignore. For the one on one thing, yeah, d6 is cool, or maybe GURPS lite. Just construct the dragon as a common player character who happens to fly and barf fire, and give him a few extra attacks (tail and claws), adjust the challenges accordingly and you're fine (remember, a PC is only powerful or weak in relation to the environment). You could also use a little tweak on risus, e.g.: Dragon: flying 3, flaming barf 4, claws 3, tail 2, bite 3. (I know it adds to 15), and then give the guy a few extra dice to purchase "skills", and you just roll those as appropriate against target numbers. If you keep the "cliches" resembling actual fantasy "attributes" or skills, then you can run it smoothly. You can even have HPs, and have them take damage from the difference in the attack and defence rolls. Risus is wonderfully easy to tweak.
Hope it helps.
Quote from: flyingmice;309353For the first you might be interested in In Harm's Way: Wild Blue (http://jalan.flyingmice.com/wildblue.html). It's for modern mercenaries, but would fit well for near future SF.
-clash
Yeah, I was going to suggest this.
Quote from: Kord's Boon;309344Was considering blending modern with fantasy; save a school bus, then befriend a beholder kind of thing.
I'd pimp Swords & Wizardry, but I think Savage Worlds is perhaps a better system for crossing modern over to fantasy. Savage Worlds is okay with fantasy (not great) but it does modern very well.
There's also genreDiversion 3E (http://www.pigames.net/store/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=455).
Quote from: Kord's Boon;309338The first is a near(ish)-future setting in which my four players would take on the role of military officers planning and executing objectives in a mission-by-mission format.
This sounds perfect for Heavy Gear. System is simple, setting matches that, and the tactical boardgame and RPG rules integrate nicely.
2 different engines available; uses the Silhouette Core Rules, which are available in a dice pool or in D20 versions.
Battletech could do it well, too; the tactical rules are a boardgame.
2d6 Roll high
Mekton Zeta also could do it well.
1d10 roll high.
Also, EABA can do it quite well.
dice pools of d6's, total best 3 dice.
All of them have craft design rules; HG is really "think it up, and here's how to rate it"; the others are all genuine design systems.
D6 space lacks mecha rules per se, but since it was developed from D6 Star Wars... it can handle it, but there is no design system.
If, instead, you want the missions to be more of a backdrop, Burning Empires could be adapted easily, and has an interesting battle system.
Quote from: Kord's Boon;309338The second is a simple solo game for someone new to the table-top, more-or-less and introduction (also gay...apparently:)).
[snip]
Not really sure on theme yet, but the player expressed interest in playing a dragon :idunno:
Anyone have suggestions for systems? Help would be greatly appreciated.
I'd suggest EABA, D20 (for your familiarity), Burning Wheel (+ Monster Burner), or d6.
Quote from: Kord's Boon;309338The first is a near(ish)-future setting in which my four players would take on the role of military officers planning and executing objectives in a mission-by-mission format. For instance 'move armor through this valley while avoiding ambush' or 'determine ideal firing position for artillery strike on enemy airbase, then cover retreat' etc. Being an engineer I have a soft spot for mecha and want to include them, but take umbrage with them being 40ft tall and replacing tanks and fighters. I would use d20 modern but my understanding is that the mecha rules are terrible, and I know from experience that the conventional vehicle combat had the potential to be horrific. I suppose I'm looking for something that works well for characters on foot interfacing with anything from power armor up to light tanks. My players are fairly experienced so complexity is not a huge issue.
Mekton Z
Hero System is generic and can do near anything (It'd have trouble with Cthuthilid monsters :D ) and is easy to learn (IMO).
My choices for blending Fantasy / SciFi...
Shadowrun
Rifts (more Fantasy + SciFi)
Chaos Earth (End of the World + Fantasy + Mecha)
Savage Worlds is a good game if you like miniatures and point based, make whatever you want systems. Not perfect, but very workable and there is a metric buttload of support both cheap PDFs and free fan stuff. I have used SW for games involving Heroes, Infantry and Tanks (used it for 40k) and it worked fine.
If you want to use an Old School D&D style system, consider grabbing Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future (both free from Goblinoid Games) and there is a chapter in the back of Mutant Future all about combining Fantasy with their Post-Apoc SciFi game.
If you can find it, there was a great RPG called Robot Warriors based on the 2nd edition of Champions / Hero system long before it became the convoluted mess it is today. You can sometimes find it on eBay. The rules are built so that Infantry / Tanks / Mechs can all interact on the same battlefield, but stil have the RPG focus on the Player Characters as Main Heroes.
Quote from: Narf the Mouse;309433Hero System is generic and can do near anything (It'd have trouble with Cthuthilid monsters :D ) and is easy to learn (IMO).
No it wouldn't. Most of the great old ones only have have 4 or 5 "Stopsign" powers, run about 2000-3000 active points, and have very few disads.
rPD in the 100+ range, and 75% rDR...
Presence in the 100 range...
Hero system is very complex for new players. Sure, it's really straightforward when someone hands you a pregen, but it's fairly complex to understand the powers system, and the value of the various characteristic interactions.
'Teleport, Must Pass Through Space, Only For Non-Euclidean Angles'...It's the Non-Euclidean part, mostly. You'd have to figure some way to model that.
...Eh, speculation isn't gonna get us there. I'm gonna model a generic Cthonic horror and see how difficult it actually is.
Quote from: Narf the Mouse;309456'Teleport, Must Pass Through Space, Only For Non-Euclidean Angles'...It's the Non-Euclidean part, mostly. You'd have to figure some way to model that.
Simple, actually: it's effectively extradimensional teleport.
With a limiter of 'When the stars are right'. I modeled a sketch of one and you are right - It is easy. :)
Unfortunately, my website uplink has decided to go bork, so I can't upload the html. :(
Quote from: Narf the Mouse;309467With a limiter of 'When the stars are right'. I modeled a sketch of one and you are right - It is easy. :)
Unfortunately, my website uplink has decided to go bork, so I can't upload the html. :(
I wouldn't say it's easy, just not very hard. Hero system is one of the most flexible systems out there.
EABA is just as flexible, half the pages, and better for modelling technologies, easier to run and play and costs less, too. (Of course, my have playtested EABA has to be admitted as a potential bias, even tho' I like Hero as well.)
Flexible systems have a learning curve to make use of the modeling their systems provide.
Can you de-acronym 'EABA' for me? I think I'll look it up.
Thanks to everyone for the responses so far,
Heavy Gear and Mekton Z seem to come highly recommended so I'll start looking into those for the first game.
For the solo, I think I might have come around on just using Risus; the concept of Clichés would really appeal to this particular player. I'll work out some simple rules to level the gaps in Clichés, or introduce wounds or a condition track in place of losing dice, which should help in reducing the momentum.
Plus the advancement system really appeals to me for some reason, which is odd consider my normal group very rarely used variable effects for any component of character creation/advancement.
If you want to reduce the randomness in Risus, all you need to know is that the average on 1d6 is 3.5
EABA is the name of the system. It's not (really) an Acronym.
It's by Greg Porter of BTRC (BTRC.net). Also available via DTRPG/RPGNow.
For full flexibility, EABA Stuff is needed. (I playtested that, too.)
Quote from: Narf the Mouse;309473If you want to reduce the randomness in Risus, all you need to know is that the average on 1d6 is 3.5
Well, that's certainly true...not sure why I would want to reduce randomness to that degree though :huhsign:
Not sure why you'd think you'd need to convert all the dice to non-random, myself.
Another idea for the dragon: a superhero game would be likely to have rules for flying characters, as well as ones who shoot energy beams (for its fiery breath). 4C (http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/4c-system-download/1352274) is a clone of Marvel Superheroes (http://www.classicmarvelforever.com). You can also download Superworld (http://basicrps.narod.ru/index-wow.html). I've never used any of them though.
Quote from: Kord's Boon;309475Well, that's certainly true...not sure why I would want to reduce randomness to that degree though :huhsign:
For
more randomness (and quicker combat), instead of rolling X dice, roll 1 dice and multiply by X.
Quote from: Narf the Mouse;309471Can you de-acronym 'EABA' for me? I think I'll look it up.
The unadvertised acronym is "End All Be All."
Quote from: brettmb;309497The unadvertised acronym is "End All Be All."
Which won't help a bit in finding it online.
Quote from: aramis;309510Which won't help a bit in finding it online.
http://www.btrc.net/
Quote from: brettmb;309512http://www.btrc.net/
Which said address I gave earlier
Quote from: Narf the Mouse;309476Not sure why you'd think you'd need to convert all the dice to non-random, myself.
oh, my mistake, I did not want to convert the dice to non-random,
I was saying in the
past whenever we would advance a character we would just use the average result rather then rolling, for hit points and things of that nature.
Ah. I thought you were asking how to make *Risus* less random. So my mistake, too.
Well, now that we have context, both of our statements make more sense. :)