I'm going to dump a whole lot of theorycrafting when I get home, but til then, bump.

I need some low to medium level spells that aren't too powerful that would be useful for dungeon crawling and combat.

>>48065704
spells are only as powerful as their scope/numbers

>>48065704
Luminescence - Create a persistent orb of light -- Can be used to both light up places and distract opponents.
Magnetize - Magnetize a small or part of a larger object, create an opposing magnet -- For disarming or creative usage
False Flag - Create a presence that a single creature feels in any direction -- Causing distraught in a single opponent, works as a distraction
Minor illusion - Create a single small illusory object, can be solid to touch -- Create distractions or scares (Bombs, for example)
Rooted - Create roots on X area, making movement impossible -- Stop enemies, obviously

>>48065704
Create Spark - While not powerful enough to create and sustain a flame, the mage is able to create a spark of fire strong enough to set things alight.

>>48065840
>>48067229

While a bit generic, still appreciated. Magnet and False Flag nonwithstanding of course.

>>48065704
Spice up your mage duels with these beauties:

Magically-thrown Custard Pie- ignores armor, foe must successfully dodge or take a 7" pie to the face, must spend 1 turn cleaning off his face and is blinded until done. Line of sight required.

Melee Custard Pie- anyone attempting to melee the wizard takes a 12 inch custard pie to the face, ruining his attack. The pie appears on an extendo-arm out of the wizard's backpack, robes, pocket, or fliptop pointy hat. The extendo arm vanishes after use. Attacker may be knocked prone on a failed roll, and must spend 2 turns cleaning off his face and blinded until done.

Custard Firing Tube- temporarily links a tube to the elemental plane of Custard. Anyone struck by the resulting custard stream must roll to see how badly they are affected. Good roll means the person is struck but not impeded, a poor roll means person is slowed and cannot draw weapons or use items. Stream lasts 2 turns, then the tube must be cleaned for 1 turn before reuse.

Sixth Sense Custard Pie- can use when blinded or otherwise covered in custard, can be cast when silenced. 9" custard pie appears in hand and unerringly strikes the nearest victim full in the face. If in melee range the spectacular impact will knock the victim prone and require 2 turns to clean, blinded til done. Otherwise the range is 30 feet max. Line of effect required.
...

>>48065704
Guided Custard Missile- 4-inch custard pies launch from the wizard's outstretched palms. The wizard creates 2 such pies per power rank that you define, pies are fired 2 at a time, 2 per second. The pies travel 180' per turn and are effective to 1000 feet. The pies unerringly strike the head and any person struck by 2 of them is dazed and cannot move normally. Line of Sight required initially, but the pies can bypass cover and turn corners.

Custard Grenade- the wizard lobs a 8" diameter sphere of custard covered in crust. Range is 50', custard projectile explodes on impact. All in the blast radius are coated with custard, slowed, and cannot use items until 1 turn is spent cleaning it off.

Custard Munitions- at the end of the turn, 12" pies begin falling from the air over the target area. Area is 20' by 20' per power rank that you define, number of pies attacking each in the area is 1-4. Anyone struck must roll to avoid being knocked prone, and must spend 1 turn cleaning self off. Anyone struck by more than one pie fails the roll automatically.

Custard Explosive- wizard affixes a package to a surface. On command word or at the end of the next round, the package detonates, spraying the entire area with custard. Persons in the area are impeded enough to lose initiative.

Gnobi the Custard Cat- a small bicolor "tuxedo" cat appears and begins licking the custard off target victim. Victim must roll to avoid being stupefied, success means the cat disappears with a sad look on its face. Failure means victim is immobilized for 2 turns while the cat licks the custard, however, this counts as cleaning for purposes of ending blindness or another custard condition.

So I was playing around with ideas for randomized objectives for a dungeon delver/progressive warband wargame, similar Frostgrave and Gorkanecroheim.

>You uncover an ancient database, who knows what secrets are hidden within? Place a Size 3 small base marker where the objective marker is. During a model's activation, it may attempt to download information from the database. A model in base contact with the database marker may make a 2 Action Point action to interact with the database, earning the model's owner 1 Loot. Only one model may interact with the database per turn. A model may not make an Attack action after interacting with the database, nor can they interact with the database after making an Attack action. If a single model makes an interact action 3 consecutive turns, the 3rd interact scores 2 Loot instead of one, and then the database locks up. No further interact actions can be taken with the database.

>A cache of weapons, tech, and other valuables have been found. Scatter D3+2 Size 1 small base markers from the objective marker, using the rules for Blast weapons. If the scatter would take the marker off the table or on top of a model or another marker, reduce the distance it travels until it is 1" away. Any model may spend 1 AP to pick up a marker, earning the model's owner 1 Loot if it survives the battle. A model can only carry one marker at a time. If the model successfully moves off a board edge while carrying a marker earns 2 Loot, instead of one.

Continued.

>>48070185
>You have stumbled across a nest of CyberGhouls. Scatter D3+2 CyberGhouls from the objective marker. If the scatter would take the CyberGhoul off the table or on top of a model or another marker, reduce the distance it travels until it is 1" away. CyberGhouls use the following profile:
[Example Profile]
During the Maintenance Phase, before any effects of resolved, each CyberGhoul will activate. CyberGhouls must spend all their AP moving towards the closest non-CyberGhoul model, making a Charge action if able to, and making Attack action once engaged with a model. Each CyberGhoul drops a Loot marker in base contact before being removed from the field when killed. A model may spend 1 AP to pick up the Loot marker, earning the model's owner 1 Loot if it survives the battle.

>You stumbled across a group of claim jumpers, who scatter as soon as they see you, taking the Loot with them. Place D3 claim jumpers in base contact with the objective marker, and immediately each one makes a Move action in a randomized direction. Claim jumpers use the following profiles:
[Example profile]
During the Maintenance Phase, before any effects are resolved, each claim jumper must spend all their AP to make Move actions towards the nearest table edge. If a claim jumper begins its activation knocked down, they must make a Shake Off action before moving. If the claim jumper begins a Move action within 6" of any non-claim jumper models, it must move directly away from the closest model instead of towards the nearest table edge. When a claim jumper takes 3 wounds and when it is killed, it will drop a Loot marker in base contact before being removed. A model may spend 1 AP to pick up the Loot marker, earning the model's owner 1 Loot if it survives the battle.

Some other variations would be things like 1 big monster instead of multiple ones to kill, multiple databases that you have to interact with each once, etc.

I'm trying to refine roles and sub-roles for my (grid-based tactical combat) RPG.

>Defender (Melee control)
>>Grappler (Single target melee hard lock)
>>Tripper (Multi-target close area soft lock)

>Caster (Ranged control)
>>Removal (Single target ranged hard lock)
>>Summoner (Multi-target ranged area soft lock)

>Leader (Support)
>>Healer (hit point recovery)
>>Commander (action economy improvement)

There's no 'Striker' role; every class gets some sort of feature that increases damage:
>Charging
>Raging
>Exploit Vulnerability
>Negate Resistance
>Ongoing Damage
>Sneak Attack
>Curse
>Crit-fishing
>Damaging Terrain
>Half damage on a miss

I plan to have 12 classes so that each role is covered four times and each sub-role within those roles is covered twice.
Your thoughts?

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>>48071944
Have you entertained the thought to cut the classes to 6 and to make them have 2 progress paths each? 12 sound like too much to me.

I'm making a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. supplement for d20 modern. If anyone's interested to have a look any feedback would be appreciated.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VbZBkOL9qJQyKNFhAyFG4_g9eiT5lYd1_hw7AprBo4U/edit?usp=sharing

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Hey /gdg/

I'm asking here because I'm not feeling like starting a new thread only for that.
I was feeling like reading stuff about RPG and game design theory today, but for some reason all the tabs I kept pinned about that kind of stuff 404'd. Now normally I wouldn't come here to ask for that kind of stuff, because I'm a big boy who can take care of himself, but there is one article in particular I really wanted to finish reading and I can't seem to find by myself.
It was about a survey conducted by WotC, in the early 2000s I think, about player's expectations and playstyles. The same kind of stuff the GNS theory is trying to explain, but based on actual analysis of data and coming to a pretty different conclusion.
I'm not going to ask for the specific article I had, because I can't even remember the name of the website or blog it was on, but what I'm asking is, has anyone got a link to something similar?
Thanks in advance guys.
Have a piece of cheesekace in exchange, because I lost most of my game design PDFs whan I changed computers a few months ago.

I'm not letting it die!

Without me sifting through the rubble do we have resources that involve copyrighting your work?

Has anyone ever self published legitimately? I'm not in it for the money per se I just want to go through the process as a life experience.

I think it would be fun to make a core rule book with some OC art some maps etc.

>>48075742
We don't have anything for the legal side of things in the copypasta.

I think there's been one or two guys that went into publishing their work, but I haven't heard anything about it for a while now.

>>48075742
Anon, as long as you have made your system in a tangible work, be it a word file or on paper, it is automatically copyrighted.

You can register your copyrights, depending on where you live, online or in a local office of a copyright firm. Some money is required, but it's not usually too much.

That's about all there is to it, I think.

>>48075797
>>48075844

Thanks guys!

I'll check it out and let you know if I find something worth sharing.

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>>48065704
I always liked this one from d&d sorry

Hmm... I'm thinking of having a multi-type damage track, meaning that you can take multiple types (Physical, Social and Mental) damage to the same track. I want to emphasize that especially against other people, just hitting it until it dies is not the only option, and to highlight roleplaying during fights.

Can't beat this guy's impenetrable armor? Beat his mind until he's weak and try again. You might be surprised.

I was thinking that every time you take damage to the damage track, you do a resistance check against your resistance stat (There's one for each damage type) - the amount of damage you've taken.

Say that you've taken three damage, one of each type, and then someone strikes you with a sword. You take one damage, and now you gotta roll your physical resistance (Say, 7) with -4 meaning you roll 1d12 against 3.

(Alternative system would be that rolling resistance starts when the damage has exceeded your stat)

The thing is though, that once they fail at one type of damage, they are only defeated in that one type of fight (say, someone beats you in a social fight. You can no longer argue with them, except with your fists.)

While some may think this system is ludicrous, as in how can one become physically weaker by being struck by words, but I think the system's innate illogicality makes more sense in the long run.

I think I could implement some system that can make characters cause status effects (such as enraged) when they pass an opponent's resistance.

All in all, comments? Is it too illogical? I think it enforces roleplaying and alternative solutions, what do you think?

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I'm making a Pokemon RPG because I didn't like the current offerings. Its based mainly and heavily on the main games as opposed to the anime or other sources. In fact, it requires using the actual games' numbers to run. Its also designed to allow for people to play as trainer,s pokemon, or each in the same game. As a finished product, it'll be very barebones. Its my philosophy that many things just don't need to be represented mechanically, unlike some aspects in PTA/PTU.

I have two things I'm looking for:

1) I'm currently trying to re-write damage entirely. I don't like how it interacts with the different parts. What I don't know, is how exactly to change it. I want to try and mimic the original game formula as close as possible, but without requiring a calculator to do. If you don't want to look up the formula yourself, it uses Pokemon level, attack/defense, and a base move power. for the final result. Base power and level are easy enough, but attack/defense is trickier. Simple math calls for addition and subtraction, but that can involve 0 and negative numbers (leading to 0 or negative damage), whereas division is too much to expect people to do in their head.

2) The second question is if I'm expecting too much math already. for some things, I have people multiply by 20%. I figure 20% should be easily enough to do in your head (10% is very easy, then double the 10%). Are there any other parts that are too much? Could I get away with having people write down some of that information on their character sheet so the heavy math only happens between levels?

Here's what I have written down so far:
http://pastebin.com/PdPJt9Mw

>>48078010
I understand what you're going for, but why /can't/ people just hit stuff until it dies? Why should everyone become the Black Knight of Money Python?

Now, if you only needed to beat one track to"defeat" an average enemy, I could see that. Best them physically till they cannot fight, mentally until they don't want to fight, or socially until they can't make friends anymore? (Define what Social covers, and how they relates to a combat, or what combat even means)

But, none of that implies the enemy dies. If you had a separate track of "life points" that could be damaged by reducing each other track (I.e., life points are sum of physical, mental, and social, plus another amount. In order to damage life points you have to beat each resistance, plus the rest which can be damaged by any source). That would fit your idea and be more understandable.

>>48078709
>>48078709
>>48078709
So you basically want to make "Pokemon's math but with dices!"

There are other options to PTA/PTU there's Pokerole, Pokemon Pen & Paper, Pokemon origins, pokethulhu etc. who all have done a better job than what you have right now which is nothing but math and mechanic; nothing you have reminds me of the video game or even emulates the slightest feel about it.

Seriously, other than competitive players who the hell cares for base stats and damage formula?

If you really want to do your Pokemon game I would suggest doing something more than a "bare bones" system, because if that is the case you are better off using "monsters and other childish things" or FATE or whatever other system allows you some flexibility.

>>48079801
It seems I explained it badly.

You /can/ beat the shit out of the other person until they die. Nothing is literally stopping you. But what I see as a possibility is to have beating them down socially and mentally be equally effective.

Once you beat them socially, they can no longer attack you socially at all. (In-game this would translate into them being unable to say anything meaningful anymore, be it because they are angry, bitter or baffled).

Talking about the dude in impenetrable armor, of course he can be beat in physical combat if you just bring in enough pain. The thing is that he requires more effort to bring down with muscle and battle tactics alone.

>>48068127
>>48068150
underrated

>>48078709
>>48079925
You know Fate could work pretty well as a basis for this. Give each pokemon in your party its own character sheet. I'd start off with aspects as types and species (status effects would be temporary aspects), stunts as moves, and skills as stats, then replace Core's damage system with a basic HP system. It'll take a lot of refinement from there (off the top of my head, defense and sp. defense would be really OP unless pokemon only got a few HP each, which would be a pretty big stretch from how it works in the games), but you should be able to get something that gives you a good facsimile of the games' mechanics without being constrained by them. Plus, it's one of the only systems I know where managing up to 6 different character sheets wouldn't be a fucking nightmare

>>48072536
It's one of those games where you select one to three character classes and mix them together, like FEAR games. Been inspired by JRPG's lately.

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>>48065704
>Combustion:
>Summon forth a burst of flame from one's hand. Short ranged, but fast execution.

very basic pyromancy that can be used offensively to set things on fire, defensively to scare the living shit out of anything that isn't expecting a small burst of flames, and for utility to start bonfires, ignite torches, etc

>Spells have a minimum stat requirement
>Spells branch into other, greater and more complicated spells
>To learn these greater spells, you need to know their parent spell (the magic version of "To run, you must learn how to walk")
>In order to avoid samey spellbooks, you can bypass the Parent spells and learn the greater spells if you match the stat requirement, but with an important penalty and a longer time to learn (but not greater than the cumulative time you'd learn the entire branch of spells in)

Is there anything wrong with this?

I'm >>48080057
>>48078010
I have a problem. Don't know whether it was my toxic perfectionism at play, but my system again feels worthless. First I downgraded it from d100 to d12, because handling bonuses and writing them up, having addition, subtraction and division (even though it was dividing by ten) felt wrong. But then I ran into another problem, d12 system as roll under. Extremely easy to cheese.

Previously the system was going on a weird dice pool system, and before that it worked on a fate die + 2d6 system. So I can't blame myself for not trying, at least!

All systems had their flaws which made me abandon them.

Fate-2d6 gave very high chances to not deviate in the slightest, making it really boring, because the usual amounts would be something like -2 or +3 at most (It was 2d6 take lower). Having it any other way would've been too swingy, on the other hand.

The weird dice pool system worked magnificently, but it broke down at higher levels too hard. It worked so that the action TN was also the amount of dice you threw. Then you picked the lowest X (X being your skill rating) and applied bonuses. I could never make it work without having it break down after a point. It also had a really small scale (All stats were 1-5) and that doesn't encourage long games.

I'm trying to make a game that's simple and concise, but the problem is that I somehow always add too much shit. The core ideas I have are often quite novel, such as right now you write a short backstory for your character and then you choose the parts of your backstory you have bonuses to rolls to (I have done away with skills, they fucked me up real bad on my last project).

>>48081567
Nope, nothing seems wrong. Seems but logical to me.

>>48080465
Pokemon anon here. I don't know anything about FATE, so that would explain some things.
>>48079925
Among even those systems, there's nothing that I really felt satisfied what I wanted from a system. Another important factor is that I enjoy making things. Even if there was a system that was surgically, I would want to make something on my own just for the experience.

I wanted something that would be immediately familiar to those who know the games. If I really wanted to make a system that was more than a thought exercise, is probably base it off of the mystery dungeon series, but even that I'm personally not familiar with.

I'll probably have to do something completely different to make something worth sharing.

>>48083211
Seriously, check it out. It's my favorite system, although I can understand why a lot of people don't care for it. Read through the Accelerated Edition (frankly, it's far better written than Core), then read Fate Core's section on skills (which aren't in FAE). Both are pay what you want.

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Trying to get my Nuke warlord have off the ground, trying to figure out little things like if I want to have different scales for infantry Vs vehicles since Im willing to let larger scale mechs participates, even though I'm mostly a smaller mech fag. Basically I'm thinking there's no way I can have good looking infantry in the same scale as the larger mechs, but having around 1/76 scale models for infantry but 1/300 for mechs is going to look shit if I want to throw in something like Walker Gear tiny mechs. Maybe I can do a cut off where items that fit on a hex base full size stay, and then the rest gets smaller. I can already see the weirdness when a small vehicle barely makes it in, and one slightly larger gets shrunk.

Anyway
>the game
Is played on a hex grid with one hex per Mile, nuclear weapons and other WMDs have AoE that damages everything while combat is done mostly done hex to hex. Combat is abstracted in the tactical scale, with some options to modify the outcome like choosing to assault, stealthily retreating ect.

The mechanics are based on adding the stat in question, adding equipment and contextual variables, then dividing it by the defensive stat, and comparing the output against the evasion of the unit. Every time you beat the evasion you inflict more damage. The game is meant to be a hybrid between a wargame like battle tech and RPG like mount and blade, with campaign rules to have continuity between battles.

> setting
The cold war gave way to private individuals having possession of nuclear weapons which spiraled out into a market based on nuclear blackmail and mercenaries tasked with taking them out. Players can source the nuke launching mechs and other equipment from nations, but never play as them directly. You can be the American veterans in their old vehicles or go for a band of defector Soviets who fill the gaps with Chinese equipment, just as long as the army limitations are respected.

Moar if requested

>>48075980

See, this is why I hate 99% of magic systems.

Why the fuck is the spell just for ladders? Why not a pole? Or a chair? A shield or sword?

>>48085023
Any examples of resolution to give context?

>>48085193
Sure. I think this might help:

Two Caraban mechs are engaged, these mechs have straight fives in all of the up coming stats. The attacking Caraban adds it's ballistic score of five to a d12 roll, and subtracts the armor stat of five from the target, the total is then divided by the evasion of the unit again five. This number is reduced by cover and other restrictive circumstances in order to avoid raw skill nullifying cover.

If the weapon was a laser, as it often is with Warsaw Pact sources, you make a secondary attack to inflict soft kill damage, like blinding optics and destroying electronics. Unlike the attack before which is a hard kill check that compared against armor, this attack targets the shielding stat if the unit which is NBC protection.

I should definitely show up in the next thread with a better canned response, I feel like I could have described that better.

The non combat elements like maneuvers and so on take place on the hex board, and use different mechanics Im still hammering out.

>>48085600
Biggest thing I can say is have a very clear point about how the division works (Rounding up, down, etc.). It'll have a big influence on how you balance things out.

I've laid down the full concept of a game, but don't know where to start with the actual systems. Could anyone give me a hand on that? Where's the best place to start at with systems?

>>48087199
Conflict resolution. The most important thing to decide is how your system handles 'Joe does something to Bob.' How do we determine if Joe succeeds or fails? All things, from attributes to skills to magic or tech either help Joe be able to or succeed at doing something. But without a method of conflict resolution, you risk all the other pieces not fitting quite right.

>>48087703
But how do I handle conflict resolution without the stats? You mean deciding on the various methods that can be used to solve a challenge, such as bargaining or coming to a compromise?

>>48087779
He means how to roll the dice (or play the cards, or what have you) to decide what happens when it needs to happen.

>>48087805
That I already decided on, tiers are generally represented by the amount of dice thrown-- that way there is a solid feel of advancement and at early levels players depend on beginner's luck, while later on they are at a more comfortable average.