I didn't base it on any established system. At least not that I know.
My main intent was to base the rules around a combat system where getting hit is pretty much the worst thing that can happen in a fight. To that effect I have dynamic initiative, defender's choice of manouver and stamina as an important modifier. To make it more dwarfy there's 15 hit locations on a basic dwarf, 2-4 layers per location and penetration modifiers due to armor material, weapon material, weapon quality, armor quality and tissue type. As it stands, hits are dangerous, hindering and heal very slowly.
I generate my random numbers with 2d8, which makes for a nice bell curve. In this way severed limbs, hits to the head and feet, as well as masterful crafts are pretty rare.
That sounds interesting and dwarvenly complex enough. So how do you handle character progression, skill levels, etc? What modifier is given for a higher skill in a given combat skill, etc. I'm just picking your brain here, and you can let me know if it's too much.
On the other hand, this does give me the idea for such a homebrew system where success is a variable outcome rather than a binary. Perhaps in such a system, an attack might be resolved by a number of d6s based on how much higher the relevant combat skill is versus the opponent's defensive skill (where equal or lower offense skill results in a 1d6). Add up relevant modifiers such asquality advantage, etc. Success may be determined by rolling a suitably high number on any one individual die (4, most likely, though 5 could also work as a target number).
Each success then gets tallied up to its own pool of dice to roll severity of effect. Effect severity then, of course, gets reduced by armor, if superior material or quality. After all that, the remainder of the effect roll determines the resultant injury.
e.x. Urist McAxeDwarf swings his Steel Battleaxe at a goblin wearing iron armor. His axe skill is a 4, and the goblin's dodge skill is a 2. Urist rolls a 2d6 to determine the likelihood of a hit, and results in a 5 and a 6. 2 successes. He then rolls severity, a 2d6 because of 2 successes. 1 and a 6. 1 success, and because of material advantage, Urist's attack goes through. However, a 1 success is only enough to score a shallow cut on the goblin's shoulder.
Tally has been struck by a strange mood!