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Author Topic: Vesohin | Last chance before the death of the thread  (Read 2770 times)

Araph

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Vesohin | Last chance before the death of the thread
« on: September 21, 2012, 08:48:25 pm »


As the title says, this is going to be the first campaign of an as-of-yet unnamed tabletop RPG. I've been working on this for a long time and stuff, but that's irrelevant. What is relevant is this: the game is (I think) playable. To look at the rules, just download the file and open it with Firefox or Chrome or something. While Google Docs allows convenient viewing of HTML (complete with colored text), it doesn't actually display the page as it should be. With that in mind, I put all the JavaScript and CSS stuff into one file, so it shouldn't be beyond anybody's capacity to open.



About the Game:
  • Uses dice rolls similar to DnD.
  • Has skills and attributes (similar to nearly every RPG ever), but also has ideals and weaknesses (these are important for gaining experience).
  • Speaking of experience, you get it by using skills and roleplaying, as opposed to killing everything around you.
  • Classes help you in some areas, but don't actually limit your ability to fill other roles in the party.
  • Combat is done with skill rolls instead of DnD's attacking rolls with AC and an arbitrary BAB.
  • Injuries aren't kept track of with hit points. You keep track of individual wounds on your character sheet.



Spoiler: Blank Character Sheet (click to show/hide)



So, here's how this is going to go: we'll be playing with Maptools on a loose schedule (meaning whenever most people can be there). The rules are mostly complete, but there are going to be a lot of contradictions and errors in them. Whenever you see anything that seems incongruous, please point it out to me and I'll fix it before the next session. Similarly, skill check target numbers (basically DCs) are going to be determined on the fly and added into the rules after the session ends, so we'll be filling out the rest of the document as we play. Feel free to argue about what TN seems valid in each situation; we're trying to smooth out everything balance-wise as we go.

If you want to try it out, read through some of the rule document and get a feel for what sort of game this is going to be. Be warned: it's not like DnD where you can hack your way through a horde of goblins and be fine after you drink a potion or two. It's more like DF, where you'll somehow manage to slay a character far above you in terms of skill before getting your head caved in by a wayward camel hoof.



Character Creation:
We'll be using the rules listed in the 'Characters' section of the rule document; choose a primary, secondary, and tertiary focus, start each attribute at -2 and add 30 points in the manner described by the 'Attributes' section of the rules, and add skill points in the same way the 'Skills' section of the rules describes. About weapon and armor skills: they aren't listed in the 'Skill Description', but they are listed on the blank character sheet.

Quickstart Guide:
1. Choose your primary, secondary, and tertiary focuses.

2. Put points into attributes. (Each attribute starts at -2, you have thirty points to add, you can add up to eight points to each attribute. Ignore the rules about rolling for attributes.)

3. Put points into skills. (Aaaand I seem to have left out part of the text on skills, the part that tells you how many points you can spend. Basically, you get 20 points for any skills and 6 more to distribute into skills governed by your primary focus. You can put a max of 4 points into any individual skill.)
Quote from: The Missing Paragraph
   All characters are allowed to spend a set amount of points during character creation; the typical number is twenty points, though the Game Master may choose a different number to fit the power level of the campaign they plan to run. You may also give distribute another number of points (usually six) between skills governed by your primary focus. No more than four points can be placed in any individual skill.

4. Choose Flaws and Gifts. Because there isn't a list yet, just suggest the kind of things you would like your character to have. For the general idea of what these should be like, look at this list of character traits. Remember, though; Gifts don't have drawbacks flaws don't have benefits. For example, you might have the gift Steady Hand or something, which might give +1 on ranged attack rolls. To compensate, you might have the Inattentive flaw, which makes you take a -2 on all Observance checks.

5. Up next is Ideals and Weaknesses. This is basically just describing your character's values; what they want to be like, what their personality is like, and what their vices are.

6. Finally, you have to make your class. This is probably the most piecewise section of the rules; I've gone through a couple different iterations of how classes should work. Basically, just select a sub-specialization as your class. Ignore the 'Class Skills' section; just have all skills under your primary focus be considered class skills (that is, leveling up those skills gives you experience).

Regarding gear and money: just put down any gear you want that your character could reasonably have with their backstory. I'll put down specifics on the world in the OP soon (soon meaning later today).



Spoiler: About the Game World (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: September 26, 2012, 07:14:35 pm by Araph »
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GreatWyrmGold

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2012, 08:52:59 pm »

I might be interested in this.
Is it a fantasy game? High fantasy? Would most questions I have be answered by downloading that document?
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Araph

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2012, 09:11:47 pm »

Well, there's magic, albeit not a lot. The document says how to play the game, but not the setting. It's definitely on the higher end of fantasy, or at least it will be by the time the plot is over.
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Caellath

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2012, 09:34:22 pm »

I'm also here somehow.
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MaximumZero

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2012, 10:32:30 pm »

I'm watching. Always gotta keep my eyes on the competition. :P
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GreatWyrmGold

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2012, 10:38:44 pm »

Well, there's magic, albeit not a lot. The document says how to play the game, but not the setting. It's definitely on the higher end of fantasy, or at least it will be by the time the plot is over.
That's unfortunate, because for me MediaFire says the doc's not there anymore.
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Araph

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2012, 10:53:36 pm »

Well, there's magic, albeit not a lot. The document says how to play the game, but not the setting. It's definitely on the higher end of fantasy, or at least it will be by the time the plot is over.
That's unfortunate, because for me MediaFire says the doc's not there anymore.

CURSE YOU, MEDIAFIRE!

Should be fixed now, though. I think I may have accidentally linked the wrong file originally, which then got deleted.

I'm watching. Always gotta keep my eyes on the competition. :P

Ah, yes, the cutthroat world of tabletop RPG design. You never know when somebody is going to copy your stuff, replace all the adjectives, and label it as their own. Like this one time when I had an idea for a game called Castles and Chimeras, and then bam! Dungeons and Dragons comes out the next day. :P

I'm also here somehow.

You are!

...

Does that mean you're interested in playing?
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Doomblade187

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2012, 11:01:02 pm »

That reminds me, MZ. When you're ready to beta test, would you terribly mind starting a game on these forums? (Note how I didn't say now, just when you're ready...)
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Scelly9

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2012, 11:02:30 pm »

PTW.
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MaximumZero

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2012, 12:01:14 am »

That reminds me, MZ. When you're ready to beta test, would you terribly mind starting a game on these forums? (Note how I didn't say now, just when you're ready...)
I'd love to. It's probably going to be a long way away, though.
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Holy crap, why did I not start watching One Punch Man earlier? This is the best thing.
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Criptfeind

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2012, 12:12:41 am »

I would like to show my interest.

Edit: What a interesting way of have the information.

Edit 2: Simple and Complex Rolls. Once I have read this it becomes so blindly obviously a good idea that other rpgs are going to disappoint. Wow.

Edit 3: Quite a few things seem to not be working. Such as skill descriptions and a lot of Character trait stuff. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?
« Last Edit: September 22, 2012, 12:31:39 am by Criptfeind »
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Araph

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2012, 12:24:44 pm »

Edit: What a interesting way of have the information.

Are you referring to the menus and stuff?

Edit 2: Simple and Complex Rolls. Once I have read this it becomes so blindly obviously a good idea that other rpgs are going to disappoint. Wow.

I'm glad you approve. :)

Edit 3: Quite a few things seem to not be working. Such as skill descriptions and a lot of Character trait stuff. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?

Yeah, that's the unfinished part. As people use skills and TNs are decided on for different actions, I'll be filling out the skill descriptions section; as for character traits and skill/level perks, that's because I haven't gone through the process of thinking up the long lists of potential choices. I was planning on having people describe their characters and say what sort of traits they would want, at which point those would be added to the lists.
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Caellath

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #12 on: September 22, 2012, 12:27:59 pm »

Does that mean you're interested in playing?

Yes. I'll trundle through the things later.
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"Hey steve." You speak into the air.
>Yes?
"Could you guys also make a hamburger out of this arm when they cut it off? I wanted to eat it just for the sake of tasting it."
>That is horrible and disgusting. It will no doubt set you apart and create fear in your team mates. So of course.

Criptfeind

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #13 on: September 22, 2012, 03:38:20 pm »

Well, color me interested in giving this a go, but I don't think there is enough info to fill out the blank character sheet you gave us.

Are you referring to the menus and stuff?

In general I meant... Not as a PDF. Which is normally how such things are done.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2012, 03:43:59 pm by Criptfeind »
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Araph

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Re: Vesohin: The First Campaign of an Unnamed Pen 'n Paper RPG
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2012, 04:40:19 pm »

Well, color me interested in giving this a go, but I don't think there is enough info to fill out the blank character sheet you gave us.

Well, let's see. All the relevant stuff should be listed in the 'Characters' and 'Classes' subsections of the menu.

1. Choose your primary, secondary, and tertiary focuses.

2. Put points into attributes. (Each attribute starts at -2, you have thirty points to add, you can add up to eight points to each attribute. Ignore the rules about rolling for attributes.)

3. Put points into skills. (Aaaand I seem to have left out part of the text on skills, the part that tells you how many points you can spend. Basically, you get 20 points for any skills and 6 more to distribute into skills governed by your primary focus. You can put a max of 4 points into any individual skill.)
Quote from: The Missing Paragraph
   All characters are allowed to spend a set amount of points during character creation; the typical number is twenty points, though the Game Master may choose a different number to fit the power level of the campaign they plan to run. You may also give distribute another number of points (usually six) between skills governed by your primary focus. No more than four points can be placed in any individual skill.

4. Choose Flaws and Gifts. Because there isn't a list yet, just suggest the kind of things you would like your character to have. For the general idea of what these should be like, look at this list of character traits. Remember, though; Gifts don't have drawbacks flaws don't have benefits. For example, you might have the gift Steady Hand or something, which might give +1 on ranged attack rolls. To compensate, you might have the Inattentive flaw, which makes you take a -2 on all Observance checks.

5. Up next is Ideals and Weaknesses. This is basically just describing your character's values; what they want to be like, what their personality is like, and what their vices are.

6. Finally, you have to make your class. This is probably the most piecewise section of the rules; I've gone through a couple different iterations of how classes should work. Basically, just select a sub-specialization as your class. Ignore the 'Class Skills' section; just have all skills under your primary focus be considered class skills (that is, leveling up those skills gives you experience).

Regarding gear and money: just put down any gear you want that your character could reasonably have with their backstory. I'll put down specifics on the world in the OP soon (soon meaning later today).

Are you referring to the menus and stuff?

In general I meant... Not as a PDF. Which is normally how such things are done.

Is that good or bad? I tried to make it so that it was easy to read and navigate, but I don't know if it actually turned out that way...
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