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[IronyOwl]

It might help to consider the number sets you're talking about here.

For instance, a +0 gives a potential set of outcomes of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; or Critical Failure, Failure, Partial Success, Success, Critical Success, Overshot, if you prefer. A +1 bonus turns that into 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; a +2 yields 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. A -1 gives 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; a -2 gives -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4.

So, as you can see, each +/-1 is indeed pretty powerful; someone with -2 fails miserably half the time, and only succeeds all the way one out of every 6 tries. Someone with +2 literally can't fail except by not succeeding quite well enough or, more likely, succeeding too well.


Caellath's advice is also good.

[monk12]

I've been chewing on a system where you get rerolls instead of flat modifiers since it keeps the same range of possible outcomes but still increases the odds of a success. Something along the lines of "if you miss with a ranged weapon, reroll" and skills like that. Still haven't futzed with it much, though.

[Caellath]

I've been chewing on a system where you get rerolls instead of flat modifiers since it keeps the same range of possible outcomes but still increases the odds of a success. Something along the lines of "if you miss with a ranged weapon, reroll" and skills like that. Still haven't futzed with it much, though.

Tsuchigumo used a system like that. You gained points to distribute, and there were tiers of bonuses to points applied to each cathegory. 3 points in defense or offense meant you got the first tier and were allowed to re-roll once if you got a roll of [1]. The second tier for attack came at 6 points spent there and negated any (-1) modifier on your attack, or negated one point out of a (-2) modifier inflicted upon your character's attack.

[Dermonster]

Seans system was good for balancing penalties and positives, via increasing and reducing die size.

[Yoink]

I think you could leave the bonuses at +1 and soften problems to demonstrate mastery. For example, a swordsmaster fails differently at a roll of [2] than a peasant using the same sword with the same roll. Similarly, you could use arbitrary interpretation of the mastery of each class to cushion the problems caused by lower rolls.

Yeah, actually, I do like that idea, Caellath.
And Irony, I was thinking of adding modifiers for more difficult actions, but on second thoughts that was a rather stupid idea. I think the +2 would be far too hard, since it would make it basically impossible for someone to fail most actions.
Also, those -2 modifiers would be for, say, a hulking, stupid 'tank' type character trying to hack a computer, or conversely a wimpy scientist attempting to smash down a door.

[IronyOwl]

Speaking of systems: Crafting!

Right now I'm trying to figure out the crafting system for a game I'm working on. I'm unsure about mass-producing items; presumably there'll be a way to make more of something rather than better somethings, since a fair portion of the game will involve creating crappy stone cups to satisfy your NPC slaves companions, but alternatively when you want cheap stuff you'll just train an NPC to do it.

Regardless, for crafting nice items, I'm considering the following system, largely stole from Skyrunner:


When you roll to make an item, a result of 1-5 (or lower, presumably) dictates the quality of the item. 5 means it's very nice, 3 means it's pretty iffy, and so on.

A 6 is a special case, however. When you roll a 6, the level of the item goes up by one and you roll again for the effect. So for instance, a [5] would produce a very nice cup, while a 6->5 would produce a very nice level 2 cup, a 6->3 would produce a pretty bad level 2 cup, and a 6->1 would presumably have some horrible level 2 consequences associated with it. 6s on a reroll trigger another reroll and increase the item level as normal.

Skill bonuses, then, would consist of +1 bonus to however many rolls the bonus is, ie Cupmaking 1 would give a +1 bonus to the first roll and nothing to any rerollings from 6s, Cupmaking 2 would give a bonus to the first roll and, if that first roll was a 6+, another +1 bonus to the second roll, Cupmaking 3 would give a +1 bonus to up to three rolls, and so on. I could potentially see letting players condense this somehow, ie having Cupmaking 6 grant +2 to the first three rolls instead of +1 to six rolls in the hideously unlikely chance they got six rolls, but I'm not sure I'd want it to be complex enough to allow strategic assignment of bonuses.

I'm also considering letting the bonuses go untriggered in the event that the roll is a natural 6, since I hadn't intended any extra bonuses for higher than a 6. Alternatively, that could just be wasted bonus, or a 7+ could boost the level by 2 or something.


Anyway, thoughts on any of that? I'd like to keep it relatively simple (potentially rerolling several times per action is pushing it as is), but I'd like very well-made items to be a stroke of good luck, even for experienced crafters.

[Yoink]

Oh god, I decided to re-read Lawastooshort's Roll to Seek the Grail... I am helpless with laughter here, I am glad the house is empty because I have literal tears of laughter in my eyes! I haven't laughed so hard since... Since... I dunno. Probably the first time I read it, truth be told!

Also Irony: That sounds good to me, but remember: If the players happen to be dwarves, each crafting roll should be followed by an endurance one. After all, they generally craft by smacking the materials with their rugged bearded faces!

[scriver]

Guys. Guys. Cthononauts. Who's with me.

[Spinal_Taper]

Metal Gear Solid RTD. Maybe the players would be in PMCs, maybe a Foxhound esque thing.

[IronyOwl]

Guys. Guys. Cthononauts. Who's with me.

What the devil are Cthononauts?

Metal Gear Solid RTD. Maybe the players would be in PMCs, maybe a Foxhound esque thing.

Sounds awesome, but at that point I'd probably prefer some sort of fantasy equivalent. Like villainous sub-bosses.

Space opera could also work, but semi-modern just seems kinda boring, personally.

[Spinal_Taper]

((I assume cthononauts is cthulu and chrononauts.))

[monk12]

((I assume cthononauts is cthulu and chrononauts.))

Even if that isn't what it is, it's what I'm assuming it is now. Preferably helpful chibi Lovecraftian Horrors just trying to clean up their accidental snarling of the space-time continuum.

[Mullet Master]

Metal Gear Solid RTD. Maybe the players would be in PMCs, maybe a Foxhound esque thing.

!

[IronyOwl]

So, every time I read an XCOM LP I wanna make an XCOM RTD. But, that'd be far too complex, wouldn't it?

I mean, I keep thinking about how I could tone it down, but it's kind of hard to figure something out that's actually in-between XCOM and base RTD rules, so the end result keeps being something like XCOM -> Base RTD Rules -> Uhhhhhhhhhhh.... You get reaction fired on a 1?

[lawastooshort]

So I read something the other day that gave me an idea.

ROLL TO COUP!

Inspired by tales of history’s most incompetent coupers, this story would see 4+ opposing faction leaders try to take over a country.

Since I don’t know whether I would really ever do this as I have enough going on, I haven’t really worked out the mechanics in much depth. But! It would be vaguely competitive, in that the player whose faction does least badly would win, or gain control of the country and be declared El Presidente, or not lined up against a wall and shot, or something.

Players would have to PM the GM with their coup plan (which would be a simple 5 or 6 point thing) before the start, as obviously the co-conspirators would need to know what was going to happen. Major actions which deviate too much from the plan would get a -1 penalty as confusion would set in. Obviously, it would only take a few 1s and 2s for the plan to deviate from itself.

The PMed plan would include something like:
1 – Who are the co-conspirators (you know, disgruntled army officers, popular rebels)
2 – Who are the muscle (foreign mercenaries, disgruntled army officers)
3 – How are the weapons being obtained (airports, boats, stealing)
4 – Where are they going to proclaim their coup (radio station, presidential palace)

I had a definite 6 point plan template based on analysis of historical examples before I started writing this but I’m a bit ill so I’ve forgotten.