Mama Mia!
Mario Kart RTD!There are a few different rolls a player may attempt during a turn, depending on what they want to accomplish.
The simplest roll is the Racing Check, which resolves in typical RTD fashion. Racing Checks always have the results listed here, and may have additional effects related to the circumstance that warranted the check. Normally, the only results possible are 1-6, but modifiers may produce higher or lower outcomes, so those are listed here as well.
0 and Below- Your action FAILS, and you lose TWO Momentum.
1- Your action FAILS, and you lose ONE Momentum.
2- Your action FAILS
3- Your action FAILS
4- Your action SUCCEEDS
5- Your action SUCCEEDS
6- Your action SUCCEEDS, and you gain ONE Momentum.
7- Your action SUCCEEDS, and you gain TWO Momentum.
The next roll is the Pass, which is the check you make to pass another driver (or avoid being passed!) Pass rolls are always opposed checks, and thus have no other effects- a 1 is just a 1, and a 6 is just a 6, with no change in Momentum. Pass rolls are always modified by your current Momentum.
Finally, there is the Item Roll. Each player gets a bonus to their item roll related to their position in the race. First Place gets no bonus, Second Place gets +1, Third gets +2, etc. If a player has fallen behind, they get an additional +1 bonus to this roll. Consult the Items tab for rules on when Item Rolls are made and the uses of specific items.
Course
Each course is divided up into a certain number of segments (commonly 5-6.) Each segment can have unique qualities- curves make it easier to Power Slide, item boxes may be available, falling rocks may hazard the course, so on and so forth. Each course comes with a map detailing the specifics of each segment. Races are commonly 3 laps long, but shorter or longer tracks may have more or less.
Some courses will be drawn from existing Mario Kart tracks, while others will be unique creations. Courses will have tracked information for fastest lap and fastest completion time.
Players
Each Player takes on the role of any character from the Nintendo family of games- Mario, Donkey Kong, Zelda, Pikmin, they're all fair game. Whatever character they decide on, the real choice is what customization of Kart to use. It is perfectly legal to drive a standard Kart, but players may choose to take a Perk, in exchange for a Debuff.
Perks
Ramming Speed- +1 on Ram Checks.
Item Bonus- Karts with an Item bonus get +1 on Item Rolls.
High Acceleration- Karts with high Acceleration get +1 Momentum any time they start a turn with Zero Momentum. This applies at the start of a race, before Rocket Starts.
Debuffs
Featherweight- -1 on Ram Checks.
Low Loot- -1 on Item Rolls.
Slow- This Kart's Maxiumum Momentum is 4- standard is 5.
0: Starting the Race
Starting the race is a special turn all its own. Players start with Zero Momentum, and the only action Players can choose to attempt is a Rocket Start. Players who succeed on a Rocket Start receive +2 Momentum, Players who critically fail receive no Momentum, and players who choose not to risk it or who otherwise fail to succeed gain +1 Momentum. Players are ranked by their Momentum, and ties are broken by opposed Racing Checks.
1: Player Action Phase
The first thing that happens in a turn is the resolution of player actions. Player actions resolve from first place to last, as determined at the start of the turn. Players can choose their action from the following list- this list does not cover all possible player actions (for example, specifically ramming an opponent into a hazard,) but this is the base point for thinking about player actions.
Drive Aggressively- The player cuts corners close, squeaks through narrow openings and generally tries to outperform the competition. The player makes a special Racing Check, gaining One Momentum on a 4, and Two Momentum for each result higher than that.
Drive Defensively- The player focuses on maintaining their position, providing a +1 bonus to avoid being passed, and to avoiding attacks. A driver using this action NEVER attempts to pass during the Movement phase.
Draft- The player drafts behind the driver ahead of him, looking for an opening, and makes one free Pass Attempt even if his Momentum is lower than that driver's.
Deploy Item- The player uses an item in their inventory. The specific effect of a given item is detailed in the Items section below.
Ram Driver- Instead of trying to cleanly pass another driver, you can try to Ram them out of the way. The next time you are involved in a Pass action, you first make an opposed Racing Check. If you succeed, you both lose One Momentum and that player cannot oppose you in that Pass Action (effectively ending their attempt to pass you or allowing you to freely pass them.) The Rammed driver must make an immediate Racing Check to avoid spinning out, losing additional Momentum. If you fail, only you lose One Momentum and the Pass action resolves as normal.
Take Alternate Path- Some sections of the track have alternate paths, most often shortcuts. Some paths require the use of an item to enter (a Mushroom to boost straight across a wide curve, for example,) some paths require Racing Checks to enter (hitting a narrow line of Dash Panels,) and some paths require both (landing a long Mushroom-fueled jump across water.) The specifics are detailed in the course info.
Power Slide- The player attempts to Power Slide to gain a speed burst. The player makes a Racing Check- on a success the player gains a +1 bonus to Passing checks made that turn and may make one free Pass Attempt if his Momentum is higher than the driver ahead of him. The Power Slide check normally incurs a -1 penalty because it requires space to perform- normal curves and broad straightaways do not incur this penalty, while broad curves provide a +1 bonus to powersliding.
2: Movement Phase
This phase represents the actual movement along the track. First, any active Blue Shells hit. Next, any features of the course need to be navigated, whether good or bad- the only exception is Item Boxes, which are hit during the following phase.
Finally, players jockey for position throughout their movement. Starting with the player in last place, if a driver has higher Momentum than the the driver ahead of him, he attempts to Pass. If his Pass succeeds, he moves ahead and loses one Momentum, then repeats the process- there is no limit on the number of pass attempts a driver may make in a single turn. Drivers that used a Defensive Driving action NEVER attempt to pass.
If the driver currently in Last place in the segment has Momentum of 0 or less, he must make a Racing check to avoid Falling Back. A player that Falls Back has wiped out, and must repeat their current segment. A player that has Fallen Back immediately gains TWO Momentum.
If the driver currently in First place in the segment has Momentum of 4 or greater, he can make a Racing check to Pull Ahead. A player that Pulls Ahead successfully immediately advances to the next segment and must immediately navigate any hazard in that segment- any loss of Momentum means that the player does not Pull Ahead. Once a player has completely Pulled Ahead, he loses THREE Momentum.
3: Cleanup Phase
A couple things happen during the Cleanup Phase. First, Item boxes are hit- item rolls are assigned, and anyone who hits a Fake suffers the consequences. Then, if the course is subject to changing conditions or special events, this is when those effects come into play. Finally, any Player with a Momentum less than Zero has their Momentum set to Zero, and the order of the players is finalized for the start of next turn.
Items can be acquired from item boxes found at the end of particular segments of the course. During the Cleanup Phase, each player makes a Racing Check to hit an item box. On a success, they make an Item Roll and consult the following chart to see which item they receive. Some lines of item boxes are small, with too few boxes for the number of players. In this case, each item box taken imposes a -1 penalty to subsequent checks to hit an item box.
Items that can be Dragged provide a +3 dodge bonus against Green Shells and Red Shells- if this bonus is the reason the player survives the attack, the item is treated as hit and lost. Additionally, a player that fails to Ram or Pass the driver dragging the item is treated as though they were hit by the item. Dragged items can be used at any time without using an action, however, they MUST be used before deploying another item.
1- Banana- Dragged. When laid on a segment of track, the Banana forces any driver following the user to make a Racing Check to avoid. The driver immediately following the user takes a -1 penalty to this check, the next driver takes no penalty, and all subsequent checks receive a +1 bonus.
The Banana can be thrown forward at a player- the target must be in the same segment as the user, and the target cannot be the driver immediately ahead of the user. The user designates a target and makes a Racing Check to hit that player. This check takes a -1 penalty for each driver between the user and his target. If the Banana misses, it lands on the track as normal, and all players receive the +1 bonus to avoid it. The user must make an avoidance check of their own.
A driver hit by the Banana spins out, losing ONE Momentum.
2- Fake Item Box- Dragged. The Fake Item Box functions the same as a Banana, EXCEPT that if it is played on a track segment containing Item Boxes NO player receives the +1 bonus to avoid, and any player rolling a 2 or 1 to pick up an item automatically hits.
A driver hit by the Fake Item Box flips, losing TWO Momentum.
3- Green Shell- Dragged. The Green Shell can be shot forwards or backwards. If the user does not designate a target, the Green Shell continues making attacks in its direction of travel until it no longer has valid targets. If the user does designate a target, then the attacks of the Green Shell receive a -1 penalty to any other driver, and a +1 bonus against the intended target. The Green Shell still attacks intervening drivers in this case.
The Green Shell attacks by making an opposed Racing Check with a -1 Penalty. If the attack roll is a natural 6, and misses, then the Shell takes a funny bounce and receives a +1 bonus to its next attack. If the attack is a natural 1, then the Shell bounces off a wall and reverses direction.
A driver hit by the Green Shell flips, losing TWO Momentum.
4- Blooper- When used, the Blooper sprays ink on the windshields of all opponents. The ink imposes a -1 penalty to all Racing Checks and Pass Checks until the end of next turn. The ink can be washed off earlier by driving over a Dash Panel, using a Mushroom, Boo, or Star, or Power Sliding.
5- Bob-omb- Dragged. Similar to the Banana, Bob-omb can be thrown forward at a player or dropped on a track. There is no penalty to the attack if Bob-omb is thrown forward, and the driver immediately behind the user receives a -2 penalty to dodging. On a direct hit, players are thrown into the air, setting their Momentum to Zero, and lose all items.
Even if Bob-omb does not hit the targeted player, the next two drivers in line must make a Racing Check to avoid the blast radius. A driver caught in the radius spins out, losing ONE Momentum and losing all items.
6- Mushroom- The Mushroom provides an immediate speed boost to the user. The user gains TWO Momentum and makes a free Pass attempt against the driver ahead of them in the segment, even if their respective Momentums would not normally allow it. If there is no driver ahead of them in the segment, the user may attempt to Break Away instead.
7- Red Shell- The Red Shell is identical to the Green Shell, except that it always attacks the driver immediately ahead of the user with a +3 bonus.
8- Boo- Boo causes the driver to become incorporeal until the end of next turn. This allows access to certain shortcuts, makes the driver immune to all items and rams, and gives the user ONE Momentum. It also steals an item from a random opponent, if applicable.
9- Blue Shell- The Blue Shell always targets the player in first place, striking at the end of the next turn's Action Phase. A direct hit causes a player to fly into the air, setting their Momentum to Zero as well as losing all items. The targeted player can attempt to drive close to another player to force them to share the effects of a direct hit- this is treated as a special case of the Pass roll.
Even if not involved in a direct hit, the following two drivers must make a Racing Check to avoid the blast radius. A driver caught in the radius spins out, losing ONE Momentum and losing all items.
10- Triple Red Shell- This item functions the same as a Red Shell, except that instead of being dragged behind the kart they spin in a circle around it. Each Shell provides a +2 bonus against Green Shells, Red Shells, and in Rams.
11- Star- This item causes a player to become invincible until the end of next turn. While invincible, the player has access to certain shortcuts, is immune to all items, and gains ONE Momentum. Whenever an invincible player rams another driver, that driver flips, losing TWO Momentum. Whenever an invincible player is involved in a Pass, that pass is treated as a Ram attack.
12- Thunderbolt- This powerful item causes all other players to shrink, slowing to a fraction of their speed until the end of next turn. Shrunk players lose THREE Momentum and take a -2 penalty on all Racing Checks made until the duration expires.
Things I would like to see (suggestions welcome)- More Perks and Debuffs, waitlister involvement, and some kind of metagame to provide more interesting context for each individual race. Maybe a tournament of champions? Gimme some comments and feedback here, guys.