Design Proposal

This is an outline of a potential D&D clone RPG design based on some discussions on the Synapse blog. If enough people sign up to follow this blog, I will feel like spending the time to work on this project is justified.

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Errant RPG Design Principles

1. Six attributes : STR, DEX, CON, WIS, INT, & CHA with values from 3 to 18.

2. Six classic fantasy races : human, elf, half-elf, dwarf, gnome, & halfling

3. Eight classes : Class choice should represent substantial deviation from the norm, grant access to unique abilities that cannot be replicated by the other classes, and create markedly different gameplay for the player.

- Fighter: Only class to really deal out lots of damage in melee combats they level up, lots of training in different combat styles, can use virtually any weapon.

- Knave: Thief, scoundrel, and naer-do-well. Strong thief skills, moderate charm skills, stealth anywhere, restricted to stealthy weapons only (dagger, short sword, club, etc)

- Scholar: Learned person. Only class with practical non-magical medical skills, can read/write, knowledge skills, very weak combat skills (can only use dagger, club, staff), only class to identify magic items, can cast any spell via scroll.

- Paladin: Moderate combat skills, advantages vs undead (inc Turning) and evil beings, lay-on-hands, can only use specific weapons associated with smiting (longsword, mace, & of course dagger)

- Ranger: Only class that can use a ranged weapon to actually hit a target in close combat (actually a really hard thing to do in real life), can only use non-metal weapons (arrowheads don't count), specialized wilderness skills, animal companion, stealth in nature only

- Druid: Can cast magic from any school that is tagged as "natural" (magic that manipulates the natural world), can only use non-metal melee weapons, shape-shifting, premonition/shamanic powers

- Bard: Can cast magic from any school that is tagged as "bold" (magic that is flashy and ostentatious), strong charm skills, minor access to other specialities, music-based powers, can only use graceful weapons (rapier, short sword, dagger, staff, etc; no axes, clubs, etc)

- Wizard: Must choose a specialty school, gains access to all spells within that school by appropriate level, can learn off-specialty spells through training to cast at a penalty, can read/write, can cast any spell via scroll, familiar at higher levels, very weak combat skills (can only use dagger, club, staff)


4. Creation of a set of about 12-15 skills that are either possessed or not. For example, you either have Lockpicking or you don't. Access to these skills is determined by class membership. You do not have "ranks" in skills or skill points to keep track of. You simply add your level in the class to your roll. Level 3 thieves roll +3 to do Lockpicking.

5. Replacement of Proficiencies with a number of Weapons Training points given to each class. Use points to buy training in specific weapons, subject to some minor class limitations. Each weapon is assigned to a tier and training in the higher tiers costs more points. Training costs also scale upwards as you buy more. Each training level gives +1 to hit with that weapon in combat. Characters receive additional Weapons Training points at level up based on class. No base attack bonuses.

6. Expansion of Saving Throws to cover reflexive actions like Listen, Spot, and Dodge. Things like Elven hearing would give a bonus to the Listen equivilant, for example. Things like Armor might cause penalties to Dodge and Listen, but bonus vs other things (in addition to combat effects).

7. Replacement of Alignment with a Karma statistic that starts at zero. The GM can award Karma points for doing good actions (quest completion, heroics, etc) and take away Karma points for doing evil actions (killing innocents, theft, etc). "Good" weapons, spells, etc gain a bonus against people with negative Karma equal to their value. Thus someone wielding a Holy Avenger would roll +3 to hit against someone with -3 Karma points, deal +3 damage, etc. Not only does this solve the problems traditionally associated with Alignment, but it would add mechanical incentives for evil people to trick good people into working for them which is just super cool to me.

8. Standard Mechanic is adding Attribute Value to Bonus (Trained/Skill/Saving Throw), then trying to roll d20 underneath that amount. There will be no miscellaneous modifiers to keep track of. Attack rolls use appropriate Trained Bonus. Non-Combat rolls use appropriate Skill Bonus. Reactions use appropriate Saving Throw Bonus. The GM can impose any modifier they wish on any roll to reflect unusual situations such as flanking, distractions, assistance, visibility, concealment, etc. No more attribute bonuses, use actual attribute value. Opposed rolls are a contest to have the largest margin of victory.

9. Each combat round is adjudicated simultaneously. Players and GM declare actions by writing them down first and revealing simultaneously. Anyone can sacrifice what they were going to do to roll Dodge as a saving throw instead. If you are not dodging, anyone attacking you rolls against 10 + your defense bonus (DEX + Armor + etc). Hits and damage are all applied simultaneously. There are no partial actions, move-equivilant actions, full actions, etc. This should cut down a lot of the long combats that plague higher editions.

10. Grappling is a combat action just like any other attack. You can be trained in it like any other weapon. Each successful attack stuns the target for the next round and deals an amount of damage based on STR. Any damage dealt to you while engaging in the grapple prevents the stun effect from occuring next round. You can use this to keep someone in a hold indefinitely.

11. There are no calculations for speed, range, or distance. Either you can make opposed rolls (i.e. DEX rolls to chase someone down) or the GM simply tells you the result. For vision, the GM tells you what you see or don't see based on your racial vision method. You are either within range or not, subject to GM decision. There are no move actions, the GM will tell you if you are close enough to make an attack this round or not.

12. Magic users know a certain number of spells and cast spells out of their HP. The amount of each is determined by class & level. Spells do not need to be memorized in advance. Some classes have powers that can be used to create spell-like effects and may drain HP as well (ex. Lay on Hands). HP lost is manifested as physical exhaustion. Magical attacks (Touch, Rays, Fireballs, etc.) use your class level as a Training bonus plus probably DEX.

13. Addition of a Luck stat. Starts at random value of 2d6. Modified by some racial choices (Humans and Halflings get bonus) and some Power choices (i.e. you can buy Luck later on if you want). GM can also give out or take away Luck if they want. You can sacrifice a point of Luck to add the value of your luck to any roll. Beginner's luck is strong. Over time, your Luck runs out. I know that this is point #13. I spit in the face of your petty superstitions! HA!

14. Hit Points remain roughly the same in amount. However, they are conceptualized as movie-style damage where you get battered and bruised, not actually injured. When you reach zero hit points, you now actually take damage to your body. Any time you are hit for damage with zero hit points, it is applied as temporary attribute damage to a random attribute (roll 1d6). The narration of the injury is based on the attribute rolled. Charisma damage might be a hideous facial injury while Dexterity damage could be a terrible hand injury. If any attribute is reduced to zero in this way, the character dies. Temporary attribute damage can only be healed by magic or high quality medical care over a long duration (weeks). If not healed within 72 hours, the temporary attribute damage becomes permanent. Hit points regenerate much faster (still haven't finalized this interval exactly, but I am thinking about doing 1 per hour of total rest).

15. Feats, some class abilities, and miscellaneous effects are replaced by Powers, of which you get a set number per level. These will all be simple, straightforward, and reflect ongoing improvement in your life. Nothing like Whirlwind Attack, instead you can take "focused training" to get more training in a particular weapon or a power that increases a particular saving throw. When chosen, they will adjust values that are already on your character sheet. It will not be necessary to look up descriptions during play. They are chosen, applied, and rarely referenced later.

16. Dual-wield is simply possessed or not. No tracking of off-hand modifiers and all that crap. This always annoyed the hell out of me

17. No mechanical effects from choice of Diety. Purely a roleplaying choice determined by setting, not core system. Nobody should choose a deity to get a favored weapon or domain spells. They should choose the Diety because they like the Diety.

18. Inclusion of effects that incorporate ideas from other products on the market about how to add distinction and substance to characters. Ideas like Merits/Flaws from Storyteller, Advantages/Disadvantages from GURPS, etc. For example, I might give Dwarves something similar to Bad Temper in GURPS (or Impulsiveness for Elves).

19. Attempt to make it so that people cannot create "builds" where they are making purely mechanical choices about how to develop their character. Incorporate these ideas into the base design in a way that does not add unnecessary complexity to the creation process.

20. Eliminate of annoying concepts like attacks of opportunity and critical threats. Jettison the concept of "squares". Minis optional, not required. A reasonable GM can round off the rough edges with their judgment. Don't try to make a rule for everything, just give the GM the power to alter the edges of the system to adjust for unusual situations.

21. A whole chapter in the book about being a good player. Talk about how to look for creative solutions to problems in the game. Talk about how to develop goals for your character. Talk about how to decide between fighting and retreating, drawing swords and talking, and other real substantive decisions that have to be made at the table. Talk about new topics that you haven't read about before and connect those topics to the game mechanics.


So if you think this sounds like a game you would like to play, sign up to follow this blog. If enough people sign up to convince me that it is a viable game concept, I will start to prioritize this project up in my life. If only a few people sign up, this may be something that takes a long time, if ever, for me to make.

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