Intro RPG - Part 1: System Brainstorming

Bit of a weird one today!

I am in charge of running an intro RPG for my team at work, and I wanted to get a sense of their preferences so I could tailor the system and adventure style. So, I did what I always do with new groups and sent them a survey! Though it was much more tightly focused than normal. There were 5 sliders, between Ancient vs. Futuristic (1,2,2,2), Simple vs. Complex (2,3,3,4), Narrative vs. Tactical (1,2,3,5), Roleplay vs. Combat (2,2,3,4), and Gritty vs. Heroic (2,2,3,4). 

So, we have a strong lean towards an Ancient setting, and slight leans towards Narrative, Roleplay, and Gritty (with Complexity right in the middle).

Today, we're going to be going through my thoughts so far. Note that I wrote most of this when I thought things were more split, and we might be moving slightly towards complexity - we might pair this down, or even just play Mausritter/Shadowdark/etc. but with tougher lil friends with a couple cool things each. In future posts, we will definitely flesh out the adventure, and maybe solidify some mechanics.

Mechanics

I'll be using a lot of things I've been tinkering with for my WIP heartbreaker RPG, Shadowfinder, a mashup of PF2 mechanics with POSR sensibilities. I'm not going to post it right now, both because every time I get close to a finished draft I have another idea to change / flesh things out or rethink something core due to playtesting and because of copyright concerns of posting even a free document like that in light of recent news, but I ultimately don't think it's what this little group will want anyway so I'll just be going through the relevant bits.

I also did some quick brainstorming in a totally different direction that I'll quickly capture later on, with 2 actions (plus item swaps being free), hearts instead of HP, and energy that regens every 

Core Attributes

I decided a while ago that I prefer 4 Attributes to Pathfinder's 6, or to the 3 common in OSR games: Agility, Might, Will, and Insight. (I originally called that last one Intellect, but changed it after reading the fabula ultima quickstart). In a longform campaign, I like having a Brains stat, but in a short game I might end up dropping it - we'll have to see how the adventure turns out, and if I think it'd be useful!

We are definitely going to be scrapping skills and proficiencies for this, as I don't think we need that added complexity. In SF, I reduce to 10 skills (borrowed from BitD: command, force, heal, hunt, maneuver, mislead, skulk, study, sway, tinker) plus Lores (think Knave careers, but including Arcane or Divine Lore as well), because the main list is a bit overwhelming, too many of the skills move to Insight with my reduced attributes, and I don't think people should normally be rolling Lores in an OSR game, you should just know the relevant stuff based on your proficiency outside of rare exceptions.

We're ignoring all that though, as well as Saving Throws, Attack/Spell Proficiency, etc.

So, 3-4 Attributes: Agility, Might, Will, and maybe Insight.

Hearts or HP?

How do we model health? The three methods that are interesting to me are

• Traditional HP: Probably starting with 8-15 depending on class for a smoother intro (and using OSR damage levels)
• Hearts: 5-10 hearts per PC, 1-3 damage per attack, they regen after every fight
• Guard & Vitality: either with HP or Hearts/Armor, having a pool 

The good thing about HP is I have an intuitive sense of how it works, but my players might not! But erasing / crossing off some hearts is easier than doing math.

How about Damage? I'm not interested in normal PF2 damage for this one, attack + damage just takes too much time. So:

• PF2 hits/crits, with flat damage (in Hearts, probably)
• Into the Odd style roll damage, armor is Damage Reduction (with HP probably)

I think I am leaning towards PF2 hits/crits with Hearts, with a fallback of ItO damage with HP, with the possibility of a Bastionland style Guard/Vitality split if we want to represent longer term injuries (if we don't, we just have more Hearts).

Action Economy

There are basically three options:

• 1 Action (& a Move) - Narrative
• 2 Actions (item swaps are free) - Mixed
• 3 Actions (PF2) - Tactical

I am currently leaning towards 2 Actions, with minor things like item swaps being free, because my players voted in the middle for Complexity. If the 4th players swings one way or the other, or if I find the ability design easier with an extreme, I'll go with that.

Bonuses/Penalties

Instead of complicated/finicky numbers, we'll be using a simplified boons and banes system, with each boon/bane being +/-2. They cancel each other out 1 for 1, and there's probably a max of +/- 4 to a given roll (so max 2 boons/banes).

I think we'll also have fortune effects, but they'll be pretty rare - once a fight abilities, 

Character Abilities

How do we want to handle what stuff characters can do? Obviously we can always reward clever player ideas, but it seems like the group could be into having some cool abilities to use.

Equipment

This is not a survival horror game, so we will not be strictly tracking inventory. I think I'm basically going to make kits that people pick - this honestly might even replace classes? We'll see. I had an earlier draft where I gave each weapon cool special abilities, which got very complicated very quickly (similar to what Matt says happened in their testing in that video haha). 

So, each Kit will give PCs their core attribute, Damage, AC or DR (or more HP?), Speed (4/6/8 squares, or Fast/Normal/Slow), and a cool abilities. 

I think anything the PCs find, they can probably carry, unless the fiction says otherwise (lugging a dead body around would slow them down considerably, and carrying a grand piano around simply isn't gonna happen).

Energy or Timers?

An idea I had in my first draft was energy (drawn as lighting bolts) that recharged each fight. You used it to cast spells and use cool weapon abilities, and there were probably some basic things anyone could use it for (1 to reroll something, 2 to take an extra action, etc.). I still like this idea! It would take some time to fully flesh out, however, and would be more complicated (but also potentially more tactical!) than the alternative.

The other idea is timers, basically Encounter abilities from 4e. You can do each cool thing either whenever you want ("At-Will") or Once per Scene (combat, chase, climb, etc.). This is simpler, and there are still tactics (which do I use first, if I have multiple? and always, when is the optimal time to use it?), but it's much simpler over all.

Character Creation

So, what've we got? 3 attributes (maybe 4), [x] number of Hearts (possible Vitality/Guard 

I think at least letting players pick their attributes distribution makes sense. I am thinking +4/+2/+0

Kits

Direct inspiration here from MCDM's version. I might call them Roles since I think we are shaping towards a Theatre theme.

health, movement, damage, range, reach, special action

• Panther: AC 12 + AG; Attack MI, D3, C; Speed Fast; Ability Cleave (leap up to your speed then attack every enemy in range with no MAP)
• Shining Armor: AC 16; Attack MI, D3, C; Speed Slow; Ability Avenger (Attack twice with no MAP or move and attack, then gain +2 AC for a round)
• Sniper: AC 10 + AG; Attack MI, D2, N/F; Speed Normal; Ability Volley (Attack all targets in a 10 ft. burst with no MAP)
• Cloak & Dagger: AC 10 + AG; Attack AG, D1, C/N, Deadly 4; Speed Fast; Ability Strike from the Shadows (target isn't focused on you, move then attack with advantage, 3 damage on hit or 6 on crit)
• Swashbuckler: AC 11 + AG; Attack AG, D2, C; Speed Normal; Ability Dance of Death (make 2 attacks, no MAP, and 1 move in any order)
• Warmage: AC 12 + AG; Attack WI, D2, C/N; Speed Normal; Ability Bolster Allies (choose +2 hearts or +2 to hit for all allies)
• Elementalist: AC 10 + AG; Attack WI, D2, N/F; Speed Normal; Ability Fireball (20 ft. burst, AG save or 4 dmg, 2 on success)

Traits

I want one other level of customization, so we're going with Traits! Here are some examples:

• Skilled: +2 to checks to perform non-attack actions
• Courageous: Reroll 1 attack per combat (Fortune)
• Tough: +2 Hearts (max 10)
• Reactive: Whenever an enemy critically fails a melee attack, hit them back!

Probably there should be more than that.

I think it'd also be sick to build in some places where the PCs might gain a new trait!

I think my brain is empty, so we're gonna call it there, but there will be more soon! Definitely on the adventure, and possibly on mechanics (we also might just play Mausritter haha)