The h2g2 Standardized RPG Format
An idea occurred to me, after my recent love affair with Neverwinter Nights. "Wouldn't it be great to be able to pull off something like this in h2g2?" I sure think it would be, and an idea began to form.
No Dice? No Worries.
I don't plan on using dice, turns, points of damage, or anything else overly complex in this thing. The basic idea will be that a character has three stats, Body, Mind, and Soul. As each stat increases, the effects of that stat will improve. A score of six is what any standard person would have in real life standards. You begin with 30 stat points, to put where you wish. Here is a basic layout:
Body
Shows your physical strength, coordination, resiliency, and fortitude. Deals with physical contact and skill. Masters of the body find that the body itself possesses its own energy, called Chi, and become skilled at using it.
- 0-5 – Disability (Weakness)
- 10-15 – Gain first Physical Ability
- 16-20 – Gain second Physical Ability
- 21-25 – Gain third Physical Ability
- 26-30 – Gain fourth Physical Ability
Mind
The mind deals with mental acuity, skills and trades, and the use of devices. Deals with things of higher knowledge, as well. Masters of the mind find themselves with vast power, from the high-tech gadgetry of tomorrow to the subtle arts of psionics.
- 0-5 – Disability (Slow)
- 10-15 – Gain first Mental Ability
- 16-20 – Gain second Mental Ability
- 21-25 – Gain third Mental Ability
- 26-30 – Gain fourth Mental Ability
Soul
Soul is the underlying heart of the character. It often reflects his personality, charisma, and control over the un- and super-natural. Masters of the soul find themselves with an explosive power, that of magic, or of other types of power, such as the sort wielded by paladins or even vampires.
- 0-5 – Disability (Disbelieving)
- 10-15 – Gain first Spiritual Ability
- 16-20 – Gain second Spiritual Ability
- 21-25 – Gain third Spiritual Ability
- 26-30 – Gain fourth Spiritual Ability
A character will start with a certain number of points to allocate to whatever stat they would like. The number is still up in the air, as well. As you can see, too low a score results in a penalty of some kind, beyond the natural effects. A high score allows for abilities, which for those who have used a Dungeons and Dragons style RPG, identical to feats.
Abilities!
When I started with this idea, I meant for it so that anyone could alter how the game is played. An ability is an inbuilt talent that you have. Depending on how high your scores are, you may take certain abilities. These abilities are permanent, so choose well. Note, there are also penalties which are given for low scores, or may be taken to gain more points in other categories. Other abilities may be gained due to race, species, and so forth. I've only got a few ideas for both categories, so suggestions, please!
Each ability may also require for a certain number of points in a stat, or may not be available for someone with too many points in another area. Some abilities may not be applicable with others.
Spellcasting, Psionics, and Such
Magic and powers of that sort can be difficult to keep a control on. We all know the pain of being in a perfectly good story, when some noobie comes along and casts a "Destroy teh wurld" Spell. I'm going to try to keep that sort of thing under control. Each power can be found under its specific area in the link list. Chi in the Dojo, Psi in the Labs, and Magic in the Library.
Where You Come Into All This
The thing I want to be the largest part of this system is community involvement. If you have an awesome idea for a spell, but don't like the idea of it just being slammed in some moldering old tome somewhere, you can submit the idea, and if it works well, you can be solely responsible for using it, teaching it, and so on. If you like selling armour, then get the plate mail of maiming approved, and peddle it yourself. Put your own mark on the world!
As for the judging, I would suggest that it could be done by official Arbiters, people with good, unbiased judgment about this sort of stuff. If someone has a good idea, then an Arbiter can take a look. If they like it, then the Arbiter will have the right to approve it. If they don't like it, they will be able to give advice to balance it out.
Here is the rest of the material in progress. Note that none of this is finished, I'm just working it out as I've got time. If you're interested in helping, just leave me a message on my personal page!
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| RPG on H2G2 | Mar 16, 2005 |
| Hello Again :-) | Dec 13, 2004 |
| Questions | Apr 2, 2004 |
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| Hello Again :-) | No Posting | Dec 13, 2004 |
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