The world is round and orbits the sun, history always said that, but legends and myths tell of other worlds that become less so. A very popular myth is one about Valaria a world of endless sky.
Technology, the technology is focused around electrical and electronic devices. There are no contained explosives technology and any kind of explosive are extremely rare. They have more efficient electric motors then RL, but their computer technology is just getting started. Radios are common, tv is not (there are often lots of interference, far more noticable on tv then radio.)
Magic has a generally negative effect on electronics. The larger the current and the more simple the circut, the more resistant to interference. On the flip side strong electricity can make spellcasting difficult, though it can usually be accounted for if stable, though it is difficult to do. This interference comes from how the magic's aura interacts with electromagnetic fields (electricity's aura).
Magic has no spells of duration in general. A skilled mage can store mana in a gem and have a spell maintain itself until the gem is depleted however such spells are static. When magic creates acid, it creates actual acid, when magic changes metal to wood, it is altered permenantly as instantaneous spells. Illusions, force, and similar magics last as long as the mage's concentration. Thus all spells (though spells are not true spells like dnd) are either instaneous or concentration for duration. There is no summoning, (there are spirit attachments, but that's complicated high level magic)
The schools of magic are, necromancy (life and death, life energies, thus also healing), conjuration (mana to matter), evocation (mana to energy), transmutation (matter to matter), abjuration (mana force), illusion (false images, related to abjurations), divination (mana sense beyond the normal senses).
I will fill in a little bit more general stuff after work, and I will fill in more specific stuff once I know where you players are coming from.
Basic Mechanics:
The d20 is replaced by three dice, the luck die (a d12), a die based on an attribute, and a die based on a skill. (I.E. a character might have a d6 charisma, and a d8 speech skill. To roll a check to haggle the price on a horse the the you would roll a d12+d6+d8. The average level for attributes is a d4, and the average for a skill that known at basic level is a d4, thus an average character would roll between 3 and 20.)
When time is permitting a character can take 10 or take 100. With take ten you assume the skill and attribute are max and roll the other dice. With take 100 you roll the smallest die and assume max on the others. The options take 10 times as long and 100 times as long respectively.
As a classless system many things in d20 were turned into skills, such as bab, cmb, etc.
In d20 AC and CMD were assumed averaged instead of rolling on all characters, in RnR, the NPCs atks and defenses are all taken as average while the PCs roll attacks and defenses.
Alignment:
Alignment has two parts, Motivation and Morals.(need better names)
You pick one or two motivations and a moral.
The motivations, name:desc/possible neg side
-Benevolence: Seeks the preservation and enhancement of the ingroup/can become quite negative towards the outgroup.
-Universalism: Seeks understanding, tolerance, & appreciation/can go so far as to be unwilling to do what needs to be done.
-Self Direction: Seeks independant thought and action/can get tunnelvision on success, becoming blind to the consequences.
-Stimulation: Seeks excitement, novelty, and or challange/gets bored and causes trouble when trying to releive their boredom.
-Hedonism: Seeks pleasure and gratification (this can be based on any pleasurable activity, not just sexual)/can develop "addiction" forgoing the needs for the wants.
-Acheivment: Seeks success and recognition/can steal the spotlight even in in their own mind.
-Power: Seeks status, prestige, control, dominance./often comes at the expense of others
-Security: Seeks harmony, safety, stability/cowerdice or refusal to fight at any cost.
-Conformity: Seeks acceptance and love/ can get clingy or can hate those who are different.
-Tradition: Seeks respect and commitment/ can fear change even when for good.
The morals,
-Generous: cares about others.
-Selfish: ignores others.
-Evil: griefs others.
DCs and Die Sizes:
DCs are set by difficulty for normal people, with ten being reletively easy for average folk up to 40 which was Einstien making the theory of reletivity. Beyond 40 is supernatural, and beyond that is godly.
Any skill check shouldbautomatically succeed if the DC is less then half the average roll for the check, except for combat/under pressure or when failure has dire consequences. Zero is auto success anyway unless heavy penalties apply.
DC 0 automatic success unless heavy penalties are incurred
DC 5 easy enough that mistakes rarely happen even for those who don't know what they are doing.
DC 10 accomplished regularly by those who have average knowledge and skill.
DC 16 accomplished regularly by specialists in the field.
DC 19 accomplished regularly by top-of-the-field experts.
DC 24 accomplished with difficulty by specialists.
DC 28 accomplished with difficulty by experts.
DC 30 specialist take 100 with the best tools available.
DC 36 experts take 100 with the best tools available.
DC 40 the crowning achievments of Einsteins.
Die sizes are the even numbered die sizes plus d1. Above twelve (at the table anyway) the die can be split and one increased, so a d12 would become 2d6 then one of those d6 becomes a d8, thus d14 can also be rolled with a d6+d8. This is for when then needed die sizes are unavailable.
Attributes:
I do plan on selling this game someday so I am avoiding copying terms where alternatives are available, thus ability scores are now attributes.
Attributes have a score, the die size is based on the score and is almost always what is refered to when using an attribute, but some extraneous things use the score directly such as carry capacity, or the the leadership feat.
During character creation attributes are built by purchasing points for each score. Each score point costs one, plus one point for each threshold of five points ( the first five score cosgs one each, the second five score costs two, the third five score cost three, etc)
At a score of one, you have a d1 for that attribute, at a score of 3 you grow a die size to d2, then at a score of eight you grow to a d4, then grow one die size every five score after.
There are three new attributes for a total of nine, 3 physical, 3 mental, and 3 spiritual.
Strength, physical power.
Agility, speed and flexibility
Constitution, physical health and resistance to damage/poison/etc
Intellect, logic, learning, and memory.
Creativity, nonlogical, problem solving, artistic talents.
Awareness, like wisdom, this is an awareness of the world and ones self.
Power, the strength of ones aura which powers magic but also the general energy level.
Aura, the range of ones aura, usually affects the range of spells and special senses.
Charisma, social ability.
For complex obstacles or for conflict that doesn't involve slicing heads off, the Resolve system comes into play. I.E. haveing a debate trying to convince a judge to release your buddy, or haggleing prices, running a race, etc.
In these cases traditional combat doesn't really work, instead a skill or pair of skills are chosen and for that contest only you gain resolve by rolling the attribute the skill is tied too (the defending skill when two are used) as you progress you lose resolve, when have zero resolve you lose.
There are three different ways skill might come into play, they will either be opposed checks, asymetrical opposed checks, or objective checks.
In opposed checks, each contestant is useing the same skill against each other. Lowest roll loses resolve, if everyone tied, no one loses resolve.
In asymmetrical opposed, there are two skills involved, an attacking skill and a defending skill (i.e. perception attacking stealth) resolved is lost only when the defending skill loses, each round all contestants roll an attacking skill vs the others.
In objective checks, every contestant is rolling against a neutral objective (i.e. athletics to race) the lowest each round loses resolve. Last with resolve wins. Resolve can also be the same number for all at the GMs discretion. This is the easiest to have multiple contestants, the other two are difficult to adjucate when more then two contestants participate.
Actions Points and combat rounds:
Each character gets six AP (action points) plus one per 10 points of agility score. One AP is basically a swift action, two AP are a move action and four are a standard action, six ap are a 1 round action, a full round action takes till the beginning of one's next turn.
However weapons now have a speed, fast take 3AP per attack, moderate take 4, and slow take 5. Some attack spells will also use these speeds. Feats can reduce these costs.
Resolve style conflicts run only in rounds not actions.
Combat, and hp:
To make an attack, roll your skill with the appropriate weapon group,
the luck die, + attribute, + skill, + bonuses, minus negative fatigue.
There are three ways to defend against an attack each way has advantages and disadvantages.
The first is the dodge skill, which is rolled to avoid an attack completely and works against everything except requires nearby cover against an emenation or burst area attack (a spread goes around cover so you never have cover against a spread in any space it can get too.)
Parry uses your skill with the parrying weapon, however it is useless against area attacks and attacks that need only touch you or your gear.
Block uses your armor or shields skill, it reduces the damage taken, if failed you take only three quarters damage, but if you are successful you still take one quarter damage.
Dodge is obviously the best in most cases but it is it's own skill. Parry is nearly as good and takes less skill increases but is uselss against certain attacks. Block is great when you can't avoid a blow but you will take damage regardless.
Hp has been replaced by a damage resistance roll with a condition track. When you take damage you roll
The luck die, + con, + armor, + bonuses, minus damage points and negative fatigue
VS Damage roll
The luck die, + weapon attr, + weapon, + bonuses, minus negative fatigue
If you roll higher then the damage then you take a damage point. Cure spells generally remove damage points, while restoration spells heal conditions. Armor is the lower of your armor skill or the armor itself, unarmored as a skill caps off at the same size as the con dice.
If you fail a damage resistance roll you move down one on the condition track. If the damage is double or a higher multiple of the daage resitance roll, then you move one condition down the track for each multiple (i.e. if I rolled a 10 vs 32 damage I would move three conditions down the track. The conditions on the track are cumulative.
Conditions start at healthy.
-Healthy, no penalties.
-Hurt, subract one from fatigue for each further damage point gained.
-Wounded, reduce action points by half, take double damage points.
-Dying, strenuous actions gain additional damage point. Roll fortitude save for every time a number of damage points are gained to remain concious. When this condition is gained, also gain the bleeding health condition.
-Dead, requires special magics to revive, is otherwise dead.
-Overkill, requires the most potant of magics to return to life. This is what you are when you are scrapped of the bottom of a giants foot.
These two are often gained but don't count in the track.
-Bleeding Health, every round gain a damage point.
-Unconcious, is unable to think, perceive, or take actions of any kind.
Damage points heal at a rate of 1d6 per level for a full rest cycle, 1d8 per lvl for a full day of rest, or 1d4 for a short rest. To heal a condition, roll a fort save once each full day of rest, a success moves you up the track one condition.
Saves and Fatigue:
Each save is rolling two attributes and the luck die.
Fortitude, con and str
Reflex, int and agi
Will, awa and pow
Conc, pow and int
Fatigue is a score. The maximum fatigue score is the die size for power and constitution. I.E. If you have a d6 Con and a d4 Pow then you have 10 fatigue. When you cast magic, use special techniques, take damage while wounded, etc, the action may subtract points from fatigue. When the fatigue score drops below zero, the score is taken as a penalty on all checks (half this penalty on knowledge and language checks)
Size:
Sizes
Each size would use the above rules when everyone involved is the same size, the idea being that a D4 strength is average for your size whatever size that might be. However when dealing with different sizes...
Each point of health or damage is worth 3 points per size catagory smaller. So 1 damage from a large creature is 3 damage to a medium creature and 9 damage to a small creature.
I am a bit exact with these for myself, but they are guidlines and will be rounded in the final project.
Size catagory is determined by volume,
Medium tall, 7' tall * 3'6" wide * 1'9" deep
Medium squat, 3'6" cube
Medium long, 3'6" tall * 2'6" wide * 4'6" deep
Medium unusual, rectangular prism with about 42.875 cubic feet. Basically you can cut one dimension in half to double another dimension as often as needed.
Large tall, 10'6" tall * 5'3" wide * 2'7.5" deep
Large squat, 5'3" cube
Large long, 5'3" tall * 3'9" wide * 6'9" deep
Large unusual, rectangular prism with about 144.703 cubic feet.
Small tall, 4'8" tall * 2'4" wide * 11" deep
Small squat, 2'4" cube
Small long, 2'4" tall * 1'8" wide * 2'11" deep
Small unusual, rectangular prism with about 12.703 cubic feet.
Each catagory is about 1.5 times the dimesions of the next smallest catogory (2/3rds of the next largest) and 3.5 times the wieght (3.375 if you like exactness) and divide to reduce a size step.
A creature gets a +1 to atk and AC against something one size larger. This bonus doubles per size difference. This is a one way bonus, only the smaller of two creatures gets the bonus.
This bonus is sometimes taken as a penalty for certain action types like grappling or opposed strength checks.
I.E. three creature free for all, the small one gets a +1 vs the medium and a+2 vs the large, while the medium gets nothing vs the small and a +1 vs the large, the large gets nothing.
The carry weight capacity is 1+1/3 for each catagory increase or 3/4 for each decrease.
If a character has the feat "Oversized weapons" (Which requires a D6 strength) they can use weapons made for one size larger then their own size. A character can use a weapon one size smaller with no penalty or feat however a fumble has a greater chance of breaking the weapon.
Skills:
Skills have three types and are broken into categories for leveling purposes.
The three types determine what die size a skill starts at.
Natural skills (N) are those that are about useing a part of the character or can easily learned by observation or without real instruction (i.e. perception requires no traing or knowledge to use, but traing or practice can improve it) These start at a d2 before any increases.
Unnatural skills (U) are those that need training or experimentation and discovery to use (i.e. knowledge) These start at d1 before any increases.
Restricted skills (R) are those skills that can only be increased in limited circumstances or not not at all. (I.e. magic when magic can only be granted by the gods.) These start at 0.
The catagories are Combat, Movement, Supernatural, Technical, Mental, Performance, and Social.
Leveling is done by catagory. Each catagory has requirements to level, at the end of each encounter you get to roll the applicable skill that met the requirement and try to roll under your max int die. If you succeed then you gain a point in that catagory. These points can be spent to increase skills in that catagory (a skill increase costs a number of points as the new skill die will have sides, i.e. ten points to increase to a d10 from a d8.)
When you have earned thirty increase points (regadless of catagory or whether they have been spent) you gain a level and can pick a feat, an ability, or improve an ability (abilities are simply feats that improve in a pattern thus can be stated as granting [something] per level of the ability)
Skill List:
Catagory
Skill
* this means the has subskills that must be taken, like knowledge or proffession in DnD.
Combat
*Weapon (by weapon groups, simple groups are N, Martial and exotic are U)Str or Agi by group
*Armor U (by armor style [scale, chain, plate, leather, etc])Str
Shields N Agi
Dodge N Agi
Movement
Acrobatics N Agi
Athletics N Str
Stealth N Agi
Ride U Agi
*Drive U( by vehicle type; active driving such as fly by wire aircraft) Agi
Technical
Mechanics U(physical complex devices) Int
Trade U(craft and profession rolled into one, use awareness when running a "shop", use int when crafting a specific item or answering a question on the topic) Cre
Technics R(firmware, software type things) Int
*Use Complex Device U(by catagories, computers, magic items, alien mana computers, etc) Int/Cre
Mental
*Knowledge U Int
*Language N(really only for learning new languages in piecemeal so you can be only partially proficient with a new language. Linguistics as a field of study is under knowledge) Int
Perception N Awa
Focus U(for attempting to multitask, such as maintaining three spells at once.) Pow
Performance
*Drive U(passive driving such as driving a cart pulled by horses)Awa
*Perform N(sing, play instrument, etc) Cre
Heal U Awa
Social
Bluff N Cha
Intimidate N Cha
Speech U Cha
Handle Animal U Cha (common creature like dogs get a +1 die size)
The magic skill is broken into each magic school. The schools are
Abjuration, Mana Force
Conjuration, Mana to Matter
Tranfiguration, Matter to Matter
Evocation, Mana to Energy
Divination, Mana Senses
Illusion, Technically a subschool of Abjuration, produces false sensations
Necromancy, Deals with Spirit Energies
You can cast freeform magic by rolling the appropriate school, the DCs will be higher. I will be developing guidline tables similar to d20 WOD.
Or you can learn a preset spell and cast that easier. You can learn a number of spells equal to the skill die of each school, applicable for the appropriate school.
You can cast directly from a spellbook without learning the spell, but you must be able to read the text, and this method takes 1 full round longer and you take a -d8 on defense rolls while casting this way.
The base DC of a spell is the spell level times three.
Spells can be cast useing take 10 (but not take 100), this can't be done when distracted (if you try this in combat, make conc saves every round DC half the spell's DC, and the caster is defenseless. if the caster takes damage they lose the spell).
