I've had this on my hard drive for over a year now.  It's unfinished but I'm not sure that will ever change.  It was inspired by looking at old miniatures catelogues.  But since the Pundit recently gave name to what I was aiming for with this I thought I'd share what I've got.

A Fantasy Game

   AFG is a miniatures adventure game inspired by old black and white catalogues from the early days of fantasy gaming.  It is intended to be a truly stripped down and minimalist game that one might have found padding the back of one of those catalogues or folded up in a plastic baggy full of figures.

Core Principals
   The abilities possessed by a figure are determined by its race and type.  Abilities are absolute.  A figure who can pick pockets or climb sheer walls will not fail in the attempt unless challenged by an opposed ability.  AFG only uses common six sided dice.  AFG assumes you already know how to play and does not attempt to teach the rules or be transparent.

Abilities
   It is assumed in principal that all figures can climb trees and hills, ride horses, drive carts, whittle with a knife, read a little, do simple addition and subtraction, pick up a melee weapon and hit someone with it, start a fire, cook a simple meal, hide behind suitable cover, not get lost while wandering in their own lands, plant a garden, pick berries, and other such simple activities.  The abilities supplied by their character type are those that go beyond these.

Characters
   A character's type must be chosen from those allowed by their class and race.  Characters begin at the first and lowest rank and improve their expertise with progress.  A character can have more than one type, in which case their total expertise is the sum of both type's level minus any duplicate abilities.

Class (1d6)
1-3   Peasant - No Knights, Sorcerers, or Priests
4-5   Yeoman - No Knights or Sorcerers
6   Nobility - Only Knights, Sorcerers, or Priests

Races
   Races that supply an ability count as one level of expertise and thus do not begin with a type.

Centaurs - No Burglars or Knights
   Always Count As Mounted
   Cannot Climb

Dwarfs - No Knights, Sorcerers, Enchanters, or Druids
   Ignore Light Armor Penalty

Elfs - No Priests
   Ignore Darkness Penalty

Goblins - No Priests, Knights, or Sorcerers
   Ignore Darkness Penalty
   Suffer Darkness Penalty In Daylight
   Agile

Humans
   Nothing Special

Lizardoids - No Enchanters or Rogues
   Ignore Difficult Terrain Penalty

Orcs - No Knights, Sorcerers, or Priests
   Ignore Darkness Penalty
   Suffer Darkness Penalty In Daylight
   Thick Witted
   Tough

Ogres - No Knights, Sorcerers, Enchanters, Burglars, or Priests
   Thick Witted
   Tough
   Improved Strength

Satyrs - No Knights or Priests
   Climb Sheer Cliffs

Trolls - Barbarian Warriors
   Ignore Darkness Penalty
   Suffer Darkness Penalty In Daylight
   Thick Witted
   Tough
   Improved Strength

Types

Rogues
      Burglar
      1   Hide With Minimal Cover
      2   Climb Rough Walls
      3   Walk Silently
      4   Jimmy Latches
      5   Subdue Unaware Target         
      6   Run Silently
      7   Climb Smooth Walls
      8   Pick Locks
      9   Climb Overhangs
      10   Hide In Plain Sight

      Robber
      1   Improved Evasion
      2   Walk Silently
      3   Intimidate Commoners
      4   Improved Strength
      5   Improved Melee Attack
      6   Subdue Unaware Target
      7   Intimidate Nobility
      8   Additional Melee Attack
      9   Improved Resolve
      10   Kill Unaware Target      

Warriors
      Ranger
      1   Doesn't Get Lost In Wilderness
      2   Run In Difficult Terrain
      3   Walk Silently
      4   Improved Missile Attack
      5   Unflagging Awareness
      6   Climb Sheer Cliffs   
      7   Improved Defense
      8   Hide In Minimal Cover
      9   Improved Strength
      10   Aware When Sleeping

      Knight
      1   Ignore Mounted Melee Penalty
      2   Ignore Light Armor Penalty
      3   Improved Resolve
      4   Improved Strength
      5   Improved Melee Attack
      6   Improve Morale of Followers
      7   Improved Defense
      8   Ignore Heavy Armor Penalty
      9   Additional Melee Attack
      10   Improve Morale of Allies

      Soldier
      1   Ignore Light Armor Penalty
      2   Intimidate Commoners
      3   Improved Defense
      4   Improved Strength
      5   Improved Melee Attack
      6   Improve Morale of Comrades
      7   Improved Missile Attack
      8   Improved Resolve
      9   Unflagging Awareness
      10   Additional Melee Attack

Magicians
      Enchanter
      1   Three First Order Spells
      2   One Second Order Spell
      3   Four First Order Spells
      4   Two Second Order Spells
      5   Five First Order Spells
      6   Three Second Order Spells
      7   One Third Order Spell
      8   Four Second Order Spells
      9   Two Third Order Spells
      10   Five Second Order Spells

      Sorcerer
      1   Three First Order Conjurations
      2   One Second Order Spell
      3   Four First Order Conjurations
      4   Two Second Order Conjurations
      5   Five First Order Conjurations
      6   Three Second Order Conjurations
      7   One Third Order Spell
      8   Four Second Order Conjurations
      9   Two Third Order Conjurations
      10   Five Second Order Conjurations


Combat
   Ground Scale
      Indoor:1" = 5'
      Outdoor:1" = 15'
Movement
   Walk
   Run

   Figures that run in difficult ground...

Melee Attacks
   Figures must be in base contact.
   Figures with Additional Melee Attack roll an additional die.
   Figures using Two Weapons roll 2 dice.
   Otherwise roll one die.
   Must roll 3 or less to hit target.
      +1 Attacker Has Improved Melee Attack
      -1 Target Has Improved Defense
      -1 Darkness
   Modify each roll that hits as follows:
      +1 Cavalry Attacker Charging
      +1 Attacker Has Improved Strength
      +1 Attacker Using Two Handed Weapon
      -1 Attacker Using Two Weapons
      -1 Attacker Is Unarmed
      -1 Tough Target
      -1 Target Has Shield
      -1 Target Wearing Light Armour
      -2 Target Wearing Heavy Armour
      -1 Darkness
      + Target's Prior Wounds

   If the result is greater than the target's Expertise they are removed as a casualty.  Otherwise the remaining result carried over as prior wounds.

Missile Attacks
   Target must be in range and in sight.
      Thrown: 90' (18" / 6")
      Sling / Short Bow: 180' (36" / 12")
      Long Bow / Cross Bow: 240' (48" / 16")
   Figures armed with Short Bows, Slings or Darts roll 3 dice.
   Figures armed with Long Bows, Light Crossbows, or Daggers roll 2 dice.
   Figures armed with Heavy Crossbows roll 1 die.
   Must roll 3 or less to hit target.
      +1 Attacker Has Improved Missile Attack
      -2 Darkness
   Modify as each roll that hits as follows:
      +1 Attacker Using Heavy Crossbow
      -1 Attacker Using Daggers, Darts, or Sling
      -1 Tough Target
      -1 Target Has Shield
      -1 Target Wearing Light Armour
      -2 Target Wearing Heavy Armour
      + Target's Prior Wounds

   If the result is equal to or greater than the target's expertise they are removed as a casualty.  Otherwise the remaining result carried over as prior wounds.  Prior wounds are not added to attack results against Figures with Improved Resolve and they are only removed when their prior wounds exceed their expertise level.

Helpless Targets
   A figure that is asleep, unconscious, held at knife point, or otherwise unable to defend themselves can be hit automatically with melee attacks.

Unaware Targets
   A figure that cannot see their attacker or is taken unawares in ambush or by base treachery cannot use their defense against melee attacks.


Morale Notes

-1 Demonic or Angelic Creature
-2 Monstrous Creature
-1 Darkness

Followers are those directly under a figure's command.

Comrades are those of equal rank in the same unit.

Allies are any figures on the same side.


Magic
   Duration: Spells apply their effect for the length of the battle or until dispelled.

   Give Target Trait
   Attack Single Target
   Attack Unit
   Conjure
   Shape Change
   Move Single Figure
   Move Unit
   Create Magic Item

Protection - Target figure is tough.

Blessing - Attacks on target figure suffer a -1 penalty that is cumulative with armour, shields, and toughness.   
Warding - Deflects next hostile spell cast on target figure.

Glowing Shield - Attacks on target figure suffer a -3 penalty that is not cumulative with armor, shields, or toughness.

Wall Of Force - Attacks on target figure suffer a -3 penalty that is not cumulative with armor, shields, or toughness.

Healing - Reduces target's prior wounds by 1 die.

Restoration - Returns a casualty to the battle field.

Shape Shift - Changes the race of the target.
      
Illusionary Guise - Canges the apparent race of the target.

Illusion -

Monstrous Illusion - Appears to summon a monstrous creature which causes morale effects until engaged in melee.

Monstrous Transformation - The target becomes any creature up to the expertise level of the magican or down to the target's expertise minus the magician's.

Arcane Portal - Opens a mystical pathway to any other place in the world that has been appropriately marked with standing stones, circles, or similar fixtures.

Light of Truth

Summon Pawn
Summon Host
Summon Champion

Summon Animal

Summon Angel
Summon Angelic Host
Summon Angelic Champion

Summon Titan
Summon

Summon Elemental

Clouds of Darkness

Summon Demon
Summon Demonic Host
Summon Demonic Champion

Summon Dragon
Summon Giant

How about changing Reptiloids into Serpent Folk! (for that Old School Fantasy idea.)

Well, I guess that'd depend on what our hypothetical miniatures company had in its line right?

I've actually considered marrying these rules to Iron Wind Metals' Iron Winds of War, Rules According To Ral varient.  However I don't know whether they'd be open to it.  Even though said rules could really use some support.

They had Lizardoids and Serpentfolk.  Personally every since the Gi Joe movie I haven't been able to take serpent folk seriously

Quote from: David Johansen;449615Summon Pawn

What about a game where the miniatures are chess pieces? Pawns are peasants (peons) and so on.

(apart from chess itself obviously)

I would totally buy a serpent men verses barbarians chess set done in the classic stylized chessman style.

That said since the intent was a miniatures company throwaway game it's not likely to use chess pieces.

I mean, you can use any old gubbins you've got lying around to represent stuff in any game but miniatures companies don't go out of their way to point that out.