Hello! I like the idea of  non-transitive dice, and the mental game-mechanic of betting games. I decided to try to create a RPG system centered around action-pools, wagering, and a fair amount of luck. Looking at the diceless systems out there I thought that they lacked a luck element, but had the pro of story driven role-play. So I decided to combine the idea of a dice-less style action system with Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock (5way rock-paper-scissors). I would like some honest thoughts and opinions. Extra points to to whom will test my system out:


Life pool: one has a pool of points that represents their life. Depending on the GM one cannot wager more than 1/5-1/3 of this pool. This allows multiple turns-too-death. If one runs out of life-points then they are knocked unconscious for one to two turns then come back to life with their base pool points available.

First:You wager points for each action to deal "damage"(drain).
In secret you choose one of five weapons/defense Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock.(one may turn a dice to the appropriate number under a cup or use scrap paper).
Second: you simultaneously revel the weapon wagered upon in step two. IF you win according to the weapon's chart you drain your opponent's total pool of points by the wagered amount. If there is a tie flash back drain from doing the action happens, (your wager/5) =drain on self from total point pool if non zero or negative number.
Third(optional): you roll a dice with each pair of numbers representing a weapon, either D6 or D10. Your roll vs their roll. D10: Heavy-win is 1/4, light-win is 1/10, tie is null and so forth. D6 lucky rolls are always heavy-win vs loose tie. Can be thought of as a over-burn modifier. Even if you win the roll but loose the round, the winner of the role can choose to deal drain or minus "luck" from drain taken for a heavy-win.  

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Optional system for skillz.
Every weapon is a skill. You first divide a skill point pool equal to your life pool in size between 5 skillz. You deal drain based off base skill point(static) plus life pool wager, skill used matches wagered weapon. You defend with a chosen skill at that time. defender(chosen skill+/-luck) minus winner of wager's(skill of wager+wager+/-luck). Defender luck assumes % of chosen defense skill.

Skillz(attributes) are a field of in-game skills, encompassing anything you wish to do, in the way it is done. You tell your story based off the skillz used. The group chooses five attributes at the beginning of the game that every one must relate their story to when that skill is in use.

Quote from: FenirStardust;819832Hello! I like the idea of  non-transitive dice, and the mental game-mechanic of betting games. I decided to try to create a RPG system centered around action-pools, wagering, and a fair amount of luck. Looking at the diceless systems out there I thought that they lacked a luck element, but had the pro of story driven role-play. So I decided to combine the idea of a dice-less style action system with Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock (5way rock-paper-scissors). I would like some honest thoughts and opinions. Extra points to to whom will test my system out:

If, by default, you're playing RPS... where does the luck come in, exactly? The resolution system won't track which characters are better at given tasks, it will track who is best at playing RPS.

Also, how would your system cope with interactions between more than two actors?

I don't understand what's going on in step 3 at all. Is it a replacement for the RPS or something else?

Using the optional "skillz" system leads to the question of "why is this given skill better than that one?", as you need to shoehorn whatever five skills get  picked into the RPS system. It may not make any sense.

What are non-transitive dice?

Quote from: Bren;819862What are non-transitive dice?

My guess is dice that are rolled to determine a choice rather than a number, eg. rolling a d3 with 1 = rock, 2 = paper, 3 = shotgun rather than 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3.

Quote from: Ladybird;819864My guess is dice that are rolled to determine a choice rather than a number, eg. rolling a d3 with 1 = rock, 2 = paper, 3 = shotgun rather than 1 = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3.

Thanks. I guess that is what the OP was alluding to. However the non-transative property is of the choices (rock-paper-scissors), not a property of the dice.

In the game, Rock-Paper-Scissors is not a transitive relationship.

If RPS were transitive, rock > scissors > paper, would imply that rock > paper. Because paper > rock, therefore RPS is not transitive.

I thought non-transitive dice might refer to these kinds.

Quote from: rawma;820092I thought non-transitive dice might refer to these kinds.

I've got a set of sicherman dice that I drilled out myself. I like to bust them out for 2d6 games.

Quote from: Ladybird;820095I've got a set of sicherman dice that I drilled out myself. I like to bust them out for 2d6 games.

Nifty. Now I'm sorry I don't have a set for Monster of the Week, just to see how everyone reacts when I roll an 8 on one of the dice.

Quote from: rawma;820092I thought non-transitive dice might refer to these kinds.

That makes sense, but I think James Grime should be really careful about trying his game in pubs outside of Cambridge.

Quote from: Ladybird;819846If, by default, you're playing RPS... where does the luck come in, exactly? The resolution system won't track which characters are better at given tasks, it will track who is best at playing RPS.

Also, how would your system cope with interactions between more than two actors?

I don't understand what's going on in step 3 at all. Is it a replacement for the RPS or something else?

Using the optional "skillz" system leads to the question of "why is this given skill better than that one?", as you need to shoehorn whatever five skills get  picked into the RPS system. It may not make any sense.

Luck -The random chance created by playing a rpsls game, or rolling dice.
Step 3 is to add entropy, to as you say getting good at competeing with the GM or other players. This random dice roll augments the picked weapon. (rps terminolgy on the wiki says weapons). A possible muligan for a crappy rps player. Or crushing defeat.
Also note RPSLS, is 5way, it adds complexity for humans.
Skills are not inherinty better, just better at winning against other certian foes. Stragticly you would bet on the skill "class" you have most points in, but then your "wager" is perdictible. Doublethink.

Just think of this as an elemental system. wind earth fire water light. skill classes fall with in these, you choose how to relate what feat to your chosen  class. Kinda like Adrift.

As for multiple chars fighting i am noy sure! Suggestions? Possibly just do the same. if  twowin wager&roll a heavy win, then either they face off or largest wagered points+relivant skill wins.

transitive if one roles two or more dice then the distribution of most likly numbers is a bell shape. For two dice of the same make: highest single dice number+1.
Think of playing snake eyes or craps, they are designed with this principal in mind. like wise if you add a multipler to a dice result then you alter the total probility result. Bell curves are not so random! RPS and speacal multi dice sets are more true random by principal.

I`m just a programer, normally more entropy is better always. Maybe girls think diffrent.

I'm just going to leave this here...


RPS -101. The most advanced version of Rock Paper Scissors.