I know there is a WH 40K rpg. For me, IT's not what I would be going for. Do you think it would be possible to create an RPG for WH 40K, but in a OSR format?

Basically have ability scores, classes, class-based skills, and maybe some inherent talents.

I would like to workshop this with people. Throw out some ideas.

Thanks

Quote from: blackstone on January 23, 2025, 02:32:04 PMI know there is a WH 40K rpg. For me, IT's not what I would be going for. Do you think it would be possible to create an RPG for WH 40K, but in a OSR format?

Basically have ability scores, classes, class-based skills, and maybe some inherent talents.

I would like to workshop this with people. Throw out some ideas.

Thanks

I'm not interested in WH. But the home system I'm working on covers most of the ground you're looking for.

I started with Knave 1E. It uses ability scores as the base for it's resolution system. I modified it's fixed bonuses to a variable die. It also strips out character classes. So character levels are the base descriptor for character power/durability.

Because I like classes, I added class talents from community versions of Knave to give options for class abilities independent from class levels.

I reviewed classes from prior editions, alternate games, gaming magazines, and supplements. The ones included in the play test were re written in a 10 level format at BX power levels.

A simple skill system came next.

System overview:

Character attributes: 0 to d12
Perks or talents: give narrow bonuses or limited effects.
Class levels: give bundled talents or specific effects.
Skills: bonus to a specific type of roll.

I prefer the less random 2d10.

Most rolls are 2d10 + Attribute die + skill level + possible perk/talent bonus vs a DC number.

The play test has completed 40 sessions and seems to be keeping everyone happy.

Just spitballing:

If I was doing it in OSR format, I'd definitely do race-as-class or at least have classes specific to race. An Eldar or Tau soldier is so drastically different from a Guardsman that I don't think a standard "fighter" class would fit. Plus things like Space Marines are kind of both a race and a class.

One of the things I think the official 40K RPGs do that's smart is partition off different parts of the universe into separate games (Rogue Trader, Dark Heresy, Black Crusade etc.). That potentially forecloses some of the scaling issues which otherwise would plague a general 40K RPG. Simply put, there's no way in an OSR class setup that you could balance an Imperial Guardsman and an Ultramarine as two player classes without either breaking the lore or breaking the game.

Assuming you don't want to go that route, they way I'd go about it would be to confine player classes to "elite" character types in the setting, so Space Marines, Adeptus Sororitas, Tech Priests, Imperial Assassins, Psykers, etc. Maybe Ogryns or Aspect Warriors if you want to get more exotic. I know that even within that list there's a wide disparity of canon power levels, but I think that it's within the range where you can flatten the curve a little bit, make up the rest with different XP progression rates, and still not shatter the lore. Regular human characters would be the equivalent of 0-level peasants in D&D.

That approach would lose people like me who are more interested in the regular mortals of 40K than the super-soldiers, but I think we'd be in the minority. The only other option I see is to make a game where the players can only be regular mortals. If you were doing that then it'd be an easy conversion of any sci-fi OSR game. Machinations of the Space Princess would be my pick.

The other scaling issue to address is weapons and armor. 40k has as wide a range in tech capabilities as it has  in character power levels, so I don't think the standard OSR AC range would cut it. I think you'd need to have either an armor soak or armor save system --possibly both-- as well as armor-piercing scores for weapons. Usually OSR games strive for the idea that a random peasant with a pitchfork can get lucky and take down a knight, but a space marine is genuinely supposed to be able to laugh off lasgun fire and survive high explosive shells. Really it almost demands something like Palladium's "mega damage" rules, but you might be able to get away with just massive armor soaks instead. I'd also give the classes different Evasion bonuses to their AC-equivalent, since several character types in 40K are supposed to be superhumanly fast.

If you want to get really deep into the emulating the setting, then you're also potentially going to need a Corruption mechanic, to track how close your character is to falling to Chaos. I don't care for that kind of system though, so I don't have much to suggest on it.

Your point on something like mega-damage for armor is a good one. Worth considering is that Palladium itself is an old school class/level based system so it might provide a more useful baseline than TSR-era D&D.