The D6 System Appreciation Thread

Dr Rotwang! · January 09, 2008, 04:15:11 PM

Yeah, it's been tweaked and revised as the years have gone by. I'm awfully fond of 1st Ed. Star Wars, yet I feel that the current version of the system exhibits all changes for the better.

And, really, those changes aren't very far from the original rules to start with.

Tyberious Funk · January 09, 2008, 06:30:43 PM

For all the wonders of d6, I must admit that Savage Worlds is a pretty reasonable substitute. It is lighter, faster and isn't burdened with the bucket-o-dice problem. And the mook system is just perfect for mowing down stormtroopers. Sure, it doesn't have as much flavour as d6 Star Wars, but then it is a generic system.

Zachary The First · January 10, 2008, 12:15:55 PM

This is more in-depth than a lot of folks will ever go with d6, but the Wayback Machine also gives us the Wizard's Little Helper (java) for custom spell generation.

Actually, the entire Free Stuff page is pretty rockin'.

Dr Rotwang! · January 11, 2008, 11:51:19 PM

The Wizard's Little helper is pretty cool...'cept it gives back results like these:

QuoteName: Git!
Skill: apportation
Difficulty: 53869999
Effect: 10 (100 kilograms moved up to the range distance, and target must be within 1 meter of caster.)
Range: 25 meters (+7)
Speed: instantaneous (+7)
Casting Time: 1 second (-0)
Duration: 1 round (+4)
Other Aspects:
Gestures (-2): Point away from the object (simple, offensive)
Incantations (-1): Say, "Git!" (few words)
Description: Makes something move away from the caster.

...emphasis mine.

EDIT: On review, if I do an alteration skill...

QuoteName: Boo-Yah!
Skill: alteration
Difficulty: 15
Effect: 24 (4D attribute modifier)
Range: 1 meter (+0)
Speed: instantaneous (+0)
Casting Time: 1 second (-0)
Duration: 1 minute (+9)
Other Aspects:
Gestures (-2): Flex muscles (simple, offensive)
Incantations (-1): Say, "Boo-yah!" (few words)
Description: Get strong! Add 4D to Strength.

...weird. What was I doing wrong...?

droog · January 12, 2008, 12:00:04 AM

Have any of you d6 aficionadoes seen this hack for Glorantha? I always liked his way of handling magic, but never got around to actually using it.

Moon Wars

QuoteOne of the things I want to get away from in Moon Wars is the spell list. Does anyone believe that a Humakti says to his sword brothers 'Hold on while I cast Bladesharp 5?' Of course not. He might say 'Humakt aid me. Sharpen my sword,' but would he know that after saying that his sword would do five points of extra damage. Not four, not six. Five.

Instead of having a list of spells that each cult can teach each of it's members Moon Wars assumes that cult's magic is capable of doing anything within it's own field. For example Orlanth is a God of dreadful weather and warriors. A character can use his Orlanthi Magic skill to cast spells that would cause winds and rain or make him fight better. Orlanthi magic would not help a character understand ancient scrolls or heal a horrible disease.

To use this sort of magic players and GMs should be flexible. In conventional RuneQuest characters have a defined set of things that they can do. A Character might be able to make his bow accurate, but not his sword. In Moon Wars the only restrictions are based on what the player and the GM think is reasonable. You can, if you want, confine the spells you're trying to cast to those ones listed in RuneQuest rulebooks, but I think that would be missing the point. It's a system open to abuse, but unless the players and the GM trust each other the games not going to work anyway.

It's more important to ensure that the players are having fun and that the characters seem to be doing things appropriate to their cult's magic than to nit-pick about whether or not an Orlanthi should be able to raise his Shield skill.

Balbinus · January 12, 2008, 07:04:29 AM

The only thing that kind of disappointed me with the new versions was the inclusion of advantages and disadvantages.

Star Wars 1e is a very easy system, you allocate dice to stats and skills and you're done.

Current d6 (and most other d6 games I've seen) has you buying disadvantages for extra dice and spending dice to gain advantages, it adds complexity and far more analysis into chargen, and I'm not persuaded the result is more memorable or credible characters.

Personally, I'd prefer d6 without the ads and disads, but increasingly I find I prefer most games without them.

Balbinus · January 12, 2008, 07:13:39 AM

Quote from: pspahnThat's me, too. I also like PIG's genreDiversion rules for the same reason. With d6 going OGL-ish, I'm seriously considering doing conversions of games like Vice Squad: Miami Nights and the upcoming Dreamwalker Revised.

Pete

I'd buy a D6 Vice Squad edition.

Zachary The First · January 12, 2008, 09:27:31 AM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!The Wizard's Little helper is pretty cool...'cept it gives back results like these:

...emphasis mine.

EDIT: On review, if I do an alteration skill...

...weird. What was I doing wrong...?

Huh. I'm getting something similar. Can't figure it out. It wasn't...well, wait:

Name: Buff
Skill: alteration
Difficulty: 13
Effect: 9 (2D physical damage modifier)
Range: 1 meter (+0)
Speed: instantaneous (+0)
Casting Time: 1 round (-4)
Duration: 1 hour (+18)
Other Aspects: none
Description: Buff for damage

I put in simple gesture, simple incantation, and that's what I got. When I move those up:

Name: Buff
Skill: alteration
Difficulty: 10
Effect: 9 (2D physical damage modifier)
Range: 1 meter (+0)
Speed: instantaneous (+0)
Casting Time: 1 round (-4)
Duration: 1 hour (+18)
Other Aspects: none
Description: Buff for damage

Well, I'll have to mess with it (and go back and look at spell creation again).

Quote from: BalbinusI'd buy a D6 Vice Squad edition.

With the OGL coming up, I'd love to see more designers pushing out product for d6.

Thanks for the link, droog. Tagged!

Dr Rotwang! · January 12, 2008, 04:29:31 PM

Quote from: BalbinusCurrent d6 (and most other d6 games I've seen) has you buying disadvantages for extra dice and spending dice to gain advantages, it adds complexity and far more analysis into chargen, and I'm not persuaded the result is more memorable or credible characters.

Then don't use them. They're optional.

pspahn · January 12, 2008, 04:54:35 PM

Quote from: BalbinusThe only thing that kind of disappointed me with the new versions was the inclusion of advantages and disadvantages.

Star Wars 1e is a very easy system, you allocate dice to stats and skills and you're done.

Current d6 (and most other d6 games I've seen) has you buying disadvantages for extra dice and spending dice to gain advantages, it adds complexity and far more analysis into chargen, and I'm not persuaded the result is more memorable or credible characters.

Personally, I'd prefer d6 without the ads and disads, but increasingly I find I prefer most games without them.

See, I like the ads and disads, but I agree that the point buy options make them seem too complex. That's what I meant about the OGL. If I'm allowed to play around with the system and "fix" what I want to fix, I'm fairly certain there will be some conversions coming along. If it's more like the d20 STL where you can include certain things, but not others (like character advancement), then I'll probably pass.

Pete

Zachary The First · January 12, 2008, 06:17:28 PM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Then don't use them. They're optional.

Absolutely. It's an add-on, and quite modular. The game does not suffer w/out them (though I don't mind them), IMO.

Tyberious Funk · January 13, 2008, 06:36:43 PM

Quote from: droogHave any of you d6 aficionadoes seen this hack for Glorantha? I always liked his way of handling magic, but never got around to actually using it.

Moon Wars

Nope, never seen it. But then I've never played in Glorantha. But it does remind me a bit of The Gramayre, which was originally written for Fudge but could easily be ported to just about any other skill-based system. A more polished version can be found in Grey Ghost Games "A Magical Medley" (along with several other magic systems). I'm told that in turn, it is very much like the magic system in Ars Magica, but again, it's another system I've never played.