In our latest YT show, we talk about the best TTRP mechanics we have seen. Not the best games or settings, but rather individual mechanics or procedures. Obviously, there are many games I have not played (but I have played many over 40 years of gaming), but this is what we came up with. What mechanics do you guys love?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJJgGYQlQN8&t=3s
I feel like the stress mechanic from Alien, Pssions from Pendragon, Effort from ICRPG, position & effect and flashback from BitD are all good examples.
hard to quantify "best", but I fell they all contribute greatly to making these accomplish certain vibes/ atmosphere
I do like the stress mechanic a lot
that system is all-around good
One I found was an optional set of dueling rules for Star Wars D6.
I wasn't happy with the default game where "an epic duel between Sith and Jedi," was often over in one or two rounds to the first hit.
I later found a group called Griffon Publishing that created a set of rules called "Dueling Blades" for 1vs1 sword fights.
Griffon Publishing "Dueling Blades" (http://griffonpubstudio.blogspot.com/p/schweigs-d6-resources.html?m=1)
It completely changed a fight from a boring 1-hit kill into a drawn out battle worth watching. It went further and added something else to fights. Outcomes that are not damage.
At its most basic it's simply an opposed roll with four (five, actually) outcomes. It even gets rid of initiative rolls. The two combatants just roll simultaneously, and the margin of success sets which of the four outcomes occurs. I said it's really five, as the author forgot to say what happens in a tie.
The four outcomes are a push, a stun, a wound, and a critical hit. If you lose the roll, the baddie's margin of success is used on you.
The push result is why I love the system. It adds movement to a fight. It's not rockem-sockem robots where two fighters beat on each other in one spot until one dies. The winner of a push result gets to pick where they move. You can literally corner a baddy, or force them into a carbon freeze chamber, off a balcony, into a fireplace, into an airlock, back into lava, etc.
Just remember that while it's a single opposed roll that it really represents an entire round of many, many strikes, parries, stabs, kicks, cartwheels, backflips, and so on. One roll isn't one strike. GM's, remember to narrate out an interesting round of fighting that ends with the result.
I had to add a tie breaker for the times when that result happens. I imagine a blade lock and I either have a shoving match of strength vs strength roll to knock-down (stun) the other, or an quippy insult session by means of a Charm vs Charm roll that also results in the loser being stunned. It's mental vs pain, but a stun is a stun.
I push this single rules set whenever I can when D6 rules come up. It doesn't even need to be Star Wars. Normal sword fights, or even unarmed fights could use this.
AD&D initiative, obviously.
Real answer: HERO/GURPS 3D6 skill rolls. Nice bell curve, ubiquitous dice, easy to understand, simple math, simple adds, easy to explain, whatever else. That's how you make a game easy to play with a lot of depth.
Quote from: Brad on December 07, 2024, 10:03:01 PMAD&D initiative, obviously.
Real answer: HERO/GURPS 3D6 skill rolls. Nice bell curve, ubiquitous dice, easy to understand, simple math, simple adds, easy to explain, whatever else. That's how you make a game easy to play with a lot of depth.
Ah. Gauntlet is thrown down. Let me pick that up.
Easy? Ubiquitous D6 based? Innovation?
Well, my current favorites are the Nerdruna Publishing games of True-D6 and Kogarashi (they're nearly identical rules).
It uses just a single D6. You roll equal or under your six attributes, but roll high as the number is your damage. Armor works the same, so it's an unofficial seventh attribute.
I love those games. They're even better because they come with solo rules, but that's another topic.
I just love how easy it is to play using such seemingly minimal resources. And it works.
I should really get a hardcopy for myself.
Kogarashi looks really cool
I might have to pick that up
I'm a big fan of
usage die and think it is underused. Not for usage, which works, but...
• Imagine using it for sanity instead of the straight numbers CoC uses.
• Or some kind of mechanic for Clerics that they roll prior to using a spell or whatever and it all stops when usage hits 0. Better find a shrine or temple to fix things.
• Or charges on a magic weapon that are less obvious.
Lots of possibilities.
Haven't watched the video yet (but will!) but I'd add an abstracted mechanic for supply/ammunition record keeping whether random or fixed, combined or separate. I was personally introduced to it with Forbidden Lands where your food, water, and ammo are a die roll where the die gets smaller every time you fail and you check each time you use the individual resource. I'm also ok with just a simple "resource" or "supply" total that you can use on the fly as whatever you need (food, water, ammo, etc) that you just tick down by 1 each time you do. I don't want to go back to tracking every cheese sandwich or serving of trailmix that my adventurer has during the game (and frankly most of the time we ended up ignoring it unless the survival aspect was absolutely key to the session).
One thing that D&D rules do not do well is comparative variations in speeds - regular old initiative doesn't take into account acceleration except in terms of feet/action alongside some bolt-on "run" multiples. I was running a chariot race session once, and needed to deal with accels/decels occurring at the same time, and I ended up using the old impulse chart from Star Fleet Battles. It worked perfectly for this. I stitched together a couple rules for acceleration maximums per round and we were off, literally, to the races. Best mechanic I've every found for this particular problem.
Chaosium's BRP system was a gift of the gods to an undeserving humanity, like Prometheus bringing fire to mortals.
Always liked Warhammer FRP's mechanic of rolling percentiles to hit, then you simply read the dice backwards to determine the hit location. No need for two separate rolls.
Quote from: I on December 20, 2024, 05:07:32 AMAlways liked Warhammer FRP's mechanic of rolling percentiles to hit, then you simply read the dice backwards to determine the hit location. No need for two separate rolls.
I like the Harnquest use of ends in a 5 or 0 to determine critical hit or fumble. If it hit and ends in either its a critical hit. If its a miss and ends in either its a fumble. No math to determine percentage on the fly if the difficulty changes. Similar to that I've seen doubles used the same way.
I like the idea of the hunger dice system in VtM5E, but I feel it's a bit too brutal. Could also just be a ref specific issue tbh.
Maybe not the most popular answer, but i loved Blades in the Dark, its just so smooth.
Quote from: I on December 20, 2024, 05:07:32 AMChaosium's BRP system was a gift of the gods to an undeserving humanity, like Prometheus bringing fire to mortals.
Always liked Warhammer FRP's mechanic of rolling percentiles to hit, then you simply read the dice backwards to determine the hit location. No need for two separate rolls.
Specifically, I really like the straightforward stat roll system of Runequest and BRP.
I like Pocket Fantasy's magic system
It's a very rules lite game, so maximizing effect with a minimal word count is an important aspect.
It works by having six combat spells. They're only used during a fight, and a wizard gets two castings per each fight.
Out of combat a wizard gets two spells per game session. Anything they want, or anything the GM will allow. Durations of effect is 24 hours. It's done as a skill check, and the GM sets the difficulty number.
There. That's it.
It does a few things I love.
1. Wizards are never out of magic. They'll always cast at least two spells per fight.
2. There is no massive spell list filling up a big chunk of the pages in you rulebook.
3. The GM gets to be involved and can curtail spellcasters that mess with the story.
This may be a bit mundane for this list but my favorite newer mechanic is player facing rolls.
Over all, I don't roll dice at the table when I run a game. I do all my random table rolls in prep and will ask a player to make a roll for me if I need to do one on the fly. This has lead to a rep among players that I am a very honest and fair GM. (I don't think I'm anything special in that aspect but why burst the bubble.)
Boon and Bane from Shadow of the Demon Lord. It solves multiple "Modern D&D can't math" issues with one mechanic.
Other than your attribute score, there is no static bonus you need to know. No more "+2 from flank, +1 from haste, +3 from X spell, +1 from bard music..." calculations. Every beneficial or detrimental effect is a d6 you roll.
You only use the highest of the rolled boon/bane. So even if you have 10 different buffs, best you can get is a +6. This means character rolls are actually bounded since there isn't much you can do to increase your attributes either. Also there is a diminishing return on multiple boons so diversifying your character is better than minmaxing for every single boon on attack rolls.
Since boons and banes take each other out, you know if you are fucked or dominating by knowing how many you roll. Fighting a demon is always challenging since their presence alone imposes a bane, they are resistant to magic which is another bane against spells, and stronger demons force a Will check which can cause fear and another bane.
Quote from: BadApple on December 21, 2024, 10:12:20 AMThis may be a bit mundane for this list but my favorite newer mechanic is player facing rolls.
Over all, I don't roll dice at the table when I run a game. I do all my random table rolls in prep and will ask a player to make a roll for me if I need to do one on the fly. This has lead to a rep among players that I am a very honest and fair GM. (I don't think I'm anything special in that aspect but why burst the bubble.)
I wrote this approach into my own system. While I have optional rules so the rolling functions as it does in D&D (3e/5e or 4E) or as opposed checks, by default all opponents are built using static values for their traits and PCs roll attacks and defenses against those numbers.
Also, while not a written rule itself, I make a habit of always telling the PC the target number for their check as in the process of performing that check they'd reasonably have an idea of how easy or difficult it would be to do again. This also saves a lot of follow up time as players no longer have to ask with each check whether it succeeds or not.
I'm always divided on whether I should just reveal the target number for whatever roll, or keep it secret. Revealing it makes everything way quicker, but keeping it secret creates tension and affects choices.
Quote from: MerrillWeathermay on December 07, 2024, 03:47:34 PMI do like the stress mechanic a lot
that system is all-around good
Alien stress dice is good fun, but by the end of the game it starts to get a bit over the top with people rolling 12+ dice at once. (stress + skills + mods + stunts)
2nd edition is coming next year, will keep any eye out to see if that gets updated.
The stress mechanic from Alien has been mentioned here several times. I would like to mention stress from Mothership, I liked how it makes every roll significant, every check is reflected in the internal state of the PC.
And I would like to note the Mighty Deeds mechanic from DCC. For me it is the discovery of the year.
I'm a huge fan of the combat mechanics from The Riddle of Steel. They could still use a bit of tweaking to account for multiple combatant organization, but the basic allocation of dice from the Combat Pool, combined with the physical reduction in dice pool size as wounds and fatigue take their toll, feels like the best reproduction of an actual fight I've ever come across.
I can think of three real MVP mechanics:
- The Six Pack Rule from Paranoia. The idea of crossing a character death with a drinking game is on the nose for such a crazy and fatal setting.
- The Year Zero Engine Pushing mechanic. The Push mechanic allows you to roll extra dice (or reroll a die in the step die version) by semi-permanently decreasing a stat, and because YZE has a generally lower chance of success than most lighthearted RPGs, you are encouraged to push dice. Unfortunately, I think this mechanic works notably better with the step die version of YZE because the value of a push autoscales with the stat (which is of course the version no one uses!). Also, the pool is slightly too small to really get good leverage out of pushes. But this is also kind of me nitpicking.
- The Savage Worlds Race Creation tool. Savage Worlds is a successful system in part because it has mostly fun all-purpose mechanics, but the other half of the reason is that because you can make custom races very easily, it is very easy to use to create specific settings. A lot of systems have race creator subsystems, but the Savage Worlds one is the best balance of speed, power, and intuitive usability that I've encountered with this kind of tool.
Quote from: Lythel Phany on December 21, 2024, 11:08:41 AMBoon and Bane from Shadow of the Demon Lord. It solves multiple "Modern D&D can't math" issues with one mechanic.
That is pretty nice. I've been so close to buying this system multiple times.
For some strange reason, I really like the main d6 dice mechanic from Tiny Dungeon.
Standard Roll:
Roll 2d6, and any 5 or 6 equals a success.
Advantage:
Roll 3d6
Disadvantage:
Roll 1d6
You're always looking for at least one, 5 or 6.
That's simple, and it could be used to make any game move quickly.
***Plus if something is extra easy, I suggest you just ask for a 4 or better. If something is extra hard, ask for a 6.
I suggest you base damage rolls on 1d6, 2d6, 3d6, etc. Now you only need d6's at the table.***
Quote from: Riquez on December 21, 2024, 04:21:53 PMAlien stress dice is good fun, but by the end of the game it starts to get a bit over the top with people rolling 12+ dice at once. (stress + skills + mods + stunts)
2nd edition is coming next year, will keep any eye out to see if that gets updated.
I like the idea of the stress mechanic but I found that it could get snowball of hand quickly with a few unlucky rolls. It got to be kind of comical at one point as the characters quickly built up so much stress that they were just floundering around like space Keystone Cops.
I liked Shadow of the Demon Lord as well. However, I liked it for two other reasons not mentioned above.
1. The classes. You start the game as a fighter, wizard, rogue, or cleric. However, at level 3 you get to pick an Expert path from a list of 12 more interesting classes, at yet again you pick a Master path from a list of 30 or more at level 7.
2. The Demon Lord. The game has a built in end game. You only go to level 12, and when you hit max level you are expected to finally fight the title bad guy. What the demon lord is not set in stone. It might be a dragon, or a powerful ghost, a horned beast that talks, or anything. Or you can forget the plot and just keep adventuring for fun. It's your game.
For DnD games I like the Hazard Dice mechanic or overloaded encounter dice. Its a little d6 table your roll every turn that combines wandering monsters, torches, food, etc. I've used it for a few years and it really helps me as someone who tends to space on the book keeping during a session. I even use a variation for initiative.
Quote from: Fheredin on December 21, 2024, 10:05:02 PMThe Six Pack Rule from Paranoia.
Speaking of Paranoia, latest edition has messing with fellow troubleshooters start right from the character creation. When you select a skill to get a bonus, next player takes that skill with a penalty. Your +3 to Demolition is a -3 for the next player. Then you take a -4 to Bluff because someone else took it.
Quote from: Nerad on December 23, 2024, 03:06:54 AMFor DnD games I like the Hazard Dice mechanic or overloaded encounter dice. Its a little d6 table your roll every turn that combines wandering monsters, torches, food, etc. I've used it for a few years and it really helps me as someone who tends to space on the book keeping during a session. I even use a variation for initiative.
I've started using a Hazard Die in my (non-D&D) game. Four sessions in, I find it simultaneously spices up the game wonderfully and makes my life as GM much easier.
Note: I do
not like using the Harzard Die for "resources" -- torches, spells, etc. -- I prefer real resource management and tracking -- but I do use it for encounters, environmental changes, random discoveries, signs, etc.
MEGS. Mayfair Exponential Game System. One roll does it all. The Attribute Point system with cross-compatible bench marks makes it extremely adaptable. You can turn the whole system on its head and it still can articulate complex resolution with a single die roll. What I mean is, rulings on the fly will seldom be "wrong" because the right answer is almost forced upon you, and fast! You can play by just assigning target numbers without consideration of modifiers. 11+ is your 50% chance. 15+ exceptional success, 9+ for almost a sure thing and roll 5 or below is a dreadful miss (on 2d10). So the system can be incredibly crunchy, or incredibly light. It can do both.
Quote from: weirdguy564 on December 22, 2024, 11:09:52 PMI liked Shadow of the Demon Lord as well. However, I liked it for two other reasons not mentioned above.
1. The classes. You start the game as a fighter, wizard, rogue, or cleric. However, at level 3 you get to pick an Expert path from a list of 12 more interesting classes, at yet again you pick a Master path from a list of 30 or more at level 7.
2. The Demon Lord. The game has a built in end game. You only go to level 12, and when you hit max level you are expected to finally fight the title bad guy. What the demon lord is not set in stone. It might be a dragon, or a powerful ghost, a horned beast that talks, or anything. Or you can forget the plot and just keep adventuring for fun. It's your game.
You don't actually start with any class, as Level 0 just has you choose an Ancestry. You choose your Basic Path (Class: Magician, Priest, Rogue, Warrior) at Level 1, an Expert Path (Class: Cleric, Fighter, Wizard, etc.) at Level 3, and either a second Expert Path or a specialized Master Path (various) at Level 7. The game only covers up to Level 10 (although there are some options to extend, similar to 5e's version of Epic). What is really nice is that selections of Paths are open regardless of previous Path--so a Paladin (Expert) could come from roots as a Priest or Warrior...or even a Magician or Rogue (but these latter are likely less optimal).
Quote from: Man at Arms on December 22, 2024, 08:15:07 PMFor some strange reason, I really like the main d6 dice mechanic from Tiny Dungeon.
Standard Roll:
Roll 2d6, and any 5 or 6 equals a success.
Advantage:
Roll 3d6
Disadvantage:
Roll 1d6
You're always looking for at least one, 5 or 6.
That's simple, and it could be used to make any game move quickly.
***Plus if something is extra easy, I suggest you just ask for a 4 or better. If something is extra hard, ask for a 6.
I suggest you base damage rolls on 1d6, 2d6, 3d6, etc. Now you only need d6's at the table.***
Well now, this is super intuative, I've neer heard of Tiny Dungeon before, thanks for introducing me to it. I'm one of those ppl that came to TTRPGs from 5e and slowly begining to see the world of OSR style games, super cool!
Quote from: bardiclife on December 23, 2024, 11:58:12 PMQuote from: Man at Arms on December 22, 2024, 08:15:07 PMFor some strange reason, I really like the main d6 dice mechanic from Tiny Dungeon.
Standard Roll:
Roll 2d6, and any 5 or 6 equals a success.
Advantage:
Roll 3d6
Disadvantage:
Roll 1d6
You're always looking for at least one, 5 or 6.
That's simple, and it could be used to make any game move quickly.
***Plus if something is extra easy, I suggest you just ask for a 4 or better. If something is extra hard, ask for a 6.
I suggest you base damage rolls on 1d6, 2d6, 3d6, etc. Now you only need d6's at the table.***
Well now, this is super intuative, I've neer heard of Tiny Dungeon before, thanks for introducing me to it. I'm one of those ppl that came to TTRPGs from 5e and slowly begining to see the world of OSR style games, super cool!
Cool. I hope you like it. The stuff in between the asterisks, is just my own simple ideas.
I was running an Aliens RPG (Free League) game for the first time last night.
What a great, elegant system
reminds me a bit of the D6 Legend system. I talk about that in detail here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbryg2Uxchg
but the Free League system adds the great panic mechanic which can lead to all kinds of wild situations developing. The FL system also requires ONE success (typically) which simplifies things a bit.
Just speaking of dice mechanics, I absolutely love the roll xd6(+2 sometimes) keep highest 3 for skill rolls in EABA. It solves the issue of racing between DC and bonuses. there's a set scale of how hard something is 1-20, and a highly skilled character will simply be more consistent at hitting it. Problem is just that since EABA is designed completely around that, and it's such a heavy system, I ahven't gotten to play with it realy.
Maybe someday I'll make some kind of conversion to use the EABA roll in the OSR setting. wouldn't be easy though, unlike using just say 2d10 and adding bonus as usual, which gives a nice curve to the otherwise flat d20 without having to change any of the math realy.
Quote from: Zenoguy3 on December 27, 2024, 02:14:15 PMMaybe someday I'll make some kind of conversion to use the EABA roll in the OSR setting. wouldn't be easy though, unlike using just say 2d10 and adding bonus as usual, which gives a nice curve to the otherwise flat d20 without having to change any of the math realy.
Please, go on. I'm listening, and most interested in this.
I like flavorful mechanics, so I'll vote for the playing card-based initiative in Deadlands. I'm intrigued by Troika's bizarre initiative system, but I've never seen it in action. I'd be curious to hear reports.
Quote from: Man at Arms on December 22, 2024, 08:15:07 PMFor some strange reason, I really like the main d6 dice mechanic from Tiny Dungeon.
Standard Roll:
Roll 2d6, and any 5 or 6 equals a success.
Advantage:
Roll 3d6
Disadvantage:
Roll 1d6
You're always looking for at least one, 5 or 6.
That's simple, and it could be used to make any game move quickly.
***Plus if something is extra easy, I suggest you just ask for a 4 or better. If something is extra hard, ask for a 6.
I suggest you base damage rolls on 1d6, 2d6, 3d6, etc. Now you only need d6's at the table.***
The initial mechanic (d6, looking for 5s or 6s for successes) sounds like fudge/fate expressed with traditional d6s. (Not a complaint.)
Though I don't like 5E, I'd say the advantage/disadvantage mechanic should be in the running. It's relatively intuitive and simplifies the approach of rolling and then applying situational bonuses or penalties. Anything that eliminates players doing math at the table is a positive in my book. (Is it just me, or do younger players seem incapable of even the most basic math?) Maybe that kind of mechanic was applied elsewhere before, but 5E was the first time I encountered it.
Well right off the top one that seems to be missing from this discussion is roll a d20 add a modifier and or bonus and skill.
Given that it might be one of if not the most successful resolution mechanic thats where I put my money.
Quote from: bardiclife on December 23, 2024, 11:58:12 PMQuote from: Man at Arms on December 22, 2024, 08:15:07 PMFor some strange reason, I really like the main d6 dice mechanic from Tiny Dungeon.
Standard Roll:
Roll 2d6, and any 5 or 6 equals a success.
Advantage:
Roll 3d6
Disadvantage:
Roll 1d6
You're always looking for at least one, 5 or 6.
That's simple, and it could be used to make any game move quickly.
***Plus if something is extra easy, I suggest you just ask for a 4 or better. If something is extra hard, ask for a 6.
I suggest you base damage rolls on 1d6, 2d6, 3d6, etc. Now you only need d6's at the table.***
Well now, this is super intuative, I've neer heard of Tiny Dungeon before, thanks for introducing me to it. I'm one of those ppl that came to TTRPGs from 5e and slowly begining to see the world of OSR style games, super cool!
We play TinyD6 games quite often.
First, there are no ability scores. A character class is simply how many hit points (5-8), and a special skill/power that only your class gets. That's it. Two things. HP and a class power.
The dice mechanics are super easy. Statistically the dice rolls are a 33.3%, 55%, and 70%, more or less.
Damage is 1 or 2 points for 1-handed or 2- handed weapons respectively (oddly, the fantasy game is all 1 damage, but it was the prototype game of their series).
You get two actions per turn, both done when it's your time to act during the initiative order. Some games also make it a rule that big, 2-point damage weapons can only be used once per turn, so use your other action to do something else. Move, focus, evade, suppression fire, or take cover are ones listed in the games.
Games. Plural. Tiny-D6 has more than one game that all share the same base rules, though each game has enough specific rules to cover their genre's own unique mechanics. Spaceships in the space game, gun duels in the western game for two examples. There is Fantasy, Pirates, space exploration, giant robots vs giant monsters (you can be the monsters FYI), superheroes, cowboys, and even lifeguards/Baywatch.
It's also kid friendly rules because the lack of math. Every dice roll has no addition in it. Just a 5 or 6 needed on any dice to succeed. HP are single digits, easy enough for a child to understand.
I recommend the games, in particular the superhero game as a good starting game.
Dungeons and Delvers Dice Pool Edition.
The game uses dice from D4 up to D12. No D20's are used.
Attribute Scores all start as two D4's, two D6's, and a single D8 that will be your primary attribute.
Skills all start as D4's.
Special racial and class abilities also add dice in situations where they matter.
Roll them all, but only pick the best two.
Example: A Dwarf Warrior with a 2-handed hammer, with the soldier background (racial bonus to hammers), and Slayer ability (class bonus to 2-handers).
You roll a 1D8, 1D6, 1D4, and another 1D4.
You only need the biggest two, so the math is quick and easy.
Quote from: Ruprecht on December 08, 2024, 10:52:11 AMI'm a big fan of usage die and think it is underused. Not for usage, which works, but...
• Imagine using it for sanity instead of the straight numbers CoC uses.
• Or some kind of mechanic for Clerics that they roll prior to using a spell or whatever and it all stops when usage hits 0. Better find a shrine or temple to fix things.
• Or charges on a magic weapon that are less obvious.
Lots of possibilities.
My current psionic rules for my game system use this idea, inspired by that one AU. your mental energy and focus is represented as a psi-die which goes down with usage. different psionic powers have different thresholds for usage. so a little basic power like a short telepathic message only goes down a die size on a roll of a 1.
meanwhile something like pyrokensis is a 1-3
Wild-Talents and Espers start with a psi-die of 1d3 and go up from there.
I like The Ladder from the Soulbound game. This gives a way to adjust target numbers based upon the comparative skill of two characters. One example is Melee and Defence (British game, British spelling). If the attacker and the defender are both on the same rung of The Ladder, then the target # is 4+ on the D6s (dice pool game). For each rung the attacker is above the defender, the target # drops by 1 (to a minimum of 2+), while for each rung the attacker is below the defender, the target # increases by 1 (to a maximum of 6). The Ladder offers a great way of showing that everyone is using their skill to defend themselves without requring contested rolls, and makes taking on weak enemies quite easy but big bosses are very challenging.
Quote from: BadApple on December 21, 2024, 10:12:20 AMThis may be a bit mundane for this list but my favorite newer mechanic is player facing rolls.
Over all, I don't roll dice at the table when I run a game. I do all my random table rolls in prep and will ask a player to make a roll for me if I need to do one on the fly. This has lead to a rep among players that I am a very honest and fair GM. (I don't think I'm anything special in that aspect but why burst the bubble.)
This made me think of one of my favourite mechanics (or maybe it's more of a technique), which is basically a hidden player-facing roll. It's meant to solve the problem of things like Knowledge and Perception checks, or any time when players are calling upon information that is accessible to the character and not the player; the problem being that if they see they roll low, the player knows not to trust any information given. Instead the player rolls many different-colored d20s at once, and ahead of time the DM has secretly decided which color is the actual result - so the players can roll a number without knowing their own result.
Can't remember where I read it, somebody's blog probably, but it's a nice elegant solution.
Quote from: mekhawretch on January 02, 2025, 08:35:32 PMQuote from: BadApple on December 21, 2024, 10:12:20 AMThis may be a bit mundane for this list but my favorite newer mechanic is player facing rolls.
Over all, I don't roll dice at the table when I run a game. I do all my random table rolls in prep and will ask a player to make a roll for me if I need to do one on the fly. This has lead to a rep among players that I am a very honest and fair GM. (I don't think I'm anything special in that aspect but why burst the bubble.)
This made me think of one of my favourite mechanics (or maybe it's more of a technique), which is basically a hidden player-facing roll. It's meant to solve the problem of things like Knowledge and Perception checks, or any time when players are calling upon information that is accessible to the character and not the player; the problem being that if they see they roll low, the player knows not to trust any information given. Instead the player rolls many different-colored d20s at once, and ahead of time the DM has secretly decided which color is the actual result - so the players can roll a number without knowing their own result.
Can't remember where I read it, somebody's blog probably, but it's a nice elegant solution.
Hmmm, I might try this. It's a good solution.
Quote from: weirdguy564 on December 08, 2024, 10:32:38 AMQuote from: Brad on December 07, 2024, 10:03:01 PMAD&D initiative, obviously.
Real answer: HERO/GURPS 3D6 skill rolls. Nice bell curve, ubiquitous dice, easy to understand, simple math, simple adds, easy to explain, whatever else. That's how you make a game easy to play with a lot of depth.
Ah. Gauntlet is thrown down. Let me pick that up.
Easy? Ubiquitous D6 based? Innovation?
Well, my current favorites are the Nerdruna Publishing games of True-D6 and Kogarashi (they're nearly identical rules).
It uses just a single D6. You roll equal or under your six attributes, but roll high as the number is your damage. Armor works the same, so it's an unofficial seventh attribute.
I love those games. They're even better because they come with solo rules, but that's another topic.
I just love how easy it is to play using such seemingly minimal resources. And it works.
I should really get a hardcopy for myself.
I re-read this response a ton of times, and was thinking of a reply. Finally thought of something I think is genius. The Uncertainty Dice in Star Wars 1st edition. It's really the only thing in the Rules Companion I think is worth using at all (and really the only thing 1st edition didn't do perfectly from the start in my opinion).
If anyone is unfamiliar with WEG SW, basically you have difficulty numbers, say 15 for a pretty decently difficult task, and you roll xD6, add them up, and to try to achieve that number or higher. Difficulty of 30 is pretty much considered almost impossible, but Han Solo has a 10D in Starship Piloting which means he on average can succeed at impossible things. So anyway, say you are a regular schlub with a 5D in Piloting (which is actually decently high) trying to make some Not Hard maneuvers, difficulty 10, which is a success on average for a 3D pilot. You roll 5 dice and get a 14, success. Uncertainty Dice are basically extra dice you roll, maybe 2 or 3, possibly 4 if the GM is being an ass, and you add them all up. But the GM also rolls 4 dice and subtracts that from your roll. Adds a serious element of stress and drama but still giving the player a high degree of control over his own rolls and success.
EDIT: And right when I post this, I see something similar above. Gahh.
I like the System Strain rules from Stars Without Number. Basics are every time you're healed or have something traumatizing happen (like poison), you get a 1 point. When strain hits your Con score, you can't be healed any more. Poison beyond that kills you if I recall. You rest and only get 1 strain back a day.
I never got a player killed from the poison, but the strain could add up quickly in prolonged fighting situations (like a dungeon in World's Without Number). Just a neat little mechanic I'd like to see more of in other games.
We did a follow up to this, but focusing on the most problematic rules in AD&D (first edition)
not necessarily the *worst* rules, but ones that are tricky, a bit broken, unclear, etc. --and we offer up some suggestions on how to fix
https://youtu.be/EiGPFLtjWUY?si=Apew9OHP5IWr_3p_
Savage worlds for the initiative, explosive dice, tokens ! And cards for events too.