Developing an RPG 2: Da Roolz

In a previous post, I detailed the fluff for a new RPG I've been fiddling with. It's nowhere near playable but I might as well jot down my ramblings, eh?

First, thanks mainly to buying some GURPS books, I've become fond of hex maps so the rules are written with hexes in mind. From the outset I wanted to keep the types of dice used fairly simple so the only types used are D6s and D10s, with D6s as the most frequently used.

Now we get to attributes. I could summarize but instead I'll post one of the few semi-complete sections of my RPG:

To create your very own Giant you first have to determine your Giant's Primary Attributes. There are three attributes:

*Strength (Str): Represents your Giant's physical power.

*Dexterity (Dex): Represents your Giant's agility and reflexes.

*Constitution (Con): Represents your Giant's endurance and immune system.

Each of these Attributes start at 1. You have a pool of 12 points that you can spend to increase your Giant's attributes on a 1-to-1 basis (i.e. increasing your Giant's Str to 5 cost 4 points).

Once you've got the Primary Attributes squared away, you can determine your Giant's Secondary Attributes:

*Health Points (HP): Represents your Giant's health and physical wholeness. To determine your Giant's HP, add 10 to your Giant's Con. This is your Maximum HP. Your Giant dies if his HP goes to 0.

*Speed (Spd): Represents your Giant's movement speed. To determine your Giant's Spd add 4 to your Giant's Dexterity; this is the number of spaces on a hex map she may move per round.

*Defense (Def): Represents your Giant's skill at avoiding hits. To determine your Giant's Def start with 5 and add your Giant's Dex and any Defense Modifiers from Armor. That is the number that an opponent's attack roll must equal or exceed in order to hit your Giant.

You'll note that there are no mental stats. This is a conscious choice, an experiment in the matter of player knowledge vs character knowledge. In Wrath of the Giants! such a separation doesn't exist which may wind being a problem.

But enough about that, time for fighting!

Melee Combat

To make a Melee attack against an opponent, the target must be in either a hex adjacent to the Giant or in the Giant's own hex. At the GM's discretion, some weapons, especially improvised ones, might have a farther reach. The Attacker rolls 3D6 and compares the result to the Target's Defense.

So attack and defense are basically D&D 3.5's attack and AC with 3D6 instead of 1D20 (thanks again, GURPS!) As an embarrassing aside, this wasn't the original design I had in mind. See, I had a great idea about the combat system and I forgot to write it down. Such is the life of an amateur RPG designer ._.

Improvisation in Battle

Sometimes a Giant my drop a weapon or send it flying away. While using your fists is a noble tradition in Giant pugilism, most prefer a good, strong weapon instead!

The image of a Giant grabbing a horse, tree, trebuchet, or small building and using it to kick some tinyfolk ass is really great. But if improvised weapons are strictly worse than manufactured weapons, why wouldn't a Giant just buy a bunch of high-quality weapons instead of relying on scavenging?
So I inserted a(n as-yet unwritten) fumble rule just to make a crappy alternative viable. Although I didn't intend as a bad example of contrived rules, looking at I it now this was a terrible idea. Fumbles will be turned into something optional in future drafts.

That's all for now!