If you're struggling over an idea or different parts of your game, feel free to post here! I'm always happy to help and I know I won't be the only one.
OK, so I've been putting together a main setting for Hotshots (starfighter game) that's kind of Star Wars-y with the weirdness front-and-center instead of pushed to obscurity and legends, and that's made me want to design games for other parts of that universe.
So, Jedi stand-ins are these sun warriors who get their power by drinking the scorching blood of phoenix-like space creatures that die and then are reborn inside stars as the stars form. I'm thinking this cult could be a good fit for 3d6D.
Right now I'm deciding if I want combat to include health points/damage. These are definitely characters who might be swinging sunfire swords around and shooting solar flares so there are definite uses for tracked HP, but it does add something that was maybe intentionally left out of the original 3d6D. The third d6 from power rolls could definitely be used to decide damage dealt (or healed in some cases), which could lead to some interesting negotiation from players over whether they want to deal more damage at the cost of taking a consequence or deal less damage and avoid the consequence.
The other thing I'm deciding is if I want a couple universal powers and then have diversity on top of that, or if I want all players to just have their own one power. In the fiction I think it makes sense for all sun warriors (Eousi) to be able to have a basic damage power and a basic healing power. Or maybe they just have the basic damage power and then choose between healing and other options.
Just thought of this: What if they all have sunburn (damage) and solar healing, but then players can make up whatever they want for their third power, but it has to be related to the sun in some way... And maybe sunburn and solar healing can be upgraded while playing somehow.
Anyway, I'm not sure if there's a specific question in there, but I'm totally up to hear anyone's thoughts on any of that.
I seriously squealed in real life over this XD I've been slowly chipping away at a game that involves combat and have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to make it work with the 3d6D system (especially since my partner's so much into the crunch and stats and such). I LOVE the idea of using the third dice for damage/heals! Hope you don't mind if I use it c.c
Yeah, definitely use the system as a base and build up as much as you want! There's a reason one of the rules I had was to hack it as much as you want :D While it's made to be a simplistic system, I think it would be great to see how many different ways it could fit with other systems and everything.
I think that last thing you thought of could be really cool. It sounds way too powerful at first, but I think the third die could be a great way to keep things balanced. There are things that might not need a third die, but of course GM could always say "Dial it back a bit there".
All in all I'm really digging the Eousi and now I want to revisit Hotshots XD It sounds like this is going to be great!
Oh, I'm definitely totally fine with you using whatever you'd like from it!
As far as crunch is going so far, it's almost taking on some OSR feeling. Like, I have both Eousi and enemies rolling some number of dice for health (which is basically hit dice), there are already quite a few roll tables, and death is a pretty real possibility.
On that last point, characters can die in the Rebirthing ceremony when they drink Eous' blood (which frames character creation). So, after you pick a name and a look, when you roll for your health but before you finish character creation, the Rebirth might kill you. I'm feeling like it sets a tone: You all are going to be VERY powerful, but this life is VERY dangerous.
Anyway, I like what's coming together!
Ather a week of pondering, I think I came up with a theme, setting, tone and mechanics to use with the 3D6 system.
A Scifi wrestling game called "Galactic Prime Wrestling", which invovles various alien races suplexing each other in various rings all over the universe.
I'm going to list the mechanics I have in mind:
-Heel/Face: In the tradition of pro wrestling, there are two core type of Wrestlers. The Faces are the "good" guys while the heels are the "bad" guys. I want a connecting mechanic that can influence the crowd that can grant benefits if they are being or cheering.
-Stamina Pool: the Points Pool with name change and was thinking this could be the Wreslter's HP. For every successful roll, use the third dice to roll a number and take away that much from the opponent's Stamia Pool.
-3 Count: The win condition to winning a match. A 3 Count can only be initiate if one or more wreslter's SP is below 50%. . If the pool reaches zero, you get -3 to your contested roll in a 3 Count.this is all I have for now but I think this is a good base to build off the base.
I'm open to feedbacks on here.
So much original idea was to make a game based on kitsune, but I got a bit intimidated because it's an idea I'd been sitting on for a long time and I'm not sure if I'm ready to go that route yet, especially since I feel the need to exorcise some ideas first.
So instead I realized the ideas I had would work well with one of the first TTRPGs I had tried to design. It'll be a good way for me to see if this system would work in a non-violent game, as well.
The idea is a group of kids lost in the forest and having to meet day-to-day needs while either finding their way out, signaling for help, or making a home there. Actions are a limited resource though since their point pool is for Energy. If they're able to work together though, like one person finding a good source of water such as a river, and another finding a good source of food like a berry bush, that can free other people up to work towards their ultimate goals.
Players will roll the 3d6 and compare to a Needs table to see what their needs are for that round. They can choose one or two of the three to focus on (it's a 1-6 table). It will include things like Water, Food, Shelter, and Comfort.
If the needs aren't met for any player during a round, they either lose their third die for the next round, or lose x Energy for that round. They also still have that need and have to roll a new need for the next day. It can snowball pretty quick if players don't decide to help each other. They can even donate their extra die to help other players if they haven't rolled yet, or even offer up a part of their own Energy to assist if they haven't yet reached 0. It's all about encouraging teamwork and prioritizing.
I'm debating if I should have stats. If I do, I want to keep them to Mind, Body, and Heart. Mind is the ability to think their way through a problem (and will give younger players the chance to get help when they can't think of an idea). Body is physical, and Heart is empathy, both for nature/animals and for each other. If I go that route, I'll probably just give something like 3 points to distribute, with no more than 2 points in any stat. Don't know if this would overcomplicate things for younger players though.
For background, it's a subject in school they're really good at in school and how it can be applied there. For example, if they're good at Science, they could tell what berries are safe to eat. If they're good at Art, they could draw a good map as the forest is explored. If they're good at PE, they could be good at running, jumping, and climbing. Players can get creative about how their best subject is used.
Players can also choose one thing they brought with them that they always brought to school. This can range from a notebook to an instrument to even their backpack. Any time they're able to work in the item, they get a bonus to their rolls.
To escape, every effort will add a point to that effort's meter. So if a person finds a way to make a shelter, that would add a point to the Forest Home meter. If they manage to make a signal fire, they get a point to the Signal Help meter. If they decide to follow a river or climb a tree to try to determine what direction to go or things like that, they get another point in the Find Your Own Way meter (titles are working titles XD). I'll have to figure out how many points are needed for each meter. Some need to be done daily but require less points (like the signal fire), while others can be done over time but require more points (like making the forest their home).
I'd also like to add a combat expansion and forest elements expansion to help switch things up.
The combat expansion would include stats for Attack, Defense, and HP, with a total of 9 points to distribute between them (no more than 5, no less than one, with HP having a base of 10-20). Combat will have players roll all three dice and choosing which will go to Attack and which go to Defense. It can be anywhere from all 3 to one stat or 2 to one and 1 to the other. They will be contested rolls, with baddies ranging from easy (just a +1 to one stat) through Very Hard (with up to a 5, 3, and 1 to put amongst stats). Players can also make improvised weapons that will give them small bonuses too.
The forest elements expansion is way simpler. Players either choose or roll for an element that the forest blesses them with (earth, air, fire, water, wood, or animal empathy). They get an Element Pool next to their Energy Pool. Each time they use their element to help them out, they take it from their Element Pool instead. If they don't, the forest spirits will either make things more difficult for them or try to drive them out (which could be good for finding their way out? But won't be as fun). If they respect the forest, they can get occasional help from the forest spirits in different tasks as long as they respect the forest. If they appease the forest spirits in some way, they could even get help in making the forest their home.
Goodness, sorry this is so long x.x The ideas just kept flowing! I'm surprised how well this idea fits with the system. I originally shelved it thinking I'd have to turn it into a board game or something. Any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated!
So I don't have a name for my game yet, I've always been terrible with names, but my setting and theme is basically Disney's The Aristocats as an RPG. It's set in Victorian era America and everyone's playing as house cats (called Proper Cats, or PCs) that are meant to be pets of the aristocratic upper class folks. The game is just about getting into hijinks and going on little cat adventures, fairly low stakes and light hearted.
My main addition to the mechanics already present in 3d6d is having specific attributes for the 2d6 actions (Cute, Curious, Cautious, and Caring) which players can put points into in order to get bonuses to their normal, non-special-power-using rolls, and to give some sort of guidance towards what actions are considered typical for the game, since every action the Proper Cats take will be something which is either cute, curious, cautious, or caring.
My main problem and why I'm posting in the brainstorming thread here is that I have no idea what to do for the abilities (or powers as they're called in 5 Second Rule). I've named them all after different idioms about cats, so I've got Nine Lives, Out of the Bag, Grey at Night, Cat & Mouse, Herding Cats, and What the Cat Dragged In, but I've got nothing on what to actually have these abilities do in game that wouldn't just be covered by an Attribute test. I'm looking for suggestions cause I've got nothing lol
oh yeah, I'm also making the age of the cat an important factor as well. Kittens have a lot more points in their ability pool than older cats, but have less points to spend on attributes at character creation. Elder cats have a much smaller ability pool, but a lot more points to spend in their attributes, and adult cats are kind of a middle ground between the two.
If this is a game with a GM, you might have powers put some things that are usually handled by the GM into the hands of a PC. Like maybe all PCs could use Curious to search an area and the GM tells them what they find, but with What the Cat Dragged In, the PC can roll it and tell the GM what they found (even if it’s a little out-of-place). Or for Out of the Bag, the player doesn’t have to make multiple rolls for set up and play out an interrogation scene, they can just ask the GM to reveal information and then the player explains how their PC exposes it in fiction. That maybe makes them more powerful than the attribute rolls usually are.