A new RPG rule system?

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In this thread, I expressed a desire to start a foundation to develop a remake of BG2.

For various reasons, I have decided this is a bad idea, mostly because BG2 doesnt actually need one, but also because I wouldnt be able to license 3.5E rules even if I wanted to make just another RPG game.

Which led me to thinking - perhaps a new RPG can be created anyway. People are creating new games all the time, and some even make games and mods for free (no small achievement).

So, before I write any other information, let me, in broad detail, outline what the aims of this foundation/game would be, if it ever got off the ground.

First of all, it would aim to produce a fantasy setting, in which games can be set. This setting, and perhaps some characters and plotlines, could be freely used by any other in any medium, so long as they 1) did not deviate too far from the source material, 2) acknowledged the source of the original material.

So... we have the setting. Next we would need a ruleset. The thing is, this game most likely wouldnt be played on PnP. That being said, I'd want to make it only as complex as necessary, so it may end up being simple enough for PnP play. Failing that, even if it is a little too complex, perhaps a mini client could be developed, that automated the rules, including hit calculations, and showed avatars for the player, but perhaps left the rest up to them (and even provided integrated VoIP? perhaps too much to ask, everyone just use skype, its free and it works).

Anyway, with the ruleset in place, I'd like to create a set of assets, generic things such as monsters, characters, art assets such as trees and houses, and various other things. And perhaps more importantly, a set of tools that would enable anyone to develop their own adventure, given based on the setting.

And lastly, the first game, released as a free download or sold in boxed form, for a price only high enough to cover the packaging.

I know what everyone is going to say - too much work. I guess it kinda is. but, now and then, I get creative ideas, and feel the need to express them. Even if nothing comes of this one, perhaps later, I'll have an idea, and work with it, and make something of it.

As for the rules, I've started giving them some thought.

I'd have 5 base stats - Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, Intelligence, and Will.

They would start at 20 for a level 1 character, and the player would have 20 free points to distribute. No scores under 20 will be allowed, so no one will be able to play a character too stupid to talk.

Each level up (there are 50 levels), each character gets 1 stat point and 2 skill points. Each Vitality point would add 1 hit point, each intelligence point 1 mana point (perhaps more - it would depend on the general scale of the damage).

A little explanation about Will - it measures the force of a characters will. Characters with higher levels of will be more resistant to spells, but also will do more damage with spells. Divine spellcasters will require more will than intelligence, while wizards require more intelligence than will. Each strength point adds 1 point to damage.

I'd need to work out the linear relationships between character level, hit points, and damage.

one last thing - multiclassing would be implicit - there is no need to stick to one character class, but choosing too many would weaken the character. A player would need to decide on a role for the character, and then allocate stat points, level ups, and skill points. Higher levels of a spell casting class allow access to more powerful spells as well as increasing the damage of already known spells (to prevent a situation in which a high level fighter with lots of will takes 1 mage level and can destroy other mages).

Do you guys think any of this sounds too similar to D&D? I mean, surely most of what D&D is based on is public domain anyway, or based of LOTR.

 

1. Because NWN and NWN2 arent free, and neither is D&D.

2. because neither are BG or BG2! I know it sounds really nostalgic, but the thing I dont like about them is that they lack the tactical party dynamics present in BG. I'm aware that in NWN2 you can control a party, to some extent, but I heard its still not up to scratch with BG's party control.

 

Hrm, well, let's be blunt: Your system is generic. Sure, it'll probably end up rather solid, work fine, etc. - but starting off with that as the base you're not bringing anything new to the table. If that's the sort of system you're going to do, you really might as well make an NWN mod, because your system is going to end up supporting the same kind of play.

The better option would, IMO, be to create the system specifically so that it supports the sort of play you want. To that end, three questions:

What is your game about?
What do the characters do?
What do the players do?

( http://socratesrpg.blogspot.com/2005/12/what-are-big-three.html )

Some resources:
http://socratesrpg.blogspot.com/
http://www.lumpley.com/hardcore.html
http://www.indie-rpgs.com

All of this is for designing PnP systems, and so some of it just isn't going to work for a cRPG. However, much of it does, and many of the ideas are very relevant.

 

Thanks, thats the kind of stuff I was looking for.

To be honest, I kind of expected it to end up looking generic, because I was looking to create almost a D&D clone.

I guess, the problem is, whatever system I create will likely end up being generic because of the setting. the setting would be your typical D&D world, your Diablo world etc, and because of that, there will be fighters and mages and divine spell casters. Just like everyone else.

It was just an idea, who knows what will come of it, perhaps when I am older and wiser I will really accomplish this goal, perhaps using a different rule system developed by someone else (with appropriate permissions of course). I'm sure someone who thinks about rulesets often could think of a better ruleset than me.