There comes a time in every person's life where they go "Screw it, I'm going to write a role-playing system." For me, this time came, like, a week ago or something. So I wrote up this system. In, like, a day. The system is based pretty heavily on the Madoka Magica
Magical Burst system, Tenra Bansho ZERO, SRS, and that one thread here on MinMax about modelling saves as damage. Tell me what you think.
Character CreationAttributesYour character's attributes represent their abilities to interact with the world. Attributes typically range from 1 to 10 (with most people falling somewhere between 3 and 9). Each attribute is described below, along with some example actions that are typically handled with them.
KnowledgeKnowledge covers intelligence, reasoning, learning, and memory. Solving a math problem, crafting a plan, and impressing people with random trivia all fall under Knowledge's domain. Knowledge falls under the Mind track. In combat, Knowledge can be used both offensively and defensively.
CourageCourage covers physical strength and energy, as well as the ability to project force. Courage also plays a role in standing against oppression and hindrance. Lifting weights, pimp slapping, and standing tall in the face of danger all require some amount of Courage. Courage falls under the Body track. In combat, Courage can be used offensively.
DiligenceDiligence covers stamina, vitality, and patience. Walking long distances, throwing off a cold, and making it through the entire history quiz are easier when you have Diligence. Diligence falls under the Body track. In combat, Diligence can be used defensively.
ExpressionExpression covers charisma, matters of the muse, and the ability to tell lies. Catching people's eyes, receiving standing ovations, staying unnoticed, and bringing smexy back rely on Expression. Expression falls under the Soul track. In combat, Expression can be used offensively.
UnderstandingUnderstanding covers empathy, the ability to sense others' motives, intuition, and the ability to cope with feels. Walking in someone else's shoes, noticing those who wish to stay hidden, and comforting your girlfriend are all associated with Understanding. Understanding falls under the Soul track. In combat, Understanding can be used defensively.
Generating AttributesRaising an attribute by 1 costs 1 point. No character can have an attribute lower than 1 or higher than 10. You should reserve about 30 points for attributes.
SpecialtiesSpecialties represent the little things that make your character stand out. All specialties detail a condition under which they apply. Your character may roll an additional d6 when making challenges that fill one of their specialties' conditions. A character who is particularly good at math could have Specialty: Math, which would let them roll an extra d6 when making challenges that involve math. A character trained in the art of swordplay could have Specialty: Sword Combat, which would let them roll an extra d6 when making challenges that involve fighting with a sword. A character who is particularly beautiful could have the Specialty: Beauty, which would let them roll an extra d6 when dealing with people attracted to them. Specialty: Beauty would probably not apply in combat. Specialty: Sword Combat almost certainly would.
A character can never gain more than one bonus die on any challenge from specialties, no matter how many apply.
Generating SpecialtiesTaking a specialty costs 2 points. You should reserve about 10 points for specialties.
SkillsSkills represent the ability to carry out particular tasks. Skills do not represent general abilities; if your character is a writer, they should take that as a specialty. Skills are for specific things with particular rules importance. A list of available skills is presented later. Taking a skill costs 3 points.
TracksYour character's tracks represent their mental, physical, and spiritual health. Each track consists of three tiers, each smaller than the next. The second tier is half the size of the first (rounded down, minimum 1), and the third tier is half the size of the second (again, rounded down, minimum 1). Any damage you take in added to a track, as determined by the source. The first tier of a track fills first, followed by the second tier, and finally the third. Tracks empty of damage in the reverse order. You cannot remove damage from the first tier of a track if you have damage in any higher tier.
You do not take penalties for having damage in the first tier of a track. As long as you have damage in the second tier of a track, your character takes a -3 penalty on all challenges. As long as you have damage in the third tier of a track, your character takes a -6 penalty on all challenges. If any one of your character's tracks fills completely, they collapse, and are incapable of acting until they recover.
Penalties from tracks are not cumulative. If you have damage in a track's third tier, your character only suffers the -6 penalty associated with that tier. The penalty from the lower tier is effectively subsumed by the higher. Always use the penalty associated with the track with the most damage in it. If you have two tracks with damage in their third tier, you only take the -6 penalty once.
Mind TrackThis track represents your character's mental health. Mental strain, psychic attacks, and bad puns deal damage to this track. The size of the first tier of the Mind track is equal to twice your character's Knowledge attribute. The Mind track is associated with the Knowledge attribute.
Body TrackThis track represents your character's physical health. Physical attacks, inclement weather, and flesh wounds deal damage to this track. The size of the first tier of the Body track is equal to twice your character's Diligence attribute. The Body track is associated with the Courage and Diligence attributes.
Soul TrackThis track represents your character's spiritual and social health. Demonic assaults, isolation, and being publicly shamed by that one prick deal damage to this track. The size of the first tier of the Soul track is equal to twice your character's Understanding attribute. The Soul track is associated with the Expression and Understanding attributes.
HealingDamage is removed from tier 1 at a rate of 1 per 5 minutes of rest. This removal occurs across all tracks simultaneously. This sort of healing cannot occur in tracks with damage in tiers about tier 1. Damage in higher tiers can only be removed by characters with the First Aid skill.
TensionTension represents your character's stress and adrenaline. Each track has tension associated with it. Depending on the situation, tension can either give a bonus or a penalty. In stressful situations, your character gains a bonus on all challenges equal to the maximum tension they have in any track. In calm situations, your character takes a penalty on all challenges equal to the maximum tension they have in any track.
The maximum tension any character can have in any track is 6. If anything would raise tension further, the character enters a state known as tension MAX. During tension MAX, you may ignore any penalties associated with your character's most damaged track. If your character is still in tension MAX when the stressful situation ends, they immediately pass out until their tension on all tracks drops to 0. Once you have reached tension MAX, you cannot raise tension any further in any track.
Character's cannot participate in half combat while in tension MAX. If they are participating in half combat when they enter tension MAX, they may choose to either enter normal combat or immediately drop unconscious, as if the stressful situation had ended.
Calming DownTension lowers at a rate of 1 per 5 minutes of rest. This lowering occurs across all tracks.
Playing the GameChallengesWhen a character attempts to do something where both success and failure are possible AND where both success and failure would have interesting effects on the plot, its time to make a challenge.
Normal ChallengesFor a normal challenge, roll 2d6 and add it to an appropriate attribute. This is your result. Success or failure is determined by comparing this result to something else.
In stressful situations, if you roll a 6 on any die, you roll another d6 and add it to your result. You also raise the tension on the track associated with the attribute with which you are making the challenge by 1. You can also add an extra d6 to your total by voluntarily raising the tension on the track associated with the attribute with which you are making the challenge by 1. Doing so immediately turns the situation into a stressful situation. You cannot voluntarily raise tension by more than 3 on a single challenge. Extra dice gained from rolling 6s or raising tension cannot cause you to roll even more d6s by getting 6s.
If you would raise tension or cause the situation to become stressful during a challenge, you do not gain the associated benefits of tension until your next challenge.
Half ChallengesHalf challenges work like normal challenges in all ways save the following. You roll 1d6 and add half of an appropriate attribute to get your result.
Opposed and Unopposed ChallengesAn opposed challenge is when two characters make challenges against each other. The winner of an opposed challenge is whomever gets the highest result. In case of a tie, the character with the higher attribute wins. If that doesn't do it, roll dice until someone comes out ahead.
An unopposed challenge is when a character makes a challenge against some target number. If the result of the challenge is higher than the target number, the character wins.
A character involved in a challenge can raise tension at any point to gain additional dice. The losing character in an opposed challenge can raise tension even after they've already lost in the hopes that the extra d6 will raise their result by enough to win. Of course, the other character can then raise tension in response. No character may raise tension by more than 3 on a single challenge, and no character may raise tension above tension MAX.
CombatCombat is complicated. As such, there is a special set of rules that apply specifically to combats.
The Structure of CombatCombats are divided into two phases, the round and the interstice. During a round, each character participating in the battle gets a single turn in which to act. During an interstice, state-based effects trigger and the next round is prepared.
All combat begins with a special interstice, consisting only of setup. After setup comes the round, then the cleanup of the next interstice. The final interstice of a combat consists only of cleanup. Combat is always considered a stressful situation.
SetupDuring setup, each participating character selects one attribute to use for attacking, one for defending, and one for supporting. A character cannot select the same attribute multiple times. Only Knowledge, Courage, and Expression can be selected for attacking. Only Knowledge, Diligence, and Understanding can be selected for defending. Any attribute can be selected for supporting.
The RoundCharacters act in the round in order of their Support attribute. Ties are broken by their Attack attribute next, then their Defense attribute, then by rolling dice until someone comes out ahead.
CleanupDuring cleanup, state-based effects trigger. This is when a character would take damage from poison, being on fire, or BEES. Passing out or dying from damage also occurs during cleanup.
Distance in CombatThe distance between characters participating in combat is fairly abstract. A character can either be in engagement with one or more other characters or not. If your character is in engagement with another character who is in turn in engagement with a third character, your character is also in engagement with that character. You can only attack characters with melee attacks if you are in engagement with them. You can attack characters with ranged attacks whether or not you are in engagement with them.
Actions in CombatDuring each turn in combat, a character can carry out a variety of actions. These actions are divided into two types, active actions and passive actions.
Normally, a character can only carry out a single active action per turn. However, by raising the tension on the track associated with your Support attribute by 2, you can take an additional active action on your turn.
Unlike active actions, a character can carry out any number of passive actions on their turn. Some passive actions can even be carried out when it is not a character's turn. Each passive action details when it can be carried out.
Combat MovesAttackAn attack is an attempt to cause harm to another character. Make an Attack challenge opposed by the defender's Defense attribute. If you win the challenge, you deal damage to the track associated with the defender's Defense attribute equal to the result of an Attack half challenge. You may add half of the amount by which your result beat the defender's result on the opposed Attack vs. Defense challenge to this damage challenge.
This is an active action.
Advance/WithdrawOnce per round, on your turn, you may advance into or withdraw from engagement with another character. You cannot advance into an engagement if you are already in engagement with another character. If you have already advanced or withdrawn in the current round, you must raise the tension on the track associated with your Support attribute by 1 to advance or withdraw again.
Advancing is a passive action, but withdrawing is an active action. Going into engagement is easy, but leaving would be scary. As withdrawing is an active action, you cannot withdraw twice in a round without also gaining an additional active action. As such, withdrawing twice in a round requires you to raise your character's tension by 3, 1 to take another advance/withdraw move, and 2 to take another active action.
ClashIf you are able to carry out an active action and someone attacks you, you may choose to clash rather than defend. Instead of opposing the attacker's Attack challenge with Defense, oppose it with Attack. If you lose the challenge, you take damage as normal. If you win the challenge, you may deal damage to the attacker as if you were attacking them. Clashing uses up your turn for the round.
If you are being attacked by a ranged attack and the attacker is not in engagement with you, you cannot clash. You cannot use ranged attacks to clash.
This is a passive action, albeit one that uses up your turn.
HoldWhen your character's turn comes up, you may declare that you are holding. If you do so, you may take your turn at any point after that after someone else has completed their turn. You cannot interrupt someone else's turn by holding. If you hold your turn all the way to the end of the round, you must take your turn or lose it.
Holding is a passive action.
InterruptIf you are able to carry out an active action, you may declare that you are interrupting after someone else has completed their turn. Doing so requires you to raise the tension on the track associated with your Support attribute by 2. If you do so, you may immediately act as if your turn has always come after theirs.
Interrupting is a passive action.
ProtectWhen another character you are in engagement with is attacked in combat, you may raise the tension on the track associated with your Support attribute by 1. If you do so before the Attack vs. Defense challenge occurs, your character jumps in and makes the Defense challenge for the other character. If you fail, you take the damage intended for the other character.
If you do so after the Attack vs. Defense challenge occurs, your character simply takes the damage intended for the other character.
You cannot protect a clashing character. However, if you are able to carry out an active action, you can clash as part of the protect action.
Protecting is a passive action.
ReviveIf you've passed out from damage, you can raise the tension on the track associated with your Support attribute by 2. If you do so, you may remove 1d6 damage from a full track of your choice.
Reviving is an active action. It is the only active action you can take while unconscious. Of course, you cannot revive if you cannot raise Support tension by 2.
Special AbilitiesSome characters may have special abilities. The sort of action required to carry out such a special ability is detailed within the special ability.
Half CombatInstead of participating in normal combat, a character can choose to participate in half combat. Half combat works exactly like normal combat, with the exception that attack challenges are made as half challenges instead of normal challenges. In addition, there is no separate damage challenge. The defender takes damage equal to the amount by which the attacker's result on the challenge beat the defender's result. Damage dealt during half combat can fill tier 1 of a character's tracks, but cannot fill higher tiers.
It is possible for one character in combat to be participating in half combat while others do not.
Half combat is generally appropriate for situations like sparing or combat sports. Half combat can also be used to simulate social combat (popularity contests, public shaming, etc.) by restricting Attack, Defense, and Support to only the Knowledge, Expression, and Diligence attributes.
Half combat, like normal combat, is a stressful situation.
Accepting your FateNormally, when one of your character's tracks completely fills, they pass out. However, you may choose for your character to accept their fate instead. If you do so, your character's tracks completely empty of damage and your character's tension is set to 3 for all tracks. If one of your character's tracks completely fills after they have accepted their fate, they die.
The ability to accept fate is unique to player characters and certain special or important non-player characters. Other characters simply die when one of their tracks completely fills.
A character with the ability to accept their fate cannot die until they choose to accept their fate.
Reversing FateA character who has accepted their fate may undo this acceptance. This cannot be done while the character is in combat or has tension on any track. In order to reverse fate, a character must succeed on a Diligence or Understanding challenge against a target number of 13. Reversing fate can only be attempted once per day.
SkillsFirst AidCharacters with First Aid can heal tier 2 and tier 3 damage. A character with First Aid can make a Knowledge, Diligence, or Understanding challenge to heal another character. The healer can only make this challenge once per day per character being healed. The healer takes a penalty on this challenge equal to the penalty the character being healed is taking from damage. This is in addition to any penalties the healer may be taking from any source. As such, one should avoid trying to heal one's own wounds.
The healer may remove an amount of damage equal to the result of the healing challenge from the character being healed. Damage can be removed in this way from any track. Damage cannot be remove from tier 1 if there is damage in tier 2. Damage cannot be removed from tier 2 if there is damage in tier 3.
Character's with First Aid cannot heal during combat.
StrategyCharacters with Strategy can anticipate circumstances, arrange events, and maneuver resources in ways that benefit them. Once per day, a character with Strategy can make a Knowledge half challenge. In later challenges made by themselves or their allies, the strategist can convert the result of their strategy challenge into bonuses at a one for one ratio. Any result left at the end of the day is nullified.
This represents the situation going just as the strategist planned.
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