Author Topic: RPGing LOS  (Read 8747 times)

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Offline Vile

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #15 on: February 19, 2011, 08:38:20 AM »
Which brings me to the next question - now that Traveller has an OGL and SRD, have you ever considered an LoS RPG using the Traveller rules?
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Offline rcbecker1

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #16 on: July 02, 2012, 05:56:02 PM »
Two Hour Wargames has a good system 5150  for mini RPG gaming so do some other systems.
Theres also a Hammers Slammers RPG for Traveler which would be very close to what you are doing here.
 

Offline Clark

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2013, 10:30:00 PM »
I think the trick to to design an RPG system that melds well with the board game, unless we take it far afield of the actual battles and keep it there.  To my mind, it is just embarassing if characters and equipment in the RPG do not perform statistically the same as they would in the board game.

Offline Dave Chase

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2013, 11:06:53 PM »
Howdy Clark. :D

I agree that one should be able tot switch easily from the RPG to the board game rules.

That was one of the things that I liked about the original Warhammer RPG to miniature game rules.

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Offline bobloblah

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #19 on: June 27, 2013, 02:10:28 PM »
I think this is very hard with LoS for several reasons. The design space is very limited with everything being D6, the boardgame models a level of lethality in ranged combat that tends to conflict with RPGers attachment to their characters, and the boardgame was made to model claustrophobic, "dungeon" combat, which is a small subset of typical Sci-Fi RPG combat.
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Offline Dave Chase

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #20 on: June 27, 2013, 03:37:42 PM »
Some interesting and good points.

What about the table top rules? Do you feel the same way about them?

Also, if you played the campaign rules, not all figures were considered dead, dead. Some where just injured.

Dave Chase
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Offline bobloblah

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #21 on: June 27, 2013, 06:01:00 PM »
True about the campaign rules, but still far too deadly for an RPG, I think. The table top rules are more complicated. I've played them much less and don't know them as well, but even so they aren't nearly as good for a whole host of reasons. They still suffer from the D6 limited design space thing, as well.
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Offline Dave Chase

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #22 on: June 27, 2013, 09:13:43 PM »
Maybe being deadly will make it a new and different type of RPG.

;)

In Traveller RPG, your character can die in character creation or stop being in a career due to injury (instead of death).

Those Hero points could come in handy too. ;)

In my mine's eye, I am not looking for a RPG like Amber or Vampires or such. I am looking for away for players to add personality to their game, have interactions beyond the board/table top and do some more playing I the LoS universe.

Power armor for the fighting part of the game, makes most physical stats un-needed so skills will be the key.

With the RPG, we can (possibly) have more wounding charts than a kill chart and leave the kills as they are in the battle games. Just point out rules (the RPG only) about the wounding instead of dying.

It makes it more important to never leave a man (person/entity) behind or they will be dead in the hands of the Machines.

Dave Chase
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Offline Dave Chase

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #23 on: June 28, 2013, 01:42:14 PM »
Been thinking a bit about the kills in LoS board and Tabletop rules versus the RPG game.
(Note: this is purely speculation and day dreaming. I do not want to put more energy into the RPG than the other two.)

First, I kind of like the Traveller and Burning Wheel game character creations. You develop your character from young to old and can have accidents or death.

With that in mind, I was thinking that what if instead of just skills you could possibly gain something that I will call Fate (for short instead of calling it cheating death). You can only gain it once (unlike other skills or some other abilities.)
Fate is an ability that you the player can use if your character gets wounded or a kill.

Here is how it would work;
If your character is wounded or receives a kill, you can choose to use Fate to make an adjustment.
You can move the damage up or down one spot (need a chart here to show this) to make things better, but you also have to make a mark by the Fate ability.
Your other option is to roll 1d6 and possibly receive the following:
1) nothing changes
2-5) move your damage up or down by up to the number on the dice
6) Quit faking it, it was only a scratch. Character gets a minor reprimand for faking an injury.

Now note earlier when I said that if you use Fate to move the damage up or down by one (ie no roll) you have to make a mark. This is important because once you have 5 marks on your Fate the next time you use it you have to roll 1d6 to determine your Fate ability.

Also, you can at any time use the 1d6 roll for Fate and it will reset your Fate marks back to zero.  This includes when you are made to use the fate ability because of 5 marks.


So, what do you all think?

Dave Chase
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Offline Scoutzout

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #24 on: June 28, 2013, 04:21:38 PM »
I like a fate ability idea, something that protects a characters longevity in a dangerous universe laden with disruption effects and heavy burstlances.

I do think you need to take a good look at what the "feel" or theme of an RPG is before moving to the mechanics of it.

Military campaigns are typically short lived (forgive the pun). Once PCs start getting shot, dissolving into a pile of goo...fun tends to grind to a halt as new character construction begins..


Offline Dave Chase

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #25 on: June 28, 2013, 09:08:47 PM »
Never played Paranoia have you? ;)

Dying is part of the game. LOL

Dave Chase
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Offline Scoutzout

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #26 on: June 29, 2013, 01:55:23 AM »
Oh I have played Paranoia. Its a very tounge in cheek, we expect you to die horribly, so lets make clones.

Which goes to exactly what I was saying.. theme precedes mechanics. When we play paranoia, we know "invest in bootlicking" it helps when turning your teammates in so you can rise in level.

When our heroic commando dons her suit of of Paladin Armor, primes her blaster carbine and adjusts her combat load based on the pending mission... Death will be on her mind, but it most likely wont be caused by malfunctioning rocket boots  ;D

Offline smokingwreckage

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #27 on: June 29, 2013, 12:24:26 PM »
The death rates in a typical LOS game equate to military disaster verging on farce. I'd like to see a variety of campaigns possible, from freebooters in the fringe regions through politics and into outright military campaigns. Usually in an RPG if you get caught on the point end of a 90% casualty room-clearing catastrophe... you've done something wrong!

Offline bobloblah

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Re: RPGing LOS
« Reply #28 on: June 29, 2013, 11:26:07 PM »
We call that TPK, son.
Best Regards,
Bobloblah

Offline Dave Chase

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Fate point or staying alive
« Reply #29 on: June 30, 2013, 09:57:20 AM »
Fate chart:
A Hero point or a Fate point can be used on the first roll
Only Fate can be used on the second roll.

Roll 1d6 for the top of the chart then roll another 1d6 to determine the injury level

Code: [Select]
Cataclysmic  Trauma    Serious    Standard  Minor    Scratch
      1        2        3        4        5        6

1 Dead (MIA)   Coma    Compound  Cracked  Dislocated  Stitches
       Fracture Limb   Ribs    shoulder      
2 Dead    Missing limb  Broken Ribs  Impaled  Bruised Joint  
3 Dead    2 Limb broken  Torn muscle  Cut muscle  Stitches    Bruised
4 Coma    1 broken limb  Torn ligament  Infection  Bruised & used  Exhaustion
5 Serious  2 fractured  Cut & Infection   Dislocated  Pulled muscle  Black & Blue
  Concussion  limbs        joint        all over
6 Every bone  Crushed feet  Concussion  Bruised  Stiff muscles  Faking it
Broken or cracked        Body

Limbs roll 1d6
1 left arm, 2 right arm, 3 left leg, 4 right leg, 5 both arms, 6 both legs


Healing time is min 7 weeks, Take the first roll and subtract that from 7 to determine number of weeks

Take the second roll and subtract that from 7 to determine the number of days in the last week.
Ie, if you rolled 5 then a 4, your character would need 2 weeks and 3 days to be fully recovered.

If character attempts to do combat before they are healed, take the remaining number of weeks left as a negative mod to their attack roll.


Suggestion of the chart.

1's are bad things, 6's are better.

1 and 1 is extremely terrible
6 and 6 is physically very good but getting a 'Faking it' roll on the chart or Fate roll is not so good as it ends up in the character's Military record or character reputation.

So, what do you think?

Dave Chase
Freedom is the right to speak your mind.

It is also the right to walk away from those you don't want to listen to.