RPG modular rules cyclopedia

 Go here, read this.

Brian Rideout at "Welcome to the Deathtrap" has a lot to say about RPG rules, themes, and philosophy.  But in a really, really good way.

I've been working on my own RPG rules for a few months.  I keep changing my mind about how I want the fundamental system to work.  D20 based system like D&D?  D6 system?  Fudge dice?  All the dice, like Savage Worlds?  Dice pools, like RISUS?  A succeed/complication/fail system like Powered by the Apocalypse?  Traditional roll to hit, or automatic damage like Into the Odd?  I go/you go, or simultaneous action (Professor Dungeon Master)?  Fixed turn order, roll for turn order, or draw chits from a bag (Troika)?

D&D relies too much on armor, and ignores the defensive utility of having a weapon in your hand that you're really good with.  How do you fix this problem?  A "roll high under" system works (The White Hack), but is it what I want to do?  You can't easily define critical hits this way, except with math.  (A critical hit happens when you succeed by at least ten more than your opponent's defense?)

I like the concept of variable defense.  You roll a certain die (or dice) to determine your armor's ability to prevent damage every time you get hit.  It adds spice to the game, and increases the tension by allowing daggers to occasionally penetrate full plate armor or a dragon's hide.  But it also adds more rolls and more time to each round of combat, slowing down the game.

So much to ponder.  So many choices.  Writing is hard.  Organizing is hard.  Simplifying (but not too much) is very hard.

Anyways, here are my interesting but probably insignificant contributions to the topic.

Progressive Damage

Characters have few hit points, which are easily recovered outside an encounter. When hit points are exhausted in an encounter, the character takes ability/attribute damage. This may involve a saving throw to avoid being incapacitated or killed. The effects may depend upon which attribute/ability failed the save or reached zero.

Find it in: Into the Odd (Electric Bastionland, Mausritter, et al.)

Boosts

Characters have Boosts which passively grant bonuses to certain actions. Actively using the boost creates a much greater effect, but reduces the boost by one level. This reduction may be automatic, or determined by a die roll. Boost levels recover with time, after resting or between play sessions.

Find it in: House rule, inspired by depletion rolls and Luck Scores.