• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Infusion RPG ALPHA BUILD 10.4 By Steveman Infusion is a labour of love for me, something I've been working on for many years. I call it a rules semi-lite game, with a robust and versatile ruleset for combat, but with much of the story is left to the Gamemaster and Players to handle. Yeah, I know, creating my own game rules is like kicking a broken printer in a field, and yes, I also know that my time would have been better spent world-building for a preexisting system, or practicing my art, or a myriad of other things. But this is what I wanted to work on, and even if I can not bring anything new to the table, I hope I can at least bring something good. Introduction This is a Role-playing game, were you and a few other people take on the roles of the characters of a larger-than- life story of action and adventure. A kind of shared story-telling game that uses the rules presented here to help govern how the story rolls out. All but one of the people playing the game take on the Players, creating Player Characters (PC) to interact with the game world, and play as the protagonists of the shared story experience. That one other person does not make a character, and instead takes on the role of the Gamemaster (GM). This person acts as the narrator and is in control of the side characters and antagonists of the story, the Non-Player Characters (NPC), and most importantly is the referee of the rules of play. The Gamemaster creates the game world, but does not control it, instead sharing that responsibility with the Players. A successful RPG hinges on the GM and Players cooperating to make the game the most fun for everyone playing, including the Gamemaster. Gamemastery The GM prepares the Adventures, sometimes called a Scenario. Adventures may be a villain causing problems for the PCs to sort out, or a mysterious and dreadful location to explore, or even a series of unlikely events to challenge the player characters. Adventures begin with the GM explaining the relevant events leading to the adventure. Then the GM describes the event at hand, and what the PCs perceive. The player characters will react to these events and the game flows from there. The players and the GM work together to have the most fun they can while playing. The best advice that I can give anyone looking to GM is Don't be a Dick. Then just bite the bullet and do it. You will not will run a perfect game your first time and that is fine. Talk with your players after the game. Find out what they liked and didn't and what they would like to see, and use that to adjust what you do next time. Materials Required To Play You need people to play the game with, one as the Gamemaster and two or more as the Players. A total of 4-6 people, including the GM is preferable for long term games, with any more than that reserved for veteran Gamemasters or short 1-2 session games. You will also need six-sided dice (the cube ones that come included in most family boardgames, or can be bought at any store with a toy section for a dollar or two), preferably 3 for each person playing the game. You will also need at least one copy of these rules, and finally, some paper and pens or pencils so you can keep a record of the characters and events of play. Rules of Play The Core Mechanic Infusion uses the roll of three six-sided dice (called 3d6) and adding the results together for a bell-curve result of 3 to 18 as its core task resolution mechanic. Modifiers are added to this die roll, and the final result is then compared to a Target Number (either set by the GM or the result from a different character's roll). There are three kinds of rolls, each given a meaningful name that can be referenced easily in the rules. Only roll attacks, checks or saves when there is a chance of failure and there is any consequence for failure. Attacks: A 3d6 roll that is modified by the character's Intelligence, Reflexes or Strength that intends to strike another character with a weapon to cause damage. Attacks are usually opposed by a Saving Throw. Saving Throw: A 3d6 roll that can by modified by almost any Characteristic that opposed an Attack Roll or a target number established by the GM. A failed save leads to the attacker making a damage roll (a special kind of check, see Damage in the Rules of Play). Checks: Any 3d6 roll that is not an attack, a saving throw is a check. These involve a character taking a non-combat action, or reacting to non-combat action. Chest are often qualified, such as Perception checks (to spot hidden enemies, or find that key in the messy drawer), or Charisma checks (attempting to convince the security guard you were just looking for your lost dog, and not attempting to break into the medical research facility). If the 3d6 roll + modifiers equals or exceeds the Target Number, the die roll is successful. During an opposed roll, whomever is reacting (for example, the defender in combat) is setting the DC the acting character is attempting to equal or exceed. Static Target Number Examples Mundane Challenge (simple actions for a skilled worker in a stress-free situation) 11 Moderate Challenge (something a skilled worker would expect to succeed at, but 15 knows there is a chance of failure) Difficult Challenge (something a skilled worker knows their chances of success are not 18 guaranteed) Extreme Challenge (something even a skilled worker knows they can not do without 22 assistance) Heroic Challenge (the stuff to tell stories about) 26 Legendary Challenge (the achievements whose stories that survive for generations) 30 Outside of combat, any check that would have a TN of 15 or lower is too trivial to roll for, just let the player describe how they handle this easy task and move on with the game. Extended Checks: Under normal circumstances it takes a single successful check to achieve the intended result. However, it may not make for good storytelling or fun gameplay to allow a long-term multi-stage challenge be passed under a single die-roll. If the challenge calls for a series of complex or related actions to complete, then an extended check is called for. An extended check is a series of checks over a small amount of time, usually with an escalating target number as the events become harder, resources are dwindling, or a looming threat bears down upon the PCs. The PCs must reach a certain number of successful checks before a number of failures or the time runs out. The number of successes or failures are not normally revealed to the players. The time limit should be easily estimated based on the scenario, and the GM will describe how the situation changes based on the checks. This allows the players to gauge their own progress. Critical Successes and Failures: Sometimes the dice are very kind or cruel, whenever the unmodified 3d6 roll of an Attack (including Damage rolls), Saving Throw or Check is a natural 18 (all three dice show a 6) or 3 (all three dice show a 1), Fate (or more likely, luck) has decided something astonishing happens – a Critical Success (or Hit in combat) or Failure. At the very least, a critical success is a passed check, if the check can be passed at all. And a critical failure is an automatic complete failure, even if a normal failure could still allow for a kind of partial success. Beyond that, there will be additional effects at the tender mercy of the gamemaster's imagination. Favorable and Unfavorable Circumstances: The gamemaster can and should often give bonuses or penalties (usually +/-3) to die rolls based on the circumstances surrounding the scene. Favorable conditions grant a bonus, whereas unfavorable ones impose a penalty. Combat Conflict is a driving factor in most good storytelling, and RPGs are no different. However, where interpersonal conflicts and puzzles can be handled with some well thought out words from a player, and a few die rolls, there is much more going on when characters fight. This necessitates a more mechanically intensive ruleset. Combat Time (Rounds and Turns): Combat takes place in a series of 3-10 second long rounds, each consisting of a number of turns equal to the number of participants in the combat. Initiative Roll (this is not a check, roll 1d6+Reflexes): Initiative is rolled at the beginning of combat, and at the beginning of each round where the gamemaster decides the situation has been shaken up enough to call for another initiative roll. Taking Turns: In the order determined by the initiative roll, highest to lowest, characters take turns. On each turn a character may perform up to two Half Actions or one Full Action. Surprise: At the beginning of combat, if one side is caught unaware of the other side (such as in an ambush), the side caught unaware is Surprised (condition, see below). Actions Half-Action: Perform up to two of these on your turn, you may not take the same half-action twice in one round. Full-Action: Perform one of these on your turn. Reaction: Reactions are when you are forced to do something other than a standard saving throw outside of your turn.

Load more

  22

Copy Link