System grab-bags:Main page

Introduction

At some point, I got the idea of making a list of all kinds of game mechanics used in different games. This way, system designers looking for an inspiration could always browse it through to see if it caused them to come up with anything good. Also, neat mechanics used in obscure games could spread faster and not just be confined to a single game.

Click on the category links below for more detailed descriptions of the mechanic in question. (To do: mark in bold the mechanics for which a description is available.)

The mechanics are also available in a single, neatly formatted file. http://www.xuenay.net/Rope/Grab-bag.pdf has the short version, which lists all kinds of different mechanics but doesn't say anything about what they mean. For somebody just looking for inspiration, that alone may be sufficient. http://www.xuenay.net/Rope/Grab-bag_long.pdf also contains the detailed descriptions, where they exist. These files are recent as of 5 April 2009.

The initial organization of this list is somewhat ad-hoc and arbitrary - if anyone has ideas of making it more logical, be brave and edit the page! (Or bring it up on the Talk page if you don't feel that brave.)

A somewhat related earlier work is the e-book [Design Patterns in Successful Roleplaying Games]. (To do: take the patterns presented there and import them into the grab-bag.)

Basic resolution mechanics

Dice-based

Dice types

• 1.1 Set dice
  • 1.1.1 Single die
  • 1.1.2 Multiple dice
• 1.2 EON style
• 1.3 Skill-based (Earthdawn)
• 1.4 Average dice
  • 1.4.1 Mean
  • 1.4.2 Median
  • 1.4.3 Mode
• 1.5 Multiple dice
• 1.6 FUDGE dice

Resolution Mechanics

• 2.1 Target Number
• 2.2 Non-Target
• 2.3 Roll Types
  • 2.3.1 Target
    • 2.3.1.1 Dice pool (Star Wars style)
    • 2.3.1.2 Dice pool (World of Darkness style)
    • 2.3.1.3 Number * die vs. target number
    • 2.3.1.4 Number + die vs. target number
  • 2.3.2 Non-Target
    • 2.3.2.1 Dice pool (ORE style)
    • 2.3.2.2 Dice pool (Sorcerer style)

Minor variants

• 3.1 Accumulating bonuses
  • 3.1.1 Extra bonuses
  • 3.1.2 Extra dice
• 3.2 Bonus / penalty dice
• 3.3 Bonus numbers
• 3.4 Critical Events
  • 3.4.1 Botch dice
  • 3.4.2 Confirm the critical
  • 3.4.3 Exploding dice
    • 3.4.3.1 Roll again
    • 3.4.3.2 Roll again and multiply
  • 3.4.4 Extra
• 3.5 Flip-flopping
• 3.6 Roll and Keep
• 3.7 Wild die

Diceless

Audience judgment
Drama deck
FLOW
Fortune deck

• Fortune cookies

Mikado
Physical challenges
Poker hands
Resource-based (bidding)

• Points
• Dice (DitV)

Resource-based (fixed cost)
Riddles
Role-playing
Roulette wheel
Situation-dependant
Skill/target comparison

Resolution style

Action (static difficulty)
Conflict (stakes)
Conflict, with option to deepen (TSoY)

Minor variants

Balanced system
Extended conflict
Narrative facts (Donjon)
Narration rights
Remote conflict (TSoY poisoning)

• Physical
• Temporal

Statistics

Statistic types

Abilities (OtE style)
Abilities (UA style)
Advantages
- Feats
Age
Alignment
Attributes
Attributes (reversed)
Background
Beliefs
Circles
Class
Clones
Demons
Destinies
Disadvantages
Equipment
Family
Followers
Hit points
Honor
Goals
Innocence
Instincts
Karma
Kickers
Memory
Military rank
Oaths
Personality traits
Popularity
Race
Relationships (Dogs in the Vineyard)
Religion
Resources

• Fate points
• Roll boosters
• Roll determiners

Sanity
Saving throws
Sex
Skills
Story arc
Story importance
Trust
Virtue & Vice
Visibility
Wealth

Minor variants

Favored statistics
Open statistics
Secret statistics
Specializations
Unique statistics

Personality traits

Ars Magica style
Keys
Pendragon style
Under the Bed style
Unknown Armies style

Sanity

Call of Cthulhu style
GURPS style
Unknown Armies style

Wealth

Bookkeeping
Wealth levels (Burning Wheel style)
Wealth levels (Donjon style)
Wealth levels (GURPS style)

Damage

Damage style

Critical table (Rolemaster)
Post-conflict fallout (DitV)
Roll determines damage
Separate damage roll

Tracking damage

Health levels
Setting / story consequences
Statistic damage
Wounds

Experience sources

Advantages / disadvantages
Attendance
Keys
Metagame
Roleplaying (general)
Studying
Thematic
Things learnt
Vote

Player characters

Player character types

Bloodlines
Individual characters
Nations
Troupes

Character creation

Bidding
Character cards (Under the Bed)
Character cards (Zombie Cinema)
Conflict (Dogs in the Vineyard)
Heroic event
Lifepath
Point-buy
Prequel
Random
One-roll

Misc.rules

Making propechies
Possession / mind control

• Complete
• Partial
• Roll to overcome

Wittiness

Off-time rules

Aging
Asset-building
Family rules
Item creation
Laboratories
Libraries
Research
Travel