Editing 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 [[http://legendaryquest.netfirms.com/books/Patterns.zip Design Patterns in Successful Roleplaying Games]]. (To do: take the patterns presented there and import them into the grab-bag.)

=Basic resolution mechanics=

==[[System_grab-bags:Dice-based|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

==[[System_grab-bags:Diceless|Diceless]]==

<br>Audience judgment
<br>Drama deck
<br>FLOW
<br>Fortune deck
* Fortune cookies
Mikado
<br>Physical challenges
<br>Poker hands
<br>Resource-based (bidding)
* Points
* Dice (DitV)
Resource-based (fixed cost)
<br>Riddles
<br>Role-playing
<br>Roulette wheel
<br>Situation-dependant
<br>Skill/target comparison

==[[System_grab-bags:Resolution_style|Resolution style]]==

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

===Minor variants===

Balanced system
<br>Extended conflict
<br>Narrative facts (Donjon)
<br>Narration rights
<br>Remote conflict (TSoY poisoning)
* Physical
* Temporal

=Statistics=
==[[System_grab-bags:Statistic_types|Statistic types]]==

Abilities (OtE style)
<br>Abilities (UA style)
<br>Advantages
<br>- Feats
<br>Age
<br>Alignment
<br>Attributes
<br>Attributes (reversed)
<br>Background
<br>Beliefs
<br>Circles
<br>Class
<br>Clones
<br>Demons
<br>Destinies
<br>Disadvantages
<br>Equipment
<br>Family
<br>Followers
<br>Hit points
<br>Honor
<br>Goals
<br>Innocence
<br>Instincts
<br>Karma
<br>Kickers
<br>Memory
<br>Military rank
<br>Oaths
<br>Personality traits
<br>Popularity
<br>Race
<br>Relationships (Dogs in the Vineyard)
<br>Religion
<br>Resources
* Fate points
* Roll boosters
* Roll determiners
<br>Sanity
<br>Saving throws
<br>Sex
<br>Skills
<br>Story arc
<br>Story importance
<br>Trust
<br>Virtue & Vice
<br>Visibility
<br>Wealth

===Minor variants===

Favored statistics
<br>Open statistics
<br>Secret statistics
<br>Specializations
<br>Unique statistics

==[[System_grab-bags:Personality_traits|Personality traits]]==

Ars Magica style
<br>Keys
<br>Pendragon style
<br>Under the Bed style
<br>Unknown Armies style

==[[System_grab-bags:Sanity|Sanity]]==

Call of Cthulhu style
<br>GURPS style
<br>Unknown Armies style

==[[System_grab-bags:Wealth|Wealth]]==

Bookkeeping
<br>Wealth levels (Burning Wheel style)
<br>Wealth levels (Donjon style)
<br>Wealth levels (GURPS style)

==[[System_grab-bags:Damage|Damage]]==

===Damage style===

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

===Tracking damage===

Health levels
<br>Setting / story consequences
<br>Statistic damage
<br>Wounds

==[[System_grab-bags:Experience_sources|Experience sources]]==

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

=[[System_grab-bags:Player_characters|Player characters]]=
==Player character types==

Bloodlines
<br>Individual characters
<br>Nations
<br>Troupes

==Character creation==

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

=[[System_grab-bags:Misc_rules|Misc.rules]]=

Making propechies
<br>Possession / mind control
* Complete
* Partial
* Roll to overcome
<br>Wittiness

=[[System_grab-bags:Off-time_rules|Off-time rules]]=

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

[[Category:System grab-bags]]