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 Patters in Successful Roleplaying Games]. (To do: take the patterns presented there and import them into the grab-bag.)

Basic resolution mechanics

Dice-based

   * 1 Dice types
         o 1.1 Set dice
               + 1.1.1 Single die
               + 1.1.2 Multiple dice
         o 1.2 EON style
         o 1.3 Skill-based (Earthdawn)
         o 1.4 Average dice
               + 1.4.1 Mean
               + 1.4.2 Median
               + 1.4.3 Mode
         o 1.5 Multiple dice
         o 1.6 FUDGE dice
   * 2 Resolution Mechanics
         o 2.1 Target Number
         o 2.2 Non-Target
         o 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)
   * 3 Minor variants
         o 3.1 Accumulating bonuses
               + 3.1.1 Extra bonuses
               + 3.1.2 Extra dice
         o 3.2 Bonus / penalty dice
         o 3.3 Bonus numbers
         o 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 effects
         o 3.5 Flip-flopping
         o 3.6 Roll and Keep
         o 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

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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