RPG Design

Daniel j. bishop—fantasy writer & artist

Daniel j. bishop—fantasy writer & artist

This page is the “home” of a design project to create a new, free, all-or-nearly-all OGC (Open Gaming Content) RPG, utilizing the OGL v1.0a by Wizards of the Coast. The goal is to create a game where easy conversion is possible between various editions of the World’s Most Popular Fantasy RPG (as well as other systems), to facilitate sandbox play, and to allow flavour/verisimilitude to inform mechanics whenever possible.

UPDATE: Based upon current projections, the RCFG Player’s Guide 1.0 is expected to be completed on or about 4 August 2009. Coinciding with that will be RCFG: A Fistful of Monsters, a preview of The Big Book of Monsters. Generating artwork is taking as long as generating text, so artwork donations will be happily accepted!

There is now also a Facebook Group, Interested in RCFG.

Previews are being released on both the EN World and the Dragon Roots message boards.

The 2nd Revision of Preview #1 now contains all of the base races and classes for RCFG.

I am currently at work on Preview #2: Skills & Combat. All of the old preview text can now be found in this download, so I am going to begin including previews from the Skills & Combat document.

Download Raven Crowking’s Fantasy Game Preview #1 (2nd Revision)

Download Raven Crowking’s Fantasy Game Preview #2 Teaser

Download Raven Crowking’s Fantasy Game Preview #2: Skills & Combat

Download Raven Crowking’s Fantasy Game Preview #3: Magic & Spellcasting

Download Raven Crowking’s Fantasy Playtest Adventure #1: The Ruined Keep

One part of my game design philosophy is that a role-playing game should be satisfying, and that satisfying isn’t always co-equal to fun. There are a lot of elements in classic RPG design that lead to “unfun”, but ultimately satisfying, results, in my opinion. It isn’t fun to have a character die. It isn’t fun to sit out of a combat because you are paralysed. (Well, arguably, both can be fun, but you presumably understand my point.) Yet a game that doesn’t allow for these possibilities, I feel, robs the players of a great deal of satisfaction. When the in-game “world” works as it should, and you win anyway, that is ultimately far more satisfying than the cheap thrill of automatic victory — even if victory is fun, and even if allowing the “world” to work as it should means that there is a real chance of failure.

Preview: Animate Shadows Spell

Animate Shadows

Illusion [Shadow]

Class and Level: Sorcerer (Shadow) 4

Casting Time: 2 Actions

Components: V, S

Range: 50 ft.

Target: Shadows within a 20-foot radius.

Duration: Concentration.

Save: None.

This spell allows the sorcerer to animate shadows, causing them to change their shape and form, as well as allowing the sorcerer control their actions. This spell can only be used in an area where there are some shadows, but not total darkness. The caster may do all of the following:

· Simple animated shadows: The caster can make shadows move in accordance to his general wishes. This does not allow the sorcerer to make precise shadow forms. The caster can use this function to create simple shadow plays or to communicate silently by having a shadow point in a given direction.

· Creepy animated shadows: By making shadows move in an eerie manner, the caster can enhance fear effects within the target area of the spell. This increases the DC to save from any fear-based effects by +2.

· Shadow glyphs: The caster can use this skill to actually write using shadows, creating symbols or letters out of shadow-stuff upon a wall or other surface.

· Impede shadow creatures: By controlling shadow areas, the caster can give shadows (including lesser and greater shadows) and creatures of the Shadow subtype a –2 penalty to hit when they make attacks within the target area of the spell.

Each usage of spell costs 1 reaction, and the sorcerer can make use of multiple uses within the same round (even of the same usage type), so long as he has sufficient reactions to pay for them. Thus, a sorcerer could use four reactions to impede shadow creatures, giving them a total –8 penalty to their attack rolls.

Preview: Xorn Flavour Text

A xorn is a roughly barrel-shaped creature from the Elemental Plane of Earth. It has three arms ending with rock-hard claws, and three short legs. Three eyes surround the gaping maw at the top of its body. Its skin is made of greyish-brown rock-hard material that is quite difficult to damage. They are extremely heavy – even a small xorn weighs over 800 pounds – due to their rocky makeup.

Xorns have the ability to teleport from the Elemental Plane of Earth to the material plane and back once every three centuries, and are able to transport up to three willing creatures no larger than themselves when doing so. They can swim through earth and stone at will, as though it were water, leaving no opening behind them. Likewise, they can treat earth and stone as solids whenever it suits them. This is a natural part of any move action they take, and makes it extremely easy for a xorn to escape almost any conflict that is going poorly, although they cannot transport other creatures through stone or earth in this manner. In addition to having darkvision to a range of 60 feet, xorn can see through solid earth or stone to a range of 30 feet.

Xorn eat precious metals and gems, which they can scent at a range of 120 feet, even through solid earth and stone. They usually only come into conflict with beings from the material plane over these “tasty treats”. Often, xorn attacks can be headed off by offering some portion of treasure (typically 50 gp x the xorn’s Hit Dice), and in some cases xorn have carried adventurers to the Elemental Plane of Earth in exchange for precious metals and gems worth 100 gp x the xorn’s Hit Dice, per person carried.

Preview: Living Spells

A living spell is aware of its own existence. It either wants to be cast, or resists being cast. Most living spells want to be cast.

Spells that Wish to be Cast

If a scroll containing a living spell is examined by someone capable of casting the spell, that being must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level) or immediately cast the spell.

If the spell is being studied (such as from a spellbook) so as to be memorized, the character must make a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell level) or immediately cast the spell. The character may still attempt to memorize the spell in another, unused, spell slot.

Spells that Resist Casting

If a character attempts to cast a living spell on a scroll, he must make a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level) in order to cast the spell.

If the spell is memorized, the character must make a Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell level) to cast the spell.

In all of these cases, the Spellcraft check uses a Reaction.

Preview: Sharing XP Costs

The XP cost of any spell with an XP cost can be shared in one of two ways.

1. If the caster is in contact with a willing donor, that donor can pay half the XP cost. The caster can share the XP cost evenly with up to three other beings. If there is a remainder after the cost is divided, the caster must pay that cost.

2. If the caster sacrifices another creature as part of the spellcasting, the XP cost is reduced by 25 XP per HD for a non-sentient creature, or 100 XP per HD for a sentient creature. There is no limit to the number of creatures that can be sacrificed as part of a spell’s casting, but each creature increases the casting time by 1 round.

In some cases, a creature might be worth more than its normal value per HD. For example, an evil spell might grant double the XP cost reduction for the sacrifice of an innocent maiden, a child, or a unicorn. These special cases are at the GM’s discretion.

Formulae for Magic Items

Every magic item in RCFG can be created using one or more formulae. There are usually several ways to make any given magic item – the more common the item, the more ways it can be created. The more powerful the item, the more costly, difficult, and/or dangerous the formula required to create it.

The formula to create a magic item is either a ritual or an incantation – in some cases, it is not clear which the formula is until an attempt to use it fails.

When a player character gains the ability to create a magic item as a class ability, that player must work with the Game Master to develop the formula the character knows.

Preview: Combat Skill Use

There are two types of combat skill use. One is using a skill to gain a combat advantage, the other is simply using a skill while in combat.

When trying to use a skill to gain a combat advantage, a character makes a skill check at a set DC (10, 15, 20, etc., in units of 5). If the check succeeds, the character can make an attack as a reaction with a bonus based on the DC. At DC 10, the character gains a +2 bonus for a success. This increases to +4 for DC 15, +6 for DC 20, +8 for DC 25, and so on. This bonus may be applied to the character’s Armour Class, attack roll, or damage, or divided equally between two of these. Any skill may be used, so long as its use can be justified within the framework of the game narrative. For example, a character can make a feint in combat using a Bluff skill check, swing from a chandelier with Acrobatics, Intimidate an opponent into a weaker attack, or even use his Knowledge to hit an enemy right where it hurts. The advantage sought, and the skill used must be defined before the roll, and if the skill check fails, the character doesn’t gain an attack as a reaction.

A character can also make a skill check in combat. Perhaps while combat rages, one character makes a Healing check to stabilize another. Or, while the fighters hold off a horde of goblins, a rogue might try desperately to pick the locked door that bars their escape. In general, characters suffer a penalty of –4 or more to mundane skill checks made under stressful circumstances unless they also succeed in a DC 15 Concentration check (this does not apply to skill checks made as part of combat, such as when using active defence or seeking to gain combat advantage). This sort of skill check may, at the GM’s discretion, provoke attacks of opportunity as well.

Preview: Sundering Items

Items held or worn by other characters can potentially be destroyed during combat. In order to sunder, a character must use the Brutal attack mode (with a weapon capable of using that attack mode, and which does not already have a special effect parameter for that mode – such as a whip or mancatcher). If the attack succeeds in scoring a critical hit, the sunder effect occurs instead of extra damage.

Almost any item worn or carried can potentially be sundered, but there are a few caveats to take into account.

· First, the character holding/wearing the item is allowed a Reflex save (DC = attack roll) to avoid the item being sundered. Some items may grant bonuses or penalties to this save, at the GM’s discretion, due to their solidity or fragility.

· Second, magic weapons and armour can only be sundered by a magic weapon of greater power. Thus, a +1 sword could only be sundered by a +2 or better weapon. When there is a question about relative power, the GM’s decision is final.

· Finally, while shields can be destroyed with a single sunder attempt, most armour cannot be. Instead, the defensive value of armour is lowered by 2 for each successful sunder. When the AC protection afforded by the armour reaches 0, the armour is destroyed.

Preview: Taking 20:

When a character has plenty of time and is faced with no threats or distractions, the character can take 20. In general, this means that the character is well rested, at his peak, and can control most variables. It is actually possible to do better under these circumstances than when performing under time limits or stress. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, roll 1d6 and add the results to 16; use the resultant number (from 17 to 22) as your roll.

Taking 20 does not mean that the character is simply trying until he gets it right, nor does it assume that the character fails many times before succeeding. Instead, the character is making his best stab at a single attempt, considering as many variables as possible before proceeding. Generally, this means that the skill attempt takes at least two minutes, and may take considerably longer (at the GM’s discretion).

It is, of course, possible for a player to simply roll until he gets a 20, but this means that he must take the consequences of any failed skill check, the result might still be lower than if the character took 20, and the roll might take a considerable amount of time.

Preview: How do I know how long it takes to make a belt buckle?

Craft skills allow characters to make items, generally at half the cost the item is typically sold for. Usually, the DC for making these items runs between 5 and 20, depending upon the complexity of the item. Assume a crafting time of 1 day to three months or more, depending (again) upon the complexity of the item.

Some rulesets attempt to give you a formula that you can use to determine exactly how long it takes to craft any given item. RCFG doesn’t do this; crafting proceeds at the rate that the GM says it does. The GM is encouraged to listen to the players, and to attempt to make a reasonable ruling.

In the long run, though, the GM cannot be expected to know how long it takes to make a bow, or a suit of armour, or a belt buckle, and his ruling is final. If it seems like the crafting process is taking longer than it should, or that it is going incredibly swiftly, then there is some other factor influencing it, like a run of good or bad luck.

Generally speaking, trying to meticulously determine how long it takes to craft anything is more time consuming and difficult than any benefits gained by so doing.

Preview: Fly Skill Description

Fly (Key Ability Dexterity; Secondary Ability Wisdom; ACP Double; Size Mod 1)

This skill is used to control flight via wings, magic, or other means. A character gains no ability to fly simply by having this skill, nor can a character make any use of this skill without the ability to fly (or at least glide). Characters who can only glide take a –4 penalty on fly skill checks.

A creature can use the fly skill in order to gain a combat advantage against other flying creatures. Trying to gain combat advantage is an action, but all other flying creatures in the melee can make a fly skill check as a reaction. Any creature whose fly skill check is higher than another creature’s fly check gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls. The highest fly check gains a +4 bonus to attack rolls (this does not stack with the +2 bonus).

Preview: Shaking It Off

Not every lost hit point is caused by actual wounding. Minor injuries, exhaustion, etc., can be “shaken off” by spending five minutes of uninterrupted rest. This reflects not only getting one’s “second wind”, but also the affects of taking stock of actual damage (as opposed to how damage is perceived in combat) and binding injuries.

Player characters (and some NPCs, at the GM’s discretion) can “shake off” an amount of damage equal to ½ their hit die type multiplied by their level, plus their Constitution modifier. Thus, a 1^st level fighter (d10 hit die) with a 10 Constitution can shake off 5 hit points of damage, and a 6^th level wizard (d6 hit die) with a 15 Constitution can shake off 20 hit points of damage. This damage must come from a single encounter or set of encounters – damage remaining after a character shakes off damage cannot subsequently be shaken off.

For example, a 3^rd level fighter with a 10 Constitution encounters a group of orcs and engages them in combat. He sustains 20 hit points of damage, 15 of which he shakes off. He thus has 5 hit points of damage remaining, which represent “real” injuries. He then encounters a single orc and dispatches it, taking 6 points of damage in the process. Although he can shake off up to 15 points of damage, and has taken 11 points of damage, only the 6 hit points taken from the orc can be shaken off. If he goes on and takes more damage before shaking it off, he can still include the 6 hit points taken from the single orc in the amount that can be shaken off, to a maximum of 15 points.

If a character is reduced to 0 hit points, but shaking off damage would result in a hit point total of 1 or higher, he is not killed. Instead, he is rendered unconscious. After five minutes have passed, he may make a Fortitude save each minute (DC 15). When he succeeds, he has shaken off whatever damage he can, and is conscious once more.

Preview: Level Plan:

Right now, the plan is for 15 levels, with level 3 as “Class” level, level 6 as “Heroic” level, level 10 as “Name” level, and level 15 as “Epic” level.

At 1^st-2^nd level, characters are akin to apprentices or journeymen in their trade – they are skilled, but they are not as skilled as the average skilled practitioner of their trade. While many NPCs in the world are of 1^st-2^nd level also, they tend not to have the drive that makes PCs strike out on their own. Hence, most characters of this level take orders directly from someone else. They are apprentices, guards, and acolytes who lean on the support and guidance of more accomplished characters.

When a character reaches 3^rd level, he is as skilled as the average “accomplished” character. At this point, the character is capable of taking on apprentices, and is able to attract henchmen.

At 6^th level, the character is so much more accomplished than the average character in the campaign setting that he is considered heroic. His name has meaning within his sphere of influence, and unless he takes pains to avoid being known he is often recognized on sight. Other likeminded characters flock to his banner, both to learn from him and to bask in his glory. The character may become established politically through founding a temple, a keep, a college, a thieves’ guild, or other such institution.

At 10^th level, the character is a “Name” in the campaign world. His words and his deeds have the ability to sway nations, and he will be remembered long after his actual death. The gods themselves begin to take notice of the character. Envoys from the outer planes may appear to curry the character’s favour or to seek alliances.

No character can progress beyond 15^th level, although characters can continue to grow without further levelling. At 15^th level the character is epic. At the moment of his death (and sometimes, if the character is willing, before actual physical death), the character ascends to the outer planes and becomes a minor figure in the local pantheon, such as a saint, an angel, or a demigod.

I will be updating this page as the RPG project continues.