Aberrant RPG - Diceless Aberrant

[Bard]

[This is reposted from a post I just made to a thread by this name on the Aeonverse forum over at White Wolf. I'd like to kick up a discussion on this here as well.]

AlexanderLambert and I have devised the basics for a points-based mechanic for Aberrant.

Very basic at the moment, as I said it'll take a few days to get everything complete.

Basically it goes like this:

There are no rolls, there are now Contests. A Contest is only made in a situation where:

-there is a signifigant chance of failure

-two forces of near equal power are in direct opposition

-anything is done during combat

-a power is used in a non-standard manner

-the character has been injured and his injures may prevent him from performing a given action

Base Difficulty is 5, judging by the fact that your average person has an Attribute of 2, and for an average practicioner of a skill an Ability of 2, for a total of 4. The average Nova is above average with a 3 Attribute and a 2 Ability, for a total of 5. These are called Base Numbers.

Every PC has a number of Willpower Pool equal to their Permanent Willpower + Quantum. You may spend a number of Willpower Pool each round equal to your Permanent Willpower+Quantum, and the pool replenishes at the end of each round. Willpower Pool may be spent on a 1-for-1 basis to bid against the Difficulty (essentially you add points from your Pool to your Att+Ability or Att+Power rating to attempt to match or surpass the Difficulty). You may spend all your points on one Contest, or spread them out over Multiple Actions across the round, or use them to fuel Defensive Actions or on your Initiative.

Powers work on a similar mechanic, however they are fuled by Quantum Points spent in addition to their activation cost. Mega-Attributes contribute double their rating to Att+Ability or Att+Power totals, except for Mega-Strength which contributes its level x5 to Might and Damage contests, but provides only its rating x2 to all other contests.

Rather than having a Difficulty requiring additional successes, a Difficulty increase would be increasing the number beyond 5.

Levels of success can be determined by how much you beat the Difficulty by. Equal to the Difficulty is one level of success, beating it by 1 is two levels, etc. These are considered Successes for the purpose of rolls that require multiple levels of success.

Multiple Actions are handled by subtracting the total number of actions taken that round from the first base number (Att+Ability, Att+Power, etc.), then that number +1 from the next, and so on, just as you’d normally subtract dice. Additionally, Willpower Pool is divided between multiple actions over the course of a given round, and does not replenish until the end of the next round.

Wound penalties will subtract from your base number for all actions.

That’s roughly what I have at the moment. Thoughts, comments, criticisms? I’ve tried to stay as true to the Storyteller system as possible with this.

[Bard]

Further thoughts on the matter, after a talk with AlexanderLambert last night I've come up with some other things to add to this idea, as well as flesh out.

Initiative rating is equal to Dex+Wits. You then add points from your Willpower Pool to it to increase it. This means you can go first, but will probably have little or no points left to succesfully bid to hit with.

In resisted contests, players will blind bid (write a number of points they're willing to bid against the other down on a piece of paper and reveal them at the ST's signal) against each other, based on their perception of the relative levels of power of their opponent.

Damage resolution could work as follows:

1. Take total number of successes

2. Add these minus one to the damage done by the weapon

3. This is your Base Number against your opponent's Soak, you must bid over their Soak (stating one total sum that you are spending, probably without knowing what your opponent's soak is), the amount that you bid over their Soak is the number of Health Levels done

If the player has detailed a suitably elaborate stunt that adds flavor to the game, the ST may give them additional Willpower Pool to bid on the action.

That is all for now.

[Bayne Antioc]

Sounds great. Horrifically complex to learn, but great nevertheless! I love the idea about a Willpower Pool, and point bidding.