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Fleshed out core gameplay sections

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Kayne Ruse 2024-03-07 14:10:58 +11:00
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.vscode/settings.json vendored
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{ {
"cSpell.words": [ "cSpell.words": [
"Gameplay", "Gameplay",
"permadeath" "permadeath",
"roleplay",
"timeskip"
], ],
"cSpell.ignoreWords": [ "cSpell.ignoreWords": [
"TTRPG" "TTRPG"

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rules.md
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# Introduction # Introduction
... ...1st, 2nd and 3rd person switching - not good!
The core gameplay of this game utilizes a d20 system, where certain dice are rolled to determine the outcome of various actions taken by the players. ...The core gameplay of this game utilizes a d20 system, where certain dice are rolled to determine the outcome of various actions taken by the players.
... ...fill this out lat, probably
# The Setting # The Setting
@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ The core gameplay of this game utilizes a d20 system, where certain dice are rol
...4th -> 1st, special grade, aubade ...4th -> 1st, special grade, aubade
...artifacts are sold overseas, and the most powerful ones can tip the balance of nations
...aubade's don't exist...
# Character Creation # Character Creation
Each player character begins as a blank slate, with a minimal number of details and statistics available. The first few details you will want to decide on are your character's name, age and gender. Each player character begins as a blank slate, with a minimal number of details and statistics available. The first few details you will want to decide on are your character's name, age and gender.
@ -31,8 +35,6 @@ Each character is made up of multiple statistics, including the four base statis
Each of these base statistics begins with the maximum value of 5 - a rather low number, but typical for a beginner. Any additional statistics which you do not yet possess is considered to have a current and maximum value of 0. Each of these base statistics begins with the maximum value of 5 - a rather low number, but typical for a beginner. Any additional statistics which you do not yet possess is considered to have a current and maximum value of 0.
...resting refills base stats only
## Skill Points ## Skill Points
The next part of character creation is the purchasing of skills using skill points. Your character begins their adventure with 20 points, which can be allocated to various options listed in the [skills](#skills) section. Each character is assumed to have any skill at level 0, until levels of that skill have been purchased. The next part of character creation is the purchasing of skills using skill points. Your character begins their adventure with 20 points, which can be allocated to various options listed in the [skills](#skills) section. Each character is assumed to have any skill at level 0, until levels of that skill have been purchased.
@ -59,67 +61,100 @@ Each whistle rank represents a different stage of the night sky:
* Bell - Worn be delvers in training who have yet to enter the abyss - it's common to see (and hear) young kids preforming chores around Oth wearing these. * Bell - Worn be delvers in training who have yet to enter the abyss - it's common to see (and hear) young kids preforming chores around Oth wearing these.
* Red - Representing the setting sun at dusk, and is worn by beginners who have made at least one dive. It's common for small groups of delvers to be initiated into the guild at once, at around the age of 12. Red whistles are restricted to exploring only the fist layer of the abyss, and cannot own relics of any grade. * Red - Representing the setting sun at dusk, and is worn by beginners who have made at least one dive. It's common for small groups of delvers to be initiated into the guild at once, at around the age of 12. Red whistles are restricted to exploring only the fist layer of the abyss, and cannot own artifacts of any grade.
* Blue - Representing the sky during the evening, and is worn by experienced delvers with a track record of success. These are usually not granted until the age of 15, but exceptions can be made under unusual circumstances. Blue whistles are restricted to exploring the first two layers of the abyss, and cannot own relics above grade 4. * Blue - Representing the sky during the evening, and is worn by experienced delvers with a track record of success. These are usually not granted until the age of 15, but exceptions can be made under unusual circumstances. Blue whistles are restricted to exploring the first two layers of the abyss, and cannot own artifacts above grade 4.
* Moon - Representing the bright moon in the night sky, these proficient delvers sometimes act as instructors for the young bells and red whistles. Some delvers don't progress beyond this rank, and sometimes make a living as guides for tourists and as hired help for larger expeditions. Moon whistles are allowed to explore the first three layers of the abyss, and cannot own relics above grade 3. * Moon - Representing the bright moon in the night sky, these proficient delvers sometimes act as instructors for the young bells and red whistles. Some delvers don't progress beyond this rank, and sometimes make a living as guides for tourists and as hired help for larger expeditions. Moon whistles are allowed to explore the first three layers of the abyss, and cannot own artifacts above grade 3.
* Black - Representing the sky in the dead of night, these experts are some of the best delvers around, and often lead teams of lower ranked delvers during larger expeditions. Many prominent members of the delvers guild hold the rank of black whistle. Black whistles are allowed to access the first four layers of the abyss, and cannot own relics above grade 2. * Black - Representing the sky in the dead of night, these experts are some of the best delvers around, and often lead teams of lower ranked delvers during larger expeditions. Many prominent members of the delvers guild hold the rank of black whistle. Black whistles are allowed to access the first four layers of the abyss, and cannot own artifacts above grade 2.
* White - The rarest of the rare, the elite among the elite. The white whistle rank does not follow the above pattern, as they are essentially living legends. The number of active white whistles can be counted on one hand - each of which being known by an epithet reflecting their renown. Many delvers strive to become a white whistle, but few ever do. They often lead sizable groups of lower-ranked delvers, and are able to access any part of the abyss. Officially, white whistles cannot own relics above grade 1, but forcing a white whistle to yield to such a rule is done at your own risk. * White - The rarest of the rare, the elite among the elite. The white whistle rank does not follow the above pattern, as they are essentially living legends. The number of active white whistles can be counted on one hand - each of which being known by an epithet reflecting their renown. Many delvers strive to become a white whistle, but few ever do. They often lead sizable groups of lower-ranked delvers, and are able to access any part of the abyss. Officially, white whistles cannot own artifacts above grade 1, but forcing a white whistle to yield to such a rule is done at your own risk.
# Gameplay # Gameplay
...I want to reward creativity somehow... feeding an apple to a man-toyer can distract the pack, for example The core gameplay of Curses and Blessings consists largely of exploration and roleplay, broken up with occasional skill challenges and combat situations.
This game's combat and challenge system utilizes the traditional set of RPG dice - a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and d20. Most challenges are determined with a d20, while other situations (including combat) may require other sizes of dice.
## Delving Into The Abyss ## Delving Into The Abyss
...specific areas will have specific depths (maps/flowcharts needed?) Starting from the city of Orth on the surface, players may descend into the abyss, making their way through a series of well known areas or, in some cases, lesser known or totally unexplored areas.
...find a relic consumes 1 stamina, 1 segment of time, roll on a chance table (monster might sneak up) You may keep track of exactly how deep the players are - alternatively a more abstract depth system broken into multiples of 100 meters is also acceptable. The amount of time that has passed should also be recorded, see [The Passage of Time](#the-passage-of-time) for more details.
...moving too far will consume time **Developer's Note**: Only the first layer will be detailed for the time being, with more added later. I might use the SRD format to put the other layers in an external document.
## Digging and Excavation
The primary goal of any delver should be to find rare and valuable artifacts in the abyss, and bring them to the surface to enrich the city of Orth. When you've found a place that you want to inspect for artifacts, you may spend one point of stamina and one segment of time digging.
When digging, you may roll on the table below to determine what, if anything, you find. Some specific areas may have their own artifact tables, and artifacts will vary between layers as well. Alternatively, story-related artifacts may also be found.
...TABLE generic - 50% miss, some small artifacts, nat 1 = monster
...might have a big appendix filled with artifact tables
...digging without a pickaxe = penalty?
## Ascension and the Curse ## Ascension and the Curse
...ascending 10 or 100 and failing a check will reduce your humanity stat Every delver knows about the curse of the abyss - an ever present effect that worsens the deeper one goes. Some areas near the edges of the abyss may have a weaker impact, but it's impossible to avoid entirely.
...hitting zero for humanity means you can't ascend and you gain fatigue The first layer's most obvious effects are dizziness and nausea - it's not uncommon to see red whistles vomiting on their journey home. After 10 meters of ascension, the curse will take effect - however for gameplay purposes, the difficulty of ascension has been simplified:
After climbing 10 meters (triggering the curse), for every 100 meters (rounded up) that you try to climb, roll a d4. If you roll a 1, reduce your humanity statistic by 1. If your humanity ever reaches 0, your become fatigued - see [Resting and Fatigue](#resting-and-fatigue) for details.
## Combat And Challenges ## Combat And Challenges
...using purchased skills and items for combat Skills, artifacts and equipment may grant you various additional abilities, including the ability to fight off creatures that would otherwise kill and eat you.
...roll to hit (modified by circumstances) To enter combat, determine who goes first - when attacking as a group, the entire party of players may take their actions first, before the GM determines how the targets react (such as attacking back). However, if the party is surprised (such as by a stealthy predator) they miss their first turn.
...roll to wound (might piss the thing off)
..."exert" - spend 1 stamina to reroll once, taking the new result
...hitting zero for stamina means you gain fatigue Assuming you have a usable combat skill, or an item that can inflict damage, attacking a creature is done like so:
...fatigue lowers combat power, running speed, ascent chance **Developer's Note**: If the players get into a fight with each other, the difficulty level for a red whistle is 10. I may need to fiddle with this.
* Determine the target number, based on the target's difficulty level and other situational modifiers
* Roll a d20, and apply and additional modifiers to the result if available - if the unmodified d20 falls into the player's [Critical Range](#critical-ranges), it's an auto success
* The skill or item used determines the damage dealt; reduce the target's health statistic by that amount
* If any combatant's health statistic reaches zero, it is killed
If the players roll badly during combat, they may exert themselves by spending 1 stamina point to reroll that die, however they must use the new roll. You cannot exert a roll more than once.
If the player has a skill or item which grants a non-combat ability, they may use it at any time (including during combat, if they see fit). If it requires a challenge roll, they may roll a d20, and apply any modifiers to the result if able. Just like in combat, if the unmodified d20 falls into the player's [Critical Range](#critical-ranges), it's an auto success.
## Critical Ranges ## Critical Ranges
...set these at the beginning of the session, usually At the beginning of each gameplay session (or at other times, at your GM's discretion), players are given the opportunity to choose a critical range, either 18+, 19+, or 20. When rolling a d20 for combat or a skill challenge, if you manage to roll equal to or above your selected range (without modifiers), your attempt automatically succeeds and is said to be a critical hit. Critical hits will multiply the effectiveness of your action, based on your selected range:
...setting this to 20 (the max) will grant additional effects for certain artifacts * 18+ will usually double the effective damage in combat
* 19+ will usually triple the effective damage in combat
* 20 will usually quadruple the effective damage in combat
## Resting and Fatigue Some skills and artifacts have additional effects if you chose 20 as your critical range - these are called breaking points. When you roll a breaking point, first apply the effect of the critical role, followed by the effect of the breaking point.
...resets base stats to maximum, takes time
...should I use rest/sleep system (ie. short vs. long rests)
...other stats may have bespoke ways of resetting
...fatigue (i.e. low/zero stamina/humanity, or some additional cause) can reduce bag carrying capacity (too heavy means you can't move)
...resting removes one level of fatigue, but prevents base stats from resetting
## The Passage of Time ## The Passage of Time
...progress clocks: moving around the abyss consumes 1 segment of time, daylight is usually 6 segments long. When delving into the abyss, it is important to keep an eye on the time of day - different creatures may appear at different times, and if a novice delver does not report back to Orth before sunset, a search party can be organized to find them (or their remains) the following day.
Time is usually hard to track in the abyss, so the daylight hours are generally divided into 5 segments of time, as is the night. Moving between two layers of the abyss will consume one segment of time, as does performing tasks such as excavating artifacts or recording information.
## Resting and Fatigue
Exploring the abyss can be taxing on both the mind and body - when you run out of stamina or humanity, you become fatigued. While in this state, you are unable to ascend the abyss, any damage you deal halved (rounded down), and your movement speed is halved.
While you are fatigued, you will remain this way until you spend 1 segment of time resting, at which point your fatigue is removed, but no other statistics are restored. You remain unable to utilize any statistics that are drained.
If you are not fatigued, you still retain the option of resting for 1 segment of time; doing so will restore your stamina by 1d6 and humanity by 1d6. While resting, you may use items such as salves to restore other elements, or you may eat if necessary.
If you become stuck in the abyss overnight, it may be necessary to sleep. If your character manages to sleep for 3 segments of time, then their health, stamina, humanity and obsession statistics are all restored to their maximum values. Any fatigue is removed, and other statistics may also be restored, depending on the skill that granted them.
## Dying and Death
...RIP
...death is permanent, do not pass go, do not collect $200
# Shop Items # Shop Items
@ -129,7 +164,7 @@ This is a list of items that can be purchased in the city of Orth. By traveling
| Item | Cost | Description | | Item | Cost | Description |
| --- | ---: | --- | | --- | ---: | --- |
| Small Pickaxe | 100 | Basic Weapon (...). A small but sturdy pickaxe. | | Small Pickaxe | 100 | Basic Weapon (...). A small but sturdy pickaxe. Enables the user to dig around, without relying on their bare hands. |
| Small Knife | 100 | Basic Weapon (...), Petty. A small but sharp knife, ideal for survivalist situations. | | Small Knife | 100 | Basic Weapon (...), Petty. A small but sharp knife, ideal for survivalist situations. |
| Small Compass | 500 | Petty. A small compass, which always points north. | | Small Compass | 500 | Petty. A small compass, which always points north. |
| First Layer Depth Gauge | 2000 | Petty. A device for determining how deep in the abyss you are. It only works up to 1000 meters, so it's ideal for young and inexperienced delvers. | | First Layer Depth Gauge | 2000 | Petty. A device for determining how deep in the abyss you are. It only works up to 1000 meters, so it's ideal for young and inexperienced delvers. |
@ -141,13 +176,14 @@ This is a list of items that can be purchased in the city of Orth. By traveling
| Piton Bundle | 100 | A spike with a loop on the other end, sold in bundles of three. Every three pitons consumes only one item space, rounded up (so 5 pitons would take 2 item spaces). | | Piton Bundle | 100 | A spike with a loop on the other end, sold in bundles of three. Every three pitons consumes only one item space, rounded up (so 5 pitons would take 2 item spaces). |
| Torch | 250 | Used for exploring darker areas, lighting one provides illumination of about 50ft for 1 segment of time. | | Torch | 250 | Used for exploring darker areas, lighting one provides illumination of about 50ft for 1 segment of time. |
| 1.5m Bandage | 100 | Essential for emergencies, it can be used to bind a wound, stop a bleed, or as a makeshift sling for a broken limb. Every 10 meters of bandages consumes only one item space, rounded up (so 15 meters of bandages would take 2 item spaces). | | 1.5m Bandage | 100 | Essential for emergencies, it can be used to bind a wound, stop a bleed, or as a makeshift sling for a broken limb. Every 10 meters of bandages consumes only one item space, rounded up (so 15 meters of bandages would take 2 item spaces). |
| Soothing Salve | 100 | A kind of viscous cream derived from materials found in the abyss. This can be used to restore the Health statistic of one character by 1d6 points. It can only be applied once per segment of time, otherwise it is ineffective. 12 uses. |
...specify what "segment of time" means
...specify weapon data and how to use them, under #combat ...specify weapon data and how to use them, under #combat
... knife sheath on belt? = petty ... knife sheath on belt? = petty
...sketch pad needed
# Recovered Artifacts # Recovered Artifacts
A list of rare and valuable objects that can be found within the abyss. The upper layers have been picked clean of the best finds, so the deeper you go, the more valuable - and interesting - the artifacts become. Each artifact takes up 1 item space in your bag, unless it has the "bulky" attribute, which means it takes up two item spaces, or the "petty" attribute, which means it is so small it doesn't take up any item spaces. A list of rare and valuable objects that can be found within the abyss. The upper layers have been picked clean of the best finds, so the deeper you go, the more valuable - and interesting - the artifacts become. Each artifact takes up 1 item space in your bag, unless it has the "bulky" attribute, which means it takes up two item spaces, or the "petty" attribute, which means it is so small it doesn't take up any item spaces.
@ -163,7 +199,7 @@ When you sell a newly discovered artifact at the delving guild's appraisal offic
| Artifact | Grade | Price (orth, skill points) | Description | | Artifact | Grade | Price (orth, skill points) | Description |
| --- | :---: | ---: | --- | | --- | :---: | ---: | --- |
| Relic Egg | 4 | 10o, 1sp | This simple egg-shaped relic is found throughout the abyss. It doesn't seem to have any use, but still sells for a high price overseas. The designs on the surface are more elaborate the deeper it's found. | | Relic Egg | 4 | 10o, 1sp | This simple egg-shaped artifact is found throughout the abyss. It doesn't seem to have any use, but still sells for a high price overseas. The designs on the surface are more elaborate the deeper it's found. |
| Sun Sphere | 4 | 20o, 1sp | This superficially resembles a Relic Egg, but is capable of emitting light for a short time when activated. The designs on the surface are more elaborate the deeper it's found. | | Sun Sphere | 4 | 20o, 1sp | This superficially resembles a Relic Egg, but is capable of emitting light for a short time when activated. The designs on the surface are more elaborate the deeper it's found. |
...need more artifacts ...need more artifacts
@ -187,7 +223,7 @@ Some skills are given categories, such as "combat" or "survival", these are guid
Category: Combat Category: Combat
Max Level: 3 Max Level: 3
You punch, kick, slam and bite to the best of your ability. When used in combat, perform a skill check against a target. On a success, deal damage equal to 1d4 + LVL as damage. You punch, kick, slam and bite to the best of your ability. When used in combat, perform a skill check against a target. On a success, deal damage equal to 1d4 + LVL - 1 as damage.
### Rough Cooking ### Rough Cooking
@ -219,6 +255,8 @@ You may spend one point of stamina to record a specimen from a safe distance. Fo
### Man-Toyer ### Man-Toyer
...creatures need difficulty levels, health and attacks (reactions cna work too)
Superficially resembling a weasel, they sport hard spikes along their heads, backs and hips. Their large fluffy tails can be seen standing erect from a distance. Superficially resembling a weasel, they sport hard spikes along their heads, backs and hips. Their large fluffy tails can be seen standing erect from a distance.
On their own, they pose little threat, but they normally travel in large packs, and can sometimes overwhelm lone delvers who get too close. Their meat is meager, but edible. On their own, they pose little threat, but they normally travel in large packs, and can sometimes overwhelm lone delvers who get too close. Their meat is meager, but edible.
@ -230,3 +268,7 @@ On their own, they pose little threat, but they normally travel in large packs,
# Appendices # Appendices
...I might need accurate maps and flowcharts of the abyss' first layer, so the players can move around correctly. ...I might need accurate maps and flowcharts of the abyss' first layer, so the players can move around correctly.
...probably stick the OGL here?
...More things and stuff goes here