Darkness Falls - A forum created game

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Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by Marcus Bone »

Hi All,

I've decided to create a Dark Conspiracy clone, basically to allow me to produce whatever material I want. Now while I know I could just publish the mechanics (these can not be copyrighted), as we'll all agree its the the background that makes DC the game it is (based, in my opinion, no small part due to Michael Stackpole's Fiddleback Trilogy). Seeing as we will need a new dystopian setting, I thought what better than to create ones own game.
:shock:

The Background
Darkness Falls is set in an alternative 2020, a world that has come around due to events in the 80s and 90s. These are:

In 1995, right on budget and ahead of schedule, the U.S. Department of Energy opened The Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) (nicknamed the Desertron); a particle accelerator complex constructed in the vicinity of Waxahachie, Texas. Building on the success of the much smaller ISABELLE, a large colliding beam particle accelerator opened in upstate New York in 1983, this complex was to bring a new golden age to particle physics.
But with great power comes great responsibility, and once more mankind stood on the brink of destruction, playing with forces it could not comprehend. The moment the SSC was activated it begun a chain of events that would forever change humanity!


In summary:
  • The SSC opens a rift between our reality and every other, bringing in nightmares, demons and everything else
  • A great plague hits humanity, killing almost 10% of the population and driving others into intensified urban-ification
  • With a consolidation of power, a number of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (metroplexes) start to declare a level of autonomy yet to be seen in the US. Both State and Federal governments flounder in new world of 'city-states' who are propped up by the wealthy and influential
  • After twenty years of change, a great enmity has arisen between the most powerful of metroplexes, and great wastelands now lie between them, home to just the hardiest of souls and things from the darkness
  • More powerful entities from other worlds have entered our reality, and have begun to influence the leaders and corporations to their own unknown ends
The Mechanics
As a clone of 90s games, it wouldn't be right to have a modern, streamlined system running this game. Instead I'm looking to replicate the style of 90s RPGs with both unified mechanics and some detailed mechanical complexity. So far I have:
  • A chart driven D20 core mechanic
  • A simple combat system that allows some depth (i.e, it locations, success levels) but easy resolution
  • A Wounds system that impacts the characters as they are injured (i.e. thresholds to reflect the impact of damage of an individuals effectiveness)
My plan
I've decided that I will map this game out here on the forums. Why? Well A) It is likely that the readers here will be the only people interested :lol: but also B) It stops me focusing on formating and layout (which are a big distraction) and finally C) I can access these forums from anywhere and any device (plus they are mine to manage as I like :P).
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Entry 2: Task Resolution

Post by Marcus Bone »

The challenge facing this project is to a) create a system that replicates the style of 90s RPGs (especially those by GDW), while b) meeting modern roleplayers' expectations on a easy to use system.

To try and achieve this, I've created a Universal Resolution Table. This not only indicates the Target Number needed to roll a success (on a D20) but also how many levels of success are created by this roll.

Image

This table is derived by a simple formula where a task of equal skill to the difficulty has a Target Number of 10 (i.e. requires a 10 or more be rolled on a D20), Each point more or less in any aspect of this equation increases/decreases the Target Number by 1 - just think of the "Resistance Table" in older editions of Call of Cthulhu; using a D20 rather than a D100. As for Success levels, these are accumulated for each full 5 numbers above the Target Number rolled (with provisos for edge cases i.e. I know you auto succeed on a 1 but it doesn't really provide for a clean success level calculation by calling it an Auto success) and with a natural 20 usually providing one extra level of success.

For the record, I see most characters have skills around the 3 to 10 range and most difficulties ranging from 5 to 15.
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Re: Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by ReHerakhte »

I like the Task Resolution table, well actually I like your overall aim and everything else as well.
Personally I see modern games not as "streamlined" but as overly simple, to the point of being simplistic and they leave me quite unsatisfied. I don't actually like rules heavy systems either and I tend to think (perhaps with too much nostalgia maybe) that games from the 1990s to mid-2000s had some of the better systems to suit my tastes.
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Re: Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by Linden »

STOCS Lite (an archetypal 1990s rpg) used a similar mechanic for opposed rolls. H-t-H combat required these but projectile combat didn't. I always felt that was a bit of an anomaly, especially when it came to hitting a target that was dodging/evading. A universal task mechanic like this would deal with the problem quite nicely.
Last edited by Linden on Wed Mar 29, 2017 7:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Entry 3: Utilising Successes

Post by Marcus Bone »

So you rolled your dice and it comes up a natural '20'. With a quick calculation, or a look at the Resolution Table, you determine that you've just rolled 4 Levels of Success! Four! Wow! Your lucky day...

But what can you do with these Successes? What do they mean and how can they influence play?

Well, it really depends on the situation and what part of game play you are in.

For Normal Task Resolution
For most skills, Levels of Success don't really mean too much, unless their is something extra to be gained by overwhelming success. For example, a medic patching up a wounded comrade will be looking to the Levels of Success on their Medic skill* to determine just how many wounds they give them. That said, being really successful is often a cue to describing the action (i.e. that 20 you just rolled does allow you to be a little more verbose in saying just how you succeeded).

In Play Bonuses
This is a subset of the above, in play bonuses are really predetermined results from generating Levels of Success when resolving a Task. For example, a character using their Insight skill* might gain additional information with more successes. This will usually be determined by the GM or the adventure before hand as to actually how much more can be learnt.

Another aspect of this sort of bonuses is the ability to carry success forward. in otherwords a really good success now might mean a lowering of a Target Number in the next roll that involves that challenge (i.e. getting information out of your contact might will be easier after your ace your Intimidate skill* with him, or once you hack the Security system with your Computer Tech skill* all subsequent rolls in the same network are simpler to undertake). These are just some examples of In Play Bonuses, and for the most part are simply codifying the negotiations and allowances that happen around the table verbally between the GM and players.

Opposed Tasks
As should seem logical, Levels of Success can be used to resolve opposed rolls. The character with more Levels of Success wins the challenge, regardless of their actual skill (beginners luck anyone?) Edit - I suppose I should add that skill is the next level of differential of Levels of Success are the same.

For Combat Resolution
Combat Resolution, as with most RPGs, is simply an expanded example of the base Task Resolution system with a degree of granularity that is not needed for general play. In particular, the Levels of Success mechanics allow combat to both be speed up while still providing for detailed outcomes that a single die roll can not usually achieve.

Firefights
Levels of Success can be 'spent' in Firefights to:
- move the hit location of a successful shot on the target one location per success.
- generate more damage dice (likely dependent on the weapon).
- remove armor from a target (a good shot renders the bulletproof vest useless)
- activate a weapon's special ability (flame throw sets the target on fire).

Melee Combat
Levels of Success can be 'spent' in Melee to:
- move the hit location of a successful shot on the target one location per success.
- generate more damage dice (likely dependent on the weapon).
- Create control points to restrain a target.
- Perform specific manoeuvres

* - This may or may not be an actual skill in the game
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Entry 4: Character make-up

Post by Marcus Bone »

As with all roleplaying games, it is the characters who are the heart of the mechanics. The 'character sheet' details almost everything about them and intimately defines how they will engage with the mechanics. In this Entry, I'm going to provide an overview of character make-up, which will be expanded in later posts.

The Structure of Characters
In Darkness Falls, the characters have 4 main components that will all interact with the mechanics (sometimes separately, sometimes together). These are:
  • Statistics (Stats): the core building blocks of the characters; numerical descriptors of both their physical and mental make-up; their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Skills: learned, be it via nature or education, abilities that build on the baseline statistics. These cover everything from combat abilities through to knowledge and even general awareness.
  • Derived Statistics: Mechanical details determined by either Skills or Stats that are used to resolve the systems within the game. These include Initiative Modifiers, Wounds/Hit Points, Encumbrance limit, Stress Break points, etc.
  • Equipment: The tools, weapons, and gadgets that enhance (or at times simply enable) a character's performance of an action.Equipment is the most variable aspect of a character's structure.
Character Generation
Characters will be created following a number of Steps, as is typical in roleplaying games. While there isn't a 'lifepath' style of character generation, as such, there are a number of choices a player must make when following this process.
  • Step 1: Determine Background - These will be a number of background the player will get to choose from, each providing a different set of baseline Statistics (with some customisation). The background will allow allow/limit some of the later choices in the process of generation, as well as outline an initial skills.
  • Step 2: Select Archetype - Each character embodies an archetype of the genre, and this will provide the player with a selection of skills and other options. Some archetypes are limited to specific backgrounds, while others are more open. Archetypes might also impact character progress, defining goals and specifying the ways in which experience can be gained.
  • Step 3: Advance the Character - With the Background and Archetype in place, the player has the barebones of a character. The next step is to build on that by selecting a number of events/actions/experiences the character has had up until the point they start play. These will range from the mundane to the supernatural, and will impact on skills and statistics, as well as provide a way of 'aging' the character. These selections will also provide access to equipment and other in game options. The ultimate goal of this step is to help create a fully rounded character going into play.
  • Step 4: Based on the character's background, archetype and advancement, they will get to choose from a range of equipment.
  • Step 5: Calculate Derived Statistics. This step should be pretty self-explanatory.
Next Entry, I will detail the 6 core Statistics that define all Darkness Falls characters.
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Entry 5: Core Statistics

Post by Marcus Bone »

Core Statistics (Stats) are the building blocks of any traditional roleplaying game; they define a character's physical and mental aspects, often acting as a limiter or guide as to what the are best (or worst) at. In Darkness Falls, the characters have six Core Statistics.

Design Note
As you can imagine there is always a lot of 'back and forth' when trying to decide on what core Stats should be in a game - too few and all the characters feel very same-y, too many and they start to have difficulty in covering core competencies. For this game these attributes could, and should probably be called Aspects rather than stats, as they are meant to be more aggregated than simply define one core part of a character i.e. Co-ordination covers manual dexterity as well as eye-hand co-ordination, tactical thinking and the ability to bring it all together to be effective. Whether or not this approach is successful will likely be realised during this creation process.

The Core Statistic
  • Physique - Covers strength, endurance as well as general toughness
  • Agility - Physical speed, grace and reactions
  • Co-ordination - manual dexterity, adroitness and eye-hand co-ordination
  • Charisma - Force of personality, ability to communicate and indication of physical looks
  • Will - Mental Toughness and Fortitude added into the power to control the supernatural with a dash of common sense.
  • Intellect - a combination of natural intelligence and learnt education
Defining Core Statistics
Core statistics are defined on scale of 1 to 10, with the average human being 3 or 4 for all of these.
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Re: Entry 6: Derived Statistics

Post by Marcus Bone »

*Missed a few days of posts due to work and family commitments, will now be resuming prior to the next crisis!*

Derived Statistics are those attributes that are calculated by the player based on their Core Stats/and or Skills. These are usually abilities that are used in one-off situations or where a specialist number need to be known.
  • Physical Damage Capacity - This is the total amount of damage a character can take before dying. This number is derived from a characters Physique and Will Statistics.
  • Wound Threshold - The amount of damage a character can take before their injuries impede their ability to act (i.e. results in an increase in the task Difficulty). This number also indicates a Threshold for potential wounds rendering the character unconscious regardless of their total hit capacity. The Wound Threshold(s) are derived from their Physical Damage Capacity.
  • Encumbrance Threshold - How much equipment the character can carry before being impaired (i.e. receive a increase to the Target Number). This is derived from the character's Physique and their Fitness Skill.
  • Initiative Modifier - The character's base Reactions in a combat or stressful situation. This is derived from their Agility and Co-ordination Statistics.
  • Mental Damage Capacity - As with Physical Damage Capacity, this is the total amount of mental damage a character can take before going insane/ becomes incapacitated. This is Derived from a character's Will and Intellect Statistics.
  • Stress Threshold - Similar to the Wound Threshold, this indicates how much stress/fear/pressure the character can take before it starts to affect the Difficulty of a task.
As a final note, experience and learning will be able to modify some of these numbers, as well as equipment and/or drugs (i.e. wearing proper webbing will increase Encumbrance Thresholds, taking drugs might increase a Stress Threshold etc.)
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Re: Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by ReHerakhte »

In regards to initiative, I've found that very few systems ever take into account the characters mental abilities; some people are faster thinkers than others but this isn't represented in many (if any) rules system as far as I'm aware.
I was trying to introduce a modified Initiative system into my DC games a few years back that was derived from intelligence and agility and not just combat experience but I cannot for the life of me remember how I structured the system :(
Something like use the better of INT + combat derived Initiative or AGL + combat derived Initiative... or something like that...

The idea being that some people are either more aware of the situation as it unfolds or they are able to process the information faster and come up with solutions faster. This meant that the high intelligence characters were not always lagging behind the combat monkeys whenever Initiative was called for. The example I used to illustrate my point was two characters find themselves in a room with one functioning exit and a bomb in the room but only one person can get through the exit at a time, and must exit the room before the bomb explodes.

Traditionally in DC or Twilight: 2000, this scenario would favour the combat experienced character even if they have really low intelligence and have no clear understanding of the situation. The person with the higher intellect/wisdom/awareness was always going to lose because they lacked the combat experience to boost Initiative even though they could assess the situation faster/better and start reacting to the threat before their companion.
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Re: Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by Marcus Bone »

ReHerakhte wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:51 am The person with the higher intellect/wisdom/awareness was always going to lose because they lacked the combat experience to boost Initiative even though they could assess the situation faster/better and start reacting to the threat before their companion.
That's the way I see it too. I think of myself as being pretty competent in a 'combat-like' situation, but I've never really been in one (closest thing would be a car accident - and I failed in that case).

I have some ideas around Initiative and experience, but it might make it a bit too paperwork heavy...
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Re: Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by ReHerakhte »

I was particularly interested in pursuing this sort of "modified" system because many of the Players in my group at the time were not making PCs with much (or any) combat experience and it put them at a serious disadvantage compared to the one or two PCs in the mix that did have military or police backgrounds.
I feel this sort of situation is still likely to happen with DC or games of a similar nature, they'll attract more horror genre fans than military genre fans and so I believe they will be more inclined to choose civilian PCs which obviously will suffer from the bias towards combat experience in regards to Initiative.
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Re: Entry 7: Character Skills

Post by Marcus Bone »

We are now entering the part of system creation that often causes the most pain and controversy - the Skill list. To many the skill list (and how skills are used) is a key aspect of any system mechanics, and will often divide games as to the depth and complexity of the list. For my own part, I prefer a gaming with a small number of core skills, but where specialisation allows for diversity. This, of course, may not appeal to everyone.

The underlying Premise of Skills in Darkness Falls - Core Skills are universal, the complexity comes in the specialisation.

The Skill List (as it stands at the moment)

These are listed as:
  • Skill Name (Governing Statistic)
  • Skill description
  • List of Specialisations under the skill
Firearms Training (Co-ordination)
This skill covers all shooting skills.
Specialisations - Pistol, Rifle, Heavy Weapon, Archaic

Combat Training (Agility)
Covers armed and unarmed combat, as well as combat manoeuvring
Specialisations - Unarmed, Armed,

Endurance (Physique)
Covers all physical fitness and Constitution based training.
Specialisations - Running, Swimming, Climbing

Athletics (Agility)
Covers flexibility and speed related training.
Specialisations - Dodging, Throwing, Acrobatics

Observation (Will)
Perception and awareness skills
Specialisations - Tracking, searching, Navigation, Insight

Stealth (Agility)
Skills focused on remaining undetected.
Specialisations - Hiding, Sneaking, Shadowing

Manipulation (Co-ordination)
Skills requiring co-ordination and precision.
Specialisations - Sleight of Hand, Electronics, Mechanics

Acting (Charisma)
Being someone you are not.
Specialisations - Bluff, Performance, Disguise

Education (Intellect)
Book Learning and Research skills
Specialisations - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, Business

Personality (Charisma)
Skills based on your charm and intuition.
Specialisations - Leadership, Persuasion, Intimidation

Technology Use (Intellect)
Ability to use modern technology
Specialisations - Computer Use, Security, System Development

Medic (Intellect)
First Aid and Doctoring
Specialisations - Trauma, Medicine, Psychology

Driving (Co-ordination)
Controlling vehicles
Specialisations - Heavy Vehicle, Piloting - Flight, Piloting - Ocean, Motorcycle

Life Skills/Practical Skills/Nurture (Will) - I ain't happy with a name for this
Skills developed by living in an environment for a while.
Specialisations - Contacts, Streetwise, Survival, Languages (all of these might have specifics attached).

As stated above, these are a work in progress and will continue to change as I review and develop the core mechanics I'm sure!
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Re: Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by Linden »

ReHerakhte wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 11:37 am I feel this sort of situation is still likely to happen with DC or games of a similar nature, they'll attract more horror genre fans than military genre fans and so I believe they will be more inclined to choose civilian PCs which obviously will suffer from the bias towards combat experience in regards to Initiative.
This is probably a hangover from the original Dark Conspiracy. It's a horror game but one that uses a rules system developed by wargamers/simulationists. My personal view is that rules for correcting artillery fire in a game of this nature are a waste of rule book space that could be better utilised for other things. I try to play down the militaristic flavour in the games I've run.
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Entry 8: Character Backgrounds

Post by Marcus Bone »

Characters in Darkness Falls are not created solely from a player's imagination; they instead make a series of choices and decisions that influence a character's growth and development. The first decision to be made on this 'journey' is the character's background. This will determine their starting Statistics as well as open or limit future development choices.

Note - As it is likely that Statistics will become a 'point buy' system, a character's background will permanently determine the cost of purchasing each Statistic.

Additionally Backgrounds provide with an initial set of skill points that are automatically assigned. Again these reflect the growth and development opportunities available to the character.

Character Backgrounds
Each character has a single background, these include:
  • Survivalist - The character started life in a commune or compound away from 'normal' society. The Stats and Skills for this background focus on self reliance over education of book learning.
  • Rural - The character grew up on a farm or ranch, and begins the character creation process with a focus on a connection to the world around them and its changes.
  • White Collar - The character's family worked in the ant hill and corporate towers of middle wage earners. This is likely the most flexible of backgrounds, providing for a bit of every background.
  • Blue Collar - The character grew up with a mum or dad work worked with their hands - be it in a factory, construction or mechanics. This provides for a range of starting Attributes and key skills that reflect this upbringing.
  • High Society - The character grew up with money and influence. Often this reflects in their personality and charisma. This background will reflect charm, grace and a bit of ignorance to the true state of the world.
  • Rebellious - When the character could have everything they instead chose (or where perhaps forced) to act out against their upbringing. This background reflects opportunities in a number of different backgrounds.
Note: I'm happy to hear of other background possibilities as ultimately I'd be keen on about 8 to 10...
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Re: Darkness Falls - A forum created game

Post by Phulish »

Perhaps a family that always served in law enforcement or the military? My Grandpa was a legend, my Dad broke the Collin's gang...... My family has gone to Annapolis since it's founding and became career Navy or Marines.....
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