Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐Interesting video, though I strongly disagree that any game that can be called "OSR" is in any way a "rules light" or "high adjudication" game. #gaming #TTRPG #DnD
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I've been working on the design for my Tapestry RPG System off and on for over 30 years. I have very strong objections to the game design of #DnD (every edition), and Tapestry is meant to address what I see as the limitations and shortcomings of #DnD.
But, ultimately Tapestry is just a different version of D&D. It definitely falls into the same camp of not being at all a "rules light" game?
Why? Because I don't think I can do a "rules light" #TTRPG better than it has already been done. #gaming
My favorite #TTRPG system of all time, aside from my own, is MIMgames' "The Window" RPG system, written by Scott Lininger. The MIMgames website is defunct, but I keep a copy of the free PDF rules on my Wordpress site so that I can refer people to it.
The Window is a free, universal, dice-light, description-heavy TTRPG system. I make a few modifications to it, notably adding a d30 die tier to it, but other than that, The Window is for all intents and purposes very close to *perfection*.
You can find the PDF version of #TheWindow #TTRPG and the #MIMgames website by combing the Wayback Machine over at the Internet Archive, but to save time, here's my copy:
https://gcvrsa.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/windowrules.pdf
What makes Tapestry different to D&D?
Tapestry:
- is a skills-based system, not a class-based system.
- uses a Spells Points magic system, not a Vancian magic system.
- uses 9 ability scores and a d30 test
- uses formulae to calculate secondary ability scores from primary ability scores
- Life Points (LP, same as hit points) are calculated, rather than automatically increasing with PC "level"/"hit dice"
- uses a less arbitrary "magic as science" magic system
- divorces core rules from setting
But other than these points (and some minor other differences), Tapestry plays almost exactly like D&D.
What skills a PC can choose to develop in Tapestry are not limited by class or race or level, except that a PC must spend their Skill Points in those skills, and start at Level 1 in each skill. Every PC can learn any skill, but no PC can learn all skills.
Magic users don't "prepare" or "forget" spells; once learned, spells may be cast as many times as the PC still has SP to cast them.
The skill point and spell point cost of learning skills and casting spells is exponential—skill level or spell level squared, plus 1. So, a Level 0 spell costs 1 SP, a Level 1 spell costs 2 SP, a Level 2 spell costs 5 SP, and a Level 9 spell costs 82 SP.
Max Spell Points are calculated from primary ability scores, and no PC can have more than 88 SP (or LP) at character creation.
PCs can use LP in place of SP, even to the point of suicide.
LP and SP recover naturally at 1/10th current amount.