[Dexter Spinner of Death]

Ok.. This is an overview of what i've been working on. its a lot to take in at once since its quite a big post. so just go slow.








Basics
To get started, you must understand that the base dice mechanic for this
play system is the d10 Dicepool system. Each stat, and skill ranking represents a dicepool. So if you have 5 ranks in strength, and you need to lift a big wooden beam blocking a door, you roll 5d0 (5 ranks of strength) to make a strength check.
This is also a classless, leveless system. Each character starts exaclty the same, and customizes using talents and skills as they see fit. each Character starts with 24 stat points, and 44 skill points. Any left of stat points may be used to buy talents, and any left over skill points may be used to buy talents at twice the normal cost.
When the Storyteller, Game Master, Dungeon Master, G.O.D believes you have done something extraordinary, or have completed a quest goal, he may award storypoints. Storypoints can be saved and accumulated, or spent on stats, skills, or talents as they see fit at the normal rate of purchase.

Character Creation.
Characters start with 24 stat points, to be attributed as they see fit. The first rank, and every subsequent rank up to five cost 1 point. The sixth rank cost 2 points, the seventh rank cost 4, eighth rank cost 6, ninth rank cost 8, tenth rank cost 10.

Stats

Power Category:

Intelligence (Mental Group) – how mentally resourceful they are.
Strength (Physical Group) – how physically forceful they can be.
Presence (Social Group) – how socially influential they can be.
[
U]Finesse Category: [/U]

Wits (Mental Group) – how clever and insightful they are.
Dexterity (Physical Group) – how physically graceful they are.
Manipulation (Social Group) – how socially dominating they are.

Resistance Category:

Resolve (Mental Group) – how mentally determined they are.
Stamina (Physical Group) – how physically enduring they are.
Composure (Social Group) – how socially dignified they are.

Derived Values.

Willpower (WP) : a measure of a character's self-confidence and determination With one rank, a character is "spineless". With ten ranks, they are "implacable". Willpower Also replaces your Armour skill rating when defending against Magic.
( [ Resolve + Stamina + Composure] /3 ) = Willpower

Health Points (HP) : Your Characters Life Force
( ( [Stamina] + [Size] ) x Health Skill ) = Health Points

Threshold (TH) : The maximum ammount of mana that can be drawn from a warren at any given time.
( [Intellegence+Wits+Resolve] x [Channel Warren((Specific Warren))skill] )

Melee Attack Rating (MAR) : The number of dice you roll to achieve a successfull melee HIT.
( Strength rank + melee weapon skill rank) = + dice to hit with melee Weapon.

Ranged Attack Rating (RAR) : The number of dice you roll to achieve a successfull ranged HIT.
( Dexterity rank + ranged weapon skill) = + dice to hit with ranged Weapon

Spell Attack Rating (SAR) : The number of dice you roll to achieve a successfull spell HIT.
( ( [ Intelligence+Wits+Resolve] /3 ) + (Channel Warren Skill) ) = + dice to hit with Spell.

Avoidance : Avoidance is your ability to avoid incomming hits, representing how agile you are.
( [Dexterity] + [Dodge Skill] ) = + dice to avoid damage with.

Damage Resistance : The Damage Resistance ability mitigates how much damage you actually take from a hit based upon how tough you of armour you wear, and how adept you are at making the best use of wearing it.
( [Armour Defense Rating] + [Armour Skill Rating] ) = + dice to resist damage taken.

Initiative : Initiative is how fast you react when combat starts. The higher your initiative, the better chance you have of acting before anyone else does.
( [Dexterity] + [Composure] )= + dice rolled to be the first to act.

Gambit : Gambits are tricky. When you reach your maximum Threshold(TH) when drawing mana from a warren, you must make a Gambit Check to find out the consquences. You also make Gambit Checks when drawing too much mana from a warren in single instances; such events can leave you mind dead and your body a living, open connection to the warren with nothing controling it. Haven't worked out a skill system for it yet.

Skills

Skills are divided into 3 caterogies based on stats; Mental, Physical, Social. At Character creation characters are given 44 skill points to divide as they see fit. the ranks can never be above the average result of the stat group it is based on. As with Attributes skills following a progressive chart. The first rank, and every subsequent rank up to five cost 1 point. The sixth rank cost 2 points, the seventh rank cost 4, eighth rank cost 6, ninth rank cost 8, tenth rank cost 10. Several Skills have prequisite ranks in other skills before being allowed to take ranks in it.

Some examples of Skills are as follows:

Mental Skills: Beaurocracy , Crafts, Lore, Channel Warren(and its subsequent flavour skills)
Physical Skills: Athletics, Brawling, Stealth, Jump, Archery
Social Skills: Empathy, Intimidation, Persuasion, Streetwise, Subterfuge

Talents

Talents are abilities that a character can choose for himself that alter existing skills and do something extraordinary with them, based upon the three main attribute caterogies. They may be combat abilities, spell casting abilities, and social abilities like wealth. All talents cost 4 points. Stackable Talents mean they can be taken several times, but with differant aspects(warrens, weapons, etc). Progressive Talents mean that there can be up to 3 ranks in that ability and each rank increases the bonuses given. Progressive talents also cost 4 points for their first rank, but there second rank cost 8 points, and third rank cost 12 points.

The following are a few examples.

Mental Talents:

Alternate Warren(Gives you the ability to take Channel Warren a second time. Stackable. Each time taken applies to a differant warren.)

Weave Warren(Weaves two warrens simultaneously for greater and more powerful spells. In this instance, the dice pools for the respective warrens are combined)

Breach(pushes the Threshold beyond its normal limit. Stackable, Progressive. Each Rank of breach taken gives you the ability to add another 2 dice to your threshold check.)

Expansive Mind(Adds two dice to your channel warren check to determine how much mana you can draw from a warren. Stackable, Progressive. Can be stacked up to three times in one specific warren for a total of an extra 6 dice.)

Improved Gambit ??

Physical Talents:

Second Swing(Take a second attack equal to ( MAR - Weapon Speed[Faster weapons have low speed, slower weapons have higher speed]

Brutal Attack(An ability used only once per day. You use double your strength rank when determining how much damage your next attack makes. If this attack is a critical(all roles 8 or more), the strength rating is trippled when determining damage.

Social Talents: ??



Combat

Example.

Blue sneaks up behind a thug in the alley and attempts to jab his knife into the thugs back. He rolls his initiative (4 dice([Dexterity+3] + [Composure+1])) and results in a 35. His oponent does the same and rolls 23. Blues is higher so he acts first.
Stepping directly behind his oponent, Blue rolls his attack. ( [Strength +4] + [Light Weapon Skill +3 ) So he rolls 7d10 and results in 45.
The thug, slightly suprised, tries to avoid the damage. ( [Dexterity +2] + [Dodge+1]) so he rolls 3d10 and results in 17. He failed to avoid so blue rolls his damage. ( [ MAR (7d10)] + [Knife Damage +1] ) and results in so now he resists in 30 dmg. The thug resists as much as he can, gritting his teeth as Blues knife sticks in his ribs. The thug rolls ( [Leather Armour Defense +1] + [Leather Armour Skill +4] ) 5d10 and results in 18. the Thugs Leather Armour prevents the thrust from being a killing blow, resisting 18 damage. However he is bleeding and hurt, and suffers 12 damage points.

Magic

Channeling a warren.

EXAMPLE

Channel Warren(Mockra) Skill Rank 5.
Blue the adept rolls 5d10 and ends up with 3, 7, 9, 5 for a total result of 24.
Blue has a total IWR rating of 18, multiplied by his Channel Warren(Mockra) of 5, resulting in a threshold rating of 54. So even if he had rolled full dice, he would still be able to draw 4 MORE mana points if he could.
Since he only rolled 24, he suffers no kind of penalty, and has 24 mana points to cast spells as s/he sees fit.

[Silander]

I use d10 myself for running malazan style games, mainly coz every one understands it and has used it. Might I make a suggestion? A background/merit I added is 'channeling', one I made up. It rates from 1 - 5 in storyteller. Normally a mage snaps of a spell and rolls his/her pool. With this stat if they take a round longer (per dot if you like) then they can add a die per dot in channeling to the spell's pool, making much more impressive spells when the adept concentrates.
Just an idea. Oh also I liek the Perception stat as I said over on Starvald but I think it looks good, a fairly accessible light weight system.