༺☆༻ V ༺☆༻

Arcane Heart 0.1

Posted on Wed Nov 20 2024 02:31:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

For some time now, I’ve been working on an RPG system. Here’s what I want it to be:

Heroic Fantasy - I want players to feel like heroes. I want them to start fighting dragons from the start, to save kingdoms, to be the chosen ones. I want to skip the “you’re just starting out” phase, and go straight to the fun. So, the system should support:

High Fantasy - That’s my favourite kind of fantasy. The one that feels nothing like our world. Thus, the system should have:

Simple basics - The perfect system, in my opinion, is the one that you can just pick up while playing and start having fun straight away. There should be no need to check the rules in the middle of the game. If anything seems too complicated, it should be simplified.

Modular Rules - I’m a programmer. I want to design the system as if it was a program. (In a sense it is - a program written in English, that a human brain compiles to a game). So, the rules should be modular. The general system only defines the basic rules, and then the smaller components handle the specifics. This way, the system can be easily expanded, modified, or even replaced. As a bonus, we’re getting:

The tone that I’m going for:

It’s mostly on the GMs, and the players to set the tone, but the rules can make it easier or harder to achieve a specific one.

I want Arcane Heart to be lore-agnostic. Both me, and every other GM I know have the most fun while building their own worlds.

So. Here it is. Arcane Heart 0.1

Character

Core Attributes

Body

The raw physical power that drives your actions. Body represents not just strength, but the complete mastery over your physical form - from the precision of a dancer to the raw might of a warrior. Those with high Body scores move with purpose and power, their physical presence impossible to ignore.

Determines:

Mind

The keen edge of intellect and awareness that lets you perceive and understand the world around you. Mind represents both learned knowledge and natural wit - the ability to solve complex puzzles or notice the smallest detail out of place. Those with high Mind scores process information quickly and thoroughly, their sharp intellect missing nothing.

Determines:

Aura

The force of personality that shapes how others perceive and react to you. Aura represents your ability to influence the world through presence alone - whether commanding attention in a crowded room or fading into the background at will. Those with high Aura scores naturally draw others to them, their very presence affecting the social dynamics around them.

Determines:

Will

The inner fire that fuels determination and magical potential. Will represents your ability to impose your desires upon reality itself - whether through sheer determination or mystical power. Those with high Will scores possess an unshakeable sense of self, their inner strength manifesting as both magical power and iron resolve.

Determines:

Skills & Applications

Each skill has a primary use that aligns with its parent attribute - this represents the most common and natural application of that skill. However, skills are versatile tools that can be applied in various ways depending on the situation.

For each skill, you’ll find:

Body Skills

Physical power and prowess

Athletics Master the art of movement - running, climbing, swimming, and acrobatics. When your body needs to perform at its peak, Athletics shows the way.

Might Channel raw physical force to lift, break, and overpower. When pure strength is needed, Might makes the impossible possible.

Combat Excel in armed and unarmed combat through mastery of weapons and fighting techniques.

Precision Control fine movements for tasks requiring absolute accuracy, from archery to lockpicking.

Stealth Move unseen and unheard through mastery of physical concealment.

Mind Skills

Knowledge and perception

Awareness Perceive the world with exceptional clarity, noticing what others miss.

Craft Create and repair objects through technical expertise and skilled handiwork.

Lore Command deep knowledge of history, creatures, places, and traditions.

Medicine Understand the body’s workings and the arts of healing.

Study Investigate, research, and analyze information methodically.

Aura Skills

Social interaction and presence

Command Lead and direct others through force of personality.

Deception Mislead and misdirect through lies, disguise, and manipulation.

Insight Understand others’ true motives and emotional states.

Performance Entertain and inspire through artistic expression.

Persuasion Change minds through diplomacy and negotiation.

Will Skills

Magical and mental power

Arcana Control and understand magical forces through study and practice.

Focus Maintain absolute concentration despite distractions.

Prayer Channel divine power through devotion and ritual.

Spirit Commune with natural and supernatural forces.

Willpower Exercise pure mental fortitude and determination.

Each skill can be used with different attributes in specific situations. For example:

Combat could use MIND for analyzing an opponent’s style Persuasion could use WILL when resisting magical influence Stealth could use MIND when planning a infiltration route

Core Mechanics

Tests

Tests are the foundation of Arcane Heart’s resolution system. When your character attempts something challenging or uncertain, you’ll make a Test to determine the outcome. The basic Test is straightforward—roll a twelve-sided die, add your character’s relevant modifiers, and see if you meet or exceed the challenge’s difficulty.

Basic Test Resolution

Test Result = d12 + Modifier ≥ Target DC

where Modifier = Attribute + Skill

Key Points

Success Levels (SL)

Sometimes it’s not enough to know if you merely succeeded or failed. Success Levels measure how well you performed, or how badly you failed. A higher Success Level might mean a more devastating spell effect or a more convincing argument. A negative Success Level could mean a worse fumble or a more embarrassing social faux pas.

Success Level Calculation

Success Level = Test Result - Target DC

Results

Opposed Tests

When two characters directly compete—whether wrestling for control of an artifact or trying to outwit each other in negotiation—they make Opposed Tests. Both characters make their Tests, and the difference between their results determines the winner and by how much.

Opposed Test Resolution

Final Result = Actor’s Test Result - Defender’s Test Result

where Test Result = d12 + Modifier

Outcomes

Boons & Banes

Circumstances affect everything we do. In Arcane Heart, these circumstances are represented by Boons and Banes. Boons represent advantageous conditions—higher ground in combat, careful preparation for a ritual, or having the perfect tool for a job. Banes represent disadvantages—poor lighting, rushing a task, or being wounded.

When you have Boons, you roll additional four-sided dice alongside your normal Test. The more Boons you have, the more d4s you roll. From all these d4s, you take only the highest result and add it to your Test. This represents taking the best advantage of your favorable circumstances.

Banes work the same way, but in reverse. You still roll a number of d4s equal to your Banes, take the highest result, but subtract it from your Test instead. This represents how even a small disadvantage can significantly impact your performance.

When you have both Boons and Banes, they cancel each other out one-for-one. Count up your total Boons and Banes, cancel them out, and only roll for the remaining advantage or disadvantage. A character with 3 Boons and 2 Banes would end up rolling just 1 Boon die.

Boon Rules

Bane Rules

Interaction

Combat

Initiative

When steel is drawn and magic crackles in the air, quick thinking and sharp reflexes determine who acts first. A character’s initiative combines their mental acuity, battlefield awareness, and a touch of luck.

Initiative = Mind + Awareness + d12

Characters act in order from highest to lowest initiative. Heroes always act before their enemies when tied—their heroic nature gives them the split-second advantage they need in crucial moments.

Zones and Movement

The battlefield is divided into Zones—tactically significant areas that might be a castle courtyard, a section of forest, or a chamber in a dungeon. This abstraction keeps combat flowing while maintaining meaningful tactical choices.

A character can move freely within their Zone, whether diving behind cover or closing in on an enemy. Everyone in a Zone can engage in melee combat with each other, representing the fluid nature of battle. When magic or hazards affect a Zone, they impact everyone within it—a fireball engulfs the entire chamber, toxic gas fills the entire alley.

Action Points

Every turn, characters have a pool of Action Points representing their capacity to act in the heat of battle.

Limited attacking Each character has a limit of how many action points they can spend on actions with the [attack] tag.

Attack Tests

Combat uses an Opposed Test when one character attacks another. The attacker and defender each choose their approach:

The attacker chooses:

The defender chooses:

If the attack hits, the impact is determined by the attack’s success, the weapon’s power, and the defender’s protection:

Damage = Success Level + Weapon Damage - Armor

Basic Actions

These fundamental actions are available to any character in battle.

Move (1 AP) When you move, you can travel to any adjacent Zone. Movement within your current Zone is free—you can reposition yourself tactically without spending precious action points.

Strike [Attack] (1 AP) Choose a weapon you’re wielding and a valid target. In melee, you can strike anyone in your Zone. With ranged weapons, you can target anyone in a Zone you can see, within your weapon’s range. Make your Attack Test as described above.

Life and Death

Damage & Recovery

Characters can sustain two types of damage: Toughness damage and Wounds. Toughness represents minor injuries and fatigue, while Wounds represent serious injuries that take longer to heal.

Toughness

Your Toughness score represents your ability to shrug off minor hits, exhaustion, and superficial injuries.

Base Toughness = (Body + Will) × 2

Recovery: You fully recover all Toughness after Catching your Breath (taking a 10-minute rest).

Wounds

Characters can sustain 3 Wounds before becoming Mortally Wounded. Wounds represent serious injuries that impair your abilities and take time to heal.

Recovery: You heal 1 Wound each time you take a full rest.

Damage Resolution

  1. Damage reduces Toughness first, point for point
  2. If damage would reduce Toughness below 0:
    • The character receives 1 Wound
    • Their Toughness stays at 0
    • Any excess damage is ignored
  3. Special cases:
    • Reducing Toughness exactly to 0 does not cause a Wound
    • When at 0 Toughness, any new damage directly causes a Wound

When you can’t take any more Wounds (you’ve taken your third Wound), you become Mortally Wounded, gaining the following condition.

Mortally Wounded:

Death & Fate

Fate Points

Each character begins with 3 Fate Points. These represent your ability to defy death itself, though at a cost. You can come back from beyond the grave, forever changed, loosing part of yourself in the process.

Spending Fate Points

When your character dies, you may spend 1 Fate Point to return:

Returning Examples

Your return might manifest as:

[Note: The Last Stand mechanics should be detailed here once defined]

Legacy

If your character died, they can leave Legacy, so your next character can inherit part of their power. (TODO later)