The Percentile-Dice Roleplaying System and You

[Kaghuros]

The Percentile-Dice Roleplaying System and You

Hello, everyone! Now, you might be wondering "We already roll dice to roleplay, what the hell is wrong with you?" Well, the answer is balance. I enjoy having a balanced and interesting fighting system in which people can duke it out without worrying about being defeated due to the ravages of random numbers, even if their character is noticeably better at something than their foe. I especially enjoy adventurous and wide-ranging roleplay and hope to be able to DM some interesting D&D style party-based adventures in the future.

Here I propose a more advanced, voluntary system for those wishing to do more party-based adventuring. It's simple enough to keep track of in a Notepad document, but it encompasses, more or less, most of what a character is capable of. Take into consideration, however, that the system more or less requires a DM to run, because in its nature it's based on the DM as a storyteller and moderator of disputes.

This is still in the early stages of creation, and is based in Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy if anyone is interested in helping develop the system in a direction that more easily mirrors the World of Warcraft and our server's unique needs. I will hopefully be adding an experience guide and generic class skills/talents in the future, but I also want to leave much of the character development aspect to individual players and small-group dungeon masters.

The Basics

Characteristics

This system breaks all possible character actions into groups based on nine attributes: Weapon Skill, Ranged Skill, Strength, Toughness, Agility, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, and Fellowship. These characteristics are rolled against in a roll-under manner where you try to get a number less than the number of your skill, or less than the target number to hit when bonuses are involved.

Characteristics are generally applied as follows:

Weapon Skill is your ablity to hit with melee weapons and fists. You roll Weapon Skill in any Skill Test that involved hitting something with your weapon, including Parry Tests and some difficult out-of-combat maneuvers involving your weapon. This skill is fairly straight-forward.

Ranged Skill is your ability to hit with ranged weapons, and generally works like Weapon Skill if you take away the ability to parry. Ranged Skill allows you to hit anything out of combat as well, and perform various trick shots with some bonus or penalty.

Strength is a measure of your character's raw muscular ability. It's a description of how strong your character is, and effects such things as Skill Tests to lift and move heavy objects and perform feats related to raw power. This has a sub-stat called the Strength Bonus, which is the "tens place" number of your Strength (I.E. 30 Strength gives you 3 Strength Bonus). The Strength Bonus is used to measure your carrying capacity, and gives you a bonus to certain weapons and unarmed attacks.

Toughness is a measure of how resilient your character is. You roll against this skill in Skill Tests involving resisting poison and tiredness, or holding out against blood loss and shock. Your Toughness Bonus also determines the distance you can run without rest, and the amount of time you can stay awake without sleep/water/food. Your Toughness Bonus, in most cases, is doubled to determine your total Wounds, which will be covered later.

Agility is a measure of the quickness of your character. You roll this skill in Skill Tests such as dodging a blow, quickly jumping across a ledge, or climbing a slippery surface or dangling rope. Skill Tests dealing with sleight-of-hand are also Agility-dependent, as are those that require a fine touch such as disarming a bear trap. Your Agility Bonus determines the speed at which you move, and the distance you can jump or leap.

Intelligence is a measure of the mental capacity of your character. This skill is rolled in Skill Tests involving deciphering languages, assembling technology, performing first aid and other medical procedures, and navigating through unknown areas. Your Intelligence Bonus might sometimes important for some abilities (I.E. Some Arcane abilities and rituals), but generally isn't used often.

Perception is a measure of your character's sight, hearing, smell, and touch. This is rolled in Skill Tests that deal with perceiving the world around you, and can be to your benefit to prevent being ambushed or falling into a trap. Perception is also rolled to do things such as read lips or search an area for clues. Your Perception Bonus isn't often used, except perhaps for some abilities.

Willpower is a measure of the sheer force of your character's mind. This is the primary attribute for spellcasting (Priests, Mages, and Warlocks especially) and is also rolled to resist Fear and Pinning, as well as in opposed tests to interrogate prisoners and dominate summoned creatures. Your Willpower Bonus is generally used to determine the ability to which you can control your own magical abilities, and is often added as a damage bonus to damaging spells.

Fellowship is a measure of your character's charisma and ability to interact with others. This attribute is used to persuade others, and to perform actions such as command a group of allies to hold against the odds in combat, or even to haggle on the price of items or get yourself into a drinking group at the local pub. This encompasses, more or less, the sociability of your character.

Skills

Skills are a measure of what a character can do. They can be trained to one of four levels: Basic, Trained, +10, and +20. Basic Skills are rolled against their Characteristic halved (Rounded down), while Trained Skills are rolled at the normal level. There are "Mastery" levels beyond that, which count as bonuses of +10 and +20 to your skill roll. Skills can be gained by doing them in a long roleplay, at character creation, or through spending "experience" of some kind allotted during a dungeon crawl by your DM.

If you roll ten under your target, you are said to have gained a degree of success on a skill. For every ten more under the target you gain another degree. The more degrees of success you receive, the more dramatic the result of your skill. Conversely, the more degrees of failure you receive, the more dramatic your failure becomes.

This is by no means a complete list of things you're able to accomplish, but they're what I have converted from the Rogue Trader Core to WoW and encompass things people need to learn to some degree to be able to accomplish. A few are WoW related that I could think of as I was writing this post.

Skills, as Skill (Attribute):

Acrobatics (Ag) Full Action
Awareness (Per) Free Action (Reaction)
Barter (Fel) Variable
Beast Training (Int): Train a beast to follow your commands over a period of time.
Blather (Fel): Fast-talk friends and enemies with a combination of outright lies and inventive half-truths. A good distraction. Full Action
Carouse (T): Drink someone under the table... Or drink everyone under the table. You roll this skill whenever you drink or eat something heavily intoxicating. Failure means you get progressively more drunk, hallucinate, or gain a level of Fatigue where appropriate. Free Action
Charm (Fel) Opposed by Willpower. Can effect targets equal to Fellowship Bonus Variable
Ciphers (Int): Understand and decipher codes. Full Action
Climb (S) Half Action
Command (Fel) Effects a number of targets equal to your Fellowship Bonus Half Action/Full Action
Commerce (Fel): The art of owning a business. Variable
Common Lore (Int): This includes a number of skills. For example, Common Lore (Blood Elves) would let you understand Blood Elven history and customs, and would be rolled against in a diplomatic situation to know how to behave, for instance. Obviously, every character starts with Common Lore related to their background. Free Action
Concealment (Ag): Camouflage yourself from sight. Half Action
Contortionist (Ag): Fit through tight spaces, escape grapples, or perform for an audience!Full Action
Deceive (Fel) Variable
Demolition (Int) Make and use explosives. You do need the correct materials to do so, however. Full Action
Disguise (Fel) Variable
Divination (WP): Ask the Spirits/Light/Ancestors/Etc. for guidance towards a goal. 1d5 hours
Dodge (Ag) Free Action/Reaction
Drive (Ag): This is used more in difficult situations. You would need to roll for this if you were performing a complicated vehicular maneuver, for example. Half Action
Evocation (WP): This is the skill involved in spellcasting. Evocation tests are called to gather magic for a bonus of +10 to activate on the next spell. Half Action
Forbidden Lore (Int): Forbidden Lore encompasses the things people aren't supposed to know about. For instance, Forbidden Lore (Demons) is the kind of knowledge a Warlock would have that no one else should be learning. This is the secret knowledge of the world, and is generally kept jealously. Free Action
Gamble (Int) Variable
Inquiry (Fel): Gain information on a subject over a long period of time, through conversation or eavesdropping. 1 hour or more
Interrogation (WP) 1d5 Hours
Intimidate (S) Full Action
Invocation (WP): Focus your energies, improving the power of your next spell by 1 Full Action
Lip Reading (Per)
Logic (Int) Variable
Medicine (Int) First aid takes a Full Action whereas treating or diagnosing a condition is Variable.
Navigation (Int): This can be one of many types, such as Navigation (Sea) or Navigation (Land). Simple locations take 1 minute. Plans and voyages take 1d5 hours
Perform (Fel): This can be an instrument or a performing art. Can substitute for Charm or Blather at a -10 penalty. Variable
Scholastic Lore (Int): This is more academic information, and is on more esoteric subjects. Common Lore (Dalaran) might let you know their customs, but Scholastic Lore (Dalaran) would provide you with a history of the Dalaran Magi and their founding. This also applies to subjects like Alchemy or types of magic. Free Action
Scrutiny (Per): This deals with inspecting objects and people you encounter. This can be opposed by Deceive when someone is lying or hiding something. Full Action
Search (Per): This is about examining a location for information. Variable
Secret Tongue (Int): The secret language of some coven or guild or branch of the military. Only certain people can communicate in such a language. Free Action
Security (Ag): Pick locks and disable traps. 1 minute, -10 seconds for every degree of success
Shadowing (Ag): Follow an individual through the environment without being noticed. Variable
Silent Move (Ag) Free Action
Sleight of Hand (Ag) Can be used to cheat at Gamble tests, as well as perform tricks and such. Half Action
Speak Language (Int): This is your ability to speak a language. Characters all start off with a common language, and the language of their race. You can, of course, know other languages. Characters and NPCs need a common tongue to communicate. Free Action
Survival (Int): This skill allows you to construct shelters and generally find a way to live in the wilderness. Full Action/Variable
Swim (S): Full Action
Engineering (Int): Full Action/Variable
Tracking (Int) Free Action
Trade (Various): A trade is any sort of business or skill a character has experience in. These are based on whichever Characteristic is most appropriate (I.E. Blacksmith (S) or Alchemy (Int).). Variable

Thus ends the first segment. Comments are welcome. I'll be doing the rest of the system in a few more segments, starting next with character creation and abilities.

[Kaghuros]

Creating Your Character

To begin creating a character, roll 2d10 (/roll 10 twice, or two rolls on a ten-sided dice) nine times and add each set of two together. This will leave you with a spread of numbers something like this:

18
13
8
12
4
7
18
15
6

Then, you need to add all nine numbers to a Base Score. The Base Score for a normal, starting character is 25. Optionally, for a Prestige Class, the Base Score of certain attributes will increase (Count this as a +10 to your primary characteristic and +5 to your secondary characteristic for the class.). In addition, you may select THREE attributes, a primary and two secondaries. The Primary attribute begins with +10, and the secondaries begin with +5, before Prestige Class bonuses. You then select ONE attribute, which begins at -5.

An example spread for a standard character would, then, look something like this:

18 + 25 = 43 +10 = 53
13 + 25 = 38 + 5 = 43
8 + 25 = 33
12 + 25 = 37
4 + 25 = 29
7 + 25 = 32
18 + 25 = 43 - 5 = 38
15 + 25 = 40 + 5 = 45
6 + 25 = 31

You may then assign each number to a Characteristic, and it is your decision which you choose to assign to which. Keep in mind that you can also re-roll any one attribute you'd like, but you'll need to stick with the second roll.

When you "level up" (I.E. reach a character milestone, or train, or do something else worth it) you can add +5 to two of your attributes, up to a maximum of +20 to each individual attribute. Therefore, the maximum possible skill level you can have starting from the base, with all level and class bonuses, is 85 in one characteristic. Conditional bonuses from backgrounds might change the number somewhat.

The Origin

Your character's background may provide bonuses and penalties to certain attributes, or add trained or basic skills that would have been learned during the character's life. I'm hoping to be able to put together an Origin Path diagram like Rogue Trader has, but that would require help in deciding how different origins would work and what exactly they are. A few examples of the beginning of an Origin Path might be like this:

Noble Born:

You led a life in luxury until your adventures began. For whatever reason, you chose to leave the manor you were born in and go into the wider world. You are socially skilled, highly educated, and well-versed in the politics of the highborn. The intrigue and political play in your life honed your skills even if you weren't aware of it, as the social dance became an integral part of your life.

You begin with +5 to Intelligence or Fellowship, and -5 to Toughness or Willpower. You gain Speak Language (Your Language), Speak Language (Common Tongue), and one Scholastic Lore skill. You gain a +10 to Fellowship when dealing with nobles or people of authority.

Peasant Farmer:

You were born in the fields your father worked, the same fields his father and his father's father likely also worked. In the time before you became an adventurer, your sense of adventure was going to the next town over to sell grain on Market Day. This kind of sheltered lifestyle was filled with toil and hardship, and you likely took the first chance you could get to get out. Whether this was the start of your adventuring career or simply an apprenticeship in another town is yours to decide

You begin with +5 Strength or +5 Toughness, and -5 Intelligence or -5 Willpower. You gain Speak Language (Your Language), and Common Lore (Farming) and Trade (Farming) as a Trained skill. You also gain Perform or Gamble as a basic skill.

Frontier Family:

You were born on the edge of civilization, and spent much of your youth in seclusion or with a scant few others in a tiny wilderness town. You learned from an early age how to live in the wilderness and take what you needed to survive from the jaws of scarcity. This was a childhood that made you hard to suffering and loss, and taught you how to live on your own. Perhaps you left to wander the woods, but whatever your choice, the adventurer's life was a life you took to easily.

You gain +5 Perception or +5 Agility, and -5 Toughness or -5 Fellowship. You gain Tracking and Survival as Trained Skills, and a +10 to Agility when making a movement action in whichever environment you're most accustomed to.

The Armory:

Weapons and armor are a very important part of this game, and thankfully statting them is extremely easy to do! The Rogue Trader sourcebook provides stats for most "Primitive" weapons, which are the type that we use in the World of Warcraft. When dealing with weapons, Armor Points on parts of the body are added to the Toughness Bonus to resist damage, and those can be removed with a number of Penetration Points on the weapon you're being hit with.

Primitive weapons are resisted by double the armor points of the area being attacked, unless the armor is Primitive as well.

Balanced weapons grant a +10 bonus to Parry when using the weapon.

Defensive weapons grant +2 AP to the body, and the arm holding the weapon.

Sample Ranged Weapon Types:

Revolver: Pistol Weapon, Reliable, 30m range, Single Shot. 1d10+3 Impact Damage, Penetration 0, 6 Bullets, 2 Full Actions to reload.
Longbow: Primitive Weapon, Reliable, 50m Range, Single Shot. 1d10 Rending Damage, Penetration 0, 1 Arrow, 1 Full Action to reload.
Crossbow: Primitive Weapon, 30m Range, Single Shot. 1d10 Rending Damage, Penetration 2, 1 Bolt, 2 Full Actions to reload.
Recurve Bow: Primitive Weapon, Reliable, 30m Range, Single Shot. 1d10 Rending Damage, Penetration 1, 1 Arrow, 1 Full Action to reload.

Sample Melee Weapon Types:

Great Weapon: Primitive Weapon, Unbalanced. 2d10 Rending Damage, Penetration 0.
Improvised Weapon: Primitive Weapon, Unbalanced. 1d10-2 Impact Damage, Penetration 0.
Knife: Primitive Weapon, Melee/Thrown. 5m Thrown Range. 1d5 Rending Damage, Penetration 0.
Shield: Primitive Weapon, Defensive. 1d5 Impact Damage, Penetration 0.
Spear: Primitive Weapon, Unbalanced. 1d10 Rending, Penetration 2.
Staff: Primitive Weapon, Balanced. 1d10 Impact Damage, Penetration 0.
Sword: Primitive Weapon, Balanced. 1d10 Rending Damage, Penetration 0.
Truncheon/Mace: Primitive Weapon. 1d10 Impact Damage, Penetration 0.
Warhammer: Primitive Weapon. 1d10+2 Impact Damage, Penetration 0.

Sample Armor Types:

Heavy Cloth: Primitive Armor. Arms, Body, Legs. AP 1
Heavy Leather/Furs: Primitive Armor. Arms, Body, Legs. AP 2
Chainmail/Dragonhide: Primitive Armor. Arms, Body, Legs. AP 3
Plate Armor: Primitive Armor. Arms, Body, Legs. AP 6
Enchanted Cloth: Arms, Body, Legs. AP 1
Enchanted Leather: Arms, Body, Legs. AP 2
Enchanted Mail/Dragonhide: Arms, Body, Legs. AP 3
Enchanted Plate: Arms, Body, Legs. AP 6

[Kaghuros]

Reserved. Something else I forget, possibly tables.