This is a page for the listing of alternative mechanics that various GMs and guest GMs could or do use in their various runs and events. Alternative mechanics are rules that are not part of the game's core system, but which one might elect to use in order to make things more interesting, easier to run, or more balanced. Ultimately, how a GM decides the course of their run is up to them, so these are just tools they can use in deciding how things go. This list is meant as a repository of examples - not something to choose exclusively from.
Alternative mechanics fall into a few different categories, and are separated as such:
- Systemic - Changes that effect the very basic ways in which the game works. These are things that alter the way you play at a very fundamental level, and include major modifications to stat systems, introduced mechanics, and the like.
- Conditional - Mechanics that are in effect when certain events transpire or when a situation is in a certain way. Most of these are modifications to rolls based on present conditions.
- Environmental - These are specific changes made due to an alternate environment or setting, and can range from very slight modifications to certain rolls to entirely new systems.
The Great Big List of Alternative Mechanics is below. You may add to it as you wish, but may not edit or remove entries from other players. The list is monitored and moderated by the GM team.
| Systemic |
|---|
| When a player is attacked, they can roll either agility or pdef to evade/block the attack. The damage dealt is determined by this roll - if the agility roll fails, they take the damage calculated using it as though it were a pdef roll. |
| For runs lasting longer than a day, given that characters have a chance to rest at night, they can restore 1 phealth every night they rest. Additionally, characters with healing abilities can use these abilities once per day during these resting periods, to restore health as though the damage had been dealt recently. |
| When healing, the health restored is calculated through the equation ((med roll - (missing health/2)) - 3. Negative or zero rolls do nothing. |
| Agility cannot be used to dodge ranged attacks. (This may screw balance up for people who have invested in Agility. Please use carefully.) |
| Conditional |
| If a character has been shot in an arm, they take a -2 to all rolls involving both arms, and a -4 to all rolls involving that arm alone. |
| While travelling through darkness, characters take an automatic -3 on their perception rolls. |
| Environmental |
| While traveling through blizzard conditions, players must roll a survival check every four hours of in-game travel. Character that do not pass the survival check (set around 3, but adjusted depending on the group competence), take a point of phealth damage. |
| While in Banganash, characters with anomalous abilities roll those abilities as though they were three ranks higher. |
| While in Banganash, guns and other modern technology do not function normally. Any non-archaic gun fired there will likely destroy itself, due to differences in metal properties. The only functional guns are one specially produced using certain ores. |
| While in the Forest Realm, gravity is reduced and the air is more oxygenated. As a result, characters (and NPCs) get a +4 to agility, melee, and strength rolls. |
Some GMs like to have collections of alternative mechanics that they use together, sometimes for all of their events and sometimes for a particular setting, or even just one run. These pages can be created by anyone who wishes to do so. Just make sure to tag the page 'ruleset', and it will automatically appear below. The page can be in whatever format suits its usage.
If you have any questions about any of this, post in the discussion thread for this page, or contact Wogglebug or one of the other GMs.