Role Playing Game

By Peacekeeper_b, in Dust Tactics General Discussion

Ive been sketching down notes and writing down ideas for a RPG based on this setting. Gathered the comics (groan), all the box set sout so far (major ones, not individual squads), the Dust sourcebook from Dust-Models.com and one of the Dust Modelling books from the same site.

I am heavily leaning toward True 20 for the base system but falling back to the more comic/pulpy combat rules from M&M. I want to avoid any concept of a level system or even references to a power level (but in short, characters would be equal to about M&M Power Level 4 before equipment and 5 or 6 with equipment). Instead of referring to them as power levels or levels, each "level" of character builds would be done in a 5 or 6 step character creation process.

I want to turn Base Attack Bonus, Reflex Save, Damage Save, Fortitude Save and Will Save into skills and use the concept of Damage Reduction Armour over Armour Class.

Any suggestions?

I would try for another system, preferably SAVAGE WORLDS. With Savage Worlds WEIRD WAR 2 book, you have a system built to allow a character to have himself as a hero and several members of a squad or platoon. Plus it is an easy system.

Sorry, Savage Worlds is a horrible system. I would never use it. ever.

And you think T 20 is better? I can assure you that I have over 30 years of RPG experience, and if you want to use squads in an RPG, Savage Worlds is the only one that does it easily. T 20? You would be better off just ripping off DP9 with its Gear Krieg RPG.

I did not like Savage Worlds at first, but it is the only one I have seen that does the squads well.

I wouldn't have thought you would want squad rules for an RPG or even rely on a grid for movement.

Yeah. Its not a squad based RPG. It woudl be a small squad of elite troops, yes, but you dnt have to worry about squad stuff overall.

I feel True 20 has a smooth overall resolution system, and in my 25 years of gaming experience I would say Savage Worlds is one of the worst systems I have ever seen that for some reason hasnt gone away. Now Ive seen worse game, but they had the decency to go away.

I am sure, however, that Savage Worlds woudl work as well. But I prefer to go with M&M/T20 mechanics.

I will try to write up a chapter tomorrow.

I did not like the 20 systems primarily because it is a power gamer system, in my opinion. I do not love Savage Worlds, far from it. My favorite system and by far the most elegant is the BRP system by Chaosium. It is the system used for Call of Cthulhu. I am not sure how it would work for a combat heavy game.

Another nice system but obscure is the system used in Cthulhutech. It has walkers in it, and is in the future, but is pretty decent.

How about Rogue Trader the 40K RPG?

Major Mishap said:

How about Rogue Trader the 40K RPG?

While I love Dark Heresy, seeing all the spin off games have made it evident that the 40K RPGs are not flexible enough to cover that much ground.

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

I did not like the 20 systems primarily because it is a power gamer system, in my opinion. I do not love Savage Worlds, far from it. My favorite system and by far the most elegant is the BRP system by Chaosium. It is the system used for Call of Cthulhu. I am not sure how it would work for a combat heavy game.

Another nice system but obscure is the system used in Cthulhutech. It has walkers in it, and is in the future, but is pretty decent.

Quite familiar with BRP, wrote Berlin '61 for them. But I agree, its a great system and game, especially for espionage, investigation and horror, but it breaks down in fantasy and sci-fi.

My favorite system of all time was/is MEGs the system that powered the old DC Heroes RPG back when Mayfair had the license (waaaaaay back in the 80s).

Overall I agree, D20 usually comes down to power gaming. But I like the simple rules, roll D20 add modifiers get result against target number, go. Plus with the plethora of stuff already out there, it makes it so much easier to convert a game from one medium (minis/board) to another (RPG). Got my copy of Gear Krieg, Blood on the Rhine, D20 Mecha, True 20 and Mutants and Masterminds out and just need to jot down what I want to take/use/steal/modify.

I already sketched out a system that is compatible (broadly) with the board game. Here's a LINK

If there's enough interest I'll polish it up a bit and expand it to take into account some of the new models and information.

Otherwise I'd suggest doing a GearKreig conversion.

Why not HERO system? It would take a sourcebook to provide a set line for base vision so we don't get one Ludwig with 10 DEF and the next with 20 DEF. For the squad, you simply buy followers and even if they are "free" character points, it lets the GM set the power level of the game. Although if I was running a Dust setting with the crowd I know, I'd either be running a set of mecha drivers or a short squad of rangers rather than several heroes plus squads.

Algesan said:

Why not HERO system? It would take a sourcebook to provide a set line for base vision so we don't get one Ludwig with 10 DEF and the next with 20 DEF. For the squad, you simply buy followers and even if they are "free" character points, it lets the GM set the power level of the game. Although if I was running a Dust setting with the crowd I know, I'd either be running a set of mecha drivers or a short squad of rangers rather than several heroes plus squads.

You can do the same general concept in MEGs (old DC Heroes), World of Darkness, D6 or M&M. Just put some of your character poiints/hero points and so forth into the followers/minions/whatever feat/talent/perk/advantage.

The RPG would focus more on a small elite team of "heroes/commandos" united by allied command, be they American, French, English (or on loand from the SSU) and so forth. While they can have frontline battle adventures and what not, these are the special special forces guys.

Your Dirty Dozen, your A-Team, your Expendables, your Last Chancers, your SHIELD and so forth.

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

I would try for another system, preferably SAVAGE WORLDS. With Savage Worlds WEIRD WAR 2 book, you have a system built to allow a character to have himself as a hero and several members of a squad or platoon. Plus it is an easy system.

Savage Worlds is an amazingly well done system and worth looking at.

Gobbo said:

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

I would try for another system, preferably SAVAGE WORLDS. With Savage Worlds WEIRD WAR 2 book, you have a system built to allow a character to have himself as a hero and several members of a squad or platoon. Plus it is an easy system.

Savage Worlds is an amazingly well done system and worth looking at.

Yeah, Im going to have to disagree with you here on a massive level. Id rather play GURPS or RIFTS DUST then touch Savage Worlds. But to each their own.

Peacekeeper_b said:

Gathered the comics (groan),

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Sorry this is OT, but I hadn't caught this the first time through the thread. I broke down a while ago and bought the Dust Wars trade paperback. I had the same reaction. If you white out the words and just look at the pretty pictures, those things go down much better.

GURPS (3rd edition) has a full line dedicated to WWII (even with weird WWII supplement). Its building systems would ease vehicle creation and it's capable to generate every unit in DUST with help of a few more supplements (zombies, aliens and such).

"If you white out the words and just look at the pretty pictures, those things go down much better."

Man... I should have read this thread before I ordered the comic...