Burning Brightly: A Free RPG
Burning Brightly is a game about playing angels and demons. It is a completely home brew system (although it takes plenty of influence from games that have come before.) In this game players take on the role of spiritually empowered beings that have the means to directly alter creation. One of the goals of this game was to introduce a simple system in which a player could dream up any sort of effect or miracle and there would be a mechanic to enact it with minimal effort.
What follows is the first part of the game, the basic mechanics. These are the bits of rules you will need to simulate the mortal world. Future parts will cover character creation, the use of power, and some setting information. I offer the system here both for your enjoyment, and with hopes that people might comment on its flaws.
Attributes
Characters have three attributes: Vigor, Reflex, and Presence. Vigor is a measure of a character’s physical might and endurance. This attribute is used in tests when strength is a factor, or when having to resist or overcome some adverse physical condition. Reflex is a measurement of coordination, reaction time, and instincts. This attribute is used in tests that require speed, agility, fine or delicate handwork, or for any sort of instinctual reaction. Presence is a measure of social influence and personal willpower. This attribute is used in tests that require charm, self expression, command, calm thought or reasoning, or self control.
An attribute is expressed as a number. Attributes in the range of 30 to 40 represent the average human span. Attributes below 10 are barely functioning. A low Vigor might indicate a person who is deathly sick. A low Reflex might indicate someone who has lost motor control or suffers from a degenerative physical disorder. A low Presence might manifest as major mental retardation or a social disorder.
[Designer's Note: There is no attribute to represent intelligence or learning. Intelligence is better suited as a trait (see below for rules on traits.) Learning and the retention of knowledge is represented by skills. When attempting to frame a test where intelligence would come into play, use Presence. It is far more likely that the issue at hand requires the character to stay calm and ignore outside distraction rather than be "smart enough."]
Skills
Skills are things a character has learned through their life experience. Skills are rated from 1 to 100 and each is expressly linked to an attribute. There are no lists of skills for this game. Instead, players will have to make them up. A skill must be a single word, such has handguns, biology, first-aid, or football. (If you can not express the idea in a single word, it is very likely the idea is better as a trait.) A skill of 15 represents fairly competent training. A skill of 30 represents a skill with much training and real-world experience.
Making Tests
There are two kinds of tests: standard and stressful. A standard test occurs when a character is attempting something and has little in the way of constraints or pressure. If the character has a reasonable amount of time, the proper equipment, and is not distracted, this is usually a standard test. A stressful test occurs when the character must act quickly, does not have the right tools for the job, or is highly distracted (combat being a prime example.)
A test is made by rolling a target number or less on a 1d100. If the result is successful, the quality of the success is determined by the value of the die roll. (As an example, if the target number is 30 and the player rolls a 20, the test is successful and has a quality of 20.) A quality result of 1 to 15 is marginal. The task is completed, but just barely. A result of 16 to 30 is average. The task result is the sort of quality you would expect from a trained professional. A result of 31 to 45 is exceptional. The task was accomplished with flair, ease, or high quality. A result of 46 or beyond is near-perfection. The task could not be completed any better.
Attribute Tests
An attribute test can be called for when a character wants to accomplish something, does not have a skill pertaining to it, and should reasonably be able to attempt the action. (For example, running, climbing, or trying to persuade someone.) To find the target number for such a test, choose a relevant attribute and add 15 to it. If the test is stressful, the target number is half of the attribute (round down) plus 15.
Skill Tests
In a standard skill test, the character adds the skill rating to its linked attribute to find the test’s target number. For a stressful skill test the character adds their skill rating to half of the linked attribute (round down) for the target number.
Aiding Another
If more than one character cooperates to accomplish a goal, have all of the characters make the same kind of test. Characters can each use different skills, so long as they are relevant to the situation, but all skills must be linked to the same attribute. Find the highest successful roll and use this as the base result quality. For each additional character that succeeded, add half that character’s linked attribute (round down) to the base result quality. For each additional character that failed, subtract 15 from the base result quality. If these subtractions bring the result quality below 1, the task is considered to have failed.
Opposed Tests
When two character wish to accomplish tasks with opposing results, the two characters each make a test. If both characters fail, nothing is accomplished. If one is successful and the other fails, the successor wins the contest. If both succeed, compare result qualities; the character with the higher quality accomplishes their desired task. If result qualities are tied, the contest is at a stand-still and may be attempted again. Groups opposing each other use the same rules, but derive their result quality from the “Aid Another” rules.
Traits
A trait is an expression of a concept or idea that may influence a situation. A trait takes the form of a word or short phrase. Characters possess traits, but places and objects may also possess them. A trait can be short and generic, such as “strong,” “smart,” or “fast.” A trait could also be very specific, such as “president of the United States of America,” or “thinks he has been abducted by aliens.”
A trait may be spent to add a positive or negative modifier to a test. Trait expenditure must occur before rolling the test. The trait must somehow logically relate to the test. (Such as a “strong” trait while attempting to break down a door.) More than one trait can be spent on a test, their effects accumulating. When there are both positive and negative traits spent for a test, they cancel each other out on a one-for-one basis.
A character may spend a trait positively or negatively on himself, but a character may only spend traits negatively on others. It is up to the character to utilize any advantages they have access too, but outside forces can always aspire against the character. A negative trait expenditure can either be a detrimental aspect of a trait that the target character possesses, or a beneficial trait from an external source that opposes the character’s task. (For example, an enemy is attempting to tackle the character. The enemy might spend his “mean and aggressive” trait as a positive modifier. The target character might spend his own “strong” trait as a negative modifier against the enemy’s task. The character might also spend the enemy’s “clumsy” trait. The enemy might respond by spending the “slippery floor” trait that the GM had talked about when framing the scene.)
If a test has a single positive trait in its favor, the player rolls the dice and then may swap the one’s and ten’s digits before resolving the effect. (For example, a player rolls a 51 and may choose to swap the digits, treating the roll as a 15.) For each additional positive trait spent on the test, the player may roll an additional 1d10. The player then chooses two digits from the pool of numbers and arranges them to form a result. (So a player that has two positive traits spent on a test rolls a 1, 3, and 6. The player throws out the one and arranges the other two digits to form the score 36.)
If a test has a negative trait spent against it, the test immediately becomes stressful. Even if enough positive traits were spent to negate the negative traits, the simple introduction of diversity makes the situation stressful. If there are more negative traits than positive traits, the test now has two possible outcomes. First, if the test fails, the character making the test suffers a temporary negative trait. (In this case, it does not matter how many traits were spent against this test, the character always suffers a single temporary trait.) It is up to the GM to decide what this temporary trait is (although the GM is always encouraged to take suggestions from the other players.) Second, if the test passes, the result score is halved (round down) before determining the quality. If more than one trait is spent against the test, the result is halved again for each additional trait. (So a test has two negative traits and succeeds with a roll of 20. The result is halved and then halved again for a resulting quality of 5.) If enough negative traits are spent, or the roll is particularly low, there may be a circumstance where a score of 1 must be halved. In this special situation, the result quality is so low that the task has actually failed.
When a character spends a trait in a positive way, the trait becomes exhausted to that character. It can not be used in a positive way again by that character until it is recharged. There are two ways a trait becomes recharged. First, a trait becomes recharged with sufficient rest. A day or two of mundane life, where there are no major trait expenditures, is usually enough. (This often happens between game sessions.) Second, a character may recharge one exhausted trait every time they make a test where a negative trait has been used. This negative use can be from another character triggering it, or from voluntary personal use. Narratively, this represents the negative trait stoking a character’s fire, giving them the resolve to push forward. Mechanically, this is a form of currency so that a player must diversify their trait use during play. [Designer's note: Is this even necessary? Trait diversity might not be a big enough issue to introduce this complication.]
Temporary traits are a special kind of trait that can only be utilized once. After a single use, the trait goes away. Temporary traits are normally a very short-lived condition, and if unused will go away after one hour of in-game time. In all other regards, a temporary trait is handled exactly like any other trait.
Transient traits are a special kind of trait that only exist because of specific conditions. The trait persists as long as those conditions exist. For instance, a character hiding the darkness might have a “shadowed” transient trait. As soon as someone shines a light into the area, that trait would be lost.
Harm
There will be times when a character’s purpose is to harm another character. This may be in the physical, social, or mental context. If both characters are aware of the situation, this is likely an opposed test. If the target character is completely surprised, this can be a standard test. In both situations, the character inflicting the harm should describe what sort of action they are taking to do the harm. (e.g. “I am punching him,” “I am insulting him,” etc.) If the test is successful, the character inflicting the harm may give the target a negative transient trait. The duration of the transient trait depends on the specifics of the trait. ”Knocked down” might simply require that the target character attempt to stand back up. ”Bruised” might last until the end of the scene.
If a character is suffering from three or more negative transient traits of the same context, that character is vulnerable to being disabled. (These must be of the same context, so a character must be suffering 3 physical traits to be physically vulnerable, for instance.) While vulnerable, an opponent may attempt to disable the character in the same way as inflicting harm. If successful, the vulnerable character is disabled and may not take further actions in the context they were disabled. A person who is physically disabled might be exhausted or knocked out. A socially disabled character might be too embarrassed or enraged to speak. A mentally disabled character might be too confused or distracted to conduct analytic thought or reasoning. This disabled status usually wears off in a minute or two.
Lethal Intentions
When things get serious, a character may wish to do more than harm their opponent. When a character attacks with the purpose of killing their opponent, this is called lethal intentions. Harm with lethal intentions is always in the physical context. The attack is conducted the same as any other kind of harm. If successful, the attacker inflicts both a lethal trait and points of damage against the target.
An attack deals damage equal to its result quality. (So if a character rolls a 15 and succeeds, the character does 15 points of damage to the target.) Points of damage are subtracted from a character’s Vigor. This reduces the character’s physical capabilities until the damage is removed. If a character receives more damage than their remaining Vigor, record the negative amount. If a successful first-aid test can be made in the next minute, and the test was successful enough to raise the character back to a positive Vigor total, the character survives. If a character drops below their remaining Vigor and a minute passes or the first-aid attempt to revive them fails, the character dies.
Lethal traits represent breaks, slashes, punctures, and other wounds. A lethal trait functions just like any other transient trait inflicted through harm. It counts as a harming physical trait towards being vulnerable to disabling. Unlike other transient traits, a lethal trait must be healed to be removed. When the trait is inflicted, record the damage points with the trait. This is called the lethal trait’s severity.
Natural Healing
Characters heal one point of damage each day. This assumes that the character has had sufficient food and sleep. If the character was deprived of these things, healing does not occur. This recovery is applied at the beginning of the day. The character removes one point of damage from their Vigor and may reduce the severity of a single lethal trait by one point. The character may choose which lethal trait this point is removed from. If a lethal trait is reduced to zero severity, that trait has healed and is removed.
First-Aid
Some characters will possess curative skills. These skills can be used to provide limited reprieve from damage. First-aid is technical enough that it cannot be attempted by unskilled characters. (The best an unskilled character can do is to bandage the wounds and give comfort.)
When a character takes damage, they are considered blooded. This blooded state goes away naturally after one hour. (“The golden hour” as it is sometimes referred in medical texts.) The blooded state is also removed after a first-aid attempt, whether that first-aid attempt is successful or not. A character cannot benefit from first-aid unless they are blooded.
A first-aid attempt is a skill test. If the attempt is made in a sterile place with a properly stocked kit and without any time constraint or distraction, the test is standard. If any of these elements are missing, the test is stressful. If the test is successful, the acting character must target a lethal trait. (Note that this targeting does not occur until after the test is rolled. This allows the acting character to make their choice with the knowledge of how effective their treatment will be.) Remove a number of points of severity from the target lethal trait equal to half the result quality of the test (round down.) Remove an equal number of points of damage from the patient’s Vigor attribute. (Note that this means the maximum number of Vigor points that can be regained from this test is equal to the severity points of the target lethal trait.) As with natural healing, if a lethal trait is reduced to zero severity, it is removed.
Advantages
On the converse of harm, a character may make a test to give an advantage. An advantage takes the form of a transient positive trait. This trait can be given to the testing character, or to another target character. Examples might include diving for cover in a firefight, attempting to compliment someone before trying to persuade them, or doing research on an encryption algorithm before attempting to hack into a computer.
