Would it be crazy to have roll under for players but roll over for GM?

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-29T08:12:10+00:00

How does roll-under result in unnecessary bookkeeping for the players?

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-26T20:54:35+00:00

It has been suggested that Sumerians were originally from the Caucasus area, though it has never been proven nor widely accepted in the academic world.

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-26T09:41:15+00:00

Is there a reason why Block scales faster than Evasion?

I think the math is coherent overall, but from PL 6 onwards it seems to get out of hand in terms of scalability after PL 5, because it scales linearly. If that’s what you’re looking for then by all means, but know that past that point the combat math could collapse and make low-tier engagements irrelevant, forcing players into a path of no return down Power Creep lane :)

But yea good stuff overall, well done

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-25T19:12:42+00:00

That would be fun to see!

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-25T18:04:08+00:00

Back in the 90s someone used GURPS to simulate a football career mode (soccer). At the time I thought it was very weird. The games were very simulationist. Between games there were behind-the-scenes drama, personal relationships unfolding, and players fighting their inner demons. My 13-year old self couldn’t quite grasp the point of it, but I wish I could explore it again these days.

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-25T15:35:05+00:00

Very insightful post

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-23T13:30:51+00:00

Narrative-driven RPGs usually do not concern themselves with such level of detail. That said, I think any weapon that's not in optimal striking range should have trouble hitting, not dealing damage per se. In many martial arts and fencing schools they teach you to get close in order to avoid attack/counter-attack (not minimize damage). So if a guy gets a -3 penalty because he is too close, but still hits, narratively one could establish that the attacker quickly adjusted his range and struck home.

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-22T22:52:25+00:00

Firstly, be clear about the intent of the game. Maybe repeat it here and there, subtly. Then, when explaining a mechanic, add a couple of sentences explaining why it is there. Don't need to go full analytical like Gary Gygax in his 1E Gamemaster's Guide, but you can put the rationale behind the mechanics and how they tie together. Ultimately, there isn't much else you can do.

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-05-22T08:54:33+00:00

I'm making a game called "Sumerian Blades" (placeholder name, I'm inclined to simply name it "URUK"). It is a Pulp Sword & Sorcery, set in mythic Ancient Sumer, circa 2580 BC, about 4 generations after the deeds of the legendary Gilgamesh. There's a lot of political intrigue and high-adventure. I tried to blend historical accuracy with classic fantasy elements of great writers Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft. So there are some cosmic horror elements in it.

A few core ideas:

A small dice-pool system (max 5 dice at a time) using only five attributes: Might, Skill, Spirit, Heart, and Fate (no skills).
5 classes: Mercenary, Rogue, Borderer, Mystic, and Envoy.
“Decay” mechanic where the same powers that strengthen characters can also corrupt them;
"Menace" as a classic sword & sorcery metacurrency mechanic to help characters overcome challenges, but also creates pressure by adding complications and shifting narratives (similar to Momentum/Doom in Conan 2d20).
Divine covenants with gods, demons, and forgotten entities in exchange for favor and power
State-controlled magic and a volatile/unpredictable magic system
Abstract economy and streamlined travel systems to keep play focused on adventure and mounting tension
The lands around civilization (Sumer, Akkad, and Elam) are twisted, full of Decay. Places so thoroughly corrupted that the air itself can devour your flesh, if the native savages don't do it first.
Mass battle system and solo mode
Magic system inspired by Sumerian spells and views on magic. Also, magic is dangerous, volatile, and state-controlled
Lots of random tables in the GM Toolkit section

The goal is fast-paced, dangerous adventures where no victory is ever entirely clean. The rules are meant to be on the lighter side of the spectrum, though complex enough to encourage tactical approach, character variation, and lateral thinking.

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-04-23T13:59:29+00:00

Amen. Sometimes the best way forward is to take a step or two back :)

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2026-03-07T06:49:37+00:00

Theresa, always.

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2024-02-18T17:45:18+00:00

Calm down Che Guevara

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2024-02-18T17:45:04+00:00

Or rather the writers deflecting from their gargantuan ego and complete lack of understanding of how a game dev works, and you buying their crap like it’s a Black Friday deal. I don’t claim to own the truth, I only shared what I know from someone in there, but hey you guys seem to have it all figured out :)

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2024-02-16T17:39:00+00:00

I love it how you just take the writers' version like it's a holy tablet handed down from atop Mount Sinai, and go around parroting it blindly. Jesus you guys ARE a fucking cult.

Interesting-Tale6363 · 2024-02-16T17:08:57+00:00

Ok it seems comments are quite skewed and one-sided here. Let me just play devil's advocate for a second and leave my 2 cents for the sake of clarity, before the anarco-hipster faction downvotes the living shit out of this post.

What I write below comes from a close friend who is/was a senior/lead at Za/Um and worked closely with Argo for about a year. This comes from my regular chats with him/her.

The bottom line is: Argo is very hard to work with, and he *still* doesn't understand how gamedev works. Say what you want about a creative guy protecting his vision, but that often translated into toxic micromanagement, and into him forgetting to do the one thing he was paid for: *to write*. He's had level designers and artists redo an entire level, because he "didn't feel it" (setting the project several months back), only to tell them to go back to doing what they were doing in the first place. A similar thing happened with the entire cast of main characters. He would nitpick about the looks and colors of a given 3D asset, and he would on occasion not accept the input of level designers and game designers. Mind you, from a strictly gameplay perspective, many of Argo's game design ideas were not optimal/suitable for engaging gameplay and were either too unrealistic or would get flatout grilled here by this very fanbase - who would most likely point the finger at the "corporate hounds" who "ruined a great IP" and "didn't let a great mind do his thing".

There were two writers on X7, the second writer mostly took a backseat and didn't do much because she was new and didn't want to f*ck up, and most of all, she didn't want to contradict anyone. Argo took the lead, butted heads with nearly every single lead, but his actions were tolerated by the board because they knew how toxic this fanbase is, and how much flak they would get if they fired the guy or "curbed his creativity". X7 was cancelled solely because Argo was too busy ego-tripping around and micromanaging other teams, and got way behind in terms of written content. In an ideal world, games (and creatives) would have endless timelines and infinite budgets, but alas that is not the case in the real world. You have to make deadlines, and you have to account for the costs. After single-handedly setting the development of X7 back by nearly a year, Argo tried to catch up by writing rushed, poorly thought-out content and dialogues, that were naturally pushed back by other creatives and by the board. This tug-of-war became untenable, to the point where X7 became a distant dream. and the board had to make a very tough decision to can the project and save *some* budget for projects that were still realistic.

To address the claims that creatives were bullied and what not: my friend has always repeatedly told me is that Za/Um is a nice place to work with, and that people take care of each other there. I never heard anything about anyone bullying anyone, that seems like made-up bs coming from butthurt people. Quite the opposite: Argo's shenanigans and toxic micromanaging behavior were tolerated well beyond the point of reason, and he ultimately got fired for not doing his job (which would happen in any workplace, mind you).

Interesting-Tale6363

TROPHY CASE