I've been doing a similar thing at conventions for years.<div><br></div><div>If I'm running a demonstration game, as opposed to a full-on con game, I give the players a semi-completed character sheet with characteristics allotted, but then cart-blanche to allocate a set of skill % values as they wish, much as you've described. Magic, if being used, is kept simple with a full description of spells available on the character sheet or a separate cheat sheet.</div>
<div><br></div><div>It gives players an investment in their characters, allows you to explain how the skill system works, and then to get into the game speedily.</div><div><br></div><div>Its a good approach, Pete.<br><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 22 January 2013 23:57, Peter Maranci <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:pmaranci@gmail.com" target="_blank">pmaranci@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div>Last weekend I ran a couple of one-shot introductory scenarios for RuneQuest at the Arisia convention in Boston. Rather than supply pregenerated characters as I have in the past, I made up customizable character sheets with very simplified rules; my goal was to convey the basic concepts behind RQ, without overwhelming new players.<br>
<br></div>I'm going to make some tweaks based on what I learned over the weekend, but all in all it seems a very promising approach. The sheets were designed to print two-sided and be folded pamphlet-style, with a cover that blurbs the adventure, the inner left "page" giving a simplified version of the system, the inner-right page a simplified character sheet, and the back cover a brief explanation of the history of the system and its innovations, as well as (of course) a link to my RQ webpage. The sheets were generally met with a lot of interest, and I handed out a bunch of them at some of the panels I did, too. Altogether I distributed about 30 of them.<br>
<br></div></div>Once I've adjusted them a bit, I'll probably post them to my site. They're not totally self-contained, of course; you have to consult the GM for information about specific weapons, armor, and magic items (I allowed each player the equivalent of a +2 magic item of some kind, or alternatively a 10-point magic point matrix).<br>
<br></div>As for the simplification, I eliminated hit locations, some skills (retaining the most necessary ones), most spells (keeping only some spirit magic), Fatigue (of course), and quite a bit more. I kept all characteristics, but rather than have them be rolled, players were allowed to allot the numbers 12 through 18 between the stats, using each value once. I color-coded STR, INT, DEX, and APP, and color-coded applicable skills to match; each point above ten in the color-matched characteristic added one point to all the matching skills.<br>
<br>As for the skills, players were given the following scores to allocate to their skills (including combat skills): 80x3, 70x3, 60x3, 50x3, and 40x3. All other skills were at 20%+. So they could, for example, have three skills with a value of 80% (plus the appropriate characteristic bonus, if any). The character creation process was relatively quick, much quicker than the standard RQ character creation.<br>
<br>Combat was simplified into two actions per round, consisting of a choice of attack, defense, spell-casting, and/or movement. I eliminated special successes (retaining crits and fumbles) but that was a mistake; combat took too long that way. Still, players seemed really impressed with the logic of the system, and the opposed resolution roll in particular was easier to explain than I had originally expected. I may have made some converts!<br>
<br>So has anyone else tried something like that?<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br clear="all"><div><div><div><div><div><div><br>-- <br>Peter Maranci - <a href="mailto:pmaranci@gmail.com" target="_blank">pmaranci@gmail.com</a><br>
Pete's RuneQuest & Roleplaying! <a href="http://www.runequest.org/rq.htm" target="_blank">http://www.runequest.org/rq.htm</a><br>
The Diary of A Simple Man: <a href="http://bobquasit.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">http://bobquasit.livejournal.com/</a>
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