Introducing Open Source RPG

A Universal RPG System.

By Tyler Starke

Open Source RPG is a free source project that I started to accomplish several goals. When D&D 4e hit the shelves not everyone was excited to see it, and still to this day it does not receive high ratings from everyone. The advent of D&D 4e brought some interesting tools to the game table that a Dungeon Master could use to really speed up adventure and encounter creation. The main purpose of creating Open Source RPG is to capture those tools and make them available to players who prefer a more 3.5e styled game. Another reason for creating this new system is to create a more organic playing style that allows players more control over their characters development. Open Source RPG utilizes the Open Game License and the System Resource Document, so while the game system looks different, players of 3.5e will find it very familiar.

Starting From the SRD: Open Source RPG was originally intended to to be a medium for 4e players and 3.5e players to use as a sort of Universal Solvent, allowing for both editions to work on the game table at the same time. While this dream still exists, Wizards of the Coasts brand manager, Scott Rouse, has asked that I remove the Dungeons & Dragons trademarking from the game system. I had no objection to that request. I had attempted to have the system Game System Licensed, how ever section 6.1 refuses such a product to exist. What a shame. The dream that started Open Source RPG still lives on as a complete and different system that only allows for such feats of completeness.

Speed enhancements such as creature templates and equipment bundles will make the life of the Game Master much easier. Also, the life of a Player Character has received an upgrade. Players who use the Open RPG System will no longer be tied down to a 'rigid' grid of class progression. Players will be allowed to choose the Special Class features they want, when they want. Open RPG also introduces a new feature to the game, Maneuvers.

Maneuvers are a non-static element of the game's mechanics, which will allow players more direction when they make attacks. Each class will have a list of maneuvers they can choose from in place of Feats or Class specials, and there will also be a list of General Maneuvers that every class can take. Maneuvers work just like a regular attack, though they will often times provide the players with new ways to attack.

The class entries for the new game system have been broken down to their basic math. This style of entry will allow for Game Master or Player Characters to quickly create a character on a sheet of paper without the need to refer to a manual. Game Masters will find this feature a time saving feature if they need to create an encounter quickly. Here is an example of what a class entry will look like:

Barbarian
Alignment: Any nonlawful
Hit Die: d12

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

BAB: +1 (+1 / each level)
Fort: +2 (+1 / at 2nd and every 2nd level)
Ref: +0 (+1 / at 3rd and every 3rd level)
Will: +0 (+1 / at 3rd and every 3rd level)

Gold: 4d4 x 10

Specials at 1st Level: Illiterate, Choose 2 Specials
Specials at Each Additional Level: Choose 1 / level and 1 more at levels 11, 16, 20

Barbarian Specials:

Fast movement

Uncanny Dodge

Improved Uncanny Dodge

Rage +1 / Day (stacks)

Trap Sense +1 (stacks)

Damage Reduction 1/- (stacks)

Paragon:

Greater Rage

IndomitableWill

Tireless Rage

Mighty Rage

Here you see the Barbarian PC class in a different format then is normally presented. What you are looking at is the actual math that went into the creation of the Barbarian. The Specials guidelines is using a variant rule that we will cover later in this article, so for the mean time look at everything else. The reason the class entry is presented this way is for the speed of the Game Master to put together a barbarian that will be used in an encounter. But taking this portion of the GM's Tool Box, the Game Master can quickly calculate the Attack Bonus, Save Bonuses, and Skill Points a Barbarian should have at any given level. NPC classes are presented a similar way inside the DM's Tool Box as you can see with the Adept NPC Class.

Adept

Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6

Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

BAB: +0 (+1 / at 2nd and every 2nd level)
Fort: +0 (+1 / at 3rd and every 3rd level)
Ref: +0 (+1 / at 3rd and every 3rd level)
Will: +2 (+1 / at 2nd and every 2nd level)

Starting Gold: 2d4 x 10

Specials at 1st Level: Simple Weapon Proficiency, Spells
Specials at Each Additional Level: Spells

Spell Progression:

Cantrips:  3

Level 1:  1 at 1st, 2 at 3rd, 3 at 7th

Level 2:  0 at 4th, 1 at 5th, 2 at 7th, 3 at 11th.

Level 3:  0 at 8th, 1 at 9th, 2 at 11th, 3 at 15th.

Level 4:  0 at 12th, 1 at 13th, 2 at 15th, 3 at 19th.

Level 5:  0 at 16th, 1 at 17th, 2 at 19th.

This style of entry works to reduce the amount of time a Game Master needs to put together new creatures for encounters. Just take one of these class entries, calculate all of the bonuses and skill points, throw on a race and an Equipment Bundle and you are done.

Equipment Bundles are a speed tool for the Game Master. An Equipment Bundle provides the Game Master with guidelines on how to allocate treasure to an encounter that is being created. The example below shows us four different types of encounters and what possible treasures they might hold.

Level 1:  300 gp

Arcane:  3 Scrolls, 1 potion, 1 weapon

Divine:  1 weapon, 2 armors, 1 potion

Martial:  2 weapons, 2 armors, 1 potion

Feral:  3 gems, 1 wand

This is the Core of what Open Source RPG presents to Game Masters who wish to utilize the system. A streamlined method of encounter creation. That is not all of the offerings of Open Source RPG. Because the game system utilizes the Open Game License and the System Resource Document portions of the game's mechanics can be used in other game systems with little variation. While other systems are not wholly compatible with Open Source RPG, the mechanics used by the system allow for interoperability.

Organic Creation: As I was saying before, a Player Character is allowed to decide which class Special to choose, and when. While the class progression will seem similar, because of the Specials progression has not changed in quantity, the Players and Game Masters will have more overall say on how their character develops. In Open Source RPG players are allowed to select a special from their class list when directed to do so. Take for example, the barbarian class entry from before. You can see that some of his specials have a an addition behind them called (stacks). What this means is the player can take that Special as many times as is allowed and each time the player takes that Special the effects stack.

This is not as unbalancing as it appears to be. The first reason why I say this is not unbalancing is because the player who attempts to create an unbalanced character will create a character that is unbalanced in more then one way. Because they will have more power in one area they will also be more vulnerable in another. Encounters too are allowed to take Specials in this manner, so characters are then balanced with the environment.

Because a player might make a choice that they feel during later levels was a mistake, Open Source RPG will allow player to retrain one fo their specials at each new level. This feature allows a player to choose one special already selected and replace it with one from the list of available specials. This will help players who need to fix an attempt to make an overpowered character when they later realize there is a hole in their abilities. This type of character creation is just speedy and it allows for an huge volume of different characters, breaking the cookie cutter mold and allowing for a world of characters.

Magic Upgraded: The magic system that is in the System Resource Document is getting a face lift in the Open Source RPG game system. Venetian magic still exists but it is getting a little bit of a strength boost. The first change that is taking place is the Wizards and Sorcerers hit die is going from d4 to d6. Unfortunately, a 3.5e Core Sorcerer or Wizard compares only to a Commoner with Magic! They are balanced with an Adept who has a higher Hit Die and less magic. Because it was not fair to those spell casters their Hit Die has been increased.

The other power boost is the use of Orisons and Cantrips. Orisons and Cantrips can now be used at will without expending the magical force needed to cast that spell. Sorcerers will now be required to choose a number of Cantrips they can cast just like the Wizard prepares Cantrips. Because Sorcerers and Wizards are not allowed a solid weapon in 3.5, nor are they allowed a strong cantrip to use as a weapon, OSRPG will introduce a new cantrip that will make a spell caster more formidable in combat. Before we take a look at that spell let's take a look at how magic will work.

Changes to Magic: The third change in magic rules is a change in how magic operates. The normal DC to save against a spell is 10 + the level of spell + the bonus for your relevant ability (pg 177, PHB 3.5). Open Source RPG introduces the Magic Attack Bonus (MAB), which will equal your relevant ability modifier used for spell casting; Charisma for a Sorcerer or Bard, Intelligence for a Wizard, or Wisdom for a Paladin, Cleric, Druid or Ranger, and simplify how magic attacks are calculated. Here is an example of how Magic Attack Bonus is used, along with a new entry style for Spells and the new cantrip, Bolt:

Bolt Arcane Cantrip

Activate: At-Will

Spell Type: Arcane, Universal, Verbal, Somatic

Action Type: Standard

Ranged 100 +10 / level

Target: Any Duration: Instant

Attack: AB + MAB vs. AC; bypasses magic resistance.

Hit: 1d6 + MAB energy damage

Titles: Hero: You may Disarm. Paragon: You may Sunder.

Magic Attack Bonus may seem like an unnecessary addition to the rules, but it really isn't. The addition of Magic Attack Bonuses eases the computation of DC's and Magical Attacks in OSRPG. Another change in the way magic functions is the opportunity to allow spells to be used as attacks instead of an effect a player must save against. Some spell entries will be written to with this conversion already in place, but other spells will be written as effects that need to be saved against. In reality, the Game Master will be allowed to decide how the spell interacts with the ever changing environment and determine if the spell should be rolled as an attack or as an effect to save against. A spell description might contain this text:

Attack: +4 + MAB vs. Reflex. 

Or the text might look like this: 

Reflex Save: DC 14 + MAB.

In the first example the spell is being used as an attack, in the second example the spell is being used as an environmental factor the players are required to make Saves against. Open Source RPG's system uses either entry and the system provides tools to convert into either entry.

When a spell uses the first entry the target of that spell adds 10 to their Reflex Modifier to create a value the spell caster must meet or exceed. If a spell uses the second entry, the target rolls a d20 adding their Reflex Modifier to the value of the roll to try and meet or exceed the DC of the spell being cast.

Converting the Two Styles: The Game Master can convert from these two values at a whim using Open Source RPG. The math behind this conversion is a little more complicated, but it can be hashed out with a little explanation. There are 20 sides on the d20, half are 1-10 and the other half are 11-20. Each facet on a d20 is 5% of the entire d20's facets. To complete the switch from spells styled Attacks vs. Saves and from spells styled Saves vs. DC we need to take a look at the success ratio for each.

To explain the ratio take the above examples and give the Reflex a +2 modifier and the MAB a +2. In the first example the attacker has to roll a 6 or higher on a d20 to hit giving him a 25% failure rate (facets). In the second example the same spell caster fails if the target rolls a 14 or higher, giving him a 35% failure rate (7 facets). In order for the spell caster to be as formidable against a save he requires a +2 DC circumstance bonus reducing his failure rate by 10% (2 facets).

For a Game Master to convert this spell into a spell that acts as an effect the player must save against the simple method is to give a +2 circumstance bonus: 

If you are changing from an attack to a DC, grant the spell caster a +2 DC circumstance bonus, and if you are changing from DC to an attack, grant the target a +2 Save AC circumstance bonus.

This is an example of a spell entry in which the spell itself is an attack. The caster rolls a d20 and then adds 4 and the relevant ability modifier, now known as the Magic Attack Bonus. Open Source RPG does not create Armor Classes out of the saves as part of the core system, but it does integrate an option to allow for that action by adding 10 to the Save Bonus.

This is Open Source RPG at it's core. I hope you enjoy playing Open Source RPG with whatever version of Dungeons & Dragons you play, even mixing the various versions and play them all on the same table. The current version is still young but new editions will be released to offer balance and new maneuvers.