Another Mistborn RPG... Maybe

[whynaut]

Historically, I am a person who loves making RPGs with combat systems, but I am also historically a bad moderator; so take everything said with a grain of salt. I really do not want to step on the toes of Mistborn: Inquisition and it is likely (again because of my horrible moderation) that this game will not come to fruition unless someone else takes the game presented and runs with it themselves.

That being said, I wanted to post what I have here in order to get feedback, ask questions, and possibly obtain help with problems I have not been able to work out yet.

Excited yet? Yeah right /sarcasm

[whynaut]

Mistborn RPG

At the very heart of the RPG are actually two systems:

A system for combat

and a system for trade

Attributes

Each character has the following Attributes that they can build up with EXP they get from Combat or a Trade Negotiation.

Senses :

Physical Speed :

Strength :

Weight :

-

Health :

-

Charisma :

Mental Speed :

Combat Basics

Combat has two parts. 1) Movement and 2) Attack/Defense

• Movement= Senses + Physical Speed
  
• Attack/Defense= Strength + Weight

• At the start of a Combat post a Player puts up a defense.
  
  • Movement:
    
  • Defense:

  [*]This allows a Player to defend against an attack made by the Opponent from the Opponent's previous post.

• At the end of a Combat post a Player puts up an Attack.
  • Movement:
    
  • Attack:

  [*]This is for a Player to make an attack against the Opponent.

• If the Player's Movement is less than the Opponent's Movement, then the Opponent has dodged the Attack and no damage is taken.
  
• If the Player's Movement is more than the Opponent's Movement, then look at the Attack and Defense.
  
  • Subtract Opponent's Defense from Player's Attack.
    
    • Take this difference from the Opponent's Health Attribute.

    [*] If the Opponent's Defense is higher than Player's Attack, in this case, then no damage is taken.

The first Player who can get his or her Opponent's Health Attribute to

• Health: 0

is declared the winner.

Loser is KOed. (Because no one actually dies in the game.)

Winners receive more EXP than Losers.

EXP and Weapons

Attribute can be increased by spending EXP.

A Player can also buy weapons that have a fixed Attack/Defense bonus.

• For example, a Metal Sword could give +4 to Attack action

Negotiation

Each Player can decided to sell goods, for example weapons, or sell services, for example being a bodyguard or assassin.

These Players become a Seller and can set a Price for their goods or services.

Once a Buyer wants to buy from a Seller they begin a Negotiation.

Like Combat, Negotiation has two parts. 1) Charm and 2) Intelligence

• Charm= Charisma
  
• Intelligence= Mental Speed

This part is much quicker than Combat. In one post from both the Buyer and the Seller,

• If the Seller's Charm is less than the Buyer's Charm, then look at Intelligence.
  
  • Subtract the Seller's Intelligence from the Buyer’s Intelligence
    
    • Take that difference and SUBTRACT that percent from the Price.

    [*] If the Seller has higher Intelligence, in this case, the price remains the same.

  [*]If the Seller's Charm is more than the Buyer's Charm, then look at Intelligence.

  • Subtract the Buyer’s Intelligence from the Sellers's Intelligence
    
    • Take that difference and ADD that percent to the Price.
      

    [*] If the Buyer has higher Intelligence, in this case, the price remains the same.

[whynaut]

Allomancy

Having Allomancy acts as modifiers for Combat and Negotiation.

The power of an Allomancer is determined by how much Metal a Player has to burn and how high that Player's Allomantic Stats are.

Metals

Each Metal gives a player a certain number of points in reserve.

• For example, one bead of Tin gives an Allomancer (24) points to use.

Metals are bought with money.

Allomantic Stats

A player will have a Stat for which Allomantic Metals he or she can burn.

• Allomantic Stats
  
  • Pewter :
    
  • Tin :
    
  • Iron :
    
  • Steel :
    
  • Brass :
    
  • Zinc :
    
  • Copper :
    
  • Bronze :

Mistborns will list all of them, while Mistings will only list one.

These Stats declare the maximum amount of bonus a Player can receive per action.

• For example, a Tineye with (24) points to use and Allomantic Stat of Tin: 5
  
• That Player can add no more than +5 points to his or her Movement action
  
• If that uses all (5) points, the Player will have (19) points in reserve left.

Allomantic Stats are raised with EXP.

Pewter

Pewter gives (8) point per bead.

When a Player burns Pewter, he or she adds the Allomantic Stat to Movement, Attack/Defense, and Health simultaneously.

Combat for a Player burning Pewter looks like this:

• Movement: Senses + Physical Speed + (Pewter)
  
• Attack/Defense: Strength + Weight + (Pewter)
  
• Health: Health + (Pewter)

Note: It is worth noting that burning Pewter will give each category the same bonus without spending additional points.

For example, burning (3) points of Pewter will give the Player +3 points in every category listed.

Tin

Tin gives (24) points per bead.

When a Player burns Tin, he or she adds Allomantic Stat to Movement.

Combat for a Player burning Pewter looks like this:

• Movement: Senses + Physical Speed + (Tin)
  
• Attack/Defense: Strength + Weight
  
• Health: Health

Iron/Steel

Iron or Steel gives (16) points per bead.

A Player burning Iron or Steel has a unique combat system of its own that only effects Movement and Attack, but not Defense.

• Movement: (Iron/Steel) + Senses - Weight
  
• Attack: (Iron/Steel) + Senses + Weight
  
• Defense: Strength + Weight
  
• Health: Health

Note: Because burning Iron/Steel deals with projectiles, it counts as a Ranged Weapon. Players with Ranged Weapons can make 2 Attacks on that Player's first Combat post if the Opponent does not have a Ranged Weapon. In a roleplay sense, this accounts for the additional time it would take for the Opponent to close the distance between them.

Note2: Burning Iron/Steel also negate bonuses from any metal Weapons an Opponent might have.

Brass/Zinc

Brass or Zinc gives (16) points per bead.

A Player burning Brass or Zinc adds Allomantic Stat to Charm. As of right now, it does not have a combat effect.

Negotiations for a Player burning Zinc or Brass look like this:

• Charm: Charisma + (Zinc/Brass)
  
• Intelligence: Mental Speed

Copper

Copper gives (16) points per bead.

A Player Burning Copper has two effects:

Burning (1) point of Copper negates bonuses from Opponents using Brass or Zinc in Negotiation.

Burning Copper also combats the use of an Opponent burning Bronze. See Below

Bronze

Bronze gives (16) points per bead

A Player burning (1) point of Bronze forces the Opponent to reveal which Metal they are burning and how much in Combat and Negotiation.

Note: Normally a Player does not need to reveal what Metal they are using, only the effect.

• For example, A Player burning with Tin: 5, needs to add together all their Stats to see how much Movement they have
  • Movement: Senses: 4 + Physical Speed: 3 + (Tin: 5) = 12

  [*] But, the Player only needs to show the total in the actual post

  • Movement: 12

When a Player burns Bronze, the Opponent must now actually show the Metals and how much that Opponent is using.

However, an Opponent can combat Bronze by burning Copper.

• If the Player's Bronze is less than the Opponent's Copper, then the Opponent does not need to show his or her Allomantic Stat in the next post.
  
• If the Player's Bronze is more than the Opponent's Copper, then the Opponent does have to reveal his or her Allomantic Stat in the next post.

Atium

Atium does not have points, but instead can only be used once per bead in the post that it is used.

A Player burning Atium has Infinite Movement in both the Defense and Attack sections.

• Movement: Infinite
  
• Attack/Defense: Strength + Weight
  
• Health: Health

Note: If the Player chooses, he or she can write a fake Movement number to hide the Player's use of Atium.

Duralumin

Duralumin gives (4) points per bead.

Only Mistborns can burn Duralumin. A Player burning (1) point of Duralumin negates the limits of Allomantic Stats and instead forces the Player to burn all of the points of a Metal the Player has from a reserve.

Can be used on more than one Metal at a time for an additional point of Duralumin each.

Mistborns

Mistborns can burn all the metals.

Mistborn Combat will look like this:

• Melee Combat
  
  • Movement: Senses + Physical Speed + (Pewter) + (Tin)
    
  • Attack/Defense: Strength + Weight + (Pewter)
    
  • Health: Health + (Pewter)

  [*]Ranged Combat

  • Movement: (Iron) + (Steel) + Senses - Weight
    
  • Attack: (Iron) + (Steel) + Senses + Weight

  [*]Mistborn Negotiation will look like this:

  • Charm: Charisma + (Zinc) + (Brass)
    
  • Intelligence: Mental Speed

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

So you're just providing a system? No story? That's really what makes an RP is the story over the mechanics of it. If you have a good story you can run a great RP even if you have sloppy mechanics, but it doesn't tend to work the other way. What you've got here is less than half of a game, I doubt someone's just gonna pick it up by itself.

I could see this working maybe as the ruleset for a Mistborn board game, maybe. That would be awesome.

EDIT: Also, you don't need to spread these over multiple posts. The character limit on these posts is either non-existent or ridiculously huge. Just look at the Form List in the Nexus Data Topic to see what I mean. That took up about four posts in the old system.

Edited July 30, 2011 by Silus - Shard of Flame

[whynaut]

Feruchemy

Feruchemy too modifies Combat and Negotiation, but in a different way.

While Allomancy deals with the Allomantic Stats and burning Metals, Feruchemy deals with Metalminds and Storing Attributes.

Metalminds

Metalminds are used to Store an Attribute and has a Max Store limit.

The Max Store limit is determined when a Player buys his or her Metalmind.

• For example, a Player can buy a (20) point Pewtermind and which the Player could pull up to 20 points of Strength from.

The type of Metalmind determines which Stat can be Stored.

• Tinmind: Stores Senses
  
• Steelmind: Stores Physical Speed
  
• Pewtermind: Stores Strength
  
• Ironmind: Stores Weight
  
• Goldmind: Stores Health
  
• Zincmind: Stores Mental Speed
  
• Atiummind: Stores Age

Storing Attributes

Feruchemists can subtract from his or her Stats and Store the difference of those points into a Metalmind for later use.

• For example, if a Player has Strength: 8, then the Player can reduce his or her Stat to Strength: 3 and put the 5 point difference into a Pewtermind while not in combat.
  
  • Strength: 8 - (5) = 3
    
  • Pewtermind: (5)/20

  [*] Later, in combat, the Player can use the 5 points in his or her Pewtermind to increase Strength.

  • Strength: 8 + (5) = 13
    
  • Pewtermind: (0)/20

All Stats revert to their base Stat at the beginning of each new post and can be stored again into a Metalmind.

However, no Stat however can ever be reduced to 0 or the Player is instantly KOed whether or not he or she is in combat.

Whenever a Player is storing a Stat, he or she must write the Storing at the bottom of the post. It should look like this:

• [-5 Points From Strength]

Feruchemical Stats

A Feruchemists will have a place look at his or her Metalminds:

• Feruchemical Stores
  
  • Tin : (00)/00
    
  • Steel : (00)/00
    
  • Pewter : (00)/00
    
  • Iron : (00)/00
    
  • Gold : (00)/00
    
  • Zinc : (00)/00
    
  • Atium : (00)/00

The first set of numbers in (parenthesis) represents how many points from a Stat the Player has Stored. The second set of numbers represents the Max Store limit of all the Metalminds of each metal type.

Metal minds stack for Max Store limit.

• For example, if a Player buys a Pewtermind with a Max Store limit of 10 and later buys another Pewtermind with a Max Store limit of 8, then the Player's new Max Store will now be 18.

[whynaut]

Hemalurgy

Hemalurgy can give a Player Allomantic and Feruchemical powers, but there are definite drawbacks.

Unlike Allomancy, Hemalurgy cannot use EXP to increase Allomantic Stats; and unlike Feruchemy, Hemalurgists cannot use money buy more Metalminds to increase his or her Max Store limit.

In order to increase in power, Hemalurgists must fight in order to earn Hemalurgic Spikes.

Spikes

If a Hemalurgist wins in Combat, he or she is rewarded with a Spike.

This Spike can take one Attribute, one Allomantic Stat, or one Feruchemical Metalmind.

The type of Spike indicates what type of power the Player acquires.

• Tin Spike - Attribute
  
  • Senses

  [*] Iron Spike - Attribute

  • Strength

  [*] Steel Spike - Allomantic Stats

  • Tin
    
  • Pewter
    
  • Steel
    
  • Iron

  [*] Bronze Spike - Allomantic Stats

  • Zinc
    
  • Brass
    
  • Copper
    
  • Bronze

  [*] Aluminum - Allomantic Stat

  • Duralumin

  [*] Atium - Allomantic Stat

  • Atium

  [*] Pewter Spike - Feruchemical Metalminds

  • Pewtermind
    
  • Ironmind
    
  • Steelmind
    
  • Goldmind
    
  • Tinmind

  [*] Brass Spike - Feruchemical Metalminds

  • Zincmind

  [*] Gold Spike - Feruchemical Metalmind

  • Atiummind

As mentioned before, a Hemalurgist cannot upgrade any of these Stats with EXP or money. By winning in Combat, a Hemalurgist can pick one Spike to copy one Attribute, Allomantic Stat, or Metalmind from the defeated Opponent.

• For example, if the Opponent has Tin: 6, then the Player earns a Steel Spike that burns Tin: 6.

Spikes do not Stack. If a Hemalurgist wants a Spike with a higher Attribute, Allomantic Stat, or Metalmind; then they must defeat in Combat an Opponent with a higher number in the desired Attribute, Allomantic Stat, or Metalmind.

• For example, if the Player Hemalurgist with Tin: 6 and defeats an Opponent with Tin: 10 and copies it, the Player can now use Tin: 10.

For the sake of fairness, only Mistings or people without Allomantic powers at can become a Hemalurgist.

If the Player was a Misting, then the Player can upgrade that one Allomantic Stat stacked on top of any Spikes.

[whynaut]

Twinborn

The setting is assumed to take place sometime before the fall of the Final Empire. If, however, there is an *Alloy of Law* setting then we can use Twinborns.

Twinborns would be a Player who can use one Allomantic Stat and one Feruchemical Metalmind.

[whynaut]

Help

I know not all of the aspects of this RPG are accurate, but I was working more of the idea of keeping things fair than accurate.

There are still a plenty of things that need to be worked out. The ones that I can think of:

Zinc/Brass burners should be able to control Koloss and Kandra at a certain level as sort of a Combat pet. How should this work?

Should Kandra and Koloss be playable characters? If so, how should they work?

How much EXP should it cost to raise an Attribute?

How much EXP should it cost to raise an Allomantic Stat?

There should be a mechanic for flaring metal. Maybe an Allomancer can go past their Allomantic Stat at the cost of more points of metal? Any ideas?

Are any type of Misting broken?

Are Feruchemists broken?

Are Hemalurgists broken?

Prices, right now, are determined by the players selling them. I am hoping that regular economics and competition will keep the prices fair. Do you think this will work? Should there just be fixed prices for things?

How should players get the items to sell in the first place? Maybe the Lord Ruler/Moderator should give each House a specific type of good? Is there a better idea?

Does anyone know a good place to make a message board with a database because that would be useful in keeping track of all these numbers?

Am I forgetting anything?

Any feedback, questions, or answers would be appreciated.

Edited July 30, 2011 by whynaut

[whynaut]

So you're just providing a system? No story? That's really what makes an RP is the story over the mechanics of it. If you have a good story you can run a great RP even if you have sloppy mechanics, but it doesn't tend to work the other way. What you've got here is less than half of a game, I doubt someone's just gonna pick it up by itself.

I could see this working maybe as the ruleset for a Mistborn board game, maybe. That would be awesome.

EDIT: Also, you don't need to spread these over multiple posts. The character limit on these posts is either non-existent or ridiculously huge. Just look at the Form List in the Nexus Data Topic to see what I mean. That took up about four posts in the old system.

You're probably right, on both counts. This is just something that has been gnawing inside my head and I had to get it out.

[Silus - Shard of Flame]

Oh, wow. Forget a board game, just go whole hog and make a Tabletop RPG. DANG.

[Chaos]

CraftyGames is making a Mistborn Tabletop game. Sometime.

And yes, if you really like combat systems, Mistborn: The Inquisition is not for you. Sorry.

[Comatose]

Wow. This looks impressive, but I have absolutely no idea how it works. I'll stick to what I know.

[Emeralis00]

I have been looking over this and feel this has the potential to turn into something very interesting.

However, I think this system would work better as (Silus pointed out this before) a full RPG.

I have some general comments.

• I feel that the Hemalurgists are too powerful. Each time they win in combat they get stronger, much faster than allomancers (or feruchemists, but they don't have it as bad). Simply making low EXP costs won't work, since that would only cause all characters to explode in power. I suggest that you rework the hemalurgists to only get spikes through a ritual killing or something.
• I suggest looking into the (New) World of Darkness system (by White Wolf) for general mechanics help, since your system is similar.
• flaring could be working in as spending two points for every +1 beyond the limit up to double the limit. That way it makes flaring useful, but not something that will be constantly used.

These are my comments for if you make this more full RPG:

• include skills, such as lockpicking, acrobatics, swimming, and the like. This adds variety and gives the players something to do while not in combat.
• If your not going to include story, at least include setting.
• Include a way that makes the character more than just a set of numbers. This is a major reason why RPGs that are good stories with bad mechanics tend to be better than RPGs with great mechanics but little or no story. Players are more attached to "John the Hero who saved the town from black god sword cultists" than "John, the guy with 18 strength"
• A random element makes contests much more fun. A player with a weak character is more likely to play if he knows that there is that slim chance that he can triumph over the opponent with the awesome stats. OTOH, the player with the awesome stats will always know in the back of his mind that there is the possibility of failure. This may seem like a bad idea, but it is much better than getting bored with having a strong character. After all, why play a character that you know will never lose. One word of caution though, Don't go overboard; that weak character should still more than likely lose if the differences between stats are great.
• Remember that it is the players and their characters that drive the game. The DM simply provides the carrot to draw the players along and the framework that the characters exist within.

If for some reason you feel that I am criticizing you, I am not. I simply don't want to let a potentially good RPG go to waste.

I can be easily contacted with this email address if you would like to ask me some questions or discuss some points with me: [email protected]