Ideas for Crystalpunk: System

There is an ongoing discussion in tabletop RPG communities about whether system is important or not. One extreme says that a good GM can run any setting with any system. The other extreme says that the system has to be tailored to its genre and setting in order to work properly. The truth is, as always, in the middle somewhere. I tend a little towards the 'system matters' camp, but not too much.

However, for Crystalpunk, I've decided that I want to get certain feels across using the system as part of the medium. So I'm going to tailor it to the setting a bit. Here's some crunchy system details I am working on. Feel free to add comments.

( Basic Dice Mechanic )

( Skills )

( Your Star Chart )

Edit: filled in the details. I'm still looking for comments. I sort of like the chaotic nature which this places on action resolution - that also fits the sort of metaphysically-cluttered feel of the genre, I think. But is it too much?

Also, are my assignments of effects of the planets off? Do any need to be swapped or are any just too powerful or too uinsignificant?

More on Crystalpunk

Thematically, Crystalpunk isn't that different from many Mage the Ascension or Secret History sort of game. You have bands of diverse Occult underdogs struggling against a world spanning Orwellian conspiracy. That's sort of part and parcel for the genre.( Read more... )

Another random idea: The OTHER D'ni

(as an aside, I'm liking this new phone - I typed most of this out on my way to work while on the bus.)

This is a translation found in a text found in the caverns of New Mexico in 1987. It was one of the first artifacts fully translated in the efforts to investigate the ruins found there, which were later identified as Sko Prad.

Herein is the story of the exodus from Garternay, being a history of our beginning, as told by Dhenahlem, the first Loremaster.
( Read More (long) )