User:The Unexpected Shroom/sandbox



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Project ERA
Project ERA (expanded reality augmenter) is a universal RPG system that uses productivity tasks rather than dice rolls to determine the outcome of a character's actions. It is designed to be played within the guild chat, with character sheets taking the form of challenges. Campaigns can be either single player or group, but most will require a dedicated GM to run.



Rogue: I check the pot for traps.

GM: Okay, declutter a minor area.

''Rogue: So... I watched TV instead.''

''GM: Alighty, then. The pot seems fine.''

''Rogue: Oh goody... I open the pot.''

GM: The pot is full of ANGRY BEES!

Build Schedule
Scheduled - In Progress - Completed

Core Rules
The basic rules of this system are designed such that they can be used for campaigns of any genre, setting or style.

Campaign and Character Creation
Before starting a campaign, the GM creates a challenge like the one in the following image. The "Character" and "Inventory" habits have both the [+] and [-] unchecked. The description and introduction of the storyline should be written in the description. Players joining the campaign will then participate in the challenge.

Character Sheets
Each player writes the description of their character in the notes section of the "Character" habit. This space is also used to keep track of things like status conditions and other important notes. If players are using avatar health, leave that line out and see the section in advanced rules for how to indicate that. If not, a general indicator of character health is useful.

Players use the notes of the "Inventory" habit to keep track of the things their character is holding. It is easy to forget that you picked something up early on that may be crucial later, so try to keep this section as accurate as possible.

Relation to Habitica Avatar
Your avatar's stats, class and equipment have no bearing on the story.

Health and Death

 * If you take damage in the storyline, click the negative "Damage" habit accordingly.
 * Damage will usually be accompanied by some kind of in-game consequence, such as a broken ankle or other appropriate hindrance.
 * If your avatar dies from damage taken in the storyline, please inform the GM, though depending on how forgiving your campaign is, this may or may not effect the storyline.

Exp and Rewards

 * If you gain treasure or experience in the storyline, click the positive "Treasure" habit accordingly.
 * Treasure will often be accompanied by useful in-game items.
 * Experience may be accompanied by new in-game abilities.

Mana and Class Skills
By default, story characters do not rely on the Habitica avatar's mana. Individual players may choose to limit themselves to their available mana, but this is entirely optional. Magical characters need not be limited by mana at all. If a player does choose to limit themselves, it is up to them to decide the mana cost of their character's abilities. Habitican class skills do not transfer to characters, and have no bearing on the storyline.

Currency
At the beginning of the game, it should be established whether the story will use Habitican gold or a separate, internal currency. All players must use the same currency form. Should Habitican currency be used, rewards may be added to the campaign challenge to represent in-game shops, or the edit value feature may be used.

Level
Due to the massive variance in leveling speed between different play styles, it is highly recommended that character growth not be linked to avatar level, as this would unbalance the party tremendously. Players with avatars over level 100 may wish to link certain character abilities or milestones to avatar level, but this is not recommended for inexperienced players. Should players choose this option, it will be discussed further in the advanced ruleset.

Stat Checks
In this system, attribute stats are not a fixed value assigned to your character, nor are they used or challenged via a dice roll. In-game task checks based on character attributes will be determined purely on how well the player does at completing the requisite todos.

To complete a check, the player must complete or make progress on the appropriate task for the attribute. '' * Advised Method: Count the number of to-dos in your list, use this to generate a number between that and one, then complete the to-do that corresponds to that number. If that to-do is to large for the difficulty of the check, try to make enough progress to match the difficulty. If it is too small, repeat the selection process and combine your progress on multiple to-dos.''

Difficulty
An important factor to consider is the difficulty of an in-game action. It would make little sense to require as much effort to force a stuck door as to stop a rolling boulder, although both would be considered strength checks. In these cases, a difficulty modifier should be applied. In the above examples, the door would be considered a "minor strength check", while the boulder would be considered a "major strength check".

Some Rough Guidelines:
 * It is up to the GM to decide the difficulty rating of an in-game action.
 * It is up to the player to decide the weighting of their todos.

Scale
I can't think of the best way to explain it at the moment, but I'm going to need to put a section here for the scale of tasks.

Character Modifiers
It is important to note that while the characters themselves may not have defined attribute values, the GM may scale the difficulty rating of the action according to a character's nature. A skilled artisan may have to complete fewer todos to succeed at a DEX check than a clumsy barbarian.

Success or Failure
As with most RPGs, there is a scale for success and failure. This determines the outcome of the action.
 * If the player was prevented from attempting the task due to uncontrollable circumstances, such as computer or transportation failure or other unforeseen events, the action is either retrospectively cancelled, or simply has no effect.

Notice and Concentration Checks
For a character to maintain concentration on a task (such as a difficult spell) or notice something that they might otherwise have missed, the player must sustain productive concentration on a task for a set amount of time without getting distracted or procrastinating.

Skills
Beyond basic stats, most characters will have particular skills. These skills may be virtually anything, provided they fit with the character's nature and backstory. Each skill will be linked to a particular domain of the player's life, chosen at the beginning of the game. In order to use the skill, the player must complete tasks that relate to the appropriate life domain.

Some Example Skills: Note: Skills do not have to be thematically linked to their domains, but it may be helpful for motivation.

If appropriate, these checks may resemble stat checks. For example, if a player using the example skills wanted to hold back a rolling boulder with telekinesis, they might be asked to make a "magical strength check", that is, make some progress on their most difficult assignment. Alternatively, they may wish to decipher some arcane runes, and be asked to make a "magical wisdom check". That is, work on their most urgent assignment. Requirements for checks will often overlap. That is acceptable and expected.

At other times, the GM may choose to assign some other kind of skill check, such as completing a certain number of words on an essay, or a set number of reps for one or more exercises. This is advised for when a skill check does not easily fall into one of the attribute categories.

Combat
Combat does not differ much from other types of challenge. A player may choose to attack using an established skill, such at swordcraft or spellwork, or may opt for some other approach, such as brute strength or deft strikes. Improvisation and use of the environment is to be encouraged.

Likewise, a character may defend in any way that they consider to be appropriate for their character. This may involve a speedy dodge, a strong stance with a shield, or simply withstanding an attack via a mighty constitution. Skills may also be used, such as a sword parry or magical barrier.

Pacing and Turn Order
Due to the nature of the check system, games are expected to progress much more slowly than traditional RPGs. For the sake of fairness, it may be necessary to limit the amount of activity that players perfoming actions that do not require checks (such as conversations with NPCs) may undertake during the time when other players may be completing task checks, or otherwise being productive.

It will also be important to consider difference in time zones, which will likely be a deciding factor in turn order, should your game involve a fixed sequence.

Advanced Rules
These rules are not required to use the system. Some, all, or none of these rules may be used.

Health
Some players may wish to incorporate their avatar's health into the story as additional motivation to keep up with their dailies. More details on how this will work will be added once this mechanic has been more thoroughly tested.

In the meantime, here are some ideas:
 * Begin each in game post with a quick note of avatar/character health (eg: "[HP 34] We head into the tunnel.")
 * Health potions must be earned
 * Thought needs to be put into how party healers will affect matters

Negative Status Effects
Players may come under the effect of statuses during gameplay, or may begin with one or more already in effect. Please note that in group campaigns, status effects should not be added to the campaign challenge unless they affect the entire party.

Over Time
These effects are those that must be managed over time, and take the form of dailies that represent in-game tasks that the player must perform, such as changing or washing the bandages on a wound, taking herbs to counter a poison or treat a sickness, or performing a ritual to hold back a curse. This daily will remain in effect until the status is removed, at which time it can be deleted.

Triggerable
These states come into effect when triggered by a particular condition, such as a wound that is aggravated by a particular movement, a poison that interacts with certain foods, or a curse that comes into effect under certain conditions. These statuses are represented by negative habits, which the player clicks when they perform the forbidden action.

''Optional: The GM may specify a maximum level of aggravation, exceeding which causes further, more dire consequences. This can be tracked via the colour of the habit.''

Variable Degree
These states vary in their intensity according to how they are managed. These are represented by a two way habit. I will add more on this when I'm not supposed to be doing an assignment.

Tips for Players
Things that need to be covered:
 * Specificity
 * Character knowledge

Player control
This can be difficult to get the hang of without previous experience.

What you can do:

What you can't do:
 * Fully control your character's actions. No other player may declare that your character does or doesn't do something. Under most circumstances, neither can the GM.
 * Ask for more information. At any time you can ask the GM for any information that your character has access to. Describing every detail of everything is not practical, so if the GM has omitted something, it isn't necessarily for a reason.
 * Declare that you succeed at something. You can attempt anything you like, but if it is at all possible that you could fail, it's probably a check. If it can be reasonably assumed that you cannot fail (like walking across a brightly lit room) it's probably fine. Probably.
 * Control the outcome of your character's actions. For example, "I pull the lever" is fine, "I pull the lever and the door swings open" is not.
 * Control the environment, chance, or external events. If it isn't something your character can influence, chances are you, as a player, can't declare it. For example, "Just then a storm came out of nowhere", "I find a chest full of spam in the room", and "Then an ogre showed up and attacks them" are all not a thing.

Miscellaneous
Taking 10 is not a thing.

Privacy
It's up to each player how much they want to share about what real life tasks they plan to accomplish. Knowing what they want to do can allow you to set more specific goals, particularly with skill checks, but it is not and should never be a requirement. If the player doesn't want to disclose what their real world tasks are, or even what a skill's domain is, simply use the in-game terminology and allow the player to decide what best fits.

Splitting the Party
GMs experienced with traditional tabletop games may be familiar with the rule "never split the party", since it leads to awkward waiting periods. In this game, however, the pacing is slow enough that GMing the two groups simultaneously is quite doable. In some cases, it may even be beneficial, particularly if the party are in different timezones. That said, be careful not to let one group get to far ahead of the other.

Useful Resources
RPG Tools - Random generators for... basically everything. Seriously. Everything.

Roll20 - For campaigns with complex maps or where clear positioning is important, this site allows you to host a virtual tabletop that can be accessed by all players. Also stores character sheets and other useful tools.

Purple Sorcerer - A useful basic character generator.

Suggestion Section
This system is still in development. If you have any ideas for new mechanics or improvements to what exists, please write them here.

Notes / Questions / Feedback

 * 1) What if I don't have anything to do? Like if I've done everything that I'm able to do that day. Or if a skill is linked to study and I've done all my homework?
 * 2) *I honestly don't have an answer to this one. I don't think it'll come up often, but it could be pretty derailing. I'll think on it. Suggestions welcome.