I had mentioned earlier that I had some thoughts about RPGs and their origin in wargames. I was looking for a good ruleset for my homebrew folk-fantasy setting, and coming up against some really silly mechanics that either didn’t capture a feel well, or had the typical hitpoint mountain problem that many level based RPGs have. Around the same time, I was looking at getting forces ready for another pint-size campaign with Chain of Command and was struck by the different concepts at play. So, I began to think about how different RPGs would be if instead of having 1970s wargames to draw upon for rules, if instead they were built out of Chain of Command, or other similar TFL mechanics.

I want to mention that I’m far more experienced with RPGs than I am with wargames, and do not count myself an authority on the development of rulesets of either genre. This is just a fun thought experiment. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them my way!

While singing my progeny to sleep, I had some time write down some notes on this on my phone, and I’m going to use this small series of posts to develop the rules.

This post is going to follow the development process as it was and is, so bear with me. It will start with movement and some combat. I’ll then move into skill resolution, character development, and advancement. At the end I’m hoping to tidy up and clarify everything and create a simple RPG ruleset. We’ll see how this goes!

Initiative

Roll 2d6. Highest number goes first. Simple. Note that 2d6 is really needed because with 1d6, there’s just not enough numbers for a fantasy RPG combat unless you use initiative per each side, which is valid. 2d6 also has a predictable spread, and the impact of any modifiers can be calculated easily.

Movement

Movement is not a fixed distance, instead incorporating some elements of chance and tactical stance. While I appreciate just measuring from base to base, a system of squares or hexes could be adopted.

• Sneaky; 1d6 inches
• Normal; 2d6 inches
• Fast; 3d6 inches

Penalties and bonuses would be in the -2 to +2 per dice range.

If you move within 2″ of another base you are considered to be in meleé and must stop your move.

Another option is for characters to have a base movement stat. movement then becomes

• Sneaky; 1/2 movement + 1d3 inches
• Normal; movement +1d6 inches
• Fast; movement + 2d6 inches

Health

As you get hit, you become less capable. No hitpoint mountain here with someone fighting with the same skill at 50 hitpoints or 1.

Health will work like shock in Chain of Command but will be called toughness. Every 2 hits reduces your combat dice by 1, and your movement by 1″ off the total. When the number of hits you’ve taken equals your toughness, you are considered wounded.

If you are wounded, you must roll 1d6 at the start of your phase. You must get over the number of excess hits more than your toughness you have +1. If you have a toughness of 7 and 8 wounds, you need to roll a 2 or better to remain in the fight. If you fail, you’re out of action.

Combat

Meleé is simulataneous with a buckets of dice approach. Your combat rating is a set number dictating the number of dice you roll, modified by weapon skill and type. The target number is set by defender’s skill. Untrained 3+, trained 4+, Expert 5+, Master 6+.

If you hit, your opponent rolls to save each individual hit. No armour, save on a 6. Light armour 5. Heavy armour 4. Shields allow you to roll an additional armour die.

If you score 4 hits, your opponent rolls 4 dice (5 if they have a shield) and hopes to block all incoming attacks. Helmets are important. As with What a Tanker, a helm reduces your field of vision. You can only move in a 60° arc ahead. Not wearing a helmet gives your opponent an additional attack die to reflect your vulnerability.

End of Part One

So you roll 2d6. Highest number goes first. Then you move. Once you are within 2″ you are in range of an enemy’s attack and are considered to be in meleé.

Roll your combat dice. The enemy attempts to save. The enemy rolls their dice and you save. Unsaved hits reduce your combat score and when the hits equal your toughness you are soon going to be out of the fight.

That’s pretty bare bones, but it’s a start. Next post on this will talk about ranged combat, skill resolution (and what sneaky and fast movement means), skill advancement, and maybe character development!

N.B. Singing songs in English and French while writing this out on my phone has had some interesting words come up on my screen. I know the songs well but I do sometimes get my wires crossed. I think I’ve caught most of my errors, but if a line of a lullaby crops up as a skill resolution roll, I apologize!