RPG Design Patterns

Attribute, Conflicted Gauge (Fallout), Contest Tree, Dice Pool, Faction (“The Faith” vs. Demons), Negotiated Contest, Generalized Contest, Recycled Fortune, Structured Story, Trait

Characters have 4 attributes (“Stats”) of “Acuity”, “Body”, “Heart”, and “Will”, which are not rated as simple numbers but rather in terms of dice (d6s). So, a character might have Acuity of 4d6, Body of 2d6, Heart of 5d6, and Will of 6d6. Characters also have traits, which are similarly of 6d6. Characters also have traits, which are similarly rated in terms of dice, although d4s, d8s, and d10s are allowed in addition to d6s on traits. Traits come in three flavors: action-oriented (“Traits”), relationship-oriented (“Relationships”), and item oriented (“Belongings”). To determine how many dice are distributed among attributes and traits, the player selects a “Background” for his character from a short list, such as “Well Rounded” or “Complicated History.” One of a character’s most important belongings is his Coat, which is adorned with unique colorful patterns stitched lovingly by relatives and friends. Dog coats are generally long, duster-style overcoats giving the wearers an Old-West gunslingers look.

Conflict resolution uses dice pools. Unlike most dice-pool based games, the dice in Dogs pools are of varying sizes made up of d4s, d6s, d8s, and d10s. When a conflict starts in Dogs, the players must first determine exactly what is at stake in the conflict. The number and type of dice that are rolled on each side is determined by the actions being undertaken, which indicates what attributes and traits are brought into play according to the game rules. For example, if a character is just talking, he uses Acuity + Heart. If he is shooting a gun, he uses Acuity + Will, etc. Dice for traits are added when they are brought into play. So, if a character attacks with his knife having a rating of 1d6, he adds 1d6 to his dice pool.

After the appropriate dice pools for all parties are gathered, everyone rolls their dice simultaneously and leaves them on the table so that everyone can view them. The person initiating the conflict goes first. Both sides then go through a bidding process similar to that of poker. The initiator goes first with a “Raise,” putting forth two dice and describing the action those dice represent. The sum of the dice equals the value of the “Raise.” The opponent then “Sees” with any number of dice of his own, stating how his character responds to the initial action. The sum of the “See” dice must equal or exceed the current “Raise” value. If this can be done with a single die, the opponent has achieved a “Reversal.” If this is done with two dice, the done with two dice, the opponent “Dodged” the attack with no harm to either side. If the “See” required three or more dice, the attack successfully lands, inflicting “Fallout Dice” to the defender.

The greater the number of dice needed to “See” the Raise, the greater the number of “Fallout Dice” sustained. The size of the Fallout Dice is determined by the type of attack. Verbal attacks deliver d4 damage while gunshots inflict d10 damage, etc.

If a player finds himself losing the conflict, he can escalate it. Thus, a verbal confrontation between two friends may be escalated by having one or the other pull a knife. At this point, the person pulling the knife adds the dice associated with the knife to his dice pool as well as any pertinent attributes, giving him more ammo in the conflict. His opponent may respond by pulling his gun, adding the pertinent dice to his own pool as well. At any time, a player can “Give,” meaning he concedes the conflict to avoid taking further Fallout Dice.

One basic rule of escalating conflicts is that the dice associated with a given attribute or trait can be added only once to a given conflict. So, while a knife or gun could be used in more than one action within the conflict, its dice are added only once to the dice pool.

When it isn’t clear who is opening a conflict or when there are more than two parties to a conflict, the order is taken from highest to lowest “Best Roll.” The Best Roll is simply the sum of the two highest dice in each pool.

Oddly enough, the Fallout Dice inflicted on a character can act as a reward. When you roll Fallout Dice after a conflict, if any rolls of 1 come up, something good happens. The player can choose to raise an attribute by a point, create a new trait of 1d6, alter the die size of an existing trait, etc. Thus, Fallout Dice are conflicted. Whatever effects are chosen must be justified as a result of the conflict.