RPG Design Patterns

Attribute, Flaws (“Allergies”), Game Master, Generalized Contest, Hit Points (“Condition Monitor”), Last Man Standing, Priority-Grid (character generation), Rank, Resource, Safety Valve (spending Karma points to avoid disaster), Skill, Skill Defaults (“Skill Web”), Success Reward (“Karma”), Template (“Archetypes”), Trauma Gauge

In creating a Shadowrun character, a player must prioritize various character- defining categories from most important to least important. These categories are: “Race,” “Magic,” “Attributes,” “Skills,” and “Resources.” Based on these priorities, the player is either given options or a quantity of resources from which to draw in each category. For example, any player wanting a non-human character (such as an elf) must specify Race as his highest priority. Players placing more emphasis on attributes and skills gain a larger share of points to use in purchasing ranks in these areas. Players can have their characters start out rich or cybernetically enhanced by placing great importance in Resources.

All characters have the following eight primary attributes: “Body,” “Quickness,” “Strength,” “Intelligence,” “Willpower,” “Charisma,” “Essence,” and “Reaction.” Magicians get an additional attribute of “Magic.” Characters also have an “Initiative” attribute. For most people, this has a fixed value of 1. However, cybernetic implants can raise this value to some degree.

A player can choose to give his character “Allergies” that make him vulnerable to certain substances. Accepting these flaws gives the player more points to spend in attributes, skills, or resources.

If a player is in a hurry, he can base his character on a pre-generated template (“Archetype”). Further character development will then progress at the player’s discretion as resources and experience allow.

Shadowrun uses d6 dice pools for contests. The player rolls a number of dice equal to his character’s pertinent attribute or skill rank. Each die is compared to a threshold, which is given by the game rules for many tasks and is otherwise determined by the game master. Every die resulting in a value greater than or equal to the threshold is counted as a success. Characters need only one success to win. But, the more successes a player rolls, the more advantageous the outcome.

In opposed situations, such as combat, both sides roll and the number of successes on each side are compared. The side with the most successes wins with ties going to the aggressor. The greater the attacker’s margin of victory, the greater the effect. For example, the damage level of an inflicted wound increases by 1 for every 2 points of victory over an opponent.

Thresholds generally lie in the range of 1 to 6. But, higher thresholds are possible for exceptionally hard tasks. Beating such difficult obstacles requires an open-ended d6 roll. Players re-roll any d6 resulting in a six and the values are summed. Additional 6s compel further rolls until something other than a 6 is rolled or the threshold has been overcome.

Players can also draw upon their characters’ “Karma Pool” to improve their odds in dangerous situations. Players spend Karma Pool points to re-roll dice, avoid disasters, and increase the chances of succeeding in contests. At the end of every encounter, the pool refreshes back to its maximum.

Combat is broken up into discrete rounds, each of which is segmented into an indeterminate number of phases. At the beginning of each round, all players roll a number of d6s equal to their Initiative attribute and sum the results. To this is added the character’s Reaction attribute. Each round has a number of phases equal to the highest Initiative total. Play proceeds in order of highest Initiative total to lowest. Every time a character acts, his Initiative total drops by 10. If this leaves the character with a total Initiative greater than zero, he gets another action after any other higher valued Initiative scores are handled. So, if a character obtained an Initiative total of 23, he acts on the 23rd, 13th, and 3rd phase of that combat round. The turn order of characters acting in the same phase is determined by comparing the combatant’s Reaction attributes. High score wins.

The game master rewards players with experience points (“Karma”). These are given for mere survival, accomplishing missions, overcoming dangerous obstacles, good role-playing, clever tactics, humor, drama, and other things. Ninety percent of Karma goes to “Good Karma” while the remaining 10% goes into the character’s Karma Pool. Good Karma points are used to raise attribute and skill ranks.