Harsh Realities has a modular universal generic game system called Sixcess. What does that mean? It means that we wanted Sixcess to be a powerful generic game system that uses only six-sided dice, and can literally be used to power any game world the players can imagine regardless of genre, sub-genre, or genre mash-up. This meant Sixcess had to be able to do extremely generic conflict resolution, as well as highly specific. How this is achieved is through the modular design. There is a core game system that can be as simple as collecting the dice and rolling against a target number, but there are also Optional Rules available to lend layers of realism simulation that help generate various levels of complexity. Additional world/setting specific rules and/or game system alternatives (such as new Powers and new uses for Skills) are then provided in each Setting book.
That's a LOT to unpack, and mostly it's best to see it in the books themselves as they come out, but let's take a look at how this universal system works in character building.
No, no. We're not ready for all that just yet! We'll get to Creatures, NPCs, and Villains later...
Ok, that's better. This red-headed swashbuckler could easily be a pirate or privateer in a number of fantasy or historical settings. She could be human, or maybe a half-elf, and would likely be skilled in sailing, flintlock pistols, and some sort of sword. How do you make this character? Easy.
First, you simply pick a Racial Kit, a Cultural Kit, and a Profession Kit. For her our choices might look like: Human, Caribbean Islander, and Pirate.
Each kit functions like a template complete with a few Attribute Ranks, some Skills (or Skill Ranks), and usually an Edge or two balanced by a Flaw or two. These kits Stack with one another, which means if each kit were to give the character the same Skill at Rank: 1, then the net of all three would be the Skill at Rank: 3.
The last step to character creation is to make selections on the Priorities Chart. Each setting is a little different, and potentially slightly more powerful than others depending on how many points are allowed. This is the part of character creation that provides the player with the ability to make their character truly unique. Once this is finished, game play may begin immediately.
Let's look at another one.
This guy is from a sci-fi/steampunk setting. He would be an alien race, called Vl'Ren, be from the Vektran Culture, and have the Gadgeteer Profession Kit.
This guy is a Techgnome from Mytharia, he is of the Hukkahn Culture, and is a Rogue by trade. He became the wielder of his fancy girdle and gauntlets at an early age (through the Priorities selections).
This stout figure from a post-apocalyptic red-sunned desert fantasy world would be a Half-Dwarf (sometimes called a Mule), Freedman, Gladiator turned Freedom Fighter (yes, you can multiclass with Sixcess!).
This wandering soul goes wherever the Universal Credits take him, which is usually to the nearest StarDust after dropping off his smuggled cargo and collecting his payment. He is a Nikeen, Drifter, Smuggler (with a gambling problem).
Or, how about a Halfling, Daughter of Zion, Operator and Extraction Specialist from a world that is equal parts simulation and scorched earth?
Not up for any of that? How about this?
A Mechana, designed for labor as part of the Laborbot Legion, and (for some reason) reprogrammed as a life-loving Entertainer Poet - which is easily possible with Sixcess!
I've yet to find a combination I cannot create with Sixcess, and I am constantly working to expand what is possible. New Racial Kits, Cultural Kits, and Professional Kits are constantly being created for each new Setting and Mini-Setting, and I'm more than open to suggestions from others. If you can think of something, or want to see how a certain combination might look, please reply below and I'll see what I can do! Thanks!
Harsh
Badass! I bet you would be a lot of fun to game with!
Thank you very much! I certainly try to be. lol.
Pretty brilliant bad-ass Halfling you've got there! Love it!
Thanks, @yekrats. I have to admit I have always been fond of the little people (halflings and gnomes), but the child of Niobe and Morpheus up there is (dare I say) one of my favorite pieces from Sixcess 2nd edition.
Adding a character-sheet for the pirate example character would be great.
Summarizing all the information you got into a visual representation always helps, that's why we have character sheets, plus, the character sheet is the thing of a system you look most at, as a player.
Generic systems always have some kind of undertone:
They will both feel similar.
In GURPS this similar feeling is somewhere in the crunch.
In FATE this similar feeling is somewhere near the Pulp aspect of everyone having a drawback.
What do you think is the similar feeling Sixcess is about?
@niduroki, Here is the latest incarnation of the character sheet, as promised. Steemit only supports image file formats, so it's a web-ready png. I'll post the free pdf up in our DTRPG store front when I update the product catalog.
Thanks, @niduroki. Good point on the character sheet. I've gone through several versions, and am working up an updated one now that I think will be the final version. I'll post it here when I get it wrapped up. The trick is to distill it down to what is essential, but leave enough room for variation.
RE: Generic system feel
This is an intriguing question that I have honestly not thought about before. Sixcess is a d6-based Attribute + Skill system, so perhaps that simplicity is the through-line of the design that will read in each application of it. It's not intended to morph all that much with each Setting, however, so Sixcess is always Sixcess, regardless of Setting. I know many supposed universal/generic systems are actually a string of closely related sister game systems. That is not Sixcess. The only things that change with Sixcess are what Powers and Abilities (Magic and Spells, for example) are available, and what Skills or other character traits are allowed or disallowed for each Setting. The game system remains constant otherwise. Does that help?
So crunch, or any maths-y mechanics will probably not be the thing players remember rules-wise of a session built on Sixcess.
Maybe it's Skills, Powers or Abilities – only playing may solve this mystery :-)
I'll have to pose this question to some of my play-testers and see what they say. The only math needed in Sixcess is to count your Sixcesses (the dice that come up equal to or higher than the Target Number), and the Damage resolution. The Damage throws some people, but I'm working on a gadget for the non-maths people. The interesting thing for me about Sixcess' Damage Codes and Armor Ratings, however, is that they dovetail nicely into the Size/Scaling mechanic, which allows for things like Damage resolution between a massive object and a man-sized attack. Anything is possible!
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