Experimental Systems

Experimental Game Systems

This page has listed different experimental game systems that can be used in the Amar Role Playing Game. Note that these game variants are experimental, and therefore, the systems might seem unbalanced, or doesn't cover every part of the original system.

Incantation Magic

After playtesting the new magic system for two months, we have reached a conclusion: It is a great improvement. It makes magic more personalized, more epic and quirky in a good way. Magic becomes less "tinned" or "canned" and more evolutionary. It's a new level of magic system in an RPG. We will swap the legacy Amar magic system with the Incantation system.

The Incantation Magic system is an alternative to the standard magick system and allows magic casters to have an arsenal of spells unique to the caster only.

New combat system

After play testing the new combat system for two months, we have reached a conclusion. The proposed combat system is more realistic and in several ways better than the original Amar combat system. But it is too slow. It would work better for use in board games or gladiator type games which is more combat-centric and requires detailed and realistic combat play. For role-playing, it moves the attention more to detailing combat and away from the story building and epic scenes.

A combat round is 2 seconds. A character will defend during the round and may find an opening to attack an opponent. There are many small jabs, pushes and parries during a round, but normally only a chance of launching a real attack. The difficulty rating for finding an opening to attack is 5. A character can look more agressively for an opening and reduce the DR for an opening by 1 per 2 lower combat skill. A character can decide to be more careful and gain 2 in combat skill per 1 higher in DR for finding an opening (with a maximum DR of 7 and 4 in increased skill). The increase or decrease in combat skills affect both attack and defense values.

If two opponents get to attack in the same round, they roll for initiative to see who attacks first.

A character will defend any number of times during a combat round with increasing difficulty (-3, -6, -9, etc to defense value). The character will decide which opponent get which penalty.

All weapons have takes one round to draw. Drawing an arrow depends on the bow and the strength of the character. A bow with a strength requirement 3 lower than the character's strength will have a draw time of one round. A bow with a strength requirement higher than a character's Strength - 3 has a draw time of two rounds. A light crossbow has a draw time of 12 rounds while a medium crossbow has 18 rounds and the heavy crossbow has 24 rounds.

A character can move fast or carefully during combat. Human sized characters can move 4 meters with considerable penalties or 2 meters careful movement. Smaller creatures such as Dwarves or Fearies will move 3 or 1.5 meters, while Ogres and half-giants will move 5 or 2.5 meters, Trolls have 6 or 3 meters while Giants can move up to 8 or 4 meters.

Melee Adjustments

On the melee adjustments table you will find adjustments for several situations.

Melee Adjustments

Voluntary fighting modifications
Off	Def	Move	Condition
+2	+2	x 1	Fighting carefully gives +1 in DR for finding an opening for attacking (max +2 DR)
-2	-2	x 1	Fighting agressively gives -1 in DR for finding an opening for attacking
0	-3	x 1	Per extra defense during a combat round (defender decides which opponent get which penalty)
-1	0	x 1	Subtracting one from initiative
-1	0	x 1	Removing one Hit Location that you can hit
0	-1	x 1	Removing one Hit Location where you can be hit
Motion penalties
Off	Def	Move	Condition
-6	-6	x 2	Run
-3	-3	x 1	Move
X	-6	x 1	Disengage
Position penalties
Off	Def	Move	Condition
0	-2	x 1	Unable to move backwards
-1	-1	x 1	Fighting restricted to less than the weapon's required radius
-3	-3	x 1	Fighting restricted to less than half the weapon's required radius
-3	-3	x 1/10	Down on knee
-5	-5	x 1/10	Down on ground
+1	0	x 1	Fighting from higher ground (like in a stair)
-2	-2	x 3/4	Slippery ground
Defender's condition penalties
Off	Def	Move	Condition
-2	-2	x 3/4	Half Action (down to 1/2 Body Points)
-4	-4	x 1/2	Quarter Action (down to 1/4 Body Points)
X	-5	x 1	Partially unaware
-3	-3	x 1/2	Stunned
X	-10	x 1	Unaware
X	(-5)	x 1	Immobilized (defense is -5 regardless of skills)
Lighting
Off	Def	Move	Condition
-1	-2	x 3/4	Twillight / torchlight
-2	-4	x 1/2	Moonlight (full moon)
-3	-6	x 1/4	Starlight
-5	-10	x 1/8	Darkness
Weapon adjustments
Off	Def	Move	Condition
0	+1	x 1	Per full 5 in Dodge skill
+1	+1	x 1	Per full 5 in Unarmed skill
+1	+1	x 1	Using a secondary weapon
-1	-1	x 1	Strength 1 less than required to use weapon
-3	-3	x 1	Strength 2 less than required to use weapon
-5	-5	x 1	Strength 3 less than required to use weapon
-3	-3	x 1	Using weapon in the "off hand" (Strength requirement is +2)
-1	-1	x 1	Using a new weapon practically same type as a skilled weapon
-3	-3	x 1	Using a new weapon in same category as a skilled weapon
-5	-5	x 1	Using a new weapon in other category as a skilled weapon

All effects are cumulative, but offensive or defensive can never go below -5 total.

An "X" indicates that no attack is possible.

Artificial light sources all have a “radius.” Within this radius the penalties due to light conditions are as for torchlight. Up to 2 times this radius the light is equivalent to moonlight. Up to 4 times the radius the light is equivalent to starlight. A candle has a radius of 1 m, a torch has a radius of 5 m and a lantern has a radius of 7 m. The GM has to use his discretion if there are more than 1 light source.

Missile Adjustment

For special adjustments on throwing or shooting with missile weapons, see the missile adjustments table.

Missile Adjustments

Basic DRs
DR	Condition
5	Close range (up to half normal range)
10	Normal range (from half to normal range)
15	Long range (from normal range to double normal range)
20	Very long range (from long range to double long range)
25	Max range (from very long range to max range)
-1	Per size of target
+3	Aiming at Hit Location other than body
Motion adjustments
Off	Condition
-3	Target is moving predictably (in a straight line)
-6	Target is moving unpredictably (randomly)
-6 & -1/full 3 in Dodge	Target is Dodging
-5	Attacker is riding a galloping horse
-3	Target is in a melee, occasionally obstructed (a miss by 2-5 means another target was hit)
-6	Target is in a melee, often obstructed (a miss by 2-5 means another target was hit)
Crossbow support
Off	Condition
+1	Kneeling with crossbow
+3	Bracing crossbow
Lighting
Off	Condition
-1	Twillight / Torchlight
-3	Moonlight (full moon)
-5	Starlight
-10	Darkness
Small target size
Off	Condition
-7	Target 5 cm diameter
-4	Target 10 cm diameter
-2	Target 15 cm diameter

Adjustments are cummulative.

Evolutionary Magick

Do note that this system is currently not being developed.

The Evolutionary Magick is a new, simplified magic system that changes the way spells are learnt, and their effect as they level up. While making the system simpler, it also allows magic casters to easier get a larger variety of spells to use from. Currently the evolutionary magic system is being worked on, and is not finished.