I wasn't sure whether to make Goblintown a setting for another game or it's own game altogether. Eventually I decided that making a game system wouldn't hurt, and it'd be fun! It's really small, small enough to fit in a blog post, so I hope it will be easy to test and tweak. I've got all the main stuff down, just gotta see how well it actually works.

The system is actually based on a post over on RPG.net, describing a very easy d100 RPG. You have skills with ratings from 80% down to 40% and roll 1d100 (that's 2 d10s, one for ones digit and one for tens) and try to get your skill rating or lower. There are nine skills, each useful in different circumstances. When you create your character, you put choose 4 skills to raise to 80, 70, 60, and 50 percent, and the rest stay at 40%. The skills are as follows;

Hit Points Not really a skill, each goblin has 5 hit points and loses one every time he or she fails an endurance roll in a dangerous situation. Combat being the main one but also walking through a desert or holding your breath underwater. When the character runs out of hit points, they fall unconscious. Hit points can be regained different ways, depending on how they were lost. Heat exhaustion damage can be healed by merely sitting in a cool stream, while combat damage will need first aid or magical healing.

Fighting (All kinda of up close fighting - wrestling, punches, axe strikes, you name it.)

Throwing (Not-up-close fighting - shooting bows, throwing axes, spears, rocks, or whatever)

Athletics (Climbing, swimming, balance, escaping from a pin or grab, jumping)

Sorcery (Casting or reading magic. just about any possible outcome is reachable with sorcery, but it requires more successes for more powerful effects. If you don't put points in this, it starts at 20%)

Perception (Noticing things amiss, overhearing a conversation)

Stealth (Sneaking around, spying, stealing things, laying traps)

Endurance (Your ability to endure pain and effort. Taking a hit in combat requires you to roll against endurance. if you fail, you lose one hit point. Also rolled against in harsh environments, like a poisonous cloud or harsh desert.)

Charisma (Convincing others, lying, leadership)

Knowledge (reading difficult texts, guessing others' motives, Remember Facts (see below))

Remember Facts is a mechanic that I want to include but is fairly untested in RPGs I've played. The player would just say "I remember..." and state a fact about the game world. They roll their knowledge, and if they pass, the fact is true. If they fail, however, the GM can turn their attempt backwards. For example, Jills' redcap sorcerer is running from an ogre. She says "I remember there's a hidden tunnel in the bushes around here that leads me back to where the others are..." and rolls Knowledge. If she passes, she can use the newly created hidden path to escape the Ogre (as long as the ogre doesn't notice!) If she fails the knowledge roll, the GM might say "The path is up on your right. but as you follow it, you realize it's leading you back to the ogre's den!" Now Jill has ogres on both sides, and must think of another way to escape.


Those are the big things, there's a little more I'll post later. Tell me what you think of these, especially the remember facts - most of the other stuff is basically stolen from older RPGs.