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Dungeon of Bad Ends (Open again)

Morathor

Morathor

Supernova
Joined
Feb 19, 2012
Location
Midwestern USA
Hello all! I've been working on a simple RP system, based loosely on Dungeons and Dragons and streamlined for forum-based play. It is also, as the title implies, built with bad ends in mind; the PCs aren't going to be outmatched by their opponents, so much as they will get worn down from repeated battles and challenges. The intention is largely for heroes to fall one by one, and be dragged away from the rest of the group to meet a terrible fate--mind-break, corruption, mind control, etc.

I've run a 1x1 game with this before and it worked reasonably well, but I also have made some improvements based on areas where it didn't work as well as I would have liked. I've got the updated rules basically written out, I still need to organize them a bit, but I thought I'd start by putting out an interest check and see if anyone is interested in playing a game like this? The details of the story are negotiable, although I'd like to keep with the basic themes I mentioned above.

Also if anyone wants to try a 1x1 with this system, we can't do it in the systems styles section but still maybe PM me and we'll sort something out.

The rules I have so far aren't all that long for an RPG, but they're still longer than I want to put in the interest check. However, I'll lay out the basics here for anyone who wants them. I'm open to suggestions and critique as well!
Typically in Dungeons and Dragons, stats range from about 1 to 20, and modifiers from -5 to +5 are calculated from them. For this game, we are only using the modifiers, meaning an 'average' person has stats of 0 across the board. Most attacks and abilities will be resolved by rolling a twenty-sided die and adding whichever of your stats is relevant to the task at hand; you will succeed if you can equal or beat a target number, usually ten plus a relevant stat of your opponent.

This system doesn't use hit points; damage is dealt directly to your stats. Those stats are Strength, Agility, and Will, and if a character has any of these stats fall to -5, they are defeated and at the mercy of their foes. Every character has a basic melee attack, and gets to define what it is and what stat is used to roll it; they also get to decide which stat is added to their defense. In addition, most characters will also have a number of special abilities, and all characters should have at least one weakness. You can also take additional weaknesses to get extra abilities or stat increases. You can custom design your own abilities and weaknesses, and honestly most of the full rules is just detailing how to go about that and what's considered balanced.

There is also a fourth stat, Purity, which represents sexual resistance and functions somewhat differently from the others. It can't be used for your basic melee attack or your defense. By default, all characters have a starting Purity of +5, and when it drops to 0, they reach their climax and take 2 damage to each of their other stats. Then their Purity resets to +5.


Also, feel free to contact me on Discord (Morathor#5312) with questions, suggestions, ideas or plans, or just to talk.
 
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RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

This does look very fun - are you looking only for female PCs, or male as well? Is this primarily for a group, with the possibility of a 1-on-1 for someone who wants that? Should we work from basic fantasy archetypes, or are you looking for characters a little more complicated?

On an important note, have you ever played Darkest Dungeon, and if so, how much influence does it have over the formation and setting of this RP?
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

I started playing Darkest Dungeon just a few days ago, in fact; it hasn't been a major influence on the planning process, but I would be happy to work it into the setting. It is a pretty good reflection of the sort of gameplay I'm trying to emulate--progressing through discrete areas, encountering enemies, traps, and puzzles along the way, characters being gradually worn down because healing resources are limited.

With regards to the setting and scenario, those are pretty negotiable. The rules/system I'm using have some built-in assumptions about what sort game will be played (like any set of rules) but we can go basic DnD, something more of a gothic horror like Darkest Dungeon, or something else, depending on what the player(s) would like to try. For the record, the system I have doesn't have mechanically defined races and classes; character creation is a bit more freeform. If you wanted to do a pretty classic fantasy archetype, let's say an elven wizard, you'd pick your stats and abilities to reflect what you think an elven wizard would look like. Which also means if you wanted to do a less conventional character, the tools should hopefully be there for you to build them.

My strong preference is for female PCs, but I am willing to give other genders a shot. And while I think I would enjoy running this for a group, I am just as happy to take on a 1x1 version--either a solo mission, or somebody willing to play multiple characters.
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

Wow, nice!
I’m perfectly willing to wait and see if others turn up - I would love to join in with a group, but not really up for a 1-on-1 atm.
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

Alright, sounds good.

Actually, I would love some feedback, from you or anyone reading, on some of the game mechanics.

So, one thing that I think could have been better in the initial draft of the game, is that I didn't actually have much in the way of sex or arousal mechanics. There were some bondage based attacks, but they mostly just lowered your dexterity; similarly, aphrodisiacs and hypnotic effects lowered your will. But the erotic part of it was mostly handled through roleplaying. And that worked reasonably well, I think, but I also think for a game like this it might be fun to have some actual rules and mechanics for sex. Not full Book of Erotic Fantasy, but something.

I think I have the basic framework for a lust/arousal mechanic, but my question is this: would it be better for some enemies to have attacks that specifically cause arousal, while allowing characters to take kinks or fetishes as drawbacks the enemies could exploit? Or, would it be better if none of the enemies' attacks were lust-based by default, but each character has to have an exploitable kink?
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

Just an update, I added a brief rundown of the system in the first post, so people can have more details than "D&D-ish" for how this game works.
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

Simple Rpg systems and smutty bad ends are both of interest to me. I would probably prefer something a little lighter and more gen than Darkest Dungeons but I am flexible on that.

As for system thoughts, I'd say PC's should have 1 exploitable kink and can take more as per the extra weakness system you already seem to have in place.

I'd be looking to play some form of magic user. Is it safe to assume that for magic I would design abilities according to your guidelines and just give them the special effects I want?
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

Yep, that's how it would go! You're also free to flavor your basic attack and defense as magic abilities. A short range blast of fire and a magic barrier, for example.

Anyway, we have enough players now that I went ahead and set up an OOC thread; please feel free to come join us and we can discuss the setting, plot, and system.
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

I saw this the other day and was very curious; I've never played in a system-oriented, multi-player game before, but have always been interested in trying it out. Playing a female PC who has a series of unfortunate encounters that ultimately result in her "doom" sounds fun.

If you've room for one more, I'd like to join in.
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

Certainly, if you join that will bring our party up to four, which is a pretty solid number. Why don't you come join us at the OOC thread here
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

I think we can handle one or two more. By all means, drop in on the OOC thread linked above.
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

I might be interested.

How will kink limits be handled — both of the GM and of players?
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

That's a good question, and one I'm still pondering. I've been meaning to bring it up in the OOC thread, but before I do I thought I'd better have some kind of plan, just as sort of a starting point. But my thoughts currently are along these lines:

--Having the RP as a whole completely avoid everyone's kink limits is not very practical. Especially with the group getting bigger, one person's hard no is somebody else's favorite, and people are going to feel let down if some of these kinks are not included at all. At the same time, no player should be expected to play out a kink that they can't stand. That's super not okay. So really what I'm trying to balance is when to accommodate limits, and when to acknowledge I can't accommodate them and recommend the player look for another game.
--Currently, my thoughts are along these lines: if a kink is a hard no for a player, it won't happen to their character, but it can still happen to other players' characters. Somebody doesn't do aphrodisiacs? The enemies who use aphrodisiac attacks will target other characters instead. There's some concern about mechanical balance if somebody's kink limits would basically leave them untouchable, but I feel like if someone doesn't want anything bad to happen to their character, they probably don't have much interest in this RP anyway.
--If somebody is aware of a kink that they can't deal with at all, that will completely ruin the RP for them if they even see it being played out by somebody else, then they should probably talk to me about that in advance, but my answer is most likely to be that they shouldn't be in the group RP. Depending on how much I have on my plate at the time, I might be willing to run a 1x1 version for them. Or they can look for someone else to run the game with them--anyone is welcome to use my rules for their own RPs, whether as-is or just as a starting point.
--As the DM/GM, none of this applies to me any differently than it would the other players, but my limits are going to come up more because I'm going to be running all the enemies and NPCs and I'm going to be involved in most of the sex scenes. However, if two players were interested in doing a scene between their characters, then they are by no means limited by my f-list--though I would still expect them to respect each others' of course.

So, that's kind of my thoughts on kink limits for this.
 
RE: Dungeon of Bad Ends (looking to run a homebrew D20 system)

I'd love to play though I am late to the party. If you have too many already I'll be a backup if you need it.
 
Thanks for your interest! Currently we have five or six players, depending on whether SmokyKisses decides to join; I think that's probably enough for now, but I'll be sure to reach out to you if we end up needing to recruit more.
 
We're open again! We've had a couple of dropouts, and the remaining two characters are headed back to town in a little bit, so it's a perfect time to recruit new players and characters! We might be taking anywhere from two to four new players right now if anyone is interested.
 
So, I think I'd actually be way down for this. I'm pretty open to playing female and futa roles, and I've been playing a lot of D&D and the like lately. A lot of the kinks involved with this sort of thing are right up my alley, too.
 
This is a thing that I might get in on. Not sure how well I jive with others though on a kinks level.
 
If someone drop out from your team, I'd be ready to join into your victims of monsters.
 
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