f4c system is an attempt to use gamedesign wiki to design a new RPG ruleset. The current version is concept/pre-alpha. Please expand it.

The f4c system

Abstract

f4c stands for \x93flip 4 coins\x94. The effect of most in-game actions is determined by throwing 4 differently coloured coins. The colours are red, green, blue, yellow. Or just RGBY.

Purpose

The goal of f4c is to create a free game system of great tactical depth for role play games. Games that can use it are primarily computer role playing tactical games, but it can, with certain modifications, be used for wargames, tabletops and and pen-and-paper role playing games.

f4c Roll

Usually when throw is used to determine a numerical value numbers are assigned to coins and the sun of number assigned to coins that came heads up is taken as result. Standard attack roll is 5-4-3-2. In case of standard attack roll one, who gets GBY heads up and R heads down, gets 5*0+4*1+3*1+2*1=9 attack points. Roll results are written as all coins with heads up, like this: RB. Empty roll is is written as oooo

f4c throws are used to determine whether the attack was successful, the amount of damage dealt and damage blocked by the armour, the outcome of special ability usage...

Character development

Unlike classical level-upping f4c is purely based on skill&ability-trees. When one gains experience it is not awarded as automatic bonuses to hit-points and attack, it can be spent by controlling player to get traits, skills and abilities. Such upgrades are organized in tree and you need to spend lots of XP to reach advanced abilities found far from the \x93root\x94. Such feats boost hit-points or attack, provide weapon or armour proficiency, give new magical spells or boost known spells, open new combat and non-combat actions, enable special crafting options and improve bargaining efficiency... Such systems lets you to create highly specialized characters, but if you develop only magical offence and forget hit-points great damage-dealing ability of your hero is compensated by his vulnerability to all damage. The amount of experience required to learn something depends on character class.

Classes

All playable characters belong to one of several classes. Class determines starting statistics and makes certain abilities harder or easier to learn. Fighters can easily master new types of weapons, but will never learn to cast spells as good as mages do. Certain combination of skills can allow to change class to prestige-class. Prestige-classes are not available at the time of character generation and are usually stronger than basic classes. Although hero does not gain bonuses directly when switching to advanced class he gains the ability to learn some specialized skills or spells even faster, than basic class.

Alignment

Alignment represents one's view of one's place in the world and himself. In f4c alignment is determined by 2 parameters. The first is Materialist-Spiritualist and the second is Egoist-Altruist.

Attributes

Attributes affect actions directly. High agility makes it easier to pick locks, high charisma lowers prices in shops. With more hit-point you can withstand more punishment, and magic strength affects the duration of your spells. You can not boost your attributes by just gaining experience, you need to spend part of your experience on attribute-boosters. "

• Hit points (HP) \x96 the amount of damage one can take without dying. Depends on Mht.
• Mana points (MP) \x96 the amount of magic energy one can spend without need to rest. Depends on Int and Cha.
• Might (Mht) \x96 physical strength. Boosts m\xEAl\xE9e and ranged damage. Some weapons and armours have Mht requirements.
• Will (Wll) \x96 self control and determination. Protects again mental attacks. Wll boosts fatigue tolerance.
• Agility (Agi) \x96 one's balance, coordination, speed and reflexes. Agi changes the chance to hit the enemies and the chance to avoid being hurt. It is used for special actions (like stealing). It is important for some types of crafting.
• Intelligence (Int) \x96 One with great thinking abilities and substantial will power is called intelligent. It is important when casting spells, gaining new threats or skills, crafting potions...
• Charm (Cha) \x96 the ability to impress and to attract other people. Affects the decisions of those around you. Your friends will work and fight more efficiently if your Cha is high.

Please improve or expand this section

Skills and Abilities.

This document provides list of recommended abilities for f4c games in fantasy setting. Sci-fi games based on the system will discard part of the abilities and add some more. One can play f4c with \x93Advertisement Resistance\x94 and \x93Star Wolf\x94 instead of \x93Improved Magic Focus\x94 and \x93Son of the Forest\x94.

Abilities are binary traits, each character either know or does not know an ability. Skills describe level of mastery with numeric value. For example \x93Healer\x94 ability allows one to cast healing spell, while \x93White Magic\x94 skill determines the efficiency of such spells.

Inventory

Characters can carry various in-game objects. Such objects are called collectibles. The set of objects carried by a person is called Inventory. The maximum number and the size of carried objects are determined by attributes, skills and abilities. Weight and size are measured in metric units. There are different types of collectibles some can be equipped some can be used for special effects and are destroyed after the use, some give bonuses even laying in the backpack.

Equipment

There are many items that can be worn: weapons, armour, rings and amulets. Weapons let one fight, armour protects from harm, amulets grant special effects.

Money

Use money to pay for items sold in shops. Cha and special skills increase bargaining efficiency.

Game modes

Actions available for characters depend on the environment and proximity of hostile creatures. There are 4 main modes. Combat mode is activated as fighting begins. Field mode is when hostile creatures may be nearby, but not seen yet. Most dungeons are travelled in field mode. Characters far from both civilization and hostile creatures are in road mode. Finally town mode is when you are in village or town.

Combat mode allows one to attack, but many abilities are impossible to use. For example you can not rest when in combat. The efficiency of skills like \x93disable trap\x94 and \x93pick lock\x94 is reduced. When all but one fighting parties die or flee combat mode ends.

When in field mode subjects do not see any enemies to attack, but expect them to appear any moment. Resting is possible, but with reduced effect. Crafting is possible, but the efficiency is reduced.

Road mode does not require a real road, it just means, that character travels without expecting to be attacked soon. Most non-combat abilities can be used when in road mode.

When party is in settlement and plans to stay there for several days town mode is activated. Players can manage what their characters do during the entire day by issuing a single command. Characters can work when in town, either for existing city's industries or as self-employed.

Combat

When two or more hostile parties meet combat begins. It is divided to round, every round characters act simultaneously. One round lasts 5 seconds (to be adjusted later). Some actions need pre-charging or take more than one round to complete. Archers need 1 or 2 extra rounds, depending on skills and weapon, after each shot to reload the bow. Crossbowmen need even more time to reload. Spells often require more than one round to cast.

Fatigue

Most races are susceptible to exhaustion. Most actions taken in combat cause characters to become tired. Such actions are: running, attacking with ranged or melee weapons, casting certain spells. Wounded units become exhausted faster. The amount of fatigue points (FP) caused by certain action also depends on skills. Lighter weapons cause less fatigue. Unit's fatigue limit (FL) is determined by race, Mht, Wll and skills. As current FP reach FL victim automatically loses the R roll. When FP is double FL unit loses RGY rolls automatically. FP disappear gradually when out of combat mode.

Damage types

Different weapons kill differently. Physical weapons are used to fracture, cut or remove victim's flesh, magic weapons freeze, burn or poison the enemy. Some warriors kills their enemies by directly draining their life-force or by crippling enemy's will to fight entirely. Many creatures are susceptible to one type of damage much more, than to other.

Changing equipped weapon

Although it is impossible to fully re-equip in the middle of the battle it is possible to switch between different weapons using quick draw configurations. Such configurations are stored in groups of slots, size of the group is equal to the number of owner's hands. It is possible to switch between configurations even in the middle of combat and it normally takes one full round to perform the change. The number of quick slots depends on character's race and abilities. It is possible to increase the draw speed with certain abilities. In some areas people are not allowed to walk with weapons in the arms, quick draw is vital in such areas. It is also good when you walk in places with different enemies of greatly varying vulnerabilities.

Melee

Most melee weapons provide one attack per round. With proper skills and weapons fighters can hit more often. When attack takes place f4c (flip 4 coins) and take 5 points for R, 4 for G, 3 for B, 2 for Y. If all coins come heads the attack hits automatically. Add weapon and skill attack modifiers. Compare to defender's defence rating. If the attack is higher proceed to damage calculation.

Weapon damage is described by 5 numbers: A-R-G-B-Y. A is automatic damage, RGBY is f4c dependant part. Enemy armour is also ARGBY

Example:

Player with spear (+2 to attack, 2-6-5-5-4 damage) and skill level 3 hafted weapons (+3 attack) and no damage bonuses from Mht attacks armoured goblin with 11 defence and armour of 0-3-4-2-0. Player rolls RBY giving 5+3+2=10 base attack, giving 15 attack with modifiers and hits. Next he rolls his damage as G giving him 2+0+5+0+0=7 damage. Goblin's armour roll is RB blocking 3+2=5 points of damage. Goblin loses 2HP. Next time the player is more lucky attack roll is GB giving 12 attack with bonuses. His damage roll is RGY giving 2+6+5+4=17. Enemy defence roll is oooo. With no damage blocked unlucky goblin loses 17HP

Ranged

Most ranged weapons require one round to fire and additional time to reload, which depends on weapon. Rate of fire increases with relevant skills. Calculate attack like in melee and apply distance bonuses or penalties. Damage potential depends on bot the weapon and the ammunition used.

Example:

Ranger with shortbow (+1 to attack, 0-3-3-3-3 damage) uses simple arrows (+1 to attack, 1-4-3-2-1 damage) to hit a ghoul 40 meters away from him. Ghouls are resistant to pierce, their armour against pierce is (4-2-2-2-2) and they take only 50% of normal pierce damage. Ghouls have defence rating of 8. Ranger also enjoys +2 attack and bonus 1-0-0-0-0 damage from his abilities. He also suffers -2 to attack due to the distance to the enemy. Ranger rolls B giving him 3+1+1+2-2=5 attack and he misses. He uses the next round to reload and then fires again. Ghoul is 30 meters away now and the penalty is only -1 now. Attacker rolls GY giving 4+2+1+1+2-1=9 attack. His total damage is 2-7-6-5-4 giving 2+7+5=14 with damage roll of RB. Ghoul rolls RBY as armour rolls blocking 10 points of damage. He suffers only 50% of 14-10 losing only 2HP