Delvers and Denizens: Design Goals

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So I wrote a rough draft of this post in early 2019 and I've finally gone back and revised it; my views are still well reflected in what I wrote then. I've held back on posting it because I wanted to also post links to my UGS rulesets I mention in the post, but the files were disorganized and lost their formatting because the originals were saved with word perfect, and they got all jumbled up when I opened them in Microsoft Word. So instead of going back to the oldest files, I just converted the newest complete version(which was in Word) to PDF and maybe eventually I'll release older versions of the game. Without further ado, here are my opinions on RPG design in general . . . 

I designed an RPG in my senior year of high school; there have been 6 major versions or "editions." The impetus for this new game came about because I was constantly making new rules for D&D to incorporate things from newer editions of the game or to 'fix' problems I found in D&D, so I figured if D&D was so broken and I was making all these rules anyway, I might as well write my own game. The original ur-document of this new game was derivative of BECMI D&D with influences from 2nd and 3rd edition and and Alternity mostly. During the design process I researched practically every rpg I could get my hands on(digitally anyway, it was a lot harder to find pdfs for out of print games back then, sometimes I would resort to descriptions of a game system instead of reading a book). I quickly switched away from a D20 system to a D6 dice pool skill based system with rules I liked cherry picked from various other game systems; I called this game UGS(Universal Gaming System). I completed the 1st version by the end of 2010. Over the years I continued to develop the game and there were 5 complete versions or 'editions.' I changed the name a few times because I thought UGS sounded too similar to GURPS. While I was in university in 2107 I was working on a 6th version, revamping the skills, when I decided to abandon this game, not because the mechanics or system are bad but because I've come to the realization that I never designed the game I simply compiled it. I didn't have any overarching design goals other it being a game I wanted to and could play in any setting (which I've come to realize can be done with DND or a variety of other games).

To actually design an RPG there has to be goals and a plan to reach those goals. The game should be created with a purpose in mind and everything should tie back to that purpose. I made the mistake with UGS of just wanting a game where it could be adapted to any setting. I created a universal mechanic and then made everything mechanically sound, but without any real purpose of what I wanted out of the game. There was no actual plan or design goals beyond having the mechanics work together.

I learned a lot from creating UGS. I did a lot of research into the mechanics of other RPGs, about combat and weapons and real life professions, trades, and skills. I also came to the realization that this is not the game I want to be playing. It has many pieces of what I want from a game, but because it was never designed it doesn't fit my vision of the perfect RPG system. I've come to an understanding that in designing an RPG it's critical to set clearly defined goals and to make specific plans on how to execute those goals. A perfect example of a game which was not designed vs one that was:  the Original D&D from 74 vs AD&D1e.

The next RPG I want to design is an OSR D&Dish game that could be called a fantasy heartbreaker or maybe a retroclone. Though it's not really a clone of anything; I'm not trying to emulate any specific version of the game, maybe BECMI a little, but only because that's the version I'm most familiar with. Details about my design goals follow.

So this OSR game I'll be working on has the working title of Delvers and Denizens. My main goal is to create a game that is compatible with most versions of D&D or retroclones and for the game to still 'feel' like D&D. It will of course have my personal touch to create the game I want to run. Most of all I want to maintain compatibility, if something is no longer easily convertible to or from D&D then I've gone too far. I also want to avoid any universal mechanics. There will be discreet systems for each possible task/resolution, similar to TSR D&D as opposed to WOTC D&D.

Some specific systems/smaller goals I have: use a class system with a corresponding subclass/profession type associated with each class; name level titles are a character's prefession; include a wound system that is complementary to HP, but doesn't replace it;  create a new system for divine magic while being compatible with the old spell lists; refine vancian magic to be more vancian(ie in line with the fiction vance wrote); and also make non human magic(elves) inherent and not based on spells; nonhuman peoples will be designed different than humans in significant ways, and any adventurers of these species will be abnormal; create a social interaction system that is just as detailed as combat but still encourages freeform role-playing. And above all I want it to be a game that runs well at the table, my experience with OSE has shown just how much layout is important to an RPG.

Some things I want to include in the book: 

basic rules
solo training adventure for new players
training adventure for dm
gm book-how to run, how to make rules, how to make setting
setting book-special rules and fluff

Other possible expansions:

Dwellings and Dens(about city and wilderness games)

Domains and ???? (about domain management and warfare)

???? (superhero book based on the goldbox Immortals rules set)

You may notice most of the houserules I've developed here on this blog recently have been in line with my design goals of Delvers and Denizens, I've just held off on announcing the title. Over the course of the next few weeks/months I will be posting my houserules which I haven't previously talked about on this blog that I have been using that will form the backbone of this system.

You can find version 5.2 of UGS here, if you're interested in perusing it.