Socchan (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
soc_puppet) wrote2023-06-24 07:19 pm
soc_puppet) wrote2023-06-24 07:19 pm
Entry tags:
TTRPG using Uno cards
There's a bunch of fun, lightweight TTRPG systems out there that are exploring using more common gaming tools (partly because they're cheaper and easier to find than D&D rulebooks and such), and I thought it would be fun to try designing one on my own!
The basic rules I've come up with so far:
Made for 1+ players, Game Master (GM) optional
There are four types of challenges and four types of actions
Red: Fighting
Yellow: Barter
Green: Magic
Blue: Talking
Fighting is straightforward; you win by beating up the challenge, or destroying it in some way.
Bartering can involve trading goods or services, or paying money. Bribery is not off the table.
Magic is using magic to solve the problem. Be it stealth, illusion, battle magic, healing, or whatever else, if it's magical, you can do it. (Advanced science tech can be used instead in more sci-fi settings.)
Talking is conversation, diplomacy, heart-to-hearts, etc. Sometimes all the challenge needs is to talk it out.
Each obstacle has a challenge rating (the number on the card, or decided by the GM) and an associated/suggested action type (card color, or decided by the GM).
Turns go clockwise. Player groups can take as many turns as they want to complete a challenge, but each player can only play one card per turn. In absence of a GM, players also use their turns to describe what happens next.
Challenges are completed when players meet or exceed the challenge rating with the card(s) they play. A card of the same associated action (card color) as the challenge counts as double strength, and can bring a mixed success to a total success.
Each person can normally play one card per challenge, but does not have to; if the first person playing a card does not succeed at the challenge, the person with the next turn can use their turn to play another card to help the first person out. Add the numbers together to get the final total.
Matching the challenge number grants a mixed success, where the players succeed at what they want to do, but there is some cost to it. Exceeding the challenge number or matching the number while using a card with a matching color grants a total success, where the success has no cost. A Zero card will round up to 1 and still grant a full success when played on a matching color challenge.
Players can also pick a skill type to be proficient in; any time they play a card matching their skill proficiency, the card gets +1. This includes color change cards and wild cards.
A color change card allows a card of either the original challenge color or the new color to grant a full success. A wild card allows a card of any color to grant a full success.
When either a color change card or a wild card is drawn as a challenge card, the previous rule applies, and the next card drawn that is not a color change or wild card will be the challenge card.
Each player starts with 6 cards. At the beginning of their turn, they draw an extra card, taking them up to 7, then play back down to 6.
If a player uses a Draw card, they draw that many cards and play however many cards it takes to get them back down to 6 at the end of their turn.
Players can use Block cards to skip their turn, with no effect on the number of cards played against the challenge. For example, if two players use cards against a challenge and a third uses a Block card, it will still only count as two cards played against the challenge, and two more cards can still be played against it. A Block card that matches a player's proficiency color will still add +1 to the total against the challenge.
For minimalists, the session ends when the last card in the deck is played. For people who like to go longer, feel free to shuffle the discard pile and keep going until you reach a natural stopping point in the story.
Playing card variation: If you don't have an Uno deck, you can use two decks of playing cards instead. (Or possibly just one deck for 2 or fewer players.)
Skills:
Spades: Fighting
Diamonds: Bartering
Clubs: Magic
Hearts: Talking
Face cards can be used the same way as color change cards, the idea being that the face card is a character or entity that comes to help out the group, or who offers another approach to a challenge that can make it easier. Jokers are wild and can allow any suit to grant a full success.
(Finding a way to adapt this for Tarot would be kinda hilarious and awesome, not gonna lie.)
I think that covers all the Uno cards in an average deck? I looked them up online, and that's what the website says they have, at any rate.
Feedback welcome! This includes such feedback as, "Oh hey, Socchan, it looks like you accidentally reinvented a TTRPG system that already exists! Here's a link so you can find out more about that one," and also, "Uh, you completely forgot about this particular aspect of play???"
The basic rules I've come up with so far:
Made for 1+ players, Game Master (GM) optional
There are four types of challenges and four types of actions
Red: Fighting
Yellow: Barter
Green: Magic
Blue: Talking
Fighting is straightforward; you win by beating up the challenge, or destroying it in some way.
Bartering can involve trading goods or services, or paying money. Bribery is not off the table.
Magic is using magic to solve the problem. Be it stealth, illusion, battle magic, healing, or whatever else, if it's magical, you can do it. (Advanced science tech can be used instead in more sci-fi settings.)
Talking is conversation, diplomacy, heart-to-hearts, etc. Sometimes all the challenge needs is to talk it out.
Each obstacle has a challenge rating (the number on the card, or decided by the GM) and an associated/suggested action type (card color, or decided by the GM).
Turns go clockwise. Player groups can take as many turns as they want to complete a challenge, but each player can only play one card per turn. In absence of a GM, players also use their turns to describe what happens next.
Challenges are completed when players meet or exceed the challenge rating with the card(s) they play. A card of the same associated action (card color) as the challenge counts as double strength, and can bring a mixed success to a total success.
Each person can normally play one card per challenge, but does not have to; if the first person playing a card does not succeed at the challenge, the person with the next turn can use their turn to play another card to help the first person out. Add the numbers together to get the final total.
Matching the challenge number grants a mixed success, where the players succeed at what they want to do, but there is some cost to it. Exceeding the challenge number or matching the number while using a card with a matching color grants a total success, where the success has no cost. A Zero card will round up to 1 and still grant a full success when played on a matching color challenge.
Players can also pick a skill type to be proficient in; any time they play a card matching their skill proficiency, the card gets +1. This includes color change cards and wild cards.
A color change card allows a card of either the original challenge color or the new color to grant a full success. A wild card allows a card of any color to grant a full success.
When either a color change card or a wild card is drawn as a challenge card, the previous rule applies, and the next card drawn that is not a color change or wild card will be the challenge card.
Each player starts with 6 cards. At the beginning of their turn, they draw an extra card, taking them up to 7, then play back down to 6.
If a player uses a Draw card, they draw that many cards and play however many cards it takes to get them back down to 6 at the end of their turn.
Players can use Block cards to skip their turn, with no effect on the number of cards played against the challenge. For example, if two players use cards against a challenge and a third uses a Block card, it will still only count as two cards played against the challenge, and two more cards can still be played against it. A Block card that matches a player's proficiency color will still add +1 to the total against the challenge.
For minimalists, the session ends when the last card in the deck is played. For people who like to go longer, feel free to shuffle the discard pile and keep going until you reach a natural stopping point in the story.
Playing card variation: If you don't have an Uno deck, you can use two decks of playing cards instead. (Or possibly just one deck for 2 or fewer players.)
Skills:
Spades: Fighting
Diamonds: Bartering
Clubs: Magic
Hearts: Talking
Face cards can be used the same way as color change cards, the idea being that the face card is a character or entity that comes to help out the group, or who offers another approach to a challenge that can make it easier. Jokers are wild and can allow any suit to grant a full success.
(Finding a way to adapt this for Tarot would be kinda hilarious and awesome, not gonna lie.)
I think that covers all the Uno cards in an average deck? I looked them up online, and that's what the website says they have, at any rate.
Feedback welcome! This includes such feedback as, "Oh hey, Socchan, it looks like you accidentally reinvented a TTRPG system that already exists! Here's a link so you can find out more about that one," and also, "Uh, you completely forgot about this particular aspect of play???"