elfball rpg ideas

MidniteXpress · elfball rpg ideas

Just to give this it's own thread and recap, here is what we have so far.

bouncergriim

I was trying to make some rules for a game called tavern crawl, based on the elfball stat lines and similar things. I will pull it up this week and see what I have. I like the armor vs weapon type thing for simplicity and other modifiers like assists in EB.

MidniteXpress

i've been thinking about the elfball stats and how to use them for rpg. this is roughly what i have but i think we could use them better.

Jog: movement obviously
Might: strength (if might is higher than enemy grit then armour has no effect?)
Tackle: weapon skill
Dodge: agility
Skill: special skills such as steal etc
Grit: toughness

added stats
Intelligence: mainly for magic use in combat
Charisma: rpg mainstay but i had a thought. when a player kills an an enemy, roll charisma (enemy intelligence -2 for number of success) to cause fear. if successfull, enemy moves d6 directly away from player.

and last but not least.
big guys as pc's?

Dark Lord

IMO I would make it more akin to Warhammer Quest or Descent and forget about Charisma. And for Spell casting I would just use Skill.

Otherwise, it looks good.

MidniteXpress

bouncergriim

I like keeping the stats the same (no extras). this way you could have your team Role play between matches for more XPs or other useful items.

I like using Elfball dice too. Keeps the feel the same. you can use a system similar to White wolf stuff that way. Conditionals and flops and number of successes needed to achieve things.

I think skill could be easily used for a players speciallization and then general tasks. For a thrower it could be ballistic skill, for a spell caster it could be spell skills, for a fighter it could be weapon skill and tackle could be unarmed combat situations.

MidniteXpress

ok so who wants to take the "game designer" roll? or more simply, who has the most rpg handbooks and too much spare time? lol

Dark Lord

I have a ton of RPGs and I have even made a couple of my own, but I have absolutely zero free time.

skatingtortoise

Dark Lord

I have yet to play the Cortex system but I love Eden Studio's Unisystem (All Flesh Must Be Eaten) and it looks similar...or at least like cousins or 2nd cousins.

What do you think of it? (You can PM if you don't want to derail the thread.)

MidniteXpress

skatingtortoise

unisystem? i have all flesh must be eaten :P if i were to adapt that id need to take another look but it shouldnt be too hard.

cortex boils down to attribute dice (strength, dexterity, intelligence etc) + skill dice (passing, blocking, dodging in this case). the better your stat, the better your dice size, from d2 to d12. it lacks grittiness, but very simple to work with.

in terms of keeping the flop dice, id need to look at making a new system - but its doable, and could be a lot of fun :D

as for keeping stats, it would be a case of adapting them to ingame things.

the big question is what the aim is - to have an rpg where you can 'walk off the field', or just a system for playing an elfball game, but with more grit and detail.

bouncergriim

I still would like to see a system adapted from EB rules, rather than one based on some other generic system. I like the you could see them on the field, but then go to the tavern and have the same stat line and do similar things.

I think most equipment could be the equivalent of skills or dice modifiers. Make it a very balanced RPG, with advancement that opens up skills, but doesn't change original stat line.

The closer the rules between the real EB and the EBRPG, the cooler the transition and stuff.

I started writing this about 7months ago and never got back to it. Here is my unedited thoughts on Tavern Crawl: EBRPG

Elf Ball Bar Brawl
Objectives:
1. Defeat/incapacitate all of your opponents
2. Successfully remove all of your players from the bar getting to the relative safety of the street
3. Have most players standing /already out of the bar when the bar keep tosses you out on your bums
Stats same as elf ball
Jog = number of actions per turn
Might= ability to push player/needed to throw heavy objects
Tackle/fighting=ablity to attack opponent with fists, or heavy objects
Dodge= ability to evade both thrown and melee attacks
Skill=ability to throw objects
Grit=Ability to withstand punishment, every ones health is grit + 2.

Attacks=
Needed successes = both down
1 extra opponent down only
2 extra opponent dazed
Each extra after that remove one grit from opponent for duration of this crawl
If opponent gets to -1 grit then they are unconscious and must be dragged or thrown out of the bar to be successfully remove. Also the body acts as an obstacle or weapon taking up one hex.

To throw an object check: make impact challenge with successes equaling the “weight” of an object or weapon. If flopped your player is down, if failed it cost one extra jog to do anything.

To use an object in a melee attack, first make impact challenge versus the weight of the object. If flopped your player is down, if failed it cost one extra jog to do anything
Weight increases damage but also must make it easier to evade.
Actions done on unconscious players:
Carrying friend impact challenge to pick up and moves cost double jog.
Throwing cost double jog if weigh is greater than half your might: impact to pick up, might or throwing player determines max distance they can be thrown, this distance may be double if you choose do nothing other than throw this turn. Skill determines the number of dice to throw. If weight is less than or equal to half your might then normal throwing rules apply.
Evade check: dodge + ½ weight rounded down vs both thrown attacks and melee. Successes needed = opponents skill or tackle or more than opponents successes.
Catch check: Impact challenge versus the weight if the object is heavier than half your might. Skill check 2 successes needed. If flopped add one to damage taken, if unsuccessful take hit as usual.
Carrying objects of weight = to greater than ½ of your might cost double jog for movement

Weight
Players = might of player
Dart = 1
Mug = 2
Broom/big stick/club, broken table/chair bits = 3
Chair / bar stool= 4 –may only be used once then becomes a big stick
Table = 6 – may only be used once then becomes a big stick.

Every player starts with a mug in hand a chair/barstool under them. There are strategically placed darts around the room, usually embedded in walls.
Kick- may kick an opponent while they are down using standard melee rules. This puts evade at a 1 extra success if down, 3 if dazed.
Jump, may jump over obstacles such as tables or down/prone/unconscious players cost 1 extra jog to get to spot. You may only jump over one obstacle at a time so to jump from a starting spot over an obstacle two hexes/squares away takes 3 jog.

MidniteXpress

with almost no adaption, bouncer's tavern crawl could be used as general combat rules. all we would have to factor in is armour and weapons, but as mentioned before these could modify successes needed rather than stats.

situational use:
your team wins on the pitch, then go to a tavern to celebrate. some kind of test to see if the fans of the other team (or the other team themselves) start a brawl with you. if your team lost you can choose to start the brawl.

travelling between matches again some kind of test to see if you are attacked by bandits or whatever, using the brawl rules with weapons and armour factored in.

i don't know about the rest of you, but i'm starting to get quite excited about this lol

skatingtortoise

so what would you use for things like negotiation, seduction, climbing, swimming etc etc...

the elfball statlines are focused on doing one thing (playing elfball) and youd need to do *some* adaptation to get a full character

the easiest way to keep it would be to add a few more stats (intelligence, charisma etc) and put together an 'all-purpose' task resolution table.

Dark Lord

That's why I think a dungeon crawl would be best. Just my humble opinion.

But an RPG would be fun too.

MidniteXpress

Dark Lord

Here's the problem I see with a general RPG style game. You're making an RPG for a setting without much developed fluff, and around an engine that is designed for a rugby game, so what you're gonna end up with is a lot of generic classes and races, and rules that feel clunky.

You could play Bl00d B0wl with patched AD&D 2nd edition rules, but would it be the best fit? Probably not. Or you could play Last Night On Earth with the rules for All Flesh Must Be Eaten but it's not really a good idea.

IMO if you're gonna make and RPG, use RPG abilities, skills and style of rules. If you're dead set on using Elfball dice, ability scores and skills then it's probably best to make a tavern brawl, dungeon crawl board game.

However, if you're really looking to do an RPG I would strongly suggest filling out the fluff of the Elfball world. Tom asked for this awhile back, I think. IMHO that is where you should start, then from there you can make RPG rules...which really isn't that hard.

bouncergriim

i would like to see a travern brawl/ dungeon crawl that utilizes the minis most effectively. I would be more interested in that then a true RPG. I think it would be cool to eventually create a campaign mode for Elfball that includes teams traveling from place to place with off field events actually occurring in taverns and on the road.

Every once in a while a team goes on a quest to procure more supplies/zulpees and other things. Possibly even have underground or forest games of elfball with there own unique hazards and improvised weapons.

This would be great if you could fill in fluff. Like how teams represent city/states and must every once in a while preform a task for the mayor/king in order to stay in favor/funded.

Cephalopod

Hmm. Sort of like Warhammer Quest meets Elfball?

That actually would make for a pretty good single player game. Set up your team, then open the door. Get the ball past the room's denizens and open the next door. New rooms, new traps, random goal...

skatingtortoise

i was going to make a post, but DL said everything i was thinking up there :P

if you want a pen&paper RPG with walking around and player choices (ie. D&D style), i thinkit would be best (and easiest) to adapt a generic system. next best thing is make up a new system, with an altered statline.

if youre looking for something along the lines of descent, dungeonquest, talisman etc... then we can start looking at adding broadswords to the current elfball rules.

lastly, we need a setting to work on. is the world gritty? is it more comical? is it 80's comics or 50's comics levels of gore? are the races peaceful? hwo is at war with who? have they all gotten rid of war, and now national (and international) pride is at stake on the elfball field. are the cities sprawling metropolises, (metropoli? metropilees?) or are they farming villages built around fortresses and castles? (or even elfball stadia)

when it comes to rules and number crunching im there, but unfortunately im not much on the creative side.

bouncergriim · Fluff

I see it as a relatively peaceful realm, with minor skimishes like bandits, but not huge politically based wars. Larger disputes are settled with representatives of the nation or realm on a field of play rather than a battle field.

Here are some fluff conjectures based on minimal rulebook race info and other things I have read here

I liked some ideas I heard earlier, like the ratrace are used as couriers by all. The orcs are the remnants of a once mighty warlike race that now realizes it can't win any real battles because of the size of other nations/races, but that it can gain prestige and power though Elfball.

The widows/half elves are an unhappy race not really accepted by elves or humans. Perhaps when elves and humans mate only females are produced for some strange reason, possibly like mules and then are generally infertile. Or maybe these elves are like the amazons, only using men/malelfs for one thing.

Deadlings are the remains of a once thriving "halfing" community. There are still halfings around scattered, doing menial tasks like cooking and trainer roles for teams. But the vast majority of this race is now undead and not happy about it. Possibly a central liche King who presides over the darkened world. Maybe he or she is really a samhaino power seeker, who wants to rule the samhaino and is using what means he can to usurp power.

Desert dogs are a pseudo Arabian team that challenges the gnolls for turf and though they are rivals and fight over land have a respect for the others and strive to make it in the harsh vihktoria desert.

The divine wind (Japanese) keep to them selves mostly and are very mysterious, but always try to show the secretive martial prowess on the field. The have an emperor for who it is true glory and honor to fight for on the pitch.

Thunder hammer Dwarves are the miners of the land and provide necessary materials to other races. A stout breed that is powerful and determined. The play to promote themselves but more importantly to have something to do after they leave the tavern. Dwarf teams do not always represent a king, but usually a wealthy dwarf who wants to play and needs people around him to help (think of it like how royalty hires players for polo).

Black rock dwarfs are fair magic users that are trying to corrupt things through usurping power on the field. Not afraid to use what ever means necessary to gain control, they have been know to intentional conjure extra hobimps before a game only to the them fight each other to stay in this realm and play on the pitch. Also failure on the pitch = punishment, for dwarfs it is to be turned into a bull and for hobimps it is to be banished to the riskiest of mines.

Gnolls a race of fierce hunters that ekes out an existence on the fringe, they survive by wits and cunning. A very competitive team that seeks to expand their territory in order to secure a more stable and sustainable life (yet they are not sure what they would do if they actually succeed in this)

Gnomes adept miners and builders. they are known for digging deeper and faster than dwarfs. And being able to build a elf ball feild in a single night. They are also known for the unusually high fatality rate of these endeavors. Once a team of 100 gnomes built 10 stadiums complete with stands and concessions for a massive tournament in two days, however only 5 showed up afterward to receive the final 50% of their payment for the task. These little guys are adept a good magic and mechanical intuition. no one is quite sure what holds their contraptions together if it is bolt, nails, magic, or a combination of all of the above.

The middle kingdom is a race of humans based on survival of the fittest who take all male children from families at a very early age and all are train in elfball. only the best go on to represent the middle kingdom. Though some of the second stringers will sometimes put together a team to challenge the official team.

The night elves live in a dark forest and practice magic to make their lives easier. They have an uneasy alliance with the widows. And are possibly the fathers of many of the widows. Not much is known of the inner workings of the night elves, aside from the cruelest seem to be the leaders.

The Pharaohs are an ancient race that used magic to make themselves live to play the game of kings forever. These creatures from the tombs awoken by the building of a stadium over an ancient burial ground have come back to continue the game that they once loved millenia ago. And nothing is going to send them back. The represent the remnants of the decedents and are a sort of protector of their dwindling linage.

The razorbacks are a rather unrefined primitive society. They like the gnolls seek to eek out existence in a fringeland. Some of their members aspire to more than just hunting or menial tasks and have left to seek fortune and glory on the field rather than a substantive living in the swamps.

The sarcos are a coldblooded race that has been around for a very long time, but has just recently decided to lay claim to victory in the stadiums. They have decided to come out of the swamp to ensure their independence and perpetuity after seeing what has happened to the once mighty and warlike orcs.

The sarigit are the all stars of plains. Though the many animal races interact daily they usually keep to their own kind in villages. Yet each provides the specialization the society needs to function as a whole. On the pitch tthat specialization is especially noticeable. This team is quick to adapt to any challenge, yet cannot always rely on the same strategy from game to game.

The timber line elves are another "primitive" society that lives in the woods. Yet they are very knowledge of the land and all in it. They like the sacros use the game of EB to advance themselves and maintain their right to the woods and the mountains ensuring the safety of all that they love. They often clash with the black rock dwarfs when the BR come to harvest more lumber to shore up their mines. These elves have agreements with some of the other races about the harvesting of lumber. A good example of this is that the gnomes have been known to help the elves with the removal of fallen or sickened trees. This keeps the forest strong and gives the gnomes ample wood for their contraptions and furnaces without harming what the elves hold dear.

The samhaino are a race of mystery. It is rumoured that they are magically manifestations of other races nightmares. Their society seems to be hierarchical with those who have the strongest magic as being the leaders.

The Valkyries are "amazons" of the north. They can take care of themselves. The society is based on strength and alliances within. They stick together to ensure the continuation of their proud arctic lifestyle. They take the pitch to show that their ways are superior to all others and that you don't mess with polar powerhouse.

The ratmen live on the fringe of all large cities, taking advantage of urban sprawl and the refuse generated by such massive places. The are almost everywhere, yet the do not have a centralized capitol. They have many small teams around, yet few are good enough to find the professional circuit. They are also the couriers for other races. They are also a race to worry about, for if they could ever band together there numbers would be greater than any other individual race.

bouncergriim

I also picture the elfball world as post-great war type world. Where the first war was so great both the pharohs and orcs were almost completely descimated and finally a massive treaty bound by magic was enacted to ensure that a great war would never happen again. Now disputes are settled by elf ball. Also the total magic of the world has been slightly diminished because so much was used to bind the treaty permanently.

Also a side note: Elves think elfball is so old that existed even before magic! And as such the first pitches where in the forest with trees especially planted to make the modern "pokeball" shape. Thus you couldn't pass out of bounds because trees were there and there where trees down the middle of the feild separating halves.

Dark Lord

If there were trees down the middle separating the halves how did they run over the line into the other half?

bouncergriim

trees inhibit passing, but there is ussually enough room to run/walk through them see diagram

x x x /-\ x x x
x x x \_/ x x x

But no one really knows for sure the history was lost in the great war.

Speaking of the great war... Here are a few more thoughts I have on it:

The war was a sort of magical arms race, that ended very badly so every one wanted to limit magic with the treaty. Hence now the wizards will only cast one spell at a match because they don't have that much power to begin with. The night elves and black rock magic is also limited to summoning imps/hobimps and other smaller tasks, unlike before where they summoned large creatures for battle. Magic is still potent, but no where near what it was at its height during the great war. The desolation in the east is the result of a massive spell similar to an atomic bomb, with residual magic that makes necromancy easier, but only in that area of the world which is why there are not any full or at least very many normal sized undead. The magic bomb had hit the home of the halflings and also instantly petrified and killed many trees.

I really need to organize these thoughs better into a more coherant fluff, but I would like some input from you all on what you think so far. I am not really that creative of a writer, but my wife is and she might be able to better edit my thoughts on the world... I could primary work on background, history and setting. I would not go into the teams of note/hall of fame players and the like. Just try to set up the world so others could flesh out how the teams interact and famous players and the like.

skatingtortoise

really like the idea of post great-war - gives a classic football (soccer) feel to it :D

not so keen on current ideas for black widows - how about making them a religious thing, like soccer nuns?

Dark Lord

How about the black widows are like soccer nuns but the Widowmakers are like a bad influence that temps them to cheat and play nasty?

Also, most of it is good but it needs an overall theme. Like Grandma Wendy has the Old Ones ones and the Chaos incursion, Palladium has the sleeping Great Old Ones like Cthulu, Forgotten Realms has its connection to our Earth, Dark Sun had Defiling magic and whole dying Earth thing...etc etc.

A unifying element to tie it all together. Perhaps making it a post war society would be enough if wrote more about the war and the effects on the inhabitants.

Cephalopod

Dark Lord

Dryads, are awesome and I can't wait to see the Elfball ones.

I have this crazy idea...one that will probably never see the light, but I would love to model a ghostly evil dryad emerging from a Deadwood.

MidniteXpress

Cephalopod

See if you can't work in competing broadcast networks as well. I'm not sure what the official take on it is, but I refer to them as Crystalmancer broadcasts. It sounds cheesy and new age-ish.

I'm not sure if we actually want something quite that bad, but I have fun with it. Perhaps Scrying broadcasters?

elfball rpg ideas

Fluff