The Bluff System

calendar Aug 3, 2024 · 2 min read · Design Bluff System

A random RPG mechanic popped fully-formed into my head, so now it will pop into yours.

The player first states what the character will do:

  • I cut the heads off three goblins.

  • I stab him in the neck.

...and the opponent makes a counter-proposal.

  • I shoulder-barge a bandit, and throw him into the river.
    • Or he could duck, grab your legs, and throw you into the river!

Only one of these things will actually happen. A single roll of the dice decides.

  • I cast a spell to freeze his blood, killing him instantly.
    • He stabs his sword into your throat!

The mechanical effect must be clear at the point the player states their intentions. Some moves will kill, others will inflict a penalty, disarm someone, or anything which makes sense. But the bigger the effect, the bigger the penalty to hit.

  • I cut slash my sword across his chest...
    • He lunges in for the kill with his axe held high above his head, so that's a -4 penalty....
  • I rolled a 6, that's 14 to his, so I got him?
    • Yea, with his penalty, that's a slash. His chest opens as the axe hits the ground. You step back while watching him bleed.

The system would have to combine a few potential manoeuvres, but probably not more than six or so.

  • I kill all three goblins, using the blade like a scythe against briars. I can take the -4 penalty easily. They're tiny!
    • And another -2 penalty per target.
    • Two goblins step back. The other stabs your foot.
  • Oh crap...I dodge.
    • Okay, but you still get a -2 for switching actions.

Clearly part of the system is about leaning into an all-or-nothing gamble. I think it could be quite dramatic.

It also allows very direct tactical decisions. The players must constantly choose between a 50% chance of killing an opponent, or a 70% chance of wounding one, which leaves them with an 80% chance of wound again on the next attack, and so on.

So when facing a horrifying ogre, wearing plate armour, and carrying a magical mace, the characters may try to make a small wound to give it a penalty. The ogre becomes a 'boss-fight' because that's how the players want to approach it, but they could risk it all to shift the narrative to Jack the Giant Slayer.

And best of all - if the system found the right balance, then most PC deaths would come from players' choices.