Crusaders RPG Wiki:Legends of Malba





Overview Crusaders is a fantasy table-top D10 system. Though characters gain experience and become more powerful, advancing is handled non-linearly and classes are not held to arbitrary restrictions. Players are encouraged to make unique characters however they like, choosing from a wide variety of different skills. Crusaders is simplified and streamlined, while still keeping a large amount of character customization.

Intuitive 10-Point System
There are almost no charts in Crusaders that need to be referenced during gameplay. This means more time playing and less time flipping through rulebooks. Nearly every aspect of the game uses a "1 for 1" system; generally 1 skill point = 1D10 = +1 bonus = 1 meter = 1 damage, ect.

Skill Overview
Skills are the core mechanic of Crusaders. General and Professional skill checks are handled using the character's skill points, rolled against his base attributes. For example, imagine a character with 7 Strength, and 3 points in the Brawling skill. If that character made a brawling check, he would roll 3D10, and try to score under his strength (1-6 in this case). Each roll he makes counts as a degree of success toward his goal.

Combat
In Crusaders, combat is fast paced and damage is meaningful. Character's have a limited amount of actions they can take per round, which can be spent on attacking, defending, using skills, or performing special feats. They must make tactical decisions during combat to avoid death. Hit Points are not easily restored, therefore avoiding damage becomes as essential as dealing it. Your character's skill with his weapon will always be more important than how many clerics he has behind him.

In melee combat, a character receives action points equal to the skill he has with the weapon he is using. The more action points he has, the more times he can attempt to attack or defend during his turn. Action points can be saved to be used later in the round, on someone else's turn, and the are refreshed at the start of each round.

A character using magic, during a combat round, instead receives action points based on his skill in a specific school of magic. He must also be holding a type of magical catalyst meant to focus his energy. These catalysts are wands, spell books, or other trinkets, and typically not suited for melee combat.

Creation Notes
I began working on Crusaders because I wanted to create my own RPG from the ground up. Often I find myself becoming frustrated at the same old problems I run into when I play other similar games. Though I’ve still taken my favorite parts from several of those similar tabletop RPGs, including the Warhammer Fantasy RPG, various editions of D&D, and even TV shows, I've tried to remix and remake the game in a way that I feel is more intuitive. With inspiration from these and others, I hope to have created a game that is unique and fun to play.

My first major change involves rebalancing the traditional attributes. I like to think of them as a hybrid between the stats in D&D and the Fallout series. One change involves creating a new attribute called “Affinity”, which measures magic ability. I’ve always felt that magic needed its own attribute, in a world so embedded in it. My second main change to the attributes, improves the viability of the player's choice to increase an attribute that involves social interaction. “Presence” not only dictates a character’s social abilities, but also serves a practical purpose in battle. I feel that it is a desirable attribute overall, and that players won’t be inclined to use it as a ‘dump stat’.

The second item of note is having less restrictive levels and classes. I've always felt that traditional classes aren't really necessary for this kind of role-playing game. I feel that characters should be able to be advanced in any way the player sees fit, and that a player shouldn't have to wait 4 or 5 play-sessions before he adds something new to his character. Players will take pride in the uniqueness of their characters.

Another main overhaul is to the melee combat system. I wanted to give players several options when they are fighting in a battle. The action point system allow characters to adapt their fighting strategy to the situation, saving action points to act more defensively, or going “all out” if they need to. The system rewards intelligent and strategic play.

I've also attempted to simplify many of the rules commonly found in similar games. I've removed most of the charts, and replaced it with a simple “1 for 1” system. I feel that games with too many rules and charts are hindering to gameplay and distract from role-playing, so I've attempted to simplify many common-theme concepts.

As a final note; keep in mind that most of this book is written to be used as a guide-line. Just about every rule should fall under the dungeon master’s discretion, although there are a few that are highly recommended to follow as they will deal with the game’s ‘balance’. Most of the guide is also written under the assumption that players are playing human characters. Special rules for non-human characters are discussed, however. Good luck, and have fun playing Crusaders!



Changes
- Separate XP pools for General/Proffessional skills and Magic/Combat skills.

- Revamp character perks. Custom personality traits instead of class skill "abilities"?

- Revamp casting. Manifest and then to-hit roll?

Idea Page

Contents
Gameplay

Character Creation | Attributes | Races | Combat | Outside Combat | Experience | Skills | Armor | Weapons | Gear |

Creatures

Shadow Creatures | Vermin | Beasts | Great Beasts | Minions | Humanoids |

GM Guide

Gear Charts |

Lore

Alkire | Locations | The Shadows | The Dragons | Gryphons | Great Wolves | The Ages of Man |