If it ain’t broke dont fix it.
But…
Reading thru the System 13 doc, I think it has too many rules and dice variances. Language and clarity needs to be reviewed for concise use of concepts and purpose. The writing does not do a good job of referencing rules and how or why they are used. The examples you give help support the rules in some cases, but fall short for the same reasons.
System Issue
It was quickly apparent that the use of “GM assessment” on every roll is huge stumbling block in the speed of the game. It can also lead to players not having the sense of control in their actions.
my opinion on this issue
This is my preference, not everyone who plays RPG’s.
Typically a player should be able to make a roll and know whether they succeeded or fail… Waiting for the GM to make a quick decision, making another calculation or roll to add another modifier based on said assessment is neither quick nor intuitive.
3d20 dice method
Your example, of a player rolling 3d20, adding a modifier to the dice selected by the GM as the “moderate number”, and rolling 1d4 in addition… just to get up a bridge… seems overly complex.
Even having the players select the attribute modifier randomly seems like an afterthought. Doesn’t make sense to me. Why would I, the player, want to use a random attribute mod?
Stats
The 3 Simple Stats Mind Body and Spirit are good start and not a new concept, but this get overly complicated with the addition of the 3d20 dice rolls… etc, etc.
You suggestion to “drop the target number or let the player take the higher dice” is just another way of using ICRPG HARD/EASY rules or even Advantage/Disadvantage rules from 5e. Again, this is not a new concept, but it doesn’t support the narrative or the system.
Magic
Magic suffers from the same 3d20 system rules… too many arbitrary decisions left to the GM to decide which dice to use, and them modify or roll additional dice to determine who succeeds.
For example, here is an excerpt from your doc…
“The 3 D20 Dice are rolled
The number rolled first is a…5
The other numbers are 15 and 12
The character is magic he’s open to cast
The extra 2D4
3 and 2
The spell failed by 5
The charter may well suffer the damage
Or the player can decide
To cast 1D12 to see if he can that 5
The numbers a 4
It’s no good the spell has failed
and take those 5 points of damage.”
This should be rewritten so its clear and concise. There is not enough here to understand why some dice were used, and why some arbitrary numbers are added or generated. The ‘why’ is as important as the ‘how’.
General notes
- The language and rules seems disjointed and incoherent.
- I would recommend rewriting the document so its concise and explains more of the “rules” and how they are used.
Final Comments
I don’t want to discourage your from pursuing your game, or continuing to play with your group. Clearly it sounds like you are having fun with it, and at the end of the game, that’s all that matters.
If you would like some support with the language or layout, please feel free to send me a DM. I would be more than happy to help out.
Game On!
