Don't Rest Your Head ICRPG

#1

Morning! Has anyone else out there play Don’t Rest Your Head? I’m trying to think of how to run it in ICRPG, or hack it for d20 use in RHVTT. The issue I’m running into is the original rules use multicolored d6 dice pools, and every roll has a pass/fail outcome, plus one of four “flavors”: Pain, Discipline, Madness, and Exhaustion. For example, you can add more Madness dice to your pool to try and pass, but that also increases the chances of Madness flavoring the outcome (and some mechanical downward spiraling). Any ideas?

#2

Maybe start here?

I never played the game you reference but googled it. Black Light has a mechanic in it that might be hackable for your needs in regards to insomnia and insanity. Add either spells from ICRPG core or psychic abilities from Altered State as your ‘powers.’

But the main question is – why hack the system? Is it not to your liking? Sometimes the best method of playing a system, is playing the system.

On the surface a simple system hack would be to give each player their own target number instead of a ‘room’ target number and have that increase or decrease based on their ‘madness.’ Start everyone off at 10.

It does kinda sound like it has way too many moving parts on the mechanical side to be a simple ‘swap this for that.’

#3

Yeah, the main issue is I want to play on RHVTT. In the core rules, DRYH uses three different-colored d6 dice pools for the player, and one for the guide. As the player adds dice of different colors, it is more likely they’ll succeed, but also more likely each color will “Dominate.”

Note that it’s possible for any of the four to Dominate on both pass and fail.

So, imagine trying to wrangle that in RHVTT’s setup. “OK, first roll your Discipline dice… cool, now roll your Madness dice… yeah four of those… no… OK, have you organized them in your tray? Good. Now roll you Exhaustion dice…” and so on. Not ideal. One check would take five minutes, and is bound to be confusing, Heck, listening to experienced players on an AP, at a table, with actual dice, they are still confused.

Best and simplest d20 hack I have so far is that Pain always Dominates on an even number, and one of the others, at random, always Dominates on an odd number. I don’t like making that random, but I don’t see a better way.

Maybe d100 has potential?

#4

It still sounds like you want to play in that ‘world’ but are stuck on ‘playing by the rules.’ Ditch them and just keep the setting. Don’t even look back. Just grab the majority of the book which is usually world fluff and throw away the 15 pages of rules :slight_smile:

Start by using ICRPG only to make a raw player that you see as working in that world. Do it 10 more times. Take the 10 ‘things’ that make them part of that world and make those the 10 things players can pick from when they make a character.

Boom – done.

Why the heck play a game system that confuses people when they are at the table trying to collectively enjoy a story together? Get into the story – not the rules. But that’s just my take on the issue.

#5

No idea on the game…you seem focused on the mechanics. And I love Mechanics!!

Assuming 3D6 vs 3 stats…and 1 of them under par every roll…no idea on game or ratio.

Vs 10 on six stats. And a Target Number (TN). I would have the characters roll as ICRPG, roll+ Appropriate. Stat except they can burn a stat point to make the difference.

So as they persevere through the scenario, their stats lower. All stats at 0 equals death. Or lack of autonomy.

HP acts as normal, but as they go forward the characters are loosing who they are.

Your goal is to have them at an average of 4 stat points when they reach the big bad. So even at 14 TN they are challenged.

I’d need to investigate more, but having the players feel the concept that their characters might not survive is the feel this seems to focus on.

That every time they roll under the TN they need to sacrifice a stat point will have them dreading rolls. Even if 3 effort kills most enemies.

The trick is having an enemy hit doing D6 acting as enough of a motivation to sacrifice a few stat points.

If this seems of value, PM me and we can work out a real system.

#6

Made a thing based on D.R.Y.H.
It’s in the resources section

Can post here as well

Here you go.

Battle Magic

You have one White Heart
This gives you 5 points spend on the following dice for that spell.

Points. Dice

  1. `` 2D4.

2        2D6

3. ```    2D8


5. ``     2D12

complete a T.N 13… To cast

Then make T.N 13… Save V’s …Magical Damage

If you fail you might take damage:
You add 2 Black Dice.
Alongside your 2 White damage dice.
If the Black dice rolls higher
Than one of your damage dice.
You must accept the 2 Black dice damage. To yourself.
If the Black dice roll lower
Opponent still takes all your white Dice damage.