DemonLord design diary 3 - combat

Obviously it's important that a game like DemonLord needs to have a simple combat system. I wanted to use d6s since they're easy to get hold of and, well, I like them. Each player will only need 2d6 in this game.

The following is an example of how combat is conducted.

Tiberius Flagstrom comes across a warped demonic entity known as a Hulking Damned (it's not a troll, honest!) and decides that he wants to kill the creature in order to proceed. To decide who is quickest to react, each rolls 2d6 and adds their Athletics attribute. Tiberius wins easily.

As his move action, Tiberius engages the Hulking damned in melee combat using his Deathlover Sword. 

He now uses his attack action. He rolls 2d6 and adds both his Fighting bonus and the bonus he gets from his Deathlover Sword, which is +2 and +1 respectively. His total attack value is 12.

The Hulking Damned now rolls for his defence. It needs more than Tiberius' attack value to successfully defend. It rolls a 5, then adds its defence bonus of  +4 and the armour bonus from its Leather armour, which is +1. Its total defence value is 10, which means that Tiberius has struck a blow. 

Having hit the Hulking Damned, Tiberius rolls his weapon's damage dice. The Deathlover Sword deals 1d6 + 1 damage. Tiberius rolls a 4 for a total of 5 damage, which is deducted from the Hulking Damned's current HP. 

This is a very simple combat example. Advanced rules for combat include two-weapon fighting, total attack, total defence, steady aim and concealment modifiers. There is also the possibility of substituting an action for a Task Check in order to see if the hero can do something cool, like disarm a creature or launch them into a trap. 

DemonLord design diary 2 - heroes

In DemonLord the players take on the role of regular men and women who have set out on a journey to become rich by plundering the darkest reaches of the world. Because of this heroes are fairly weak unless they're kitted out in superior equipment.

Because of the low fantasy setting and the fact that characters really are just normal schmoes, DemonLord is designed to be a classless roleplaying game, allowing players to adjust their attributes to suit their play style. Players are encouraged to write a brief back-story and career for their characters to flesh them out. They could be a seasoned sailor with knowledge of the world and its inhabitants. She has seen everything and this will come in handy when adventuring. In this case, the sailor would start with a high Lore attribute and may possibly want to achieve more knowledge by plundering necklaces, which enhance their Lore.

Alternatively, the character could be a novice pit fighter, brawling for money in taverns across the kingdom. A high score in Fighting and Defence would work for this type of character. Nothing pleases him more than unearthing great weapons and armour to make him stronger in battle and able to withstand blows that would surely destroy a weaker being.

Perhaps your character has a high score in her Social attribute. She would probably be well suited to be an ex-diplomat or government official, who is used to talking her way out of tight spots rather than fighting her way out.

Having a loose character system allows for some intriguing roleplaying opportunities. How does the thief and the town guard get along? Perhaps there are two clerics from different religious sects who must fight side-by-side.

As long as the player can think of a reason for the character's decision to go into adventuring, they can be anything. The imagination is the only limit here in DemonLord.

DemonLord teaser trailer

DemonLord design diary 1 - items

DemonLord is all about exploring castles and finding items with awesome names. The real aim is to become a walking tank who can eviscerate anyone in your path, so items and equipment are a big part of the game.

I wanted to blend action RPGs like Diablo with tabletop games like Tunnels and Trolls and Dungeons and Dragons. I really love the special weapons and items that can be found in Diablo and the notion of kitting yourself out with a range of glowing magic items that make you look badass.

So in DemonLord I want the player to have the same feeling of awe and accomplishment after they emerge from a dungeon, scarred to hell but carrying amazing equipment. There are several 'slots' on the character that can be used for items: weapons, armour, rings, bracers and necklaces. Each slot enhances a specific attribute making them perhaps much more agile, better fighters or give them better knowledge of the world.

A character who has survived quite a few adventures may look like the following:

Serra Lionscarr

Level 4

Fighting 18 + 4

Social    16 + 3

Lore      10 + 0

Athletics 13 + 2

Defence  12 +1

HP          18 

Total Attack: +6

Total Defence: +3 

Armour: Devilspawn Leather + 2

Weapon: Dagger of the Godeye +2 (1d6+1)

Ring: Ring of Glory +1 (Social)

Necklace: Reapersnare Necklace +2 (Lore)

Bracers: Godeater Braces +1 (Athletics) 

Because of the simple mechanics in DemonLord it's really easy for the Demon Master (Games Master) to create kick-ass new items. This is really a game for people who want to be awesome. However, DemonLord is designed to be a deadly game (hence its tagline) so it may take some time before you have the character of your dreams, which makes it all the more sweeter when you finally get there.