Cobalt RPG System

This is my rule system for lightweight RPG games (both tabletop games and tabletop-feeling video games). It’s somewhat quixotic that I designed a tabletop game system to use in a video game, but I want to recreate that old school feel of bringing an RPG from pen-and-paper onto the computer.

The core success check is: 2d6 + ability level >= target number

Meanwhile, the most interesting part of these rules are the progression mechanics. Point-buy skills are pretty common in various games, but I don't know any others that determine cost this way, with the cost of an Ability determined by the character's base attributes.

These rules are free and open: CC-BY-4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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I designed this system because I'm starting on some turn-based RPG projects and I needed a tabletop rule system for them. I couldn't find anything quite in the sweet spot I wanted: less cumbersome than DnD, but more substantive than something like "Lasers and Feelings".

I especially drew inspiration from LARA for the dice mechanics (that part also resembles World of Dungeons) and Urban Dead for character progression mechanics. I wanted a system with simple rules that only uses six-sided dice. Plus the progression mechanics I devised seem fairly original (probably closest to GURPS, but even that isn’t the same).

I discovered LARA through this small expansion:

https://cilindrocubico.itch.io/tsubizcard

Other references:

http://wiki.urbandead.com/index.php/Category:Skills

https://johnharper.itch.io/world-of-dungeons

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite/

(idea for ritual magic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Supernatural

Cobalt logo created using these public images:

https://game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite/perspective-dice-six-faces-six.html

https://game-icons.net/1x1/lorc/sword-array.html

https://game-icons.net/1x1/delapouite/mp5.html

Cover background:

https://unsplash.com/photos/h0Vxgz5tyXA