Revision as of 02:28, 31 December 2013

Nibbles?

Did DEVOURS seem like a neat idea, but not fast enough to pick up and play, or easy enough to understand? Here is a new, easier, similar system for those who just want to get to things without having to fret over character sheets! DEVOURS lite, aka Nibbles.

So how do you play?

It isn't very hard at all! Roleplay composes a lot of the content, with rules governing a few things to help keep things interesting. Let's start with the meat of it, the combat. (Note: this system requires dice that do not normally exist. An online dice roller is required.)

Turn Order

Everyone rolls a d20, and the turns go from highest to lowest. Roll tiebreakers if it comes up.

Health and Recovery

Everyone has 20 HP. This represents a combination of physical health, spiritual health, emotional control, exhaustion, and whatever else seems applicable, like resistance to being absorbed. Being reduced to 0 HP means you can no longer resist things anymore, and whomever is around can do whatever they please to you (barring preferences of course)!

Depending on the scenario, you may be unconscious, conscious but too weak to fight, lacking the willpower to stop someone doing things to you, digested, dead, absorbed, caged/bound, or any combination of the rest. Or anything else you can think of, really. It's very flexible.

Attacking and Defending

There are three types of attacks you can perform: Light, Medium, and Heavy.

• Light  : Roll 1d25. If higher than dodge roll of opponent, deals 2 damage. If you both roll the same number, deals no damage. If you roll a 25, deals 4 damage.
• Medium : Roll 1d20. If higher than dodge roll of opponent, deals 3 damage. If you both roll the same number, deals 2 damage. If you roll a 20, deals 5 damage.
• Heavy  : Roll 1d15. If higher than dodge roll of opponent, deals 4 damage. If you both roll the same number, deals 3 damage. If you roll a 15, deals 6 damage.

If you roll a 1 for any of them, you miss unless your opponent also rolls a 1.

All dodge rolls are simply 1d20. If you roll a 1, you automatically get hit (unless your opponent rolls a 1). If you roll a 20, you automatically dodge (unless they also roll their maximum dice value), and you get to make a free counterattack at them.

Range is not traditionally measured in Nibbles.

Not too difficult, right?

Grappling and Swallowing

Just like HP, grappling can be a stand-in for many different things, sometimes simultaneously depending on the scenario. Obviously getting people into your belly is a favorite; tying them up, sitting on them (or squishing them against insides) until they're too tired to move, and of course digestion/absorption all work well for it.

There are three stages of grapple: Light, Medium, and Heavy. (Or grab, gulp, and gurgle if you're feeling goofy). Here's what they are:

• Light grapple: Basic grab, impaired mobility. At this point, a critical success or failure could reverse the grapple, putting the other person in a Light grapple instead.
• Medium grapple: Sort of a 'pin' state, or halfway in maw; very difficult to move.
• Heavy grapple: In a stomach, tied up, or completely immobilized somehow. You cannot get out of this grapple unless you roll a critical success, and every round the attacker can choose to freely deal 2 damage to you with no dodge roll.

To grab someone, or to go to the next stage of grappling, you and the opponent roll 1d20. If you roll higher, you grab them or put them into the next stage up (Light->Medium->Heavy). If they roll higher, nothing happens.

Criticals: Attacker: If you roll 20, you put them two stages up instead of 1. If you roll 1, you go down a stage, possibly reversing the grapple. Defender: If you roll a 20, you go down a stage instead of up one, possible reversing the grapple. If you roll 1, you go up two stages. All ties mean no change, even if both roll 1 or 20.

Getting out of a Grapple

Now the fun part. Once you're grappled, you roll 1d20. You must roll your current HP or lower to break the grapple. Breaking a Light grapple lets you get out of it completely. Breaking a Medium grapple puts you back into a Light grapple. Breaking a Heavy grapple puts you back into a Medium grapple. Rolling a 20 is an automatic failure, and rolling a 1 lets you go two stages out of the grapple instead of just one. If you're in a Light grapple, that means you grab them!

Take note that grapples will be more effective the less HP the defender has. Sock 'em around a bit before you try it!

Recovering, Reforming, and Party Wipes

So. Your HP is zero. Now what? Well, after you suffer everything your opponents do to you, you rest. A simple rest restores 10 HP (defined as roughly an hour or two of hanging around not fighting), and a full night's sleep (6-9 hours) restores you to full.

But what if you're digested? Same rules apply. Obviously some part of this is going to be dependent on who's running (and playing if they don't want to come back), but it's generally accepted that you can come back after a period of time with the appropriate HP amount for it (10 HP for quick return, 20 for staying out of the game a full 6-9 hours).

The DM can throw you for a loop with this, though. Maybe the opponents reformed and imprisoned you, so the next stage of the game is trying to break out before lunch time!

And That's It!

No. Really. That's all you have to pay attention to.

However, there are a few added things like traits and skill points that may come later.