3D System
This is a scrap of RPG design that's been bouncing around in my head for a while. It's not a game, it's a dice engine that could be built into a game.
Each player has five Attributes:
Might
Agility
Presence
Wits
Special*
*Special refers to innate ability to manipulate whatever the spec-fic element of the setting is -- for a fantasy setting it could be Magic or Spirit, for cyberpunk it could be Augments, etc.
The player assigns d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 to these five Attributes.
The five Actions are:
Attack (causing direct harm, physical/mental/social/etc)
Defend (preventing direct harm, physical/mental/social/etc)
Surpass (manipulating the environment, overcoming or placing obstacles)
Discern (discover patterns, reveal that which is hidden)
Conceal (hide yourself or something else from discernment)
The player assigns d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 to these five Actions.
When a roll is called, the player will roll the appropriate Attribute die, the appropriate Action die, and the Luck die (which is always a d8.)
Under unfavorable circumstances, add the two lowest results.
Under normal circumstances, add the highest and lowest results and drop the middle.
Under favorable circumstances, add the two highest results.
The average result with average skills is 9.
Other ideas:
When you exactly meet the difficulty (or the opponent's roll) you gain Skill Points equal to the dropped die roll. (So squeaking a success out of unfavorable circumstances is more valuable than barely meeting the minimum in favorable ones)
Some kind of inspiration/hero point mechanic that can be spent to bump the Luck die to a d10 or d12?
Automatic critical success or some other huge perk if all three numbers are the same
