Rpg Design Notes 4 - Background & Skill Rules

I made the above pic to show or try to explain how the Rpg design process feels. I tried to add more arrows crossing back and forth or around but it didn't look right. Every time I sit down to work on one thing it feels like it turns into five interconnected things that loop back at each other. I'm not saying that to complain or whine. It is frustrating, but at the same time I think it's a good thing. It shows I'm working through rules interactions and learning how complex secondary effects of even the simplest rules can be.

Example - Character Background Rules

I sat down to work through how I want character background rules to work. Many systems grant you skills and or equipment based on who you were before you started adventuring. What then does that mean I need to figure out? This is how my brain went with that question. I jumped back and forth quite a bit, but I don't have a great way to add those arrows.

• What is a background? They are often a job or profession.

  • How broad or how specific do I want them to be? This will then inform how I will give them skills and equipment.

• Weapon and Armor proficiencies or skills?

  • If yes...

    • What are the mechanical benefits?

    • Are they going on the character sheet?

    • If yes, how?

    • How broad or specific?

    • How will they differ from skills?

    • Why do they differ from skills?

    • Do any kinds or weapons or armor NOT need proficiencies to use?

    • What is the down side to NOT having a proficiency?

    • Can the thing still be used but at a penalty?

      • What is that penalty and how is it defined?

• Skills

  • Again... how broad or specific do I want skills to be in my system?

    • Is it a fixed list?

      • Or do I provided language for DM or character defined skills?

      • Both?

      • Why?

    • If broadly defined, am I trying to make them genre neutral?

      • or different lists per genre?

      • or same list with different definitions for each genre?

      • What things are all characters assumed to know without a skill?

  • Which skills if any require training to attempt skill rolls?

    • What is the penalty to rolling a untrained skill?

  • Do I want them all listed on the character sheet?

  • How will the background skills work mechanically?

    • Will they get a flat bonus that never improves?

      • How much of a bonus?

    • Will a character be allowed to add their level?

    • Will they just be broad areas that allow rolls?

      • If they are, how exploitable does that make them?

  • Degrees of success?

    • Can skills critically succeed or fumble?

    • Partial success?

    • Success at cost?

    • General table? or tons of specific tables

    • Attack and defend crits & fumbles?

    • Tables?

    • Need Task difficulty examples for each skill

What did I figure out

I'm not going to list all skills on the character sheet. If a character doesn't have a skill but it's listed on the character sheet and never used that feels like wasted space to me. I'm going to list skills in the same block as special abilities.

Background skills will not automatically improve as a character levels. Automatically improving doesn't make sense to me as it means they are getting better over time at something they aren't actively spending the same amount of time doing. I will create a separate way to allow them to be able to improve.

I realized while thinking about my game mechanics I'd completely forgotten about the idea of weapon and armor proficiencies. I understand how many games use them but I'm not sure I want them to exist in the same way. I'm conflicted and need to think about them more.

Writing out my train of thought like this I can now break it apart into smaller chunks I can compare and work on. While confusing and frustration I did find it very helpful.

If there is anything you don't think I've considered that I should please comment below.