Recently, I've done a number of posts about system mechanics and games that are Powered by O.G.R.E.S. to create a Multiverse of Systems approach to gaming. The core rulebook for Night Shift: Veterans of the Supernatural Wars uses a standard class-and-level system using three classic mechanics to create an intuitive and fast-play system that's robust enough to handle almost any kind of play, while the Night Companion allows you to eschew class and level for point-buy characters, then gives guidelines to convert your game to universal task resolution using either d20 roll-over or percentile roll-under.  The one thing we have not yet addressed is the idea of using dice pools. Is this possible with the O.G.R.E.S. system? I think it is, and this blog will examine some thoughts as to how it might be accomplished.  If It Can Do Anything, How Is O.G.R.E.S. a System? This is an outstanding question, and one worth addressing. While most gaming systems are predicated around the rul...

 One of the things I enjoy the most about Powered by O.G.R.E.S. games is that they are anything but simulationist. It's heavily abstracted, and that's by design. The idea is that the game is not about the minutiae of combat, but is about telling a cinematic or literary story. You stake a vampire, basically, by reducing its hit points to 0. There are no called shots and no overly detailed tactical combat maneuvers.  That being said it can sometimes be fun to play with a bit more detail. In the Night Companion we introduced such ideas as variable weapon damage and weapon class, which can beef up combat a bit. Another fun add-on can be hit locations. This sort of subsystem can slow down combat, but also adds some unique effects such as lingering injuries that often tabletop RPGs don't deal with unless they're crazy complicated. Let's check out how hit locations and called shots might work in a simpler system.  Image credit: 3588089 © Andrey Kiselev | Dreamstime.com Whe...