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Paint the Line Tabletop RPG
LegalArcade
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Tycho talked about wanting a strategic, turn-based game of ping pong, so I gave it a shot, and I want to throw it out to the community here to make it passable. Let's see what you think.
Recent changes in green.
Rules for Nathaniel Edwards' Ping Pong tabletop RPG v. 0.8
A1. Introduction
B1. Game System Overview
B2. Cards
C1. RPG Elements
C2. Player Experience System
C3. Decks and Bonus Abilities
============
A1. Introduction=
============
This game is a tabletop RPG version of table tennis or ping pong made for Penny Arcade's Paint the Line 2 series of comics. Strategy, player skill, and luck determine the results of ping pong matches. A detailed system of experience and leveling is being developed to facilitate repeat plays and customized player decks based on their skill.
The game relies on a simple system with 30 cards representing stroke possibilities, a d20 to determine stroke success, and a positioning score from 1 to 5. The game effectively resets between each point, with positioning restored and previous rolls playing no effect on the next shot. The system is described in detail below.
=============
B1. Game System=
=============
Each player will use their own deck of thirty cards representing their stroke repertoire. Each player will always have a hand of three cards, playing one for every stroke (except the serve) to determine what variety of shot they wish to attempt. The strokes in the current ruleset are speed drive, hook, smash, block, loop, and drop shot, and their effects will be described later.
Both players begin every point with a positioning score of 5, which will be taken up and down by the effects of each shot type.
Each shot requires a d20 to determine its quality, using the following formula:
d20 roll X positioning score (1-5) - opponent's previous d20 roll (unmodified)
A combined result of less than 25 results in a miss, giving the point to the opposing player without any further rolls. Any unmodified 20 roll while a player has at least 3 positioning automatically wins the point, without any opponent opportunity to return.
On serves, there is no previous opponent die roll, giving serves a natural advantage, as they do in the real game.
Games are played first to eleven points, but a player must win by two, as the system works in real life since 2000. Serves alternate every two points, then every point once a player reaches eleven points but has yet to clinch the match.
========
B2. Cards=
========
The cards' effects (and flavor text) are:
Speed Drive
+1 point to your pos. score, and -1 point from your opponent's pos. score and his modified return attempt.
Drilled into every recruit, the speed drive is the go-to shot of any American player
Loop Shot
+2 points to your pos. score and +1 point to the opponent's unmodified return attempt. Additionally, +4 points to your next shot if it's in the same point.
After vigorous debate following the Korean Pong massacres, U.N sanctions have been lifted on the infamous loop shot.
Hook Shot
-2 from your current hit attempt. +1 point to your pos. score, -3 points from your opponent's unmodified hit attempt and -1 point from your opponent's pos. score.
Pioneered by British Commandos in the early 70's, the hook shot aided in a heroic 7 point comeback against the Irish the first time it was used in the field.
Block
+1 point to both your and your opponent's pos. score. Also +10 to your current hit attempt.
A traditional technique seen in many last stands. Legend tells that in the 1800s ,General Custer won 10 games straight against the Native Americans using nothing but block shots.
Drop Shot
-3 points from your current hit attempt. -3 points from your opponent's pos. score.
The drop shot was developed by German scientists under the Nazi regime, and is said to be responsible for Poland's quick defeat at the start of the war.
Smash!
Note: Requires a pos. score of 5 to be used.
-1 point from your pos score. -3 points from your opponent's pos. score and -10 points from your opponent's return shot.
As well as being the Hulk's preferred shot, the Smash was used to end the week-long match between American and Japanese players at the culmination of the Second World War.
A current suggested deck for a quick start is 8 speed, 8 block, 5 loop, 5 hook, 2 smash, and 2 drop shot. Actual player decks will be decided through the RPG system detailed below.
=============
C1. RPG Elements=
=============
The currently unnamed Ping Pong RPG will use a currently untested leveling and experience system for unique games. All players theoretically begin with a deck full of Block cards, but diversify this 30 card deck through player creation and later experience points.
======================
C2. Player Experience System=
======================
Experience will be earned at a rate of 3 points per win and 1 point per loss between players on the same level. Players of a higher level only earn 1 point for beating a lower level player and none for a loss, while a lower level player receives double points when beating a player above his level (as in, 6 for a win and still 1 for a loss). Every 10 points will earn the player passage to their next level, which is required for some special abilities. Experience points can be redeemed (at no cost to level advancement) in changes to the deck and special abilities.
======================
C3. Decks and Special Abilities=
======================
Each player upon creation will be given ten experience points to immediately diversify their deck from the theoretical all-Block deck they begin with. The following values represent the EXP necessary to trade out any current deck card for a card with that shot on it.
Block: 0
Speed: 1
Loop: 2
Hook: 3
Drop Shot: 4
Smash: 5
Thus, upon player creation, a player may trade out for 2 Smash cards or 3 Hooks or 10 Speed Drives or any combination of those shots fitting under ten EXP. Any later EXP can be utilized between matches for deck changes in the same fashion.
As for special abilities, these are costlier and often wackier modifications to a player to give a very special bonus in all matches. These are meant to be earned primarily after a player has solidified their deck how they wish, but can be bought at any time if their level threshold is passed. Special abilities are also automatically put on special characters (i.e. Tycho, Siberian girl) to give them a unique... er... taste. Here are the player-characters' possible abilites (again, subject to change or be added to):
Incredible Quickness (Level 2): This player begins every point with a second layer of five positioning, allowing them to lose one with no effect. - 15 points
Technical Ability I - V: +1 to all modified hit attempts - 10 points for level I, 15 for II, 20, 25, and then 30
non-Communists only: Divine Intervention: 1 re-roll per match - 15 points
Communists only: Rise of the Proletariat: Workers hold opponent until his next serve once per match, taking the opponent's positioning down to 1. - 25 points
To give an example of special character abilities:
Broodax only: Tennis Pro disguise: Gives -2 to all opponent modified rolls. Broodax may also "pop out" of his disguise, freaking out the opponent and automatically winning the point for Broodax, but ending the -2 effect.
Gabe only: No, You Go Get It: If Gabe rolls a twenty, he tells the other player to retrieve the ping pong ball. If the match is played on a dangerous venue (submarine, rocket) then Gabe rolls another d20. If the result of this roll is also a 20, then the opponent dies, losing the match.
=============
D4.Special Courts=
=============
Submarine Stage Optional Rules: With every change of server, roll a d6. This d6 roll corresponds to a different direction the court will pitch on the open ocean, changing the bounce. Each player makes a guess (these can be the same) as to what the d6 roll will be, corresponding to which direction the submarine pitches on the open ocean. An incorrect guess gives that/those player(s) a -5 to their modified rolls. A correct guess gives a +5. (Just an idea for some Paint the Line branding here)
This is getting there now, the rules are nearly solid.
Recent changes in green.
Rules for Nathaniel Edwards' Ping Pong tabletop RPG v. 0.8
A1. Introduction
B1. Game System Overview
B2. Cards
C1. RPG Elements
C2. Player Experience System
C3. Decks and Bonus Abilities
============
A1. Introduction=
============
This game is a tabletop RPG version of table tennis or ping pong made for Penny Arcade's Paint the Line 2 series of comics. Strategy, player skill, and luck determine the results of ping pong matches. A detailed system of experience and leveling is being developed to facilitate repeat plays and customized player decks based on their skill.
The game relies on a simple system with 30 cards representing stroke possibilities, a d20 to determine stroke success, and a positioning score from 1 to 5. The game effectively resets between each point, with positioning restored and previous rolls playing no effect on the next shot. The system is described in detail below.
=============
B1. Game System=
=============
Each player will use their own deck of thirty cards representing their stroke repertoire. Each player will always have a hand of three cards, playing one for every stroke (except the serve) to determine what variety of shot they wish to attempt. The strokes in the current ruleset are speed drive, hook, smash, block, loop, and drop shot, and their effects will be described later.
Both players begin every point with a positioning score of 5, which will be taken up and down by the effects of each shot type.
Each shot requires a d20 to determine its quality, using the following formula:
d20 roll X positioning score (1-5) - opponent's previous d20 roll (unmodified)
A combined result of less than 25 results in a miss, giving the point to the opposing player without any further rolls. Any unmodified 20 roll while a player has at least 3 positioning automatically wins the point, without any opponent opportunity to return.
On serves, there is no previous opponent die roll, giving serves a natural advantage, as they do in the real game.
Games are played first to eleven points, but a player must win by two, as the system works in real life since 2000. Serves alternate every two points, then every point once a player reaches eleven points but has yet to clinch the match.
========
B2. Cards=
========
The cards' effects (and flavor text) are:
Speed Drive
+1 point to your pos. score, and -1 point from your opponent's pos. score and his modified return attempt.
Drilled into every recruit, the speed drive is the go-to shot of any American player
Loop Shot
+2 points to your pos. score and +1 point to the opponent's unmodified return attempt. Additionally, +4 points to your next shot if it's in the same point.
After vigorous debate following the Korean Pong massacres, U.N sanctions have been lifted on the infamous loop shot.
Hook Shot
-2 from your current hit attempt. +1 point to your pos. score, -3 points from your opponent's unmodified hit attempt and -1 point from your opponent's pos. score.
Pioneered by British Commandos in the early 70's, the hook shot aided in a heroic 7 point comeback against the Irish the first time it was used in the field.
Block
+1 point to both your and your opponent's pos. score. Also +10 to your current hit attempt.
A traditional technique seen in many last stands. Legend tells that in the 1800s ,General Custer won 10 games straight against the Native Americans using nothing but block shots.
Drop Shot
-3 points from your current hit attempt. -3 points from your opponent's pos. score.
The drop shot was developed by German scientists under the Nazi regime, and is said to be responsible for Poland's quick defeat at the start of the war.
Smash!
Note: Requires a pos. score of 5 to be used.
-1 point from your pos score. -3 points from your opponent's pos. score and -10 points from your opponent's return shot.
As well as being the Hulk's preferred shot, the Smash was used to end the week-long match between American and Japanese players at the culmination of the Second World War.
A current suggested deck for a quick start is 8 speed, 8 block, 5 loop, 5 hook, 2 smash, and 2 drop shot. Actual player decks will be decided through the RPG system detailed below.
=============
C1. RPG Elements=
=============
The currently unnamed Ping Pong RPG will use a currently untested leveling and experience system for unique games. All players theoretically begin with a deck full of Block cards, but diversify this 30 card deck through player creation and later experience points.
======================
C2. Player Experience System=
======================
Experience will be earned at a rate of 3 points per win and 1 point per loss between players on the same level. Players of a higher level only earn 1 point for beating a lower level player and none for a loss, while a lower level player receives double points when beating a player above his level (as in, 6 for a win and still 1 for a loss). Every 10 points will earn the player passage to their next level, which is required for some special abilities. Experience points can be redeemed (at no cost to level advancement) in changes to the deck and special abilities.
======================
C3. Decks and Special Abilities=
======================
Each player upon creation will be given ten experience points to immediately diversify their deck from the theoretical all-Block deck they begin with. The following values represent the EXP necessary to trade out any current deck card for a card with that shot on it.
Block: 0
Speed: 1
Loop: 2
Hook: 3
Drop Shot: 4
Smash: 5
Thus, upon player creation, a player may trade out for 2 Smash cards or 3 Hooks or 10 Speed Drives or any combination of those shots fitting under ten EXP. Any later EXP can be utilized between matches for deck changes in the same fashion.
As for special abilities, these are costlier and often wackier modifications to a player to give a very special bonus in all matches. These are meant to be earned primarily after a player has solidified their deck how they wish, but can be bought at any time if their level threshold is passed. Special abilities are also automatically put on special characters (i.e. Tycho, Siberian girl) to give them a unique... er... taste. Here are the player-characters' possible abilites (again, subject to change or be added to):
Incredible Quickness (Level 2): This player begins every point with a second layer of five positioning, allowing them to lose one with no effect. - 15 points
Technical Ability I - V: +1 to all modified hit attempts - 10 points for level I, 15 for II, 20, 25, and then 30
non-Communists only: Divine Intervention: 1 re-roll per match - 15 points
Communists only: Rise of the Proletariat: Workers hold opponent until his next serve once per match, taking the opponent's positioning down to 1. - 25 points
To give an example of special character abilities:
Broodax only: Tennis Pro disguise: Gives -2 to all opponent modified rolls. Broodax may also "pop out" of his disguise, freaking out the opponent and automatically winning the point for Broodax, but ending the -2 effect.
Gabe only: No, You Go Get It: If Gabe rolls a twenty, he tells the other player to retrieve the ping pong ball. If the match is played on a dangerous venue (submarine, rocket) then Gabe rolls another d20. If the result of this roll is also a 20, then the opponent dies, losing the match.
=============
D4.Special Courts=
=============
Submarine Stage Optional Rules: With every change of server, roll a d6. This d6 roll corresponds to a different direction the court will pitch on the open ocean, changing the bounce. Each player makes a guess (these can be the same) as to what the d6 roll will be, corresponding to which direction the submarine pitches on the open ocean. An incorrect guess gives that/those player(s) a -5 to their modified rolls. A correct guess gives a +5. (Just an idea for some Paint the Line branding here)
This is getting there now, the rules are nearly solid.
I write about games at The Legal Arcade and Yet Another Review Site.
LegalArcade on
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Posts
i'm not really into warhammers
shut down the forums
it's like when someone poops in the pool
now we have to drain everything and clean the whole thing out
how do u know
You do know what Social Entropy means, right?
is
fucking
awesome
your = belonging to you
their = belonging to them
there = not here
they're = they are
maybe if you can't play ping pong on a ROCKET
Exactly.
forget these other assholes
you? you can keep on rockin' in the free world, this is some groovy shit you got going
also - "Each shot requires a d20 to determine its quality, using the following formula:
d20 roll X positioning score (1-5) - enemy's previous d20 roll (unmodified)"
do you mean d20 plus positioning score? because a position of 5 would grant a roll of ten a score of 50, minus an "enemy" roll of 19 would still end up in a point.
Also, a game like this would stand to have the word "opponent" used, rather than "enemy"
I'm with Rank here, guy
Keep on keepin' on, I will play the shit out of this game
we should get some arty people to draw up cards
Stop being pricks, dudes.
Probably right, I certainly wouldn't mind if someone happened to move it for me.
@rankenphile: Good suggestions. As for the roll, I did mean times positioning, and an opponent's hit would most likely take away a bit of positioning unless it were a defensive stroke, meaning a roll of 19 shouldn't necessarily be enough to win the point automatically. I need to test this more, though.
I just can't help feeling that perhaps Tycho was being just a teensy bit hyperbolic in suggesting a strategic turn-based Ping-Pong RPG.
@arty people: 'Sup. Get over here now, you're needed.
"probably"
but it's cool
people gotta stop expecting serious responses in SE though
it ain't happenin'
h5
yeah he forgot the "not" after the "probably" lol....
your = belonging to you
their = belonging to them
there = not here
they're = they are
So, I have a position of two and I roll a seven. My score is 14, my "enemy" rolls a one. I get thirteen, which is less than 25, so therefore I grant him a point?
Or I have a position of one, I roll a twenty, he rolls a one, he still gets the point?
How does that work?
I think the argument could be made that if he gets yo into that bad of a position, you can't get the point back without a critical success.
your = belonging to you
their = belonging to them
there = not here
they're = they are
Points are only awarded with one of these two conditions (not explicitly detailed, because I assumed people knew, when of course they don't):
1. Someone rolls a twenty with a positioning of 3, 4, or 5.
2. Someone misses (total from 1-25 in that little funciton), in which case the other person doesn't have to roll, the point's done.
Your enemy wouldn't roll a one, though. It's based on their previous d20 roll, which would almost always be multiplied by their position. They literally could not have a 1 on their previous roll, they'd lose the point.
Actually, that's minus the opponent's unmodified die roll, not their entire result, or else points would end too quickly. I apparently have to rewrite this a bit to clarify.
It's based on their unmodified d20 roll.
your = belonging to you
their = belonging to them
there = not here
they're = they are