Age of Arcana [Original System]

[Master of Squirrel-fu]

I'm trying to create my own system for a Magical Girl/Anime RPG. I'll be posting what I have here to get some feed back.

Introduction:
In the early 21st century the supernatural was reintroduced into the world in a big way. A certain... incident, the exact origin unknown, caused a tear in reality. Through a series of events the tear is widened in an attempt to study the phenomenon and in the process alerting something far greater than humanity could ever hope to handle. A monster from beyond the stars descended, not just upon the world but on all possible worlds. In order to survive mankind had to delve into any and every resource. Harnessing the magics of the world, discovering lost secrets of the universe, and developing technologies that defied reality. And after decades of struggle, the threat was destroyed, the final blow struck by The Champion of Light and her companions.

But the scars were left. Mankind barely able to claw its way back from the edge of oblivion saw what had become of the worlds. The walls between realities had collapsed beneath the behemoth's corpse and so all worlds now exist as one. Where magical runes lay beneath shining modern cities and mystic woods play host to both fae and mutants. A land where one can purchase both electronics and potions from the same vender.

And while the world has recovered there still existed many threats as dragons and giants roam, and gods descend, lost technology finds itself in the wrong hands, and the last vestiges of the Darkness once banished still make it's way back into the world. To protect their place in the world mankind takes back the secrets of magic, rekindles dying lineages, and salvages lost machinations. And once again they turn back to those who had saved them before, the Magistra.

Welcome to Mundus.

Age of Arcana is a mixed setting Magical Girl RPG. The world large (Infinite even!) to accommodate any setting one might wish, from fantasy, to modern, to futuristic. All things can find their home on Mundus. Whether you use magitech or steam punk, be you a Sorcerer or a Martial Artist, any type of Magical Girl can be made from the ground up.

 

[Master of Squirrel-fu]

Getting Started:
Welcome to the world of Mundus, where nothing can be truly discounted as impossible. How you arrived, well that's up to you. Magical Girls come in a variety of styles from many different origins. Young girls who find ancient artifacts and awaken their hidden magic, shrine maidens from noble lineages tasked with protecting their villages from demons, or normal students whisked away by the cruel whims of fate from across the cosmos to battle evil reawakened. In this game you take the role of a magical girl you've created and protect the world from monsters by moon light and win love by daylight. Well if you're into that sorta thing anyway.


What you will need:
A character sheet - Provided later.
Some Dice - 6 sided, You will need quite a few.
A pencil and note pad - A handy means of keeping tabs on certain things like your status.


The dice:
To resolve conflicts you will need to roll a number of 6 sided dice, the amount determined by your character's stats. Unless stated otherwise all dice rolls are done using d6 dice.
Modifiers: Sometimes modifiers will be needed to reflect the situation, depending on how the GM wishes to handle it this can be handled either by adding/subtracting from the total or changing the number of dice rolled.


Core Mechanics:
As with all RPGs this game requires the players to resolve actions by rolling dice. Whenever a character takes an action that can result in failure the dice are rolled to determine if it is successful. To do so you must: 1) Roll the required number of dice, 2) add the relevant modifiers rolling extra dice if necessary, 3) Calculate the total and compare against the Difficulty Check [DC].
If the result matches or exceeds the check than the action is successful. If lower than the action has failed.

There are also degrees of success or failure which is determined by the difference between the roll and the DC.


The Game Master:
The importance of the Game Master cannot be understated. One of the players takes up the roll of GM, responsible for the running the game and acting as the final word on all things and determines what the story shall be. The GM creates the world or setting that the game will take place in, controls all characters not belonging to the other players, and determines the outcome of the other players actions using their own judgement.


The Players
Players begin a campaign by designing a Magistra, or Magical Girl (Or a Magister - Magical Boy if you prefer), who is one of the main characters of the adventure laid out by the GM. As the GM determines the setting and theme of the adventure players should consult their Game Masters for guidance on what is and isn't allowed in the campaign. An open mind should be kept by the GM, as part of the fun of the game is mixing together Magical Girls from contrasting settings.

 

[Master of Squirrel-fu]

Character Creation: (Part 1 of 2)
Magistra, and all other characters, are built by 'purchasing' stats using a budget of points that are given out on creation and, if the GM wishes, at the end of a session/quest. The amount you start off with is determined by your Power Tier which is set by the GM. Points are usually given out on creation at 36 points for every rank of Power Tier.

When designing your character you should start by coming up with the basic concept of what you want your Magistra to be. Just what are their abilities, what do they act like? What's their origin story? What sort of setting do they come from and how do they interact with the one they are in now? You can feel free to draw inspiration from existing magical girls. There's a few basic Archetypes for Magistra, based on how they fight. They aren't character classes in the traditional sense, giving bonuses for picking them, but a concept to build your character around.

Spoiler: Archetypes

Magistra Arcana: Arcana types are one of the most common, and act primarily as magical heavy artillery fighting mostly by lobbing out long ranged blasts or missiles.
Magistra Machina: Are Magistra who's ability comes from some sort of technology or enchanted object they created. It also includes those who Pilot Mechs even if they did not build them.
Magistra Magi: Support type Magical girls, they usually are illusionists or tacticians.
Magistra Praelia: Are melee fighting magical girls, whether it be fisticuffs or using weapons or magic.
Magistra Frenator: Those who fight through a proxy such as a a creature.
Magistra Mota: Magical girls who's primary ability is some sort of telekinetic control or elemental manipulation.
Magistra Sagitta: The precise long range fighters, the snipers to Arcana's Artillery.
Magistra Divina: Magical girls who use "Holy" abilities, such as healing, exorcizing, or divination.
Magistra Cantor: "Magical Idol" types who are very charismatic though not particularly strong.
Magistra Ars: Witch type magical girls, who's abilites are the product of some skill in magic.

Power Tier:
This is the first thing that should be determined once you come up with a Magistra. Along with a characters starting potential the The Power Tier determines the limits of your character's abilities. Many stats cannot exceed a certain amount in relation to the character's Tier. No mater how many points a 2nd tier character has he is highly unlikely to defeat a Tier 5 opponent. The tier is set by the GM for the Party to keep it balanced, and it may extend to the rest of the setting.

A characters tier may fluctuate over the course of the campaign. Usually this is just the party increasing theirs after the GM decides they have become powerful enough to increase their threat level. Other times it might just be a special modifier given by the GM, an example would be a Magical Girl who becomes more powerful when transformed and thus having two differing power tiers for their Base and Transformed states.


Attributes: Cost 3 per Rank
Each character, Magistra, Monster, bystander, etc is defined their Attributes. Attributes are the 4 basic stats every character has to one extent or another. Attributes determine just how naturally capable a character is in a given ability. Their physical, mental, and social strengths are determined by these stats. The 4 Main Attributes are; Agility, Body, Mind, and Soul.

Agility determines a characters coordination and reflexes. It is primarily used for skillful combatants.
Body determines a characters endurance, strength, and stamina. It is primarily used for more tough characters.
Mind determines a characters mental abilities like intelligence and acuity. It is primarily used by more supportive characters.
Soul determines the determination, presence, and to a degree luck of a character. It's used for more shounen characters.

Each ability is ranked from 0 upwards 20 and each rank determines how many dice are rolled in checks related to the Attribute. Each rank 1d6 meaning at rank 0 you roll 0d6 against a check, while at rank 5 you can roll up to 5d6 on a roll for the stat. This does not include modifiers. You start at rank 0 in all attributes naturally. You cannot exceed 2 times the Tier in ranks of an Attribute nor can your total ranks exceed 4 times your tier.

Aptitude: 1 per Rank
Aptitude determines your Attack and Defensive abilities. Each Aptitude has you roll for a specific Attribute score then add your ranks to the total. Attempting to strike someone in close combat would need you to roll for Melee. First you would roll up to your maximum rank in Body, then add your ranks in Melee to the total as well as any other modifiers. This only determines if your strike lands, not the amount of damage it causes. You can also reduce your Aptitudes into the negatives, giving you a penalty on rolls, to regain some points, though the player should speak with their GM before doing so. An Aptitude's maximum Rank is 3 times the character's Tier and there isn't a maximum total number of Aptitudes a player can purchase.

Melee: Body Roll, determines a character's accuracy in melee attacks.
Ranged: Agility Roll, determines a characters accuracy using ranged attacks.
Indirect: Mind Roll, determines a characters accuracy using attacks that don't originate from their position or change direction.

Reflex: Agility Roll, Determines if a character is able to dodge an attack.
Fortitude: Body Roll, Determines a character's fitness and their resistance to effects that bypass toughness like poisons or internal damage.
Toughness: Body Roll, Determines a characters ability to resist physical effects.
Resolve: Soul Roll, Determines a character's ability to resist mental effects.

If taken by surprise (such as a Surprise or Subtle Attack) you are vulnerable for that round and the total of your Aptitude checks (Roll + Aptitude) is halved. If surprised again in the same round the Vulnerable character is Defenseless and do not make Aptitude Checks.


Skills: Cost 1 per 2 Ranks
While Attributes determine a characters natural ability and raw capacity Skills are exactly what it says, the skills of a character. A refinement of their abilities to enhance a certain type of activity. Each rank of a skill is added to a roll to determine it's total. For example trying to intimidate someone would be determined by adding ranks in the Charm Skill to subtotal of your Soul roll. Skills aren't determined by any one Attribute though, most can be used with multiple attributes. Mental (Not to be confused with Mind) type skills can use either Mind or Soul for rolls, while Physical can use either Agility or Body to determine their output. Ultimately it's up to the GM to determine if a given aptitude is appropriate to use in a situation. For example both gymnastic feats and climbing up a cliff are both determined by Athletics but the former would use Agility while the later would use Body. Skills can only be purchased up to 3 times the character's Tier for a given stat but there is no maximum total.

Spoiler: List of Skills

Athletics: [Physical] Determines the athletic abilities and overall coordination one has. Roll for: Jumping, Running, Swimming, Climbing, Acrobatics, Balance, Maneuvering.
Awareness: [Mental] Just how well one can keep track of their surroundings and insight. Roll for: Perception, Tracking, Remembering, Detecting Illusions, Detecting Influence, Assess, Innuendo
Charm: [Mental] Your presence and ability to influence others. Roll for: Persuasion, Intimidation, Feinting, Deception, Preforming, Diplomacy
Craft: [Any] Your ability to build and disassemble objects. Roll for: Building, Smithing, Enchanting, Brewing, Cooking, Trapping, Repair, Technology
Innovation: [Mental] How well a character can think and solve complex puzzles. roll for: Solve, Innuendo/encrypting, Create Puzzle, Design, Analyze, Computers
Handling: [Any] A character's ability operate machines or handle vehicles, or pilot. Roll for: Driving, Stunts, increase performance, Operate machines
Stealth: [Physical] How well one can hide and remain undetected. Roll for: Hiding, Tailing, sneaking, Contortion, Acting while compromised
Finesse: [Physical] General dexterity. Roll for: Catching, pickpocketing, conceal, Legerdemain, escape restraints.