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start [2024/11/23 12:23] – Added "Why?" Ron Helwigstart [2025/07/06 17:49] (current) – Ron Helwig
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-Hello and welcome to my exploration into the creation of a new way to create, manage, curate, and play RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons.+# Welcome to My RPG Design Project
  
-This is where I will be documenting my vision. I've had the general idea for several years now, but it is finally becoming clear enough to be worth writing down and refining. Eventually this site should become able to be turned into a specification document for the creation of the system.+This site explores a new way to **create, manage, curate, and play** tabletop RPGs like *Dungeons & Dragons*—but without the baggage of legacy systems.
  
-I will be adding inline explanations using the 'hidden' plugin. It uses syntax similar to an HTML element "hidden" whose content is hidden by default. Example: +I’ve spent years imagining something more flexible, modular, and digital-native. Here, I document that evolving vision.
-<hidden>This is hidden by default</hidden>+
  
-[[research_todo]]+---
  
-[[config_todo]]+## 🔥 What’s the Big Idea?
  
-====== Why? ====== +**D&D encourages homebrewing—but only within narrow limits.**   
-Dungeons and Dragons has always had a base rule that it is intended to be home-brewed. That is, individual Dungeon Masters are encouraged to make the game their own by creating or modifying not only the lore and story, but even the rules.+What if we tore down those limits entirely?
  
-The original rules had a class & level system, where a player could select one of a limited number of archetypes to base their character on. Over time, as players wanted to play archetypes (and races) that weren't in the official rules created their own. Over time many of these were integrated into the official rules. But players are never satisfied and the most creative push the boundaries past even the most expansive set of choices.+- **No fixed classes** — Players build archetypes organically from a modular skill tree.   
 +- **No rigid race lists** — Create species collaboratively with your DM.   
 +- **No baked-in lore** — Languages, gods, and factions belong to the *setting*, not the *system*.   
 +- **No one-size-fits-all ruleset** — GMs curate what works for *their* table.
  
-A great example of this is the Ranger. It is one of the most loved archetypes while being one of the least satisfying to actually play. The official rules never quite got the feel of a ranger that players wanted, so homebrewing the class is very common.+With modern tools, even radical flexibility becomes manageable.
  
-So too with races. There are now dozens of races available, but there can always be more. Some of the races are tied into the lore and worlds, making them unsuitable for many worlds simply due to their being tied to lore that many Dungeon Masters don't include.+ > _Think “GitHub for RPGs”—but simpler._
  
-Not long after GURPS came around I got excited. I checked it out and while I loved the basic idea the implementation was pretty bad. What we now call D20 Checks is a way better system, and one that almost all RPGers are familiar with. Any new system that wants to catch on needs to either use that or fight an uphill battle to prove their new system is vastly superior. For example, the Daggerheart dual-D12 system is pretty cool and worth checking out but it will never become a mass-market success.+---
  
-So after several years of thinking about all this I have come around to the idea that classes are the wrong approach. Simply using something like a skill tree would allow players to create whatever archetype they have in mind. Similarly with races, and especially since the rules on race creation in Tasha's were published, there should be no "official" races. Dungeon Masters, in concert with their players and the design of their world, should be able to create whatever races their imaginations can come up with.+## 🧠 Guiding Principles
  
-And with the elimination of classes it also makes sense to get rid of class levels.+The system I’m building is shaped by some key beliefs:
  
-But all this seems like it would place a ton of work onto a DM's shoulders. That is inherently unworkable - without modern digital tools that is.+- **Modularity First** – Core rules are minimal. Everything else is optional and overrideable.   
 +- **Lore-Free Core** – Mechanics are cleanly separated from setting.   
 +- **Digital + Physical** – Great tools for online play *and* for print-at-table.   
 +- **Curated Systems** – GMs craft their own rulesets by picking, pruning, and extending modules.   
 +- **Player-Friendly** – Visual cards, simple mechanics, and a smooth learning curve.
  
-====== Overall Vision ====== +See the full list of [Design Principles →](principles) 
-lots to write...+ 
 +--- 
 + 
 +## 🧰 Current Goals & Resources 
 + 
 +### 🔧 Active Design Areas 
 + 
 +- [Research Tasks](research_todo) — Open questions and inspirations   
 +- [Design Archives](design_archive:start) — Notes on past decisions and iterations   
 +- [System Technical Vision](system:start) — Plans for a digital rule curation system 
 + 
 +### ✅ Todo Lists 
 + 
 +- [Other Tasks](other_todo)   
 +- [Configuration/Website Tasks](config_todo)   
 + 
 +--- 
 + 
 +## 📄 Paper-Friendly Tools 
 + 
 +- **Character Sheet:** A5 (landscape) – universal layout, no per-character clutter   
 +- **Feature/Spell Cards:** A6 (portrait) – modular abilities and traits 
 + 
 +This layout supports both digital and printed play, empowering players to only carry what they use. 
 + 
 +--- 
 + 
 +## 📌 Why Ditch Classes? 
 + 
 +D&D’s class system was elegant in the 1970s. But today? 
 + 
 +- It **locks players into archetypes** that often don’t fit modern playstyles.   
 +- It **requires endless subclasses** just to keep up with creative players.   
 +- It **struggles with edge cases** (like the infamous *Ranger*). 
 + 
 +Other systems (like GURPS or Daggerheart) explore alternatives—but none have nailed it *and* stayed accessible. That’s what I aim to fix. 
 + 
 +--- 
 + 
 +## 🚧 What’s Next? 
 + 
 +This site is a work in progress. As I continue to define the system, the following will grow: 
 + 
 +- A complete curated example ruleset   
 +- Printable materials for tables   
 +- A prototype of the digital curation interface   
 +- Example curated worlds and modules 
 + 
 +--- 
 + 
 +## 🌱 Want to Explore? 
 + 
 +Start here: 
 + 
 +- [Design Principles](principles)   
 +- [Design Archives](design_archive:start)   
 +- [Research Tasks](research_todo)   
 + 
 +Or dig into [System Technical Vision & Plans →](system:start)