AMPLE: Setting Agnostic Role Playing System
Ample System, as the heading above suggests, is a setting free game system designed with adaptability, ease of play, and flexibility in mind. The main mechanic of the game is forming a connection between a character's Abilities (Strength, Cunning, Intelligence and Personality) with 9 Skills to create 36 combinations of skill usages. Each ability is expressed as a die value; 4 for d4, 6 for d6, 8 for d8 and so on up to 12. Skills are expressed as a numerical value or dot count (••• equals 3, for example). Performing an action uses a Skill based on an Ability, which tells a player which die to roll, and how many of them. Successes are counted for each 4+ rolled. Bumps and Slides are the main modification applied to rolls, a Bump allows a player to change one die to the next higher die type, while a Slide is the opposite. A Bump on a 3d6 roll becomes 2d6 + 1d8. Damage in combat is applied directly to Abilities, and once enough damage has accumulated on an Ability, the die type is reduced, to a minimum of d4.
The other mechanic in Ample is the use of the Advantage system. Advantages are abilities and powers unaffiliated with a Skill, such as regional knowledge, Wealth, Contacts, Reputation etc. Magic is an Advantage, Superpowers are an Advantage, Mutations are an Advantage. Nearly anything can have, or be, an Advantage; a healing potion can have a 'Heal' Advantage, a Sports Car can have a 'Hot Car' Advantage, a magical sword can have a 'Magic Sword' Advantage.
Almost any effect or ability can be mimicked by making it an Advantage, allowing for a limitless span of abilities and powers.
The Basic Rules Book is the main component required for play and includes a very basic set of examples that can be used in a generic fantasy, modern or pulp setting with very little modification. The intent, however, is for the GM (and even the players) to use the system to flesh out their own campaign ideas, their own worlds and settings, or adapt their favourite fiction, movies or comic to an RPG. If you love building worlds, and want the focus of the game to be on the story rather than a complex set of rules that'll take you and the players weeks to gain a rudimentary mastery of, Ample is for you. The rules are easy, and they're flexible. If it doesn't work for you, change it. If you want to add something to make the system fit your own view, do it.
We have also released the Atlas City Almanac; a dystopian cyberpunk-esque setting for Ample that shows new GMs and Players how the system can be molded to a setting genre. There's mutants, machines, super powers (sort of), criminal gangs, bounty hunters and corporate bad guys watching it all from their ivory towers.
More Setting Sourcebooks are in the works, including fantasy and science fiction genres, so stay tunes for more news regarding those!
The Basic Rules Book is the main component required for play and includes a very basic set of examples that can be used in a generic fantasy, modern or pulp setting with very little modification. The intent, however, is for the GM (and even the players) to use the system to flesh out their own campaign ideas, their own worlds and settings, or adapt their favourite fiction, movies or comic to an RPG. If you love building worlds, and want the focus of the game to be on the story rather than a complex set of rules that'll take you and the players weeks to gain a rudimentary mastery of, Ample is for you. The rules are easy, and they're flexible. If it doesn't work for you, change it. If you want to add something to make the system fit your own view, do it.
We have also released the Atlas City Almanac; a dystopian cyberpunk-esque setting for Ample that shows new GMs and Players how the system can be molded to a setting genre. There's mutants, machines, super powers (sort of), criminal gangs, bounty hunters and corporate bad guys watching it all from their ivory towers.
More Setting Sourcebooks are in the works, including fantasy and science fiction genres, so stay tunes for more news regarding those!
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