Version 0.3 release - Maximum jank!

Magic, space, sci-fi meets fantasy, and lots and lots of action. Meet Voidhunters!

This is a project I have been working on and off with for the last few months. It is an epic sci-fi-saga game intended for long-form play at a table, but with the option for one-shots. In Voidhunters, I wanted to capture that action-movie feel, where characters freeze-frame between cool moves and build on each others' successes while the tension builds ... and until everything suddenly goes wrong.

I'll go into the origins of the game's ideas sometime soon, but I've been largely inspired by a Blades in the Dark-style dice-pool mechanic for skills, where 'advantage' (using the D&D 5e parlance) can go into layers of super-advantage rolling up to 4 d20s and taking the lowest. In determining success numbers, however, players are attempting to roll under their attribute score to succeed, which has taken inspiration from a Call of Cthulu-like d100 system, except streamlining the d100 by dividing it by 5 (nobody wants to roll 4d100 rolls on a check).  To further streamline, I've been inspired by Infinity (the minis game) where hitting your target exactly results in a critical. I hate that moment in rolling when you hit the number (for example the AC or DC) exactly and you need a moment to remember whether hitting the number is a success or fail. Hence moving critical successes to that target number (so there is never any doubt).

I've also really loved the Luck mechanics of CoCthulu and games like Rogue Trader, where Luck can be spent in order to save yourself from death, or bolster a roll you might have otherwise failed, but where Luck is an exhaustible resource that creates real stakes to spend. But it's also really fun to spend those resources to succeed, and I recognise that for some players (like me) the urge to hoard a limited resource means it might never see play. So I am playing around with a Grit feature that acts like Luck but does come back each session. 

I want this to be a game that is easy to learn, dynamic to play, and results in players feeling like their characters have done something absolutely awesome at the table. 

Warning though: This is in very early development.

Honestly, I think it might be too deadly right now, and ability scores will need an immediate boost from the beginning. But at this point I need to shine the light of day on it, and see what comes from your eye on my game. We'll see. No doubt there will be many changes to the game as I go on. I'm excited to have you along for the development ride.