BrikWaRPG, Stubby Edition

[stubby]

Somebody in the facebook group asked about BrikWars character advancement today. I pasted a link to everyone's different versions, but I couldn't remember if I ever posted my own in here.

(There were some previous "Campaign" rules in the 2000 edition - players fought over a pile of 1d10s which they could spend after the battle to try to improve selected stats of characters or weapons. If the 1d10 rolled higher than a selected stat, that stat got a permanent +1, so the higher the stat, the less chance of improving. It was a funny system that fit with the spirit of BW2K, but not so much with later editions.)

The idea I've been toying with (haha) for the last couple of years is more of a Mad Libs style advancement. Rather than trying to kill a certain number of enemies, you're trying to match story requirements.

Every minifig rank has a story template with blanks that have to be filled, and to achieve a rank you have to fill those blanks during the course of a single battle. If you take the promotion, you get a bonus for situations that match the details of your story.

You only get one story at a time; you can't keep piling on bonuses for completing the same story multiple ways. It's possible to advance through multiple stories in the same battle or even skip ranks if you're lucky enough.

Civilian
Story: "I am a [JOB TITLE]. I hate my job."
Bonus: d6 Skill for [JOB TITLE] actions.

• Examples:
  "I am a POLICEMAN. I hate my job."
  "I am a SCHOOLTEACHER. I hate my job."
  "I am a SLAVE. I hate my job."

Minifig
Story: "I killed an [ENEMY] [COMBAT UNIT], and I did it on purpose."
Bonus: d8 Skill when fighting units that match [ENEMY] or [COMBAT UNIT].

• Examples:
  "I killed a BAVARIAN SOLDIER, and I did it on purpose."
  "I killed a WILD ENDANGERED RHINO, and I did it on purpose."
  "I killed a FALX ASSASSIN, and I did it on purpose."

Pilot
Story: "I destroyed multiple [FACTION] units or assets with a [VEHICLE] I wasn't supposed to be using."
Bonus: d10 Skill when attacking [FACTION] targets or operating that type of [VEHICLE].

Gunner
Story: "I destroyed multiple [FACTION] units or assets with a [MOUNTED WEAPON] I wasn't supposed to be using."
Bonus: d10 Skill when attacking [FACTION] targets or operating that type of [MOUNTED WEAPON].

Heavy
Story: "I destroyed multiple [FACTION] units or assets with a [TOO BIG WEAPON] I wasn't supposed to be using."
Bonus: d10 Skill when attacking [FACTION] targets or using that type of [TOO BIG WEAPON].

• Examples:
  "I killed a bunch of ASSYRIAN troops with a TANK I stole."
  "I sank two PIRATE ships when I commandeered the DECK ARTILLERY."
  "I smashed the MAJISTIKS' power crystals with the dead ogre's GIANT HAMMER."

Officer
Story: "I entered battle with a full [SQUAD TYPE], and I got the rest of them killed when I [DID STUPID THING]."
Bonus: d10 Skill when leading a [SQUAD TYPE]. Instant Benny when [DOING STUPID THING].

Hero
Story: "I'm famous for wrecking my own team's [SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE] when I [DID STUPID THING]."
Bonus: Instant Benny for wrecking any more of own team's [SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE]. Heroic Cliche is based on [DOING STUPID THING].

Leader
Story: "[ALLIED FACTION]'s forces got completely wiped out in this battle because I [DID STUPID THING]."
Bonus: Bonus d6es turn into d8s when used against [ALLIED FACTION]. Instant Benny when [DOING STUPID THING].

• Examples:
  "I entered battle as part of a GUNNERY SQUAD, and I was the sole survivor after I SHOT THE EXPLOSIVE AMMO SUPPLY."
  "I'm famous for knocking over THE STATUE OF LIBERTY because I wanted to USE IT AS A REALLY BIG JUMP RAMP."
  "The DWARVEN defense forces got completely wiped out because I COLLAPSED OUR OWN CAVE."

Obviously there are more minifig types than the ones listed here, but it's pretty easy to come up with new stories and new ranks based on these examples. You become a standard-level unit by being violent, you become a specialist-level unit by being violent and insubordinate, and you become an inspirational unit by being violent, insubordinate, and idiotic.

[Tzan]

Hmmm ... interesting.

[Sir Sporktimus]

I actually really like this idea. I'd have to give it a whirl to see how it flies, but I like the idea of characters advancing by furthering insane shenanigans than by murdering massive quantities of frogs.

[stubby]

It's really a better system for a battlefield full of genetic units than individual characters picked in advance. My idea is that with enough people running around in a ridiculous battle, at least a couple of them are going to achieve these stories accidentally.

It's more about finding unintentional excuses to make generic minifigs into Characters more than about developing the characters you already had. Because you want to make sure characters still feel completely expendable.

[RedRover]

It's really a better system for a battlefield full of genetic units than individual characters picked in advance. My idea is that with enough people running around in a ridiculous battle, at least a couple of them are going to achieve these stories accidentally.

It's more about finding unintentional excuses to make generic minifigs into Characters more than about developing the characters you already had. Because you want to make sure characters still feel completely expendable.

This kinda happened with the Meth-head in turn 2 of the forum battle I am hosting.

[Zupponn]

It's really a better system for a battlefield full of genetic units than individual characters picked in advance. My idea is that with enough people running around in a ridiculous battle, at least a couple of them are going to achieve these stories accidentally.

That's also how Khaar became the Zamboni-riding janitor in my BrikwaRPGs.