...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Universal System
- 135 statements
- 24 feature instances
- 9 referencing feature instances
| Universal System | type |
FeatureClass | |
| Universal System | label |
Universal System | |
| Universal System | page |
UniversalSystem | |
| Universal System | comment |
A Game System that can, in theory, be used to play a game in any genre or setting. Universal systems are good in that if you want to switch genres you don't need to do much more than the standard preparation for a new game. You already know pretty much everything you need to about the rules. Many universal systems begin as a gaming company's House System, which after several separate games becomes a generic system with multiple worldbooks. In practice, universal systems tend to be better at some things than others. This is especially true if the system was not originally designed as a universal system but grew into one over time. In particular, a number of 'universal' systems — especially the more complex ones — turn out to support basically human characters best and increasingly break down the further a character or creature is removed from that default assumption. (Obviously, this is mostly a problem for groups trying to play in more fantastic genres like Comic Book superheroes, horror, or, well, fantasy.) Some universal systems are also generic, meaning they can be used to play any style of game, from near-freeform roleplay, to fantasy dungeon crawling, to equipment-focused tactical play involving tons of preparation. The difference here is not in the subject or setting of the game, but in what the players have to do in order to play it. This type of Game System needs to have a lot more rules than any particular game played with it will need, so generic systems will usually be "modular," meaning that optional rules can be easily added and removed from the game as it is convenient to do so. It usually isn't possible to design a game so that none of the rules are mandatory, so generic Game Systems conventionally have a small set of rules designated as "core" rules. These are often distributed separately from the optional rules, sometimes in multiple versions of varying depth; for instance, the sixth edition of HERO offers a "lite" edition for free, a Basic edition in softcover that omits the more esoteric options, and the full rules in hardcover. Tabletop RPGs, in general, have been using Universal Systems more often in recent years, and many game designers who are designing a system from scratch for their particular setting will nonetheless give it some qualities of a Universal System, such as simple, general task resolution mechanics, and combat systems that work the same regardless of the particular actions the combatants take. The same things that make a system Universal also make it easy for Game Masters to use the system in precisely the way they want to. Game Masters tend to like this. The distinction between a House System and a Universal System is that a Universal System is made available in a version that is independent of genre and setting, or is used extensively by multiple creators for multiple genres and settings, while a House System is tightly tied to a given company and is not available outside of their specific genre-based and/or setting-based games.note For example, while there isn't an official d20 System generic rulebook, its extensive use by multiple companies for multiple genres marks it as universal. On the other hand, the 2d20 System by Modiphius Entertainment has no generic rulebook and is exclusively used by Modiphius, making it a House System. |
|
| Universal System | fetched |
2024-04-09T08:46:05Z | |
| Universal System | parsed |
2024-04-09T08:46:05Z | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to CollectibleCardGame: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to HouseSystem: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to PointBuy: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to PowerCreepPowerSeep: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to playercharacter: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | processingComment |
Dropped link to spiritualsuccessor: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Universal System | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Universal System / int_1566c87d | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_1566c87d | comment |
Tri-Stat (Big Eyes, Small Mouth, Silver Age Sentinels, etc.) Pros: It's free, and fairly easy to learn. It's animesque. Cons: Combat's slow. Easy to break. |
|
| Universal System / int_1566c87d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_1566c87d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Big Eyes, Small Mouth (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_1566c87d | |
| Universal System / int_63a0f17d | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_63a0f17d | comment |
Role Master: Fantasy system, originally by Iron Crown Enterprises, which was expanded into more genres. A streamlined version of it was used for the original Middle-Earth Role Playing game. Initially created as modular add-on supplements that could be used with D&D to make combat more realistic, it expanded into a full set of completely separate rules, sharing few elements with D&D beyond the basic elements of role-playing. Pros: Large amounts of detail, with a goal of being as realistic as possible. Individual charts for how each weapon type interacts with 20 different types of armor. Extensive skill lists, spell lists, and critical hit charts. Open-ended rolls allow for incredible overachievement. Cons: Individual charts for how each weapon type interacts with 20 different types of armor. Vast amounts of complexity. Critical hits largely obviate the point of armor. Mostly a fantasy system that has had other genres tacked on; the only other genre that got any significant support was Spacemaster. |
|
| Universal System / int_63a0f17d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_63a0f17d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Role Master (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_63a0f17d | |
| Universal System / int_6858a515 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_6858a515 | comment |
Microscope Is a Worldbuilding/storytelling game with very few rules, where players (there is no GM) collaboratively build and play in an epic history. Pros: Very fast and fluid, almost no preparation. Cons: Designed for games that are epic in time and space, does not play as well for smaller-scale stories outside of some of the rules included in the Microscope Explorer expansion book. |
|
| Universal System / int_6858a515 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_6858a515 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Microscope (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_6858a515 | |
| Universal System / int_69071a1b | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_69071a1b | comment |
Mutants & Masterminds (d20 variant) Pros: Has a wide range of powers and rules to customize said powers and/or the character itself. It is sold as a superhero game, but because of the nature of the superhero genre it ends up being much more flexible. The basic books are so devoted to customization that the most of the different books add little new rules and deal mostly to adapt some concepts to a new fiction genre. Cons: The GM must keep an eye the players to avoid any major game-breaking. Latest editions introduce severe Power Creep, Power Seep due to mishandled combat system adjustments. |
|
| Universal System / int_69071a1b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_69071a1b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Mutants & Masterminds (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_69071a1b | |
| Universal System / int_70dc261 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_70dc261 | comment |
Legend System (d20 variant) Pros: Built with balance in mind. The track system and an insistence on letting players and GMs come up with their own fluff combine to allow you to build literally anything. Monsters are built to the same specs as Player Characters, which results in loads and loads of abilities flying around during combat. Despite all this, it's a slim rulebook and currently free. Cons: As a d20 game, it's not well suited to low powered campaigns at all. Died shortly after it began, so official support is little more than the core rulebook (a single official adventure was published). |
|
| Universal System / int_70dc261 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_70dc261 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Legend System (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_70dc261 | |
| Universal System / int_791f9a4a | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_791f9a4a | comment |
Pros: Got some exposure in anime licenses like Bubblegum Crisis and Dragon Ball Z | |
| Universal System / int_791f9a4a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_791f9a4a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Bubblegum Crisis | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_791f9a4a | |
| Universal System / int_7e4a902f | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_7e4a902f | comment |
Note: There are many alternate rules-sets including 13th Age, BESM d20, Dragon Age, Microlite 20, Mutants & Masterminds, Pathfinder, Star Wars RPG: Saga Edition, True 20, and more. | |
| Universal System / int_7e4a902f | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_7e4a902f | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| 13th Age (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_7e4a902f | |
| Universal System / int_86ac9c99 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_86ac9c99 | comment |
Cons: Relatively obscure with little explicit support; default resolution mechanic based on special "Fudge dice" (effectively just d3-2 each, but official products can be hard to find); customization all but required for any but the most free-form play => potentially high up-front preparation workload for the Game Master. | |
| Universal System / int_86ac9c99 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_86ac9c99 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Game Master | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_86ac9c99 | |
| Universal System / int_8754a014 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_8754a014 | comment |
D6 System (Star Wars, etc.) West End Games's House System, originally created for the Ghostbusters game and refined into its more-final version for Star Wars. Pros: Simple, adaptable core mechanics; easily learned and customized; available free under SRD; low gratuitous complexity, meaning little maneuvering room for munchkins. Works for almost any setting. Cons: Skill advancement has never really worked; the scaling system sometimes produces strange results; feels samey◊. Makes almost any setting feel like The Thrawn Trilogy, so not truly "generic". Little support compared to GURPS and d20. |
|
| Universal System / int_8754a014 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_8754a014 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Star Wars d6 (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_8754a014 | |
| Universal System / int_87cf8985 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_87cf8985 | comment |
HERO (Champions, etc.) Point Buy system originally created for Champions but expanded into a House System and then into a fully-generic system. Pros: Open-ended, user-defined power system based on effects rather than causes, which provides internal extensibility — like a programming language, one can even use the Hero System to simulate other game systems' mechanics. The rules are designed to scale to ridiculously high power levels, while still functioning reasonably well at normal power levels. Lots and lots of optional rules that are truly optional, so players can fine-tune the "physics" of their game world if they want to. The base rules work just fine regardless of setting or genre. Cons: "Big grained" scale, where attribute/base skill rolls only have 4-5 meaningful values within human norms; abbreviation-dense jargon ("4d6 NND EB, 0 END, OAF"); number-crunchy character creation (at least when powers are needed); lots and lots of optional rules ... |
|
| Universal System / int_87cf8985 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_87cf8985 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Champions (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_87cf8985 | |
| Universal System / int_a8296ab3 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_a8296ab3 | comment |
Genesys (Terrinoth (Descent: Journeys in the Dark), Shadow of the Beanstalk (Android), and Secrets of the Crucible (Keyforge): House system for Fantasy Flight Games, originally created for their Star Wars: Roleplaying Game House System for Fantasy Flight Games. Built around use of a set of six special dice, which provide both success/failure and degrees of advantage/disadvantage. Pros: Originally built for Star Wars-style space opera, so the system aims for fast and fluid combat. Custom dice allow for shades of success and failure; success with an advantage, success with a threat, and just a plain success all give different results. Story Points (Destiny Points in the Star Wars games) give a nice interplay where when the PCs or GM use a point, it goes into the other side's pool to be used later. Good community support through the Genesys Foundry. Cons: Requires the use of special dice, with symbols that take practice to learn. Interpreting the dice can be difficult and require significant improvisation skill on the part of the GM. Not a lot of resources provided by Fantasy Flight, with only three settings provided so far, all of which come from other FFG games. |
|
| Universal System / int_a8296ab3 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_a8296ab3 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Genesys (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_a8296ab3 | |
| Universal System / int_c2297a9c | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_c2297a9c | comment |
WOIN (What's O.L.D. Is N.E.W.) (Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000 AD) A set of three games built on the same core system, "O.L.D." (fantasy), "N.O.W." (modern-day), and "N.E.W." (science fiction), all by EN Publishing. The core character description is reminiscent of the Cypher System ("a reckless human smuggler who enjoys gambling"), but the system is built around eight attributes and an intentionally open-ended skill list. Character creation is based around building the story of how the character got to their current spot, with origins and careers to fill in their backstory and develop their abilities. A "countdown" system gives a random but constrained way to handle "ticking clock" situations such as defusing a bomb. |
|
| Universal System / int_c2297a9c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_c2297a9c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Judge Dredd (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_c2297a9c | |
| Universal System / int_c35cf18d | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_c35cf18d | comment |
Fuzion (Artesia, Cyberpunk v3.0, etc.): A blend of the Hero System and the "Interlock System" used in Mekton and Cyberpunk 2020. Pros: Got some exposure in anime licenses like Bubblegum Crisis and Dragon Ball Z Cons: Very difficult to expand into settings that didn't have official support; system is largely dead due to lack of continuing support |
|
| Universal System / int_c35cf18d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_c35cf18d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Artesia (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_c35cf18d | |
| Universal System / int_cc2f62b7 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_cc2f62b7 | comment |
Hero Clix is a miniatures battle system which started with just Marvel and DC, but at this point encompasses a wide variety of franchises, including assorted video games such as Gears of War and Street Fighter. Add in Horror Clix (which has compatible rules), and the Clix system will soon enough become as universal as a miniature system could possibly be. | |
| Universal System / int_cc2f62b7 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_cc2f62b7 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Hero Clix (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_cc2f62b7 | |
| Universal System / int_d3cc710e | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_d3cc710e | comment |
True20 (d20 variant) (games include the original Blue Rose, Damnation Decade and Imperial Age) Pros: Greatly simplified d20 system, so most players will already have a grasp of the rules. Cons: Powers are BROKEN. Uses a confusing and easily-overpowered damage track system instead of hit points, resulting in odd outcomes - for example, a non-combat-specialist one-shotting extremely powerful enemies because it couldn't see him. |
|
| Universal System / int_d3cc710e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_d3cc710e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Blue Rose (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_d3cc710e | |
| Universal System / int_d461f757 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_d461f757 | comment |
Cortex System (licensed games for Battlestar Galactica (2003), Firefly, Supernatural, Leverage, Smallville, and more) The Cortex System is a series of systems originally published by Margaret Weis Productions and primarily used for games based on licensed properties. There are three major editions, now called Cortex Classic, Cortex Plus, and Cortex Prime. Its primary mechanics are traits rated by dice - d2 or d4 for a poor stat, up to d12 for an excellent one - and Plot Points used to adjust rolls or create assets. In addition to the licensed property rulebooks, generic rulebooks were published for Cortex Classic and Cortex Prime, making it a Universal System and not just a House System. |
|
| Universal System / int_d461f757 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_d461f757 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Battlestar Galactica (2003) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_d461f757 | |
| Universal System / int_e0609930 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_e0609930 | comment |
Storypath system (White Wolf/Onyx Path Publishing's Trinity Universe 2E Scion 2E) Pros: Similar to Storytelling system below, but with better combat and three systems for Physical, Mental, and Social challenges. More action-focused. Cons: Very, very hard to wrap your head around. |
|
| Universal System / int_e0609930 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_e0609930 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Trinity Universe (White Wolf) (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_e0609930 | |
| Universal System / int_e5c5bc22 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_e5c5bc22 | comment |
GURPS Generic system created by Steve Jackson Games, based on The Fantasy Trip crossed with Champions building an entire system around Point Buy. Unusual in that it was designed from the beginning as a universal system. Pros: Sheer number of books, very well researched, quite internally consistent, tons of skills. All success rolls are against the character's skill modified by the situation, meaning there's no need to arbitrarily determine the number to roll against. All success rolls are on 3d6, giving a realistic probabilistic curve. The system is designed to be very modular, adaptable, and customizable, with most rules being optional. Combat actually moves pretty quickly once you get used to it since a lot of the "standard" modifiers are prefigured. No levels or class restrictions. Basic "Lite" rules free online. Cons: A lot of point-juggling (4th edition offers a lot of templates, but they aren't exactly easy to read), 3rd edition vehicle rules. It's easy to get situations with tons of modifiers, bonus and penalty. Character creation can be very intimidating from the sheer breadth of options and skills, especially without GM help. Balance issues at very high power levels. |
|
| Universal System / int_e5c5bc22 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_e5c5bc22 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| GURPS (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_e5c5bc22 | |
| Universal System / int_e65955d8 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_e65955d8 | comment |
One Roll Engine (REIGN, Wild Talents, Monsters and Other Childish Things) Pros: One-roll task resolution for each participant showing if they succeeded and how well (such as attacks and damage, or a competition and degree of victory), system built to enable easy point-buy or random generation. Rules are usually set at a good medium level of crunch difficulty but can be tuned down or up, as different titles demonstrate. Usually, averts Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards. Adaptable to low-power gritty settings or high-power wild settings. Cons: Task resolution and reading the dice can be unintuitive for newcomers and occasionally slows down even experienced players. Usually averts Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards, but can go wildly out of control when playing it straight (some powers in Wild Talents can be a bit much...). No single truly universal version. |
|
| Universal System / int_e65955d8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_e65955d8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Reign (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_e65955d8 | |
| Universal System / int_e66a25a9 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_e66a25a9 | comment |
Pros: Wide variety of material to support the system, much of it produced for the Rifts game. | |
| Universal System / int_e66a25a9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_e66a25a9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Rifts (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_e66a25a9 | |
| Universal System / int_e66a5695 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_e66a5695 | comment |
Risus Pros: Speedy character creation, easily-understandable rules. Also, free. Cons: Lack of reasonable balance - for the most part, the character with the most dice will always win. Not well suited for serious campaigns, although it's doable. |
|
| Universal System / int_e66a5695 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_e66a5695 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Risus (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_e66a5695 | |
| Universal System / int_e689212b | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_e689212b | comment |
Prose Descriptive Qualities (Dead Inside, Monkey Ninja Pirate Robot, Truth & Justice, etc.) Pros: Easy to learn, extremely fast character creation. Rules-light, but with some structure to provide direction. Factors combine to make most PDQ games good for one-night pick-up games or decent longer-term campaigns. Cons: The "universal" version is extremely bare-bones, potentially requiring a lot of work to customize. Potential for qualities to overlap is very easy to abuse if not carefully policed. Very slow advancement in some games and the relatively low granularity of the system can make power scaling very awkward. |
|
| Universal System / int_e689212b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_e689212b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Prose Descriptive Qualities (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_e689212b | |
| Universal System / int_f270b0d0 | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_f270b0d0 | comment |
Note: The Strange can overload the system. It's possible to have a Focus for every world visited in a setting that includes other public domain settings, and even adds pseudo-foci (like the Kro crows or Cataclyst mutants). | |
| Universal System / int_f270b0d0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_f270b0d0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Strange (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_f270b0d0 | |
| Universal System / int_faacbbf | type |
Universal System | |
| Universal System / int_faacbbf | comment |
Generic system created by Steve Jackson Games, based on The Fantasy Trip crossed with Champions building an entire system around Point Buy. Unusual in that it was designed from the beginning as a universal system. | |
| Universal System / int_faacbbf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Universal System / int_faacbbf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Fantasy Trip (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Universal System / int_faacbbf |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.