Games

Tabletop Games (12/5/23)

Welcome back to the weekly Tabletop Games thread! This thread is where we can talk about all kinds of RPGs, card games, board games, etc. Whether you gather around a physical table in the real world, or use a virtual space to play with friends who may live far away from you, this is where you can discuss your favorites, ask for and/or receive recommendations, recap your recent adventures, or even find some people to play games with!

This week’s prompt: Hey everybody,  it’s TTRPG system overview time and today we’ll look at a system for those deer-in-a-headlight moments when you want to play a game but don’t have an elaborate map, setting, or even faintest idea of a concept.  That system is the Cornerstone RPG.

What is it?

Cornerstone is a zero-prep, generic system.  Rather than have a predetermined setting or genre, it leads the players and GM alike through the process of deciding the game’s concept and even mood during the first session.  After establishing the setting, skills, and player characters, the game leads the GM to set up a cold-open action sequence to drop the characters into.   

What are the mechanics?

The only roll of the game is done with a single d6, with success being determined by the relevant skill for the action – high skills succeed on a 2-6 while low skills only succeed on a 5 or 6.  The exact number rolled also has bearing on the outcome of the action, with even numbers adding an “and” to the outcome of the action and odd numbers adding a “but.”  So, if you fail with a roll of 2, you fail AND something worse happens, compared to failing with a 1 which gets you a mild benefit.  There are a couple of other unique mechanics, like choosing a particular action you always succeed at and some key traits modifying rolls.

What does the gameplay look like?

Having established that the setting for their game will be the extraction of the President’s son from an island swarming with mind-controlled parasite hosts, the GM describes the sounds of angry Spanish cursing as Leona and Ash slam the door to a cottage, hoping to fend off the hordes.  Leona tries to hold the door, prompting a Might roll, which she is capable at (succeeding on a 3+).  The result is a 6, yielding a “success and” result; the GM says will mean that not only does Leona slam the door against the horde, she will be able to jam it shut, sealing off that entrance entirely.  Ash, panicking for a moment, decides he will go hide while Leona handles the totally-not-zombies.  This warrants a stealth roll, which Ash is similarly capable at.  The roll is a 2, but adding the bonus from his key ideal of “survival,” the die is bumped up to a “success, but.”  While hiding in the upstairs closet, Ash crosses in front of a window, showing the horde another way in.  A ladder clanks into place against the side of the cottage as Leona swears and draws her gun.

Niche

As I mentioned above, this is a great system for zero-prep one-shot games.  If you’ve ever said to yourself “What if I meet some other people at the Christmas party who play TTRPGs?” or “I’ll have an hour before class starts, maybe [friend’s name] and I can get a game in,” then this is the system for you.  I keep a couple of printouts in my car for emergencies. 

Pluses

  • The “and/but” mechanic makes for some thought-provoking outcomes.
  • Much like Fate, you can base your game around any genre or setting that tickles your collective fancy.
  • The game creation process is a structured way to introduce collaborative gameplay and worldbuilding to a group.

Minuses

  • The layout may require a lot of flipping back and forth.
  • The system will be simple enough for experienced roleplayers, but juggling skills, traits, results, and some other mechanics may be a lot for folks new to the hobby.

Dugong’s advice

  • It’s probably a good idea to establish what actions would fall under what skills as part of the worldbuilding section, it may prevent some arguments later. 
  • Starting with an established pop-culture setting for your first run with the system may help put players at ease.  If your group is a fan of super sentai or courtroom dramas, start with a giant robot battle or a cross-examination.  Or both!

Where can I find it?

The pdf is available for free on DriveThruRPG and the creator’s website.

Thanks to Handsome Young Dugong for providing this week’s discussion/write-up! If you would like to suggest a prompt or contribute a write-up or discussion topic of your own, let me know in the comments!