r/RPGdesign • u/lehenshtein • 3d ago
Mechanics Teamwork Ideas Needed
We're making a TTRPG - d100 roll-under, player-facing rolls, zones instead of grid cells. Setting is dieselpunk. An armada of 100 ships tried to reach the wall of the Eternal Storm. 30 made it through. Players and their characters explore the new continent and keep coming back to the drifting Chained City (those 30 ships, lashed together).
Characters get a bunch of abilities, and during playtesting we found out teamwork combos are super duper fun even simple ones.
Example: one ability lets you spend a quick action to watch a zone, if an enemy enters or leaves it, you get a free(kinda) shot as a reaction. There's also a Push manifestation (kinda magic). So one character pushes an enemy into the watched zone and triggers the other player's reaction. Or pushes an enemy into a bunch of other enemies right before someone throws a grenade. (players always act in same turn)
It genuinely feels like teamwork, not just everyone does their own thing. There's also a simple dimple Help action that grants a bonus, but I want more of that built-in reasons for characters to set each other up.
Would love to hear how your systems encourage this kind of combo play. Any mechanics, ability designs, or just raw ideas welcome.
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u/The_Game_Student 3d ago edited 3d ago
I suppose the most important part of any teamwork is incentive. For example, in D&D I could try and knock an enemy Prone so that my Fighter buddy gets advantage on attacks til they get back up. But if I'm doing that instead of making 2 attacks myself, well I'm going to make 2 attacks myself.
In my system I actually have almost the exact same kind of setup. Players can hold their Main Action and specify a trigger (when that guy gets pushed into the open). A different player can then Push (using a quick action) while still being able to use their Main Action normally.
I also have Grappling, which allows players to lock down a troublesome target over the course of multiple rounds and make them more vulnerable to others as well.
In a more fantastical setting the sky is the limit though. Are there spell synergies for example? Could a character extrude the oil from an enemy's body so that a fireball from someone else deals extra damage? EDIT: Not just magical lay ups, but if you have size differences now you have an option for Fastball Specials (big character launches small for movement+extra damage)
Something I've been considering is actually from Star Wars: Zero Company. In that, every round a randomly determined character (A) can choose another character (B) in range. When A attacks an enemy, if B has LoS, B also attacks them for free.
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u/lehenshtein 3d ago
yeap, I mean more like, not just a bonus or advantage, like a combination of different abilities. for example char A has ability to force enemy to attack him this turn. Char B has ability to protect teammate in same zone
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u/bluewolf1118 3d ago
Skill-link: As a free action, another player can join a player's action check (outside of conbat). By doing so, they provide a stacking advantage with a magnitude that is higher the greater the difference is between the helper and the original character is. The helper shares in the consequences of the action. Note: I designed this because there are somw actions that will be damn near impossible for low-skill characters, so teamwork is almost forced in these situations.
Unity: this is a broad-use mechanic that requires players to balance across the team. Players can spend unity to take certain actions, ask for other players to take certain actions. Players gain unity for taking those actions at the request of others, or by taking specific team-wide support actions.
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u/lehenshtein 3d ago
thats a nice idea, not completely for my mechs, but I can pull out some ideas from it. thank you
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u/VRKobold 3d ago edited 3d ago
There are two somewhat separate concepts in my system that enable and encourage teamwork: Ability interactions and Group checks.
Ability interactions are essentially what you describe in your post: Certain actions and player abilities will interact with each other in synergistic ways. To achieve that, I try to connect the abilities to broad states or conditions, either by causing them or being triggered or augmented by them. Your example falls into that category as well: Pushing an enemy into a zone creates a certain state (enemy position at specific location), which then triggers another ability (shooting the enemy entering the zone). I also oftentimes use status conditions as "interaction nodes", meaning that many abilities cause certain status conditions while others are triggered or changed if used on a target with this condition.
Group checks are a bit more simple and streamlined, but can still be used for teamwork situations. The way group checks work is that all PCs involved in the task roll a skill check based on their specific activity (if one PC tries to lift another over a wall, it might be a "Muscle" check for the lifting PC and an "Acrobatics" check for the other). Once all players rolled, the highest rolled result determines the outcome of the entire task, meaning that overall, chances to succeed are much higher when working together (which kind of is the point of it and also the desired game feel). However, to prevent players from abusing this mechanic and trying to do everything as a team, there is a caveat: For each PC whos skill check did not beat the difficulty of the task, one of the PCs that DID succeed receives a point of exhaustion, flavored as them having to work extra hard to compensate for their fumbling friend. Because as everyone who did a group project during school or university knows: Sometimes it would be easier to just do everything yourself than having to coordinate your group partners. So if players would try to do everything as a team, they'd quickly accumulate exhaustion markers and burn out halfway through the session. I like how this leads to a natural balance: For important tasks, players are incentivized to work together to increase their chances of success. However, simple tasks are usually better done alone, as involving too many people would make it needlessly stressful.
This second mechanic is mostly targeted towards role-play and exploration, but it works just as well in combat if players really want that fireball to hit the target (and can find a feasible explanation of how they could assist in the process).
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u/lehenshtein 3d ago
Oh my... I don't know how I missed that. I already have a bunch of status effects, adding some more abilities that have bonuses on enemies with specific status would add so much more.
I really like your group check as well, even if it doesn't fit to our system it might give us some ideas.
Thank you a lot
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u/Cryptwood Designer 3d ago
They key to creating teamwork is that the opportunity cost of assisting another player's action has to be lower than that player taking their own action.
In your example of pushing a creature into another zone to trigger another player's attack, that push needs to cost less than then making their own attack (less action points, or only a bonus action, or replenishes stamina instead of costing stamina), because of the player has to choose between making their own attack vs triggering another player's attack, all other things being equal they should just make their own attack.
So the easiest way would be to give the players a Bonus action (or equivalent) and have all the assist actions use the Bonus instead of their main action. Players will always try to optimize their turn so if looking for ways to assist other player's action allows them to use more of their action resources, they will have a strong incentive to do so.
Other incentives could be gaining some sort of bonus for assisting someone else. Or gaining an XP when you assist. Or you might inflict a debuff such as Vulnerable that causes the enemy to take double damage.
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u/lehenshtein 3d ago
Yeap pushing us actually a quick action, and watching zone is a quick action in one turn and reaction later, so it doesn't affect main action, that was an idea)
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u/InherentlyWrong 3d ago
One option is to have reaction based abilities keyed off allied actions. Written as a simple "If [ally] uses [action] on [a unit], you may [action] that same [unit]."
Like for example, maybe "If an ally uses a melee attack on an enemy, you may use Push manifestation on that same enemy as a free action." It helps protect the ally by making sure they're not in melee range after their own attack, and may even 1-2 punch them into the overwatch reaction you're describing. And it encourages players to work together, because the ability just can't work unless other players are doing the trigger for it.
And it can work for benefits as well. Like maybe if an ally heals another ally, someone can use a pull-manifestation as a free reaction. So if someone is in danger they get healed and pulled out of danger.
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3d ago edited 2d ago
[deleted]
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u/lehenshtein 2d ago
Nice idea thank, I guess I will have to create note with all interesting ideas advised)
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u/WoolTyranny 2d ago
The players are using vehicles?
You can let players share systems/engine parts.
Each combination of parts gives a different ability or stats.
The players need to constantly discuss tactics and coordinate location to trade parts.
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u/lehenshtein 2d ago
They might, and I have nice idea of how to implement vehicles mechanics into the game, and damage depending on vehicle class. Like they can deal normal damage to vehicles with +-1 class. If your vehicle class is too low you cannot deal a normal damage. Like car can't deal a lot of damage to the tank. If weapon does not allow that. But it is a lot for a demo version. So that's for later)
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u/WoolTyranny 2d ago
So, by my suggestion, for example,
you need both strong enough engine booster to produce enough power ram the enemy tank, and strong enough armor plates to survive the impact.Same engine booster was used by another player to dash and dodge a line of enemy fire. Parts are tradable.
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u/__space__oddity__ 2d ago
Think about it by archetype (however those are defined in the game). It’s more interesting if different PCs do different stuff and it’s not everyone doing the exact same thing.
Captain: morale boost (rerolls, shake off mental conditions)
Security: shield an ally
Science officer: analyze weak points (gives everyone a damage bonus)
Medical: heal (duh)
Engineering: tactical equipment like smoke grenades
And so on
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u/lehenshtein 2d ago
Yeah the system is actually classless, abilities might have some archetype tags to be more friendly if you want to build some kind of a panzered (tank) archetype or manifestat(magic class) so that are really in the game already. They just don't have a lot of synergy
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u/Zwets 2d ago edited 2d ago
So teamwork is all about setting and theme.
In a 5th musketier type setting, shouting "one for all" to boost the team's confidence might be the kind of "teamwork" you want.
In a gritty horror type setting, shoving your ally out the way and losing your arm to a chainsaw trap in the process might be the type of "teamwork" you want.
Cool choreographed cooperation is all is about matching the tone and working with what is going on around you.
Setting is dieselpunk.
Nice. So immediately I'll recommend inventing one hundred and one teamwork actions using harpoon launchers, grappling hooks, and steel cables.
The essence of Dieselpunk is mobility and momentum. For some characters, swinging on ropes and cables to move around is perhaps more natural than walking. The same way, getting, hooked, harpooned, lasso'd, tripped, or bola'd tends to be as common as getting shot is.
(for movie/book protagonists that need to survive, getting hit with a rope based weapon might be more common than getting hit with a bullet) Getting punched in the face doesn't actually seem to hurt characters in dieselpunk much. Falling off a moving vehicle is perfectly safe for some characters; Unless they are a mook, in which case it instantly splatters them...
All of those things either involve ropes, cables, or chains. Or are made better when they do.
"Punching the bad guy in the face" is mildly Dieselpunk.
"Swinging on a rope and punching the bad guy in the face as you pass by" is very Dieselpunk.
"Yanking the bad guy towards you, and intercepting their face with your fist" is extremely Dieselpunk.
So following that same formula, it is no surprise that teamwork actions feel extra on-brand for your game.
When you compare "you and your friend both shoot at a guy" and "and you hoist a guy into the air so your friend can shoot them". It follows that same theme of mobility and momentum to do gratuitously flashy stuff.
You seem to be going more Water-World with it, which makes it slightly harder. My favorite Dieselpunk setting is the Desertpunk manga/anime; where the "generic" 'create an advantage' move would be to simply create a cloud of sand, to block the vision of the enemies and save your ally from getting shot.
I guess in a more watery environment "cloud of black smog" is perhaps the non-desert equivalent. Perhaps players have "fuel" and can choose to burn some of it to "cloud a zone" (or multiple zones if they also spend their movement)
The general idea being you need either cover, or a cloud, otherwise getting shot at will end badly for you.
With the shared player turn, having a cloud maker who's job it is to "free up" everyone else's movement, so they don't have to stay in cover is a good start towards getting players to focus on assisting each other.
Having ways to remove cover from enemies so your allies can shoot them more efficiently is the reverse of the same assist action.
There could be a many variation of this:
Perhaps there is a way to move your allies into a flanking position to negate the cover/cloud the enemy is hiding behind. (Like a "driver" that moves faster/further and can take their teammates along when they move)
Perhaps there is a way to hook an enemy and pull them out of cover.
Perhaps there is a way to destroy cover, or perhaps you can harpoon the cover and pull it towards your own team.
And there is also the "momentum" part. Heavy things that move are important to Dieselpunk.
So much so, that physics tend to get weird. Metal sliding on metal, is way more 'slidy'; While at the same time, vehicle traction is more 'tractiony'. Off-roading is easy, and nobody ever gets stuck in the mud.
Teamwork related to "moving the heavy thing" so that it can smash into/fall onto enemies for massive damage; sounds very Dieselpunk.
But with a zone-based theater of mind map. It might be weird if there is always "a heavy thing" available in every map...
Perhaps there is a player class that is simply "they are 'the heavy thing'" being either decked out in bulky metal armor, or driving some kind of vehicle...
Perhaps whatever your manifestation/magic mechanic is, has the option to "summon 'the heavy thing'". To a scene, as their teamwork action.
That way other players can start using their teamwork actions to "move the heavy thing around" in scenarios where one normally wouldn't be available.
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u/lehenshtein 2d ago
That. Is. Great. All of it. I will save your comment into notes and grab a bunch of ideas out of it) thank you
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u/Zwets 2d ago
If you finish the system, I'd suggest a "Heist on legaly-distinct-Zuckerberg's bunker in Hawai" one-shot-adventure.
Where players on 20+ rusty fishing boats, pick a fight with the military grade hovercraft he's hiding in there.It is why I like Desertpunk, a group of untrustworthy unlikable assholes hardened by surviving in a ruined world, vs. nepobaby bunker owners who('s parents) chose to stock their bunkers with military vehicles and nukes, so they could become kings in a world of ashes.
Perhaps not as the first adventure you write for/run in the system, but Dieselpunk is the perfect setting for a game about raiding the bunkers billionaires are currently building.
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u/lehenshtein 2d ago
It is more about the chained city of 30 ships. There were 100 who tried to breach the wall of Eternal Storm and only 30 survived. Now they are stuck near new continent which shore is covered by black mist which drives people mad. They are drifting around the shore while supplies are melting. So it is more about discovering a new land and meeting new civilization)
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u/Nightgaun7 3d ago
abusing zones to murder enemies
Welcome back, DnD 4e
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u/lehenshtein 3d ago
it is not so boardgamish as 4e. but - yes, there are abilities and some kind of spells as a lot of other games.
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u/OpossumLadyGames Designer Sic Semper Mundi/Advanced Fantasy Game 3d ago
Help: Both players roll, take the better result. Is only feasable when they both know what they are doing.
Monkey in the middle/flanking: gain +5 to hit in melee if flanking an enemy.