The Genesys System

A Free Universal Paper and Pencil Role Playing Game Engine

By Jeff Clough <jeff@chaosphere.com>

Introduction

The Genesys System is a universal paper and pencil role playing game engine designed to be as simple and flexible as possible. It is intended to support modular development, allowing others to create add-ons in the form of "plug-ins" for such things as magic systems or super powers.

The core rules describe the modern United States, but this is done in the interest of making the mechanics easier to learn and understand. The rules can be applied to any genre or setting.

Among the features of this system are a reduced element of randomness that makes it more likely that players can depend on their skills and tactics to see them through a challenge, and mechanics designed to represent a character's off screen" time, providing a way to quickly resolve some situations that might normally eat up large amounts of game time or remove some characters from the action. It is also very easy to learn and run.

The Core Rules Document has been written with the game designer or experienced Game Master in mind. It is designed to present the rules in a clear manner, but does not follow the typical structure or layout that a complete, commercial product would have. It is possible to run a game directly from the Core Rules Document, but it will require slightly more work than if the rules were organized like those found in a book.

Development

The Genesys System continues to be actively developed. Work on the next version of the system (version 1.1) is already under way. Perhaps the largest change to the system will be a complete restructuring of the Core Rules Document, as well as the implementation of a more formal work-flow for making changes. As soon as this process is in place, a link will be provided here to the current development version.

The plug-ins available below have all been verified to work with version 1.0.1 of the Core Rules. Their text has not been updated to reflect this, but will be as each plug-in continues to be tested and developed.

As always, the most important way that changes will be made to the system is in response to user feedback. Subscribe to the mailing list or share your thoughts with the maintainer directly by using the links provided.

Files

(All files are PDFs unless otherwise noted)

Core Rules

Genesys Core Rules Document 1.0.1 - This is the core rules document which describes the mechanics of the Genesys System.
Modern Character Sheet - This is a character sheet for the core rules, suitable for the modern world.

Plug-Ins

Genesys: Action! (Version 0.6) - A plug-in designed to provide rules for a more cinematic/epic style of game.
Genesys: Wizardry (Version 0.6.1) - A plug-in for a simple magic system that easily allows for the creation of new spells.
Wizardry - Magic Items (Version 0.5) - A plug-in to handle magic items designed to work with Genesys: Wizardry.

Community

Mailing List
To subscribe to the official mailing list, send a message to genesys-rpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Alternatively, you may visit the link below which also contains an archive of all the messages sent to the list.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/genesys-rpg/

How To Help
If you are interested in helping Genesys become a better system, there are a number of things you can do. Here are some ideas...

Tell others about Genesys and where to get it.
Run a game for your group using the Genesys System.
Subscribe to the mailing list and discuss the system.
Create a plug-in and share it with the community.

Everyone who wishes to is entitled to develop for the system, and if you create such a product I'd be happy to link to it here. Those people who create plug-ins or other content for Genesys using its Creative Commons license are invited to send me a copy of their PDF file and I'd be glad to host it here as a mirror, as well as providing a link to your site and proper credit.

If you are looking for an idea about what sort of plug-in you might want to write, here are some of the ones we'd most like to see...

A better magic system.
A system for cybernetic implants.
A system for space combat.
A system for detailed politcal intrigue.
A system for crafting new technology.
A system for super heroes.

If you'd like to work on any of these ideas, send a message to the mailing list and let people know what you are working on and how it might work.

License

The Genesys System is ©2010 by Jeff Clough and is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License. You are free to use, modify or otherwise develop content and mechanics for the Genesys System, even for commercial purposes, provided proper credit and a link to this page is given. The specific requirements of this attribution can be found in the core rules document.