The Genesys System - A Free Paper And Pencil Role Playing Game Engine

The Genesys System

A Free Universal Paper and Pencil Role Playing Game Engine

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.

At present (10/25/2009) the Genesys System is in beta. I am actively soliciting play-testing reports in an effort to improve the system and get it ready for prime time. The mechanics are now in feature freeze and no new major changes are expected, but if you wish to develop seriously for the Genesys System, you are strongly encouraged to wait for version 1.0.

How to Use Genesys

Genesys is designed to be a sort of “operating system” for your role playing game. It is a set of core rules that handle such things as task resolution, combat, and various other things you might expect in a traditional paper and pencil role-playing game. Plug-ins are designed to be like tools or programming modules that you add on to the core rules to give you extra things you might need for your game, like a magic system.

By using Genesys, and choosing the appropriate plug-ins, game designers and GMs can focus on those things that truly matter to them: the setting and those mechanics that re-enforce the setting or otherwise make your role playing game unique. The license Genesys uses lets you not only build new games for your own enjoyment, but you can also publish them, even commercially! Many people have an idea for a setting, or a new game mechanic, or a desire to create an advanced magic system, but a lot of these gamers may not wish to invest the weeks and months required to write an entire rules system from scratch. Genesys gives you a solid core rule set so you can focus on what makes your game special. And it doesn’t restrict your ability to later make money on your creation.

Current Progress

The focus on development is now exclusively based on play-testing reports, the system having reached the point where theoretical discussion is no longer a benefit. After the official release of Genesys, the primary means for improving the system will be based on play-testing experiences. If you would like to be involved in the development of the system, now is the time to get started. Download the rules and run a game for your own group, then join the mailing list and share your thoughts!

There have been no critical rules changes submitted or suggested over the last few months, though work is ongoing and more rigorous play-testing is happening, now that summer is officially over. The current release (0.8.2) is the last “rough release” before a complete re-write of the core rules document for clarity and better structure. Version 0.9 will be that re-write, with subsequent revisions being limited to correcting typos and clarifying existing rules so that 1.0 can get out the door.

I had expected to release version 0.8.2 along with a “surprise”, but that project has been delayed due to other obligations. Don’t worry though, work on the core rules continues to have priority.

I hope to have version 0.9 ready by the end of the year. It is my hope that 0.9 will be quickly followed by 1.0, but I’m not willing to put a hard and fast official release date on the Genesys System. The core rules will be done when they are ready.

A Call for Play-Testing

As I mentioned above, play-testing is king and is especially helpful during the pre-release phase of a game. Anyone who play-tests the system in their own groups, and send me their results, will be credited as a play-tester and will also receive my undying gratitude.

Files

(All files are PDFs unless otherwise noted)

Core Rules

Genesys: Modern (Version 0.8.2) – This is the core rules document which describes the mechanics of the Genesys System.
Genesys: Modern (Character Sheet) – This is a character sheet for the core rules.

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/

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.

License Notes

The Genesys System is ©2009 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.