I’m working on a multi-genre original RPG called ‘Cinematic’ that will have traits and skills with an optional stunt system (that you can use or ignore). There will be a Sci Fi implementation of Cinematic called Imperium RPG. First let’s talk about the generic Cinematic RPG core system.

Stan designing the next version of Cinematic and Imperium RPGs

Two Attributes

Cinematic will work like Cortex Plus, Traveller, and other systems with two attribute that you add together for most checks. In Cinematic, you have 6 Traits: Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social. They work very much like D&D ability scores. You’ll also have up to 40 skills depending on the setting. For most checks you’ll add your trait modifier (which will range from -2 to +2) and your skill rank (which will range from -3 if you’re not trained in a skill, to +3). Total possible ranges based on trait + skill rank would be -5 to +5.

Core Mechanic

The core mechanic is this:

Roll 2d6, add relevant die modifiers (DMs). If you get an 8+ you succeed.

So a character with a Dexterity modifier of +2 and a Shooting (Slug) skill of +1 will get a +3 DM when shooting a slugged weapon like a rifle. They’ll hit on a 5 or better.

Adding Shift to Damage

If you score higher than the target number, the difference is called a Shift. In the above example, the character is shooting their gun, gets a +3 DM from their Dexterity modifier and Shooting (Slug) skill, and rolls a 5 and a 6 on their two dice. Their total score is 14, a Shift of 6 over the target number of 8. The 6 is added to the damage roll.

Skills in Cinematic Settings

Now let’s take a look at the skill system. In the most generic flavor of Cinematic RPG, you have the following skill lists which differ by setting. Some skills have specialties listed after the skill (I’ll explain more about who specialties work in the future). Cinematic will be like Chaosium’s Basic Roleplaying RPG, Fate Core RPG or Margaret Weiss’s Cortex Plus RPG where in most cases you’ll tweak the rules and skill list for each setting.

Basic Skill List

1. Animals — Handling, Veterinary, Training
2. Art — Performer, Instrument, Visual Media, Writing [in modern settings add Videography, and in Sci Fi settings add Holography]
3. Athletics — Dexterity, Endurance, Strength
4. Boating — Ocean Ships, Personal, Sail [in modern or Sci Fi settings add Submarine]
5. Carousing
6. Deception
7. Diplomat
8. Gambler
9. Healing
10. Investigation
11. Language — [Setting specific specialties]
12. Leadership
13. Melee — Unarmed, Blade, Bludgeon
14. Navigation
15. Notice
16. Persuasion
17. Profession — [Setting specific specialties; in Sci Fi they are Belter, Biologicals, Civil Engineering, Construction, Hydroponics, Polymers]
18. Reconnaissance
19. Shooting — Archaic [Modern setting adds Slug; Sci Fi setting adds Energy]
20. Sleight of Hand
21. Stealth
22. Streetwise
23. Survival
24. Tactics — Military, Naval
25. Trade

Fantasy

In Fantasy settings, we add the following skills:

1. Arcana
2. Knowledge — [Setting specific specialties]
3. Lore
4. Nature
5. Religion

Modern

In Modern or Sci Fi settings, we add the following skills:

1. Admin
2. Advocate
3. Aircraft Pilot —  Airship, Rotor, Wing [Some Sci Fi setting add Gravlift, Ornithopter]
4. Driving — Digger, Track,Wheel  [Some Sci Fi setting add Hovercraft, Walker]
5. Electronics — Comms, Computers, Remote Ops, Sensors
6. Engineer — [Some Sci Fi settings add STL, FTL, Life Support, Power]
7. Explosives
8. Gunner — Turret [Some Sci Fi setting add Orbital Artillary, Screen, Capital]
9. Heavy Weapons — Artillery, Man Portable, Vehicle
10. Mechanic
11. Science — Archaeology, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Cosmology, Cybernetics, Economics, Genetics, History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Physics, Planetology, Psychology, Robotics [Some Sci Fi setting add Psionology, Xenology]
12. Steward

Sci Fi

Finally, in Sci Fi settings, we add the following skills:

1. Astrogation
2. Spacecraft Pilot — Small Craft, Spacecraft, Capital Ships
3. Vacc Suit

Skills in Imperium

The Imperium RPG has the following 40 skills:

1. Admin
2. Advocate
3. Aircraft Pilot — Airship, Gravlift, Ornithopter, Rotor, Wing
4. Animals — Handling, Veterinary, Training
5. Art — Performer,  Instrument, Videography/Holography, Visual Media, Writing
6. Astrogation
7. Athletics — Dexterity, Endurance, Strength
8. Boating — Ocean Ships, Personal, Sail, Submarine
9. Carousing
10. Deception
11. Diplomat
12. Driving — Hovercraft, Digger, Track, Walker, Wheel
13. Electronics — Comms, Computers, Remote Ops, Sensors
14. Engineer — STL, FTL, Life Support, Power
15. Explosives
16. Gambler
17. Gunner — Turret, Orbital Artillary, Screen, Capital
18. Healing
19. Heavy Weapons — Artillery, Man Portable, Vehicle
20. Investigation
21. Language — Setting specific language skill specialties
22. Leadership
23. Mechanic
24. Melee — Unarmed, Blade, Bludgeon
25. Navigation
26. Notice
27. Persuasion
28. Profession — Belter, Biologicals, Civil Engineering, Construction, Hydroponics, Polymers
29. Reconnaissance
30. Science — Archaeology, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Cosmology, Cybernetics, Economics, Genetics, History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Physics, Planetology, Psionology, Psychology, Robotics, Xenology
31. Shooting — Archaic, Energy, Slug
32. Sleight of Hand
33. Spacecraft Pilot — Small Craft, Spacecraft, Capital Ships
34. Stealth
35. Steward
36. Streetwise
37. Survival
38. Tactics — Military, Naval
39. Trade
40. Vacc Suit

[Edit: since I first posted this I removed Jack-of-All-Trades and added in Notice].

That’s it for now. I am working on a MVP (minimum viable product) set of Imperium rules this week which I hope to beta-test on Thursday’s one-shot game. 🙂