TTRPG Combat Reimagined

Goal:

To build a simple but more engaging combat system for tabletop RPG's using cards to represent action economy. To maintain a semblance of RPG progression on top of deck building mechanics as well as traditional positional elements of combat.

What:

Much of the core gameplay will feel familiar to TTRPG players, especially of common games like D&D and Pathfinder. The main differences will be in the combat system, where traditional TTRPG combat will be supplemented by cards that represent a players action economy.

Why:

Myself and many people I have played with find the save or suck and repetitive nature of TTRPG combat can bog down games and take away the enjoyment from the greater scope of the game. Cards allow for more interesting spell interactions that may break balance in traditional combat, as well as the slot machine effect of drawing the perfect situational card. They also provide a constant route for player progression that is not tied purely to stat or gear upgrades.

How:

The first step is to extract what I feel to be essential parts of traditional TTRPG's and maintain the core roleplaying and progression. Then to reimagine the classes so that each deck has a clear identity, but leaves room for player experimentation like a proper deck builder. I believe that part of the key to achieving this is to maintain some of the standard character progression from TTRPGs, such as stat scaling and gearing. This means keeping very tight damage numbers and scalable math that won't become an overhead for players and DM's.