Let's build an RPG together.

How about the virus spreads through social media? :P

HOLY SHIT

Well, that would certainly explain tumblr... :P

that's cool

Since the game seems to be more based on "success vs. discovery", it seems that most conflict should be resolved with this sort of mechanic. I'm wondering if, in order to fit the "infection/strain" idea, there would be no HP for characters, but rather just an infection track to act as an "HP pool" instead? Or maybe try to use some sort of "Troubles" system sort of like what Rocket Amoeba does?

Also, to make character creation a bit faster, maybe instead of having character points, the players could also distribute other dice among skills? like 1d4, 1d4, 1d4, 1d6, 1d6, 1d8, 1d8, 1d10, 1d12 among the various skill lists. Later the character could buy new skills/improve old ones with character points?

If I were designing it I would have two health pools: One equivalent to HP (some players will probably end up in a violent confrontation) and one for resisting infection (Whether it's just a track that you follow or an actual pool is negotiable).

That sounds reasonable

Just an idea; how about the higher your Gift rating, the more likely it is for you to get infected? It would give it a nice double-edged feel.

It's like a mind virus, and minds with the gift are more open.

That is a nice idea...

Not that I think we should necessarily get rid of HP altogether, but since the focus of the game will be victory vs. discovery, it should be simplified in some way. Perhaps a check boxes system of Well -> Nicked -> Hurt -> Wounded -> Dead would work well?

That would work well as a compromise, I think

Sounds good. So how would physical combat work then? Getting shot, for example, in real life could take you right up to Dead. How do we determine the severity of wounds?

Guns would probably be in the d10 to d12 range of tools, and using one or more die depending on the firearm. The more you beat the TN of your opponent (remember average is 9), the opponent has to check more boxes on his wound track?

I don't like the idea of people with stronger Gifts being more susceptible to the virus. what I do like is the idea that the stronger your gift, the more obvious you become to the virus and it works to silence or infect you.

so wait.. if we're going through the virus thing, that makes the players humanity's immune system

Okay, so I've worked a bit on the idea last night.

So you distribute the following dice 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d10, 1d12 among the 5 attributes Body, Move, Mind, Will, Soul, putting 1 die per attribute. do not roll the die, simply note the die you placed for the attribute. For example Body 1d10.

Then you gain a number of skills to place, a bit like how you proceeded for the attributes. The number of skill depends on your Mind and Will attributes. (maybe make the player roll them or simply base it on the dice?)
Result(Dice?) / Skills
2-4 (2d4 to 1d4+1d6) / 2 x 1d4, 2 x 1d6, 1d8, 1d10
5-9 (2d6 to 1d8+1d10) / 2 x 1d4, 2 x 1d6, 1d8, 1d10, 1d12
10-15 (2d10 to 1d10+1d12) / 2 x 1d4, 2 x 1d6, 2 x 1d8, 1d10, 1d12
16-22 (2d12) / 3 x 1d4, 2 x 1d6, 2 x 1d8, 1d10, 1d12

Next determine your wounds levels. Roll your Body (how though you are) and your Will (your will to live) to determine the number of health check boxes you gain.
Roll (Dice?) / Health Check Boxes
2-4 (2d4 to 1d4+1d6) / 1 x Well box, 1 x Nicked box, 1 x Injured box, 1 x Wounded box, 1 x Dying box
5-9 (2d6 to 1d8+1d10) / 1 x Well box, 1 x Nicked box, 1 x Injured box, 2 x Wounded boxes, 1 x Dying box
10-15 (2d10 to 1d10+1d12) / 1 x Well box, 1 x Nicked box, 2 x Injured boxes, 2 x Wounded boxes, 1 x Dying box
16-22 (2d12) / 1 x Well box, 2 x Nicked boxes, 2 x Injured boxes, 2 x Wounded boxes, 1 x Dying box

Penalties at the various health levels
Well: no penalties
Nicked: one die drops 1 category
Injured: one die drops 2 categories, or 2 dice drop 1 category
Wounded: one die drops 3 categories, or 1 die drops 2 categories and 1 die drops 1 category, or 3 dice drops 1 category
Dying: must roll Body + Will TN 9 or die (or maybe total of roll is number of round you must receive medical attention before you die?)

I've also reworked the difficulties a bit, I think it,s better if the TN to beat always remains 9 (placeholder), and circumstances either increases or decreases die category, or add or remove dice. Of course, a player is not obliged to roll all dice he got, he only needs to beat TN 9 after all, and must avoid rilling doubles, triples, quadruples, etc...

Circumstances/Difficulty
Trivial / Increase a die 5 steps*
Extremely Easy / Increase a die 4 steps*
Very Easy / Increase a die 3 steps*
Easy / Increase a die 2 steps*
Somewhat Easy / Increase a die 1 step*
Somewhat Difficult / Decrease a die 1 step**
Difficult / Decrease a die 2 steps**
Very Difficult / Decrease a die 3 steps**
Extremely Difficult / Decrease a die 4 steps**
Insane / Decrease a die 5 steps**

* Increase steps are d4 -> d6 -> d8 -> d10 -> d12 -> +1d4 -> +1d6 -> +1d8 -> +1d10 -> +1d12
** Decrease steps are d12 -> d10 -> d8 -> d6 -> d4 -> -1d4 -> -1d6 -> -1d8 ->-1d10 -> -1d12. If you must lose 1 die and you do not have this type of die, reduce the value of the die to be lost (its number of faces) to the value of a die you have, the result is the new die you must use instead (ex: d10-d6=d4). If the result is less than 4, you simple lose the whole die as there are no d2 in this game.

Luck could be used to bump dice or add dice (mostly to circumvent penalties), but I haven't finished working on it yet. I'm not sure if I should make the player roll for it (or use the die value) or if all players should start with a set amount...

Oh, and as for all those doubles and triples, etc. the players must avoid rolling, I've been toying with this as well.

My first idea is to simply add the values of all dice who roll multiples (ex: two 6s and three 4s would total 24) and keep a running total on some sort of table, with some consequences or penalties when the discovery total reaches certain thresholds...

My other idea was that each die which roll the same numbers could be added together to form a TN under which the GM must roll for complications (ex: two 6s and three 4s would become two rolls at TN 12 each). If the GM beats the TN, there is no problems, if he fails the TN, then consequences or penalties happen...

Edit: Who knows, it might even possible to have both ideas at once. for example, the running total would determine which consequence/penalty could apply, and the TN rolls would determine if they do end up applying?

Really? No one else? If it's my system idea, don't worry guys, I'm not that attacked to it, we can always change it. Like I previously said, I'm merely throwing stuff at the wall and watching what sticks... In fact, I might very well abandon this idea since I remember I wanted to use only d6s to make the game more accessible to beginners and make it cheaper...