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The Bluff System

A random RPG mechanic popped fully-formed into my head, so now it will pop into yours.

The player first states what the character will do:

I cut the heads off three goblins.

I stab him in the neck.

…and the opponent makes a counter-proposal.

I shoulder-barge a bandit, and throw him into the river.

Or he could duck, grab your legs, and throw you into the river!

Only one of these things will actually happen. A single roll of the dice decides.

I cast a spell to freeze his blood, killing him instantly.

He stabs his sword into your throat!

The mechanical effect must be clear at the point the player states their intentions. Some moves will kill, others will inflict a penalty, disarm someone, or anything which makes sense. But the bigger the effect, the bigger the penalty to hit.

I cut slash my sword across his chest…

He lunges in for the kill with his axe held high above his head, so that’s a -4 penalty….

I rolled a 6, that’s 14 to his, so I got him?

Yea, with his penalty, that’s a slash. His chest opens as the axe hits the ground. You step back while watching him bleed.

The system would have to combine a few potential manoeuvres, but probably not more than six or so.

I kill all three goblins, using the blade like a scythe against briars. I can take the -4 penalty easily. They’re tiny!

And another -2 penalty per target.
Two goblins step back. The other stabs your foot.

Oh crap…I dodge.

Okay, but you still get a -2 for switching actions.

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Clearly part of the system is about leaning into an all-or-nothing gamble. I think it could be quite dramatic.

It also allows very direct tactical decisions. The players must constantly choose between a 50% chance of killing an opponent, or a 70% chance of wounding one, which leaves them with an 80% chance of wound again on the next attack, and so on.

So when facing a horrifying ogre, wearing plate armour, and carrying a magical mace, the characters may try to make a small wound to give it a penalty. The ogre becomes a ‘boss-fight’ because that’s how the players want to approach it, but they could risk it all to shift the narrative to Jack the Giant Slayer.

And best of all - if the system found the right balance, then most PC deaths would come from players’ choices.