The Silvervine Game system is built to allow the players and the Game Master to bring out the most of what they want in a role playing game. Our goal is to give players a robust and open character creation system that allows for any concept imaginable, and to give Game Masters a simple but broad rules set that they can use to determine the outcome of any situation which may come up.
Silvervine is about playing the game the way that you want, and it doesn't stop with whats in the books. Silvervine's systems are built to be expandable and customizable. Whether it's just a different thematic shell on an already existing power, a homebrewed rules module to handle a new situation or a player changing the application of a spell on the fly, Silvervine is built to let you make your mark on the game.
Character creation is huge part of any Silvervine game. Silvervine breaks away from the mold of class-based Roleplaying by providing a point based character creation system. There should be no limitations on how you build a living, breathing imaginary person as your avatar within a game world. Whatever your character concept, be it swashbuckler, intelligent warrior, brawny battle-mage,suave orcish spy, penguin ninja, political insider, masterful boatswain, ex-patriot adventurer, philosophizing truck driver, or any other concept, you can build it in Silvervine.
Silvervine's simple character creation system works by giving characters Attribute Points to buy up their physical, mental, and spiritual stats, and Experience Points to buy everything else.
With experience points, characters can purchase:
- Skills - Training in a certain skill set. Lowers the difficulty of actions using that training.
- Weapon Skills - Skills in using and knowing about types of weapons. Divided into broad categories (Medium Blade, Hafted Weapons, Hand Held Guns) to give broad use of purchased abilities.
- Focuses - Abilities, powers, character background benefits, mystic powers and a limitless stream of other unique powers. Each focus has its own rules set. The vast number of focuses allows characters to expand in unique and limitless ways. Focuses can turn spells into permanent abilities, grant combat benefits and
- Hit Points - Want to make your character better able to stand the rigors of life and combat? Purchase up some hit points. The tougher your character naturally is, the more hit points they get for each experience point spent.
- Setting Specific Powers - Many setting specific powers are available as well,and each setting specific system can be moved to other settings. Magic from one setting could be used in another setting with psychic powers.
Why not see what Silvervine's character creation has to offer by making one?
Another huge part of Character Creation in Silvervine is Thematics
Any situation in a Silvervine Game can be resolved by one simple rule; the Core Mechanic. The Core Mechanic is easy to learn and implement, and holds a great deal of diversity in its use.
Core System Mechanic
- The Game Master can call for a roll to determine success or failure of an action.
- The character's relevant and supporting attributes determine the number of 10 sided die (d10) to roll.
- Any die rolled at 8 or above is considered a success.
- Any relevant skill the character has lowers the number that has to be rolled on the die. A skill of 1 in a relevant field will make a 7 or above a success.
- If you get the required number of successes, as set by the Game Master or situation, then the action is successful.
The Core Mechanic isn't the end. The Core Rulebook contains many optional rules that allow Game Masters and Players to add as much mechanical depth and nuance as they want. Simple rules systems such as Heroes in Mass Combat, Chemical Compounds, Circumstance Modifiers and Size Scale provide endless options for your game.
To jump in and get a hands on feel for it download the Level 0 guide and start playing today.
The entire Silvervine experience is based on 4 key concepts.
Unlimited Character Creation
Players are capable of putting together their unique vision in innumerable ways. The only limits are the world setting and the player’s vision of who their character is.
Thematics
Players are not just given freedom with character creation in skills and abilities, but in the thematic elements of their character as well. Players get to determine how and why their powers and abilities work, where their skills and training come from, what their equipment and armor looks like. One character's flight power could come from psychic power, while another character's flight power comes from generating a super hot flame around their body. Both work off the same Flight focus, but the how, why and looks are all in the player's hands.
Cinematics
The description of a characters actions are up to the player and can be as cool, creative and involved as they want it to be. The player might describe the incredible actions of their character running up the back of the dragon, halberd edge dragging along hard scale, sparks flying and ichor oozing out. The rules have already made the damage happen; the embellishment of it is up to the player to thread into the story being told. The system registers this as a regular attack with no penalties and no bonuses. The character, however, did something excellent. This is called Cinematics, and it is a big part of the Silvervine philosophy. If an action grants no benefit or penalty in the system then it should be allowed to be as incredible, comedic, or expressive as the player wants it to be.
Narrative
A game is more than the rules system it is built on, or the openness it allows. Narrative is an important part of any role-playing game, both on the part of the game master and the player. In Silvervine, narrative is a collaborative effort. While the Game Master is responsible for the framework of the game and for the world around the players, everyone is building the story together.
The style of Game Mastering in Silvervine is about determining success with the system, then building how it happens with the players. An important element of achieving this raport is in the question: “How does your character do that?” This provides the chance for the player to bring their character’s abilities into play. Since the rules encourage broad use of appropriate skills, a player’s description of how their character does something not only adds to the flavor of the game, but also brings their abilities into the spotlight. If a player describes how they actively use their architecture skill to search for traps, it will bring that skill into play and make the mechanics of the system swing in their favor.
