Pen, Paper, Imagination, Fun
News
F.A.Q.
Manifesto
Downloads

SyntheSys is a tabletop role-playing system, played with pen and paper and imagination. It is a universal system applicable to a variety of settings, including science fiction, modern day adventure, historical adventure and fantasy.

Character generation is skill-based and takes about an hour. Skill rolls use percentile dice.

The combat system uses a countdown clock that provides continuous round-robin action while still flowing quicky enough to finish several combats during the course of a typical game session.

News

3/17/2003
 
SyntheSys Version 0.8 released. Hello, World!

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How much does it cost? Can I use your system for my game?

    You may use this version of SyntheSys for your own gaming without charge, but you may not sell or publish it. You may not distribute this version from any other website or peer to peer network. The final version will not be free, but will not be expensive, and will include lots more background materials and equipment. If you want to use the system in a game you publish, contact me.

  2. Why don't you have stats for Willpower or Speed?

    I didn't like what they did to the feel of the game. See the Manifesto for more details.

  3. Why percentile skills?

    I like them. They make it easy to tell the odds, and the range of possible skills is much higher, making characters a little more different from each other. It's also easier to come up with a system where stats influence skill costs when you use percentiles.

Manifesto

The following is a design document I used to record my thoughts when designing the game. I am including it in the hopes that it will show what I was trying to achive and why.

SyntheSys Design Manifesto [29K PDF]

Downloads

The following files are available for download:

Rulebook

The online version is formatted for a 9x8 page with no margins, making it actually readable on a monitor. Try it out!

Character Sheet