OBSIDIAN DPS
TTRPG ENGINE
Obsidian DPS, short for Obsidian Dice Pool System, takes the Dice Pool system to the next level. While we built Obsidian DPS using D6 (6-sided dice) dice pools. You could easily switch out the dice with D4 (4-sided dice), D8 (8-sided dice), D10 (10-sided dice) or even D12 you guessed it, 12-sided dice) with minor adjustments. Rules for determining Success and Failure for dice other than D6 will be included in the Obsidian DPS core rule book when it is released.
You can use Obsidian DPS to run 'One Shots' or entire Campaigns. You can adapt Obsidian DPS to your existing setting! Try it today by downloading the Basic Rules, Character Sheets the printable Battle Map that accompanies the Basic Rules.
Obsidian DPS was built from the beginning to run adventures in High Fantasy, Modern Era, Fantasy, Futuristic Fantasy, and every setting in between. Do you like Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Post Apocalyptic or Gothic Horror? Obsidian DPS was built to accommodate virtually any setting!
What Makes Obsidian DPA Unique?
Obsidian DPS is a Skill Based TTRPG that uses dice pools to resolve skill checks, attack rolls and saving throws. Obsidian DPS stands apart further by how it builds dice pools. Making melee attack, for example; you have Melee Weapon Skill at Rank one that offers +1 Dice +1 to all melee attack rolls. You are using a +2 short sword giving you a base dice pool of +3 Dice +1. That +1 on the right is guaranteed successes. You also have a Base Attack Bonus based on your Strength x 1.5. If your strength is a 6, that gives you a base attack bonus of 9 which you can use to increase your dice pool to +12 Dice +1 or to your guaranteed successes for +3 Dice +11, or you could split it 5/4 for a dice pool of +8 Dice +5 and so on. dd
Character Advancement
In Obsidian DPS, characters do not gain experience or levels as they would in other TTRPG systems. In Obsidan DPS, Skills and Ability Scores both have check boxes that when filled out, increase a skills rank by one or increase an Ability Score by one. Skills possess 3 check boxes and Ability Scores have 5 check boxes. If you roll 5 or more successes with no 1's, you gain a rank check as well as a check in the Ability Score assigned to that Skill.
You also gain a rank check and ability check if you roll all 6's with a dice pool roll on a skill check or attack roll. This gives your characters organic growth that allows characters to grow and be defined by more than their skills.
Skills
The Obsidian DPS Core System will have over 130 Skills when released. Each Archetype is created with a core of 11 Skills with additional skills determined by your INT plus your WIS scores to finish fleshing out your character.
Skill Synergy
In Obsidian DPS, you can use any 2 skills together to get a synergy bonus provided the combination makes sense to you and your GM. When 2 skills are used together, one is Primary and one is Secondary. You can add the highest rank bonus of the secondary to the primary. For example, you can combine MeleeWeapon and Smite. Both could be primary or secondary. Where it matters which is primary andwhich is secondary is when rank increase thresholds are hit. If you roll all 6's or 5 successes with no 1's, the rank increase mark goes only to the primary skill, and the attribute increase goes the attribute paired to the primary attribute. In our example, STR is the primary attribute for Melee Weapon and POW is the primary attribute for Smite.
Character Archetypes
In Obsidian DPS, you create characters with Archetypes. There are 4 Archetype Pillars; Tank, DPS, Control and Support. Tanks use their abundant health and high Armor AC to distract enemies with Taunts and draw them in while DPS can strike up close at range to deal high levels of damage and even reduce the enemies armor at the same time. Control are tacticians that can manipulate enemies and the battlefield to the advantage of their party. Support boost and heal their allies in battle with spells to increase health, deliver more attacks and more. The Basic Rules show you examples of 8 Archetypes pulled directly from the upcoming Obsidan DPS Core Rulebook. 3 Tank Archetypes, 3 DPS Archetypes, 1 Control Archetype and 1 Support Archetype.
Here is an example of the Archetype Core Barbarian. Premade characters built off these 8 Archetypes and the rules contained in the Basic Rules are available to download and use.
Do you Want to Learn More?
Even though Obsidian DPS is in Beta, you can still check out the basic rules, download character sheets, inserts for GM Screens and access our first 8 premade characters all found in our Download Center.
Obsidian DPS is in Beta Testing!
Would you like to get a first look at the basic rules and a sneak peak at the core system adventures? Would you like to dive into themechanics for Obsidian DPS looking for errors or broken mechanics? Would you like to try out a new system? If you anwered yes to any of these, you should join our Beta test today!
All you have to do is register in Beta Testing and download your copy of the Basic Rules along with character sheets, player aids and more! A minimum age of 18 is required to join the Beta Test .
Each Skill has ranks that increase the benefit of the skill as you progress. Here is an example of the Melee Weapon skill, taken from the basic rules. Some skills have prerequesites, others you can just pick up after gaining a rank in them. Some skills unlock entire branches of abilities such as Alchemy, Psionics, Spellcraft.