TEXT: The Hero World RPG Architecture
  A simple rules framework you can use to create your own tabletop RPG. v1.0 
  By Jim Davies (jim@jimdavies.org), 2017
  http://www.jimdavies.org/hero-world/
  You may publish games using this if you include 
  “Powered by the Apocalypse and The Hero World 
  RPG Architecture.” 
  Attributes 
  …at Game Design
  Characters are mechanically 
  described by Attributes 
  representing stable traits. Choose 
  Attributes relevant to the Moves, 
  such as Strength, Mind, Social, 
  Magic, Will, Agility, Psi, etc. 
  The player distributes +0, +1, etc. 
  among their character’s Attributes.
  If the game has 1, 2, or 3 
  attributes, one Attribute gets +1 and 
  the rest get +0. 
  For four or more Attributes, one 
  gets +1, one get -1, and the rest +0.
  Conflict Resolution
  Character actions are 
  described by the game designer 
  in terms of Moves. A Move has 
  a name and a list of Perks. In 
  very simple games, players can 
  do only one thing:
  Generic Move:
  •
  I suffer no cost
  •
  I basically succeed
  •
  I get some extra benefit
  But for most games the 
  designer should create genre-
  appropriate Moves. 
  During play, the player 
  chooses what they want to try to 
  do, then chooses an appropriate 
  Move. Each conflict, even an 
  epic battle, is resolved by the 
  roll of a four-sided die, where 
  the “4” is treated as zero. The 
  outcome determines some 
  number of Points.
  The player may buy as many 
  Perks as they have Points. Then 
  the players and the GM narrate 
  the outcome of the conflict. 
  These rolls are almost always 
  successful—this architecture is 
  intended for heroic characters. 
  …at Character Creation
  Modifiers
  The die roll can be modified by an 
  Attribute, Help, and/or Difficulty. A 
  Move will be associated with an 
  Attribute (see box at right), the score 
  of which modifies the number rolled. 
  There might also be a difficulty
  penalty:
  Difficulty
  Point penalty
  Almost Impossible
  ‐4
  Very, very hard
  ‐3
  Very hard
  ‐2
  Hard
  ‐1
  Normal, default
  ‐0
  Easy
  +1
  If narratively appropriate for other 
  characters to help, then one point per 
  character helping (with a maximum of 
  2) is added to the number of Points. If 
  all characters are fighting a big 
  monster, one player will roll (usually 
  the one with a +1 in their character’s 
  appropriate Attribute), and the others 
  will offer help, but not roll. Costs are 
  applied to all helping characters. 
  Creating Moves
  Create genre-specific 
  Basic Moves , such as 
  magic, hacking, healing,  
  staying sane, etc. You might 
  want to make Special Moves
  only for members of 
  particular character classes. 
  Individual magical items or 
  pieces of tech might also 
  have their own list of Perks.
  Stealth:
  •
  I suffer no cost
  •
  Nobody sees me
  •
  Nobody hears me 
  Read Person:
  •
  I am not wrong about anything
  •
  I know what they are feeling
  •
  I know what they want
  •
  I detect any deceit
   
   Manipulate:
  •
  I suffer no cost
  •
  My deception, if any, works
  •
  They do what I tell them to
  •
  They don’t sense they are being manipulated
  •
  They are intimidated, charmed, or drawn to me (my choice)
   
  Investigate / Notice:
  •
  I suffer no cost
  •
  My information is relevant
  •
  My information is accurate
  •
  My information is complete
  •
  I find something extra
  Stunt:
  •
  I suffer no cost.
  •
  Stunt succeeds
  •
  I do it with special flair 
  Narrating Conflict Outcomes
  Most Moves will have a Perk called something like “I suffer no cost.” Failing to buy this Perk results in hardship for 
  the character. In a fight this usually means losing a point of Current Health. But you can get much more creative. The 
  cost might be hurting a relationship, falling into a ravine, losing gear, spending money, or some other setback. If a 
  player chooses “I suffer no cost” but not any success condition, the player might have to try again, if narratively 
  appropriate. In combat, enemies don’t take damage, per se. Player characters suffer costs until the enemy is 
  defeated. The Game Master never rolls dice. 
  Example Moves
  Characters have an unchanging 
  Maximum Health of 5. Current Health
  gets reduced during play. It is the 
  celling on how many Perks can be 
  bought. Heal 1 Current Health daily. 
  Current Health of 0 means death.
  Health
  Points = 1d + Attribute + help – difficulty 
  Combat:
  •
  I suffer no cost
  •
  My opponent is defeated
  •
  I choose who hears
  •
  I choose whether nearby 
  things are harmed or 
  unharmed
  •
  I do it with special flair
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/_GM Books/World Building & Game Design/ Misc G, H, I/Hero World RPG Architecture (v1.0).pdf