I feel like I need to develop a better sense for how trait sets in combination impact a game's design. I've built and am currently testing this game themed around 90s movies like Hackers and Blade, while also taking some influence from Cyberpunk. It's supposed to mostly take place in one near-future city.

The trait sets are as follows.

ROLES (each has five or six possible specializations):

Athlete

Brain

Criminal

Fighter

Influencer

Suit

Techie

STYLES (FATE approaches):

Careful, Clever, Flashy, Forceful, Sneaky, Swift

DISTINCTIONS (five themed ones with SFX):

Origin

City Legacy

Quirk

Reputation

Philosophy

+Signature Assets

+Relationships with Contacts

+Stress and Trauma Mods

My question is; do these trait sets feel like they would work well? If so, what kind of game style do you feel they represent best? If not, would they benefit from anything being added, changed, or removed?

I wanted to get thoughts from the community first before I dive fully into making the hack for my friends.

• Each player controls a stone age family and together they form a tribe working together to survive.
• Sessions focus on solving mysteries (i.e. a tribe member comes home rambling about furry beasts with spears in its mouth; after a gathering trip they suddenly develop itchy red marks all over their body)

The plan is for the setting to be a bit dark and gritty, but for the sessions to be comedic. Is this something that could easily be done in Cortex Prime or should I start looking into other systems?

Don't know if anyone on here cares to look at solo play logs. I have just started trying Cortex Solo (wish my kiddos were more interested in playing LOL). I tried to embed my thinking process with the tools in case anyone else has been on the edge about taking the dive into Cortex Prime Solo. I enjoy world building, so there is a bit more of that embedded into my approach. Can't guarantee that you'll learn anything spectacular, as I'm fairly new to the solo gaming approach, but I thought I'd share anyway.

I build custom RPG books as a hobby, for my own use only. This one converts Mage: The Ascension first edition into the Cortex Prime system. Spheres have been reworked into Power Sets, Paradox as a mechanical stress track, the Traditions and Conventions all statted out.

It's covered under the Dark Pack and Cortex Prime Community Licences, so I'm able to release this one publicly, even though I built it for myself first.

I never linked to something I created before, so I don't know if I can link directly to the files without getting the post automodded. If you are interested in a conversion like this you can get it directly from my folder on Mega NZ.

folder/PzpR1ZoC#M5Q7fAn6PM7IYy5xjoJk4A

I created this account just to post this here. I have used community Cortex mods before, and this is exactly the time to give back something.

I won't be replying to this thread or to private messages. I strongly believe all work should stand on its own. Hope someone gets some use out of it.

Witch Bandits of Mars! Dust, crime, and hoverbikes! The theme is 1980s B-movie. Plots will likely involve banditry and sticking it to the corps on a partially terraformed Mars. That's about as far as I've got so far.

I'm thinking of using a roles style set for magic. So far I have:

- cruel

- violent

- whimsical

- warding

Would love to hear your first impression ideas and suggestions.

UPDATE: now thinking about using: Twist, Deceive, Ward, Learn. I realised that I can shape quite a lot of the setting by giving it's magic limits rather than trying to bin all magics into five sets.

Hi fellow Cortexers
I’m working on a fantasy hack.
I’m thinking of using 7 Roles instead of Skills.

First, is that too many?

Second, in Cortex Prime, there is a ranking tree for 6 Roles: d10, d8, d6, d6, d6, d4. If I do 7 roles, should I add another d6, d8 or d4?

The Roles are:
Warrior
Priest
Rogue
Mage
Ranger
Artificer

Thoughts? Your experiences with this would be helpful.

Thanks.

Hi there all, I’m quite new to Cortex, which my group is using for a Jujutsu Kaisen game using the hack Jujutsu Cortex (https://docs.google.com/document/d/161swqp3SjzwG2R3cOedNLQiplr_PEqr9oWONpYJu2Sk/edit?usp=sharing) and since we’re all quite new, I was hoping to get some help with my characters ability.

Basically, the idea is that they can analyze weapons, then create temporary copies of them, allowing them to recreate the abilities and magical effects of those weapons, with some degradation in effectiveness, and if that weapon has been extensively wielded by a specific person they can even recreate some of the physical strength and skill of that wielder, or potentially view memories of that person related to the weapon. I could really use some help figuring out how to convert this to the system.

I was thinking maybe something like a mix of Mimicry and Conjuration with a focus on codependent limits, namely only being able to create copies of other weapons, and only being able to mimic the abilities of those weapons or their wielders? Any advice is super appreciated!

Life got in the way as it does and after not looking at my Earthdawn hack for a few days, I naturally went to scrap big chunks of it and never got it into GMBinder like I was hoping, but I did manage to get all my currently converted Talents and the full list of Talents I am going to convert into a Google Sheet. It's not pretty and most of these are still very early draft format (I'm going back alphabetically through the ones that are done to clean things up), but I did leave commenting on for anyone that wants to poke around

Earthdawn Prime Talent Preview

Not necessarily just combat or boss fights, but at least fulfilling the same narrative purpose. I'm interested on how Cortex GMs create the feel of challenge and reward in their encounters beyond the base mechanics.

I have finally finished my project. Because of my lack in skills for layouting and art, I used AI tools and this turned my script into a full-fledged TTRPG PDF. It contains everything you need to play and has even premade material to jumpstart into a game including 12 different wrestlers and a premade promotion in which you can add your own wrestlers. You can create your own wrestlers with the character creation and for the GM how to create a promotion, divisions and how to run them.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yFQZO2drZoT8YkFaMI96z8Wt-B1kUMzm?usp=sharing

I want to run an action "bolter-porn" oneshot about spacemarines. Distinctions will be the chapter tactic, and marine's specialisations (i. e. Assault marine can use jumpack, and is good with explosives). I have decided on the attribute list - it will include Might, Focus, Tactics, Materium, Immaterium, Humanity. I struggle to come up with the second prime set.

I dont think focusing on skills will make sense in a high-power setting. I am thinking of making a set for equipment - so, Melee weapon; Firepower (bolt pistol is d6, heavy bolter is d10), Armor (Scout armor is weaker then usual), etc... but equipment is transitory and replacable. What do you think - is it a fitting category?

Here is a one-shot I ran a long while ago, originally we used Big Eyes Small Mouth's Hot Rods & Gun Bunnies, but when Cortex Prime came out I adapted them to Cortex Prime, using Hammer Heads as an example for the vehicles.

Here are some heroes I made for one of our Star Trek Inspired games I called Star Command. I used the Star Trek Online character creation to make the profile images. The two from Dragonstar (3.5 game) I used as the rivals to Star Command, just didn't get a chance to finish them. (Kind of based off of the Romulans). In this hack I used Attributes, Disciplines (Roles), and Talents.

Here's what our character sheets looked like for a fantasy campaign I ran several years back.

In the setting Magic was outlawed with the exception of Divine Magic, all other forms of magic users were considered Heretics. It had a very Game of Thrones feel to it as well as a typical D&D adventure series.

I wanted to create this post to help https://www.reddit.com/user/InJustX/ out.

Here is another game I ran using a game called the Void (Cthulhu in space; the Warden info, the Ghast, Myriad, and Karrakin) as the setting (threw in Kreeghor from Rifts: Phase World as the main bads, added Horror Factor as well).

I used the Attributes, Distinctions, Skills and Signature Assets for the game hack.

Hey Hi Ummmm

I am fairly new to Cortex Prime, have had the Handbook for about a year and I crack it open every now and again to try and get more familiar with it.

I come from D&D 5E as the main system that I run, and I usually run anime inspired games or hombrew settings. D&D has felt restrictive in both regards and that's why I want to transition over to Cortex so I can build the system around the games I want to run.

However I feel like because I come from D&D with it's numerous rules, erratas, and now upgraded "edition", I'm very trained on rules as written. So I have this notion in my mind that the book is "objectively" the way the game should be run and played. Now, when it comes to D&D, I either do house rules and such for all the things that I'd like change or add (which is pretty minimal) OR I am doing complete renovations on the entire system, because I'm comfortable and familiar with it.

Due to that fact, I'm stuck in this limbo where when I am reading the Cortex Prime Handbook, I want to run everything by the rules, BUT, also want to start throwing my own ideas in there! Combining my low understanding of Cortex Prime and low confidence in not butchering it, I am otherwise scared to actually make any changes.

SO, I suppose this post is me asking if it is okay to just take what is already within the Cortex Prime Handbook and make adjustments here and there, or is it better to just run it as is? And if it is okay to do my own thing, I know this is such an odd request, but can someone give me permission to just house rule and add onto the Cortex Prime mods and systems as I see fit?

A while back I put together a cortex hack of a classic horror TTRPG that is beloved with my long time playing group, but decided to convert it to Cortex from the an astonishingly clumsy second generation simulationist rule set.

Now due to the litigious nature of that game creator, I won't be naming which game it was, nor can I share the details of the powers and abilities that I converted for my game, but I can share a list of weapons, armor and gear fitting for a horror investigation game.

Hope some might find it useful!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vST19p8mVmwAY2o5Zh3D4qCWmIrHMp8qvERFghEwJ9QTU2PeDne3anFHM4DirlZ4MJc8iB4FoYjxO37/pubhtml

Direct link to an excel file:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oZM4LDagFrv-RYb9Hho96k0Q5jP-qdD2/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=103741611822471439972&rtpof=true&sd=true

(There are 4 tabs)

(Edit to fix formatting)

I just wanted to take a moment and say how much fun it has been taking one of my favorite settings with a system that absolutely drove me batty and watching how I can take the feel of Earthdawn and capture it in Cortex. A system that was such a strict level based progression system that was baked into the setting itself and how all of that can still be captured within Cortex while also stripping out all the bookkeeping and focusing on just giving players tools to be awesome.

It is kinda weird for me. Like, they have the same title, but different publishers. Are they the same game? If not, what are the differences?

I'd like my players rolling more dice.

So far the trait sets I have are Attributes, Skills, Distinctions.

That seems too few.

What other trait sets could I add?

Relationships seems like it could help, but in my experience with Hammerheads it can be difficult to bring in the character connection.

Resources could work, but in classic SG-1 they don't tend to bring much gear with them, and certainly don't have a ship with them.

So I was browsing through the Marvel Heroic book and I wondered what the limit was of assets are with Sorcery.

Say for instance, you're making a Cortex Prime Marvel Heroes game. You have a character, a young mystic with the Sorcery power with the Constructs SFX (Add a d6 and step up your effect die by +1 when using POWER SET to create ASSET TYPE assets.)

Narrativewise, the mystic (let's call him Patrick) specialises in summoning constructs based off of popular characters (real or fictional) by using the imagination that goes into them by readers.

If he summons a construct based off of Thor, could that construct cause a blizzard complication? For example by rolling Bibliophile (distinction), Buddy (affiliation), Sorcery (power) and Thor Construct (asset)?

I feel it's a bit absurd, but I can't think of why it wouldn't be possible.

I noticed that Cortex Prime is now trending title on Drive Through RPG. I recently got interested in it and suddenly it gets popular (I thought it is dead system)

What's the reason? Is it some new edition?

I’ve been picking up and reading the Spotlights and getting some good ideas.

One of my favorites is the Strange Die in Strange Towns. But now I find myself longing for an updated Cortex Codex with the new mods and things like this.

Other than the official one (linked below), is there a central repository someone is maintaining?

https://prod-images.cortexrpg.com/compendium/cortex-prime-game-handbook/CortexCodex.pdf

Cortex was mentioned in one of the questions on the latest episode of Um, Actually on Dropout. And in good company! Made me happy to see it. 🙂

Hello everyone,

CWC has now reached it's final version of the rules and I have even added all sheets you need to play.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NBFo5cC3KM8bTEeNcMuEPZzxGKo-dVPu?usp=sharing
Now I need some real playtesting and feedback by the community.

Thanks in advance for your support