EABA
Encyclopedia
The End All Be All game system, commonly known as EABA and pronounced "ee-buh", is a role-playing game system
designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment
. It was created by Greg Porter in 2003
. The game cites the Hero System
, GURPS
, and Call of Cthulhu
as influences in its development.
The game books and related materials are available only in a PDF format download, or printed on demand
from Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
(BTRC).
s (RPGs) of the 1970s and early 1980s were environment specific, and incompatible with one another. For example, TSR
published its Dungeons & Dragons
game specifically for a fantasy
environment. Another game from the same company, Star Frontiers
, was developed for science fiction
-based role-playing. TSR produced other games for other environments, such as Gamma World
, Top Secret, Gangbusters, Boot Hill
, and more. Each of these games was set with its own self-contained rules system
, and the rules for playing each game differed greatly from one game to the next.
This changed with the publication of GURPS
, or Generic Universal Role Playing System, by Steve Jackson Games
in 1988, the first commercially successful, all-encompassing, "universal" role-playing system
. The concept of a generic basic game system, expanded as needed into various settings, became the dominant subject in RPG design. TSR converted its flagship D&D system into a generic system with the release of the Third Edition of Dungeons & Dragons
and the creation of the Open Gaming License
(OGL) and the d20 System
in 2000.
, in which players played characters based upon themselves in a time travel
setting. As a time travel/science fiction based game crossing many possible settings, much of the groundwork was already laid for converting the base system into a truly universal RPG, and in fact some players were already using it as a generic game system. Much of the Timelords system would later be converted into EABA.
. The system was loosely based on the Timelords system, but traded realism for simplicity and speed. The rules were previously published in 1990 under the same name, as a modern conspiracy role-playing game. Thus, it was not a true universal system, and focused solely on humans and human-based settings.
The total number of points available to spend depends on the setting and players. A gritty post-holocaust survival game may only start with 80AP and SP, while a superhero based game could start with 400AP and SP. In principle a Gamemaster
can balance the power of foes to the abilities of the player characters by comparing their relative point values.
s:
Attribute scores progress geometrically, rather than linearly as is typical of many games. Increasing an ability score by 3 is an approximate doubling of the Attribute. For example, a Strength score of 9 could lift approximately 100 kg, while a score of 12 would double that to 200 kg.
A score of 5-9 is considered average for any human attribute, 13 is the upper limit of human ability, and anything over 15 considered legendary.
The basic game system provides an extensive list of possible skills and specializations to them, and each setting comes with listings of additional setting-specific skills. Players are encouraged to create more skills as needed to cover whatever game setting or style they might want.
An example is the character's age. Most characters are considered to start at between 16-20 years old (for humans). An older character would lose Attribute Points, as an aging person would generally get physically weaker; but gain Skill Points, as they generally have learned more skills in their longer life.
Characters could also be more (or less) wealthy than average, or have a special ability like exceptional luck or the ability to use magic (depending on the game setting). Various game setting include rules for many additional traits, and players are encouraged to create more as they see fit.
system. A higher ability or skill level will allow a player to roll more dice to determine success or failure of an action, but only a limited number of dice - usually three, although there is a Trait that permits four or more under certain conditions - may be chosen from the total number of dice rolled. If there are more than three dice in the pool, one of them may be converted to a +2. So an action with a difficulty of 1 will always succeed, but an action with a difficulty higher than 20 will always fail, as 20 is the highest possible roll on 3d6+2. Additional factors may make an action more or less difficult, thus increasing or decreasing the number needed for success.
s, which are either accumulated for general use by adventuring, or for specific skills by training.
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. It was created by Greg Porter in 2003
2003 in games
This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 2003. For video and console games, see 2003 in video gaming.-Game awards given in 2003:*International Gamers Award: Hammer of the Scots...
. The game cites the Hero System
Hero System
The Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
, GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
, and Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
as influences in its development.
The game books and related materials are available only in a PDF format download, or printed on demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
from Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
Blacksburg Tactical Research Center
Blacksburg Tactical Research Center, Inc., or BTRC is an American game publishing company most famous for publishing the Timelords and EABA role-playing games.-Role Playing Games:*Timelords, 1987*Macho Women with Guns, 1988...
(BTRC).
Prior RPG History
Role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s (RPGs) of the 1970s and early 1980s were environment specific, and incompatible with one another. For example, TSR
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
published its Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
game specifically for a fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
environment. Another game from the same company, Star Frontiers
Star Frontiers
Star Frontiers is a science fiction role-playing game produced by TSR beginning in 1982. The game offered a space-opera action-adventure setting.- Setting :...
, was developed for science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-based role-playing. TSR produced other games for other environments, such as Gamma World
Gamma World
Gamma World is a science fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet, and first published by TSR in 1978. It borrowed heavily from James M. Ward's earlier product, Metamorphosis Alpha.-Setting:...
, Top Secret, Gangbusters, Boot Hill
Boot Hill (role-playing game)
Boot Hill is a western role-playing game designed by Brian Blume and Gary Gygax. First published in 1975, Boot Hill was TSR's third role-playing game, not long after Dungeons and Dragons and Empire of the Petal Throne.-System:...
, and more. Each of these games was set with its own self-contained rules system
Role-playing game system
A role-playing game system is a set of game mechanics used in a role-playing game to determine the outcome of a character's in-game actions...
, and the rules for playing each game differed greatly from one game to the next.
This changed with the publication of GURPS
GURPS
The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting...
, or Generic Universal Role Playing System, by Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games
Steve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
in 1988, the first commercially successful, all-encompassing, "universal" role-playing system
Generic role-playing game system
A generic role-playing game system or universal role-playing game system is a role-playing game system designed to be independent of setting and genre...
. The concept of a generic basic game system, expanded as needed into various settings, became the dominant subject in RPG design. TSR converted its flagship D&D system into a generic system with the release of the Third Edition of Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
and the creation of the Open Gaming License
Open Gaming License
The Open Game License may be used by game developers to grant permission to modify, copy, and redistribute some of the content designed for their games, notably game mechanics.-Language of the licence:The OGL describes two forms of content:...
(OGL) and the d20 System
D20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
in 2000.
Timelords
In 1987, BTRC published its first game, TimelordsTimelords (role-playing game)
Timelords is a set of time-travel role-playing games by Greg Porter and published by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center . None are related to the Doctor Who RPG, Time Lord...
, in which players played characters based upon themselves in a time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
setting. As a time travel/science fiction based game crossing many possible settings, much of the groundwork was already laid for converting the base system into a truly universal RPG, and in fact some players were already using it as a generic game system. Much of the Timelords system would later be converted into EABA.
CORPS
In the late 1990s, BTRC made its first generic RPG system, the Complete Omniversal Role Playing System, or CORPSCORPS
The CORPS game system, or Complete Omniversal Role Playing System, is a generic role-playing game system. It was created by Greg Porter in 1990....
. The system was loosely based on the Timelords system, but traded realism for simplicity and speed. The rules were previously published in 1990 under the same name, as a modern conspiracy role-playing game. Thus, it was not a true universal system, and focused solely on humans and human-based settings.
Characters
A character in EABA is built based on attributes, skills, and traits. These are purchased in a points based system, using Attribute Points (AP) to purchase attributes, and Skill Points (SP) to purchase skills. Traits are purchased using either type of points, depending on what trait is purchased; negative traits can also be chosen which give a character additional AP or SP.The total number of points available to spend depends on the setting and players. A gritty post-holocaust survival game may only start with 80AP and SP, while a superhero based game could start with 400AP and SP. In principle a Gamemaster
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
can balance the power of foes to the abilities of the player characters by comparing their relative point values.
Attributes
Characters in EABA have six basic attributeAttribute (role-playing games)
An attribute is a piece of data that describes to what extent a fictional character in a role-playing game possesses a specific natural, in-born characteristic common to all characters in the game. That piece of data is usually an abstract number or, in some cases, a set of dice...
s:
- Strength — A measure of the character’s physical power and bulk, ability to lift, carry, and do damage
- Agility — A measure of the character’s physical agility, coordination, and manual dexterity
- Awareness — A measure of the character’s mental capacity, intelligence and perception
- Will — A measure of the character's force of personality, and ability to endure pain
- Health — A measure of the character’s physical stamina, ability to resist disease, and speed
- Fate — A measure of the character's luck and paranormal abilities.
Attribute scores progress geometrically, rather than linearly as is typical of many games. Increasing an ability score by 3 is an approximate doubling of the Attribute. For example, a Strength score of 9 could lift approximately 100 kg, while a score of 12 would double that to 200 kg.
A score of 5-9 is considered average for any human attribute, 13 is the upper limit of human ability, and anything over 15 considered legendary.
Skills
Skills are purchased using skill points in a similar manner to attributes. Each skill has an associated attribute; Firearms is based on Agility, Programming based on Awareness, etc. A character without any ability in a particular skill can use the base attribute with a penalty to determine the success of an action. Spending points on a skill will eliminate the penalty and spending more points will grant bonus dice.The basic game system provides an extensive list of possible skills and specializations to them, and each setting comes with listings of additional setting-specific skills. Players are encouraged to create more skills as needed to cover whatever game setting or style they might want.
Traits
Traits are additional things about a character, positive or negative, that help flesh them out. Traits are purchased using either AP or SP, depending on which trait is wanted. Some negative traits give the player additional AP or SP to spend.An example is the character's age. Most characters are considered to start at between 16-20 years old (for humans). An older character would lose Attribute Points, as an aging person would generally get physically weaker; but gain Skill Points, as they generally have learned more skills in their longer life.
Characters could also be more (or less) wealthy than average, or have a special ability like exceptional luck or the ability to use magic (depending on the game setting). Various game setting include rules for many additional traits, and players are encouraged to create more as they see fit.
Success Rolls
EABA is a d6-based dice poolDice pool
In some role-playing game systems, the dice pool is the number of dice that a player is allowed to roll when attempting to perform a certain action.-Mechanics:In most RPG systems, most non-trivial actions require dice rolls...
system. A higher ability or skill level will allow a player to roll more dice to determine success or failure of an action, but only a limited number of dice - usually three, although there is a Trait that permits four or more under certain conditions - may be chosen from the total number of dice rolled. If there are more than three dice in the pool, one of them may be converted to a +2. So an action with a difficulty of 1 will always succeed, but an action with a difficulty higher than 20 will always fail, as 20 is the highest possible roll on 3d6+2. Additional factors may make an action more or less difficult, thus increasing or decreasing the number needed for success.
Combat
Combat in EABA is handled either by opposing rolls (mêlée) or against a set difficulty (ranged), both of which might be modified by things like target size, movement, visibility and so on. There are also numerous optional rules, such as explosions, called shots, hit locations and their specific damage effects, automatic fire, parrying etc.Damage and defenses
EABA has two types of damage, lethal and non-lethal. Cutting and piercing attacks tend to be lethal, crushing attacks half-lethal and unarmed attacks non-lethal.Advancement
Improving the characters is done with experience pointExperience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s, which are either accumulated for general use by adventuring, or for specific skills by training.
EABA-related games
- Fires of Heaven - science fiction setting
- Ythrek - a low tech / fantasy setting
- Colonies - science fiction setting
- NeoTerra - cyberpunkCyberpunkCyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
/ virtual reality setting - TimelordsTimelords (role-playing game)Timelords is a set of time-travel role-playing games by Greg Porter and published by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center . None are related to the Doctor Who RPG, Time Lord...
- time travel setting - Dark Millennium - alternate history, zombies in 11th century Earth
- Age of Ruin - post-apocalypse setting
- Code:Black - modern day horror setting
- Warp World - fantasy / psionic / modern setting
- EABAlarp - a live action role-playing version of the rules
- EABAanywhere - a highly trimmed version of the rules, focusing on portability and playability
External links
- Blacksburg Tactical Research Center web site
- EABA lite, a free version of EABA
- http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13297.phtmlA large review of EABA on rpg.net