Interlock System: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Role-playing game system by R. Talsorian Games}}

{{refimprove|date=August 2014}}

The '''Interlock System''' is [[R. Talsorian Games]]' proprietary tabletop role-playing system.

==History==

Interlock was a game system by [[R. Talsorian Games]] based on a simplesystem ‘dieof +adding bonus’a system,bonus usingto a d10roll on a 10-sided die.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|208}} ''[[Mekton II]]'' (1987) –, the third edition of R. Talsorian's [[mecha]] game, – revealed forwas the first timegame to use the full-fledged Interlock system., Interlockand featured point-based characters with a character background system thatadapted hadfrom appearedthe inoriginal ''[[Mekton]]'', though in a more complex and comprehensive form called Lifepaths.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|208}} ''[[Cyberpunk 2013]]'' (1988) was the second design to feature R. Talsorian's second Interlock designsystem.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|208}} ''Cyberpunk'' expanded the original Interlock system by introducingintroduced a new combat system to Interlock called "Friday Night Firefight"., Thewhile the second edition of the game, ''[[Cyberpunk 2020]]'' (1990), polishedmade upfurther improvements on the Interlock system onceresulting more, producingin what is now known as "Standard Interlock".<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|209}}

Interlock is one of the direct parentsdparents of the [[Fuzion]] system, (the other isbeing the [[Hero System]]). The Interlock System is "skill-based"&mdash;charactersCharacters are created by choosing skills for them, and by advancing those skills individually, rather than by choosing a [[character class]], packages.as in many other games.

The Interlock System is used primarily in the ''[[Cyberpunk 2020]]'' and ''[[Mekton]]'' role-playing games. A variant of the Interlock System is used in ''[[Teenagers from Outer Space (role-playing game)|Teenagers from Outer Space]]'' and the Japanese ''[[Gundam Senki]]'' RPG.

==System==

[[Ability score|Stats]] and skills are both rated on a scale of 0-10 with 0 representing no ability/no or training and 10 representing the maximum ability possible for a human being. A typical skill roll will typically range from 12-20 for most tasks, so a skill 10 + stat 10 will succeed at virtually any task barring a critical mishap, while a skill 0 + stat 2 (minimum statistic level for a human character) will fail at any but the very simplest task, and even then will succeed only on a critical success. Interlock builds on the typical skill-based paradigm by offering "template" (Mekton) or "profession" (Cyberpunk) packages that give specialized abilities to characters that take these packages.

There are nine [[Attribute (role-playing games)|Attributes]]: Intelligence (INT), Reflexes (REF), Cool (COOL), Technical Ability (TECH), Luck (LUCK), Attractiveness (ATT), Movement (MOVE), Empathy (EMP), and Body (BOD). Characters must have a starting Attribute stat minimum of 2 and a system stat maximum of 10. Empathy is important in ''Cyberpunk'' and ''Cybergeneration'' in particular. Here, it not only controls interpersonal interactions but it also determines how much cyberware you can install. Every piece of cyberware has a Humanity Cost that reduces the character's base Empathy. A rating of "0" or less means the character has become psychotic and can no longer be played.

In ''Cyberpunk'' and ''Cybergeneration'' Empathy is very important. It not only controls interpersonal interactions but it also determines how much cyberware you can install. Every piece of cyberware has a Humanity Cost that reduces the character's base Empathy. A rating of "0" or less means the character has become psychotic and can no longer be played.

The Interlock System is best known for its ''Lifepath'' system, a storytelling device used to create character backgrounds without particular direct benefit or drawback to the character, avoiding [[min-maxing]].

==See also==

* [[Cybergeneration]]

* [[Cyberpunk 2020]]

* [[Fuzion]]

* [[Mekton]]

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{{RPG systems}}

{{Cyberpunk (game franchise)}}

[[Category:Role-playing game systems]]