Returning to the "D10 System"

So, what is that system? Well the original slogan was: "D&D 3.x in simple & done right."
Well I of course did redo how pretty much everything worked (except for the basic principle of "roll high is good"). But If I check out my dependency chart of what influences what, things get pretty messy quite soon.

I started out with: Attributes, Skills, Defenses and Feats (split into Advantages & Tricks) & Spells - no classes, no levels, but races. Character-Creation was pretty much point buy in White Wolf Fashion (basic set + buy your focus using free points).
However the whole thing had it's issues as races modify existing values (eg. granting attribute bonuses, trained skills and sometimes feats). The freedom to customize was quickly reduced a bit as it had a little issue: the potential of abuse was too high.

Character creation was damn pretty quick for me cause I could stat a character after I got a concept within 5 minutes including equipment. However the influences between the individual subsets were pretty complex and sometimes circular:

Trait-Dependencies

• Race does not depend on anything.
• Attributes depend on racial limitations
• Skills depend on Attributes & Feats
• Feats depend on Attributes, Skills (without feat bonuses), Feats
• Defenses depend on Race, Attributes, Feats
• # Spells depend on Feats
• Magic capabilities depend on Attributes, Skills, Feats, Spells

Trait influences

• Race - limits attributes, grants attribute points, automatically trained skills, grants Advantages (a type of Feats), requirement for some Feats
• Attributes - grant bonuses to Skills and Defenses, requirement for some Feats. Sometimes grant offensive combat bonuses. May influences #Spells a character has available and the power of a characters spells.
• Skills - some influence spellcasting & offensive capabilities. requirement for some Feats.
• Defense - sometimes requirement for some Feats.
• Feats (general) - There are feat-chains and some chains span over several Feat-types. Can influence pretty much anything.
• Advantages (Feats) - Improve Skills, Defenses, offensive combat capabilities, allow spellcasting.
• Tricks (Feats) - Allow special actions. Usually Combat related.
• Spells - May grant temporary bonuses.
• Gear - Modifies defenses, movement-rates.
  

Some other drawbacks

• Well without levels HP (the D&D style) quickly became a problem. I think I need a "heroism model" like "Mook", "Dude", "normal person", "Henchman", "Hero", "Freak", "Monster", "Demi-god" to grant some sort of power level. And there it comes back: Levels ... - Or I need a significantly different way to change the damage/survivability thing.
• Defenses - my defenses System was simplified "SW:SE-style" - no AC, but armor influences AC ... it does not work and is terribly complicated resulting in various IMBA chains.
• Unlucky Examples: You don't hit an Elf, but if you hit one it's a dead Elf. You may hit a dwarf but a dwarf will never get wounded unless you score a critical hit ...
• I need a realistic, but at least somewhat balanced concept for "one-shot" weapons (Alchemy) the old one was damn too cheap ...
  

Resume
Well, I think, I need to simplify how different subsystems influence each other. That will allow a better predictability and reduce some of the terrible chaos my system accidentally caused. This should also reduce the potential of IMBA-chains.