Design principles

VRBS is built on two core principles. First, that we are what we do. Anyone can have good intentions, but heroes act on those intentions. Therefore, characters are, at least from a mechanical standpoint, defined entirely by their actions — by the verbs that give the system its name.

Second, that we learn by doing and making mistakes. Heroic characters are capable of a great deal, but everyone becomes better by trying and failing. Practice leads directly to growth — each time a character uses a verb to take an action and fails, they improve at using that verb.

Characters can also learn new verbs simply by trying. If they succeed, the success is its own reward. If they fail, then they get to add a new verb to their character sheet. In this sense, characters are always winning or learning.

Further, the capacity for heroes to do heroic stuff is measured not by hit points or a health gauge, but by how many verbs they possess. As characters grow, not only do they become better at each individual verb, they become a more capable hero overall.

VRBS also encourages creative risk-taking through its conflict resolution mechanic — the die roll. Instead of determining whether a character is successful or not, the die determines how much effort they spent to accomplish what they were attempting. On a good roll, the character becomes energized. On a bad roll, the character is fatigued. Either way, they accomplish what they set out to do.

Failure is possible, but it only happens at the end of a story, after a character (or their team) completely runs out of steam. No single die roll is responsible for the success or failure of an entire storyline.