the following is a notepad file i rescued and re-tooled giggle

teh usual character creator
0: two sliders

upbeat neither downbeat
impulsive neither disciplined

pick one from each bar
these effect everything in a small way and dictate the availability of certain skills

1. choice to buy bulk:
Body Mind Spirit
11 points to spend + level (characters start at level 10, 9, 8 and 7)

when the three attributes are at equal levels,
the cost to improve them all by one
is equal to (body*2) + 1
3, 5, 7, 9 etc

2. choice to buy individually:
each attribute costs in points its current level to improve by one
after this, attributes are locked in for the rest of the game

3. pick a skill group
skill groups will be martial arts, schools of thought and character classes
some will allow you to wield particular weapons
attacks, techniques and passives come from these
no magic but some supernaturally-inclined skills
you get the first skill group for free

4. chance to buy another skill group with points
you can spend four points to add a second skill group
then you can spend points equal to the current level of a skill group to increase it by one
(higher levels in a skill group affect the dice)
after this, skill groups are locked in for the rest of the game

5. pick bonuses
associated with body:
regen - improves yr rate of stamina and hp collection
stamina - how high yr reserves of stamina can go
associated with mind:
technique - unlock extra stuff from your skill groups
expertise - access to complicated equipment
associated with spirit:
leadership - the max troops you can gather around yrself
adaptation - access to exotic equipment

each rank in these costs one point
and they start at the associated stat minus one
every time you level up you can pick one of these to upgrade, no limit

skill groups (for player characters)
brawl = 2pts in body
hitek = 2pts in mind
dodge = 2pts in spirit
thief = 3pts in each stat
fight = body is highest (not joint highest)
medic = mind is highest
rouse = spirit is highest
chaos = exactly two stats are at 1

skillgroups award something for every 8 points you have in them
+5 for each point in pre-requisite stat (thief and chaos don't have pre-requisite stats)
+2 for each point in Technique
+2 for each point in skill group itself (main advantage of this is increasing base dice)
+1 for each level
brawl might look like something like this:
1. (access to first ability on weapon)
2. +3 force and +3 dam
3. +3 def and +3 res
4. +6 dam
5. (access to second ability on weapon) etc

stats:
maxhp = 99 + (15*(body^2)) + (total ranks in body bonuses + level)*body))
maxst = 9 + stamina bonus
acc. = 9 + body^2 + body*mind + total ranks in body bonuses + level
force = 9 + body^2 + body*spirit + total ranks in body bonuses + level
dam. = unrelated to stats
(bonuses to A F and D appear on weapons and in skillgroups)
(accuracy, force and damage are the stats checked when you attack)
def. = unrelated to stats
(bonuses to defense appear on armour and in skillgroups)
tac. = 9 + mind^2 + mind*body + total ranks in mind bonuses + level
craft = 9 + mind^2 + mind*spirit-1 + total ranks in mind bonuses + level
(tactics is used on turn zero of a battle for something or other)
(crafting has no combat use whatsoever \o/)
mom. = 9 + spirit^2 + spirit*mind + total ranks in spirit bonuses + level
res. = 9 + spirit^2 + spirit*body + total ranks in spirit bonuses + level
(momentum helps you maintain positive statuses and shed negative ones)
(resistance stops you getting negative statuses and stops you getting hit by weird attacks)

combat calculation for mundane attacks:
1. target availability -
pick an enemy that isn't invisible
can't attack if yr flat-footed (an ailment; use a skill that removes it instead)

2. pick an attack you can afford (everything costs stamina, which regenerates)

3. compare your accuracy to their defence
- if your accuracy is less than half their defence you can never hit them
- if your accuracy is more than double their defence you automatically hit them
- otherwise, roll dice. both sides start at 2d6; higher stat receives +1d6 for every 4 points above
- dice denomination might be raised by access to certain skill groups:
attacker's dice: fight
defender's dice: dodge
if attacker rolls higher they hit!
some auras will change yr accuracy or defence stats

3b. apply status
- if the attack has an ailment associated with it,
apply the status to the enemy if your force is higher than their resist
AND if they already had a status they take damage equal to yr weapon's bonus damage

4. deal damage
- if your force is less than half their defence you deal damage equal to the weapon's bonus damage
- if your force is more than double their defence you deal damage equal to the attack's damage
PLUS the weapon's bonus damage
- otherwise you do damage equal to the attack's damage alone
if yr bonus aura says extra damage, apply the attack's damage (not the weapon's) AGAIN

aura stuff
at the end of every turn, auras and statuses might fall off; check vs momentum:
x = d256
x less than momentum: aura stays on
x less than momentum: status falls off

this seems way too complicated to stuff into pico-8 and have anything left over to work with
but it's an interesting starting point...