Okay, so here's a write-up of the system, in more formal language.
Why "Chameleon"?This system is designed to "blend in" with any setting, and it's designed to flow seamlessly into any set of rules that the GM (the person running a game) may introduce. This also means that any Chameleon characters are theoretically able to "shift" into any setting, with its own unique rules.
The Core Mechanic:You roll dice.
More specifically, you want as many dice as possible to land above a certain number, called the "Target Number". What those dice look like, what that number is, and how many dice you roll are all determined by other rules, but no matter what, you always want to get as many dice above the Target Number as possible.
Character Creation:When you create a character concept, you absolutely
need the following areas...
PhysicalThis is where you describe the physical capabilities of your character. Are they strong? Fast? Agile? Try and keep this simple.
SturdinessThis is where you note your character's resistance to harm, of any type. Should be simple, but note any particular resistances a character has.
IntellectualThis is where you describe the ability of your character to think clearly, make rational conclusions, and examine evidence. Again, simple is good.
EmotionalThis is your character's response to other characters, how they interact with other people. Are they empathetic? Social? A loner?
These are the primary areas that games will use to generate Attributes from. Other areas that could be helpful...
BackgroundHow'd your character get to where they are now? What's their story?
PersonalityHow does your character react to the world? How do they solve problems? Are they decisive? Brash? Nervous? Out for
vengeance?
GoalsBig things your character wants to do, like...conquer the world
Once you have those down, it's time for the GM to look at your character, evaluate it, and then make up Attribute scores for them...
AttributesAn Attribute measures the
raw force you can bring to bear on a situation in one area. Attributes are categorized according to the categories above (Physical, Sturdiness, Intellectual, Emotional), and just how many Attributes (and which ones) depend on the game. A combat-heavy game might have Attributes for Strength,
Agility, and Speed under the Physical category, while a survival-oriented game might merely have Strength and Evasion as its Physical Attributes.
An Attribute is a single-digit number (double-digit Attributes are beyond superhuman) that determines how many dice you roll when you try to succeed in a task. This represents the pure strength of that Attribute coming to bear on the task.
The GM will derive your Attribute from your descriptions in those categories, and ask you about any nuances.
AbilitiesIt doesn't end at Attributes, though. Abilities further define your character's capabilities, by determining just how good your character is at utilizing a specific skill or technique within an Attribute. This may be something like Longsword Combat, or the more mundane Underwater Basketweaving. An Ability is measured according to a size of die, something which depends on the number of sides.
This is the progression of dice, from smallest to biggest (the number indicates how many sides are on the die...and yes, those of you who'd recognize this, I do believe I ripped this from D&D)...
d4 -> d6 -> d8 -> 2d4 -> d10 -> d12 -> 2d6 -> 2d8 -> d20
So, a d4 is the smallest die you can have, and a d20 is the biggest. What a normal die is differs, depending on the game, but a d6 or d8 is usually average.
When you attempt to complete a task by using an Ability, roll dice (according to your Attribute) and use the die specified by your Ability. By default, roll d6's. (Note: you can be forced to roll d4's, if you are either penalized by conditions or you are horrendously bad at a specific Ability, because of a character Flaw)
Other ModificationsYour character will also have Equipment, and perhaps personality Traits. Equipment is simply that. Stuff that your character carries around. Unless it's noteworthy, don't pay attention to it. Major gear, though, like a weapon or tool of the trade, should be noted. The GM will specify just what equipment does, but it should usually be something a bit useful, and nifty, sorta like a TCG card's gametext. For example: a weapon might increase the size of your die for a specific Ability.
Traits are similar, but they're found in the actual character. A GM decides how many Bonuses a character may have in a game. A Bonus is a positive trait, like Natural Diplomat. Just like Equipment, it gives a nifty bonus to the character in a game. A Flaw is a negative trait, and while theoretically you can take as many Flaws as you want, the GM should cap this. For each Flaw you take, you may have an additional Bonus. A Flaw is something like Bad Breath, which negatively impacts a character in a game. But don't just add it into mechanics, roleplay it!
TasksDifferent games will handle this differently, but when your characters have to complete a task, if it's not one that they reasonably could accomplish (or that is rather irrelevant to the story), have them attempt to succeed at it through rolling! Each player may choose one of their Abilities to use (or an Attribute, if they have no appropriate Ability), and then apply any bonuses/penalties from Equipment/Bonuses/Flaws. Then, roll the dice!
How do you determine success? The GM will set a Difficulty for the task. This is how many successes you must roll. A success is anything that equals or beats the Target Number, set by the GM.
What about--?Any other rules? That's left to the individual games. A GM has a lot of control over their game, and should keep an eye on balance. (i.e., things like Flaws and Bonuses being equal, even if it takes more than one Flaw to balance out a Bonus, and the proper setting of dice, the Target Number, and the Difficulty of tasks)
Things like combat have been left out because not all Roleplay has combat as its central aspect. What about a spy roleplay that focuses on battles of wits between political members?
And so on. Any questions on anything here? Just real rough here, and I don't have a lot spelled out very well, but it's something.