I suggest calling it ActionStories RPG engine after the now Public domain ActionStories. You have Action points. Those points are needed to move, cast spells, use items. You get more action points if you defeat an opponent, solve puzzles as rewards, and you get your points back each turn (unless permanantly injured or incapacitated).
Arwen the Elf has 20 action points. Stumbles into the lair of a sleeping dragon and assesses the situation thinking he can kill the dragon with one blow from a giant stalactice.
Combat rounds 1-7: Arwen then Spends 2 points breaking cover, and 16 to shoot the stalactite over the dragon who has 500 action points and a final 2 action points to resume cover. The stalactite has 100 action points. It takes 7 arrows (16 action points invested in each hit) before it drops from the ceiling and smashes the dragon's wing for 100 action points.
Dragon's turn (round 8 because largest points go first): Enraged by the pain, the dragon (now reduced to 400 action points) wakes, and finds the stalactite through its wing which it removes for 100 action points looks upward, stands (2 action points just like the PC), and sniffs around where the stalactite came from 20 action points.
Still in its turn, the Dragon Casts permanant injury healing (200 action points), and still in its action turn, notices the scattered arrows, moving like a hypersonic missile, circles the cave at 20 action points for 20ft × 5 or 100pt and finds the elf who he pokes through the arm with a claw tip for 20pt severing it. And again with the claw through the other arm dismembering it. The dragon lets its Action points expire to next round where it now has a fine 500 action points.
The second in the turn cycle is Arwyn: Arwen the Elf has no arms, and 20 action points to spend fleeing.
Further development needed:
Now we need powers and spells from public domain sources.
Gnomes and dragons are originally considered of the earth element and maybe dragons likely have the ability to move through earth like a fish through water like gnomes. So dragons can... fly or burrow or run. And breathe fire?
This game turns the most powerful creatures (those with high amounts of Action points) into horrors that can move like lightning in an amount of time it takes you to fire an arrow. They could likely fire an arrow from a bow and run faster than the arrow, and intercept it in front of the target.
They can also invsst increasing amounts of Action points in what they do. A Titan with a thousand action points can clap his hand together for five hundred points and kill that dragon with the sound... along with everyone else in range. Then full heal himself for a thousand action points next turn to recover from the 500 action point damage he took clapping his hands together.
And as I imply, its Public Domain.
Go create your own monsters, but Public Domain horrors are immediatly available...
No more dice.
