Step 1: Step One: Boring, but important

You're probably expecting me to tell you how to create the maps or perhaps how to design
your own figurines for your game, but as important as those may seem, there is one thing that
needs to be taken care of first and foremost: the stats system. Believe me this is the
longest/hardest step to do if you want to create a serious rival to D&D at home. If you think
about it there are many stats that need to be set up and calculated (that's right, if you're
serious you'll need a calculator).
When you think of a game like D&D or even Pokemon you'll most likely think of a few
stats necessary for play: Health, Attack, Defense (optional), Speed, and Dexterity. Of course,
there are also a few side systems for battle like monster encounters (if you don't feel like
choosing random times for encounters, I'll give you an encounter formula using dice throws),
the experience point system (optional if you want to use different character levels), and
attack-evading system (self-explanatory). What's important is that you decide how you want
your game to go or play out.
For example, if you want a D&D style game you may not have a specific limit on character
levels and simply increase monster encounters and stats for battle, along with a long series of
gaming sessions with slow experience gain to give a real sense of earning your new ranks and
weapons. Or, you could go with a quick single session game with quick earned experience
and level gain, easy to defeat monsters and high powered characters for smashing through
your enemies - it's all up to your preferences and imagination. As for my design, I wanted a
good long game, so I chose to make a medium speed gain for my experience system and
roughly chiseled out my stats to levels system (yeah I'm gonna use "system" a lot in my
explanation)

Now, you're probably wondering where to start your stats system calculations. I personally
found it easier to start by designing around your Attack stats to figure your desired game
length. In my game (which I temporarily dub "Usurpers") I started with generic level stats as
a structural framework for forming characters around, just to give me an idea before i add or
reduce stats to fit characters abilities. Level 1 attacks use a single six sided die (d6), and then
upgrade to a d6 and ten sided die (d10) for level 2. (I'll explain why in a bit). Using a vague
idea of how much I want stats to change, I chose different formulas to keep attacks moving
higher is a semi regular fashion. After plotting out 6 levels of attack strengths, I took the
maximum ratings and crafted a health system to create a reasonable amount of HP so it
wouldn't take forever to die, but you wouldn't die from a couple lucky die rolls. Yes, I
included a defense system in my game, but i waited till after I crafted a health system so that
my defense wasn't making up for what I consider an 'attack buffer' between attack and health.
This means that in my game, a level 1 attack would take about 3 maximum attacks to kill off
a level one character even without defense. Again, this is another part where you can set the
'attack buffer' to take as short or as long a time as you want. The buffer increases further
when I add my defense system into the battle. In "Usurpers", I have created a system that
allows a level 1 (max) attack to do some damage to a (max) defending level 1 character. It
allows my characters to do strong and weak attacks so there aren't times where you are stuck
not effecting each others' characters - that's a job for a attack-evade system.

Before I continue however I want to slow this down to explain a few things. First, of
course, these are all values you can change for gameplay. Second, the systems are picked by
figuring buffers, or values that separate quick 1-hit battles and gradual attacks that take HP
down bit by bit. These systems are also created by figuring how much of a stat change takes
place between levels (such as the difference in a level 1 attack and a level 2 attack, which
may double or just slightly increase). Depending on what you want in your game, you can
have really simple or real complex calculations to pick experience, health, and monster
encounters from simple die rolls and a little math knowledge. Here's an example for setting
up your speed stat after you level up: New speed = (S_n) + (R_n+1) if > (S_max._n)
Which is read as: Your current speed value, S_n, combined with the rolled value of the dice
for your next level, R_n+1, must be greater than the maximum possible value for your
previous level, S_max.n. In other words, the total you get from adding your previous speed to
the number you just rolled for your next level must be higher than the highest possible value
you can roll for the level you came from. And if that still isn't clear enough here's a written
example: A level 1 character levels up to level two and he had previously rolled a 9 on a d10
(the highest he could roll). Because he leveled up, he can now roll to increase his speed stat
and he rolls a total of 1. The result? The character is now in level two with a speed of 10.
Here's another scenario: A level 1 character levels up, with a current speed of 3, and then rolls
a 6. The result? He must re-roll till he gets at least a 7. According to my generic speed stat
chart, a level 1 character rolls a d10 till his level is greater than 0 and, when he levels up, he
rolls a d10 and a d6 at the same time and adds their values, this means he won't be stuck with
a low level speed (which is good because it plays into the attack-evade system I've set up).

To summarize this complicated explanation, you'll need an idea of how your game will go
and then choose some starting values for a generic framework to design level stats and so on.
Once you've completed your generic framework, you can build characters around it and equip
special stats for any clothing or weapons that may add to your stats, easily.
In case you are still confused or you are struggling to have a good set of stats systems, look to
the last step for a compiled list of all my planned out system data. Now, on to the next part!

Step 2: A bit about character design

Depending on what your game is based on or what time period it resembles. For example,
D&D represents a fantasy world in the early years of war with its choice of old-tech melee
and projectile weapons, and with mythical creatures and magic that blur the lines of the
fantasy and reality. Final Fantasy also has its own take on fantasy and reality including
characters using their new technology with machines and guns along with old-tech weapons (
like swords and arrows) and magical creatures. Be creative there are many ways to choose
characters and their personalities. For example, you can replace some characters with
equivalent characters of your choice, which in my game, switch out the religiously frowned
upon mages, potions, and magical creatures in such a way that they are no longer
(supposedly) controversial. White and red mages have been swapped with Apothecaries (old
name for a pharmacists) and Alchemists (which act as scientists, using scientific concoctions
to burn, freeze, or electrocute in the same way a black mage's magic would do.), and potions
swap with medicine, magical creatures swap with scientific chimeras and frankenstein
monsters and yada yada yada. It doesn't really matter what you think up, just go to town with
your ideas or ask others for advice. Here's a tip: pick a theme. I personally enjoyed the D&D
style of weapons with staffs, hammers and swords rather than guns and bombs like in modern
days, so i went with that theme and just thought up ideas for professions and personalities and
terms that fit the time period those weapons were used in. You could choose space, or earth,
or make a purely fantasy based land and around the theme and framework, just get that
noggin a work out and watch your world form before you, or at least that's what will happen
in the next step
Step 3: Maps, Dungeons, and worlds... oh my
Maybe you've never played a table top RPG like D&D or perhaps you've played them many
times, in either case there is an optional but helpful couple of things to make for your game:
maps and characters. Best explained in an answer on instructables for how do i make a
homemeade dungeons and dragons board and figures using cardboard and paper?, a map and
figurine set is not necessary for game play but they can add to the feel of the game and may
even give a certain atmosphere to your settings when you have something or someone to look
at for mental images. As spongebob would say we need to use our imaginations for the main
part of the game, but they are seriously not a waste if you're new to creativity. Whether you
know what you're doing or you just want to try a game out to work out your gameplay I
recommend you check out this instructable on how to create a reusable D&D dungeon map or
this man's instructable on making your own figurines. There are also various instructables
here on how to create different multi-faced dice in case you can't find them at your local retail
or comic book store. If you need rules you can always google for a pdf to take your ideas
from or create your own from scratch (like I did).

So in short there are a few things i want you to remember when you finish reading this
instructable.
1. Use your imagination.
2. Plot how you want the game to go. (quick or slow earning, single or multi session)
3. Plan your Stats System before all other map or character elements/ create framework
4. Choose a theme
5. Design any character, dungeon, or monsters personalities
6. Keep in-game calculations simple
7. Have Fun.

If you need, the next step is composed entirely of my current ideas and calculations for
"Usurpers". If there is something you don't understand, you need advice, or if you just wanna
share your ideas feel free to comment.

Step 4: My Stats System and calculations

Abbreviations
-----------
d before a number signifies number of faces (d6,d10,d20)
d before irregular numbers (d26) means for example, the added total of a d6 and d20
two dice numbers next to each other mean multiply (also noted as multi.) d6d6
a number before a d means multiple copies of the same die: 2d6 = a d6 and a d6
'as digits' means the dice form the different place values of a number from highest number of
faces to lowest number or different colors. (d20 5, d10 8, d6 1 = 581)
numbers dived by the d10 will be rounded to the nearest whole number (.5 and higher rounds
up)
^ means higher number, v means lower number
Health
----------
(set only when creating a character or leveling up)
Lv1 set by 3d6 or d20
Lv2 set by d10 + d20 or 2d6 multi.
Lv3 set by d10 + d20 or 2d6 multi.
Lv4 set by 2d6 as digits
Lv5 set by 2d6 as digits
Lv6 set by d20 and d6 as digits

Attack
----------
(rolled for actions or attacks)
Lv1 set by d6
Lv2 set by d6 + (d6 divided by d10)
Lv3 set by 2d6
Lv4 set by 2d6 + (d12 divided by d10)
Lv5 set by d20 + d6
Lv6 set by d26 + (d26 divided by d10)

Defense
------------
(rolled if dodge attempts fail or are not used)
Lv1 set by ^d6 - vd6
Lv2 set by d10 or ^2d6 - v2d6
Lv3 set by d10 or ^2d6 - v2d6
Lv4 set by 2d6 + d10
Lv5 set by 4d6
Lv6 set by 3d6 + d20 or 2d20

Lv1 set by d6
Lv2 set by d6 + (d6 divided by d10)
Lv3 set by 2d6
Lv4 set by 2d6 + (d12 divided by d10)
Lv5 set by d20 + d6
Lv6 set by d26 + (d26 divided by d10)

Speed
---------
(set only when creating or leveling up characters)
Lv1 set by d10 (rolled till > 0)
Lv2 set by d10 + d6
Lv3 set by d20 + d6
Lv4 set by d20 + 2d6
Lv5 set by 2d6 multi.
Lv6 set by d10d6
note: when leveling up, the previous speed is added to the new dice roll, if they two added
together aren't greater than the previous maximum speed, re-roll till it is.

Dexterity
-------------
(rolled whenever a dodge is attempted)
Speed * d10 > Enemy speed = successful dodge

Experience Point System

-------------------------------------
(Used when an enemy is felled)
MonL = Monster Level
PlaL = Attacking Player's level
# of Attackers = number of players who attempt an attack
encounters = number of times this monster has been encountered, including current one
Stg1=((((MonL*d6)/PlaL)/(encounters/10)) * d20)/ # of Attackers
Each individual calculates: EXP = Stg1 + (Attack roll * PLaL * 10)

Monster Encounter System

----------------------------------------
(thrown after all players have moved, not thrown again till last is killed)
d6, d10, d20
any number in the upper half of the maximum treated as High
any number in the lower half the maximum treated as Low
Photo below shows how these are treated.
the "severity" of the number combination chooses how high or low the monster's level will be