So yesterday I teased an alchemy themed giant robot game, and I had more ideas for it.
Basically, I want the entire game to have no numbers on the character sheet. You should be able to have all the details a character needs in the form of alchemical symbols and a brief biography.
Giant robots work this way too. They are plot devices and function semi autonomously: the best results come from pilot plus robot, but they can be separated.
The idea I had for game mechanics is to do a hybrid doubles/straights system. Originally I was thinking of a bidding pool, but I just couldn't get it to a satisfying system. Each sign will be associated with a particular set of tags, and each tag earns a die. Three dice is a starting point.
Difficulty is represented by the size of the straight or pairing required: Difficulty 3 needs three in a row or three with the same result. Depth is possible for complex or nearly impossible actions: Difficulty 3x2 would mean that two triples or straights of 3 are required, which can occur in a single roll if the player gets really lucky.
Or, with the appropriate disclaimer that I am in no way associated with Hasbro: it's giant robot Yahtzee®.