Valuable TTRPG Concepts You Should Know! - Managing Expectations

This is a list of concepts that casual TTRPG gamers don't seem to be familiar with or even aware of. I have written them down and provided brief explanations because this is the TTRPG language. I find that having an understanding of more concepts is beneficial for everyone. These are in no particular order.

Genre vs Theme: Genre describes the style or aesthetic of story. Genres include action, tragedy, comedy, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, horror, etc. Themes are the ideas or substance. Theme is the moral of the day or the deeper, complex, substantive point for telling the story. Themes are things like love conquers all, violence begets violence, never give up hope, etc. Themes are ideas that tend to be found among characters and setting. I add this because a big-ish YT channel got this wrong recently!

Fantasy: Means fiction with magic or supernatural stuff. Does not specify what kind or how much!

High Fantasy vs Low Fantasy: Unintuitively, these terms describe the type of setting, not necessarily the quality or quantity of the fantastic elements in and of themselves. High fantasy describes a completely fantastic world with its own fantastic history, culture, myths, etc. Low fantasy describes earth or an earth-like setting with some fantastic elements added to it.

Sci-Fi vs Space Opera: Science Fiction is speculative fiction meaning it is fiction that speculates about hypothetical technology and how it might affect people or society. In other words, you ask "what would happen if we had X technology?" and you speculate about it in the form of a story. Sci-fi may also try to make a commentary on how modern technology affects people or society by showing the long-term consequences. Conflicts with technology or because of technology are the substance of sci-fi. It usually tries to be scientific although there may be some not-so-scientific tropes or story-telling conventions. A space opera on the other hand is fiction that is set in a futuristic setting with futuristic tech, but the substance of the genre is not the tech. Instead, a space opera tries to be a about mythology or drama with a futuristic setting as a backdrop. It's also called fantasy in space.

Stakes: The stakes are what you stand to lose if you fail to achieve your goal. If you fail and the only thing that happens is you die, then the stakes are your life. If failure also means the death of your people, then the fate of your people are also what's at state. High fantasy tends to have epic states like the fate of the world. Low fantasy tends to be about local stakes. Either way, there should always be personal stakes because that's where the drama really comes from.

Conflict: I want something. You want something. When we both can't have what we what, then we're in conflict. Conflict is present because someone must lose.

Tone: The mood or atmosphere. If you're in a scary scene, the mood should be scary. Player buy-in is needed. You would be a spoil sport if you made a joke about farts or palindromes.

Player Skill vs Character Skill: The distinction between the players using their own cleverness to solve problems in the game, and the players using their character's statistics and powers to do that instead.

Gritty Survival or Cinematic Action: One the one hand, you have a game with the intent to be somewhat realistic. If you get stabbed, you're stabbed, and you treat it like that. Cinematic on the other hand, you might just imagine you're a movie action hero who can shrug off any sort of stab wound as long as he has HP to spare.

Player vs Player: Are players and their characters allowed to be adversarial towards each other?

Dark Themes and Subject Matter (Grimdark, Nobledark, Grimbright): Some people act like necromancers are just wizards who are slightly creepy. Some people treat necromancers like villains who violate taboos of life and death.

Simulationist or Abstractionist: Simulationists like to simulate things. I use my 5 foot step and I swing my sword for the monster's head. That's a negative whatever penalty because it's a called shot and because the monsters' in a higher weigh class, yada yada yada. Abstractionists like to simplify things. I run into melee range and I swing sword for the monster's head. Roll dice.

Game Balance or Nah: Balancing the game so that the obstacles always suit the character's skill; or, assign a difficult based on what seems reasonable were the obstacle to be present in real life.

Martial Realism: Considerations for how weapons and wrestling would really work in real like and trying to model that with rules.

Reputation: Fame and Infamy: Your character earns a reputation for their accomplishments and their behavior. This reputation can precede them and be either detrimental or beneficial.

Moral Objectivity (Black and White) vs Moral Subjectivity (Grey): Some people believe there is an objective good and bad, right and wrong. Others disagree, and they want to represent moral ambiguity and complexity.

Heroic Player Characters, Villainous Player Characters, or both?: Some players want to be the heroes, some want to be the villains.

Zero to Hero: You begin with nothing! You're not special! But you can earn greatness!

Combat as Sport vs Combat as War: Combat is either treated like a game or a sport; it's fair and balanced. Or, combat is treated like a life and death, deadly activity and you fight to win! There's no guarantee of balance. You make sure you never have a fair fight because that's a good way to die!

Narrative Driven vs Mechanics Driven: is the logic of the narrative the criteria that decides what can and cannot happen in a scene or situation, or do you prefer to defer to game mechanics and rules?

Grounded Fiction: The fiction of the game is grounded meaning relatable characters, plausible scenarios, and realistic environments are emphasized. If the rules of the game conflict with the fiction, the fiction beats the rules. The difficulty of the game should suit a grounded fiction rather than a game balanced for the sake of a fair experience.

Rulings vs Rules: Rules are not perfect, and so in the absence of clear or complete rules, the game master makes a ruling. That's normal. However, there are some rules-lite games with looser rules intended to allow for more rulings, and there are games that try to make the rules as complete and clear as possible to eliminate or reduce the need for rulings. Then, there's also people who prefer the rules-as-written, and there are people who are not satisfied with the rules-as-written, for instance if the rule conflicts with the logic of a scene or situation, and they like to take liberties.

Metagaming: This word may be understood differently by different people. It could be understood as using knowledge that you the player possess but which your character does not possess. It could also be understood as thinking about the game as a game rather than a narrative exercise. Both understandings are similar if you think about them.

Metacurrency: Meta currency is a resource that the player has for the game, but the character is not aware of the resource. Examples are luck dice or inspiration. Using metacurrency necessarily means metagaming when the player makes a decision based on the availability of the metacurrency.

Ludo Narrative and Ludo Narrative Dissonance: Ludo is Latin for I play (that's the best I can do). Therefore, Ludo Narrative means I play the narrative or I am not just playing a game, I'm playing a narrative. We are engaging with the story as much as we are engaging with the game. Ludo Narrative Dissonance is a sensation of mental discomfort or disappointment, like a breaking of the suspension of disbelief, that comes from the game mechanics conflicting with the narrative. For example, if I'm playing a game with HP and I get stabbed, the game rules model the injury abstractly as HP loss, not a stab wound. If I can rest and immediately recover the lost HP, then does that not mean I can nap off a stab wound? That's unsatisfyingly immersion breaking to some, but not others.

Factions: A group of people with a shared set of values or goals. Factions have their own identity, history, structure, etc. Factions usually compete with other, opposing factions. Some people might suggest that factions should have an ally faction, a rival faction, and an adversarial faction.

Seven Rules for Monsters in TTRPGs - Your Fun is Wrong

First Rule of Monsters

Monster means monster. Monsters are not people, they are monsters. Do not humanize the monsters. This keeps monsters monstrous. Any exceptions blur the distinctions between men and monsters and makes monsters mundane and familiar. Mundanity and familiarity are antithetical to what makes us feel fear which is the unknown and things beyond our control.

Second Rule of Monsters

The monsters don't want to win; they want to eat; they want to breed; they want the thrill of the hunt; they want bloodsport; they want to hear your screams; they want to corrupt your soul; they want to serve the devil; Sometimes ritualistically.

Third Rule of Monsters

If your monsters could be replaced by humans, use humans instead. This ensures that when monsters do appear, they're doing something that men can't or won't do! It keeps monsters weird and strange.

Fourth Rule of Monsters

Use fewer monsters, both in quantity and variety. When you use a group of monsters, keep it homogenous, treat it like a hoard. When you use one monster, it becomes a big set piece monster. This keeps scenes or moments with the monster distinct like a monster movie.

Fifth Rule of Monsters

Knowledge is power; There are no experts on monsters! There are no scholars and no lore books. Even if there were, you could never attain complete knowledge of the monster. Monsters are the unknown things that go bump in the night! For every one thing that folk think they understand about monsters, there is something they don't understand!

Sixth Rule of Monsters

Monsters are a puzzle. They're not something familiar but with a twist. What do they want? How do they get it? When or where are they most dangerous? What is their secret weakness? No die rolls will grant this information. Adventurers must gather rumors, listen to the tales, scout cautiously, observe from afar, set up a trap, and be ready to run.

Seventh Rule of Monsters

Monsters are not balanced for fun. They're faster than you. They're tougher than you. They hit harder than you. You don't understand their powers, and maybe you can't.

2d6 TTRPG

First Rule: Fiction First

The difficulty of actions is based on realism. If something can reasonably succeed, it does. If something is genuinely impossible, no die roll will allow it. If the rules of the game conflict with a believable fiction, the fiction beats the rules.

Core Mechanic

When an action needs to be simulated, the Game Master (GM) may call for a die roll. Otherwise, resolve actions with roleplay and rulings.

1. Roll two six-sided dice (notated as 2d6)
2. Add one attribute
3. Add one combat skill (if in combat)
4. Add one vocation (if out of combat)
5. Add any situational bonuses or penalties
6. Roll 9 or higher to succeed. The GM may raise or lower this number to suit the difficulty

• Double 1's automatically fail.
• Double 6's automatically succeed. If attacking, this is a critical hit.

Procedure

The game is played through conversation, and the game has a procedure. First, the Game Master (GM) describes a room, scene, or situation. Second, the players, either freeform or clockwise around the table, describe what their characters do or say, and how. Third, the GM calls for dice rolls if needed, determines what happens, and describes it. Repeat until the scene is resolved, then establish a new scene.

Character Creation

Each player except for the Game Master (GM) creates one player characters (or PC). PCs must suit the tone and setting of the game.

1. Start with an adventuring goal. Your character must have a goal to pursue in play.
2. Divide 4 points among your attributes: Strength, Agility, Intellect, and Willpower. 0 describes an average attribute. Starting attributes cap at 3.
3. Divide 4 points among your Combat Skills: Brawling, Melee, Range, and Defense. Starting combat skills cap at 3.
4. Choose four vocations and divide 4 points among them. There is no catalog of vocations. This is DIY. It replaces fantasy race, background, character classes, social status, and is a soft skill system in this game. Starting vocations cap at 3.
5. Choose traits and flaws to distinguish your character with flavor or mechanical bonuses or penalties.
6. Determine your maximum health. It's 10 + your Strength.
7. Magic-users determine your maximum ether. It's 10 + a suitable vocation (example Mage).
8. Determine your carrying capacity. It's 10 + your Strength.
9. Choose starting equipment. You begin with one weapon, one armor or shield, 6 Supplies, and 10 currency. You may also begin with a memento of your past or other personal item that has no market value, and a toolset or kit of one trade that suits one of your vocations.
10. Name your character.

Attributes

Attributes measure your characters abilities.

• Strength describes your physical strength and conditioning. You use Strength to lift and carry, push and pull, climb, swim, wrestle, resist fatigue, disease, poison, and make attacks with melee weapons. Strength is applied to both attack rolls and damage rolls with brawling and melee.
• Agility describes your balance, coordination and reflexes. Apply to 2d6 rolls to dodge traps, to tumble after a fall, to act first, to 2d6 attack rolls to hit with a ranged weapon like a longbow, firearm, or throwing weapon. 
• Intellect describes your knowledge, crafting, skill with tools, and in some cases your sensory perception; You can roll Intellect to avoid surprise.
• Willpower describes intangible things, like your leadership ability, resistance to mental effects like fear, stress, magical confusion or charm, faith, and your potency with magic. Apply to reaction rolls and loyalty checks, and the number of followers you can lead.

Combat Skills

Combat skills represent your competency with different forms of fighting.

• Brawling is for attack rolls for punching, kicking, and success with grappling. If you spend your action to defend, you can subtract brawling from attack rolls made against you instead of Defense.
• Melee is attacking with swords, spears, sticks, axes, or other striking weapons. If you spend your action to defend and you're holding melee weapon, your melee skill is subtracted from attack rolls made against you instead of Defense.
• Range is for attack rolls with guns or projectile weapons including throwing weapons.
• Defense as a combat skill describes your personal skill at dodging and blocking attacks. Your Total Defense is 9 + your Defense skill; This is the number needed to hit you with brawling, melee, ranged, and some magic or special attacks. Track both numbers.
• Note that if a character is unable and unwilling to defend themself, attacks automatically hit!

Vocations

Choose four vocations and divide 4 points among them. Your vocations are DIY, but they must suit the setting and concept for your character. If you can justify how a vocation applies to a non-combat die roll, you can apply the bonus to the roll. Some vocations are specialized, and so a GM can rule that if you don't have a vocation, you may not attempt certain actions (like magic or alchemy). Discuss vocations with the Game Master.

Sample Vocations: Ranger, Barbarian, Soldier, Thief, Mage, Priest, Sailor, Noble, Merchant, Beggar, Entertainer, Laborer, Servant, Scholar, Tradesman, Hunter, City Watch, Herbalist, Undertaker, Surgeon, etc.

Vocations are generally for non-combat actions, but you can make exceptions if reasonable. The combat skills do not include magic attacks. If you have a vocation that can reasonably grant you a bonus to a magical attack, you can apply it to a combat roll.

Traits and Flaws

At character creation, you can choose one trait for free. You can choose two additional traits at character creation, but each additional trait costs one flaw.

Traits

Attractive: When in the lead, +2 to reaction rolls with members of the opposite sex.

Brute: Add one bonus die to melee weapon damage.

Diehard: Add +1 to 2d6 die rolls against disease, fatigue, or poison.

Hardy: Your base maximum health is 12 + Strength rather than 10 +Strength.

Lucky: You automatically succeed by rolling double 5's or 6's.

Magic Bloodline: You bloodline grants you use of magic. Discuss with GM.

Quick Reflexes: You add +2 to die rolls to dodge traps and act first in combat.

Resist Inclement Weather (choose either heat or frigid weather): Resist Heat means heat does not affect your daily water requirements. Resist Frigid means a lack of shelter does not force a roll vs fatigue. 

Strong Back: Your base carrying capacity is 15 + Strength rather than 10 + Strength.

Sharp Senses: You add +2 to avoid surprise.

Weapon Specialty (specify one): Add +1 to attack rolls with this weapon.

Other (diy): discuss with your game master.

Flaws

Addiction (specify): Satisfy your addition once per day or you are penalized by -2 on all actions.

Bad Temper: What is something you will always fight for?

Compulsion: You have a compulsive behavior like flipping a coin or wringing your hands. It may make you distinguishable, frequently occupy a hand, distract you, or keep you from being ready.

Distinguishing Mark: You are easily recognized by a distinguishing scar, birthmark, or etc.

Dull Reflexes: You roll a -2 to dodge traps or act first in combat.

Easily Distracted: You are not always alert. -2 on rolls to act first in combat.

Fear: What are you afraid of? In the presence of this, you have a -2 to all actions and you make a willpower roll or you are stunned for one round. 

Feeble: Base maximum health is 8 + Strength rather than 10 + Strength.

Honor Code: You have a restrictive code or ethos. What is it? How does it restrict you? What happens if you break it?

Obsession (specify): You are obsessed with one particular thing or quest and are easily influenced by it. You also are impatient with other matters.

Ugly: You're kind of ugly. -2 on reaction rolls when you're in the lead.

Other (diy): discuss with your game master.

Health

Health represents your body's capacity to sustain wounds or injuries. Any lost health abstractly represents a wound or injury and so health should not be deducted for trivial sources of harm. At 0 health, you are KOed; Any successive attacks automatically hit and count as deathblows. You recover 1 lost health per day representing natural healing.

Ether

Ether is the substance that spirits and magic are made of. There are trace amounts in everything. Your ether represents stamina for using magic or extraordinary powers. All spells cost a minimum of 1 ether to cast. At 0 Ether, you are spellburned and can do nothing but scream and writhe on the ground in pain for one hour. You recover all spent ether after a night of rest with adequate food and water, else you recover a half, or a quarter if you are already fatigued.

Carrying Capacity

You can carry a load of 10 + Strength items. This number assumes you have a backpack. Some small, light items can, in multiple quantity, be tracked as one item. You're considered encumbered if you're carrying your maximum load, and your speed is slowed to 15 ft per round.

• Supplies (x6) is a type of quantum item. One supply can be expended as a day's rations, a day's water, or first aid supplies.
• Torches (x6) are produce light for a radius of 30 ft. Light is essential.
• Currency (x100) means coins.
• Ammo container (of x20 pieces of ammunition) such as a quiver of arrows.

Starting Equipment

There is no catalog of weapons and armor. If you want a sword, write down Sword. If you want a specific sword, like a rapier or a greatsword, write that down instead. Same for armor.

Barehanded strikes do 1 + Strength points of damage. Daggers, clubs, and improvised weapons do 1d3 + attribute damage. Proper martial weapons do 1d6 damage + attribute damage. For variety, small, lighter weapons do 1d6-1 (minimum 1) + attribute damage, and large, heavy, and two-handed weapons do 1d6+1 or 1d6+2 + attribute damage.

In this game, armor works by reducing damage. This is called damage reduction or DR. Subtract your DR from an opponent's damage. If the result is 0 or less, you take no damage. Light Armor offers 1 DR, and so does a shield while held in your hand. Heavy Armor offers 3 DR but is tracked as if it were two items and penalizes Agility and Defense by 1.

Improvement

Players earn 2 experience points (exp) per adventure. Exp can be spent to improve characters. Improvements should suit the story that emerged in play.

• Increase an attribute, combat skill, or vocation. The cost is equal to the new value. For example, if you have 3 Strength, it costs 4 exp to raise it to 4. These stats cap at 5!
• Add a new trait or vocation for 2 exp. New vocations start at 0.
• Buy off a flaw for 2 exp.
• Optional: Increase max Health or carrying capacity by 1 for 1 exp up to a cap of 20 + Strength.

Exploration: Wilderness

When traversing large-scale areas like wildernesses, each 24-hour day represents a turn. The wilderness is divided into 6-mile hexagons (hexes) which players move across like spaces on a boardgame board.

The GM may choose or roll for weather each day, and they describe the kind of hex that the players are in. They roll a six-sided die once per day and once per night for random encounters. A random encounter occurs on a 1, or a 1-2 at night or when in more dangerous areas. The GM then chooses or rolls an encounter.

• Marching: Players choose a direction and march, and they must declare a marching order. Hexes of difficult terrain such as swamps or mountains are trickier to traverse and effectively require 12 miles to cross one difficult hex.
• March: 12 miles (2 hexes).
• Forced March: 18 miles (3 hexes), but the party must succeed a 2d6 Strength roll vs 9 or suffer fatigue. Camping is skipped for the day. The difficulty goes up by 1 for each consecutive day that a forced march is made.
• Camping: The players make camp for a night (about 8-10 hours) or longer if the specify. Players should describe how they make camp. The wilderness is assumed to be dangerous at night and so the players should work out watch shifts.
• Campfires must be tended to all night. In most environments, characters are assumed to gather enough firewood for the night as part of making camp.
• Alternatives to Marching: Each action listed below may be conducted in lieu of marching 6 miles (one hex); max two of these per day.
• Foraging, Fishing, Trapping, Hunting: Players may engage in activities to gather resources.
• Search (or Scout): The party automatically discovers any major locations (such as a settlement) in a hex by entering the hex unless there is heavy concealment by bad weather or dense woods. Otherwise, they can use the search action to make a dedicated search of the any hidden feature of the hex. 
• Other (specify): Treating sick or injured characters, crafting tools or complex items, mending broken equipment, etc. 

Exploration: Dungeons

Characters explore small-scale environments like dungeons in turns. Each turn represents 10 minutes of in-world time. Characters are assumed to move quietly, slowly and cautiously in dungeons to avoid danger, and so they can move about one room per turn; else they are traveling recklessly and cannot spot traps or danger.

• Searching (general): A party can search one small or modest sized room or hallway per turn. Each player can make a 2d6+Intellect roll vs 9 to find hidden or secret things.
• Searching (targeted): A player who chooses a specific feature of a room and specifies how they examine it can automatically find something hidden or secret if their description would reveal something hidden.
• Forcing Open Doors: Stuck or locked doors can be forced open or broken down by making a successful 2d6 + Strength roll. This is considered loud and the GM makes an extra wandering monster check.
• Picking Locks: A character who is knowledgeable about picking locks who has proper tools may attempt to pick a lock. They roll 2d6 + Intellect vs 9. A failure means this costs two turns.
• Disarming Traps: If a player can satisfactorily describe how their character disables a trap, they succeed. Else, they can roll 2d6 + intellect to disarm it. Failure means the trap is triggered.

Lighting

Dungeons are dark, and so is the wilderness at night. PCs need light sources to see (but monsters don't). In the dark, you are effectively blind. While blinded, attacks made against you hit automatically, and your attacks automatically hit an adjacent ally on if doubles are rolled, except double 6s. Light sources occupy a hand.

• Torches burn for 6 turns (or 1 hour) for 30 ft.
• Lanterns burn a flask of oil for 24 turns (or 4 hours) for 30 ft. Can be covered without being doused or extinguished, and do not give off smoke.
• Candles burn for one day, but only for 5 ft.
• Campfires must be tended to all night. In most environments, characters are assumed to gather enough firewood for the night as part of making camp.

Wandering Monsters

Dungeons are occupied with foes (men, beasts, or monsters), and they wander around. Every two dungeon turns, the GM checks for wandering monsters by rolling a 1d6. A 1 means a wandering monster is encountered. Any time PCs are noisy, this can also prompt a wandering monster check.

• Choose an encounter or roll from a table.
• Place the encounter 2d6 * 10 ft away from the PCs.
• Determine their direction of travel and activity.
• Make a Reaction Roll if encountered.
• Parley if possible. If parley fails and hostilities occur, go to combat procedure.

Combat

Combat is structured into rounds. Characters do not take individual combat turns one at a time. Each round, one side acts, then the other side acts.

1. Roll surprise (if applicable) for PCs individually, or for the NPCs as a group: 2d6 + Intellect vs 9. Failure means the character is surprised and does not act on their first round.
2. Act First. The side that initiates hostilities acts first! If the NPCs act first, go to step 3. If the PCs act first, go to step 4. If there is uncertainty about who acts first, the PCs may make a 2d6 + Agility roll vs 9. PCs who succeed act first, then go to step 3.
3. All NPCs act, then roll dice, and then their actions are resolved.
4. All PCs. All players declare their action. Once declared, an action cannot be taken back.  Then all PC dice are rolled and their actions are resolved. Note that combat rounds represent seconds, and so once combat has begun, strategizing is breaking character and is metagaming.
5. Check Morale for NPCs as a group only twice per combat. Check when NPCs have taken their first casualty. Check when the NPCs have been reduced to half their numbers or about half their collect Health.
6. Repeat steps 3-6 until combat is resolved.

Reaction Rolls

When introducing NPCs to the PCs for the first time, the GM rolls a reaction roll to randomly determine their starting disposition or attitude towards the PCs. It's a 2d6 roll, and you add the Willpower of the closest PC who is sometimes but not always the first in marching order. Optionally, the GM may apply a modifier (ordinarily ranging from -2 to +2) depending on the PCs local reputation if they have earned one.

• 2 or less: Hostile. Monsters will immediately attack. Other NPCs may refuse services or actively sabotage PCs.
• 3-5: Unfavorable. Steep demands or bribes. Withold help.
• 6-8: Neutral. Indifferent to PC needs.
• 9-11: Favorable. Lenient on demands or bribes. 
• 12 or more: Ideal disposition, possibly friendly.

Morale Check

Not all characters and monsters want to fight to the death. Roll 2d6 roll equal to or greater than the NPCs morale score to determine if the NPCs continue to fight. The GM should assign a morale score representing their bravery based on the NPC. 7 represents an ordinary bravery. The lower the morale score, the braver; the higher the morale score, the more cowardly. Mindless creatures do not check for morale. Roll once when the NPCs take their first casualty, and roll once when the NPCs are reduced to halve their number or about half their collect Health.

Improv Magic

Use of magic is typically permitted only by a vocation such as wizard or a trait like a magical bloodline. Magical objects may also permit use of magic or very specific spells. There is no catalog of spells. Instead, players must choose a theme for their magic. Discuss the limitations of your theme with you GM. When players want to use magic, they must describe the spell they cast, and it must suit their theme. The spell is cast automatically, and the character makes a 2d6 + attribute + vocation roll to determine if they hit with the spell. I assume Willpower is for magic, but your setting may assume Intellect is for magic.

Spells are fluid. All spells cost 1 Ether to cast per die (of damage or healing) or effect, and per additional target, up to a maximum or 3 Ether. Damage or healing is instantaneous. Effects persist for the duration of the encounter. If spells can hit additional targets, the caster chooses one target and the spell effects adjacent targets.

Sample Spells:

Healing Hands, 1 Ether. Touch one character and restore 1d6+willpower health.

Magic Dart, 2 Ether. Conjure and throw a magical dart for 2d6+willpower damage.

Flammeria, 3 Ether. Create an area of flame on one character + two adjacent, 1d6+willpower damage each.

Actions in Combat

On your turn, you can make one dedicated action. You can move up to your movement as part of your action. Actions must be taken during your round. There is no option to delay or hold an action, or to otherwise disrupt turn order.

• Attack: Roll 2d6 + Attribute + Combat Skill +/- any other situational modifiers vs the opponent's Total Defense (9 + Defense skill). If you hit, roll Damage and subtract the opponent's DR (damage reduction). On a critical hit, ignore DR add an extra 2d6 to your damage.
• Defend: You dedicate a round to dodging, blocking, or parrying. Add +2 to your effective defense.
• Use an Object: You may draw and use or draw and throw an object from a pocket or pouch, open a door, operate a lever, reload a mechanical weapon, etc. 
• Cast a Spell: Spells are cast automatically, but the caster rolls 2d6 + Attribute + Vocation +/- any other modifies to hit or successfully effect the target or opponent.
• Other (specify). Maybe you offer first aid or drag an unconscious character to a safe spot. Maybe you run and tackle a foe. Maybe you brace a spear or polearm against the ground and aim it at a charging opponent. Rely on your creativity. Avoid game terminology. Use descriptive language.

• State your action in first person, use present tense. Say it like you are reading a line from a book! Example "I run for the troll and attack by aiming the point of my sword for his gut!"

Abstract Space

We don't use precise or literal space. Distances, speeds, and ranges are abstracted for simplicity. All characters can move about 30 ft per round, or one pencil length if you're playing with miniature figurines (minis) on a tabletop. To use a pencil to measure distances, place one end of the pencil at the base of your mini. You can move your mini to the end of the pencil, but not past the pencil.

• Close means you can touch something without moving (within 5 ft). This is the reach of hand-to-hand or melee weapon attacks.
• Near means you are one move away from something (5 ft to 30 ft away). This is the effective range of many throwing weapons.
• Far means you are multiple moves away (30 ft to 120 ft away). This is the effective range of slings, bowshots, and firearms.
• Distant means you may not see or hear something clearly (greater than 120 ft).

Moving and Movement Speed

Player characters and humans can move as part of their action up to one of the speeds below. There are no double moves! Characters can move either slow, normal, or fast. You can drop from standing to prone for free, but changing your posture otherwise costs half your movement.

• Slow means 15 ft or half a pencil per round. Characters move slowly when crawling, climbing, swimming, sneaking, crossing hazardous ground, wading through waist high water, or when encumbered.
• Normal means 30 ft per round.
• Fast means 45 ft per round. Fast movement means the character is dedicated to moving and nothing else. Fast movement allows characters to safely withdraw from melee and retreat in a direction away from their opponent, make a charge attack in a relatively straight line, run-and-bump, tackle, and long jump or high jump, but at least 10 ft of movement must be spent in a relatively straight line towards your target.

Cover

Cover means that an object or character acts as an obstacle or obstruction between you and an attacker. To determine cover, draw an imaginary line from the attacker to the defender. Anyone or anything that obstructs that line provides either partial or full cover. Small characters or objects provide partial cover. If partial cover, attacks and spells are penalized by 2. If full cover, you cannot attack that character directly. On double 1s or double 2s, you automatically hit the closest obstacle even if it's a character!

Non-Player Character (NPC) Opponents and Monsters

NPCs stats do not need to work by the same logic as the players. Consider that movement speeds previously listed for player characters apply to humans, where 30 is typical movement, but other creatures that are faster than humans can move 45 feet per round and still make attacks.

• Health: Consider these values as typical. Low-tier opponents have 3 Health. Mid-tier opponents have 5 to 10 Health. High-tier opponents have 20 Health. Very high tier opponents have 30 or more Health.
• Hit Bonus: This is the number added to their 2d6 roll. It represents both the attribute and the combat skill. Low-tier opponents have 0 to 2. Mid-tier opponents have 2 to 4. High-tier opponents have 6. Very High-Tier opponents have 8 to 10.
• Damage: Consider these values as typical. Small opponents do 1d3 damage. Human sized opponents do 1d6 damage. Large sized opponents like bears, lions, or ogres do 2d6 damage. Giant sized opponents do 3d6 damage.
• Defense (Def): Defense is the number players need to roll to hit. Consider these numbers as typical. 9 represents an opponent with average defense or a low tier opponent. Some foes may be easier to hit than a 9, like sluggish zombies or near-immobile plant monsters. 10 to 12 represents a mid-tier opponent, 12 to 14 represents a high tier opponent. 15 to 19 represents a very high tier opponent. Consider that 19 is the cap for characters who can be harmed. Beyond that, godly things who cannot be harmed.
• Damage Reduction (DR): For simplicity, you may assume low tier opponents always have a DR of 0 as this is unnecessary math for a game. Creatures without armor or a thick hide or a hard shell do not typically possess a DR. If DR is not present in the stat block, assume its 0.

Sample NPCs

Alchemist: HP 10, Hit Bonus +2, Grenade damage 1d6 splash, Def 10. The alchemist carries several glass containers of dangerous compounds that could crack open and erupt, killing him and splashing adjacent characters.

Bear: HP 10, Hit Bonus +3, Bite or Claw 2d6, Defense 10

Dragon: HP 30, Hit Bonus +8, Bite + grapple, claw + throw, or fire breath an area 3d6, Defense 16, DR 3. Players must make a Willpower roll once per encounter or they are frightened, and the effects of this is they suffer a -2 penalty to all actions.

Goblin: HP 3, Hit Bonus +2, Weapon or Bite 1d3+1, Defense 9.

Lion: HP 15, Hit Bonus +4, Bite or Claw 2d6, Defense 12

Mage: HP 8, Hit Bonus +2, Spell damage 2d6 vs 1 or 1d6 AOE, Def 9

Ogre: HP 15, Hit Bonus +3, Weapon 2d6, Defense 11

Slime: HP 5, Hit Bonus +2, strike with pseudopod for 1d3 or grapple for 1d6, Defense is 7 but damage from mechanical sources of harm are ignored. Its acid body degrades all weapons and armor that contact it by -1.

Troll: HP 15, Hit Bonus +4, Damage 1d6+2, Defense 11. If slain, resurrects in 24 hours with full health and an extra point of Strength and Health unless burned or beheaded.

Warrior: HP 10, Hit Bonus +4, Melee weapon 1d6+2, Defense 11, DR 2

Zombie: HP 10, Hit Bonus +0 or +2 if grappled, Unarmed 1d3, Bite 1d6-1, Defense 7. Moves at slow speed only. Thrusting and Bludgeoning damage is ignored, as the creature must be hacked to pieces.