- Start with an adventuring goal. Your character must have a goal to pursue in play.
- Divide 4 points among your attributes: Strength, Agility, Intellect, and Willpower. 0 describes an average attribute. Starting attributes cap at 3.
- Note that uniquely for attributes, you can have one -1 to start, and put that point into another attribute.
- Divide 4 points among your Combat Skills: Brawling, Melee, Range, and Defense. Starting combat skills cap at 3.
- 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.
- Choose traits and flaws to distinguish your character with flavor or mechanical bonuses or penalties.
- Determine your maximum health. It's 10 + your Strength.
- Magic-users determine your maximum ether. It's 10 + a suitable vocation (example Mage).
- Determine your carrying capacity. It's 10 + your Strength.
- 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.
- Name your character.
Attributes
Attributes measure your characters abilities. For character creation only, you may buy just one attribute down to a -1 in order to put another point somewhere else.
- 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 (aka Occupations)
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.
Occupations Addendum: visit this post for more details on this soft skill system.
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 and damage 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) produce light for a radius of 30 ft. Light is essential for PCs to see in dark places.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- All NPCs act, then roll dice, and then their actions are resolved.
- 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 a combat round represents a few seconds, and so once combat has begun, strategizing is breaking character and is metagaming.
- 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.
- 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.
Combat Addendum: visit this blog post for supplemental rules on martial realism including core rules, and optional rules which have tactical rules.
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. Note that attacking ends your turn.
- 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.
Addendum: Supplemental material and design notes can be found here.
Bear: HP 18, Hit Bonus +3, Bite or Claw 2d6, Defense 10
Chimera: HP 20, Hit Bonus +6, Bite, Claw, Hoof, Horn, Gore, or Firebreath vs 1, 2d6, Def 10, moves fast (45').
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.
Elemental (various): All stats vary as these entities come in a great variety. Requires a magic or a magical weapon to harm it.
Flying Sword: HP 5, Hit Bonus +4, Damage 1d6, Def 11, DR 3. Moves 45'.
Gargoyle: HP 10, Hit Bonus varies, Claw or Bite or other weapon and damage is based on gargoyle size, Defense 9. Sunlight turns its flesh body to stone. If smashed in its stone form, it dies when the sun sets and it becomes flesh again.
Goblin: HP 3, Hit Bonus +2, Weapon or Bite 1d3+1, Defense 9.
Homunculus: HP 5-10, Hit Bonus varies, Unarmed attacks 1+Str (varies) or by weapon, Def (varies). Alchemists cannot create homunculi consistently, and so no two are alike. When creating a homunculus, roll 2d6 to determine its morale score (bravery or cowardice).
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.
