RPG stands for Role Playing Game. In a Role Playing Game, you play the role of either a single character (a player character), or the referee.
The player characters are the protagonists of a story that the players and referee create together. The referee plays the role of all the supporting characters, antagonists, and extras. Together you create a narrative in a fantasy world.
Dice are used to determine the element of random chance. If you need to roll a dice, this is indicated by the letter ‘d’ followed by the number of sides the dice has to have. For example “d6” means a six sided dice.
If you need to roll more than one dice and add up the results, the quantity is the number before the letter ‘d’. For example “2d6” means roll two six-sided dice and add both numbers together.
Stats (short for statistics) are a set of numbers that represent measures of different features of a character. For example a character’s ability to defend themselves against an enemy attack is represented by their defense stat.
The core game mechanic is a “roll off” between opposing forces.
For example if a character attacks an enemy, the player rolls for their character, and the referee rolls for the enemy. Each have relevant stats that are added to their respective rolls as explained throughout these rules, and the highest number wins.
Each character is represented by a set of stats, their equipment, and optionally a list of spells that they know.
Health and mana have two values, current and maximum values, which need to be tracked separately. Current values are assumed if not specified. Maximum values are abbreviated to “max”, and specified where needed. Current values cannot be reduced to below zero, and cannot be increase above their respective max value.
Each character can carry up to the following amounts of equipment:
Equipment must be acquired. Once acquired, it can be carried or equipped.
Equipment must be equipped in order to have the stated effect on a character. To equip something is to hold or wear it as appropriate for the piece of equipment in question. Armour is worn, Weapons are held.
Some weapons require two hands, others require only one hand.
Each piece of equipment can only be equipped by one character at a time. For example: a Knife provides +1 to the equipped character’s melee attack stat.
Each character can equip a maximum number of equipment as follows:
Equipment is listed below with their effects, ranges, required number of hands, and price in gold pieces (g).
g = ((attack + (defense * 2) + speed + range + hands)
The world is divided into a grid of squares. Each represents roughly 1 meter squared. Space in the game is measured in these squares. Each character occupies one square. A square cannot be occupied by more than one character at a time.
A character can move a measure of squares counted from the current square they occupy, up to their move number. A character’s move number is 1d6 + their speed (roll each time they are moved). Each consecutive square must be adjacent to the previous one. Characters can move in any direction, including diagonally, that is not blocked by terrain or another character.
Each square in the world is a type of terrain. Some terrain can block movement or vision.
No obstruction. Cut grass, flat rocks, and level desert are examples of clear terrain.
Cannot move through or see through. A interior wall, a large tree, or cliff face are examples of blocking terrain.
Slows movement. When a character moves through difficult terrain, each difficult type square uses up two of the number they rolled for movement. Loose sand, thick undergrowth, or rubble in an abandoned castle are examples of difficult terrain.
Only block sight, not movement. A character cannot see what in on the square, or past it. Fog, or thick foliage are examples of Sight blocking terrain.
Squares can be both Difficult and Sight blocking.
A target is a square or character that is being targeted by an attack or spell. The character that is attacking must be able to see the target. This means there cannot be any objects blocking a line of sight from the character to their target.
Line of sight is define in general here, but the referee must judge fairly when it is unclear. One square (and any occupant) is in line of sight of another when a direct straight line can be drawn from the center of one to the other without passing through another occupied square.
A square is occupied when it contains another character or enemy, or object that takes up the whole space such as a wall, book case, or tree. Smaller objects that can easily be seen over do not block line of sight such as a table, small bush, or cat.
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| c | | w | | | |
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| | | w | w | w | w |
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| | | | | | |
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| | | | t | | |
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| | | | | | |
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c = charactert = targetw = wallA direct straight line can be drawn from the character to the target without passing through a wall square.
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| c | | w | | | |
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| | | w | w | w | w |
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| | | | | t | |
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c = charactert = targetw = wallIn this example the corner wall square blocks line of sight between the character and the target.
Ranges are measured from the character’s current square. Consecutive adjacent squares (including diagonally) are counted towards their desired target square, up to the range value. A target that must be within a certain range must be on one of the squares within the count. The target of a range must be visible to the origin character according to line of sight rules.
Each numbered square is the range from the character c
to the target t. The target is within range 4 from the
character.
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| c | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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| 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
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| 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | t | 5 |
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| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
+ - + - + - + - + - + - +c = charactert = targetTime is measured in rounds of combat, hours, and days. A round of combat is about 2 seconds of realistic time. A day is the time between sunrises.
If a character does not eat at least 2 meals worth of food and sleep for at least 8 hours in a day, their health is reduced by 1d6 when the sun next rises.
If in a day a character eats 3 meals, sleeps for at least 8 hours, and only rests and exercises otherwise, they gain 1d6 health.
An area is a larger square made up of standard grid squares. The area number is how many standard grid squares are on each side of the larger area square. An area must overlap at least one square of the target square when part of a ranged attack or spell, otherwise it must overlap the origin square of its source.
Gold is used as currency. It is measured in identical pieces.
Each character takes a turn. The order of characters is decided by 1d6 + speed, which is rolled at the start of each combat. Start from highest, and take turns in order down to the character with the lowest score. If characters get the same number, re-roll to determine the order among each group of tied characters. Repeat this order until the combat ends.
When rolling for speed order, each character also chooses their stance. Either offensive or defensive.
Combat ends when all characters involved decide to stop, or when all of one side (players or enemies) are dead, or when one side escapes.
Each turn a character can do any 2 of the following actions:
Move up to 1d6 + speed squares. Roll the dice each the character moves.
Choose target within line of sight and one of the character’s equipped weapon’s range. If the character has more than one weapon equipped, choose one to use for this attack.
Roll to attack depending on the weapon. 1d6 + Melee Attack if using a melee weapon, or 1d6 + Ranged Attack if using a ranged weapon. The target rolls to defend (1d6 + Defense).
The attack stat must include the addition of only the weapon used for this attack if more than one is equipped.
Add half the attacker’s speed (rounded up) to the attack roll if the attacker is in an offensive stance. Likewise add the half the defender’s speed (rounded up) to the defense roll if they are in a defensive stance.
If the attack roll is greater than the defense roll, subtract the difference from the target’s health.
If the defender’s health is reduced to 0, they die.
Choose a spell to cast. You must have enough remaining mana.
Follow the rules of the spell. If the spell is a Magical Attack:
Choose a target within line of sight and the spell’s range.
Roll 1d6 + the spell’s attack, and the target rolls to defend (1d6 + Defense).
As with a weapon based attack, add half the attacker’s speed (rounded up) to their attack roll if they are in offensive stance, and add half the defender’s speed (rounded up) to their defense stat if they are in defensive stance.
If the spell has an area, roll to defend for every character on a square covered by the area.
If any defending character’s defense roll is less than the spell attack roll, subtract the difference from the defending character’s health.
Reduce the attacking character’s mana by the mana cost of the spell.
One of the following:
Change one equipped weapon. See the Equipment section for details.
Toggle between offensive or defensive stance.
When an enemy is killed, they may have had some valuables that can be looted. This will be gold pieces as indicated on their stats.
Each character can roll 1d6 + Perception to see how much of the enemy’s loot they find. The referee rolls 1d6 + the enemy’s loot hidden stat. If the enemy rolls lower, multiply the difference by the enemies gold stat. That number is how much gold is found.
Player characters can divide this among themselves how they like.
Spells cost different amounts of mana to cast. Higher level spells cost more mana than lower level characters typically have.
Spells must be learned from a teacher, and the teacher will charge a certain amount of gold for each. Once learned, a character can cast a spell as long as they have enough mana.
When a spell is cast by a character, subtract the mana cost of the spell form the character’s current mana. A character’s mana goes back up to their max mana after an 8 hour sleep.
All spells have a range. When cast, the target square or character must be within that range. Spells can be used to target the one casting it if they choose. The casting character is always within range of a spell they cast.
g = (range * attack * max(area, 1)) / mana
Instantly make one character invisible. The target and all they are wearing and have equipped cannot be seen. They can still be heard and smelled. They gain a temporary bonus +10 stealth. They become visible again when the sun next rises. At which time their stealth is reduced by 10.
One character that has died comes back to life. Their current health becomes half their max health.
Choose one character to target. They roll 1d6 + their willpower. You roll 1d6 + 5. If you roll higher you can instruct them to do one thing that will not harm themselves, harm their friends, or destroy their property.
Each character starts at level zero, with zero experience points. Each enemy is worth a certain number of experience points. When a character defeats an enemy, they gain a share of the experience points. Divide the total experience points of the enemies killed in each combat by the number of player characters that were present for the fight.
When a character reaches a certain number of experience points, they go up to the next level. When a character goes up a level, they get permanent increases to some of their stats. The character’s skill training(s) dictate what stats increase and by how much. If a character is trained in more than one skill, each time they level up they choose one skill and use those stat increases.
| Level | Experience |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 10 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 3 | 40 |
| 4 | 70 |
| 5 | 120 |
| 6 | 200 |
| 7 | 330 |
| 8 | 540 |
| 9 | 880 |
| 10 | 1440 |
Characters should find an expert in a skill to train them. The trainer will charge gold for the training.
When a character first trains in a skill, they gain instant permanent effects. These are a set of stat modifications, which are unique to each skill.
Cost to train: 20g
Cost to train: 20g
Cost to train: 20g
Cost to train: 20g
Each character is of one species. Their species provide stat bonuses as follows:
Character starting stats:
Choose one Species and add the stat modifiers.
Choose one Skill and add the effects when first trained.
Characters start with current Health and current mana equal to their respective maximum values.
Characters can then choose what to buy with their gold. They can buy any weapons, items, armour, spells, and skills before starting their adventure. Add any stat modifications when equipping the above, or training in a skill.
Enemies have additional stats.
Each environment has properties:
Objects of interest E.g: food or weapons.
These can be easily found just by looking around the room.
Hidden items.
These items are concealed. Hidden object have a hidden score measuring how well they are concealed in the environment. A character can roll to search for these items, or roll to visually scan to see if they notice them without searching.
Other objects such as furniture that can be used as cover.
Referee controlled characters.
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| c | | t |
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d | | w
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+ - + - + - +View of rolling hills out of the window. Forest in the distance.
When a character is in an environment and not in combat, they can explore.
They can visually scan the environment. Roll 1d6 + Perception. The referee rolls 2d6 + hidden score for each hidden item in the environment, except those that are completely out of sight, such as inside a box. Each character can visually scan a particular environment once per day.
Physically search an environment. Opening chests and drawers. Overturning small objects. If the characters are in an environment owned, maintained, or managed by other characters (including referee controlled characters), they may be displeased by this search. Each character can search a particular environment once per day. Roll 1d6 + Perception. The referee rolls 1d6 + hidden stat for each object hidden in the environment. If the character rolls higher, they find the item.