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a minizine all nicely formatted up can be found on the zine page:
an unformatted text version of this page can be found here, because this page has too much spacing on the web -- geminispace looks fine -- and I don't have the style fixed yet
1. Roll your stats (3d6 each): Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, Dexterity, Intelligence and Charisma. Note down any modifiers:
3: -2 4-8: -1 9-12: 0 13-17: +1 18: +2
2. Pick your class. You start the game with maximum hit points for your Hit Die.
Fighter. d8 HD. Armour: Any. Weapon: d8
- Defeat enemy, attack again (up to level +1)
- Battlemaster: Add your level to either your attack roll or your damage each attack
Wizard. d6 HD. Armour: None. Weapon: d4
- Cast spells from spellbook; 1 spell/level before needing to pay hp
- The Sight: 2-in-6 to sense magic nearby
Devout. d6 HD. Armour: Med. Weapon: d6
- Castigate: Roll 2d6; higher than target's HD, target flees or cowers. Usually for undead.
- Blessing: Grant a +3 to a roll. Can do this 1/day per 2 levels.
Expert. d6 HD. Armour: Light. Weapon: d6
- +2 to Saves
- Expertise: Choose three activities (tracking, climbing, singing …) +1/level to succeed, 2-in-6 to know something
Class Modifiers: Multiply xp needed by 0.15 for each taken.
- Healer: You can heal hp by touch, 1d4; add another d4 die to your pool of healing per level. You can divide up the dice.
- Smite: Gain a pool of extra damage, 1d6/2 levels, daily. You can divide up the dice.
- Beastfriend: You can speak with animals, and gain an animal companion (HD = PC lvl)
- Tactician: Study a subject for one action, and identify a weakness + gain +2 against that subject. +1 initiative.
- Vanguard: 1/level each day, rally allies and grant +2 to next actions for 1d4 actions.
- Berserker: Frenzy at will; +2 attack/damage, -3 AC, 1-in-6 to attack allies. 1d6+1 actions.
- Arcana: Spellcasting, 1 spell / 3 levels without hp penalty (no wizards allowed)
To Do Things: Roll d20, trying to beat the required number. To attack, for example, roll 1d20 and add modifiers, vs. the target Armour Class. (add STR mod. to melee, DEX to ranged.)
-> No armour is AC 10; light armour is AC 12, medium is AC 14, and heavy is AC 16.
In a tricky situation, make a Save! Roll d20, and add any modifier from an applicable stat.
- 12/14/16 is a nice easy/middling/harder range.
To test if an action is successful, roll as above. Add +1/level if the action is thematic to the (N)PC or critter. Only test if there’s a risk!
If you really need to randomly determine if something happens, roll 1d6; 1-2 = yes.
Dungeon (and other short-form) Movement:
- It takes at least 10 minutes to search a room
- The average PC moves up 30’ in an “action”
- Useful abstracted ranges: Reach/Nearby/Far/Very Far (a bow shoots Far)
- Initiative: Both sides roll 1d6 + DEX bonuses if any, highest goes first.
- Escape! Roll d6 + DEX mods; high roll wins
Morale: Critters and NPCs have a morale (ML) rating, from 1 to 12. If under duress, roll a d12; if higher than their ML, they retreat/parley/etc.
First Meetings (Reactions!): If not sure how an initial encounter might go, roll on this handy 2d6 table, with CHA mod if a PC steps up:
<2: hostile 9-11: cautiously friendly
3-5: wary 12+: helpful
6-8: neutral
Random Encounters: Make a 2d6 table of critters, NPCs and stuff. 6-8 will be common encounters; 2 and 12 should be special.
Factions: Rival, allied or enemy groups can be fun. A quick thumbnail is:
This is [faction name]. They want [goal] and are doing [plans] because [obstacle or complication].
Hirelings: Some adventurers hire help, from lantern carriers to mercs to launderers. Reaction checks help in hiring; hirelings have a ML. They also expect a half-share to full share of treasure, plus fees.
Healing, Death, Rations, Other Fun Stuff
Adventurers heal 1d8 after sleeping somewhere comfortable (like an inn), 1d6 when camping. No rest = no healing.
At 0 hit points, roll 1d6. 1-2 is knocked out, 3-5 means -2 to rolls until proper rest, while 6 means, alas, this is a deceased adventurer.
Sustenance is important! No food means -1 to rolls, cumulative daily after the first.
Gaining XP and Leveling Up: A minor milestone or discovery grants 20-50 xp; a major one, 100-200 xp. If awarding xp for treasure, try 1 xp : 20 gp. Leveling is 100 experience points (xp) x the character's current level; fighters gain +1 to hit/level, others +1/3 levels. Add another Hit Die.
Quick Starting “Hexes”: You don't need an actual hexmap, a doodle will do. Put a village or other home base at the centre. Place nodes around it with at least one note of interest for each node. Voila! A starting area for adventure!
Travel and Exploration: This assumes roads, paths, or other pleasant travel; rough terrain means slow going. Also, 8 hours/day.
- 25 miles/day on foot
- 30 miles/day mounted; mounts (or wagons) increase carrying capacity by x2-10
- 80 miles/day on water
- flight is speed-of-plot
Quick Dungeon Stocking: If all else fails, roll d6:
1-2: encounter 4: mystery/special
3: trap, puzzle or clue 5-6: “empty”
A dungeon should have: a puzzle or a roleplay chance or both, a surprise or revelation, a chance at a big conflict of some kind. Make it interesting!
As a baseline, a critter or NPC has d8 Hit Dice, +1 to hit/HD, and does 1d6 damage. This can go up (dragons are scary) or down (0-level folks have just 1d6 hp and no bonuses at all). Morale is 1-12. If Resistant to damage, that's half-damage; Vulnerable doubles damage.
Some Examples
Moonrat: Rodent of unusual size. Wants to eat, nest, spread lunacy. 1 HD, AC 10, +1 bite (1d4+1), ML 6, bite: hallucinate 1d10 minutes
Skeleton: Restless bones. Mindless, usually. 1 HD, AC 12, +1 fist or weapon (1d6), ML 12
Azure Jelly: Translucent ovoid, glistening, speedy. 1 HD, AC 14, +1 bash (1d4+tingle), ML 9, tingle: 1 hp acid damage/action, 1d3 actions
Ghoul: Ash-skinned undead with a taste for flesh and secrets. 2 HD, AC 14, +2 claws (1d6/1d6+paralysis), ML 10, paralysis: 2d20 min.
Dark Ritualist: Some sorcerers have more unsavoury practices and pleasures. 2 HD, AC 10, +1 dagger (1d4), ML 8, magery: any 4 spells
Briarony: Animate hedge-creature, thorned and very territorial. 3 HD, AC 12, +3 buffet (1d6+bleed), ML 7, fire vuln., bleed: wounds lose 1d4 hp/action until tended
Rainwolf: Large canid with stormy grey pelt, glowing eyes, and a disconcerting intelligence. 3 HD, AC 12, +3 bite (1d6), ML 8, trip: lose next action, bolt: 2d4 ranged damage 1 / 3 actions
Black Knight: Ominous black armour, more ominous goals of conquest. 4 HD, AC 16, +4 lance or sword (1d8+2), ML 10, black hex: victim at -3 to all rolls for a day
Lindwyrm: Scaly body, feathered wings, barbed tail, eagle's talons, wolf’s ears, curving horns and an imperious attitude. 7 HD, AC 16, +7 bite (1d8) or claws (1d6/1d6) or sting (1d4+poison), ML 10, flying, 1d3 spells, poison: halve physical stats, 1d4 days
100 copper : 10 silver : 2 electrum : 1 gold : ⅕ platinum.
You can carry 10 items + your STR bonus.
A starting adventurer has 1 weapon, clothes, 4d10 gp, and one of these packs:
Artisan: Tools of the trade, shoulderbag, knife, letter of recommendation, personal badge
Scholar: Portable writing desk, satchel, writing kit, pigments, treasured tome
Hunter: Snares, bow or crossbow, waxed backpack, fur mantle, herb packet
Noble: Signet, 1 weapon, medium armour or horse, gossipy letters, fancy outfit
Explorer: Light armour, lantern and oil, map, dagger, journal, small trophy
Hayseed: Axe, dog or goose, wicker pack, many pouches, week's fresh rations
Far-Wanderer: Glass knife, untearable scroll, light armour, glowy beads, writing wand
Exile: Chains, dagger, hidden letter, leather pouch, several candles
A Short Equipment List:
tinderbox 2 gp
lantern 2-5 gp
backpack 1 gp
waterskin 5 sp
chalk (10) 5 cp
rope (50’) 1 gp
scroll 5 sp/1 gp/5 gp
writing kit 5 gp
bedroll 2 gp
sack 3 sp
torches (10) 5 sp
candles (5) 1 gp
iron spikes (10) 1 gp
tool kit 15 sp/15 gp
oil 5 sp
mirror 3 gp
rations (week) 15 gp
tent (2) 2 gp
light armour 10 gp
med. armour 25 gp
heavy armour 100 gp
shield 10 gp
melee weapon 5 gp
ranged weapon 25 gp
ammunition (20) 2 gp
Generally speaking, a palmful of …
- Copper buys: a snack, a rough meal, simple crafts, secondhand items, small livestock
- Silver buys: simple clothing, common meal, night in common room, large livestock, basic items and tools
- Gold buys: fancy meals, full inn service, bespoke outfits, horses, weapons, armour
- Platinum buys: manors, castles, jewels, titles, exotica, custom weapons and armour, magic
Wizards keep their spells in a spellbook, and can add a scroll spell to their book, using it up. An adventurer who learns some magic might think of it a different way, but they still carry their spells (a devout may have a prayerbook, for example).
Casting a spell: A wizard can cast 1 spell/level freely per day. More spells cost 1 hit point each. Healing magic doesn’t restore spellcasting, only rest does.
-> You can also spend a hit point to counterspell.
Sample Spells
Some Example Hoards (in gp)
Non-Coin Treasures
- Artwork: sculpture, paintings, furnishings
- Documents: manuscripts, tomes, letters, maps, contracts
- Gemstones, jewels, jewellery
- Trade Goods: textiles, livestock, furs, liquor, dyestuff, ingots, ceramics, glass, foodstuffs
- Exotica: rare hides, magic items, tamed beasts, rare spices, precious metals
Sample Magic Items
- Weapons: May have a +1 to +3 (+5 is legend) bonus to hit, damage or both; may flame, freeze or bleed an opponent; may have stranger abilities, or even be sentient or sapient.
- Armour: +1 to +3 bonus to AC; may grant resistance or immunity to a kind of injury
- Vulnerary: Ruby or pearly potion, 2d4 healing
- Spell Scroll: Contained 1-4 spells. Read from the scroll to cast the spell, which is erased.
- Elemental Shard: Nodule of crystallized element; causes 1d6 damage when thrown (30’ range). Fire and ice are most common.
- Marble Elixir: Drink to gain +2 AC for 4 hours.
- Hidden Spaces Pouch: Large embroidered hip pouch can actually hold up to 20 items.
- Glasscaster: Slim crystal rod fire darts of solid energy to 100’ (1d4); 20 charges.
- Warding Ring: Grants +1 to AC and to Saves.
- Rose Orb: Pinkish crystal globe may be asked one question a day.
- Revelation Mirror: Round silver mirror shows the true appearance (or presence of illusion) of anything reflected in it.
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