These are just some simple rules for a fantasy dungeon-crawling TTRPG for you and your friends. Copy and paste, print-out, make a zine - do what you want. Plain text forever!
To play you will need a Guide (sometimes called a game master) and a few chums, as well as some normal dice, something to write with and on, and a few hours to spare.
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Whenever your character is doing something where there's risk or an uncertain outcome, roll a number of white (or any single colour) six-sided dice equal to the relevant character class. If any turn up 5 or 6 (successes) they have succeeded. Otherwise, they fail the action and face the consequence. The difficulty rating of a task may alter the number of successes needed.
When creating a new character, you have 8 dice to assign across your classes, with a max of 4 on an ability and min of 1. The class with the highest number of dice assigned is you ARCHETYPE. If this is a tie, choose which you want to be your ARCHETYPE.
Your Archetype determines your starting gear and Health Points (HP).
When making a roll on your class archetype, swap one of the white die for a die of a different colour. This is the archetype die. If this succeeds it counts as two successes.
When attempting something, where there is no direct opposition, make an unopposed roll on a relevant class. Every 5 or 6 is a success.
A roll may be easier or harder depending on the situation. The difficulty rating is the number of successes required to succeed. The default is 1, but a tougher rating is 2, and a hard is 3. The player may attempt to lower this rating by using the fiction to get themself into a more advantageous situation.
When attempting something where there is a direct opposition, make an opposed roll. This works similar to an unopposed roll, but both parties who are in opposition roll their relevant class dice. The highest number wins. On a tie the side with the highest class wins. If that's still a tie, there is no clear winner.
In combat a combatant, whether attacking or defending, may choose to "burn" a class die. They make the roll as normal but succeed on 4+. After the interaction the player reduces the class dice they rolled on by 1. Burnt dice replenish after combat.
When a character reaches 0 HP they are out of action. They aren't necessarily dead, but they're badly wounded and must seek treatment within 5 hours or die. Guide characters die at 0 HP unless the character decide otherwise.
Three times per day a character may take a short ten minute rest to regain up to 2 HP.
Characters regain all HP after a night's sleep.
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Any Archetype can use enchantments, which are written on scrolls, tablets and in spellbooks. To cast an enchantment, make an unopposed Mystic roll against the difficulty of the enchantment. Enchantments may be used a number of times equal to Mystic class (not including failed attempts) before they are destroyed. Here are some example enchantments, but make them up.
Various mundane adventuring gear is widely available while enchantments can only be found in dungeons or obtained from specialist sellers. The currency is copper (c). Start with 2d6 copper.
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Exploring a typical dungeon room or corridor takes around 10 minutes. This is a dungeon exploration turn. After six turns torches burn out and 12 turns lantern oil burns out.
Roll a die every 3 turns for a wandering monster, where a 1 denotes the appearance of such a creature.
Exploring the wilderness is measured in days, or wilderness turns. Every 3 turns roll for a wandering monster in the wild. If you're using hexes each hex is half a day's travel. Each day an adventurer must eat and drink. If not they become Strained until they do so.
While Strained a character doesn't use an archetype die and takes double damage from attacks.
Create your own monsters with the following rules:
Warrior 3, Archer 2, Mystic 1, HP2
Fox-like beings who love making things.
Warrior 4, Archer 2, Mystic 1, HP4
Gruff muscled grey humanoid with mossy eyebrows. Enjoys jokes.
Warrior 2, Archer 2, Mystic 5, HP5, 2 enchantments
Robed eccentric who loves complicated formulas.
Warrior 6, Archer 4, Mystic 2, HP8
Flamey lizard type with a penchant for riddles.